Creativation 2020- Artist Spotlight

Hello Everyone!

I’m back today with a project that I created for Tim Holtz to be displayed in the Ranger Booth booth at Creativation this past January. Tim selected a variety of artists that love his products and use them in a unique way. If you’ve followed me for any time then you  know exactly how much I LOVE everything Tim Holtz! I have been making with Tim’s products for several years now.. and many years prior to working for him, so when I tell you that I was extremely honored, and excited to have been asked to make, it is a HUGE understatement.. I was ECSTATIC!!! ♥️

In past years, Ranger had this as a Designer Challenge display, but this year, they changed it up a bit and asked each of their signature designers to select five makers to create with their specific new products. Tim Holtz products are easy to use, fun, and can be used to create distressed and vintage results, or they can be used to create clean and colorful looks. My projects always lean to the distressed and vintage side and this project was no exception. I love making things that look as though they’ve had a history, lived a life and have been loved for a long time. It’s what I grew up surrounded by and it brings me comfort as I create. I hope you enjoy looking at the project, you are inspired, and that it sparks some creative thinking in you.

You can click HERE to hop over to Tim’s blog and to a post that featured all the talented makers that contributed to the booth, including a project from Tim! The products that he creates inspire so many people in so many different ways…be sure to stop by and check out all of the beautiful makes.

I love using Tim Holtz products (Ranger, Stampers Anonymous, idea-ology, Sizzix and Tonic) because they compliment each other so wonderfully and when you create with them the pieces just naturally fall into place.

I won’t go into every step of this project but will highlight a few areas of it… I had a REALLY good time creating this and spent a lot of time experimenting and playing 😉

This project used three different sizes of Etcetera Tags (Mini, Small and Medium) that were then sandwiched together.

Each Etcetera Tag was treated with a different technique.

The Medium Etcetera Tag-

The back Etcetera Tag of the project.

I cut a piece of Watercolor paper to fit the front of a medium etcetera tag, spritzed it with water and spritzed it with Pumice Stone Distress spray and oxide spray.

I stamped the background randomly using Pumice Stone Distress Ink and the Botanical & Batik Background Stamp Set (CMS327) then embossed the stamped area with Weathered Wood Distress Embossing Glaze.

I blended some Walnut Stain Distress Ink around the edges of the paper and spritzed with water and dried with my heat tool.

When the areas were dry, I added some crackle texture paste through the Flourish Layering Stencil (THS302) with a palette knife and set it aside to dry and crackle.

To add a little more interest to the background, I colored in a few of the leaves with Brushed Corduroy Distress Oxide Ink and a Detail Water Brush. See below.

When the flourish’s were cracked, I rubbed a small amount of Vintage Collage Medium, with my finger, over top of the crackled area and let it dry. This creates a smooth area to rub distress crayon. I then rubbed those same areas with a Walnut Stain Distress Crayon. This emphasizes the cracks and makes it pop! See the yumminess below!

The Small Etcetera Tag-

This is the second/middle layer of the project.

I had two pieces of linen fabric that I stitched together to create a cover for the tag. I spritzed the fabric with water and a blend of a few Distress Spray Stains and Oxide Sprays. Although not pictured, I used Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide Spray, and Frayed Burlap, Old Paper and Walnut Stain Distress Sprays to give the fabric an aged look. To dry the fabric, I used my heat tool and then attached it to the Etcetera tag with Distress Collage Medium.

The Mini Etecetera Tag-

This was the last layer of my Etcetera Tags and was placed on top.

I covered the tag with a piece of paper from the Paper Stash and then covered it with a thin layer of Vintage Collage Medium. I set it aside to dry and then blended the edges of the tag with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and a blending tool. With a Palette Knife, I randomly spread a good amount of Crackle Texture Paste over top and let it set aside to dry and crackle. When it was crackled, I rubbed the crackled areas with more Vintage collage Medium, using my finger, and let it dry. Then lastly, scribbled on a combo of Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Crayon, the crayon was then blended into the cracks with a damp finger.

The “fairy girls” Found Relative Photo-

This photo spoke to me and I instantly thought they had the look of fairies…which led me into this project and all the woodsy natural elements.

The stick, leaves and butterfly fit the project so perfectly.

I created a worn and torn vintage photo by using a couple new products that came out at creativation this year. I scratched up the photo of the “fairy girls” with a sanding grip and very randomly rubbed the new Distress Embossing Dauber over top of the photo. Then I lightly sprinkled the photo with the embossing glazes and embossed it with a heat tool. (You can see my test photos below)

After the photo was embossed, I scratched up and tore the edges of it with a Paper Distresser.

Then I sanded the photo with my sanding grip to create a few more scratches.

And finally, I rubbed Walnut Stain Distress Ink into the scratched and torn areas with a blending tool.

..and there you go, a tattered and torn photo!

Both old and new thinlet sets were used to create the leaves and the butterfly (Fall Foliage, Scribbly Butterfly) The leaves were cut from Distress Watercolor Paper that had been sprayed with a variety of Distress Sprays and Oxides. I cut the leaves out of the paper and then stitched them with cream thread with my sewing machine.

I cut 2 of the same scribbly butterfly, one was cut from Distress Watercolor paper and blended with a variety of distress inks, the other was cut from a piece of Black Alcohol Ink Paper.

The butterflies were stitched together with a sewing machine and adhered to a stick, a piece of torn linen and a cluster of leaves.. as some of you know, sticks from my yard have been speaking to me lately, so I had to include one in this project. 😉

I then added a couple more leaves to the top area of the piece.

I added a couple crusty and worn vintage buttons that were stitched to the torn scrap of linen, then tied around the stick and stitched into place.

A few idea-ology ephemera pieces were distressed with ink, and then added behind and to the side of the photo. I added a couple more vintage buttons by stitching them to small pieces of ephemera.

The Vintage Clip-

I added age to an idea-ology vintage clip by lightly painting it with Antique Linen Distress Paint. When it was dry, I rubbed a small amount of Transparent Grit-Paste over it, then set it aside to dry…FYI, don’t heat up the grit-paste!!! If heated, grit-paste releases a very bad oder which, I assume, is not good for you, so please don’t do that, the paste dries very quickly on its own.

When the grit-paste was dry, with my finger, I lightly rubbed a bit of Ground Espresso, Peeled Paint and Black Soot Distress Paint onto the clip.

Then I scribbled on a bit of Distress Crayon (Rusty Hinge, Forest Moss and Walnut Stain), and rubbed it into the dry grit-paste with a damp finger.

This creates the aged look of rusty crusty goodness!

I adhered all my layers together with Distress Collage Medium and set it aside to dry.

With that, my project was complete!

It was such a privilege to create for the show and highlight some of the new products from Tim Holtz and Ranger. Creating with them brings so much joy into my life… I’m so grateful for that, and so happy I could share my project with all of you.

…thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Creatively yours,

Stacy

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When you shop via the affiliate link on this blog, I receive a small commission, from the affiliate provider (Simon Says Stamp), at no extra cost to you whatsoever. These commissions help me to cover hosting fees and other costs to run my blog and be able to provide you with FREE inspiration. If you shop the links, THANK YOU! I truly appreciate being able to share my love of creating with you.

Gather Your Supplies-

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous- Botanical and Batik, Flourish Layering Stencil, Etcetera Tags, mini, small and medium

Tim Holtz/Sizzix- Scribbly Butterflies, Fall Foliage

Tim Holtz/Tonic- Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Tonic Shears, Paper Distresser

Tim Holtz/Idea-ology- Ephemera, Large Clips, French Industrial Paper Stash, Found Relatives

Tim Holtz/Ranger- Distress Embossing Glaze- Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Weathered Wood, Distress Embossing Dauber, Distress Watercolor Paper,

Distress Paint

Distress Spray Stains and Oxide Spray

Distress Crayons

Distress Ink- Walnut Stain

Distress Tools/Mediums- Distress Sprayer, Media Mat, Heat it Heat Tool, Blending Tools, Distress Collage Matte Medium

Other- sewing machine and thread