Belated Final Compendium of Curiosity III Tribute Project

What a fun and life changing experience it has been to have participated in the Compendium of Curiosity iii Challenges this past year and a half! Thanks to Linda Ledbetter and the Curiosity Crew for the Adventure!

In the middle of my final project, I was rear-ended in my car at a stop light and became a little injured so I was unable to complete my final challenge project on time, but now that I'm feeling much better, I wanted to post my finished project!

"It came from within her"

No this isn't the title to a 1960's bad horror movie, but is a tribute to what I have learned from the Curiosity Crew , all the participants, and the wonderful techniques and challenges from the Tim Holtz book "Compendium of Curiosity iii". Hope there will someday be another book!

Throughout these somewhat challenging challenges I have been inspired to push beyond, through the blank stare into my pile of craft supplies, to find the curious and artistic inventions within me. I have learned that it is best to do what I love, and just create whatever I feel like and then the project speaks!

Through the challenges I have learned that when you speak from within, the projects connect with others.

I have learned from your examples of perseverance through the many artistic challenges, your failures that turned out to be victories, and the sometimes accidental greatness! I have marveled at your genius and creativity, and sometimes over-the-top impossible projects gone crazy! You are my people! 

My project is a reminder that we are all powered by something within, and from there springs forth who we are. Let it shine! Whether it sparks you to bake, run a marathon, be a friend, tend a puppy, take photos, grow a garden, take a nap outside...whatever it is...let it be...and let it be you!

Thanks to Linda Ledbetter, Anita Houston, Annette Green, Candy Colwell, Cheryl Grigsby,
Hels Sheridan, Marjie Kemper, Susan Mostek, Yvonne Blair and the many participants who have inspired me!

Thanks to Tim Holtz and team for their techniques and products! 

Thanks to the Compendium of Curiosity sponsors! 

Inspiration Emporium and The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

From the side view you can actually see the technique from Challenge #34 which was the final challenge, Layering Stencil: monoprint from page 48 of the Tim Holtz book Compendium of Curiosity iii.

Here's how the project started. A box from JoAnns. It came as a set of nesting boxes. I had a set of battery led lights on a thin wire I got last Halloween or Christmas. The switch lets you choose continuous light mode, flashing light, or pulsating which happened to be great for a beating heart!

The paper mache heart was from Hobby Lobby. I had always admired the silver steampunk heart in the box project from Tim Holtz and wanted to make my own version.

 I cut a hole in the heart, be careful!

 Painted the heart black.

From there I used whatever I had. Some wooden bits from Hobby Lobby. A plastic jar that looked like a lightbulb from Hobby Lobby. The heart has gear dies cut from foam, glued on, painted, and antiqued. I used Ranger distress paint, distress inks, alcohol inks and Decoart media products for the entire project.

The plastic letters were from hobby lobby. The domino has alcohol ink. The "within" are "thickers" glitter letters colored with alcohol ink. The "from" are tiny American Craft wooden letters.

Since the battery pack is glued on the back, the project was back-heavy and wanted to tip backwards easily, so I glued a black rock to the bottom front to balance the project and make it stable and sit solid.

Besides the heart, my other favorite technique is the "lightbulb".

I printed the moon man on ink-jet acetate. I cut it out but leaving it a thick handle piece of acetate the width of the bulb base. It will look like a sucker with a thick long acetate stick. That way I could use that "handle" to manipulate the acetate inside the light bulb and it keeps it in place as well. To get the acetate inside the jar, just curl it a little and fit it up inside, then the acetate springs back into shape and you can use your acetate "handle" to move it around to face the direction you want. It's very cool looking in person and a little creepy as moon man's eyes follow you around from any direction. 

I made the moon man's collar from cardboard and foam dots punched with a small paper punch, glued on, painted, and antiqued.

There is a tiny fawn resting on some bright green moss. The deer symbolizes the birth of my beautiful children and their children. The inside of the box has metallic cardstock on the back, and stenciled burlap glued on the the inside sides.

 

I used alcohol ink on the domino and the glittered letters. The from is painted with peeled paint distress paint.

To those of you artistic people who may be going through some hard times, I promise you that if you remember that you have something within that will help you make it through, you will be victorious in that challenge. It is better to focus on a creative outlet than to let the hardship take over. Use that hardship to express yourself through your creativity. Make that statement through your projects that you have it within you to persevere. 

I am happy to say that the "Compendium of Curiosity iii" challenge helped me to rise above and find the inner me artistically...and that has brought me peace. Most of the time I create projects that help me...but this time the project is for all of you!

My moon man lightbulb shines down on you all and says "Thanks!"

XoXoXo!

"It came from within her" movie.

Sometimes you have to wear a Hat - My take on the August Tim Holtz Tags of 2015

I'm playing along with the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015. I loved using the cut-outs and the decopauging onto the background! I never would have thought of that!

So here is my take on the tag. Let me explain my "inspirational" sentiment.

"Sometimes the journey craps on your head, and you have to wear a hat."

Have you ever had a time period where you have to persevere in spite of everything going on around you? A few weeks ago I was waiting at a stoplight on my way to work, when out of nowhere I was rear-ended by a large Yukon XL. I drive a Hyundai. Nothing too serious, but I had whiplash, a bruised up back, and a $2000 car repair. So I wasn't feeling very well for a few weeks, but I had to keep going to work. Then while my car was being repaired, I had to get a rental car. I don't enjoy driving a car I'm not used to. My car repair was supposed to take 2 days, but it took 1 1/2 weeks. So every morning when I went out to the rental car to go to work, I found the birds had left many surprises for me on the rental car windows. So I had to go back inside and get some spray cleaner and paper towels, with my whiplash, and clean off the windows of the rental car, then head off to work, totally paranoid that every car was going to rear end me. So this is where my sentiment came from, and it was very inspirational at the time, because every day, there was a new bird splat on the rental car. 

So in spite of the challenges, sometimes...like the tag says, you just have to put on a hat and keep on going.
The photo doesn't show the expression on the owl's face, but that was pretty much my expression throughout the whiplash, car repair, bruised up period of time. No fun!

But...I did have fun making this tag, and it helped me to forget about my pains for a while, in spite of the tag's message, it is actually a good message. Do-Do Happens, so put on the hat. Do what you have to do. Keep on creating and tell your story!

So I cut out a bunch of gears from the top tag. I used a rusty background underneath.
Then I put a bunch of gesso on the top, like in the tutorial. See the Tim Holtz thin-lit number die cut out on the left side.

 I died the bow, and used a crackle stamp and various die cutouts on the top layer of the tag.

 I used some ephemera, some I printed on the computer, and some are from the Tim Holtz collage elements.
Of course I created my own "sentiment" as this isn't a sentiment anyone would probably want to embrace, except me.

 But the "sentiment" inspired me to persevere throughout my rough few weeks!

I'm starting to feel a lot better, and since I got my car back, I haven't had one bird splat experience. It's like the birds didn't like the rental car or something. The rental car was red, maybe a better target.The rental car was also way nicer than my car.

My car is dark blue, and the birds, probably like me, prefer what they are used to having in the driveway. Maybe the birds were on my side and were expressing their displeasure at the whole experience. Thank you birds for the solidarity!

So thanks for checking out my goofy tag this month. I enjoyed playing along and trying out the techniques!