Curiously Rock Candied...

Gooooodly Morning to all you lovely Compendium-ers!  Today sees the start of another brand new Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge.  To see all the details on how to join in with the challenge, CLICK HERE.  Also, if you pop across to Linda's blog, you will see all gorgeous creations that my talented teamies on the Curiosity Crew have made... they never cease to amaze me with their inspirational ideas and art!   The challenge is sponsored by the Inspiration Emporium this time... so you will have a chance of winning a very generous Gift Certificate to spend there.  Tim & Mario have, as ever, very kindly donated goodies for an extra prize... which will be awarded to the "Curiosity Crew's Choice"... so you have two chances of winning fabby prizes!  If you haven't got your Compendium book just yet, you can order a signed copy directly from the man himself... HERE.  And... Linda has also done a FAQ page for you.. HERE it is... all the info you will need is listed there.   This week we are turning to Page 55 of the book and playing with Rock Candy Distress Glitter.  As ever with the Compendium Challenge, neither I, nor the Curiosity Crew, will be posting the technique instructions and participants must not do so either. We all want to encourage people to buy Tim's awesome book; giving away the instructions wouldn’t be fair to him. Linda will have no choice but to un-link any entries that don’t follow this rule.  

As per usual I have made a tag for my entry.  Before I waffle on, I shall answer a couple of questions I have been asked recently: "what do you do with all the tags you make?"   Well, that depends!  For example, the ones for the Compendium Challenge, have made it onto a big old book ring and will eventually be turned into wall art... the rest... they usually go into a basket and serve as a "mojo-buster" should the Old Cad Mojo swan off on his holibobs.  Occasionally I will pop one onto a card blank.   Another question: "why do you make mostly tags?"  I love tags, the size is perfect for me to work on, I love the manila surface to play on and I guess, they just make me happy.    And another: "What size tag do you use?"  My favourite size is Ranger's Size 8 Manila... I LOVE this cardstock SO muchly!  Hope that answers a few of you :O)   Anyways.. on with the challenge!  My tag! I started with my tag and spritzed Milled Lavendar, Antique Linen and Seedless Preserves Spray Stains over it, misting with water to get a nice drippy effect and dried it with a heat tool. 

Now, 213 years ago I was lucky enough to see a rare demo morning with Tim himself in a little craft shop in London.  It was upon that day that I fell hook, line and sinker for all things Tim and Distress!  I treated myself to a couple of wood-mounted Tim stamps (this was just as Tim released his very first 10 unmounted sets and the shop didn't have them in yet!) One of the stamps was Peacock Flourish - which is now on the unmounted set Tattered Elements - and it has remained a much beloved stamp of mine.   I used Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and did the technique as outlined on Page 55 of the book.  Isn't that glitter just soooo pretty?  I don't normally "do" glitter, I hate the way the stuff flies all over the place and ends up in places that glitter really has no business of being!  However, Distress Glitter is a complete different animal... it doesn't flap about, it isn't static and... best of all, it looks realllly chunky but is so smooth.. oh and better than best of all... you can ink it!  YAY!

Once I had the background how I wanted it (and.. ooopsie-daisies, I forgot to get a photo of the background before I decorated it) I set about layering up some decorative bits.  I used manila cardstock (Ranger) and did the same Spray Stain spritzes to colour it, die cut it with the Tattered Florals die and made a rose *points left - see full photo tut in sideybar on how I make my roses*   I then cut some Garden Green leaves, added bits and bobs of trim and ruler ribbon and Idea-ology and then got out the old Underwood (ahem, did I mention I loves my old Underwood?) and typed a few words... and voila, assembled!  I liked the look of it but it still needed something... so I grabbed some Crinkle Ribbon and followed the awesome Paula Cheney's bow tutorial... I LOVE how she makes those bows soooo easy... thank you Paula!  I make no secret of the fact I think she is a ROCK star in this world of craft we inhabit.

Anyways... that's it from me for today... don't forget, you have two whole weeks to enter the challenge... and a bat at the chance of grabbing the Crew's Choice prize which is a mahooosive haul of stash donated personally by Tim & Mario... so if you are joining in, remember to comment on all the Crew's blogs and you will be in with a chance of winning that too *believe me, this is one gigantic pile of goodies*!  Thanks for looking, have an inky and inspirational day!  TTFN

Hels x