Texture Paste Translucent

 Hello Friends,

We were introduced today to new packaging for the Distress Textures.  I have been waiting for label on the top of the lids for years!!  I cannot tell you how happy this makes me!

There are 11 products in total that have been repackaged for continuity.  Tim did an in depth YouTube Live on all the products, new and old.  You can watch the replay, or just take a look at his blog for all the still photos of the things he created during the live.  

Grit Paste Opaque

Grit Paste Translucent

Texture Paste Opaque

Texture Paste Translucent

Crackle Paste Opaque

Crackle Paste Translucent 

Rock Candy (clear glitter)

Mica Flakes

Collage Medium Matt

Frosted Crystal

Crackle Paint Translucent

Today, my focus is on the Texture Past Translucent. I created a project using Texture Paste Translucent, because it was a product I had not used before.  It can be used in a variety of ways and it can be tinted (Tim shows how to do this in the YouTube video), but I used it straight out of the jar.  Follow along and I'll show you what I did to get this vintage effect in the background of this Mini Etcetera Tag.

1. Cover your substrate with paper (I used Backdrops) using Collage Medium to adhere the paper to the tag as well as seal the surface.  Dry with heat tool. 

2.  Lay one or more stencils over the surface and drag Texture Paste Translucent over the top using a small palette knife.  The paste is nice and thick so it will not seep under the stencil.

3.  Wash the stencils and palette knife right away (or place in a water bath) or the paste will adhere to your tools.  Set tag aside to dry for at least 30 minutes.

4.  Once paste is dry it will be clear and solid.

5.  Working quickly, use a Blending Tool with a clean foam pad to add Distress Paint to the surface.  I put the paint on the glass mat and picked it up with the tool so it was a nice thin coat.  

6.  You could leave as is or wipe away some of the open space with a wet wipe (but not the part where the translucent paste is).  I did this to reveal some of the paper below.  Set aside to dry.

PLEASE NOTE: because I used Collage Medium to seal the surface below, Distress Ink will never dry over the surface.  Distress Paint is the one Distress product that dries permanently so it was the best solution to adding the layers of depth that I wanted.

7.  Next, use a Distress Crayon to color the raised Translucent areas.  I scribbled right over the raised images, then rubbed with my finger tip just around the outside edges.

8. I also used Distress Crayons to add color to the floral images.  Again, very easy, just scribble it directly on the raised texture.

9. Use a Distress Splatter Brush to splatter Picket Fence Distress Paint over the tag...something about the white over the brown makes this my favorite part.  Set aside to dry.

11.  Color a piece of watercolor cardstock with Stormy Sky and Speckled Egg Spray Stain. I made more just for later use, you only need one for this project.

11. I used the Sizzix 3D 'Woven' folder to create the texture on the watercolor cardstock. Love the heavy woven texture!

12. Rub any brown Distress Ink directly over the surface texture.

13.  Spritz it with water and let is wick out.  Dry with a heat tool.

14.  Die cut words to use as a sentiment.  I actually die cut the sentiment twice and layered together to get a thicker letter that would stand out.  I love how the texture ends up looking like rust spots.

15.  The words and other simple embellishments were added to the tag with Collage Medium and foam squares (photobooth).  The red 605 strip came from the new idea-ology Snippets.  

I just loved the background and didn't want to cover too much of it up!

It will be interesting to see what others do with the Transparent Texture Paste.   I love my grungy look but maybe tinting the paste a color is more your jam.  I know I will be trying that technique out very soon.
now carry on,
paula

Sizzix Chapter 2 - Modern Floristry

Hello friends,

I love Distress Crayons. This easy technique to color the background of this Mini Tag is one of the reasons why.  I love how you can keep the color bright depending on how much color you add and if you get too much, you can easily wipe it away for a more "pastel" look and feel.  Follow along and I'll show you how I did it.

This is the MODERN FLORISTRY Thinlit set that I used for all the flowers.  

I cut all the flowers with Distress Watercolor paper then used a small paint brush to color them with different colors of Distress Ink like Salvaged Patina, Fossilized Amber, Kitsch Flamingo and Milled Lavender.

 Once I was done painting with the ink, I added a dime size amount of Picket Fence Distress Paint right in the middle of the leftover colors.  I spritzed water on the paint and stirred it up just a bit to loosen the paint.

Then I took the brush with the "white wash" and splattered it over the painted flowers. Because there were small amounts of ink in the paint, that color also transferred to the flowers (It looks a bit of a mess but it was worth it).

Here are the finished pieces once the splatter was dry.

Paint the Etcetera tag with Saltwater taffy Distress Paint.  I did two coats, but you do you!

Once the paint was dry, I added 2 cut pieces of the Simple Plaid with Collage Medium (Watercolor paper).  I also put at layer over the top.  Do not skip this last step.

Once dry, I flipped it over to cut away the excess on the edges.  I did have to go back and add more Collage Medium to secure some of the little strips on the edges.

The top layer of Collage medium seals the paper and give you a slick surface so Distress Crayons work over the top.

Scribble on some colors, then rub with a damp finger to move the color around.  Always wipe off your finger before moving to the next color if you want the colors to stay true.  I used Salvaged Patina, Kitsch Flamingo, and Fossilized Amber.

Notice the Salvaged Patina scribble at the top.  The lower half has already been rubbed in.

Here is the finished background.

Notice that you really can't tell where the two die-cut piece meet in the middle once the color has been added?

I used foam squares to add a window from the window baseboards pack, then added the cluster of flowers.  The Paper Doll was kept very simple, not to take away form the flowers.  I also used foam squares under the flowers so they each had different heights.

I cut the word BLOOM, twice and stacked them so the letters would have more dimension.  I added the word to the velum strip and used Scor-Tape on each end to add to the tag.  

I pulled a few ribbons from my basket and made the tie at the top.  Easy to do when you have pre-dyed the ribbon with Distress Ink!

There were many inspiring examples of Modern Floristry in the Tim Holtz Live that you will want to go to tim's blog to see them.  If you want to see the samples or even watch the replay, you can find that HERE.

now carry on,
paula

idea-ology Matchbox Tray

Hello Friends,

Today I am sharing one of the projects I created for the new idea-ology release.  This is a project that I created on a whim! I had a basic plan in my head, but was not sure it would work or not till I really got into the project.  I wanted to use the house (I cut it out by hand) from the Snapshots pack as my centerpiece, since I was envisioning the lives of the people who had lived in the house surrounding it.

TRAY
I started by painting the large size Vignette Tray black. I painted the entire outside and the inside walls of the box. This gave me a good vehicle for the pink map paper that is in the new Backdrops 3 paper pack. The black paint makes the pink map really pop! I knew that I was going to be using neutral photos so I needed the pink as my backdrop.

The black tape that wraps around the lip edge of the tray is from the new tape pack that has 12 different, 3/16" tapes.  This was specifically made to fit the lip edge of Vignette boxes.  You can see the one I used right at the top.

MATCHBOXES

I used the idea-ology Matchboxes for the collage. I wanted something that I could open and add things to the drawers. The size worked perfectly with the large Tray to so this. I used all 6 Matchboxes that came in the package. The arrangement of the Matchboxes came from testing what worked. I knew I wanted the house in the center, resting on top of a Matchbox...everything else went in around it. I had the arrangement in place BEFORE I started cutting the Snapshots since I needed to know if a photo should be cut vertical or horizontal.

I removed the drawers from each box, painted the inside of each with 2 coats of Weathered Wood Distress Paint and set them aside to dry.  Once dry, I wrapped the outside of each drawer with Marbled Tape.

Snapshots are a new addition to the idea-ology line.  It is an entire bag of snapshot photos.  The paper is the same as Paper Dolls - thick and slick to the touch.  You can color them with Distress Crayons if you wish and they are very easy to stitch through if you were wanted to sew them to a surface.

For this project, I decided to add the photos to the Matchboxes, but of course they are way too big for a Matchbox.  That wasn't going to stop me.  

I cut a piece of velum the size of the front of the Matchbox.  I used the velum to help me find the part of the image I wanted to cut out.  I could move it around and up and down till I found the right place.  Then I just hand cut that part of the photo with scissors.

I had a vision of old photos found in a box so I decided to only color with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. I pressed the ink onto my glass mat and spritzed it with water. Once I decided which photos I wanted to use (and cut them to fit the matchboxes), I pressed each into the ink and dried it with a heat tool. Just that simple.

You can see that I have added things to the drawers.  You can use whatever you have in your stash.  New or vintage...it does not matter.

I used Collage Medium to adhere all the parts and pieces, from Flashcards to bottles to Number Bocks...all Collage Medium.

All the string work was done after the boxes were in place. I started with the nail at the top, then worked my way around the tray till I came back together. I used a needle that was big enough for the string.  It would be helpful to have a thimble (if you have one) to push the needle through the boxes. The tray could also be created without the string.

I blackened the Pocket Watch with black paint, then sanded some if it off again.  The center is from the new Gauge Dials pack.  It fits perfectly, you just have to open the back and pop it in.  I added some chain from my stash and a tag from the new Ephemera Snippets.

DRAWERS

Word Keys

Number Block

Apothecary Bottles

Junk Drawer Baseboard pack

Gauge Dials and Pocket Watch

Flashcard

I hope you like my Matchbox Tray!  I know it is kind of an unusual piece but I love it.  The new idea-ology products are so fun to work with and I can't wait to use the Snapshots in more projects.  
now cary on,
paula