Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Tiny Houses, Made of Grungeboard.....

I've had to steal a moment here and there, and it took me three days, but I do have a piece that fits the themes of both Grungy Monday (grungeboard/grungepaper) and Simon Says Stamp and Show (embossing). 

Using plenty of goodliness from Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi, I created a nameplate for my desk.  Not that I work any more (retired) and need to identify myself to anyone, but I thought it was cool and wanted one. 



First I cut up some grungeboard using Tim's Artful Dwellings die, then added a few of Wendy's Art Parts from her Residences set.  Let me tell you, the Dwellings and Residences play very nicely together.

Allow me to take you on a little guided tour of this grungy village.....



First of all, I wanted you to see that all the buildings are arranged and glued (Claudine Hellmuth's matte multi medium rocks!) onto an old Scrabble tray,  colored with peeled paint distress stain.




The first artful dwelling was embossed with Tim's burlap folder and inked with scattered straw and forest moss distress inks.  The opening was cut with a keyhole mover and shaper die, and I stuck Mona Lisa in that window, covered by a bit of mica.....just because.  The roof is topped with Tim's wings and some foliage.  Now, on to the next structure:



This one was embossed with Tim's bricked folder, and colored with fired brick and aged mahogany distress inks.  A bit of scrap paper from one of Tim's paper collections tops the roof.  As for the number......well, I love Tim's plaquettes and in fact have them, but you know, sometimes you just may want a number that is not in the set.  80 is my house number, and that's what I wanted.  So, I covered a plain metal disc with clear embossing ink and white embossing powder and heat set it until the surface was nice and smooth like porcelain.  BTW, I needed two coats to achieve that.  When cooled, I distressed the edges with some black archival ink and used it to stamp the numbers as well. Archival ink dries quickly and is permanent.




This house was embossed with Tim's checkerboard folder and inked with tea dye and vintage photo distress inks.  The large keyhole opening is also a mover and shaper die and behind it, a bit of text from the scrap pile.  Defining the roof is an Art Part....painted with snowcap, then colored with peeled paint distress stain, which gives it a softer more pastel look.  Over top, some random dots from an old SU! stamp, inked with sepia archival ink.  You can't see it in this picture, but if you look again at the shot of the full village, you'll see I used a hitch fastener as the doorknob of this building.  I love the versatality of the idea-ology line.



This little house is an Art Part, colored with monarch orange archival ink, then stamped with one of Wendy's background stamps with coffee archival ink.  The opening was covered with one of Tim's keyhole idea-ology pieces.  A teeny light bulb I had in my stash fit perfectly in the opening.




Lastly, this tall skinny Artful Dwelling had the three squares cut into it with a Sizzix mover and shaper die.  Behind the openings, some leftover paper from the dryer sheet background I showed you the other day.  Held in place with staples and Tim's tiny attacher. The grungeboard was inked with saffron archival ink and stamped with another of Wendy's background stamps with sepia.  Yet another idea-ology keyhole decorates the peak of the roof.

As for my name.....I used a variety of letters from my stash.










36 comments:

Debby said...

This is really cool Eileen. I like how you combined both Tim and Wendy items together. Very nice!

2amscrapper said...

I just love row houses and you've taken them to a new level--so creative and fun!

Kathy Eddy said...

This is one of the coolest pieces I've seen lately Eileen! You rocked this! Would you mind if I cased this idea and made myself something similiar? Fantastic!

Helen said...

I want to come and live in your village!!
Love it when you have time to create.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful...I want to live on that street!

Nancy Lynn said...

Very nice Eileen.

Linda DesGroseilliers said...

FANTASTIC!!!

Lori said...

LOVE IT! Those houses DO go well together! This looks fabulous! Thanks for joining the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!

Diann said...

Your nameplate for your desk is just fabulous! Our friend, Angie, made one for me years ago using the game piece for a holder too and I still use it! The decorated houses are just the best...wish I had those houses! I think I can see your Mom's place close by! Diann

Trish said...

Wow, this is fantastic! Great art work!

Jingle said...

This is absolutely fantastic! Wow!

Vic said...

Fabulous! Thanks for the deeets. Reminds me, I have a bag of Scrabble holders. Must use them! LOL

Tammy D said...

These are really neat. I'm so glad you got some playtime for yourself!

Sue Fraser said...

Eileen your name plate is so cool!! I think that perhaps I NEED one too!! As soon as I get a chance I's off to build my little town. Thanks for the idea.

jane said...

This is great! I just moved offices this week and this would be perfect for my desk. May just have to copy some of your ideas! Thanks for all the great ideas!

Andrea said...

What a great idea and so beautifully done. Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

Oh what a beautiful project!!!!

Jean said...

Thanks for sharing, I really love the Artful dwellings, they are on my list to use this week, so this was timely advice!

Nancy said...

This is wonderful, Eileen!! Wonderful!!!

Linda Ledbetter said...

Eileen, I'd like to rent a townhouse in your wonderful little village, please! This is just brilliant-- I need to make one for my own desk (SO not retired!). I love the character you gave to each individual building, and the combo of Artful Dwellings and Residences is indeed a match made in heaven. What an inspired-- and inspiring-- work of wondrous art. Grungeboard has never been so welcoming. :-)

Bethan said...

blinking heck you just keep coming out with these gorgeous projects. Love it.... so effective. Sorry going to have to make one for me now....add it to the list!ha-ha!!

Brenda Brown said...

What an amazing row of dwellings - such a creative idea Eileen. I love all the different shapes and colours which makes it so visually interesting.
Glad you enterd Grungy Monday with this fabulous design.
luv and hugs {brenda} xoxox

Dorothy said...

The scrabble tray!!! What a great Idea!!
I have some of those and didn't know what to with them!
Now I know!!!
Awesome houses!!

Valerie Brincheck said...

This is such a cute idea! I have some scrabble tile holders from an old game so I may just have to make myself a nameplate too. What a great way to use a bunch of bits and pieces to make your own little village.

Cathy Y said...

Oh, dear, that is jus totally cool. I hope you don't mind being CASED!!!!!

Unknown said...

Wow! This is so so cool. I want to make one for my husband's desk. I never can think of things to make him as everything seems so feminine but this would be really cool for a guy's desk. Seems a bit of a challenge for me -- which is even more of a reason to go ahead and try it.

Patzee said...

What a great way to use all those embossing folders! This is so cool, I'd carry it around with me and put it on the table at restaurants, when visiting the doctor's office, etc.

Nancy Wethington said...

Hi Eileen, Great project. Love all your little houses and their accompanying embellishments. Thanks for joining the challenge at Simon Says Stamp & show.

Geri said...

Love this! Thanks for linking into artsee bloggers!

Gillian .... said...

Love your personalised grungy village Eileen, so cool.

Marliese said...

Love your name plate, Eileen. Very creative. Marliese

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

How cool is this? Very creative - so many terrific details and how clever to use a Scrabble tray to arrange it on. Totally awesome take on the embossing challenge! So happy you joined in the fun with us this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show.

Hettie said...

This 8is absolutely brilliant Eileen! I have been wondering whether to buy this die or not and you have convinced me I need it!!

Art By Wanda said...

This is awesome, Eileen!!!

Elaine A said...

Hi Eileen -

This piece is just absolutely wonderful. What an awesome job you've done on it. Love it! Such a fun piece.

Elaine Allen

Anonymous said...

Love this...........i am so jealous. This is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!