Precious Metal at A Vintage Journey

Our new challenge over at A Vintage Journey being hosted by Amanda is Precious Metal who has kindly provided the following description:

“For this challenge we would like to see some kind of precious metal feature in your project. Think gold, silver, brass, copper, aluminium, steel….. It could be in the form of embellishments, cardstock, paint, gilding wax, foil, gold leaf or rub ons. Just remember to ensure that you create in one of our preferred styles of vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling, industrial, timeworn or steampunk.”

For Amanda’s wonderful Precious Metal challenge I created an art journal page using copper and silver embossing powders. I had lots of fun heat embossing them onto stencilled modelling paste, stamped letters, chipboard pieces and a die cut butterfly – I hope you like it!

I started by stencilling modelling paste using a Specimens stencil and then covered it with copper and silver embossing powder, heating it with a heat gun until it became glossy and 3D. To create more of a grungy look I lightly dragged a Watermark stamp pad over the page and then I covered it using the copper and silver embossing powders heating the powder with my heat gun again. Then to colour the background I applied Cracked Pistachio Distress Stain and also Forest Moss and Twisted Citron Distress Ink which I diluted with water by stamping the ink pad on a blending mat, applying water and applying it to the page using a paint brush.

Next I applied some rub-on transfers to the page so that the images were broken to look like thoughts swirling around the page; they are Special Delivery transfers from Tim Holtz. I stamped some letters from a Tim Holtz stamp set onto tissue paper using black Archival Ink and heat embossed it with copper embossing powder. I cut the letters out and stuck them onto the page using gel medium and then splattered the page using black and white acrylic paint.

I used the copper and silver embossing powder again to edge the wording “Thoughts and Theories” which is a Chip Quote from Tim Holtz, to cover some wooden circular chipboard pieces and also to add silver to a die cut butterfly from the Tim Holtz Botanical collection.

The chipboard pieces are stuck to the page using Ranger Glossy Accents and to finish I stuck the butterfly in place using double-sided tape to stick down the centre and then double-sided foam tape to elevate its wings.

My art journal page reminds me of one of the signs that hangs in my craft room. There are lots of similarities to my page with the green colour palette, circular swirls, similar meaning of the words and pretty copper bell; it’s also made of metal and is very precious to me as I bought it for my craft room when we visited our dear friends in Maine, America last year (grin!).

For more inspiration, please pop over to see the amazing creations from my fellow Creative Guides over at A Vintage Journey too, it would be lovely to see you there!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Challenges

I’m pleased to join the lovely Chris from pearshapedcrafting and her We’re all/going challenge over at Art Journal Journey as we’re all art journaling.

I’m joining in the Make Your Own Background challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge too.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this art journal page:

• Pébéo Modeling Paste
• TCW 6×6” Stencil (Mini Specimens TCW4545)
• Papermania Embossing Powder (Copper, Silver)
• Versamark (Watermark Stamp Pad)
• Tim Holtz Distress Stain (Cracked Pistachio)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Forest Moss, Twisted Citron)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology Remnant Rubs (Special Delivery #TH93188)
• Leftover Letraset Rub-ons
• White Tissue Paper
• Tim Holtz Collection Stampers Anonymous (Documented CMS226)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (Black, White)
• Boozybear Chipboard pieces
• Tim Holtz idea-ology (Quote Chips #TH93563)
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Tim Holtz idea-ology Layers (Botancial #TH93554)
• Stix2 double-sided tape
• The Range double-sided foam tape

New Tag Journal – Tag Friday at A Vintage Journey

I’m thrilled and honoured to be part of the Creative Guide team at A Vintage Journey and I’d like to thank the wonderful team for having me.

Today at A Vintage Journey it is Tag Friday, which takes place only when there is a fifth Friday in the month. I had so much fun joining in this challenge as Tag Friday is all about creating something you love so there is no particular theme, it’s time to play, experiment and have fun – it would be great to see you there!

As some of you will be aware, I love art journaling, so I thought I would start a “Tag Journal” which will be made up of double-sided tags. Here’s my first one which I designed to capture my new adventure at A Vintage Journey; both sides are vintage shabby in style, on one side is the front cover of my new Tag Journal which reminds me to embrace the journey and on the other is a tribute to the support and kindness shown by my fellow Creative Guides who have been so welcoming and helpful – thank you!

To start, I used a large Tim Holtz Poster Card to create the tag by cutting off two of the corners to make a tag shape and punching a hole using my new Crop-A-Dile machine, which is so cool to use (grin!). I painted transparent gesso over both sides of the tag to make it stronger and give a good foundation for the inks and acrylic paints that I planned to apply. When dry, I applied Forest Moss and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks, to one side of the tag, by stamping the ink pad onto an acrylic block, spritzing with water and pressing the block onto the tag. The flowers and leaves are fussy cut from design paper and are stuck on top of some white acrylic paint to make them stand out more. I also added Gold Shellac embossing power to edge the tag and splattered the tag with white and black acrylic paint to create a grungy look.

The dragonfly is stamped onto tissue paper with the Gold Shellac embossing power and is stuck in place, like all of the elements, using matte gel medium; I was careful not to apply any of the gel medium over the embossing powder so it didn’t loose its shine. When dry I outlined the dragonfly with a black fine line marker.

The smaller “Tag Journal” tags were created using: a recycled clothing tag which I covered with white paper to conceal the designer name and edged with the Gold Shellac embossing powder; some green card which I splattered with the Pine Needles and Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, stamped with the words “Tag Journal” using black Archival Ink and then punched using my Crop-A-Dile machine; some pretty metal and gemstone embellishments recycled from an old necklace; and a piece of white thread which attached everything together. The thread was secured using a “figure of eight” knot as it looks more decorative, and a turquoise brad which I covered in the embossing powder; you’ll notice I wasn’t careful in how I applied the embossing powder as I wanted a grungy look.

To finish, I added a piece of lace to the bottom of the tag and a Small Talk sticker from Tim Holtz which I edged with a Cold Grey Big Brush marker, it reads “embrace the journey”; I thought these words were prefect for my new creative journey here at A Vintage Journey.

On the other side of the tag, I started by adding some white acrylic paint along the edges and when dry I covered the paint with Tea Dye Distress Ink using a blending tool and also the Cold Grey marker smudging the ink with my finger. Next I prepared the different elements to stick onto the tag, this included: a piece of design paper to add a pocket at the bottom of the tag which I reinforced with a piece of thin white card and edged along the top opening with the Tea Dye ink and Cold marker; a ripped piece of the same paper which is also edged with the Tea Dye ink and Cold Grey marker; a piece of striped paper edged with the Cold Grey marker; and flowers which I stamped onto tissue paper using black Archival Ink.

After stamping some postage marks using black Archival Ink over the background, I layered all of the elements onto the tag using matte gel medium. I covered up the back of the brad with a postage stamp from my hubby’s childhood collection (he kindly gave me his stamp collection to use in my artwork) and then I edged the tag using the Cold Grey marker and a black Uni Pin marker. I also selected a pretty vintage designed card from Tim Holtz to sit in the tag pocket.

As a tribute to the warm welcome, support and kindness shown by the Creative Guides at A Vintage Journey I included the words “together is the best place to be” and made the card that sits in the tag pocket reversible. On the reverse of the card, I added A Vintage Journey Creative Guide badge which I printed, stuck in place and distressed using the Tea Dye ink and the Cold Grey marker again. Then I added a thin piece of lace along the bottom edge so it blended into the lace that I had attached to the other side.

To finish, I added an eyelet with my Crop-A-Dile machine which reinforced the hole as I’m using a book ring to secure all of my Tag Journal tags together when they are finished. Like today, I plan to share my double-sided tag designs with you on Tag Fridays along with the process and materials that I used.

I had so much fun creating my first tag for Tag Friday and for more inspiration, please pop over to A Vintage Journey where you’ll find some amazing tags created by my fellow Creative Guides. I hope you are inspired to join us as I’m so looking forward to seeing your tags and being inspired by your designs too!

Thanks for joining me today! If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Challenges

I’m joining the Things with Wings challenge over at Moo Mania & More with the dragonfly that I included on my tag.

I’m pleased to join in the fun over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and their Anything Goes challenge with my double-sided tag.

I’m also joining the Anything Goes challenge over at Paperbabe Stamps too.

Here is a list of all the materials used to create this double-sided tag:

• Tim Holtz idea-ology (Pocket Cards #TH93208)
• Pébéo Transparent Gesso
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Forest Moss, Peacock Feathers, Tea Dye)
• Art Discount Acrylic (White)
• Tsukineko Versamark (Watermark Stamp Pad)
• Papermania Embossing Powder (Gold Shellac)
• Ranger Heat Gun
• DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic (Black)
• Craft Sensations Design Pad (Authentic Vintage CRO730/R, Vintage Romance 154897)
• Prima Marketing Inc. Clear Stamps (Rossi Belle 587499)
• Eco Green Crafts Recycled Rubber Stamps (Petal Party #04309)
• Recycled white tissue paper
• Uni Pin Fine Line Marker (Black 0.1mm)
• Recycled clothing tag, white paper and green card
• Dovecraft Essentials Alphabet Stamp Set (WDN ALPHA STMP DCVW0050)
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Recycled metal embellishments from old necklace
• White thread
• Craft Sensations (Brads CRO550/A)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology Stickers (Small Talk #TH93193)
• Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pen (Cold Grey IV 233)
• The Works (Lace Trim)
• Recycled( white cardstock, paper, tissue paper_
• UK Postage Stamp – 1956 Green Watermark 165 St Edwards Crown (E2R)
• Tim Holtz idea-ology Layers (Botanical #TH93554)
• A Vintage Journey Badge – computer printed
• We R Memory Keepers Tools (Crop-A-Dile Hole Punch and Eyelet Setter, Standard Eyelets)
• Woodware Craft Collection (Metallic Book Rings – 38mm Silver)
• Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
• UHU Stic