The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #4 Mostly Neutral...& Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Textures...The Word is Love!

    This post is finding its way out in time for the SSS Monday Challenge "Add Some Texture" before the deadline in just a few hours. I actually hibernated all evening on Sunday, and that's the reason I am up doing an all-nighter to get this out. At least I will be a full week early for TFJB Challenge "Mostly Neutral" which runs till March 2nd. That'll actually make a lot of people *gasp!* over my being early, lol! I was surprised and soooooo HAPPY to be sporting that coveted badge: being featured by Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge "Love&Hearts" !!! I am over the moon!!

While the above 2 challenges are combined into this one project, neither was themed about Valentine's Day, which I'm not quite yet 'over' since we have yet to go out on the catamaran 2-hr cruise. The original trip got canceled due to inclement weather, and we are waiting for a new date to reserve 2 spots. I was really looking forward to that, because I am a sailboat owner/sailorgirl myself. But, rather than end up like Skipper and Gilligan (we're both Captains of our boats, depending on which boat we're on) and have our 2-hour cruise hit bad weather in the Gulf waters...I'll hang in there for the clear skies.

   The Grandbabies are all enjoying the deep snow up in Indiana and MinneSNOWta while we both enjoyed National "I Hate Florida" Day down here. We were one of only 6 lower 48 states that didn't see snow over that week, but we did 'enjoy' a low of 21*F chill during one night, with a high of 41*F during that day. Granted, it was not the 30 below that Indiana was feeling. The youngest Grandbaby is officially a walker! He's finally decided that crawling is just not going to get him there as fast as he's

decided he wants to go; very much like his Daddy was as a baby! They had a rough month since they had to help Baxter, our "Little King" rat terrier, across the Rainbow Bridge. I find it so hard to face that, but it's a responsibility of having FurryKids that we cannot walk away from. I will definitely miss him bossing the rest of the dogs around. He was the littlest of all. The Golden Retriever Grandpups are the 2 youngest of the bunch, and Grandbabies Peanut and Princess are old enough to run outside- joining in on the snow fun. We've gotten a lot of texted photos of all three Grands and while it makes me miss them, I really enjoy knowing they have WONDERFUL PARENTS!! It sure brings back a lot of good memories I had when our own 2 boys were that age. I may miss our Grands, and Kids, but I sure do not miss the SNOW. My own Hunni Pi is doing much better now and enjoying the warmer weather walks.

I am catching up with Tim Holtz's many posts- especially with the recent new items out, and that LOVELY heart he made! My favorite new thing of all, however, has to be the new Distress shade;

Kitsch Flamingo! It's so hard to find right now, and I am kicking myself for not pre-ordering. However, I did preorder the Eileen Hull Folio Die, and am waiting on that to finally ship even though the other two dies have gotten here. I still need to catch up on all the social media and there are times when I totally just ditch out on the entire thing because it's so much to keep up with: everyone has something to show or say. While I try to get around to everything, it's impossible to keep up on sm and still just live life outside in the real world. I'm one of those ones who can DEFINITELY leave the phone sit. I do still keep it in hand simply because I have never been without a CAMERA in my hands!

                         Let's get down to the latest make...

I visited my favorite out-of-the-way store in Alabama and found a couple of 

"Valentiney" items that sparked my interest. I've wanted to do a tag with a zipper for some time now.

I ended up ordering a Sunday School Lesson Book (to help me read since I am deaf and

can't follow along like others can), and found several lessons from last fall that we missed.

I thought I could use a favorite set of verses for a Valentine tag.

I used ModPodge to make the paper sturdier by adhering it to a plain cardstock.

I added a top coat as well and allowed it to dry before die cutting with the larger of 

the two TH Faceted Hearts Thinlits Set, and embossing the heart shape with

the TH 3D Embossing Folder Mechanical.

I then used plain Kleenex tissue to 'stuff' the heart while leaving the upper right side of the 

heart open, The Kleenex was allowed to show as if the heart was bursting open.

I cut my own sized tag from matboard and then die cut several gears from the new 

TH Alterations Bigz XL Die Industrial, and cut a load of the "bolts" from the

TH Alterations Bigz Die Voltage to use with the gear pieces.

I  used Glossy Accents to put all the 'bolts' together and then gave all the cut pieces

(including the Tag piece) a coat of TH Distress Pain in Antique Linen

then allowed it all to dry completely.

While everything was drying from the Distress Paint coat, I tore some neutral colored- cardstocks

from large scrap pieces leftover from another project. I then used Glossy Accents to

layer these to the Tag. I was making this Tag a one-sided Tag this time. Rare for me to do! 

I love the feel of plain torn paper and cardstock- the edges are such a soft texture

and you can't go wrong with simply tearing paper!

After the Distress Paint was completely dry, I coated all the gear and bolt pieces with

TH Distress Crackle Paste. This pic shows the paste drying and leaving

all that yummy CRACKLING!! Loads of TEXTURE!

Before doing more to the look of the gears and bolts, I needed to figure out

the arrangement. The shading would depend on where each piece was- I always like

to make sure the "wear and tear" and lighting look as realistic as possible.

While I had this all figured out, I found it better to "flip" it top to bottom.

So I took this photo, flipped it on my camera, and then used the pic to help me

recreate the same pattern after using the Distress Oxide Inks on each piece.

Here is the finished full background: shading all done with Distress Oxide Inks 

in Ground Espresso and touches of Vintage Photo. 

As the Distress Crackle Paste gets rubbed, it cracks even more and that just adds to

the look of the process.

Then, I used PINTEREST photos of so many other awesome tags/books that used zippers in

their designs to get an idea of how I wanted to add mine to the tag. I wanted

the heart to be show partially inside and partially outside of the zipper, while 

also showing the gears all around. So I opted to keep the torn paper look as well- on top.

After cutting the paper to fit the design I wanted the zipper to follow,

I used the Glider Tape Runner to adhere the pieces together,

and then run each 'side' of the pieces through my Big Shot with the Mechanical 3d Embosser.

It was then touched up with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink and  adhered to the zipper itself.

The last part was to add some bolts to make the zipper complete.

The last touches are shown in the end photos.

Basically- the paper materials were scraps, and the rest were all tools.

I also used TH IdeaOlogy: Paper Dolls and Heirloom Roses (cream colored ones).

Here's what I ended up with...

I was thinking of a little girl who first heard about GOD's Word from her Grandma,

who also shared the same middle name.

Her Grandma knew that The Bible (also called The WORD) was all about LOVE;

hence the title "The Word is Love".

The heart keeps The Word in it, shares it, and is guided by it throughout life.

That love blossoms and spills over, and blesses others as well as the heart itself.

The layers of NEUTRAL COLORS and TEXTURES 

fulfill both sets of REQUIREMENTS for both Challenges.

With TFJB Challenge Mostly Neutral, we were allowed to use one color 

or use of metal items; I chose the closest color I could get to the new Kitsch Flamingo-

until I can get some of the real macoy!!

Here, I used just a touch of TH Distress Paint Spun Sugar.

I found this by happenstance at the local WalMart, during a run for a couple things.

It's not only the right shade of matching pink, but it also matches the neutral shades here !

The zipper adds even more TEXTURE!

The backside is just plainly painted over and touched up with TH Vintage Photo Oxide Ink.

THANKS! to all who followed my SSSMonday Pinworthy Feature and all

the congrats that I received: it was definitely a THRILL!!!

( CLICK HERE if you missed it!)

Thanks to the Sponsors of both Challenges;

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

and

Simon Says Stamp

Here's hoping you'll come join in with us!

Until next time...

Stay SAFE, Wash the HANDS, Wear the Mask, &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!