Saturday, August 03, 2024

Tim Holtz Sizzix Autumn/Halloween 2024 - Autumn Brooches

It's already August and Autumn will be here before you know it, so I love that Tim Holtz releases products early enough to be in hand before the season. Today was the Live for the Sizzix Autumn/Halloween Dies. If you missed it, watch the replay, or just watch it again and again because the makes were crazy outstanding and inspiring from the Makers! I'm always in awe and my head explodes with ideas after every Live. I'd like to give you a little personal side note as to why I made Brooches for not only Autumn but also for Halloween (Don't be surprised if you see some for Christmas!) with the new Dies, and YES they are made with paper.  My Mother and I shared a love for vintage jewelry and especially brooches. We gifted each other many over the years. She passed away in January of this year, and I was entrusted to clean out her house. When I came to large collection of jewelry, so many pieces were brooches of course. Memories flooded back, and I found so much joy in them. I researched every single piece and discovered some valuable pieces as well as learned so much. My love for them was renewed, and I decided to start making my own, but I had no idea where to start and didn't know how I was going to shape real metal. Then Tim sent the dies, and I decided to try making one brooch with the dies and PAPER. I started with several layers of metallic paper, and it proved sturdy but not quite as I would have liked, so I thought I'd coat it in resin, and WOW it worked! It was not only sturdy, but I think it will last years. Next thing I knew, the one brooch turned into many and I just couldn't stop making them. Each one brought joy and strangely enough a closeness with my Mother. It was absolute therapy. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did making them.  

Add two sided tape to the back of Silver, Light Gold, Dark Gold, and Copper Metallic Kraftstock, and then start die cutting the parts that you want from the Vault Foliage Wreath Thinlits as well as the two pumpkin parts from the Vault Wicked Thinlits.  You will also need to die cut the same pieces again for about three layers to add to the thickness of the piece but don’t adhere them yet, and then die cut the same again BUT from the backside of the Kraftstock with the two sided tape side up to be able to back your pieces so that the backside of the brooch looks nice and finished, MINUS the detail pieces like the centers of flowers and leaves as you don’t really need to have those on the back.  Do not add the backs on the pieces yet though. Start playing with the pieces to figure out the layout and size of the brooch you want keeping in mind the closeness of the parts so that your pin won’t show through from the front, so keep a pin handy to help guide you, as well as when to add another layer so the depth makes sense for a 3D look. You will want to layer the pieces and keep them close together to add to the sturdiness of the brooch as well. Add a bit of Collage Medium to the detail parts to make sure they stay in place. This is the hardest part of making the brooches as it takes some thinking and planning. 

Once you figure out the depth and closeness of the pieces and have added all the layers, then you can add the backing so that all the pieces are covered with metallic paper on the back and Kraft is not showing. For the pieces that won’t be showing on the back, you don’t need to add a backing of course. 

Here are all the pieces with all the layers adhered on up a little closer. I should have taken a picture of the backs as well, sorry. But they are just solid metallic paper with no detail parts. The pin will not be adhered until the very end, so don’t worry about those now.

Since the edges of the pieces are brown from the Kraft, I used metallic leafing paint pens to color the edges. I used a tiny craft Qtip with the paint from the pens to get into the tiny open areas. Doing this also allowed me to see all the edges were adhered down well, so when they were not I added a bit of Collage Medium to fully secure them. 

Some of the Droplets were not the color I needed so I dyed them with Alcohol Ink. If I had to do a lot I used a cup with several drops of the ink, if only a little I just colored them directly with a Qtip. I did the same with plain clear rhinestones as well. Then I adhered all the bling with Glossy Accents.

Another picture of using Alcohol Ink to color the bling.

Same as 5 and 6. Alcohol Ink is so versatile.

I mixed 1 ounce of Ice Resin and poured it over the pieces on a baking cooling rack I have designated for Art, with a piece of wax paper underneath. I tried to do as heavy as a coating as I could and I kept these on the rack over night, moving them around every hour using a craft pick so they didn’t get stuck in place. By morning they were dry and not stuck in place. The bottle says they totally cure after 48 hours. 

While the resin hardened I made glassine sacks to house the brooches using the Vault Pillow Box Thinlits, making a window with the pumpkin die, and adding clear packaging material under the pumpkin opening. I had to use the Premium Crease Pad for the sack die with the thin glassine so the folding creases didn’t get cut all the way through.

I used pliers to bend the hook of pin in a little more so that there wasn’t more tension when it gets secured in the closure, hopefully alleviating people from pulling on the pin too much to latch it. Fingers crossed. I added the pins to the back of each brooch so they wouldn’t be seen using lots of Glossy Accents. I also used tiny letter metal stamping punches and a Craft Hammer for my initials onto Metallic Kraftstock, and added those to the back of each piece for my maker marks, and then I coated the whole back with more Glossy Accents for added strength again, and let them dry.

Using the same Vault Pillow Box Thinlits, there is a card to die cut that fits into the sack. I die cut 6 of these, one for each as a holding card for the brooches. I measured and marked where both ends of the back of the pin would be and punch holes for them, and then used scissors to cut a line between the holes. The back of the pin is just pushed through the cut line into the holes and it stays in place perfectly. Then the card with the brooch fits into the sack. 


Supplies:
(Paper Trimmer, Two Sided Tape, Die Cut Machine, Die Pick, Scissors, Standard Premium Crease Pad)
-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Metallic Kraftstock, Metallic Droplets, Christmas Droplets, Halloween Droplets, Mirrored Hearts, Kraft Glassine
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits (Autumn Halloween Vault Series 2024): Vault Foliage Wreath, Vault Wicked
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte
-Ranger Glossy Accents
-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink: Sandal, Latte, Dijon, Ginger, Teakwood, Sunshine Yellow, Valencia, Botanical, Gold Mixative
-Ranger Ice Resin
-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits: Vault Pillow Box & Bag
-1 Inch Brooch Pins, Gold, Silver, Copper Metallic Pens, Microfiber Cloth, Various Sizes Flat Rhinestones and Pearl Halves, Containers to Dye In and for Ice Resin, Metal Letter Stamps and Hammer if Desired, Clear Packaging

Thank you truly for all the comments on the Live and social media. I totally appreciate all of you! I'll be back again next week with the Halloween Brooches. Until then, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Summer 2024 - French Garden All Occasion Cards

Today I have the last project I made for the Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Everyday 2 Summer 2024 Stamp Release, made with the French Garden Stamp Set. These cards have no particular sentiment so I think they are all occasion. They are made with assembly line stamping on Black Kraftstock with Ranger's Glacier White Pigment Ink, and you can color them in with whatever Archival Ink you choose, AND you might as well make several to have on hand while the stamps are in the platform. I used a cosmetic case and a pair of jeans as inspiration for the colors of the flowers, and have so many other items I could have used as well as I love the vintage floral look motif, and have loads of this theme throughout my belongings. Enjoy!
Sorry for the blurry images, but the top one has the cosmetic case mentioned above, and the bottom the jeans. With so many Distress Colors it was quite easy to match these. 

Cut a piece of Black Kraftstock to 4.5 x 6 inches.  Place the paper in the platform and add the larger flower, leaves, and sprig images from the French Garden Stamp Set, along the border of the paper leaving room for more stamping later and leaving the middle portion open.  Stamp in Glacier White Pigment Ink from Ranger a few times until nice and crisp and bright white. Do the same with as many as you want, and then leave all the stamps in place to restamp later, and don’t worry about cleaning them.  Let this dry thoroughly or use a heat tool.

FYI, I add two sided tape to the back before adding the wet color so the paper remains flat and does not bow up. Using Mini Blending Tools as they are best for these size of stamps, apply Distress Archival Ink to the white images in whatever color you know you want, but starting with the leaves makes it easier to make out all the flower details. I started with Crushed Olive on all the leaves, then added Kitsch Flamingo on one flower, Frayed Burlap on the sprig, and Aged Mahogany on the other flower, however, it is Distress Ink as there is no Aged Mahogany in the Archival line yet. I’ve not done Distress Ink over Glacier White yet, but so far it is working. I like to just dab the color on with the tool. On another card I did Kitsch Flamingo, Frayed Burlap, and Salvaged Patina. Then I thought to do another and used Fossilized Amber with the Kitsch and Frayed Burlap. Once I knew where the color would go, I colored in the black areas with coordinating Distress Pencils and a Detail Water Brush that was empty. I just pick up the water as I need it so I don’t risk getting too much out of the tube. For the leaves on the flowers I used Pine Needles and then blended with Crushed Olive. On the pink flowers I used Spun Sugar Pencil, on the burgundy I used Aged Mahogany, and on the turquoise Salvaged Patina. On the swigs I colored in with Picket Fence. In the center of the open flowers I added Squeezed Lemonade. On the extra card I colored in that yellow flower with Fossilized Amber. 

Since the stamps were already in place, I restamped the images with Distress Embossing Ink, and then poured Clear Embossing Powder over and heated to melting. The stamps were still a bit dirty with the white ink so some of that transferred and I liked the look. Clean the stamps now from the embossing ink.

Reposition the stamps around the open borders, and then add the script images, and then close the lid when you like the position. Stamp these images in Glacier White, again leaving them in the platform like before, unclean. Dry well.

Ink over like before with Archival except the white roses and script, just leave those white, the stems and leaves with Crushed Olive, and the berries with Frayed Burlap. Color over the stems and leaves with Crushed Olive Pencil, the berries with Picket Fence, the center of the flower with Squeezed Lemonade, and the dark parts of the flower with Antique Linen Pencils. Place them back in the platform, ink over the stamps with Distress Embossing Ink, and pour Clear Embossing Powder over and heat. Ink the edges of the borders with Black Soot Archival.

Cut a white mat to 4.75 x 6.25, and cut and fold Kraft card base to 5 x 6.5 inches with inked edges in Vintage Photo. Mat the white on the Kraft. Use a white pen to add dots to the centers of the open flowers, and add a straight border around the card in the open areas. Shake the Walnut Stain Embossing Spritz well, and lightly mist over the cards. Mount them onto the card bases. 

I made this one for my MIL's birthday, and thought I'd show you it as well. 

Supplies:
(Paper Trimmer, Stamp Platform, Heat Tool, Two Sided Tape, Scissors, Mini Blending Tools, Detail Water Brush, Water Mister, White Pen, Ink Blending Tool)
-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Black Kraftstock
-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set: French Garden
-Ranger Pigment Ink: Glacier White
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Crushed Olive, Fossilized Amber, Salvaged Patina, Kitsch Flamingo, Frayed Burlap, Dusty Concord
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Aged Mahogany, Embossing, Vintage Photo
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Pencils: Crushed Olive, Pine Needles, Aged Mahogany, Spun Sugar, Salvaged Patina, Fossilized Amber, Squeezed Lemonade, Picket Fence, Villainous Potion, Antique Linen
-Ranger Embossing Powder: Clear
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spritz: Walnut Stain
-Ranger Surfaces: Kraft Cardstock
-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Mixed Media Heavystock: White

Thank you for following along with all of these projects. The new stamps are seriously fabulous. I'll be back in a few days with more makes for another Tim Holtz release. Until then, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!