Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 - Nine Silhouette Birds on Blooming Almond Branches Van Gogh Inspired Springtime Mixed Media 4x12 Inch Canvas

Another mouth full with that title, but I like including everything so you know exactly what you are gonna get here. Hi again everyone!  I'm back with my second project for the Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 release, and it's a 4x12 inch cute little canvas featuring the all nine of the Silhouette Birds Thinlits on blossoming almond branches, inspired by Van Gogh this time. He painted so many Springtime canvases showing blooming trees, and I especially love the Almond Blossom painting. The Silhouette Birds fit perfectly on the branches on this little canvas, set against the paint poured sunset sky. I also used the new Brushstroke Flowers 4 leaves on the branches, but since I didn't use the bloom I didn't mention it in the title. LOL! Enjoy the tutorial, and thank you so much for all the love on my last Sizzix make.

 

 

Take a 4 x 12 x 3/4 inch canvas and apply Distress Crackle Paste all over the top and sides lightly using your finger or a paint brush. Let dry about 15 minutes. 

 

 

Apply Tarnished Brass Distress Paint over the top and sides of the canvas. This is to not only give the canvas a slick surface for the next part, but also adds a hint of metallic under the paint for the next part. Let dry about 15 minutes. 

 

 

NOTE: You need a large space cleared off space for this part, the paint pouring. I used the glass mat. It is going to get messy, so you might want paper underneath or a throw away pan to gather paint, but I just cleaned the glass mat after. Gather the Distress Paints you want to use in the next part and shake them up and have them ready, and think sky colors like in dawn or sunset. I used Speckled Egg, Salty Ocean, Prize Ribbon, Villainous Potion, Picket Fence, Crackling Campfire, Saltwater Taffy, Mustard Seed, and Scattered Straw. Remove the tops of the paint bottles and lightly pour the paints on the canvas in an orderly way in each corner and center, working quickly. When all the colors are on the canvas, mist the canvas liberally with water, and pick up the canvas and start moving it back and forth and circular like until all the colors start moving around. Think about paint pouring and how Artists move the paint until it starts to run off the canvas. Distress Paints are very fluid and so this is much easier than using typical Acrylic Paint that a flow treatment has to be added. There is no oils in this technique so you won't get the cells like in typical paint pouring, but you use the same method, and it's a good way to learn the basics of paint pouring. If you have a throw away foil pan or rack that is good to use so the clean up is easier.

 

 

Keep turning the canvas side to side until you like the look and paint has fallen off the sides. I lost almost all my white so I added a little more Picket Fence and sprayed water again and poured off the paint. Let the paint dry awhile this time. I let mine dry over night, and clean up your space. 

 

 

The paint will dry dull and matte looking but there will be hints of gold metallic underneath that you'll be able to see in some spots. To make the whole canvas shiny and add a bit more texture, cover it with a thin layer of Crackle Accents or another shiny glass like liquid medium. Let dry about 30 minutes. Use a Tarnished Brass Distress Crayon to add a golden sheen to the canvas and to bring out the gold underneath and texture on it as well, by rubbing it on and using your finger with a little water to spread it over the whole canvas pushing it into all the little cracks and lines. Use a lightly water misted rag or paper towel to remove the crayon not pushed in. Your background will be so gorgeous it will be hard to cover it up. Set the canvas aside for now.

 

 

Using Distress Woodgrain Cardstock, die cut two of each of the branches from the Bigz Branches Die from Sizzix. Take the new Brushstroke Flowers 4 Thinlits and use only the two leafy stem portions and die cut several of them using the same cardstock. I die cut seven of each and had enough.

 

   

Using Twisted Citron and Rustic Wilderness Distress Paint, paint over the leaves on the stems with either color or half each. I used the lighter brighter green on the smaller leaves like they are freshly open at Spring time. Paint over the stems and large branches with Frayed Burlap Distress Paint. Let all these dry. 

 

 

Once dry, rub the pad of Frayed Burlap Distress Archival Ink over all the branches and stems to bring out the texture of the paper and add some shadows and highlights from the ink over the paint. Dry with a heat tool. 

 

 

Take the canvas and lay it horizontally, and then arrange the branches across it, layering them at the ends so that you have two long branches going across and hanging off the sides, one branch more towards the top and one towards the bottom. Once you like the look, take a Collage Brush and Matte Collage Medium and start adhering the branches on the canvas, brushing over them and adhering whatever hangs over to the sides of the canvas as well. Trim off the parts that are not touching the sides of the canvas. Let the branches dry a bit. 

 

   

Take the stems with leaves and play with their placement on the branches so you have an even placement of leaves. Cut some in half to fill up more space. Any where a branch ends is a good place to add leaves. Once you like the placement, collage these on using the Collage Medium and brush. Let dry. 

 

  

Take Twisted Citron Distress Paint and paint in the leaves that have the middles cut out, and green dots to the stems that are cut off looking and like there might be buds coming out. Not shown is Walnut Stain Distress Paint that I painted on the lower edges of each branch and the lower parts of the branches coming off the main ones to add a little shadow. Once the paint is dry a few minutes, use a golden or light orange permanent marker to trace under each branch and branches coming off for more shadows. Think of the sun shining from the top right of the canvas, so it's darker underneath the parts not getting sun. Set canvas aside. 

 

 

Using a half sheet of Watercolor Cardstock (big enough to die cut all 9 birds), lightly mist the paper with water. Working quickly, add paintbrush full swipes of Distress Paint randomly to the whole paper. I used Mustard Seed, Crackling Campfire, Saltwater Taffy, Prize Ribbon, and Twisted Citron. I wanted a multi colored Finch look to the birds, so that is why I used so many bright colors. Mist the paper liberally with water when it's all covered with paint and let the paint move and marble. Dry. Die cut all nine of the Silhouette Birds Thinlits with the paper. 

 

   

Decide on a cohesive color pattern for the birds, and paint their heads, back and tail, and wings the same. I went with Prize Ribbon and Mustard Seed for mine. Paint the bellies of each bird with Picket Fence Distress Paint, and add teardrop shaped eye masks to the head. Paint the legs, feet, and beaks with Tarnished Brass Distress Paint. When the eye patches are dry, draw in tiny teardrop shaped eyes with a black permanent pen. Once the birds were dry, I decided to tone them down a bit and I covered them with Vintage Collage Medium. 

 

  

 Collage the birds on the two branches randomly and put some in groups using Matte Collage Medium. When dry, add a rub on sentiment to a blank sky part. Cut off the flower heads from the Bouquet flowers, and adhere them on randomly to the bud areas and anywhere on the small twigs using Matte Collage Medium. If the flowers look a little too bright in spots, add a little Vintage Collage Medium to the petals to tone them down. Let dry. 

 

I included this one to show you how the canvas shines in the sun with the Tarnished Brass Paint and Crayon. It's yummy!

Supplies: 

(Glass Mat, Medium Paint Brush, Water Mister, Heat Tool, Paper Towel, Die Cut Machine, Die Pick, Small Paint Brush, Scissors, Detail Paint Brush) 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paste 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Tarnished Brass, Speckled Egg, Salty Ocean, Prize Ribbon, Villainous Potion, Picket Fence, Crackling Campfire, Saltwater Taffy, Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Rustic Wilderness, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain 

-Ranger Crackle Accents 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon: Tarnished Brass 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock 

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die: Branches

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits (Chapter 2 2022): Brushstroke Flowers 4, Silhouette Birds 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Frayed Burlap 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Paper 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Brush: Small 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte or Crackle, Vintage 

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Bouquet, Tiny Text Remnant Rubs 

-Faber-Castell Pitt Pen: Green Gold, Black 

-4x12 Inch Canvas 

 

I'll be back again soon with a series of two (so far) canvases using the new dies again inspired by Van Gogh. Until next time, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

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!