Bright Birthday Card

Hi Everyone! Today I’m sharing another homework creation from Tim Holtz’ Creative Chemistry 103. In day 4 we worked with distress crayons, and I have become a believer! To tell you the truth, I had not enjoyed working with distress crayons until this lesson with Tim. Go figure; I didn’t understand their properties! I just needed the professor to share some tips and tricks, and now I have a new favorite medium. They are soft, creamy, dreamy, and luscious…truly! They move and blend like a soft lipstick.

The distress crayons mold into the depths of the texture paste, and add another layer of interest.

I began by spreading Ranger opaque matte texture paste over the Latticework stencil onto Tim Holtz’ watercolor cardstock. After the paste dried, I spread a layer of collage medium over the entire thing, and waited for it to dry again. This is the secret to working with distress crayons! When you try to spread them on unsealed paper, they grab, stick, and do not spread easily without using water, but a whole new world opens up when you seal the paper first. It’s like using gesso before painting. Everything just works better together by prepping your background.

Next I began working in small areas by scribbling a little distress crayon over the dried texture paste, and I worked it in with my finger. After working all of the colors into the background, I lightly shaded the top and left sides of the panel.

I used two pieces of Tim Holtz paper, distressed the edges, and shaded with distress ink and spray stain for the background panels. After taping the panels together, I splattered black soot and antique linen distress paints and dried with a heat gun. I used black embossing powder to stamp the sentiment.

Can you see the added texture from the brushstrokes in the collage medium? Gently rub over the piece after coloring with a dry paper towel to expose this. (BTW: What do you think about that pen nib? I love the way alcohol inks transform metal embellishments!)

I stamped the butterfly with black Archival ink, and lightly added color with the distress crayons. For a softened look, I watercolored the butterfly and blended the colors. I die cut the butterfly on the Big Shot, and shaded the edges wth vintage photo distress ink.

Finally, I dabbed black soot distress paint on the pen nib, and then colored with alcohol ink. I wrapped the middle of the nib with black thread, glued onto the butterfly, and gently molded the wings before taping it to the card.

Well, there you have it! What do you think? Have you been working on homework for Creative Chemistry this summer? So much fun! So many tips and tricks!

Thanks for stopping by! Love and artsy hugs!

Erin