The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #14 Cattywampus...Stars & Stripes Dreams

  July is here! My favorite time of year and my favorite holiday, July 4th!  I absolutly love the smell of the fireworkds, and the colors that light up the sky, followed with choruses of  "Ohhhhhhhh", "Ahhhhhhhh", and Oooooooooo",the heat of the days followed by warm nights, and swimming after midnight under a clear, starry sky. And having all the kids out playing- not worrying about school the next day...I honestly could live like that year round. My love for summer holds all the way through how I decorate- Primitive Americana- throughout our home. The Red, White, and Blue can also be Red, Taupe, and Blue- depending on where I have it displayed.

    With this current challenge ,the focus is on being a bit off kilter. The requirement is described as "Cattywampus", and while I've

probably heard the term before somewhere, the vision I get in my mind is of something being off center, crooked, or kooky- looking. "Wacky" or "Wonkey" would be my equivalent words for "Cattywampus". I wanted to keep with the July theme while fulfilling the requirements for cattywampus.It turned out to be a lot of fun, indeed!                     

   Let's see where my ArtMuse took me...

       
           

Our younger Daughter found these at a church yard sale up in Red Wing,

and thought I could use them for my crafts.

They're AWESOME!

Right away I started getting out things I could use for this project.

Another chance to make a TH Etcetera Thickboard Tag!!

My attempt to copy from the Servicemen's Hymns was thwarted by my printer not

agreeing with me on scanning. After an hour spent on it- that I could ill afford-

I finally went with a similarly antiqued version from the net.

I'll be working on fixing that for being able to use these very COOL music sheets!

I made several copies of the song and also found a front cover of the song as well.

Thought that would make a good backside.

I gave the tag pieces a good coat of TH Black Soot Distress Paint and followed that 

with a coat of DP Antique Linen. 

Later, I chose to add another shelf, so I did the same to those 2 pieces as well.

I also edged the TH Baseboard Frame with 

TH Distress Crayon in Antique Linen inside with Black Soot Distress Paint on its outer edge.

Using a 12 inch dowel rod, cut it in half, I sanded the tops and bottoms

and painted them with TH Distress Paint in Walnut Stain.

They would be used for flagpoles.

After all the edging was finished, I was ready to add the covering printouts

using Glossy Accents, then burnished everything on the edges with the TH Sanding Grip.

I dug out the Americana paper ribbon used in some previous projects to

form flags, and inked it with a bit of TH Distress Oxide in Vintage Photo.

I gave both the TH Paper Doll and the little printed add-on edgings of Distress Oxide Vintage Photo.

And also used the same Oxide on both sides of the tag

 as well as the rest of the tag pieces and the baseboard frame.

This is what I came up with:

Front Side of Tag

Back Side of Tag

 

Some Closeups...

Front Side of Tag 

I did color this TH Paper Doll...she had to match the occasion. ;)

Shining a pen light underneath the TH Vellum Scene shows the music background of the Tag.

The Baseboard Frame is up on double sticky pop-dots, as well as just about everything;

I wanted those layers to really stand out so that light does come under the Vellum Scene.

I matched up the papering to the shelf and Tag so the layers matched up.

A bit of baling string gives a rustic look to the TH Assemblage Word Band

-painted in Mustard Seed Distress Paint.

REQUIREMENT CATTYWAMPUS: the TH Type Chips are set in card-hand-like slants

that form USA. It also gives the impression of the letters being on their

way up into the sky...like fireworks!

REQUREMENT CATTYWAMPUS: The Americana paper ribbon 'waves' across the tag

and disappears around the edge. US Flags definitely fly 'cattywampusly" !!

Back Side of Tag

A few layers of matboard die cut with TH Alterations Die Festive Gent

were adhered with Glossy Accents, then given complete coverings of Distress Paint Black Soot.

Some hoarded TH Crinkle Ribbon lightly shaded with Regular Distress Mustard Seed Ink

makes a good "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" around his neck as he marches onward.

Yummy IdeaOlogy! And a nod to Francis Scott KEY with a TH key.

I added splatters of TH Black Soot Distress Paint all over the Back Side only.

I love the look it gave!

And I added two feet of TH IdeaOlogy Crinkle Ribbon- soaked with a touch of

Oxide Inks in Antique Linen and Vintage Photo.

A TH Wire Pin holds it all together nicely.

REQUIREMENT CATTYWAMPUS: This wiggly, wavey, oh-so-wonderful US Flag

plays up the off-center very nicely!

        And that's what I have for this Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #14 Cattywampus .

   If you are looking to make something in the next day or so; the deadline for this is 11pm Tuesday.

     Just follow the easy rules on the blog's post, and you could be a Winner in the Top 3 or win the 

                     Gift Certificate drawing- Sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique .

     THANKS! to everyone for the nice comments! My last post ( DOCUMENTED ) was

  chosen Winner for TFJBChallenge #13, so I'll be Guest Designer in late July.  I'm looking forward

  to that! Sorry; no spoilers. lol!

         I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July- and you were able to enjoy celebrating the freedom

   that was fought for- and won- by those who founded this great country. I've been enjoying some 

    down time in the rural Florida Panhandle. Most folks here are very kind about keeping distance      

       and being careful concerning the virus- especially distancing at the beaches and in the water. 

       We're making preparations for retiring and the place and work we'll have down here for our 

       "Golden Years" during the winter months of Indiana. It will take time before we get into the

         swing of things with a schedule for the timing, but for now, I am just enjoying the 'chill' 

                                    of 90* days with the sun shining and the surf pounding.

                                          Thanks for stopping by and until next time...

                                                                  Stay Safe & 

                                 HAPPY BLOGGING!!

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #13 Positively Pensive...DOCUMENTED

   June is turning out to be almost 'normal' when it comes to being busy with places to go and people to see; when it comes to family, anyway. With the 'new normal' making us wear masks and being more careful to always wash up and have anibac handy, being with your family members makes you feel safest. I did stay away from one family reunion (and sorely missed being there with them), but traveled to another side of family for a Niece's wedding a full week later. The setting was outdoors in the boonies with a huge beautiful barn as the backdrop for both the wedding and the reception. Far away from towns and other people, other than just family...and with more than enough winding backroads through the Tennessee Smokies to make you want to lean out the window and toss your tummy cookies-ugh- I'm a Salt-Lifer; not Land-Lubber. The area where our Niece and new Nephew live is a far cry from where she's from: an hour away from the Emerald Coast in Florida that boasts one of the USA's most beautiful white sandy, pristine beaches. I had so hoped for a sunny beachy wedding, but was very pleasantly surprised with the wonder of the purple mountainous backdrop... and a rainbow that lasted almost 1/2 an hour while the sun still shone over us brightly! And the Bride was stunning, as were her 3 beautiful Sisters, and Momma! It was a mere 3 day trip with no other contacts, but it was well worth the 7 hour drive. GOD willing, we head back down in July to the Coast for some family time, as well as some needed sunshine! I really hated that 2 other Family Reunions (on other sides) were canceled due to the COVID19. But, like I've said in earlier posts; we all have choices to make and we all need to put safety first- for EVERYONE.

     This project for TFJBChallenge #13 is kind of spot on for the very thing that I feel I need to do for every Challenge: documentation that includes photos of each step along my creative way. Now, that's the thing about me; I like to go allllllllll the waaaaaay when it comes to details. (It is NOT REQUIRED to show each step for the TFJBChallenges, but I always try to.) I actually LOVE documenting things and you'll find me taking a photo of just the room number and outside sign of where we stayed in a hotel. I've used it for reference many times over, too! Let's say... the ChiefHubby wonders "what the name of that place was?" …"Oh, lemme look that up in my pics". And I've got it all in files that are safely kept along with

the thousand or so photos I took of that event. I can easily take 50 photos of one project and narrow it down to the 'best of the bunch' that become the ones you will see on my posts- cropped down and made into jpeg images (for ease of viewing). I may be 'retired' from all those years of being a photographer for everyone and every thing, but now I use it for this hobby of my own. Oh, I still enjoy doing impromptu videos or photos for others, just no longer paid for it. Oh, right... I NEVER took any pay for it.  :)  I just figured that as long as GOD provided all the equipment and whatever we needed for our own family; I'd do what HE intended for the gift of talent HE gave me. And the same always goes for making things for others; as HE provides what I need to use for it. Life has a way of working out according to HIS Plan for each of us... if we would only allow it.

     So; let's get down to business fun...

It all began with the trip up to see Grandbaby Jamie;

this printed parchment was used for the bottom of the donuts that come

from a favored shop in Red Wing, MN. that the younger Couple Kids favor.

Nope- while I have had these donuts several times, I had never noticed that the

same printed parchment is always used. And no- I have never before looked closely

to see that the date on it is the YOUNGER SON'S BDAY! 

(Ok, while he was born on a Tuesday, not Monday, and the year is 1969- 

not his own birth year of 1992...but hey; close! And bonus: the Summer of Love!!)

FINALLY! I get an idea for that new TH Etcetera Mini Tag!!

My first Thickboards use was with the 'shelves', so I got out the Brackets set

(already having used the Scallops set on another prior project/post).

LOVE those Thickboards and now I want the larger ones!

I got out all the things that I thought I might use.

As my ArtMuse changes her mind along the way, not every item gets used-

as per the pink X-outs on the things that didn't see any use at all.

Since the Etcetera Thickboards only come with one reinforcer

(that circle which goes over the tag's top hole),

my first step was to make a reinforcer for the backside of the tag.

I always like to craft both sides of my tags.

This was my use of the TH Memoranda Paperie.

Using both the smallest Spellbinders Circle, and my 1/2 circle punch,

I was able to make an exact, same size fitting for the second reinforcer.

I did double it up for a tiny bit of thickness, but the plan

was for one side of the tag to be '3-dimensional' and the other side to be 2D,

with a bit of texture added.

Giving all the Thickboard pieces a coat of Distress Paint in Antique Linen.

I used both the brush on and the dabber bottles for good coverage in all the cracks and sides.

I only needed to sand one spot on the 'shelf' pieces- they are tear-apart from the package.

The two Tag pieces are surprisingly very smooth all over!

Then topping the Thickboard pieces with the printed parchment using Multi Medium Matte.

Then, giving the TH Lace Baseboard Frame the same coat of Antique Linen Distress Paint,

with some TH Distress Crayon in Vintage Photo- rubbed into the sides and top.

I distressed everything with TH Distress Oxide and TH Distress Crayon-

both in Vintage Photo.

I loved the monotone of my favorite TH color!!

Now, came the part where I got to FINALLY use that new TH Stamp Set; Inventor 8 !!

You can guess why I just had to have this stamp- the CAMERA!!

And yes, my collection has one of these very same cameras up on my Studio/Craft Room shelf!

I made sure to stamp out several copies, as I was not sure how many layers I would end up with.

As it turned out...I needed more than shown here.

But it was SOOOO FUN!!!

Here's where all the fussy-cutting, TH Distress Inking (in Black Soot),

and hot gun gluing took place.

It was rather tricky to cut and TRY to get that top 'lid' of the camera stamp lined up straight.

But, I did my best and just embraced the rest! :)

Doing the backside was simple fun- TH Stenciling (Numeric) over the 

TH Distress Oxide Ink Ground Espresso and TH Distress Regular Ink Black Soot.

Heat dried and then inked again; heated again for a simple finish.

I already had chosen a TH Paper Doll and a TH Pocket Card

(Distress Inked with Vintage Photo) to top this.

Now comes the main attraction:  Adding in the required use of a ball point pen.

I chose to make an item that would be at the forefront- but look like an afterthought.

Folding and inking up the die cuts with some TH Distress Pumice Stone Ink.

I could have used my TH Feather Embossing Folder, but chose not to.

Just kept it simple because of the main step...

...using a ball point pen in black gel ink to make short strokes onto the feather's tip

and up the middle. This made it look like ink from an ink well- dipped, used, dipped again, etc.

And a very last touch for the same requirement:

the date on the backside of the tag in regular blue ink (from a Georgetown Vol Fire Dept pen,

...one of BUNCHES of the retired ChiefHubby's stash of pens-

Firefighters love pens, bags, flashlights, and knives/window breakers,

and have at least 3 in every room if possible...*eyeroll*)

scribbled as if it were done long ago when the tag was stored away.

Made it look very old and...well...DOCUMENTED!

The resulting make...

FRONT

BACK

CLOSEUPS...

Ideaology!!

Not too shabby, eh?

The BALL POINT PEN requirement-1

BALL POINT PEN requirement-2

And that's that for this Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog!

Thanks goes out to The Funkie Junkie Boutique for Sponsoring the Challenges,

and to the AMAZING Design team and their STUNNING inspirational makes!

Can't wait to see what they'll come up with next that we can wrap our creative minds around!

THANKS for all the sweet comments and ESPECIALLY for taking time to stop by!

The younger set of kids are coming this week and I am SO EXCITED

to finally have all three of our Grandbabies together!!

Trust me...there WILL be PHOTOS!!!

So, Until Next time;

Stay Safe, &

HAPPY BLOGGING!!