It was definitely an indoor activity day in Copenhagen yesterday, with some much needed rain. With nature in mind I decided to break out the Tim Holtz Entomology stamp set and use one of my favourite thinlits mixed media die sets to create a card that I owe a friend and who has a thing about numbers…
I added some of the Tim Holtz design tape (collector) and covered with a thin layer of distress collage medium. I absolutely love this medium and it prepares the surface perfectly for distress crayons. It also stops flaking if you’ve added any kind of texture paste as it seals it in. The brush strokes from applying it make some cool texture marks too.
I used the Tim Holtz mixed media thinlits die in a slightly different way. Instead of cutting into a background, I cut the honeycomb out. I die cut twice, moving the thinlits die and lining it up as best I could to create a continuous pattern. I then cut it away from the background with scissors.
I layed the die cut onto distress mixed media heavystock and brushed a layer of distress collage medium over the top. Once dry, I applied opaque crackle texture paste over the honeycomb with a palette knife and set aside to dry. I applied fossilized amber distress crayon directly to the raised portions of the honeycomb die cut, followed by walnut stain distress crayon and then blended a little with my finger.
I had some die cut numbers cut from a sadly retired surface called grungeboard. If there was one product I would love to see come out of retirement, it would be grungeboard… Fortunately I hoarded it when it was for sale and even more so when it was discontinued, so I have a healthy stash. It’s worth investing in products that are being retired if you’re going to use them. I covered the grungeboard die cut letters with walnut stain, vintage photo and frayed burlap distress crayon and, with my finger, patted on a little (almost dry) broken china distress paint. These were adhered with distress collage medium.
I used distress crayons to colour my background and rubbed a little broken china distress paint on here and there. I stamped bees from the Tim Holtz Entomology stamp set from Stampers Anonymous. I don’t have the accompanying Sizzix Entomology framelits die set yet, but it’s top of my list. I used the background stamp from the Entomologt set to stamp randomly over the background. This stamp set is possibly my favourite release from Creativation 2018.
I stitched the heavystock background, added a little picket fence distress paint with my finger. Mounted onto classic kraft stock which I sanded and blended in vintage photo distress ink and mounted onto card edged with design tape and finally onto a kraft card.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked this card.
Zoe
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Thanks for describing how you used the honeycomb die, your results are wonderful! I also miss grungeboard and have a little left which I periodically take out of storage just so I can smell it! ☺ Your advice about discontinued products is a good.
So beautiful; the layers and colors are perfect! I love the detail and the directions about using the die differently. There are so many great parts to the design, I would have difficulty picking a favorite, but do especially love the “rusty” looking numbers. Thanks for the inspiration!
WOW … those textures are fabulous ! Thanks for the amazing tips about collage medium !
Gorgeous and chock fill of texture and vintage layers. I am with you on the Grungeboard. I have 2 sheets left that I am hoarding.
As I already wrote on your IG, Wow, love this!!❤️❤️❤️
Your work is always so interesting. The textures and colors…I can look at your art for hours. You’re very talented.
So odd to see those numbers. I have a thing with numbers also, my repetitive number in my life is 953. You are the queen of layers!