Dare to Dazzle mixed media panel

Hello! 👋🏻 Popping in to share this starry little mixed media piece I’ve been working on, “starring” 🙃 the Tim Holtz Dimensional Star dies and Star Trims 3D embossing strips. I loved watching the Olympics this summer and felt inspired to make a little something to mark the occasion 🇫🇷👩🏻‍🎨 

Here’s a bit more detail about how this project came together 👇🏻

The Background…

Started by cutting the Star Trim emboss strips from mixed media heavystock paper and gluing on an Etcetera rectangle panel (6x8.5in)

Sanded down the edges with a sanding block and painted with Uncharted Mariner, then more sanding before the wax! Planning the composition…

 Next, added Mined wax highlights to the raised texture, stars, panel edges, and heat set. I also used two Caramel-inked screw eyes and chains (sans clasps) to make the hanger on the top edge. Tore up bits of collage newspaper to start adding some grunginess

Covered the collage paper bits, corners and random edges with grit paste, followed by Caramel ink

The Bottle…

Cut 2 chipboard pieces from the Bigz Bottled up die, glued the layers together and added the bottle details to the front (extra piece on bottle mouth, Star Trim and a metal Ideaology star for the center). 

First painted with Antique Linen, but decided to go darker 🤷🏻‍♀️ so re-painted with Scorched Timber, followed by Mined wax highlights, grit paste and caramel ink

The Stars…

Cut 10-12 stars of all sizes from the Dimension Stars set and folded up. Covered some stars with Mined wax, some with collage paper, some Antique Linen paint… added grit paste, a Caramel-ink wash, and wire pieces down the middle of each

The Sentiment…

Cut “Dare to” letters from the Tiny Type Lower font out of heavystock paper. Cut DAZZLE from the Alpha Bold set (wanted these super thick so cut 6 sets of each letter and glued together)

Covered with Mixed wax, heat set, then added splotchy grit paste

Added Caramel ink on top and glued the letters on pieces of film strip

Used a Caramel-inked large hinge clip to hold the strips. Added the black clipping stickers (from the Metallic sticker book) to an inked memo pin and tucked in the side of the clip

The Finishing Touches…

Lots of other little bobs and bits in the ledge layers… gritty scalloped trim pieces, metal ruler, gears, film strip, clothespin, etc… 

Added more excelsior shavings in a few spots, along with more grit paste and Caramel ink in random places + those teeny-tiny stars for extra sparkle ✨

Also added a few “Paris” and “24” little Easter eggs 😍

And THAT is my razzle-dazzle project, thanks so much for looking!

And go Team USA LA28! 🇺🇸☺️

Happy crafting!

x Erin

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The Products…

Dies… Bigz Bottled Up, Dimensional stars, Decorative Trims, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Lower, Alphanumeric Bold

Embossing folders… Star Trim Impresslits 

Surfaces… mixed media heavystock paper, rectangle chipboard panel, chipboard sheets, chipboard trim

Mediums… collage matte, grit paste translucent

Ideaology… clasp chains, screw eyes, collage paper sheets, metal ruler, metal stars, gears, mini clothespin, mini hinge clip, film reel, large hinge clip, hardware heads, Memo Pin, large gear, Metallic Sticker book

Alcohol ink… Caramel

Foundry Wax… Mined

Distress Paint… Scorched Timber, Antique Linen, Uncharted Mariner

Other… flexible wire, excelsior (wood shavings)

Birds at Twilight…

 Hi all! Been super busy lately and crafting has had to take a bit of a back seat 😑 BUT I did have a chance to play with these cutie silhouette birds! SO. Fun.

Let me take you through a bit of my process…

The Background…

Started with a wooden square panel base

Prepped my surface with white gesso

Covered with typeset collage paper, messy to get some texture, sealed with collage medium

Added a wash of Picket Fence paint

Here’s my first watery pass—Wild Honey, Crackling Campfire, Seedless Preserves, Black Soot—then I didn’t like it, wiped most of it off, and IMMEDIATELY ordered Villianous Potion 😬

And here’s where I landed with my blend AFTER the Villianous Potion…

 so worth the wait! 😈

Added washi tape around the edges for extra texture (from an older TH collection) and painted over with Black Soot

For my twinkling stars at the top, I used a paper towel mask then splattered on some Gilded wax

Added Black Soot archival ink to the raised collage paper texture along the edges

Added Labeled remnant rubs to the edges

When I was happy with the coverage/placement, I sealed with collage medium

I wanted a nice thick top coat… so covered with clear embossing ink, then clear embossing powder and heat set

The Birds…

Cut out 6 different Silhouette birds, 3 pieces each, and drew on my own details

Then began cutting out the details:

1. the full bird

2. cut off the beak, legs/feet + tail feather

3. Top-most wing detail (Saved the tail feather + feet)

I glued my layers with collage medium (I’m messy with this but I love the extra texture it creates!), then painted with Black Soot

Lightly rubbed on Gilded wax highlights on the edges

Was on a mission to work in more of this gorgeous gold! 🤔

So I cut the birds out of clear, heat-resistant acetate pieces,

added gilded wax to the edges and heat set

To give my birds some extra dimension…

I found some mounting dots in my stash, glued 3 high + painted with black soot

The Sentiment…

Cut TOGETHER using the Bold font and Life Is Better with the Label set

Cut 3 letters each and glued together, then coated with Gilded Foundry wax

I used a couple thicker coats to get this smoother finish…

here’s a look at 1 coat on the E vs 2 coats on the G… 

suuuuuper obsessed with this stuff 💥 ya’ll, these letters literally ‘clinked’ together!!

I cut one more set of letters for my shadow, painted with black soot

Painted 8 small hardware heads with Black Soot,

then added Gilded wax to 4 + heat set

Decided to add a Black Soot wash over my Gold bold letters…

yesss to this ✨

Glued my hardware heads and gold letters to the acetate,

then added more gilded to the edges

The Finishing Touches…

The wires… cut two pieces of twine and painted with Black Soot

(later added a third strand)

The lock… from the Locks and Keys Adornments Ideaology set,

distressed with with Gilded wax and Black Soot paint

The ‘day or night’ banner + clip…

Hand cut a little paper banner, coated with Gilded wax + a remnant rub from the Eccentric pack… For the Tiny Clip, I added Black Soot paint + Gilded wax highlights 

The Adornments stars… distressed with Black Soot paint + Gilded wax highlights

Glued everything down on the background with collage medium

and plenty of clamps…

And that’s my project!

Had such fun making this piece and can safely say I am a huge fan of the foundry wax! Thanks for looking 😘

x Erin

The Products…

Surfaces… square vignette panel, mixed media heavystock paper, Typeset collage paper, clear acetate

Dies… Silhouette Birds, Alphanumeric Bold, Alphanumeric Labels

Mediums… collage matte medium, gesso, clear embossing ink, clear embossing powder

Distress Paints… Black Soot, Wild Honey, Crackling Campfire, Seedless Preserves, Villianous Potion, Picket Fence

Foundry Wax… Gilded

Archival Ink… Black Soot

Ideaology… Labeled remnant rubs, Adornments stars, Locks and Keys Adornments, Tiny clip, Hardware Heads

Other Supplies… glass mat, Big Shot, twine, mounting dots, heat gun, washi tape, clamps