Compendium of Curiosities Challenge 10-Assemblage Clock

I can't believe we have already reached the 10th challenge!  I have had so much fun with all the challenges, but I have especially been looking forward to this one!  The minute I saw this wonderful Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock just waiting to be filled with something fun and the technique on Page 33, I knew exactly what I was going to do!  Here it is:

I wanted to put this photo of my Great Aunt into a nest and this clock gave me the perfect opportunity. Isn't she sweet?  I decided she needed a little rose in her clasped hands and sheer fairy wings.  

I started by removing the alarm bells and handle so that it would be easier to paint.  I had been warned by my fellow member of the Curiosity Crew and friend Marjie Kemper that it was real glass on the front, so I needed to be very careful.  I thought I would use painters tape to cover the glass.  Problem solved and I didn't need to take the whole clock apart!  

I then applied three coats of gesso to the clock and bells as a base and followed with Bundled Sage Distress Paint.  After the paint was dry, I used a rag to apply some streaks of color using Gathered Twigs, Peeled Paint and Shaded Lilac.  Once dry, I reassembled the clock.

This is what the clock looked like while it was being painted:

Now the real fun began when I could decorate the inside of the clock!  

The first thing I did was to trace the back of the clock onto some of Tim's fabulous Wallflower paper and then cut it out.  I adhered it to the clock back using Scor-tape.

I had a nest that was slightly too big for the clock, so I cut it in half and inserted this half nest into the clock.  First I adhered down some excelsior moss and then the nest.  I added some more excelsior inside the nest and then placed the photot of my sweet Aunt Nita that I had decorated earlier inside the nest.  I had some silk flowers that I thought would look nice around the nest, so I adhered them around the nest to add color and interest.

I closed up the back of the clock and set to work on decorating the outside of the clock.  I just knew I had to use some of Tim's Ideology Nature Adornments.  The bough and the flying bird were perfect!  I painted both of them using the same Distress Paints I used to paint the clock.  I found the Word "Special Delivery" in Tim's Ideology Paper Pack and decided to cut it in two so that I had one word I could adhere to each "bell" of the assemblage clock.

The last thing I added were the words "loves" and "adventure" which are from Tim's Remnant Rubs.  Here is a close-up of the inside design:

I truly hope you have as much fun with this challenge as I did!

This 10th challenge is sponsored by the generous folks over at the Funkie Junkie Boutique.  There is also another fabulous prize package from Tim and Mario waiting to be shipped to one lucky winner!  Head on over to LindaLedbetter's site for all challenge rules and links to all the Curiosity Crew's blogs.  Don't forget to leave a comment!

Hope you enjoy this challenge!
Susan

Stamps and Framelits (and Family)

They're BAACK!  Yes, some of you have commented that you would like to see more projects done combining Tim's fabulous techniques with my family photos and stories.  After taking a break from using my photographs last week and instead using Tim's Three Gentleman (love that stamp!), who anyone can claim as relatives, I decided to use a beloved photo of my grandparents (my Dad's parents) on their wedding day for this ninth challenge. Here it is:

For this Stamps and Framelits challenge, I used Tim's wonderful French Flight set which includes Paris scenes as well as the butterflies we all know and love!

My grandparents had very little money when they were married.  Belle and Irvin met in Devil's Lake, North Dakota and instantly fell in love.  Grandpa traveled for work logging, harvesting wheat, etc. eventually settling in Bellingham, Washington, quite aways from North Dakota.  They exchanged love letters which I was thrilled to inherit in which Grandpa always called Grandma "Sweetheart"  He was determined to marry her and worked hard to save $50.00 to send her for the train fare to come out to Bellingham and marry him!  She got on that train and never saw her parents again (that part I find so sad)

As they had very little money, they had a simple wedding.  This photo was taken in front of a house.  I decided to create a canvas of a place where I imagine they would have loved to have been married and honeymooned, Paris...

I used a small white canvas as a base and colored it, using Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet and Shaded Lilac Distress Paints slightly watered down to paint the canvas.  I wanted a pastel, soft, romantic background and these colors worked well together.

I then found and printed out the sheet music to the song "Let me Call You Sweetheart" which seemed appropriate for this piece.  I tore around the edges and adhered it to the canvas with Matte Medium and more Distress Paints.  I wrapped some of Tim's Music Tissue Tape around the bottom on the canvas and painted it as well.

Following the technique found on Page 63 of Tim's Compendim of Curiosities III book, I stamped and cut out the Eiffel Tower and Paris signs, colored them and added them to my collage long with some wonderful Ideology pieces, including the Word Band and Word Key which I colored using the Shaded Lilac Distress Paint.  One of my favorite pieces is this adornment I created  from a length of Trimming,  an Accoutrements Fanciful Button and a Bauble placed in the top left corner.  Here is a close up:

I also used the Heart Charm and the Plaquette with the number 17 representing my father's birthday.  I used the  Stampers Anonymous Tiny Words stamp, stamping it directly onto tissue paper and cutting the words apart.  I then adhered my chosen words to the canvas with matte medium and, once dry, drew around them with Victorian Velvet and Shaded Lilac Distress Markers.

Hope you all have fun playing with Stamps and Framelits!  I sure did!  This 9th challenge is generously sponsored by The Inspiration Emporium who is providing a $50.00 gift certificate to a lucky random winner and, of course, by the fabulous Tim and Mario, who will be providing the wonderful package of goodies to the Curiosity Crew Choice winner!  Good luck to everyone.

Just joining us?  Head on over to Linda Ledbetter's blog where you can find all the information you need to play along with us, including how to get your very own autographed copy of the Tim's book and all the contest rules.  Upload your creation based on the technique and enjoy viewing the wonderful projects made by so many talented people!  

Thanks for joining us!

Susan

Fun with Faded Layers

Here we are at the 8th challenge for the CC3C!  Hard to believe!  I am having so much fun exploring all these wonderful techniques from Tim's book!  How about you?  I am honored to be a member of the Curiosity Crew and I can tell you that we have SO enjoyed seeing your wonderful projects - you are all so incredibly talented!

Here is my project:

Am I hearing gasps from those of you who were expecting a project featuring one of my relatives?  Don't worry, they'll be back, just wanted to try something different. (no, these guys are not my relatives)

I started by cutting out an extra large tag from glossy cardstock and then followed the technique found on page 58 of the Compendium of Curiosities III book.  I love it!  I apologize that I forgot to take a picture of the tag before I got very far on it.  Here is a bit of a close-up so that hopefully you can see a bit of the final look that you get using this technique.

Can you see the letters?

Once I finished the technique, I die cut Tim's  Weathered Clock using a piece of Core'dinations cardstock and distressed it a bit with his sandpaper block.  I then adhered it to the tag along with several stamped images including the three gentlemen and the hand and writing fluid bottle which I colored and cut out from the Typography stamp set.  I stamped the alphabet from the same set along the bottom of the tag.

Next were the Ideology pieces (I am addicted to Ideaology!).  I used the Note to Self and Arrow from the Alpha Parts set, two pen nibs, one hinge clip, one wire pin and , of course, the wonderful word band.  I used Tim's Natural and Cream trimming to attach the word band.

I finished the piece with a ribbon bow that I created using Tim's crinkle ribbon colored with Rusty Hinge and Walnut Ink Distress Stains.  I added some chain and the Believe Philosophy Tag.  Here is the finshed piece once again:

I hope you have fun with this challenge.  This time it is sponsored by the wonderful folks at The Funkie Junkie Boutique who have a $25.00 gift certificate for one lucky recipient!  Hop on over to Linda Ledbetter's website for more information and to see all of the fabulous projects!

Happy crafting!

Susan