1. Special Delivery

   19th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends. It’s Day 5 of my week of Christmas makes and I wanted to thank you for your kind comments. I hope these posts encourage you to make a little something something during the season. I have some fall/thanksgiving makes planned for this weekend which I’ll be sharing next week, but on with the Christmas makes. If you’d like to see the Tim Holtz holiday stamp launch and all the inspiration makes, head over to Tim’s Blog.

   
   I made a little box of tiny cards and envelopes using the curio box bigz die and retired envelope die and the magical new Tim Holtz holiday stamps and stencils. I made one of these boxes for the villainous potions distress launch which you can see here. They make such sweet gifts for non card makers (and card makers too) and it’s always so handy to have notecards and gift cards ready to go.

   
   For the mixed media heavystock box top, I sprayed frayed burlap onto the non stick mat portion of my glass media mat and picked up with the heavystock and spritzed with water and dried. I sprayed a little antique linen distress spray direct onto the box top and dried again. I stamped the santa from the holiday things stamp set and the text from the jolly santa stamp set. I stamped the sides and once finished I assembled the box. How to a little further down…

   
   The base of the curio box was die cut from distress kraft heavystock and I used the new stripes shifter stencils to create these cool candy cane stripes. I LOVE candy cane stripes like I LOVE pumpkins and this stripes stencil is perfect for creating your own. I used distress paints candied apple and picket fence and painted through the stencil. Shifting slightly to leave a strip of the kraft heavystock showing through. I did this before assembling the box.

   
   Using the curio box bigz die, cut distress mixed media heavystock and distress kraft heavystock. You will see that the box on the left has tabs, this is the top of the box and it slides over the top of the box on the right that has no tabs.

   
   I add a little scor-tape to the tabs and stick into place. Super super simple.

   
   The base is a little more fiddly, but only until you find your way. I used distress collage medium in the precision bottle. Run a line of glue along the edges of the end pieces and hold them together until they dry. You don’t need much glue and it doesn’t take long to dry. It can be a little tricky the first time you do it, but once you’ve made a few it’s really easy. I suggest die cutting a cereal box and practice on that so you’re not worrying about wasting the good cardstock.

   Pro Tip: Ask your husband/wife/friend/family member to hold it while it dries. Thanks to my sweet husband for always being willing to lend a hand (literally).

   
   Your box is ready to fill with tiny cards and envelopes.

   
   
   Using the holiday things stamps, I stamped onto distress watercolor cardstock with distress archival ink and watercolored with distress reinkers. I stamped the sentiments from the cozy christmas stamp set with distress archival ink. Once dry, I gave the card toppers a light mist with the seasonal mica sprays. I decorated in the inside of an envelope using the same technique as the box base and stamped onto the front with a stamp from the jolly santa stamp set.

   
   
   
   
   
   I stamped and fussy cut a label with “special delivery” from the jolly santa stamp set stamped inside with distress archival ink and added it to the bottom of the box.

   
   I used my sewing machine to stitch the distress watercolor cardstock toppers before I attached them to the distress kraft heavystock card.

   
   I attached an idea-ology tiny clip to connect each card and envelope. This is such a cute addition if you’re sending this out as a gift for someone.

   
   Brown paper packages tied up with string… these are a few of my favorite things!

   Thanks for stopping and don’t forget to join Tim and Mario tomorrow for part 3 of the holiday demos on Tim’s YouTube channel. See you there.

   Zoe

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   Category Sizzix, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 14 Comments | Views: 2,939

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2. Cozy Christmas Snowman

   18th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends. Welcome back for day 4 of my week of Christmas makes that I’m sharing with you. I wasn’t kidding about loving the new Cozy Christmas stamp set by Tim Holtz. You can see the stamp launch and other inspiration makes over on Tim’s Blog.

   
   I do love that you can use these stamps in parts and pieces. I decided to make a mini card to go with an envelope I had created that was the wrong size for my curio box cards (which I will be sharing tomorrow).

   
   I used distress reinkers to watercolor onto distress watercolor cardstock. I stamped the cozy christmas stamp in black soot distress archival ink. I love this ink as it’s permanent when dry and perfect for watercoloring over.

   
   I created this envelope using my mini envelope punch board. I added frayed burlap distress oxide spray, some of the seasonal mica and then dried with my heat tool. I added crackle texture paste through the hocus pocus stencil and once dry, added vintage collage medium through the stencil onto the stars.

   
   I liked the envelope so I decided to make a tiny card to fit. That’s the great thing about having the cardstock and these tools, you can customize anything. I used the envelope as a template to cut an envelope liner using some leftover idea-ology paper I had. How fancy right?!

   
   Seriously?! How cute is that snowman with his pot for a hat? I love him.

   
   Thanks for stopping by

   Zoe

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   Category Christmas, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 7 Comments | Views: 2,078

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3. Mountain Pass

   17th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends and welcome to Day 3 of my week of Christmas makes. Today we are up in the mountains with the tall pine trees and charming chalets with the help of these amazing dies that Tim Holtz designed for his Sizzix holiday release. You can see the launch replay and all of the inspiration makes over on Tim’s blog.

   
   The mountain top and tall pines dies made me think of winters spent in the snow capped Swiss mountains. We would drive up nearly every weekend and had the most incredible views. I decided to create a scene inspired by those memories. I really loved making this piece, here’s how…

   
   I took a small idea-ology vignette tray and covered it with a thin layer of gesso. Once dry I covered the inside back panel with speckled egg distress paint. I dry brushed the sides, inside and out with vintage photo distress paint. I covered the outside and front edges with distress crackle texture paste and once dry, rubbed distress crayon into the cracks.

   
   I die cut the pieces from the mountain top thinlits die set from distress watercolor cardstock. I sprayed the pieces with hickory smoke and frayed burlap distress spray and blended walnut stain distress ink into the edges and then assembled using distress collage medium.

   
   I posted this in the Tim Holtz Addicts group to help a couple of Addicts with their first time builds. In case it helps you… Working up from the base A and 1.

   
   This is the finished puzzle taken from the packaging because I didn’t have a photo of the assembled piece!

   
   Once you have assembled your mountains, add to the back of the vignette tray with distress collage medium.

   
   To extend the base of the vignette tray I added thickboard etcetera trims. I used the thin trims from the bat web trims set and a wider trim at the front from the pinking trims set. Using distress collage medium to attach them. It doesn’t have to be pretty, you’re going to cover them.

   
   I used the new decorative trims dies to cut pieces of distress watercolor cardstock. In order to get the correct depth I hung the decorative die straight cutting edge over the edge of my cutting plates so that it wouldn’t cut and then used my paper trimmer to cut that edge to fit the vignette tray. This is a hack and probably not advised by Sizzix… but look at me going all rogue! LOL

   I ran the strip through the mini 3D cobblestone embossing folder. I had to do one end at a time but it worked. I lined the stones up the best I could. You can see the join line just in front of the pine tree.

   
   I meant to hide the join underneath the paper village buildings! I realised after I had glued the first strip down so I used a little snowfall grit-paste to cover the join and rubbed in a little distress crayon to blend. It worked pretty well but if I had to do it again, I would put the join under the buildings! Also, look at the detail of that cobblestone embossing folder! It’s AMAZING!!

   
   I drilled a hole in one end of the vignette tray trim to thread tiny lights through, securing the battery pack at the back of the tray. I gathered the lights up into a strip (as pictured) and then ran them under where the next building would be and made another one. This helps to light up each structure.

   I love the decorative trim dies because you get such a perfect clean edge when mounting die cut paper over the thickboard etcetera trims.Total game changer as I used to trace around them, fussy cut, mount and then sand between each point! THANK YOU TIM!!

   
   I used the paper village #2 thinlits die set to create these little faux Swiss chalets. I built each structure out of distress kraft heavystock and then used corrugated cardstock for the sidings. Oh my gosh these windows that open slightly are the cutest! They really look like the shutters on Swiss chalets. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

   
   I added a little snowfall grit-paste to the roofs and splatted with white gesso using a splatter brush.

   
   This is what the underside of the vignette tray looks like with the extended trim platform. You can see the crackle texture paste that I added to the front trim of the vignette tray. You can decorate the underside of the trim, but I didn’t for this.

   
   I die cut trees with the tall pines thinlits die set and sprayed with peeled paint and rustic wilderness distress spray. I used adhesive foam to mount the trees.

   
   This conveniently hides the mountain join and gives some perspective by mounting the smaller trees at the front.

   
   I added the moon from the vault series halloween 2021 thinlits die set. I LOVE this moon and it was perfectly sized for this scene.

   
   
   Thanks for stopping by.

   Zoe

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   Category Christmas, Sizzix, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 11 Comments | Views: 2,709

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4. Oh Christmas Tree… Stand!

   16th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends! Welcome to Day 2 of my week of Christmas makes. If you read yesterdays blog post (thank you) and you’ll see there’s a slight change of plans. The cute snowman will be back later in the week because I want to add a little something something before posting. So today it’s all about Christmas trees. I was so excited when Tim shared the new idea-ology tree stands. The entire product range this year is incredible, but the tree stands stole my Christmas tree loving heart. You can catch up on all the details of the Christmas idea-ology product launch and inspiration makes over on Tim’s blog.

   
   I love Christmas trees and have some wonderful, fond and fun memories of them. Baling my first real tree when I moved to Switzerland and strapping it to the top of our car and driving up the snowy mountain while playing driving home for Christmas. Sitting in front of the tree with a big cup of hot cocoa looking at all the ornaments and lights. I just love the precious memories that Tim’s idea-ology envokes and the new idea-ology tree stands just stole the show for me and it was top of my list to make with, here’s what I did…

   
   Using a paintbrush, I picked up antique linen distress paint from the non stick mat portion of my glass media mat and brushed onto the idea-0logy tree stand.

   Please don’t get excited about my craft mat, I love it, use it and it’s stained. Relax, you’ll be just fine and there’s a replacement mat for your glass media mat linked at the end of the post! 😉

   
   Anyway… you should be looking at the AWESOME idea-ology tree stand. It even has the little tension screws the real stands have! Tim’s just rocks the details when he designs, it blows me away!

   
   Once the distress paint was dry, I rubbed in walnut stain distress crayon with my finger. When I was ready to put the woodland tree into the stand, I removed the wood stand the tree comes in, added hot glue to the center of the tree stand and placed the tree wire in and held in place until it cooled, it doesn’t take long.

   
   I covered the cork base of an idea-ology display dome with paper from the christmas backdrops. Covered with distress collage medium and once dry, rubbed in walnut stain distress crayon. I used my Dremel micro tool to put a hole in the middle of the cork base.

   
   I thread idea-ology tiny lights up through the hole and created a channel in the underside of the cork base for the wire so it sits flat.

   
   I trimmed a piece of text from the music sheet of the idea-ology christmas backdrops and glued it around the top of the cork.

   
   I covered bells from the idea-ology tiny bells pack with candied apple distress paint, mixed together with a tiny bit of ground espresso distress paint. I sprayed a woodland tree with peeled paint distress spray and once dry, rubbed with distress collage medium and dipped in distress mica flakes. I pushed the bells into the tree with a dab of hot glue to hold in place.

   
   I tucked tiny lights into the tree and glued the tree stand to the cork dome base with distress collage medium.

   
   Give the glass dome a little polish inside and out with a cloth (because dusting matters), put the glass dome on and it’s ready to display.

   
   Thanks for stopping by. I’m definitely in the mood for trees and snowy mountains now, so I’ll be back tomorrow with a little mountain magic.

   Zoe

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   Category Christmas, Ideaology, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 14 Comments | Views: 2,194

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5. Cozy Christmas

   15th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends. The weather outside is frightful here today, which is perfect to get cozy inside and start sharing my Christmas makes. I made quite a few cards with the new Christmas stamps that Tim Holtz released a few months ago. You can see the launch replay and all the inspiration makes on Tim’s blog.

   
   I was very taken with the Cozy Christmas CMS444 stamp set and couldn’t stop making with it. It really tapped into my love of coloring. I stamped onto distress watercolor cardstock with distress archival ink and used distress re-inkers and a water brush to watercolor. Each of the cards is mounted with the following layers: idea-ology kraft stock + idea-ology metallic kraft stock + distress kraft heavystock.

   
   If you look closely you will see there is text underneath the stars and the paper looks wrinkled. I stamped onto the background and then regretted it as it was way too bold and overpowering. So I went about fixing it! I added a piece of torn plain collage paper over the stamped text with collage medium.

   
   Once dry I covered with a white gesso wash and then dried and stenciled distress crackle texture paste through the falling stars stencil. Finally, I added vintage collage medium and once dry, rubbed walnut stain distress crayon into the cracks.

   
   This card was also not as planned but the happy accident worked…

   
   The brown mark was the happy accident. I had turned the card over to mount it onto the card and there was a a little wet distress ink on my media mat. I dried it with a heat tool and liked the look so went with it. The one time I tried to make a “clean” card though hey! The universe was trying to tell me something!

   
   By just adding a little brown distress ink you can grunge the same card right up!

   
   These stamps are so wonderful to watercolor. I used distress reinkers and dried with a heat tool and then picked up some frayed burlap distress spray drips from the non stick mat portion of my glass media mat.

   
   For this card I used both the stamps and a little masking magic.

   
   I stamped onto a piece of copy paper and fussy cut. It takes a minute but I enjoy fussy cutting, it relaxes me. The reason I use copy paper is that it’s thin and so you don’t get that ridge when you mask and stamp over the top.

   
   I flicked with a little white gesso.

   
   Something else I love about the cozy christmas stamps is how well they work in parts and pieces.

   
   I turned the stamp upside down and stamped a portion at the top of a #8 heavystock tag.

   
   I stamped one of the sentiments from the set in hickory smoke distress archival ink. I love the sentiments in this set and plan to use them for my December Daily this year.

   
   I LOVE this snowman with a pot for a hat. I’ll be back tomorrow with another make featuring that cute snowman. Change of plans… that cute snowman will be back later this week.

   Thanks for stopping by.

   Zoe

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   Category Christmas, Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 17 Comments | Views: 3,709

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6. Industrial Matchbox

   8th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends. Hope your November is off to a great start! Before I get to my Christmas makes, I’m going to skip back to the Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 3 launch. You can see the Chapter 3 replay and all the makes on Tim’s blog.

   
   I have to tell you that I love the new matchbox bigz die. It comes with a thinlits set so you can cut a circle into the matchbox sleeve and it perfectly fits the dome complete with a circle trim which I’ve used in lots of other makes on it’s own.

   
   I started out by die cutting a matchbox using the new matchbox from distress kraft heavystock. Painted the inside with black soot distress paint and added a piece of alcohol ink foil tape embossed with the circuit 3D embossing folder to the back. Also adding a piece of this to each end of the matchbox.

   
   The top of the matchbox was cut with the the thinlits set that I mentioned earlier. I LOVE the surround trim die, it finishes off the open circle perfectly. I covered the matchbox in opaque grit-paste and once dry, covered with a layer of ground espresso distress paint and set aside to dry. Finally dry brush crackling campfire mixed with candied apple distress paint to the edges to give a rusted effect.

   
   There are domes that fit the matchbox that I used in another make I will be sharing soon, but you don’t need to use one and for this I wanted it to remain open, although now I’m writing this I wish I had added one and smashed it open… one for the “another time” books…

   
   I used die cuts from the mechanical gears bigz die, stacked on top of each other and secured in place with a hex fastener.

   
   The background tag is a #8 thickboard etcetera tag. I love these tags when I need a more substantial base. I added some more die cuts from the mechanical gears bigz die, cut from distress cracked cardstock backed with distress kraft heavystock and blended in ground espresso distress ink. I used a small gear as the hole reinforcer.

   
   I added an idea-ology foundry adornment piece with a long fastener that I hit with a texture hammer. I love the look of the dented metal. This was mounted over a label stamped from the field notes CMS396 stamp set with distress archival ink and fussy cut.

   
   It’s no secret that the idea-ology hardware heads are one of my fave products in the range. I added one to each corner of the matchbox.

   
   I die cut more gears from the mechanical bigz die set from distress kraft heavystock and sanded and inked with distress.

   
   I added a strip of foil tape that I embossed with the circuit 3D folder to each end of the matchbox base.

   
   Thanks for stopping by.

   Zoe

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   Category Sizzix, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 8 Comments | Views: 2,248

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7. Witch-Craft

   5th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello Friends and happy witching hour. Thank you so much for hanging out with me in Halloween town this week. I’m going to curl up in a big comfy chair with some snacks this weekend and read the comments and answer any questions. Today I’m sharing the last of my Halloween makes. This one I made for the Tim Holtz idea-ology Halloween LIVE launch, you can check out the replay over on Tim’s blog.

   
   This is a long blog post as I’ve tried to include how to’s where I can, so you may want to curl up in big comfy chair with some snacks too.

   
   For the surface I chose a vignette coffin from the idea-ology halloween line. Here’s how I altered it…

   
   Turn the vignette coffin over and take a “brass” rubbing from the back of it. You do this by placing a piece of copy paper over the top of the vignette and using the side of your pencil, gently rub around the edge of the vignette coffin.

   
   Cut the template on the inside line (marked in red). This is the inside measurement of the vignette, trim to fit inside your vignette coffin and you will have a template to trace around to cut your background paper from.

   
   I distressed the inside and outside edges by covering with a layer of white gesso and allowing to dry before adding vintage photo distress paint. Once dry I added distress crackle texture paste and set aside to dry and crack. Finally I rubbed in walnut stain distress crayon.

   
   To light up the cauldron, I drilled a small hole in the side of it using a dremel mirco tool with drill bit attachment. I also drilled a hole in the back of the vignette coffin where I wanted to thread the lights in from the back and into the base of the cauldron to up light the bubbles.

   
   I added distress grit-paste to the cauldron and once dry, painted with mowed lawn distress paint and dirtied up by rubbing in black soot distress crayon. I glued the green set of halloween tiny lights into the base of the cauldron and added bubbles over the top, gluing them to each other with glossy accents and not collage medium. The collage medium is matt and will make the bubbles matt too, so glossy accents for the clear bubbles.

   
   I didn’t want the distress collage medium to feel pushed out, so I used some on this broom and then smashed it on my media mat to make it all gnarly. The collage medium sets and the brush stays in place. This was inspired by a broom that the awesome Stacy Hutchinson did a couple of Halloween moons ago.

   
   I used a wood slice from the idea-ology Christmas line to raise the cauldron a little, purely for aesthetic reasons.

   
   I drilled another hole in the coffin, this time in the top, just above the fixed shelf. I thread white tiny lights through the back and glued in place in the corner. That gorgeous grungy paper is from the Halloween backdrops. I LOVE this new paper format and the paper designs are SO freaking awesome.

   
   I altered one of the new gothic frames by covering with white gesso and once dry, covering with vignette photo distress paint and wiping the paint off the raised molding of the frame. I rubbed a little distress crayon in when it was dry.

   I used one of the photo stickers from the curiosities sticker book to create a ghostly backdrop to the gothic frame. I covered the photo sticker with a piece of clear packing tape. You need to burnish it, which means rub the tape firmly with your finger so the tape has full contact with the photo sticker. This is because you are going to remove the paper part of the sticker with water.

   Turn the photo over and spritz the back with water and start gently rubbing the back of the photo with your finger, adding more water as required. The paper will pill and come away as you rub. Eventually you rub away all the paper and are left with the ink on the clear tape. I added a little collage medium to the back to give a smokey effect.

   
   I LOVE the new birdcage. I covered this one with distress grit-paste, added a little distress paint here and there, some distress crayon and slid in some mummy cloth and a black crow from the ephemera pack. You have to look carefully to see the crow, but he’s there. I added his eye with a dot from a white posca pen. The drippy candles are as they came. They need nothing doing to them at all, they are simply awesome out of the packet!

   
   One of my favourite things from the halloween idea-ology release (and there were many) were these book covers that come in the ephemera pack! Oh my!! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have a pack of just book covers… Dear Santa… that would be worth being good for!

   
   I sprayed some inexpensive printer paper with tea dye distress spray and water and dried with a heat tool. Cut to fit the book cover and folded in half, pierced 2 holes in the center with a pokey tool and sewed with thick thread. I folded the book cover in half and glued the stitched pages into the spine of the book cover. I used pieces from the ephemera pack on the spine of one of the books and wrapped another with twine. I LOVE them so much.

   
   I added a couple of extra shelves by cutting scallop edged etcetera thickboard trims to size. Adding distress crackle texture paste and gluing into place.

   
   I used sublime alcohol pearl colour on the back of the spider adornment. You need to give the alcohol pearl bottle a really good shake. I lightly tap the side of the bottle on my desk between shaking to help release the mixing ball which does get stuck to the bottom, especially if your bottle has been sat for a while. Keep tapping lightly and shaking until the mixing ball is released (you’ll hear when it happens) and then shake until the bottom of the bottle is clear of settled pearl as above.

   
   Drop a single drop of sublime** alcohol pearl onto an adornment spider from the skull and spider adornments pack. If you cover any other part of the spider, add a drop of alcohol blending solution to a cotton bud and wipe away.

   ** the alcohol pearl shown above is “envy” the pearl shown below and on the actual make is “sublime” I chose the wrong pearl when I was recreating the step out for someone in the Tim Holtz Addicts group.

   
   I have not used any filter or editing for that spider. The sublime alcohol pearl is really that vibrant! It’s wicked right?! I added a couple of tiny corked vials and a label from the ephemera pack. I added a stake from the vignette hardware pack. I LOVE these, they’re so vampire! The bottles are covered in distress rock candy crackle paint. You can see how on my pumpkin pumpkin post.

   
   I love these shelves to add trinkets to, and of course a couple of skulls from the skull and pumpkin pack, with a little black soot distress paint brushed into the eye sockets.

   
   I grunged up a lock from the lock and keys adornments pack by adding distress grit paste and crackling campfire distress paint and a little white gesso. Attached to the chain of a hook clasp, glued to the shelf.

   
   
   
   
   I hope you’ve enjoyed this walk through of my witchy vignette coffin. I think you’ll agree that Tim designed the most EPIC idea-ology Halloween line. A huge thanks to Tim, Mario and Paula for all their support and encouragement. It was a lot of fun making this and they gave me some great tips and advice and you couldn’t ask for a better cheer squad.

   Thanks so much to you for joining me this week and I hope you are enjoying making in whichever season your heart desires.

   If you haven’t seen, Tim has announced his Holiday 2021 demo series. Join Tim on his YouTube channel every Saturday in November! I can’t wait.

   Zoe

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   Category Halloween, Ideaology, Ranger Ink, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 21 Comments | Views: 4,416

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8. Potion Bottles

   4th November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends. It’s been a long and busy day here but I’m committed to my Halloween week and I’m sharing something I made for the Villainous Potion Distress launch. You can check out the awesome launch and properly meet the newest member of the distress family over on Tim Holtz blog.

   
   This really is a super quick and simple make and could easily be adapted from this framed panel to a card, tag, journal page, book cover and anything else you can dream up.

   
   Cover an idea-ology framed panel with white gesso and once dry, cover with distress crackle texture paste and distress crayon. The background is distress watercolor cardstock with white gesso and distress spray, stitched with my sewing machine before gluing to the back of the framed panel.

   
   I die cut bottles from the bottled up and (retired) apothecary bottles bigz dies and sprayed with distress sprays. I die cut the bottle corks from cork material.

   
   Once dry I added idea-ology remnant rubs and stamped labels from the apothecary CMS138 stamp set with distress archival ink and fussy cut, adding remnant rubs.

   
   Mount some of the bottles flat to the back of the framed panel and mount others with adhesive foam.

   
   This really is a simple make and I hope this has inspired you to make something and if you’re still in Halloween mode, keep going, I’m with you!

   Zoe

   …
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   Category Distress, Halloween, Ranger Ink, Sizzix, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 4 Comments | Views: 1,618

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9. The Grave Digger

   3rd November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

   

   Hello friends. Sill with me on this Halloween train? Day 3 and it’s getting dark… Fortunately the new idea-ology lantern has thrown some light on the situation. If you want to see the AWESOME (I’m still happy dancing over how freaking good it is), Halloween idea-ology, head over to Halloween Town on Tim Holtz Blog… beware the grave digger!

   
   I know that because of the global shipping situation, seasonal products are still arriving. There is no reason for you not to use and enjoy them now, next month, next year! I made this in July when it was 90 degrees and nothing like Halloween outside. Remember, the creativity is in you, not in the season! Makers gonna make! 😉

   
   Take the largest vignette box from the idea-ology vignette box pack and cover with a watered down layer of frayed burlap distress paint. Once dry, cover in distress crackle texture paste and set aside to dry and crack. Spray with antique linen and frayed burlap distress oxide sprays and once dry cover with a layer of vintage distress collage medium.

   
   I covered a halloween word plaque with picket fence distress crayon and mounted with stakes from the idea-0l0gy vignette hardware pack which I hammered in! I actually added this last so I was hammering very very carefully!! I LOVE the maker adrenaline rush!

   
   The new idea-ology lantern was one of those products that made me gasp when Tim showed it to us all during the makers call. Of course I had to rust mine up using the usual suspects… distress grit-paste, crackling campfire and ground espresso distress paint and distress crayons.

   
   The lantern has a notch in the back for the tiny light wires to fit under. I only used 2 lights in the lantern so ran the lights down the back of the vignette box and in through a hole I drilled in the back near the base to light the inside. Tim showed how to put the tiny lights into the lantern during the LIVE. To see it, skip forward to the 57 minute mark.

   
   I wanted to grunge up the new halloween ornate metal gates. I covered with a layer of distress grit-paste (not pictured) and once dry, added crackling campfire distress paint and then ground espresso distress paint, drying between layers. Finally I added a little luster wax from Sizzix which they kindly sent me to try. I like it, but I’m going to be honest, they added an orange smell and I hate it, but I wanted to give it a go and it added something to the weathered gate effect. I added a layer of black gesso over the top and rubbed off in places.

   
   I mounted the gates using distress collage medium. Don’t use too much and walk away and let it dry. DO NOT WIGGLE TO SEE IF IT’S STUCK DOWN! LOL You can see the extra tiny lights that I fed in through the back of the vignette. I used some mummy cloth soaked in frayed burlap distress oxide spray and creepy moss to hide the lights and wire. They gave a nice glow to the idea-ology drippy candles that I added. I LOVE THESE! I desperately hope they come back next year.

   
   I altered one of the new idea-ology tombstones and I was really pleased with the result. I covered a tombstone and skull from the skulls and spiders adornments kit with white gesso and once dry with distress opaque grit-paste. I glued the skull to the tombstone, it fits like it was made to! So clever Tim!! I painted all over with hickory smoke distress paint. Dried and added cypt paste and dry brushed parts with black gesso. Once dry, I repeated this with white gesso.

   Beginner Tip: Dry brushing is an almost dry paint free brush. Add a little paint to a dry paint brush and remove the excess with a paper towel. Repeat, building the colour slowly to add highlight but not a thick layer of paint.

   
   I added black gesso to the skull eye sockets and nose and rubbed on some retired remnant rubs. You could add small die cut letters or cut vinyl and add that. Another option is to stamp on plain collage paper and add with collage medium. If you don’t have something, improvise, that’s always the fun and creative part for me.

   
   
   Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any questions.

   Zoe

   …
   affiliate links used at no cost to you

   
   

   Category Halloween, Ideaology, Tim Holtz | Tags: | 16 Comments | Views: 2,337

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10. The Crypt

    2nd November, 2021 by iGirlZoe

    

    Hello friends. Welcome to day 2 of my final week of Halloween makes. I seriously love the vault series that Tim Holtz released with Sizzix this year. The Vault Series Halloween 2021 was one of my favourite sets. You can see the LIVE launch and all the other inspiration makes over on Tim’s blog.

    
    I love the size of the new Vault Series Halloween 2021 die set. The idea-ology trinket tin is the perfect structure for a tiny crypt. Let’s get into the how…

    
    Cover an idea-ology trinket tin with plain collage paper using distress collage medium. Bunch the collage paper up a little so it gives extra texture. Once dry, brush on a layer of white gesso. Next, add crypt grit-paste and grave texture paste to the outside of the tin and the inside of the tin lid. Finally cover with hickory smoke distress paint.

    
    Drill a hole in the back of the tin near the base big enough to thread tiny lights through.

    
    I thread the lights around the base of the tin, securing with hot glue and then glued the gravestones over the top, making sure not to block out the lights. Moss is a great way to hide the wire.

    
    Keep the tiny lights switch out the way by mounting onto the back.

    
    I added “The Crypt” to the front using the alphanumeric stretch upper and alphanumeric label thinlits dies. I layered up the letters, covered with some of the halloween pastes and once dry, sprayed with black soot distress spray stain. I added skulls from the idea-ology skulls and pumpkins set.

    
    The inside of the tin lid is altered in the same way as the outside of the tin.

    
    Die cut ghosts from the vault series halloween set, blend in walnut stain distress ink to the edges and spritz with water. Add black cardstock to the underside of the mouth and eyes. Mount onto adhesive foam.

    
    Die cut a fence from the vault series halloween set. Cover with black soot distress spray stain and once dry, bend some of the fence to look like twisted metal. Add to the tin with distress collage medium.

    
    Add plain collage paper with distress collage medium to the inside of the base of the tin. Once dry add white gesso and dry again. Finally, brush watered down faded jeans distress paint to the back and a little hickory smoke distress crayon.

    
    Die cut a moon and bat from the vault series halloween set and color with distress spray stains.

    
    
    I die cut several gravestones, glued together, blended in walnut stain distress stain and edged with ground espresso distress crayon. I made this before Tim shared a game changing tip with me! See my gravestones blog post to see how to make these the easy way and for the crustier version.

    
    It’s quite spooky lit up at night and casts some cool shadows on the back of the tin.

    
    Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any questions.

    Zoe

    …
    affiliate links used at no cost to you

    
    

    Category Tim Holtz | Tags: | 8 Comments | Views: 1,494

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