Sweetheart

Hi there, thanks for stopping by today.  I'm sharing a cute Valentine box I created using a Vignette box as the structure.  Follow along and I will show you how I did it!

I covered a medium Vignette Box with scraps of Worn Wallpaper, over lapping some of the pieces to make them look like patches.  I sealed the wallpaper with Collage Medium and after it dried I used crayon to grunge up the paper edges.
You can see here that I also papered the inside...well, hold your horses on that because I changed my mind later and ended up covering it up.

This is my new idea for the inside...
I decided I needed the inside to push forward so I cut a piece of black foam core and covered it with a totally different pattern of wallpaper than previously chosen.  I repeated the step to seal with Collage Medium and let it dry.   However, this time I scribbled the crayon onto my glass mat and picked up the color with a damp paint brush so I could paint it on rather than rubbing it over the surface.  It gives it a lighter aging which is perfect for the Valentine.
I also tapped over the flowers with Collage Medium and then used the Glitter Duster to add Rock Candy Glitter over the flowers. I swear I will use any excuse to use that thing!

I painted on some Collage Medium then dropped the foam core piece into the vignette box and let it dry in place.

I painted a wood Vignette Frame in Antique Linen to match the opening of the medium Vignette Box.    I rubbed it with Collage Medium and let it dry before adding the crayon to distress it.

My plan was to add the Baseboard Frame (at left) to the wood frame, which will cover up all of the inside details so I really didn't even need to paint that portion.  One thing I did need to do was trim ever so slightly the Baseboard Frame so that is sits perfectly inside the  wood frame.  I used my rotary cutter to trim off a bit of the thick board.

I decided to use my Distress Resist Spray over the Baseboard Frame to give it a textured finish and I loved the result.  It's subtle but very cool.
Remember:
1. You MUST use a spray box or a garbage can when you spray this stuff!
2. Wipe the nozzle immediately after spraying

Next up is another of the new Paper Dolls that is in the new pack (shipping around March).  In my last post, I talked extensively about using Crayons to paint the Paper Dolls using Q-tips and/or a Detail Water Brush  (you can read it here).  This photo really shows the layering of color on the dress and the detail of the flowers and her necklace.  Such a great medium to work with!

You can also see here that I cut a very small red felt heart, attaching it to her hand with wire and hot glue.

I put a doubled bingo chip behind the girl to really bring her close to the front of the frame.

Then I added a sweet little bow to the wire.

I wanted to place her on a raised base so I created one with a Finial base and a Vignette Panel.

I added the word Sweetheart to the front of the frame from the Clippings sticker sheet.  I swear these stickers can NEVER be retired because I use them on almost every project!  I mean change the word on the front and you have a great gift for a friend or mother.

I used Collage Medium to connect the base to the box.  I let it dry for about 30 minutes while I gathered the supplies for the next step.  Which were: dyed cheesecloth, leftover flowers from a spring wreath I made for my front door and some moss.  I like the pink on the flowers but it was just a bit too bright so I rubbed Tattered Rose Distress Paint over the top.  The bright pink still shows but it is toned waaaay down.

I added pieces of the Metal Gate to each side to give the idea of a garden.  The cheesecloth was put down first, then the moss and then the flowers.

I also added vintage pearls that I cut from an old necklace.  They have the perfect patina to combat the plastic berries!

The Adornments Bow was added to the top of the box to balance the heavy bottom portion.  The lace around the base is vintage tatting that I collect.  This really was the perfect project to use it!  Subtle and sweet, just right for a Valentine or a friend.

now carry on.

paula

The Stars are Always Shining

Hi everyone!  I'm excited to be part of the Creativation Blog Hop today.  We are all sharing something we created for one of the Tim Holtz booths the Creativation show.  I am sharing the large Vignette Tray I created featuring our new Collage Paper Document.  There are also 2 other new SKU's of Collage Paper, Travel and Typography.

I wanted a very shabby, grungy tray for this project.

To get this look:

1. Paint the large Vignette Tray with Antique Linen Distress Paint and let it dry completely.
2. Add patterned paper to only the inside back of the tray and seal with a layer of Collage Medium.  I used paper from the Memoranda Paper Stash.
3. Once dry, I used a palette knife to spread Opaque Crackle Texture Paste randomly over the painted sides and edge of the tray (inside and out).  Let dry completely (I left mine overnight but I know you only need about an hour before you can work with it).
4. Scribble Hickory Smoke Distress Crayon over the Texture Paste.  Mist with water and rub into cracks with fingers or a Distress Blending Brush.
5. Crumple a wet wipe and pounce over surface to mottle the finish (don't skip this step).

Once the tray is done, set it aside to dry.

Paper Dolls

Each year we do a running change on the Paper Dolls to add new cast members and retire others.  This year the updated pack should start appearing in stores around March.  The three girls I chose to use for this project are from the new pack, which has lots of large images like this one to work with.  I love that the large images can become the centerpiece to a project.

Tinting 

Using Distress Markers to color Paper Dolls works beautifully, but the color can (and will) fade over time.  I have had good success using a spray Fixative to combat the fade.  However, having a can of spray Fixative at the ready is a challenge when teaching a class!  So I decided to give Distress Crayons a try to see if I could get a similar result.  After working with them all through the lead up to Creativation, they have now become my go-to product to color the dolls because the color lasts without Fixative.  Projects I created back in November still look today as they did when I created them (and that is great news for me).

There is a learning curve to using the crayons.  I suggest starting by picking a larger image to work on and starting on the clothes.  The cheeks can be the hardest part but you will get the hang of it.  And remember, the paper is coated, if you hate it you can just wipe it away and start over.

1. Scribble the crayon on your glass mat.
2. Spray a puddle of water onto the glass mat next to the crayon.
3. Dip a Q-tip into the water and squeeze out excess.  You want a damp Q-tip not a wet one.
4. Pick up the crayon with the damp Q-tip and rub over paper doll.  For cheeks, it is helpful to tap instead of rub (and it does take some practice).
5.  Use the clean end of the Q-tip to rub away any excess.

Will a water brush work? Yes and no.  It does work and I used it almost exclusively in a small fabric journal I created using Found Relatives (a topic for another day) but you really can't squeeze the water brush because it will wash the color away.  Too much water is your enemy.  I do like it though because you can get into tight places since the tip is pointed and firm.  So yes, you can use it but be very careful not to add additional water.

I would also mention, do not take yourself too seriously.  These are old photos and the tinting should be just that - mimicking old tinting which was never perfect and somewhat off kilter.  The colors should look like they are lighter in some places and darker in others.  That's the beauty of it!

The center of the project is a Collage Frame covered in the new Collage Paper.  I used my water brush to create a line from the top of the paper to the bottom and then tore it apart (the tear will follow your waterline).  I brushed Collage Medium onto the frame then placed the Collage Paper over the top, covering almost the entire top portion of the frame (the Collage Paper is 6" wide and the frame is 8").  I added a layer Collage Medium to secure all the delicate edges, then dried it with a heat tool.

By placing the paper across the opening in the frame, it allowed me to add lights behind and will become transparent when back lit.

While the frame was still on my work table, I worked crayon into the edges of the Collage Paper and mottled it with a wet wipe to make it look more organic.  I left a lot of crayon on the frame because I liked it, but you could use less if that is not your style.  Once I had placement for the ruler for the girls to sit on, I added Layers "Remnants" to fill in the space between the ruler and the bottom of the frame.  I also added ripped pieces of Worn Wallpaper because to be quite honest, who doesn't like that look?  And if they don't, they probably wouldn't be reading my blog anyway, right?  Again, I sealed the ephemera with Collage Medium so I could add more crayon to marry the top of the frame to the bottom even though different materials were used.

The words "the stars are always shining" is from the Clippings sticker sheet.  I also used bingo chips as the risers behind the girls but I suppose you could use a double stack of foam pads.  Personally, I need a big bin of bingo chips in my workroom at all times just for this purpose!

Oh, and the Hardware Heads...the new little faux fasteners that you see on each corner of the ruler?  Well, I'm just going to tell you...buy more that you think you need because you are going to want to put them on everything...and even if there are 4 different styles in the package, I always want to use the one with the X.  I just do!

I added one of the new Vintage Clips to the top of the frame as well as a bow from an Adornments pack.

The new Stencil Chip found under the clip is a favorite from the show.  It absolutely looks metal but it's made from chipboard (and it looks like that right out of the the package).

I should mention the beautiful roses.  For the first time we have made a running change on the Layers Botanical and that is where these roses came from.  The bad news is that it will be a few months for the changeover to be complete so you will not see the new Layers Botanical until later in the spring.  That being said, I guess the good news is that if you like the current Layers Botanical with the butterflies and the calling cards you have time to order a pack before they are gone.  NOTE: The new pack does have butterflies but it does not have calling cards.

I wish I had taken a picture of how I did the lights but it was night when I was working on it and to be quite honest, it was ugly, lol.  I had my husband drill a hole in the back of the tray right below the girl with the yellow dress, inserted the string of lights from the back to the front of the tray and then wound them around in a circle until the string ran out.  I used narrow masking to secure the lights to the tray (that is the ugly part).  

The frame needed to rest pretty high in the tray so I took 8 bingo chips and glued them in stacks of 2.  I used the 4 stacks (one in each corner) to raise the Collage Frame over the lights so they just glow behind the screen.

This is all you see when you turn the tray around

Well I hope you liked this tutorial.  I do love this project and the subtle nuances that the Distress Crayons brings to the table.  Next on the Blog Hop list is my friend Richele Christensen.  Click on the link below to hop over to her blog!  Be sure to leave a comment here before you go (and all along the blog hop) for your chance to win one of three amazing prize giveaways.  Comments must be left by Feb 9th at midnight PST and 3 winners will be announced on Feb 10th!

Now carry on,
paula

Next up...

Richele Christensen

Merry Christmas Tag

Hi everyone!
Happy Holidays!

I was asked by The Crafty Scrapper in Texas to be part of their 12 Tags of Christmas.  The only rule was you needed to use a Mini Etcetera Tag (which is 8" tall).  They are revealing the tags on their Facebook page each day leading up to Christmas!
Follow along and I'll show you how I created mine! (which I LOVE by the way)

As I said, I used a Mini Etcetera tag as the base for the project.  I used Collage Medium to cover the tag with paper from the Christmas Paper Stash.  A few pieces of ephemera from the Christmas pack were added before I painted on a thin coat of Collage Medium over the entire surface to seal.  Once dry (I used a heat tool) I scribbled Walnut Stain Crayon over the ephemera and rubbed it with my damp fingertip to spread out the crayon.

Then I pounced a damp wet wipe over the top to create a more random vintage look.

I used Grit-Paste and the Falling Stars Mini stencil (found in set #38) to add stars to the background.  Because I sealed the paper with Collage Medium in the beginning, I was easily able to wipe away stars that were not perfect or in the right place.
Remember to wash your stencil right away or at least drop it into a tray of water till you can get to it.

While they were still wet, I sprayed the stars with Spray Stain so they were not as white.

I wanted to use the wonderful Collage Paper for the feature in the center of the tag.   I love the design of this paper with the holly and the beautiful red bow.  I think you can turn it any direction and the design works!
To use the Collage Paper, paint a nice coat of Collage Medium over the surface of a Vignette Panel (when I say "nice", I mean you should be able to see the white of the glue).  As I have said here before, the trick to using CP is getting enough glue under it so it go sheer when you add the CM over it.  Wait for it to dry and then use a sander to remove the excess paper.

Once dry, I used a palette knife to add Ranger Opaque Texture Paste.  I like to leave it to dry for at least an hour if not more.

 I used two Ranger products to age the Crackle.  First I sprayed it with Antique Linen Distress Spray Stain and let it soak in for a bit, then padded off the excess.  Second, I scribbled crayon over parts of the surface and rubbed it in with my finger.

The ink and crayon works like magic over the Collage Paper and the wood of the Vignette Panel in the background.

Adhere thin foam pads to the back of the Vignette Panel and add to the Mini Etcetera Tag.

 

Now for the focal point, I colored a Ruler piece with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, sprayed it with water and patted it dry.  Once dry, I wiped Collage Medium over the surface to make the ink bloom (trust me on this). Dry with a heat tool then use pliers to break off each end of the Ruler Piece.

Color the word with a Picket Fence Distress Crayon and add it to the ruler with thick red craft string. I did add 1/2 of a foam square on the back of the Story Stick once I tied the bow.

 

This little guy is one of my favorites from the Paper Doll pack.  He is going to be perfect for an idea I have.  First a little Crayon for his cheeks (you know it's cold outside).  

I used a knife to cut right along his hand.
As you can see I have also colored a Mini Tree with Bundled Sage Distress Spray Stain, removed the base and given it a haircut so it lays flat.  I also added a bit of fine mica flakes.

Once the paper doll was cut, I slipped the wire of the tree into the slit and hot glued into place.  My gosh, it's a perfect fit!  I love when a random idea works.

Now one last thing...did you know that there are Christmas Milk Caps in our Milk Caps pack?  Well there are!  I aged it by sanding and inking the surface. I added another thin foam square to the back as well as a metal star that I covered in real German glass glitter.  I mean, every once in a while you have to use some glass glitter!

An here it is with all the pieces added!  The little boy is just so perfect for this piece.  One of the reasons I love Paper Dolls is finding the perfect setting!  This is an easy project with some fun techniques so I hope you give it a try.

now carry on,

paula