The Design Team does "Funkie and Frilly Valentines" at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #3... The Queen of Hearts with Love Potion #9

 

   February really blew in, didn't it? While most northern Americans were getting buried under snow, we down south simply just chilled out...with a couple more upward notches on heater. Brrr! Getting used to the extreme extremes of the Gulf Coast, but it's crazy; temp differences of 40* in one day. I spent a nice Thursday driving down to the beach and spending a few hours walking and sunning and the next day had me bundling up in a blanket, refusing to go out at all. A couple of our Besties came through our Tri State Christian Camp & Retreat Center on their way to Louisiana for another friend's 90th Birthday, then came back through with another set of Besties from Indiana who met up with them at the birthday party. So we 4 couples got together- old Besties and older Besties (not speaking age-wise). What a fun evening we had and it was good to see another couple come down from Indiana's Church of Christ at Logansport to work camp. The Aurora camp near Orlando is also a "Remove the Barriers" for disabled campers. We've been so busy, and yet have had a ton of help to get the building nearly finished now!

   With the older set of kids flying down in just a couple of days, I've been getting ready for the older 2 Grandbabies to stay here with us while Mommy and Daddy get their own room across the way. That way, they can get some rest and let Memaw and Papaw have some fun spoiling. I've been seeing Baby Pecan on the Facetime- he loves chatting away in his 2-year-old-talk and walks around pointing out all the things in his rental house. Hopefully, they will take possession of their new house this week. Pecan and Mommy are going to her Sisters to visit his four Cousins; that will keep him busy- and his Cousins, too! We noted from the Indiana kids that they got at least 12 inches of snow, and later that same night; the younger kids' Upstate New York was shown on the news (see photo below). Too much white stuff, in MOHO, and having the new Challenge, Funkie and Frilly Valentines gives us a chance to add some cheery hearts- in any color! Make it "funkie and frilly" and let the hearts share the love! I decided to do my last piece of Tim Holtz structures- the Shrine- with some more minis. I got my inspiration from Paula Cheney's "Miss Havisham" make , which I fell in love with at first glance! I took mine in a different direction and am calling her "Queen of Hearts". So get settled in and take a run through the photos...another loooong post of photos... but helpful.

   I completely forgot to take my usual "materials used" photos, so I'll make a list at the end of this post, but you can see several of the items in the following "how to" pics. 

                                     The Mini Books...

I mix and match what I want in some instances, but you can type in "printable miniature books"

and get a lot of good choices to print out- without having to resize them.

I usually do resize all of mine to match my project exactly as I want it to look.

I set my printer to "standard" and use plain paper. but you can choose whatever you like.

After you've trimmed all the pages (with or without edges) using your paper trimmer,

or just fussy cut like I do, you're ready to fold along the page lines.

You can use a score board/bone folder, or just fold with your fingers-

plain paper is easy to fold along the page lines if they are there.

Once you have the accordion folds, and you have the cover folded on the edges and glued

(I use a regular cardstock cut to size and folded on the bind for a hardcover book,

and for a paperback- just the plain paper)

you're ready to glue the pages together and then in between.

You can easily just glue back to back putting all the pages together, and then...

...glue in between each of the folds on the backside of all the pages.

This keeps the book from un folding out of the binding cover.

Be sure both cover and inside pages are right side up, before gluing together.

I usually adhere the middle section first, then open one cover and glue, then repeat the other side.

I clip mine together and then lay something heavy (other regular sized books are good)

on top just for one overnight- even with fast drying Glossy Accents.

The next day (or next crafting time) gently use a bone folder or pick to go between

all the pages and gently pull apart any stuck together.

The Tim Holtz Shrine Structure is very easy to do!

I've wanted to do one for such a long time and after seeing Paula's take on it,

I ordered one and saved it for exactly a project like this.

I wanted to build 2 shelves that would be the same depth as the Shrine itself,

so I got out my Etcetera Bracket Shelf set. As in the last projects I've recently done,

the Etcetera can be cut to your own choice of sizes- which I did here.

(The Shrine is sideways- which was easier for me to see if it was straight across,)

For my chosen paper- Tim Holt'z 12x12 Paperie, French Industrial... very romantic!

To get the right depth, I inverted the shelves and faced them opposite each other,

and filled the spaces with leftover bits. Messy glue won't matter.

Then cut out, flip over and do the same glue job on the other side-

you now have a shelf covered on both sides.

I like to "fit" my paper to my boxes by eye only.

Since I was making my own shelving, I simply traced the shape of the Shrine

on top of the paper and then cut to fit.

If you're not sure, then by all means; measure 2x and cut 1x.

I inked up all the papers with TH Distress Oxide Ground Espresso before I adhered it all together.

I also decided to use TH Distress Paint in Antique Linen on all the edges even 

though I planned to cover those edges. I didn't want the wood to still be seen under the 

chosen TH Design Tape (Postal set).

I did choose an older TH Tissue Tape from one of his original rolls

for the bottom 2 steps of the Shrine. I used Glossy Accents to make sure it stayed.

The Postal Design set had this very cool pink that could pass for pinkish-red over Christmas.

But, I saved it for Valentine's Day and I think it hit spot on for this

current Challenge; Funkie and Frilly Valentines

I chose lots of IdeaOlogy, and finally got my hands on the long-awaited

TH IdeaOlogy Alchemy glass bottles!!

I filled each with ideas of Valentine's Day...

candy, bells/sheet music, bottle of ink/pen nibs/love letters, pearls and diamonds, candlelight, Sand in a bottle and wishes (TH Wish Bones) in another.

The best was the Alchemy glasses: the larger got blue (regular clear Elmers- to stay movable

liquid) and the same glue in pink for the smaller. I used TH Alcohol Inks in Pool and Pink Sherbet

to make the "Man" and "Woman" DNA.

From those two colors would come the Love Potion #9 which was made from clear Elmers 

colored with TH Amethyst Alcohol Ink .

Who says TH Halloween Baseboards have to be used only for Halloween?!

The Queen of Hearts...

These are the things I used to decorate the Queen.

I wanted to do something different other than coloring with Distress Crayons this time.

I cut lace ribbon into pieces that fit with the shape of the flowers.

Then used Glossy Accents to stick them down first as the bouquet's background.

I used the TH Alterations Thinlits Falling Hearts to cut a pile of hearts from each of the reddish paper

and the greenish, then used the same TH Design Tape adhered to a scrap of the green

(to give it some stiffness) to make more of the same hearts.

Then dipped the hearts and began layering them in a bouquet shape.

Since she's a Queen...I thought she ought to have a really NICE bouquet,

and since I went to school for floral arranging and bouquets..... well, you know.

Next was to make sure the outer parts had their places.

Here is where you can see the pink and the blue inside the Alchemy glasses.

They sort of get hidden in the end of it all.

I ended up with only 1 drippy candle fitting into the Shrine, so I made it fit onto the longer

TH IdeaOlogy Candlestick. I used a bit of black string for the wick instead of thread.

The Results:

And some closeups...

It would seem that the Queen is somewhat bored with all the Valentine commercialism.

All she wants is THE MAN himself!

I see that I actually do get covered in that Glossy Accents: it's all over my fingernails!

with the books out of the shelf, you can peek behind the Love Potion #9

and see 2 couples enjoying the Valentine's Day just getting out and having fun together.

If you're looking to building a Tim Holtz Structure like this,

the The Funkie Junkie Boutique

has many available choices, along with lots of in-stock Tim Holtz IdeaOlogy used in this make.

TFJB also sponsors prizes for their Challenges.

You can't win if you don't enter, so check out the simple rules and join in on the fun

with this current Challenge:

 Funkie and Frilly Valentines

Thank you! to everyone for the kind comments.

I'll be getting back to some creative paper items as I miss getting my hands on inks!

And getting inks on my hands, lol!

I hope you've enjoyed all the "littles" I've posted lately.

they are so FUN and EASY to do!

Check out all the cool IdeaOlogy:

Until next time...

Stay Safe & Warm!

HAPPY BLOGGING!!