Mini Clipboard Entomology

 Bugs and Bees in May

This is my first inspiration project for Country View Crafts this month called Bugs and Bees

Mini Clipboard

Using Tim's die I adhered together a kraft die-cut and a black card over the top and sanded the edges which were then edged with the distress crayon.

The clip was sanded and also had distress crayon rubbed over to distress it.

The panel was added having been cut from one of the panels I made using gathered twigs, pumice stone, old paper and antique linen.

I added a smaller panel using the lighter card to die cut the smaller rectangle.

Building the frame

I used the Entomology stamps and dies and cut them all to choose the bug I wanted to use.

I also used the Field Notes stamps to stamp ephemera with picket fence on black.

I took the black frame and stamped some text using gesso and when it was dry I rubbed over the brown distress crayon to lower the brightness of it.

For the base layer of the background I used exactly the same distress inks and I added more text this time using one of the brown distress inks,

Then I created another distressed panel mounted on black and kraft panel card and distressed the edges.

I soaked the bug and gently moulded it into a curved shape and stuck a piece of wood dowling underneath it to make it look a little more lifelike and be in a standing position rather than laying flat,

I adhered the bug onto the mini clipboard to finish

I do like the additional flowers and the 3D effect of the bug on this frame.

xx

Supplies

Tim Holtz Stamps - Entomology, Field Notes, Ledger Script, Wildflowers CMS253

Tim Holtz dies - Entomology, Vault Noteworthy, Specimen,

Distress Inks - Pumice Stone, Old Paper, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso, Picket Fence

Distress Crayons - Vintage Photo, 

Versa Fine Clair - Nocturne

DecoArt Americana White Gesso

Kraft card, black card and silver card.

Nests and Eggs

 A Shadowbox for the Country View Craft Challenge - Easter - bunnies,chicks or eggs,

I have put together a curated collection of elements to create this curio shadowbox

Process Steps

Background - Scrape some gesso randomly on the paper, dry and stamp with text, I used ground espresso distress ink.

Making the nests - Pull out some natural cocosfibre, wind tightly round a pencil glue together with heat gun. Cut some of the fibre away and create a second one to glue on top keeping it to fit the dome. Keep pushing thumbs down in the centre to create the bowl nest shape. 

Spray with distress sprays to get the colour you want. I used gathered twigs. I then made two more and set them on two wooden spools bound with dark brown hemp.

Painting the eggs. Line them up on some double sided sticky tape to keep them secure and free from fingers for painting.

Here the nests were settled on the tops of two wooden reels.

The large bottles were filled with moss and three of the painted & speckled eggs. I added some brown paint to make them somewhat distressed. 

This is how I put the nest together for the dome.

The feathers actually ended up in a different bottle. 

And so did the twigs.

I used Tim's matchbox die to make these boxes for the larger die-dut eggs to sit in. I used leftover pieces of distressed card to cut them.

The smaller die-cut eggs were raised slightly by some small pieces of dowling wood my hubbie cut me.

It took several days to make decisions on how to put this together but I love that there are lots of eggs here to fit the theme of the challenge.

xx

Supplies

Tim Holtz latest paper pack for background and the title came from an old 8x8 TH pad  https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/th94473-tim-holtz-palette-collection-neutral-8x8-183470-p.asp

Tim Holtz dies - Vault Matchbox 666604

Tim Holtz Stamps - Ledger Script CMS241   https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-stamps-by-stampers-anonymous-193-c.asp

Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Bottles, tny eggs, ephemera, Curator snippets,   https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-idea-ology-102-c.asp

DecoArt - Decoupage    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/decoart-americana-decou-page-sealerglue-gloss-4oz-167418-p.asp   Gesso not in stock

Tim Holtz - Ranger - distress paints - tumbled glass, weathered wood, fired brick, seedless preserves, ground espresso, vintage photo     https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-distress-paints-436-c.asp

Distress Inks - ground espresso, scorched timber  https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/distress-ink-pads-1907-c.asp

Distress Sprays - Pine Needles, Twisted Citron, walnut stain, antique linen,    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-distress-spray-stains-696-c.asp

Sizzix dies - eggs a very old set.

49&Market Mindful Moments words  Out of stock

Easter Bunny cards for Country View Crafts with Tim Holtz dies

Fun with Hippity Hop dies

April's challenge at CVC FB Challenge page is 

Easter - Eggs, Chicks or Bunnies

I chose these gorgeous bunnies and had fun with them. The rabbits were cut from a previously dipped piece of media paper and cut using the vault hippity hop dies. I used distress inks to give a suggestion of clothes and die cut the bows and butterflies for decoration.

The background was made using the scallop stencil with the dry watercolour pencils and stencil and the monoprinting technique. I also had some lightly dipped and splattered card that I cut for the panel and I added some stencilling.

Finally I put the cards together using 49&Market papers and snippets.

xxx

Supplies

Tim Holtz stencil - Shifter scallop, Mini Sparkle Fade set #62,    https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/tim-holtz-layering-stencils-523-c.asp