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