Sunday, April 21, 2013

Tim Holtz April 2013 Tag Challenge

 
Whenever I see one of those beautiful things Tim Holtz has created, I get really fired up to make something. 


I always start off intending to make something that resembles his Tag.  Somehow, though, some kind of rebellious monster takes over and while I am testing out the techniques that he shares each month, I lose track of what I originally intended and make something totally different.  I make myself feel better about it by telling myself, that at the least, I have used all the techniques he demonstrated.  I am still trying to get in on the 12 Tags challenge after all.


So true to form, it ended up being the case this month when I attempted the April Tag Challenge. I even had all the right colours in the Distress Paint line that he used, I had that Clearly for Art stuff, I had pen nibs, I had tissue tape and tiny staples that stick in the tiny attacher, I even had an unused strip of Alphablock letters that someone gave me(at least I think that is what it is called) – anyway this is what Tim’s tag looks like there on the top right.


And here below is what my April Tag wound up looking like.   I kinda really like it though.  And more importantly I had a lot of fun playing around with the patina technique.  full tag2-1 I really have to do something about getting/building/fauxing a lightbox so I can take better pictures of my things  and I probably should also invest in a macro lens – but I keep buying shoes….),as well as learning better photography skills.  In order to compensate for my inability to take a good photo – you may have noticed that I sharpened the image a little too aggressively and then I accidentally overwrote the original file so this is what I have to go with.  You will be able to see better pics in close-up shots later on.

I have always loved to blend paint because it makes me happy when I can get two crazy colours to mix (I know that’s a little weird, but hey to each his own blend of crazy right?)  This new line of Distress Paint and the “wrinkle free” background technique that Tim made irresistably addictive to all of us – has taken my love of blending to the level of junkie.  These paints are like ink, but they’re paint – its  superbly liquid without being drenchy like a wash or a stain.  And its opaque but like instantly blendable.  And once it dries, it is completely permanent. I LOVE IT.

Then the extraordinary Mr Holtz went and brought out the Metallic Distress Paint and with it showed us an easy-peasy way of creating a Patina effect.  So much easier than my old technique of painting on layers upon layers of different colours and topping off with a metal paint and then pain(t)stakingly sanding off bits to expose the different colours at different layers.  That was super time consuming.  And I am one of those instant-gratification type of people, so right now I am in faux-rusting ecstasy.

Anyhow, back to the tag that I am sharing – Here is a run down of what I did and used to make this tag.

1.  I started by going all blendy-patina like on a Manila Tag with a bunch of different colours from the Distress Paint line.DSC01054
DSC010492.  I cheated a bit on Metallic Paint bit, because they haven’t been released/sold in South Africa yet, so I used the Metallic Stain instead and blended over that with regular Black soot Distress Ink.   I did that the usual way with the blender tool.  The effect that I got by doing that was perfect.  I really like that brushed metal kinda feel and I managed to get it just the way I like it. And then I made a little kind of stamp-pad right on my craft shhet with Mowed Lawn Distress paint and used the Carte Postale stamp. to stamp all over the tag.  So there’s another thing that makes me love Distress Paint – you can stamp with it for a grungy, distressed impression.
DSC010683.  I then stamped one of my favourite Tim Holtz stamps – you know it – Umbrella man on a piece of grunge paper.  I wish I had the Umbrella Man die, I wished even more because (as my friend Tracey from Tracey’s Treasures on YT) calls it “FUSSY CUTTING”  the Umbrella Man so that I could make him pop was a right PITA.  I embossed Umbrella man with the Riveted Metal folder from Holtz/Sizzix.  I love industrial looking things.  Then I painted him in black and put a generous helping of brushed pewter stain and pearl-ex over him.  I used a combination of distress markers and Sharpies to add some colour to his brolly and extreme glossy accented.  This is what he turned out like.  DSC01087
4.  I stamped with the Bingo Stamp all over some butterfly wings which I cut out.  I eventually used a different butterfly from the one pictured here above though as you will notice on the finished tag. And I heated the Clearly for Art stuff and just made them warp here and there a bit for dimension.

5.  This is where it went nuts – all of a sudden I started seeing wet dripping tunnels with valves and the like, and that is the direction the tag took.  I ran out of gears so I used chipboard pieces – and I also started trying to pull the colours together for balance.  I knew that I had to use a pen nib as a nod to the original tag by Tim, but I also thought those game spinner thingies could be reminiscent of old-school gauges and pressure meters, and that would preserve the theme of my tag.
DSC01102  6.  I developed the idea further from there – incorporated the pen nib as a kind of mechanism to direct the gaze in a kind of flow.  I used tissue tape and distress inked to tie in the colour palette.  I dont have the wordbands because they are chronically out of stock where I live like always so I cut out a simple banner and the words in “SING in the RAIN”. I have a thing for Glossy Accents – plus I wanted everything to look slick or wet.  I discovered that applying Glossy Accents to wet Distress Paint yields some pretty cool effects.  I painted the nib so that it would look like one of those old fittings that people just keep painting over and over again and I glossied that too.  I distress inked the banners in Barn Door, Mustard seed and I think Crushed Olive on the side to contrast with the gears.sing in the rain 
7.  My favourite part of the tag were the blingy rain drops.  At first I thought I might make little glossy accents raindrops and so I stuck on a few rhinestones to see how it would look, I decided that the rhinestones worked as raindrops and I would get to save my beloved glossy accents which is running low.  Once I stuck a few on I then thought it would look super cute as if they were falling out of vial.  So I distress inked some white ribbon in Chipped sapphire, threaded that through the little hole in the tag and then tied that around a little vial and then used Glossy Accents to secure it in place.    Bottle drops
8.  I didnt have any ideology corners so I made some with grunge paper (Grunge Paper is so darn brilliant) and embossed it with the Riveted Metal Folder from Sizzix and I added a star-screw brad just to keep with the whole industrial theme.  I went a bit nuts with the gears there as well.  I liked how it pulled it altogether though.sidegears & corner
I wish I had better photography skills to show you how awesome this tag turned out in real life.  The patina effect and the overstamping totally made it vibrate with energy – prior to that, I had always felt that my grungy backgrounds were a little too 2D.  I do believe that I am hooked on this technique now.  My style has never really been precise and tidy, maybe its a reflection of my personality – kinda random, all over the place and a little dark at times - so the whole grungy steampunkery thing really appeals to me – that or I am just stuck in the 90’s. 
Hope you liked it!


45 comments:

  1. Girl, don't apologize for the photography, i am seeing a huge improvement in the detail shots you took, your edges where nice and strait in the top shot and everything was clear and bright! I love the tag too, you really showed the beauty of it, keep practicing with the photography, I am proud of you!

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    1. Thanks Lindsay, whenever you comment back to me - I get totally thrilled - cos you're like a celebrity for me. I constructed a sorta lightbox today out of a box that my mini-oven came in and I used a long white canvas board thing to prop the image up, I even got lamps and everything. You're so sweet to be nice about my efforts to photograph stuff. I really have a long way to go though I think. After spending half the evening trying to practise to hold the camera steady, turn off the flash, and use the macro mode with the little flower icon (see I hang onto your every word) - I am considering buying a set of macro filters for my camera and a remote so that I can set the shot up on the tripod and push the button from a far enough place that I dont shake the camera. I think I have made peace with the fact that I just cant do a steady shot.

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  2. Cool! This is a really fun take on the Tim Holtz April 2013 tag. Blessings!

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    1. Thank you - Did you post one too? I'd really love to see!

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  3. wow, your tag is stunning.
    I have yet to work on this months tag.
    I don't think I have the products he used, but I do enjoy coming up with different ways of doing his techniques.

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    1. Mwah Tracy - did you see that "fussy cutting" is a legacy attributed to you! I almost never make the replica - I get too sidetracked by my own experiments as well!

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  4. Your tag is so super cool!!! I love it!

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  5. Don' apologise for your photography, it was you photo that drew me here to come and have a closer look. I dont make many comments on other peoples tags but yours stood out from the crowd for me with its textures (love the raindrops falling out of the bottle)onto the lovely metallic umbrella man.Its good to be different and your tag is brilliant.
    Hugs Mo

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    1. Hi Mo,
      Thank you for the super rad comment. I loved that you loved the raindrops falling out of the vial - it was my favourite part too. I hope it isn't too odd to have a favourite part of a tag. I am so stoked that you thought that my tag was interesting and that you stopped by to leave a comment. I looked into Macro lenses on Ebay - think I am going to have to wait on getting those though.

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  6. I love the industrail background with all the color in the front! and i love the way you used the umbrella man stamp! ive had this stamp for awhile now and i never used it much becuse i couldnt think of anything cool to do with it. And i love the quote you used. its beautiful!

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    1. Hi Kayla

      Thank you for coming by the "Tin....deli" and leaving a totally ego-boosting comment. I love all things industrial, grungy and steampunk looking (which is kind of crazy because I am so straight-laced in my dress-style - always quite formal!) I like the quote too, though I find that I often forget to do that. Maybe we should start an Umbrella Man board on Pinterest or something and try to see if we can collect every possible interpretation of Umbrella Man.

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  7. it´s just amazing! became new follower!

    Thank you for visiting me too...
    your comment made me happy!

    xxx Susi from AUSTRIA!

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    1. Thank you to you. You're welcome, and now your comment has made me happy. Holding my breath until the next challenge.

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    2. WOWZERS!!! Extraordinary to say the least, and I totally dig it! Awesome coloration and design...so much FUN!!! Congrats on your win! Great take!

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    3. Thank you - I am still in a kind of shock - I had so much fun doing this. I am totally trying not to float right now!

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  8. Well done on your win - super take on Tim's tag, love the bottle of rain. BJ

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    1. Thanks BJ - I have to admit the bottle of rain was my favourite thing too. I am so surprised and excited that I made the list!

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  9. Well done on your win, your tag is fabulous!

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    1. Thank you Redanne and I loved your tag as well - congratulations to you too!

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  10. Such a great tag! Love the look and textures on your tag, such a fun theme. Congratulations on your win!!

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    1. Thanks Winnie - it was a whole lotta fun to do. I cant believe it really!

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  11. Congratulations on your win, really well deserved. Hugs Mo x

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    1. Hi Mo - I think you were my good luck charm. I was so happy when you said that you liked the tag the first time - now I am like in a kind of shock that it actually made the Tim Holtz list.

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    2. Woops forgot to say THANK YOU to you - bad manners.....excuse me - head still in the clouds!

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  12. Wow this is such an unique take on Tim's tag! Congrats on the win! Hugs, Sandra

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    1. H Sandra - Thanks for the compliment and the congratulations. It was a fun challenge for me - I cant wait to start on the next one. Going to have to go and camp outside the local stockist for the remnant rubs so that I can get it before anyone else does.....muhahahaha muhahahahaha

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  13. Sandra, your tag is fabulous! Congratulations on your win at Tim Holtz!
    Hugz,
    Chana

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    1. Hi Chana - Sandra's tag is amazing isnt it? I am sure she would be thrilled if you let her know - I am not sure if she will see your compliment to her here on this post (I think you accidentally posted on my blog (Candice aka Tincan Crafter) - so I am going to forward the compliment to her blog.

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  14. What a sensational take on the tag - it looks completely fabulous. LOVE that background, and all those metal elements are beyond cool. Congrats on the win - so well-deserved - and thanks for your comment too!!
    Alison xx

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  15. Congrats on your win, it's well deserved !!! This umbrella man is beautiful!!

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    1. Thanks Pascale. I loved yours as well - thanks for stopping by.

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    1. Thank you Kayla - I think Umbrella Man is going to be my new lucky charm!

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  17. So happy to find your blog - you done an awesome job of detailing your process. I think your photos are just fine. What I love tho, is the look inside your mind...way cool. Plus I've never actually seen PITA spelled out. I'm currently taking a government class HEAVY with acronyms, so it's just perfect time. The tag is really stupendous....all those colorful gears, the riveted rainman - just everything!!

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    1. Hi Sara - that is great - the funny thing is, is that I learned how to acronym-spell from a soapmaking forum that I used to read regularly once upon a time. At first I used to get slightly annoyed that everyone wrote in that werid way and it was hard to figure out what things meant - now I find I cant stop myself from writing that way too and I have to edit myself before I post, so that it is intelligible! Thanks so much for the lovely encouragement in your comment - it made me feel happy!

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  18. Congratulations on your win! I am enjoying taking a second look at your tag. The texture and use of color make it very interesting. Fabulous work.

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    1. Wow, thanks so much - I am still on a high from it making yesterday's list!

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  19. Way cool tag! There is so much going on here. Love it!

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    1. Thanks - it means so much to me that you took the time to tell me so.

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  20. You did such a great job with this tag I am not surprised Tim chose it. Love it.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  21. I am speechless, just found you from the winners list, love your work, your tag is fabulous will have to look at your other work, and looking forward to see what else you do.

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    1. Hi Sioux (Great name by the way) - I was trying to leave a comment on your blog to say thank you, but I cant find a link to a google site or blog. Anyway I just wanted to say that I was really touched by your kind compliments on my tag. I am a little bit of a topsy-turvy crafter, I dont stick to one medium - very soon you might even see a post about how I fixed some winter boots with fabric paint and maybe even creative crafty uses for your coffee-maker.

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  22. Oh Lordy this is the most amazing, jaw-dropping tag I have ever seen!!! To be honest I've never been a real fan of Tim's but am thinking I'm changing my mind after seeing what you have done. Love it!!!

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It makes me happy when you stop by the Tincan deli - I love interacting with other bloggers, crafters and anyone else who is up for a chat. If you leave a comment I am going to come over to your blog and visit there for a while!!!>