Sizzix Holiday Village with Oxide background

Hi Everyone! Today I'm sharing one of my first attempts with the 2020 Sizzix Holiday Village Die #664737 by Tim Holtz.  I have two versions to show you basically created the same way. 

A couple of tips.  These dies are easy to use, there is a Sizzix video to help you know what order to put the items together and how the colors look.  I would suggest you watch that it might save you some frustration. Here is the link: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Tim+Holtz+holiday+village+video&docid=608045417756492928&mid=CC9EB480D719B0183C6CCC9EB480D719B0183C6C&view=detail&FORM=VIRE .

This die is surprisingly easy to assemble, even though it is a little time consuming.  There are some tools I felt really helped me with my assembly.  First, if you have a way to make your card stock with a sticky back, I would suggest you do this.  Tim Holtz Scrapbook.com ,Couture Creations (the one I use) and Ken Oliver all have versions of this product.  If not, you need a glue you can put on small, fine, tiny pieces.  Second, I would suggest a pair of tweezers.  The tweezers were handy to "nudge" my little windows into place and pick up those tiny strips like the one above the door.  Even with my fat fingers and arthritis I was able to get it together.  Next a craft pick, pokey tool, or something to push the paper from the dies.  When I cut them from scrap paper without the pieces fell out easily, but once I cut adhesive backed paper in I had to push them out.  I didn't mind this, because it mean I didn't lose any of those tiny windows. Finally either a bowl or paper plate is handy to put all of the pieces onto as you push them out.  Little tiny pieces have ways of sticking to clothes or flying off even the most organized space.

Each die has the suggested color to use for the pieces.  For this first card I used Tim Holtz paper for all of the paper except the purple and the white. 

 Once you cut your pieces you are ready to begin assembly.  Just follow the layers as described in the video.  I would suggest for the windows, that you lay them out before you glue them, especially the first time. 

Once I had the village together I was able to create my background.  I started with a purple cardstock.  Then I layered Oxide inks in Fossilized Amber, Blueprint Sketch, Wilted Violet and Black soot.  You can see I didn't go too heavy on any one color. 

I placed my village on top and decided I needed a little something in the sky.  I had a piece of Navy blue cardstock that I had sprayed with Brushed Pewter Distress Stain to try as a background.  I cut it using the Sizzix Die #663095 Swirling Stars and then glued the starts onto the background.  I layered my purple cardstock on a piece of silver glitter cardstock and then on a base card from purple.  I cut Merry Christmas from Sizzix #664196 Christmas Ribbon, using Tim Holtz Metallic Cardstock.  I also added red stickles to the tree for the bulbs.  

The second card I used the same inks for the backgrounds, but I blended them directly on my white base card.  All of the papers for this card were from my scrap bin. I cut the Christmas tree twice so that the balls would be red instead of yellow.  I also cut the top of the tree out of silver metallic so I could have a silver star.  It's a little brighter but I like it.  Instead of the stars for this card I cut Santa and his reindeer from brown and navy cardstock and then layered them.  I also added some silver to the sled rails using a Nuvo Glitter pen as well as the collars of the reindeer.  You can't see it but I also added some gold Nuvo to the reins.  These look much more intricate that than they actually are; I will be making many more for my friends for the holidays.  I hope you have time to get a little ink on your fingers today. 

Time to Get Organized - Swatching my Distress Ink Products

Hello and welcome to a stay inside and stay cool summertime project. 

It's over 94 here today and promises to get hotter and muggier as the week goes on.  Why not make the most of my time inside to get my Distress Ink products sampled and organized? I had already made swatches for my glazes on a tag.  But that was just one product. 

I had the print outs from Ranger Ink for my ink pads- how could I get swatches of all of my products?

l was certain that this would help me keep track of my inks and allow me to compare colors before I put them on a future project.  Creating swatches was something Tim Holtz reiterated over and over again during his Spring 2020 videos, so I decided to give it a try. 

My predicament was first, what kind of paper I wanted to use? Second, how to make it cost effective? I use mixed media heavy stock most frequently for my project, but it isn't readily available in my area.  Most importantly , this would not have been a cost effective method to swatch all of the distress inks, sprays , crayons, glazes and paints.  I also use Dyan Reavley's journals (I often cut the paper our of the journals to use) so when I found the creative flip journals on sale a light bulb came on!  Why not use the pages from those journals and put all of my products on one page?  I have to say the results were better than expected.  Now I can see the sprays, inks, crayons, paint and glazes all on one page. 

I am pleased with the outcome.   I used the printed labels from Ranger's website to label each page.  Then I decided to put the Spray Stain at the top.  A stencil made from chipboard gave me the rectangle  so it didn't just go all over the page. I used my splatter box.  I cut a piece of chipboard the slightly larger than the page so I didn't have to cover other parts every time.  Then I used a circle punch to create two circles for the oxide inks.  I used one of the stamps to stamp the Distress and Oxide inks as well.  I think that many of the inks look different when stamped rather than on a blending tool.  On the third row I placed a scribble of crayon twice.  The first, on the left side is straight crayon to paper, the second one I smudged with my finger which had a little water on it.  I wanted to see how the crayon would look if I used it as a watercolor.  Next I dabbed a little paint and finally on that row the glaze (if available).  Finally at the bottom I used my second rectangle stencil for the Oxide spray. It was easier to make a second template that fit the bottom than reusing the top one.  

A couple of tips if anyone decides to mimic this approach.  First, make sure one medium is dry before you place the second one so you don't smudge.  Second, when I sprayed I made a concerted effort to spray from the same height and angle and the same number of pumps.  I purposely did NOT remove any of the splotches from the sprays.  Sometimes I want those so I thought it was good to see how they would look.  Finally, make sure that your inks are dry before you use your glaze unless you want some of your ink embossed.  Later I thought I probably should have done a few water drops on the oxide ink to see it oxidize but I think I can imagine what that outcome might be.  

This was a great way for me to rediscover colors and really look at how the intensity varied between the two sprays and the inks.  It also gave me a really good inventory of what I was missing.  Now, I will remove the pages from the journals and put them on rings.  I considered leaving them in the journals but I want to be able to compare colors side by side. I wrote what each item was with my Pitt Pen. 

Now, before someone asks...why aren't the markers on here? Well I have the markers, but I don't use them very often and they are being phased out.  I could always add them later but for now I'll leave them off. 

Here is the link on the Ranger page for the labels https://rangerink.com/pages/organize-your-ranger-products.  

I think this will become a valuable tool for me.  It is expandable as colors are added and gives me a true picture of how the mediums differ on the same paper.  By the way, the Picket Fence will be on black.  Later I may add all of them on black, for now I'm happy. 

I hope you have time today to get some ink on your fingers! Take care - Pamela 

A Celebration of Independence and Freedom

Today I wanted to share with you a vignette box I made to celebrate the 4th of July. 

The idea behind this scene is the man on the suitcase has just arrived to town and is waiting on his cab.  He is sitting on his trunk in front of a building that has been painted for the 4th of July. A parade has gone by and the remnants of the parade are still hanging on and all over the street.  The others are watching that last of the parade go by. 

Here is how I created my scene; a list of the supplies is at the end of this post. 

First I painted the box with Distress Paint in Weathered wood.  Even though you can't see the sides and the back I like to have it finished.  Next I covered the back of the box with Typeset tissue paper using Collage medium. I sat that aside to dry.

While I waited I pulled out some old idea-ology paper and cut the word America.  I inked the edges with black soot and put some small white marks to highlight the letters with a pen.  Then I cut the Old Jalopy BIGZ die 4 times   I cut one each from brown, metallic silver, black and the section of the doors in woodgrain paper.  I inked the car with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress ink.  I layered the pieces to create the cab.  I had to freehand the woodgrain paper to create the doors and the silver for the headlight.  You can't really see it but I also used some clear plastic on the windows.  

Then I colored the paper dolls.  I used distress crayons and also speckled blue embossing glaze.  

I die cut the suitcase from cracked leather cardstock and metallic for the buckles.  I inked the cases with Shabby Shutters distress ink and then embossed it with the glaze in the same color.  Inked the straps with Vintage photo Distress Ink.  I used a black soot crayon to outline the suit case just a bit.  

Next, I used the Impresslits folder Star Trim to create my frame.  I cut it from silver metallic paper and then I used alcohol ink to tint the trim and give it a little age.  While those were drying I went back to my background.  I applied crackle modeling paste through the stencil on the left. I dried it partially with the heat tool and then I let it sit overnight.  I find that with crackle paste a long natural dry time works best for me. Then I died some mica flakes with Poppy Red and Monsoon alcohol inks.  Those dried overnight as well.

When I returned the next evening, I used my Distress crayon in Faded Jeans to create the blue over and around the stars.  Next using the Barn Door Distress crayon I created a border around my edges and then faux stripes using a ruler.  I smudged the crayon with my finger which was damp.  Then I took a permanent pen and wrote the words to part of the Pledge of Allegiance between the stripes (I covered it up later but I know it is there and it peeks out in places) . 

I painted the pole for my flag and the star with Brushed Pewter Distress paint.  When that was dry I glued the flag to the left edge of the box.  I manipulated the flag to create the folds and secured that with some glue dots.   

Then I coated the bottom of the box with collage medium and sprinkled the mica flakes on there.  I added some that I had not died to create red , white and blue confetti, like a ticker tape parade.  I also used some collage medium in spots to sprinkle some of the confetti so it looked like it was caught as it rained down from the buildings above.  

I used score tape to adhere the Impresslits star trim.  Then I layered in my scene using collage medium and foam tape to create the depth for the scene. 

I hope you get time to enjoy some time to celebrate this wonderful country this weekend with your friends and family and perhaps find some time to get some ink on your fingers.

Until next time- Happy 4th - Pamela 

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Supplies:

 Paper- Tim Holtz Metallic 3, Classic , Woodgrain and Cracked Leather cardstock

Tissue Paper- Typeset

Distress Inks:  Peeled Pain, Vintage Photo Black Soot, Antique Linen, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint.

Sizzix BigZ die Baggage Claim  # 664439; Impresslits folder- Star Trim # 663297 and Old Jalopy

Tim Holtz Distress Mica Flakes

Ranger Alcohol Inks : Poppy Red, Monsoon, and Mushroom 

Distress Crayons- Bard door, Faded Jeans, Worn Lipstick, Aged Mahgony, Fossilized Amber

Distress Paint- Weathered Wood and Brushed Pewter

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Dolls 

Adhesives: Scor-tape, Distress Collage Medium, Golden crackle paste

Idea-ology Adornments - Star

Flag- Hobby Lobby