Great to be here today sharing a fun project. Yesterday I posted a tag on Instagram using Distress Grit Paste Opaque and Distress Lumberjack Plaid Spritz, using water to push the Spritz into the background. It worked so beautifully that I wanted another try with a different color and on a larger scale. However this time there is no Grit Paste involved, just idea-ology Typography letters.
So lets get started!
Time to break out the "big gun" to glue the tree to the panel. I needed a lot of hot glue and my tiny precision glue gun is no match for my old school glue gun. Be sure to press the tree down while the glue is drying.
I decide to add a bit of variegated metallic floss to my tree. I wanted to add something without it looking heavy!
The metallic threads some apart just like embroidery floss. I tied a knot in one end and just pushed it into the tree, then ran it back a forth a few times till I got to the top. You could used hot glue to keep it in place or a dot of Collage Medium. I found tweezers were very helpful with the fine threads!
To fill in the space beside the tree, I opted for a simple solution that tied in the gold in the background, Mini Stencil Chips. I grabbed the numbers two and five, taping them together with Cello Tape Stickers, then using my Tiny Attacher to add staples at the top. I added four thin foam squares to the back and placed it on the panel. I also slipped a piece of Backdrop paper under the numbers to give them visual texture different from the poinsettia background.
The last thing to do was to add a star to the tree. I have some mirrored stars in my stash from years past and was able to find a large enough one for the tree. I covered the star with Mushroom Alcohol Ink and dried it with a heat tool. Then I sprayed the star with Antique Linen Spritz and dried it again. I added Collage Medium to the back and slipped it behind the tree.
What fun experiment this was. I love the woodland trees since there are so many options. I fact, it's sometimes hard to choose...texture paste? Rock Candy? gold Stickles? Mica Flakes? Which to choose?
This is an easy project that cold really be done in an afternoon. It would make a fun decoration for yourself or to give away as a gift at the beginning of the season. I'm looking forward to seeing how people adapt the concept to suit their taste!
Now carry on,
paula
I chose a small Etcetera Panel (7.25 x 5.25") as the substrate, then used Collage Medium to cover the panel with Christmas Backdrop paper. Once secure, add a layer of Collage Medium over the top of the paper, then let it dry. Do not skip the layer over the top, it will become important in a following step.
Once the Backdrop is dry, use Collage Medium to add the sentiment to the right side of the Panel. I used my Tonic Media ruler + Glass Studio Mat to keep the line straight when adding each letter. This sentiment is an easy one because each line is about the same length.
Here is the finished sentiment. I let this dry overnight because I was at the end of my work day. But in most climates, it would be secure enough to in about 30-45 minutes. You also might notice that I rubbed Walnut stain Distress Crayon over the edges of the panel. The crayon will show up in the end to give the paper an subtle edge.
The next step might seem a bit crazy, but I sprayed the entire panel with Antique Linen Spritz. You can see that I sprayed it quite heavy, going over the panel multiple times.
Immediately, I sprayed the surface with water which will cause the Spritz to pool up rather than just being speckled across the surface. If we had not added the Collage Medium over the paper to seal it earlier, you could not get this pooling effect.
Use a paper towel or soft cloth to wipe off the letters. It's not as hard as it sounds.
Then SLOWLY dried it with a heat tool. I say slowly because it takes a while for the Spritz to dry over the Collage Medium surface. I kept the heat tool further away and just let it dry little by little.
I also used a small bit of paper towel to dab up any puddles, then finished the drying.
The shine is so awesome! The Spritz made the Backdrop paper look like vintage wrapping paper. I just love the effect.
Before drying, I went to the kitchen sink and ran water over the top of the tree, then squeezed out most of the Spray Stain.
Back at the table, I sprayed Bundled Sage in the middle section to get the triple tone effect.
I added Collage Medium to add Mica Flakes over the front of the tree. I like to add the glue, then sprinkle mica Flakes from above. I know some people like to roll the tree in the Mica Flakes but I'm a sprinkler! Mica flakes are heat stable so you can dry them with a heat tool or let them dry on their own.
After the flakes were dry, I decided to cut notches into the tree shape. I know what you are saying, "why didn't you do that BEFORE you added the Mica Flakes?" Well yes, you are right I could have, but this way, the Mica was way more random and vintage looking. Like when you buy an old tree in an antique shop, most times the mica is missing in some spots and heavy in others.
Set the panel aside and lets work on the tree. You could make the Woodland Trees any color you wish. I decided to do a multi-color effect using Evergreen Bough and Bundled Sage. But before I got started I cut off the back of the tree so it would lay flat against the panel. Once the cutting was done, I sprayed the entire tree with Evergreen Bough.
NOTE: I painted the base of the tree with gold paint.
I love the way it looks with the three colors of green. By the way, the Mini Re-Coil scissors are sharp to the tip and made the cutting a breeze.
paula
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