A Very Special Project

I began working on A Very Special Project a few weeks back.

Orders were placed for Very Special Supplies to add to  my already handsome Tim Holtz stash; some would be used, not all would fit.

Believe it or not, this isn't even all the Tim Holtz supplies I've acquired over the years; no room for all my Distress Inks, Markers, Stickles or the newest Ideology goodies I got while creating this project

I found A Very Special frame at Goodwill; one that had a nice deep shadowbox style.

only $2.99!

Since I was going to recover it, the buckled faux wood was ripped off.

I laid the frame onto a 12 x 12 sheet of paper from Tim Holtz' Crowded Attic Paper Stash...

... and cut it out. I just need a single strip from another sheet to finish off the bottom.

I removed the glass and glued the new cover on the frame, adding Ideology Corners and aged it even more with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Distress Embossing Ink and Distress Vintage Photo Embossing Powder and Walnut Stain Ink were used to create a rusted photo mat - as Tim instructed in his Compendium of Curiosities book (Vol. 1, page 45).

Now I had to decide amongst far too many cool treasures exactly which ones to use and where to place them in the box/frame. I began by creating a mini cabinet out of 3 matchboxes (cut in half to fit). Three drawers were lined with teenie vintage newspaper ads from Tim's Crowded Attic paper. I used his Vintage Photo Distress Marker to make the woodgrain effect on the outside of the miniature cabinet.

Okay, I won't keep you in suspense any longer...

Why is this such A Very Special Project?

Well, because of The Very Special Photo I received:

Isn't that awesome? I was so thrilled to have both Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi's autographs, that I knew I had to give it the frame it deserved.... filled with his wonderful products!

To show how much Tim has inspired me, I also wanted to incorporate some of my own actual artist's tools into the design; a used paintbrush, pencil, and a vintage wooden folding ruler.

Of course because I adore Steampunk, I couldn't help but add lots of his gears and chain to it too. An Ideology Ornate Plate frames a vintage ad for a fountain pen - again from the Crowded Attic Paper Stash. A Metal Label Pull has a stamped image from his Stampers Anonymous Visual Artistry Collection and was added to the bottom of the frame.

A mini-diorama with a one-inch version of A Compendium of Curiosities... and yes, those drawers do pull out thanks to his Ring Fasteners. Three Mini Paper Clips and a small Corked Vial has Distress Embossing Powder inside. A moth perches atop it (there are four moths in all - fussy cut from the Crowded Attic paper). A Memo Pin holds a Journaling Ticket stamped with two images from the Stampers Anonymous Random Thoughts set. An Ideology Game Spinner is attached at the top with a brad.

Here's a closer look at the lower left section. Tim's Pocket Watch has a real vintage watch face added and loose gears in front roll around inside when shaken - so I made the watch removable from the frame. I added "time after time" from his Words Remnant Rubs on the glass and used more Sprocket and Mini Gears and a Clock Key to hold it in place. An Ideology playing card has two letters from the Ransom Alpha Parts added and was distressed and tucked behind the watch.

Of course, I HAD to add three teenie tags to the design; I die-cut the shapes from Tim's Tiny Tabs and Tags Alterations Bigz Die, coloured with Distress Inks and a spritz of water using the Mini Mister, stamped images from the Stampers Anonymous Random Thoughts set, added a brad and baker's twine and skewered them all on a Memo Pin.

At the top, wings from Ideology's Regal Adornments set were attached to the Enameled Plaquette to mark the year. My Dad gave me that tiny brass pulley; perfect to hang a chain with more of Tim's pieces - a Collage Key, two metal Tag Labels and two metal Adornments (Ideology's Fleur de Lis and Star charms). A long piece of Film Strip Ribbon was attached with two brads and curls up and over the top of the frame. A Curio Knob is hung from the top as it reminded me of a chandelier light.

Tim's Birdcage houses a bird from another Adornment set and is hung from a Ring Fastener atop a gear that meshs with more Sprocket and Mini Gears on the outside of the frame. A Locket Key and keyhole were added to the frame top, and gears were die-cut in chipboard from both the Alterations Gadget Gears and Steampunk On The Edge dies. An Alterations Pediments die was also added; all were coloured using metallic Distress Stains and Distress Inks. Another Locket Key piece (keyhole only) was added to the Pediment diecut. I used Glossy Accents to attach the die-cut gears to the inside edge, spacing them out from front to back.

I probably could have made this piece the size of a whole wall if I wanted to include all the wonderful products Tim designs... but as it is, there are over 100 parts to this Very Special Project.

Thank you so much Tim and Mario for this wonderful gift; it is an incredible addition to my Studio and a source of inspiration whenever I look at it!

Here is a video that I hope shows even more than these still photos do:



A Very Special Project from Two Very Special Guys.