Sunday 16 March 2014

A Tim Holtz Amazon!

Hello and welcome to Magpieheaven! It's been a busy week for me, full of little Green Men! No, we haven't had a Martian invasion, I've been lucky enough to be guesting over at PaperArtsy and my theme has been The Green Man! It's been such fun looking at the beautiful interpretations people have come up with! I've also been dying to enter a new challenge and I seriously began to doubt that I would have time, as I've also been very busy with my English tutoring. Then I grabbed some time and this is what I created. Can you guess the new Challenge I'd like to link it up with?
 There's quite a bit of Tim Holtz influence on this, so that should be a clue! Yes, it's the wonderful brand new Vintage Journey Challenge, which you can find out about here! Do pop over and take a look! They have a wonderful team with some great vintage inspiration on offer. This challenge is to create something in a Vintage style with a strong Tim Holtz content! I've been a huge fan of Tim's style and the creative journey he encourages us to take ever since I started blogging about a year ago. I thought I had the exact idea of where I wanted to go with this tag, but - like all the best journeys - this one changed direction along the way!
I started out with a picture of myself in the '60s, two tags and an embossing folder!

I loved the pattern on those stage curtains and my feather headdress that said 'Woman Warrior' but didn't really 'go' with the girly party dress! I was small and quiet as a little girl, but I felt like a hero inside; it always annoyed me that the boys in stories got to do all the interesting things and I was always on the side of the Native Americans when I watched Westerns on Sunday afternoon TV. I intended to make this picture the focal point of my Tim Tag until the creative process took over and I began to think about my journey into adulthood and how it was like learning to be a Woman Warrior! The little girl with the feathers might be behind this tag, but should she take centre stage?

I put her to one side and started to make a little 'purse' for her to carry on her journey. I swiped a #7 tag through distress inks - Vintage Photo, a little Fired Brick, Squeezed Lemonade and stamped with Tim Holtz's Como19 Photograph in Black Archival Ink. I added some Idealogy details, a gem clip and a 'Destiny' tag along with a little feather. That purse was going to carry all I needed for my journey: Courage, Honesty and Adaptability! Sometimes I remembered to dip into the purse and use them, sometimes it would feel like they were all used up!
 Here is my tag that I would attach the purse to. It soon seemed to resemble a dark forest. The leaves from those curtains were forming themselves into real leaves and branches, closing in on winding paths I must navigate my way through! I swiped through Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint and Peacock Feathers and edged with Walnut Stain. The Leaf is one of Tim Holtz's Tattered Leaves dies, cut from Shrink Plastic painted with a wash of PaperArtsy Fresco in Guacamole and edged with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The rose at the centre of the 'Forest' is made from card die-cut with Tim's Tattered Pinecone and then stamped with Tim's Como19 again and edged in Peacock Feathers Distress.  I accented the swirls with some Treasure Gold in Aquamarine, White Fire and Classic.
 Then came the Change of Direction! That little girl wasn't right. I needed an image that emerged from the leaves of the Forest, strong and Amazonian! I took up one of my favourite Tim stamps! SCF005.
I stamped the face, which I think looks pensive but strong onto cream fabric and painted it with layers of Frescos blended with Fabric Medium and Distress Inks, glazing with Satin Glaze and - when it was dry - touches of Treasure Gold. I also die-cut some Tattered Leaves from yellow fabric and treated these in the same way!
 I knew just the sentiment I wanted that happens to go with the image I had chosen in SCF005. I stamped this onto an oval piece of card, spritzed and flicked with Broken China and Vintage Photo and edged with Walnut Stain and a little Treasure Gold. The words are stamped in Black Ranger Archival and then embossed with clear EP. I added some Tim jump rings around two red pearls.
The little leaf peeping from the purse was punched from painted card then coated with Versamark and clear UTEE and heated.
Some dyed seam-binding with an Idealogy pin completed the tag.
I touched areas where the embossing showed through the fabric with Treasure Gold to create the impression of dappled Forest light and shadow. Here is my tag hanging in my 'Tag Vase' in the Magpieheaven living room. I should like to link this to the Vintage Journey Anything Tim Challenge . Thank you so much for patiently looking at all these images and listening to the story of a tag!

22 comments:

  1. Wow what an epic journey already and I love how you've used the leaves again, they look familiar!!!

    Sam xx

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  2. Wow, Julie Ann - loving the story and your creation is just stunning... gotta run, the match has started...

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  3. Oh Julie Ann. So much detail, so much to look at, all interwoven with a story about a little girl who is a hero and her battles along the way. I really admire your work and feel as though I have also been through the woods and seen the dappled light. The little purse is genius! I want to be able to tell a story like you but I'm always in such a tearing hurry.thankyou once again for the journey and the inspiration! Xx

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  4. Wow love the story and woodland warrior Tag x I love all the pics- it's like sitting along with you while you create :) TFS

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  5. Hello my sweet Cuz, I don't know where you find the time, I know that wonderful creative spirit HAS to fly out and create, I knew the challenge with the BOMB SQUAD would inspire you and you took it a soared with it, first of eekksss love your photograph,this tag is you your exactly how I imagined you are, you've always been a Magpie Woman Warrior, guarding our forest, the tag describes you perfectly, I loooooove the forest you created on the background, its fabulous, SW leaves, love those SPs, your tiny rose is gorgeous, your warrior Princess is gorgeous, on fabric, amazing, love that image, shut the front door, your leaves made from material, are freaking fabulousssss, love the spritzed, flicked background for the sentiment. Now that purse is BRILLIANT and SUPERBLY created, love how you hung it, I love, love, love it, we can't forget the beautiful seam binding, I'm in AWE of your talent, your my creative Hero, this was a BRILLIANT, theater production, deserving a standing ovation, certainly a designer worthy creation, thanks soooooo much for this, it made my day have a wonderful week, ((( BIG HUGS ))) Cuz....

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  6. Julie...your tag is beautiful! So much color and so many beautiful things to look at. I adore the little fold up purse you've attached to your tag. It is so sweet! I love your little accent leaves and sweet rose, too. All of your embossing is so richly distressed .... love it, too! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful tag with us at A Vintage Journey. <3 Candy

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  7. Love your tag and love how it tells the story of your journey. Thanks so much for sharing both of them.

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  8. Brilliant, Julie Ann! Love the amazing colours on the embossed texture in the background, and the ripped edge at the foot, and the hanging envelope, and the leafy feathery Green Man influence applied to this beautiful Green Woman! Thank you so much for joining us on A Vintage Journey.
    Alison xx

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  9. Completely stunning! I love the little envelope.

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  10. Congrats to your GD spot. You've created a wonderful hanging. Fantastic texture and details.

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  11. Love your Green Woman Warrior! The fabulous texture and the greenery with your lovely little rose and then there's the all important purse! Oh Julie-Ann

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  12. What a lovely post Julie Ann!! the tag nd purse are absolutely beautiful...so much to look at..you go back and find you have missed a bit lol xxx

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  13. Your tag is fabulous and I love the story you tell, it really gives your tag 'life'. I can see the influence from your wonderful pieces at Paper Artsy too! A lovely piece! Thank you so much for joining in our 'Anything Tim' challenge at A Vintage Journey. Anne x

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  14. This is such a gorgeous creation, Julie Ann. I love the textures and the colors you created on the background. The face image with all the forest elements is amazing. :)

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  15. This is wonderful Julie Ann! You are so creative, I adore the little purse!
    Alison xxx

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  16. Very Clever tag Julie Anne, I love the little purse. Thank you for your kind comments on my blog. Hugs Mo x

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  17. Oh, Julie, this is fabulous! I love the purse dangling and the wonderful texture and stamping throughout.

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  18. Oh my gosh Julie Ann this is just wonderful and so inspiring, I love everything about it. Thanks for travelling on A Vintage Journey and sharing your gorgeous tag and purse with us.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  19. Oh amazing tag Julie Anne! I was able to imagine of your making process how you have enjoyed for making the tag with so many images and techniques. Lovely the purse. xx

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  20. Well, I'm a few days late but that was my bedtime story for tonight, lol! How wonderful it was too and the tag is stunning. Amazing detail from beginning to end. I especially like the bit about the leaves on the curtains turning to real leaves and fast forming a forest. Awesome!

    Hugs
    Lesley Xx

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  21. Wow wow wow absolutely gorgeous stunning tag with an awesome amazing story. I really love how you took the picture of yourself and with that inspiration took the emotional and difficulty of growing up route. I love how you have expressed your journey of yourself emerging from the woods and how you have kept your strengths hidden away in a purse. Wow I really relate to this piece, and can really see where your coming from. And of course your process of getting there is an awesome journey, I love all the Mr Holtz products you used. The little purse is genius and I love the face stamp, its one of my favourites too. I love the picture of yourself, you looked so pretty but I can imagine you being put in the dress rather then picking it yourself, I reckon the headband gives it away, I was the same. I used to love the films on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of hugs Kezzy:-) xxxxx

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