Embrace Imperfection - Breathe Mixed Media Card

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Hello to all my sweet crafty friends!!  

Today I made a card - mounted on a free standing plaque - for an extremely amazing executive friend of mine. I included little messages within the project that hopefully will encourage her and make her smile!  She has been a huge blessing to me and to my family - one of those few people that you are lucky enough to meet  - that goes above and beyond in every way.  And in all the years she has been in our lives, I have never made her a gift.

So I wanted it to be perfect and special however... when I saw the "embrace imperfection" metal plate from Tim Holtz, I knew that it needed to go on this project for her and for me as well.  She will love this no matter what!

Here is her gift! 

  I began by pulling out some of the things I thought might be fun to use on the project. 

For the background, I knew I wanted to use a technique from Tim Holtz, The Compendium of Curiosities - Vol. 3. on page 48.

I love learning new techniques and have had so much fun learning from Tim's book and from the Curiosity Crew from the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenges.  This is challenge 34 and the last challenge from this Vol. 3 book of Tim's. 

And yes - there is a prize for the best use of this technique... wouldn't that be fabulous.  They come from Tim and Mario as well as....

Here are some of the items I used in Tim's Layering Stencil, Monoprint technique.  I did three different types of backgrounds. 

I also used some of Tim's Kraft-Core "shattered" paper to mount these background on for a pop of extra color.  It comes in several different colors and is wonderful. Wish you could see it up close!

I stamped some flowers from Tim's Stampers Anonymous set Flower Garden - so sorry this picture is blurry but you can get the idea!!!  I also did a star but decided not to use it. 

I used three distress stain colors to paint my flowers. 

Polished Pewter

Aged Mahogany

Barn Door

I layered the flowers and cut some of the petals so the flower would stand up with lots of dimension.  Behind it is some tulle fabric flowers.  I painted some leaves with distress stain and topped them off with some antique linen distress stain.  

I used Tim Holtz Small Talk stickers and Botanical Remnant Rubs to add messages here & there.

Here you see some items from the Idea-ology Ephemera Pack - Vellum - Thrift Shop.  I die cut the birds from Sizzix Birds on a Wire Decorative Strip. 

All the metal embellishments are also from Tim Holtz collections.

You can't see it but the butterfly has a lovely black butterfly underneath it too!!  

And my dear sweet hubby prepped me a cedar board cut from our very own dead trees here at the ranch. 

Everything has a hidden meaning - such as drive-in ticket... this gal drives over an hour to work every day and gets there very early, leaving very late.  Plus... in our day - going to the drive-in was a fun, special treat!!  The inspire and ink pen are also Remnant Rubs. 

The ruler (Tim's ephemera) is because she and I are both very conscious of "measuring up" which seemed to go with Tim's "embrace imperfection" sentiment.  And underneath the chain - the small talk sticker says... "you can do anything but not everything"!

And sometimes we jokingly call her "fairy godmother" because she finds ways to "fix" things and make things happen that are astounding - so I added "make a wish"!! 

Those are Finnabair glass beads on the butterfly and I also added some of them to the center of the flower.  

There's a bit of crochet lace too - Prima Sand Lace.

Thanks bunches for taking the time to stop by.  

Wishing you all a happy weekend. 

Hugs. j. 

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