Jan 2015 12-tags - New Years Flower Pot

I have been playing along with the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015. This month flew by but I didn't want to miss making the January tag, so I finished this up today! Instead of making my January tag, I have been playing with my new grandbaby born in January! So much fun!

Instead of making a tag this time, I decorated a clay pot using the same techniques as the Tim Holtz January 2015 tag tutorial! I also added a 3D tattered flower using the same tissue paper on a manila folder.

It's kind of funny seeing the Tim Holtz tag design on a flower pot, but it works!

I started with a plain clay pot, then decorated it with Tim Holtz tissue paper, distress paint, distress spray, the same as the tutorial. It took awhile for the tissue paper to dry, so I was patient and worked on my flower while it dried.

 I cut out some pieces of manila folder the size of the tattered floral die, then glued the tissue paper on the manila folder.

After cutting out 4 large flower pieces, I used distress paint and some distress spray to color my flowers.

I also colored the backs as they might show when making the flower.

To make the flower I followed a tutorial by Hels Sheridan. She makes the most beautiful flowers! Check out her blog "Ink on My Fingers" to see some of the most beautiful Tim Holtz style projects and amazing flowers!

I glued the flower onto a paper party straw that I distressed with distress stain. Then I inserted the straw into a wooden spool so it would stand up.

Here are my various "chit-chat" words for 2015.

I had fun distressing the word "one" following the tutorial, and glittering up the number 5.

More "chit-chat" words. I couldn't find my Tim Holtz "chit-chat" stickers so I had to make my own. I have them somewhere. (Maybe I should have added "get organized" to my 2015 words, but that's no fun!)

So even though I didn't make a "Tag" this time, I have a cool decoration that makes me happy and I finished it just in time.

Thanks for checking out my project!

Here is the beautiful baby girl! I've been having so much playing with her. Isn't her hair amazing!
Grandbabies make the world go round! Oops, she's missing a mitten, and one sock. So cute!

Compendium of Curiosities iii - Challenge 19, Eclectic Ellie Doll!!!

I am participating in Challenge 19 of the Compendium of Curiosities iii Challenge on the Studio L3 blog by Linda Ledbetter. For Challenge 19 we are using the Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements Fabric and the frayed fabric technique as found on page 66 of Compendium of Curiosities 3 by Tim Holtz.
Challenge 19 is sponsored by Inspiration Emporium who will provide a $50 shopping spree for the winner of the challenge, with more prizes courtesy of Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi for the fabulous Curiosity Crew's choice winner!

For this challenge I wanted to make something cool using many of the Eclectic Elements fabric designs all incorporated into one fabulous project. Since I know how to sew, I decided since this is a fabric challenge, I would sew a fabulous 18" doll dress made entirely of Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements fabric using a vintage reproduction doll dress pattern from Butterick.

I have been working on an 18" Steampunk dolly that I have named "Eclectic Ellie" who will be modeling my designer dress. "Eclectic Ellie" is not quite done, as she does not yet have a face...or hair, but since she's Eclectic, it all works!

Here is Eclectic Ellie modeling the dress!

Here is a close up of the Frayed Fabric technique on the front dress pocket.

I wanted to show that you can take a cutesy 1950's doll dress and using Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements, it turns all hip and modern, but still vintage and retro.
My dress is the same pattern as this:

But look at what I did to it:

I love the bottlecap design on the sleeves, collar and waistband.

 

I also love the bow tie in the back in the contrasting design, same as the underskirt.

Here is "Eclectic Ellie". She's an 18" doll form that I'm decorating with dies, stencils and paint.

 Yes, that is an elephant on her tummy. She's feeling a little bloated. LOL!

This is her, um, back-side, and spine.

 

 Eventually she will have a face and rosy cheeks. Oh, and some hair. Probably fabric skeewampus hair. Maybe some fabric dreadlocks, not sure yet.

Oh, I wanted to show you her knees.

So thanks for checking out my project!

Since most of the participants say they don't really sew, I wanted to show you all something slightly different that you can do with a normal doll dress pattern and Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements Fabric, and a simple pre-made doll form that you can buy at a craft store. It's all art, just the same, just a different canvas, and a different medium.
It's amazing how the Tim Holtz Fabric totally changes the look of the dress and it suddenly becomes art instead of a toy.

Do not feel bad if you are not a sewer! What all of you make look so simple I have to work so hard at. But this I can do...

I learned to sew when I was 13 years old thanks to my best friends mom who worked in a fabric store. She gave us a sewing machine, old fabric, and discarded patterns and left us on our own. My friend immediately sewed through her finger, nothing serious, just got the side. We made some extremely ugly creations, lopsided dresses, 70's pant suits with zippers on the behind (talk about a wedgie), and some really horrible swim suits. Eventually we figured it out!!! Through trial and error, no classes, and no instruction from anyone! It was a simple singer sewing machine with only a straight stitch. My parents then got me a simple sewing machine too, which I used until it quit working a few years ago.

I will post again when I finish up "Eclectic Ellie" and then I can post a tutorial on the doll. It's pretty simple. I used a gear die with craft foam and glued the gears on the doll, used some stencils and stencil paste, painted the whole doll with acrylic paint in a lighter skin color, then antiqued over the entire doll with a brown antiquing medium. That's it.

The dress will fit any 18" doll, but I'm liking the dress on "Eclectic "Ellie"!