Everyday Expressions

Hi Everyone! I’m back after a couple of crazy, busy weeks around the house. I have been crafting here and there, but wasn’t happy with anything. Finally, I’ve finished my tag for this month’s Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2016 April Challenge.

Tim’s re-mix challenge this month was faux mosaic and paint resist. When I read Tim’s blog, the first thing that came to mind was that the paint resist on his new Distress Woodgrain Cardstock looked very much like moving water when turned to the side. I usually try to take his tutorial and find different ways to use it or figure out ways I can work outside the box. The idea of moving water quickly became the inspiration for this ocean tag.

I began by using a brayer and Tumbled Glass Distress Paint over the woodgrain cardstock. Then I sprayed with several blue Distress Spray Stains and water forcing the color to run into the grooves of the cardstock. After drying, I dribbled water, dabbed with a paper towel, and dried with a heat gun for a distressed and bubbly water look.

Next I used Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders dies to cut the cardstock into rolling waves, and pieced it together on the Ranger #8 tag.

I wanted the bottom of the tag to resemble a sandy ocean bottom, and finally decided to try using the new Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder as a base coat for texture and color. Next I created a stencil by die cutting “Discover” from Sizzix/Tim Holtz Thinlits Adventure dies out of watercolor cardstock. Then I used Ranger Texture Paste with the stencil, covered with another coat of the embossing powder, and finished it with the heat gun when the paste dried. Finally, I rubbed Black Soot DP over the embossed area to dull down and distress the shiny embossing.

The final step in creating the background was to use various yellow Distress Paints and Tim’s sunrise stencil to create a sunrise as the top of the tag. I also finished the sunset and ocean edges by blending Vintage Photo Distress Ink around the edges to soften the bright yellows.

I have to say that one of my favorite aspects of challenges is that they often push me out of my comfort zone, and force me to try something that I might not have attempted on my own. The mosaic art is definitely one of those challenges! I loved what I had seen on other’s blogs and in pictures, but I wasn’t won over as something I thought would work for me. However, when Tim highlighted the technique on his blog, I loved the mosiac bird. So I ordered Tim’s Distress Paper Mosaic Kit from Simon Says Stamp, and I am so glad that I did. Isn’t this seahorse adorable? I think he is just so pretty! I like the sandy grout paired with the shaded light and dark colored tiles with glossy topcoat. I can imagine using this on so many more things.

I began by cutting the Sizzix/TH Sand and Sea seahorse from TH Grungeboard, and covering with a thin coat of grout. Then I used Tim’s new Distress Crayons on Crowded Attic and Dapper TH papers blending with water and my finger for softly shaded tiles. I cut the papers into small shapes and pieced together using the kit glue onto the seahorse. Next I used the glossy topcoat on each of the tiles. After the tiles dried, I used distress ink to color the grout and edges.

I used Sizzix/TH new Alterations Wildflowers Thinlits cut from Nostalgic Collection Kraft-Core and distress the greenery by sanding before adding to the tag.

The final touches were to add a “letter”in an Idea-ology Corked Vial, color the compass with Mushroom Adirondack Alcohol Ink and DP, and add the linen ribbon to the tag.

So there you have it! My Aril tag for Tim’s Challenge. What do you think? I encourage everyone to try something new this month. Maybe the mosaic kit? I can’t wait to see what everyone else does!

Thanks again for stopping by! Hopefully I will see you all much sooner in my next post than it took for this one. Love and artsy hugs!

Erin