Saturday Showcase -- She Paints Seashells By the Seashore with Tim Holtz

Welcome to this week's Saturday Showcase where we share techniques and tips using products available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. It's Sara Emily here today, and I'm sharing some tips on how to decorate Sizzix Bigz Die w/Texture Fades - Seashells by Tim Holtz using Ranger Distress products. Hopefully I can provide a bit of inspiration for our current challenge, Surf's Up. 

 For each of these shells, I used the new Seashells Bigz die by Tim Holtz and the Texture Fade which is included. I used various papers including Distress Heavystock, Distress Watercolor Cardstock, Idea-ology Metallic Kraft Stock, Alcohol Ink Yupo Paper in white, and scraps from my stash. For most of my samples, I applied gesso to the shells before adding any products. I did not use gesso with Yupo or Metallic card, and I didn't use it for the blue shell that I used Distress ink alone to color. Most of my shells are shaped, and I did this by first spritzing the back with water, shaping and then drying with a heat tool. 

Here are the steps along with a photo collage for each set of shells pictured above, with the exception of the 'brass' and yellow shells. Things were not going well with the brass colored shell, so I thought I was going to trash it and I just forgot on the yellow one.. I will try to recreate my steps.  Remember, you can click on any image to zoom in.

Brass shell:

1. Using metallic Kraft stock, die cut shell. Sponge with Ground Espresso Distress paint. Allow to mostly dry.

2. Apply drop of Denim alcohol ink. Spritz with water and dry with heat tool.

3. Apply drop of Teakwood alcohol ink. Spritz with water and dry with heat tool.

4. Sponge with  Picket Fence Distress paint. Dry slightly with heat tool.

5. Wipe with clean cloth.

Metallic Blue shell:

1.Cut shell from silver Metallic kraft card and emboss.

2. Sponge on Picket Fence Distress paint. Drip a few drops of Denim alcohol ink and spritz with water. Heat dry.

3. Blend edges with Frayed Burlap ink.

 Yellow shell:

1. Apply Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide to gessoed shell. Do this by the 'dip and dry' method--apply oxides to mat and spritz with water. Dip your card into puddle, then dry with a heat tool. Repeat until satisfied with results.

2. Using a brush apply Worn Lipstick Oxide.

3. Blend edges with Frayed Burlap ink.

Blue shell:

1. Blend cardstock shell (no gesso) with Faded Jeans Distress ink.

2. Spritz with water and let dry or dry with heat tool.

3. Apply touches of Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide.

4. Blend with Faded Jeans and Black Soot Distress ink.

5. Scribble raised areas with Faded Jeans Distress Crayon.

1. Outline with Walnut Stain Distress Marker.

2. Blend with water pen.

3. I included a photo of the embossing process, because I wanted to mention I sometime used design tape to hold the shell in place if I was concerned about getting a perfectly aligned impression. It's also worth mentioning to be sure you are coloring the 'right side'. This is particularly important in some upcoming shells. You want to be sure you are embossing, not debossing the colored side of your shell. In some cases, I purposely debossed, for a different outcome.

4. Blend edges with Ground Espresso Distress ink.

5. Apply touches of Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide.

***My Favorites!***

 1. Color (gessoed) shell with Tattered Rose  and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide using the dip and dry method.

2. Apply  Distress Vintage Collage Medium with a palette knife.

3. While wet, sprinkle with  Distress Glitter Dust.

4. Dry with heat tool, from a distance at first to avoid a glitter dust facial.

5. When the collage medium is dry and bubbly, apply Frayed Burlap Oxide using the dip and dry method.

6. Apply more Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide using a wet brush.

7. While the shell is still damp bend into shape.

1. Apply Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide to heavily gessoed shell using blending foam, then by dip and dry.

2. Apply Frayed Burlap Oxide by dip and dry.

3. Blend edges with Frayed Burlap ink.

4. Apply additional Worn Lipstick Oxide with brush to 'inside' of shell.

***My Second Favorites!***

1. Apply Distress Grit Paste to shells with a palette knife and allow to dry.

2. Apply Bundled Sage and Iced Spruce Oxides to the shells using dip and dry.

3. Do the same with Frayed Burlap Oxide.

4. Shape shells using a ball stylus on the Horse Conch and by pinching bottom of the scallop shell.

5. Add Worn Lipstick Oxide on inside of Conch using a brush.

6. Blend edges with Frayed Burlap ink.

1. Apply alcohol inks in Sailboat Blue and Mushroom to Yupo paper. I dribbled drops and spritzed with rubbing alcohol. I used a heat tool to move the color around. It looked like a hot mess.

2. Die cut shells and emboss.

3. Scribble with Picket Fence Distress crayon and heat set. Be careful with the heat, because Yupo acts like Shrinky Dinks when too intense heat is applied.

4. Blend edges with Ground Espresso ink.

I hope you enjoyed today's tips and will give one of them a try! Our current challenge, Surf's Up,  is open through Tuesday, May 22nd, and these shells would fit in perfectly with the theme. Our Funkie girls will be posting their inspiration on Wednesday. Be sure to stop back next Saturday when another Design Team member will be sharing more tips and techniques. 

Happy creating!

Sara Emily

These products were used and can be found at The Funkie Junkie Boutique, where the prices are always priced 20%  off suggested retail:

Sizzix Bigz Die w/Texture Fades - Seashells by Tim Holtz	TIm Holtz Distress Mixed Media Heavystock TDA53835	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock	(February Pre-order) Tim Holtz Idea-ology 8 x 8 Metallic Kraft Stock	Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Yupo Paper, White 10PK TAC49715
Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Paint	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Paint - Picket Fence	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - 6PC Set #2	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons - 6PC Set #3	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Marker - Walnut Stain
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Frayed Burlap	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Faded Jeans	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot	Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Ink Pad	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Denim Blue
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Teakwood	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Sail Boat Blue	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Mushroom	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Iced Spruce	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Bundled Sage
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Frayed Burlap	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Worn Lipstick	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Tattered Rose	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Pad - Fossilized Amber	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium Vintage
Tim Holtz Distress Glitter Dust - Vintage Platinum	Distress Grit Paste	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer	Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool-With 2 Blending Foams	Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Foam
Ranger Inkssentials Mini Ink Blending Tool - With 4 Blending Foams