Tim Holtz Tattered Florals & SSS Shabby Chic

I, like so many in the crafting world, owe a whole BUNCH to Tim Holtz, artist, creator, and by all counts an exceptionally nice human being. So when he issued a challenge to use his Tattered Floral Dies in a new way, I knew I had to step up my game and out of my box. Turns out my Shabby Chic project also fit into the Chic to Shabby challenge over at Simon Says Stamp. Love it when that happens!

I bought two of these tins moldings during the annual Cover-Ups "Up from the Basement" sale about 6 weeks ago thinking I would use them somehow. Since I had to be brave and try something new, it seemed this was a good time to give it a go.  I used a couple of dry coats of white, buff, and yellow paint on the background. 

For the flowers I wanted LOTS of texture. So I started with some of these:

• Chipboard with crackling medium on it (a technique I tried in Creative Jump Start 2013)
• Cheesecloth & Spray Starch
• Window Screening
• Stamped Coffee Filters glued onto Tin Foil
• Packaging Plastic

Onto which I applied - in a variety of orders

• Bundled Sage Distress Paint
• Broken China Distress Paint
• Black Soot Distress Paint
• Golden Quinacridone "can't make art without it" Nickel Azo Gold Paint
• Tarnished Brass Distress Stain
• Sunflower Sparkle Perfect Pearls Mist

I used my fingers - I just couldn't get the same effect with any brush and smooched and wiped and sprayed and smooched some more until I was happy with the flowers.

I ran the packaging through a couple of the new embossing folders - loved the way the big compass worked. Enlarged the dress form on a copier and then glued it to black paper and cut it out. Pulled out some treasured buttons for the large flower centers, and since I knew basic black usually benefits from pearls I started playing around. Finally in one of the many hmmm moments, I tried the angle and liked that. Plus it gave me the opportunity to get a flower on the dress to pull it all together.

I'm really happy with this project. It made me stretch and it actually came out looking like I had envisioned it in my head.  So once again - THANKS TIM for inspiring me to reach further. Mixed Media is Me.