Joy--Special Delivery With Tim Holtz Darling Deer

Welcome and Happy New Year! Today starts a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique challenge blog.  'Put a Good Word In' is hosted by Cec, and here's how she describes it:

'Create a shabby chic or vintage projects that includes a word or words that are positive or happy or uplifting in nature. Single words or sentiments/quotes can be used. Given what we have all been through for the last months nothing sad or negative please.'

Since this is a new year we have decided to change up the prize package slightly. Beginning with this challenge the Design Team will choose their four top picks as they always do but the overall winner will receive the $25 gift certificate to go on a spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. We will not have a Guest Designer going forward; instead all four top picks will receive badges to display on their blogs in recognition of their outstanding contributions.

I made this wintry card to celebrate the addition of a new baby to our family--my niece and her husband are now proud parents to a healthy baby boy! What could be more happy, positive and uplifting than a new baby to snuggle with? 

Further down I'll show the steps I took to create my card, but first, here are a few closeup photos.

Here's how it all came together.

For the background, I sprayed Distress Heavystock with Speckled Egg Oxide Spray, spritzed it with water and laid Tim Holtz Flurries stencil over the wet panel. Using a clean paper towel, I blotted the snowflake openings. I removed the stencil and dried the panel. This mostly leaves a mess, but in the following photos, you might be able to see some of the smaller blue snowflakes that appear after you dry it. Next, I smooshed Antique Linen ink pad on my craft mat and spritzed the ink with water. I dipped the card into the watery ink until satisfied, and dry between dips. 

I laid the Flurries stencil back on the panel and smeared Distress Opaque Crackle paste through stencil  in opposing corners . I stamped snowflakes (old Scribble Woodland stamp set by Tim Holtz) and snow and script stamps from The Poinsettia stamp set, all in Iced Spruce Ink. Ink the stamp and spritz it with water before making impression. Rub Antique Linen and Stormy Sky Distress crayons on crackled snowflakes to accentuate the cracks.  Grit Paste stands in for snow for the pair of deer to stand on. I finished by splattering with Picket Fence paint. I layered this panel on a slightly larger card swiped with Evergreen Bough paint, and then swiped edges with more of the paint (pretend it's a plan).

Finally, I created a mat using watercolor paper. I heat embossed the sparkle stamp (Tim Holtz Spakle & Christmas) with Versamark and Winter's Mistake Powder, just around edges. I sprayed the paper with water and applied inks direct to paper, allowing colors to blend and dry on their own. Sadly, the photos don't show just how shimmery this is.

Now it's time to make the embellishments, and I start with snowflakes. I cut the snowflake with Wreath and Snowflake Thinlits die set numerous times on white card which were layered to make one thick snowflake and once from card from my stash that had been embossed in dots. (Embossing appears to have been done in blue ink and clear powder.) I blended this embossed flake with Speckled Egg and then Iced Spruce ink.  The white card flake was blended with Speckled Egg ink and each point smudged with Prima Old White Matte Wax. The darker flake center was blended with Black Soot, the lighter with Ground Espresso inks.

Two Darling Deer were cut from a scrap of card blended with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain inks and spritzed with water.

Joy, cut from the Alphanumeric Shadow Upper is heat embossed with Versamark and Speckled Egg Embossing Glaze, buffed with steel wool to removed the shine, and blended with Walnut Stain ink. I wasn't happy this looked, so inked it again with Versamark and embossed with White Wonder Molten Dimensions powder by Eileen Hull and blended edges with Black Soot ink. I love how the melted powders mingled, then separated on the letters, giving it a crackled icy appearance.

After everything was glued into place with Distress Collage Medium, I used an old Tim Holtz Remnant Rub to complete my Good Word quote.

That's all for me! I hope you'll pop over to the blog to see all the creative, positive makes from my teammates, and then link up your own vintage or shabby chic project! I can't wait to see what you will make for the 'Put in a Good Word' challenge.  

Don't forget, you can stock up on craft supplies 40% off MSRP at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Check out the shop's Year-End Clearance Section. Be sure to shop early for the best selection, because there are no backorders or rain checks at these prices. Here's to a New Year full of creating! Sara Emily

Challenge Shares:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Use a New/Unused Product - Darling Deer (die), The Poinsettia (stamps), Flurries (Stencil)

The following products were used and can be purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique:

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Mixed Media Heavystock

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stencil - Flurries

Chapter 3 Tim Holtz Thinlits Dies - Alphanumeric Shadow Upper

Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste 3oz Opaque

Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste 3oz Crackle

Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Matte

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads - Antique Linen, Black Soot, Ground Espresso, Iced Spruce, Speckled Egg, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain

Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - Antique Linen, Stormy Sky

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paints - Picket Fence, Evergreen Bough

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Sprays -Speckled Egg

Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze

Emerald Creek Eileen Hull Molten Dimensions Embossing Powder -White Wonder 

Emerald Creek Embossing Powders - Winter's Mistake

VersaMark Watermark Ink Stamp Pad 

Prima Finnabair Art Alchemy Wax Paste - Old White