Sunday, April 03, 2022

Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 - The Four Abstract Faces Playing Card Queens Picasso Inspired Mixed Media Framed Canvas Panels

Yup, that's my title and I'm sticking to it...what a mouthful. Hi everyone and welcome to my first post for the Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 release. Seriously, and I mean seriously, I cannot tell you how much fun and inspiration I've had from these dies. I always love Tim's dies, but this release is just different...they are artsy yet whimsical and even channel some of the great Artists from long ago, and there is so much freedom in using them. These Abstract Faces Thinlits reminded me of Picasso or even Matisse. I took most of my inspiration from Picasso's Head of a Woman Reading, but really he has so many faces to get inspiration from. You can have hours of creativity with these 19 die pieces just by moving them around or even flipping them over for a different perspective, to form a new face before you even use them to die cut. There is such freedom in that creation and there are no set ways to layer or attach the pieces...limitless creativity! It's like face building Legos to me! I had to snap a pic of my face arrangements before I die cut so I could remember how to build these four Queens after I finally settled on what I thought they should look like. I think it would be awesome to die cut all the pieces in felt and use them on a felt board for not only a child but even yourself, just to play and gather inspiration from. I think I might do that myself. Oh and, it seems every time I go out (Only to the grocery store really, lol!) I see these faces everywhere...on plant pots, posters, pillows, coasters, tote bags...I think there is an Abstract Faces trend going on, or maybe I have not been paying attention and it's always been there. Anyway, I need to calm my excitement down and get back to this post. The Picasso painting mentioned above had me thinking of a Queen on a card, and if you have been following me or know me, you know I love and collect playing cards with vintage or unusual face cards. I LOVE them and the detail repetitive art and doodling that goes into them, so I thought I would try my hand at making Queen's faces. I LOVE the way these came out and decided they needed to go on canvas and be framed in a set, as well as add a little quote I think each one would say. They each have distinct personalities to me. I think it would even be fun to do two of each face and flip one face underneath one (like on a playing card) and put them on a larger base to really look like a playing card. Maybe I'll try that next. And if you have ever wanted to try Paint Pouring on canvas like I did here (very basic without all the extras involved), this little 4x4 canvas is a great way to start and see if you like it without all technical and extra things you need to do. Okay...I gotta stop talking now or you will really know how strange I am and can be...enjoy the tut everyone...it's short! ;0)

 
NOTE: I purchased four metal frames with 4x4 inch white mats inside, that also have chain fasteners to hang them from, at Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off. I took the glass and matting out of the frames, and using the matting to help with the project so have those ready, along with 4x4 inch canvas panels (also on sale at the same time). Get familiar and play around with the die pieces from the Abstract Faces Thinlits. Plan out two of the faces using all the die pieces, and sharing the sun looking piece as well as the long bird looking piece, making sure the faces will be facing towards the right (to make planning a little easier). Add two sided tape to White Heavystock, Black Cardstock, and red Kraftstock. Die cut one face base piece (either heart or triangle shape) using White Heavystock and all the pieces that you want on top (except the cheek and lips) using Black Cardstock. Then die cut the other face base piece using Black Cardstock and the pieces that go on top using White Heavystock. Die cut the lips and cheeks for each one using the red Kraftstock. Lay the pieces as they will go (Don't stick them down yet though.) on top of a 4x4 inch canvas panel to get a feel for the size as it's going to be tight fitting, and how the pieces will lay out, again having them facing right. Then die cut two more base pieces this time opposite colors as last time (so you have a black and white base heart and black and white base triangle), and die cut the pieces that go on top of each one in the opposite color. Die cut the lips and cheeks in red as well. Play with the arrangement just making sure the faces will go towards the left this time. If you flip the lips, eyes, and nose upside down it's easier to plan and the noses of each will be hanging off like they are extra long. Don't forget to die cut the sun looking piece and bird looking piece for each one as well. Leave the pieces on the canvas panels for safe keeping as there are so many to keep up with. You will need five of the mole pieces as well, three in black and two in white. The extra black is for the pupil of the upside down eye. Also die cut 4 crowns in gold cardstock from the Mini Crown and Fleur Movers and Shapers Set. When you are planning out where the pieces will go, do it inside the mats so you can figure out sizing. 

Use the Classic Upper Alphanumeric Thinlits to die cut four 'Q's. You see white and gold in the pic because I couldn't decide, but I went with the gold. Make sure you have two sided tape on the back of which ever color you choose. Add tape to a small piece of black and red cardstock. Die cut a small HEART from the Heart Stacked Tiles using red. Use black cardstock and die cut the same heart but flip the die upside down and don't place the cutting pad over the two hump parts, so that when you get it from the machine only the sides and point are cut. Use scissors to free hand cut the two humps with a stem in the middle to make a SPADE. Punch a clover with black cardstock, and cut one of the sections off for a CLUB reshaping it a little to make it look more even. Free hand cut a DIAMOND from red Kraftstock. Because my free hand cuts were a little funky looking and quirky, I went ahead and reshaped the HEART, cutting it with scissors to make it look quirky and not so perfect. 
 
 
 Take the four mats that were inside the frame and use them to help you exactly plan how the pieces will fit on the canvas. Do not remove the backing on the face base pieces, the necklines, the Q's, or the card symbols yet. All the other pieces you can stick down on top of the face base, and just don't press down on the pieces that are hanging off the face so they won't stick down yet as you are not ready with the canvas yet. This sounds a little crazy but trust me with all those pieces it's easier to lay them down on the silicon mat ready and assembled for when you need them so nothing gets lost. I laid the Q's and symbols on top as well so they stayed safe, and I didn't know which color Q yet or symbol for each one, so this system worked great for me. This is the order I built each one...dress neckline (either the scallop or half circle and turn the other upside down for the other two queens), face base, nose, eye, lips, mole (remember the two go towards the right and two towards the left for the face pieces), long hair pieces just above the neckline and at the back of the head (either the curls or bun), sun looking piece (for the crown of the head and gold crown), gold crown, long bird looking piece (front hair line), and last the long tangly string looking piece, either one (top coif just above the hairline). Each queen will take on their own look as well as personality as you build. Just remember to stay within the space in the mat leaving room for a Q and a symbol, and don't take off the backing of the neckline or face base yet. Put the mats in a safe spot as well as the queens so they don't get dirty or stick down to anything (I used the silicon mat). 
 
 
For the four canvases, I should have taken more step outs, and thought I did but didn't. Apply a thin layer of Distress Crackle Paste from Ranger to each canvas with your finger, palette knife, or brush. Let dry about 30 minutes. Shake up Tarnished Brass Distress Paint and apply over the paste, pushing the paint into the cracks. Wipe off any wet paint from the top portion of the paste. Dry with a heat tool. Paint over this with Black Soot and Festive Berries Distress Paint and then flick drops of Picket Fence Distress Paint over. While the paints are wet, mist lightly with water and move the canvas around to cover the canvas while marbling the paints. Dry with a heat tool, blotting with a paper towel to reveal layers of colors and reapply any paint if necessary. You should get some gold peeking through. The paint will dry matte looking with some shiny gold coming through here and there. 
 
 
I wanted the canvases to be shiny, so I thought about adding resin, glossy accents, or a spray coat of varnish, but I decided to get shine and more crackle with Crackle Accents (Glossy Accents that crackle). If you have it, as I think it's discontinued, apply it liberally to the tops of the canvas. If you don't have it, you can use something else for a shiny top coat. Once the top coat is dry, apply Tarnished Brass Distress Crayon over the canvas and push it into all the cracks with your finger. Lightly mist a paper towel to remove any crayon  not in the cracks, and shine the surface back up with the clean paper towel. In the pic the two canvases on the left have crayon pushed in and wiped off. The top right has no crayon yet and the bottom has crayon that has not been wiped off, so you can see the difference and progression.
 
 
Add thin strips of two sided tape to the inside frame on the mat on the back part. Adhere the canvas to this making sure there are no gaps and it's centered. Remove the rest of the backing from the queens and stick them down along the right side, and the Q's and symbols on the top left side. Choose sentiments from the Snarky Small Talk Stickers and stick them in the middle of the bottom portion of the mat. Add the matted canvases to the metal frames. I didn't want the chains as long that hold the frames, so I removed all but three links with pliers to accommodate my space on the wall. Also, my finished photos are minus the glass in the metal frames so pics wouldn't have glares of light, but I put the glass back in after.  
 

Supplies:
(Two Sided Tape, Die Cut Machine, Die Pick, Small Paint Brush, Glass Mat, Water Mister, Heat Tool, Paper Towel, Scissors)
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits (Chapter 2 2022): Abstract Faces 
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Heavystock: White
-Ranger Surfaces: Black Cardstock
-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Classic Kraftstock, Metallic Cardstock, Snarky Small Talk Stickers
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits, Upper Classic Alphanumeric, Hearts Stacked Tiles
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers: Mini Crown and Fleur Set
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Paper Punch: Clover
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paste
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Tarnished Brass, Festive Berries, Picket Fence, Black Soot
-Ranger Crackle Accents
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon: Tarnished Brass
-4x4 Canvas Panels (4), Frames with 4x4 Mats (4) 
 
Thank you so much for stopping by everyone, and especially for reading through and commenting. I'll be back soon with another Chapter 2 make. Until next time, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

9 comments:

  1. These wild and wonderful women are just brilliant - and each perfectly combined with the words too. Fantastic samples!
    Alison x

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  2. These are so fabulous!

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  3. These are absolutely amazing. Love them. What a great die set

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  4. I love them! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️

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  5. These are so, so fabulous. I think I will try my hand at making a set for my Craft room walls. They are so inspirational. Now if the dies will just get here...LOL.

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  6. Really, really, really WOW!!!

    These are stunning. Such bold, beautiful, and very memorable works of art that are worthy of any gallery wall.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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  7. I love these whimsical little gems! The backgrounds make those quirky die cuts shine, and as Autumn stated above, they are truly worthy of a gallery wall!

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  8. Well, I have always thought you were a creative genius and now I am even more convinced - Wow, what a fabulous line up of Queens you have created, each with a wonderful identity of their own. I loved reading how you created them too and yes, they would be wonderful cut in felt. What fun! xxx

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