Nests and Eggs

 A Shadowbox for the Country View Craft Challenge - Easter - bunnies,chicks or eggs,

I have put together a curated collection of elements to create this curio shadowbox

Process Steps

Background - Scrape some gesso randomly on the paper, dry and stamp with text, I used ground espresso distress ink.

Making the nests - Pull out some natural cocosfibre, wind tightly round a pencil glue together with heat gun. Cut some of the fibre away and create a second one to glue on top keeping it to fit the dome. Keep pushing thumbs down in the centre to create the bowl nest shape. 

Spray with distress sprays to get the colour you want. I used gathered twigs. I then made two more and set them on two wooden spools bound with dark brown hemp.

Painting the eggs. Line them up on some double sided sticky tape to keep them secure and free from fingers for painting.

Here the nests were settled on the tops of two wooden reels.

The large bottles were filled with moss and three of the painted & speckled eggs. I added some brown paint to make them somewhat distressed. 

This is how I put the nest together for the dome.

The feathers actually ended up in a different bottle. 

And so did the twigs.

I used Tim's matchbox die to make these boxes for the larger die-dut eggs to sit in. I used leftover pieces of distressed card to cut them.

The smaller die-cut eggs were raised slightly by some small pieces of dowling wood my hubbie cut me.

It took several days to make decisions on how to put this together but I love that there are lots of eggs here to fit the theme of the challenge.

xx

Supplies

Tim Holtz latest paper pack for background and the title came from an old 8x8 TH pad  https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/th94473-tim-holtz-palette-collection-neutral-8x8-183470-p.asp

Tim Holtz dies - Vault Matchbox 666604

Tim Holtz Stamps - Ledger Script CMS241   https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-stamps-by-stampers-anonymous-193-c.asp

Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Bottles, tny eggs, ephemera, Curator snippets,   https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-idea-ology-102-c.asp

DecoArt - Decoupage    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/decoart-americana-decou-page-sealerglue-gloss-4oz-167418-p.asp   Gesso not in stock

Tim Holtz - Ranger - distress paints - tumbled glass, weathered wood, fired brick, seedless preserves, ground espresso, vintage photo     https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-distress-paints-436-c.asp

Distress Inks - ground espresso, scorched timber  https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/distress-ink-pads-1907-c.asp

Distress Sprays - Pine Needles, Twisted Citron, walnut stain, antique linen,    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-distress-spray-stains-696-c.asp

Sizzix dies - eggs a very old set.

49&Market Mindful Moments words  Out of stock

Atomic Retro - 'Wallpaper swatch'

 Retro Diamond background with Atomic Retro shapes.

I love 50's retro shapes and colours and was very happy to see Tim Holtz release a Vault set of dies that included Retro Atomic shapes.

I found one of Tim's stamps that gave me a great background, used a punch for the circles and die cut a couple of the shapes in black. It was quite simple really and gave me a lovely retro wallpaper swatch.

xx

Supplies from Country View Crafts

TH stamps - Diamonds CMS 242

TH Distress Inks - Wild Honey, Evergreen Bough, Candied Apple, Ground Espresso

TH Sizzix dies - Vault Atomic Retro

Santa - Vintage photo - Tim Holtz

 Memories of Father Christmas

As a child many, many years ago I can still remember being so excited for Father Christmas coming on Christmas Eve and getting into bed wanting to stay awake to see him. Whilst I lay there waiting I was sure I could hear sleigh bells in the distance. Of course I did fall asleep and I would awake to my pillowcase that I had left out on the end of my bed, being filled with presents and always a satsuma, some crayons or paints and a bar of chocolate.

I love this old photo of Santa, a name change? I've used it with Tim Holtz goodies in a collaged panel.

It was a lovely surprise for me this morning to see that Tim Holtz had added it to his Instagram story today. How exciting is that?

I used several papers from an old 12 x 12 pad from Tim and parchworked them together and stitched around the edge. The frame was discarded from a photo frame so I just painted it with glue and sprinkled distress rock candy glitter all over it ad blended some walnut stain around the edges.

The rest were bits and pieces from one of Tim's ephemera packs, snippets from tubs and bags in one of my Christmas boxes.

xxx

Supplies

Tim Holt papers, ephemera, stamp, dies, glitter and photo