Compendium of Curiosity Challenge Week 6

This is already week 6 of Linda's Compendium Challenge.  This week is Tissue Wrap Collage which is on page 38 of Compendium of Curiosity Vol 2 by Tim Holtz.  As I have stated each week, I will not describe the technique on this blog out of respect for Tim's intellectual property.  If you want to get your own copy of this fantastic book you can get yourself an autographed copy here.  To see my tags for week 1-5 click on the Compendium tab above.

Terminology 

Before we begin, let me just say that on a scale of 1-10, I give this tag a "Meh".  Why is my design is just a "Meh" you ask?  Well, partially because I didn't fully comprehend or understand how the end product would look and partially because it just IS.  Because I didn't know what I was doing, I over designed the background.  In hindsight, I used too many GrungeBoard shapes and stamped too many images on the BACKGROUND leaving no room for a primary design.  Can I submit a background as a completed tag?  Do I want to submit a background and call it complete?  How do I find a way to add embellishments to this over-done background and still actually have a design that I'm proud of?  A Challenge!

***If you don't know GrungeBoard, let me introduce you.  Grunge is another product that began in the deep, dark recesses of Tim Holtz's slightly genius mind.  Tim has a knack for inventing products that we never knew we needed yet we quickly learn that we cannot live without them.  What exactly Grunge is remains a deeply guarded secret.  Regardless of WHAT it is, it is easy to see WHY it is so great.  Grunge is a dingy (their words), funky smelling (my words), compressed material that looks like chipboard but has very different properties.  What it is made from? I have no idea.  Is "dingy" a material? What makes it so fun is that it can be used in place of chipboard in most projects, yet unlike chipboard, it remains flexible meaning it can be used in projects that bend or are round.  Chipboard has a tendency to split apart, get mushy on the edges, and dog-eared on the corners if it is overworked or gets even slightly wet from glues or paints.  Grunge keeps itself together even when it is overworked or slighlty wet so you can color it with just about anything without worry of it disinterating.  Grunge lets you do just about anything to it while it keeps its cool.  Seriously, you can paint, ink, stain, sand, bend, sew, punch, stamp, or die cut it.  Currently, Grunge is available as GrungeBoard and GrungePaper.   While plain GrungeBoard die cuts like a dream, it is available in a variety of manufactured die cut shapes and alphabets and also comes in different textures: plain, striped, harlequin, dots, and swirls.  If you are interested in seeing all of this, I found the best selection of Grunge products at Blockhead Stamps. ***

Composer

This week's technique, Tissue Wrap Collage uses Tim Holtz District Market Tissue Wrap.  This isn't your mother's tissue, oh no...this is tissue on steroids…it is an AWESOME tissue with a texture unlike any tissue I have ever seen.  District Market Tissue Wrap falls somewhere between tissue paper and waxed paper.  Waxed Tissue?   Perfect Tissue!

The District Market Tissue comes in two designs; Terminology and Composer.  They are widely available online.   Simon Says Stamp is one online retailer that I buy from.  They sell it for $15.95/roll.  Each roll contains almost 9 yards of the 12-inch wide wrap …pricey but worth it because it is so spectacular and a little goes a long way on an art project.  It probably should not be your Go-To tissue for wrapping Legos and Barbies, but for art projects, it is certainly worth the price.

Back to my tag.  I over-designed the background which limited what I could do with the top design.  In the end I am happy with it.  It was hard not using any glitter at all but I stayed strong and managed.

I used the Terminology Tissue Wrap over stamps from Pink Paislee Spring Junque and MyMind's Eye Follow My Heart.  I die cut the heart using Sizzix Alternations Movers and Shapers Hearts on Stripe GrungeBoard.   The red paint is Red Pepper Paint Dabber which I added to the entire background as well as the Idea-ology Wings.  The edges were inked with Black Soot Distress Ink. 

The hearts were stamped with American Crafts White Pigment Ink using a handwriting background stamp and I edged the hearts with American Crafts Silver Pigment Ink using a direct-to-paper technique.  "Kiss" is written with Idea-ology Ransom Alpha Parts which I painted with Silver Paint Dabber to mimic the metal in the wings.  Finally, I dabbed my Black Soot Distress Ink pad on to the red seam binding to grunge it up a little and bring it together with the red and black background. 

I actually did a tag for Tim's May 12 Tags of 2012.  It turned out great so look for that post tomorrow.

Laters Baby….