Wood Grain Tutorial at A Vintage Journey

Hello friends! This is just a reminder that I have a tutorial on the steps I took to create this framed collage over at A Vintage Journey. I hope you'll join me there! Hugs! Sara Emily

Winter Cards - A Tutorial with Tim Holtz Ice Flake

Hello! I can't seem to shake the snowflakes! Perhaps it's the balmy 80 degree January we've been having here in the south. (Editor's note: It's now officially winter here with highs in the 30's!) I welcome you to join me at A Vintage Journey where I am sharing a tutorial on this pair of simple any occasion cards. I hope to see you there! Hugs! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Scrapy Land Challenge #130 Anything Goes  I used two Sizzix dies.

Crafty Cardmakers #248 Anything Goes

SanDee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenges: January 2020 Steampunk Challenge

We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge #1 - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Pine Cone Gift Box Ornaments

Welcome! Today we start the new challenge over at A Vintage Journey. Our theme this time chosen by the talented Sandy is 'Holly Jolly Christmas'. Here's what she says:

This month Anything Goes as long as it says Christmas and is in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

Well, I almost goofed, and forgot her brief said 'as long as it says Christmas'. But I managed to get 'Christmas' on there! Let's take a look!

I started with these chipboard pine cone boxes I've had in my stash for years. I painted them with brown acrylic paint and sealed the paint with Matte Medium, before giving them a random coating of DecoArt Crackle Paint. I sealed the crackle with DuraClear Ultra Matte once the crackle had dried and done it's thing. After this layer dried, I wiped on DecoArt Media Antiquing Cream in English Red Oxide and Raw Umber, and wiped it back with a damp cloth. To enhance the cracks more, I used Ground Espresso Distress crayon. I only have one process shot. I think at one point I was thinking I was going to go in another direction and deleted my photos.

Then it was time to decorate the boxes. I used the bough from Pine Branch  and a leaf from Large Funky Floral Thinlits both my Tim Holtz. These were cut from card colored in various green inks and oxides and Antique Bronze Mica Spray. The berries (Tim Holtz Beaded Berries)  and pearls (from my stash) were colored with Deception Alcohol Pearl.

Here's the back side. The boxes halves are each decorated separately, so that the box is functional. We have a tradition in our family to leave a gift on the tree tied on with a yellow ribbon from The Christmas Mouse. I will find a small trinket or perhaps place money inside before hanging these on the tree Christmas Eve.

I made a pair of tags using Christmas Circle Words Thinlits and Metallic Kraft Stock. The crinkle ribbon is dyed with Antique Linen and Fossilized Amber Oxide sprays, Vintage Photo Spray Stain and Antique Bronze Mica Spray.

Everything got brushed with Distress Collage Medium and dusted with Frantage Champagne Crushed Glass Glitter. And finally, I used an old Remnant Rub to include 'Merry Christmas' and 'All I Want for Christmas' on each of the pine cone gift boxes.

There's plenty more Holly Jolly Christmas inspiration over at the blog, where my fellow Creative Guides have displayed their wonderful Christmas makes to tempt you to play along in this month's challenge. Thank you for visiting today and for all your wonderful comments. Hugs! Sara Emily

Challenge Shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Lets Sparkle

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Traditional Christmas

We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge #12 - Anything Goes Mixed Media

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #61 Anything Christmas Goes

Do-Al (1) Creative # 36 - Shabby Chic / Vintage

Scrapy Land Challenge #127 Anything Goes I used 3 Sizzix die sets.

Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #448 3,2,1: You Choose I used 3 die sets (Pine Branch, Christmas Circle Words and  Large Funky Floral by Sizzix), there are two types of berries and one ribbon on each pine cone gift box.

Mixed Media Tag for A Vintage Journey Tag Friday

Hello and welcome! Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful day full of reflection, family and good food! Because it's the 5th Friday of the month over at A Vintage Journey, where it is indeed already Friday, we toast the occasion with Tag Friday. 

Like fellow Creative Guide Alison always says, my tag has that now you see it, now you don't quality of shimmer. In the photo above, it looks like a big white blob to the right of the embossed leaf image and even some spider web thin lines lining the edge of the gold at the top left. Turned so slightly, it disappears altogether, and the background leaf stamping moves into view in the photo below.

I have no step by step photos as I actually made the bulk of this tag several months ago, when I first received my Tim Holtz Pressed Foliage stamps. Even then, the tag with it's hints of shimmer, came from my stash of mop up tags. So it's pretty much anyone's guess as to what colors went into it, except it's pretty obvious there's Evergreen Bough ink. Here are some closeups to show the detail.

Splatters of Picket Fence paint mingle with the various others colors picked up from leftover inks/oxides from passed projects. 

  The sentiment is stamped in Ground Espresso Archival and clear embossed. I backed the tag with a metallic envelope liner. ( I picked up a pack of these on clearance for pennies at a local craft store). After trimming the metallic paper, I sanded it, blended the edges with Ground Espresso ink and swiped on a bit of White Gold Prima Metallic wax before adhering it to the completed tag.   

I tried many times last night to duplicate the background, so I could make a second tag but I could not duplicate the shimmer with any of my metallic products, and I ended up just making a big muddy mess. So one tag will have to suffice. I suspect there may have been a bit of white gold wax on my mat when I was mopping up the other colors.

So there you have my version of the last Tag Friday of 2019. Be sure to visit the blog to see all the amazing tags my teammates created! Now I can move onto Christmas crafting; I think I may have to make New Year's cards instead.  How about you? Have you completed your Christmas cards? In any event, happy crafting! Hugs! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Country View Challenges November 2019 - Hand Stamped

We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge #11 - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Crafty Cardmakers #246 No Patterned Paper

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes

Abandoned Storage Box For A Vintage Journey

Welcome! This is actually my second post for today. You can see my shaker Christmas card here. But for now, it's time for a new monthly challenge at A Vintage Journey. This time our hostess is the lovely Julia, who chosen theme is Box It Up! Here's what she says:

This month our theme is boxes! Perhaps you will make a trunk or suitcase, some kind of package to hold a gift, or maybe make a card or journal page showing presents. Just remember to ensure that you create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

I actually had numerous ideas for this challenge, but was running out of time to narrow those choices down. This morning, I visited a thrift store that was using this 10 x 7 x 4.5 inch box to hold greeting cards, and it was the perfect size for holding my Tim Holtz stamp sets. I talked them into letting it go.  The original box is pictured below, and you can see it was a work in progress already.

My organizing style is a 'flipper', meaning I like keeping things I use most frequently in upright in files that are open, so I can flip through to easily find what I need. My stamp boxes were getting so stuffed, I couldn't flip through them, and hence, I haven't been doing much stamping.

I removed and sanded the peeling butterfly paper off each of the long sides and sanded the shabby paint on each end. I cracked open my Tim Holtz Abandoned paper stash for the first time and chose a couple of patterns that would work together. Even though I have two of these 8 x8 paper packs, I couldn't use all one paper design due to the box dimensions. As it was, I had to piece the papers together as best as I could on the long sides. I could have chosen a 12 x 12 paper from my stash, but these lovely mixed media sheets were calling to me. Pictured below are the other three sides.

After adhering, then sanding the edges of the paper, I blended the edges with Ground Espresso ink and smeared it randomly with Crackle Texture Paste. When the paste was thoroughly dry, I sanded again.

I used a Tim Holtz Numbered stencil, grit paste and Bone embossing powder to emboss a few numbers on the opposite side. I sealed all the sides with Distress Collage Medium, and when just dry to touch sprayed (long sides) and splattered (short sides) with Distress Oxide spray. Although the yellow turned out as planned, sadly, the splattering on the short ends wasn't the look I was going for. Note to self: when you want a splatter look, do not seal with Collage medium first. 

I kept the embellishments to a minimum and flat on purpose for functionality. I added a few old Remnant Rubs to two of the sides and to the Stencil Chips. I used a mop up scrap to back the chips and added a couple of swipes of Chipped Sapphire paint to the chips themselves. 

Here are some close up photos to show the detail.

And here it is put to use in the Closet. Maybe you'll see more stamping going on here in the future.

That's all for me, but if you hop over to the blog, you'll find loads more 'boxed up' inspiration from the other talented Creative Guides. I hope you'll find some time to play along with us at A Vintage Journey! I can't wait to see what you'll make! Hugs and Blessings! Sara Emily

Most Delicate Tag Friday and Tutorial for A Vintage Journey

Hello and welcome! It's time for Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey. This is just a fun feature for the Creative Guides to make a tag using whatever products they wish without any constraints or theme in mind. I hope you will stop over to see all the amazing tags my talented teammates created. But before you head off, I've prepared a simple step by step for you, and following that, some close-up photos to enjoy. 

 Let's get started...

1. Blend Wilted Violet then Aged Mahogany Distress Oxide inks through an old Prima stencil over a black painted wooden tag. While the stencil is still in place spray with Distress Mica Spray. Remove stencil and dry the tag. Sand the edges and apply Hickory Smoke paint to edges.

2. Die cut Ornate Frame from silver Metallic Kraft Stock. Color with Slate alcohol ink, Smolder Alcohol Pearls and a bit of Black Soot paint on edges that will extend beyond the tag.

3. Die cut oval from panel of mixed media paper.  Blend with Weathered Wood, Wilted Violet, Seedless Preserves and Dusty Concord Oxide ink.

4. Emboss oval with Tim Holtz Crackle 3D embossing folder,  colored side facing up, so you are left with a spider web appearance.  Lightly blend the ridges with Black Soot ink. Adhere embossed oval to Ornate Frame and adhere to tag with adhesive foam tape.

5. Die cut bats from Classic Kraft Stock using Bat Crazy Thinlits set. Sand the edges and blend with Twisted Citron Distress Oxide ink. Make eyes with Stickles. Adhere to oval with collage medium.

6. Dye seam binding ribbon with Wilted Violet and Seedless Preserves Oxide and stamp with Ledger Script stamps and Dusty Concord and Hickory Smoke Distress Archival inks.

7.  Color a Halloween Word Token with Black Soot paint, allow to dry a minute and wipe off excess. String with Ideaology Jute String and tie with seam binding to tag.

8. Color a bat charm with Smolder Alcohol pearls and Black Soot paint.

9. Blend a Halloween Clippings sticker with Frayed Burlap ink. Adhere to a bat charm and adhere this to tag with collage medium.

And some close-ups...

I really am enjoying Tim Hotlz' newest 3D embossing folder -- Crackle, to make this spooky background. If you would like some other ways to use this folder, you can visit this Saturday Showcase tutorial.

That's all for me! We always love to see your fun tags that you have been creating and invite you to join the party by linking any tag you have made during the month of August. Just visit the blog and add your link! I hope to see you there! Hugs! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday ‘S’ is For SPOOKY!
Country View Challenges August 2019 - Texture
Scrapy Land Challenge #120 Anything Goes  I used 2 Sizzix dies and a 3rd unknown one (oval die cut given to me by a friend)

These products were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:
Sizzix Chapter 3 Sizzix 3-D Texture Fades Embossing Folder - Crackle
Sizzix Chapter 3 Sizzix Thinlits Die Set - Bat Crazy 
Distress Archival Ink  --Dusty Concord, Hickory Smoke
Distress Paint -- Hickory Smoke, Black Soot, Antique Linen
Distress inks -- Black Soot, Frayed Burlap, Ground Espresso
Distress Oxide Pads --Weathered Wood, Wilted Violet, Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord, Twisted Citron, Aged Mahogany, Hickory Smoke
Alcohol inks -- Slate,  Smolder Alcohol Pearls
Halloween Clippings Stickers
Rayon Seam Binding
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jute String

Tim Holtz Floral Card for A Vintage Journey

Hello! It's time for a new challenge at A Vintage Journey and this time our lovely hostess, Jennie, chose the theme 'A Cup of Tea For Your Art'. Pour yourself an extra cup of tea and use it in your project. In your cup you could dye lace, ribbon, wood, paper and flowers, or use it to create splashes or cup rings on your project. And don't just limit yourself to "ordinary tea" - there's green tea, yellow tea, black tea, herbal teas and fruit teas - whatever you've got in your cup! Just remember to ensure that you create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

I found a box of Harvest Spice tea in my pantry, and made myself a cup. Ohhh! Smells so good, but tastes like potpourri (sorry, I'm not a tea drinker, unless it's the southern sweet tea, iced cold!)

I dipped  a waste strip from my mixed media paper pad into the cup, pulled it out and let it dry. I repeated this several times to darken the color. I took the tea bag out, squeezed out the liquid, and swiped it down a panel for the background. While the panel was still a little damp, I dipped it into some DOX and dried it.

I also dipped a strip of fabric into the tea and left it to dry. This made a nice bow for my card. The daisy petals (Wildflower Stems #1) were painted with the tea and Distress Oxides.

I chose one of the brightly colored Idea-Ology Botanical Layers (love this pack; it's got brighter colors than the originals) as my base and hand colored some more die cut flowers--Tim Holtz Funky Floral #2 this time. The greenery is Garden Greens, and I colored it with a variety of long neglected green Distress inks.

Tucked under the flowers is a strip of brightly colored and embossed tissue paper, a failed experiment from a previous challenge here at A Vintage Journey. Also a tea-dyed Crochet die cut. A splattering of Forest Moss ink finishes off the card. I purposely did not add a sentiment as I think this card has plenty going on without it.

I hope you will trust me when I say this card is so much prettier in real life. I had trouble with the lighting; taking photos outdoors was out of the question with thunderstorms all over the place. I hope you will play along with A Cup of Tea For Your Art challenge at A Vintage Journey! I can't wait to see what you will make with your cup of tea! Hugs and Blessings! Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Bright and Cheerful
Scrapy Land Challenge #118 Anything Goes I used 4 Sizzix dies.
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes
Challenge #8 - Anything Goes Mixed Media Creative Challenge at We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles

These products were used and are available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Botanical Layers

Funky Floral #2

Wildflower Stems #1

Garden Greens Thinlits

Crochet Thinlits

Botanical  3-D Texture Fade

Distress Oxides - Candied Apple, Evergreen Bough, Forest Moss, Black Soot, Peeled Paint, Worn Lipstick, Tattered Rose

Distress Inks - Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Bundled Sage, Pine Needles, Fossilized Amber, Mustard Seed

Distress Collage Medium Matte

The Pretty Little Birds Chirped -- A Vignette for A Vintage Journey

Welcome friends! We start the newest challenge at A Vintage Journey today and our theme is Tissue Paper chosen by talented Creative Guide, Astrid. Here's what she says about the challenge:

There are many different ways you can incorporate tissue paper into your project - create texture by scrunching it up, stain it, paint it, wax it, stamp on it, emboss on it. You could use cheap tissue from the supermarket, recycle gift wrapping tissue, or even use old dressmaking patterns. Just remember to create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.

I used Tim Holtz Plain Tissue Wrap ( the old kind) and his newer Collage Paper-- to make the embroidery hoop focal point of my vignette. It's been so long since I made it, the details are a bit fuzzy, and I only have one process shot. I'm happy I have that one photo, because I would have never guessed what I used to get that crackle! I stretched  the plain tissue wrap through the embroidery hoop, trimmed the excess and applied clear gesso to the surface. Next I gave it a coat of DecoArt Crackle Glaze and allowed it to dry to make those lovely cracks.

Using Distress Collage Medium Matte, I applied the birds which I had torn from Tim's Aviary Collage Paper. From here the details of completing the hoop get's a little fuzzy. I'm fairly certain I sealed it with Vintage Collage medium (not Matte) before using Distress Crayon in Walnut Stain to highlight the cracks.  Recently I added Broken China and Twisted Citron crayons to give it much needed color. Finally I smeared Antique Linen paint around the edges. I aged the tightening mechanism with Smolder Alcohol Pearls, splattered the crackled tissue scene with watered down Ground Espresso ink and added text with a Clippings Sticker.

I originally planned to take advantage of the transparency of the tissue wrap and have this hang alone, but somewhere along the line I lost sight of my original plan. The hoop has auditioned several creative 'homes' this past month. In it's final destination of the vignette box, I thought it needed a light colored backing to make it stand out more. I used a Tim's Stitched Circles die to cut a coffee filter circle which I adhered to the back of the tissue. I love the encaustic appearance of the finished hoop element.

The frilly edging was made with Tim's Crochet Thinlits die cuts. It's easy to give them the perfect vintage hue with a spritz or two of Antique Linen Distress Oxide Spray. I apply Vintage collage medium to the reverse side of the hoop's edge and adhere the strips of lacy paper while they are still damp, crimping as I go along. I'm using the vintage collage medium where ever I can, because I'm down to the last bit of my matte and need to save it for where transparency is needed.

I prepared my vignette box by giving it about 4 coats of gesso. It was black and gold in it's former life as a piece of cheap block wall art (not real wood) for a child's room similar to the one shown above.  I pick these up at garage sales for a quarter whenever I can just for this purpose.

Next, I adhere little scraps of various Tim Holtz Collage Papers to the interior side walls and a few bits to the interior back wall and seal with collage medium. I save these bits left over from other projects in an envelope with my complete rolls of paper just for this purpose.

I smear the inside walls randomly with DecoArt Crackle paint, because I want a chippie effect, and this stuff always chips a bit. Sadly, my 1/2 full jar is almost hardened, so I didn't exactly gets the results I was hoping for; perhaps a little too chippie. Does anyone have tips for reviving this stuff?

While that's drying, I paint the exterior with DecoArt Media Fluid Raw Sienna. I mix DecoArt Matte Medium with Burnt Umber to work as a glaze and brush that on. When it's dry, I water down Picket Fence paint and smear that on. A final step to make this look like authentic aged wood is to add some Vintage Photo crayon.

 After the crackle dried, I highlighted the cracks with DecoArt Patina Green Antiquing Cream and colored the interior further with a spritz of Broken China Oxide spray thinned with a squirt of water. I chased the color around  the interior with my heat tool, and when dry adhered an advert cut from Vellum Wallflower paper stash, again sealing with collage medium. Allowing that to dry just to touch, I held my breath and gave it a short two squirts of Twisted Citron to the backing where I thought it might show in the end. Sadly, those oxidized droplets are all but covered up. You might catch sight of a drop or two peeking out from behind the Nest and Eggs ephemera bundle. And there's the green ghost shadowing up at the top where I blotted back some of the green from that squirt. All in all, I love the subtle coloring.

With my finger, I smear Ranger Opaque Crackle paste on the lip of the frame and when dry, highlight the cracks with Walnut Stain Distress crayon.

To finish off my vignette, I adhere corrugated waste packaging to the back of the hoop to give it dimension before adhering to the box.

I made a nest from some natural packing material and a collage of scraps cut from a Journal Card, held together with a clothing tag perfectly distressed by trips through the washer and dryer (oops!) and fastened with my Tiny Attacher. Thank you for the inspiration, Jo!  I've had this tag in my junk drawer for years, but my soon to be 22 year old son still has a size 18 boys waist! A Story Stick is colored with Smolder Alcohol Pearls and Picket Fence paint and a tiny egg from my stash is dropped in the nest. I just realized, I used this egg as a photo prop in this post.

 An Ideaology Label Pull and a couple of brads from my stash colored with Smolder holds a scrap with a Remnant Rub. The brads were red and green to start; I first painted them with Black Soot paint before adding a drop of Smolder.

I'll leave you with a few more photos of the completed vignette.

That's it for me! I hope you'll travel over to A Vintage Journey and see what amazing inspiration my fellow Creative Guides have prepared for you!  Perhaps you will be inspired to join in the fun and link up your own Tissue Paper project. Hugs and blessings, Sara Emily

Challenge shares:

Bleeding Art May Challenge - Anything Goes
We Love 2 Create at Polkadoodles Challenge # 6 - Anything Goes Mixed Media Creative Challenge
A Inky Mess CHALLENGE 31 Anything Mixed Media Goes

Scrapy Land Challenge #115 Anything Goes I used two Sizzix dies.

Links to products used and available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:
Tim Holtz Thinlits Crochet
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Collage Paper Aviary
Tim Holtz Stitched Circles
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Remnant Rubs Halloween
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Journal Cards
Ranger Opaque Crackle Texture Paste
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Pearls - Smolder
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint
Ranger Distress Oxide Spray
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte
anger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Vintage