Vintage Christmas Cabinet Card - in Shades of Metal

Hello Everyone!

So my camera and I had another disagreement! I wanted all the shimmer of this card to be visible in the photographs and my camera DID NOT! We negotiated for several hours and finally met half way at "sort of see the shimmer". I guess my point is this...this card is almost entirely metallic or shimmery in nature, I just couldn't seem to catch the beauty of it in the images.

For those who recognize the bit in the center, this is the panel I created with my Distressed Metal technique.

For the back panel, I started with a Prima stencil called Orbs and sponged on some Tim Holtz distress inks Crushed Olive, Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint. Then I spritzed the entire panel with Lindy's Stamp Gang Moonshadow Mist - Silhouette Silver (which looks like pewter).

I mixed up a batch of dark brown homemade texture paste using DecoArt Crafter's Acrylic Burnt Umber paint and applied it through my Prima Flourish Damask stencil and then while it was still wet, I covered it with Stampendous Aged Bronze Embossing Enamel. When the paste was dry I heated up the powder and melted it. Lastly, I spritzed some Lindy's Stamp Gang Moonshadow Mist - Burnished Brass and Incandescent Copper and allowed it to dry in all the recesses.

Linda Ledbetter has a challenge based on all of Tim Holtz's techniques from his book Compendium of Curiosities 3. I have been dying to try my hand at one of her challenges, but I just keep missing the deadlines. Her current challenge is to use of of Tim Holtz's Cabinet Card Frames, so I decided to use one as the frame around my ornament panel.

I applied a couple layers of white Gesso and then a really super thick layer of Rock Candy Clear Crackle Paint. I rubbed Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs stain into the cracks. I spritzed it with Moonshadow Mist Buccaneer Bronze, then dabbed on some white gold acrylic paint and some Tim Holtz Antique Bronze distress paint and a touch of DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Champagne Gold and Copper paints.

The corner pieces were made using crafter's clay and a Martha Stewart mold. I painted them with Picket Fence Crackle Paint, rubbed Gathered Twigs into the cracks, spritzed with Moonshadow Mist Silhouette Silver and dabbed with DecoArt Champagne Gold Dazzling Metallic paint.

The poinsettia was cut from Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettia, spritzed with the Silver spray, embossed and then highlighted with DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Champagne Gold and Copper paints. I added 3 rusted bells in the center. This was one of the hardest bits to catch the shimmer of...all that red you see is actually metallic copper, very gorgeous in real life.

The current challenge over at The Artist Trading Post is Stencil Mania, and I really wanted to try something different for this challenge. Soooo, I pulled out one of my favourite Tim Holtz stencils called Holly Bough and put it to good use.

I whipped up a batch of home made texture paste in green and applied it through the stencil onto a piece of scrap card stock. I used my palette knife to add the texture on the surface. When it dried, I fussy cut around the texture paste and voilà, I had myself a 3d holly bough! I edged it with some Gathered Twigs and highlighted it with some white gold paint.

Here is a close up of my middle panel. The stamp is from the Tim Holtz Christmas Blueprints 2 set and I stamped it using Ranger Archival ink Jet Black. Again, this panel is actually copper...I know an artist shouldn't blame his/her tools, but...stupid camera!

I am entering my card into the following wonderful challenges:

- Artist Trading Post - Stencil Mania
(stencils used - Prima Orbs, Prima Damask & Tim Holtz Holly Bough / stamp used - Tim Holtz Blueprints)

- Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities 3 - Challenge #15 - Cabinet Card Pocket

- Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog - #55 - ATG With a Twist - Make It Vintage
- That's Crafty Challenge Blog - Anything Vintage
- Wednesday's Creative Inspiration - Challenge #290 - Take Your Pick
(choose Brown & White colour combination OR do something Vintage Style - I chose Vintage)

- Mixed Media Card Challenge - November - Challenge #5 - Christmas
(I used bells as the center for my poinsettia)

Well My Mom arrives on Sunday, YAY. so I will be pretty occupied for the next week. I have posts going up on Monday and Tuesday, but I won't be around to visit everyone's blog. I wish you all a wonderful week and I promise I will check in after Christmas with my Mom is over! Until then, big hugs! :)