It's Icy and Cold over at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog.... Snow O'Clock Memories!

 

 Time is flying fast as we're already at the end of the first month of 2022. It's been a pretty COLD dip all across the USA as far as temperature is concerned; we spent a couple of nights snuggled under a pile of blankets on our bed here in Florida. But just the day before that drop, we sat on the beach for a bit of 66* sunshine. It felt good to get outside after being stuck in and sick for a full week. We'd both been vaxed with Moderna back in April, and like a few million other people; were told we were "completely covered". I was able to come back from Bronchitis in December and allowed to get the Booster the second week of January, finally. Well; it worked. Got the Omicron Covid not two weeks later. And, man, did that spread FAST! At least a dozen of us came down with it, but surprisingly to us; the ChiefHubby had it worse than I did. I fared better a17thfter the third day while he was ready to go to the Emergency Room from all the pressure not being able to breathe. Since I just got over that type of thing, I could understand how much pain that was causing. As of this typing, he's feeling a lot better. Both of us still feel the fatigue and are trying to get back to being active walking. A few others are still having a bad time with the respiratory part. The younger kids got to New York just in time for the big drop of 1 foot of snow over January 17th. Other than being snowed in, they're settling in fine. The Indiana kids are enduring some deep cold... and I do not miss that! 

   I've spent a few days on a project that I've wanted to do for some time now, and it's a perfect fit for this second TFJB Challenge.  All this cold definitely came at the right time while this project was being worked on, and it brought back a lot of fun memories. The ChiefHubby and I are no strangers to deep snow and below-zero temps. He drove 45 minutes to work and 45 minutes back every day for work for over 31 years (just at the job he retired from) and then some, no matter what the weather. We both are products of the 1960s and lived through the Blizzard of '78. While he was a city kid, I lived out where we are now. School was called off for at least 2 weeks back then, and aside from Covid19, most northern schools only stopped for a couple of days for deep snow or ice. That winter of 1978 was a great time to be a kid, even better when you lived on Lake Cicott, where the ice would be so thick you could drive a car out on top of it; and my Grandfather DID just that in his teens on that very lake! It has the Teays (underground) River running under it, and all kinds of stories to go along with that. Back in the Fall of 1976, a new girl came to our Lake Cicott Elementary. She was allowed to choose a name from the list of girls in our class, for someone to help her around and get to know people. She chose my name, and that was the start of a very long friendship that I will always cherish. We had a lot in common, and we had a lot of fun together during those years we lived next to each other out there; the ice played a big part in that fun: snowmobiling and ice skating on it, walking around to see what the ice-fishers were catching, and dragging each other on sleds back up the hill for another go. She had 3 horses and I was in love with horses. Being outside was a pretty normal thing for us both- summers and winters. We've had our ups and downs, but those few years spent together as Best Friends... I always keep those memories close to my heart. When I was going through my Tim Holtz Paper Dolls (Christmas 2021), my eyes just stopped on the girl with the sled- it stunned me how similar it looked to her back then. And when I got to the next Doll...I knew I had the perfect matching set for this project! So, please, join me for another journey on how I made this...

I take these photos last, but list them first.

These are the paperie and 3D items.

And these are the tools I used.

I tore pieces of the TH Tissue "Yule Tide" roll into smaller bits and modge-podged

the clock surface and again on top of the bits of tissue. It was sort of like making a Pinata.

I covered the clock surface inside and out but left the edge where the back 'lid' would fit.

I also left the legs, the bell stem ringer and handle all plain.

It needed to dry overnight at least.

Then I coated Ranger TH Texture Crackle Paste on all areas of the metal still 

showing and where I layered tissue.

Again, I let it dry at least overnight. The longer it dries, the better the cracking.

After it was completely dry again, I sanded off the edges to get rid of the excess tissue

hanging off, and also make sure the inside edge was clean so the back 'lid' would 

fit back into it for closing.

The back was already punched with a tiny indent with the ring attached.

I simply used my TH Tonic Scissors to snip that into two flaps,

then bent both flaps inside to make a hole needed for the lights.

I love the new TH Pocket Cards (courtesy of The Funkie Junkie Boutique) !

These are Christmas 2021, but there are so many cute ones that can be used for winter

after the Christmas season. The pinecones were a nice look for this.

I used some TH Distress Vintage Photo Crayon to edge each trimmed piece before I

 layered them using Glossy Accents.

I used a sheet protector to make a couple of die cuts from the (now retired)

TH Alterations Die Weathered Clock to form a see-through front piece onto the background I made

from the cards.

I used Sizzix double sticky foam sheets and trimmed just enough to form a rounded edge in

the middle of the clock cut, and before I added the next cut on top with Glossy Accents,

I topped the first cut with Ranger TH Stickles to hide the foam.

Layers: 1 -Background of card cuts

2- double sticky foam sheet

3- Weathered Clock clear die cut

4- Stickles (allow to dry completely before topping with GA and 2nd clear Clock cut)

5- Glossy Accents

6- 2nd Weathered Clock clear die cut (dry brushed on inner side with Guesso

and Picket Fence Distress Paint: see next photo)

Making IdeaOlogy fit your project is one of the reasons I'm in love with it!

It's easy to cut without it cracking and breaking where you don't want it to.

The light set is one of Tim Holtz's regular plain lights. He debuted colored sets

over Christmas, but I felt those were too bright. The lights come in a set of 2 to a pack

and are available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Coloring TH Paper Dolls....I know, right!!

All set to just fill everything up from the choices of IdeaOlogy that I love so much!

Glossy Accents and my glue gun helped with setting the TH IdeaOlogy Baubles up next to the glass.

A dot of the GA onto the Snowflakes (retired) and Icicles (both retired and new 2021) to

stay where I wanted them on the inside glass. When it came time to pluck out all the glue strings,

I found myself thinking the strings looked like ice when it forms on spider webs

and encases branches during ice storms. So, I actually tucked some of the strings back inside!

Just in case it wouldn't be fully seen past the Paper Dolls I used;

I took this photo to show the finished background with the new 2021 Tim Holtz Thinlit Set Mr.Frost

holding the IdeaOlogy Journal Flashcard and Heart Gem.

This is what it looks like finished:

I hope her Mom sees this; I really DO think it looks like we did back then!

The icy look of the crackling goes so well with the icicles and (new 2021) Snowflakes.

I actually still have the old Snowflakes- the difference in the two being that the newer ones

have the tiny gems in them and each snowflake in the older set is different

while the newer set is all alike.

I took the top part of the TH IdeaOlogy Pocket Chain off and added a bell that had

been on a gift from Christmas- it just matched the clock's surface metal.

The backside was left plain.

Tip: When using the TH Light Sets, be sure to have the tiny screws face you when

adhering the set to any surface. That way, you can replace the batteries without

having to take the switch off the item- and perhaps pull on the lights inside.

Thank You! to all who come in to see my latest makes,

and I hope you'll feel inspired to come over to 

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog

and join us in our latest Challenge fun!

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and you can be sure to always find something NEW at a great price

from our Sponsor.

Here's your 1 minute of SUNSHINE to get you through the cold and ice:

Stay Safe & Warm

HAPPY BLOGGING!