Home Sweet Home for A Vintage Journey

Hi everyone and welcome. Today sees the launch of the latest challenge over at A Vintage Journey. Our host for this month is Jennie and she's picked the theme 'Home Sweet Home'. Here's what she has to say about it; "For most of us the summer holidays are over, schools are back and it is nice to be home and back in the usual routines. So for this challenge let's create a project which sums up "home" for each of us (either past or present), using Tim's fabulous array of products and techniques. Just make sure Tim's style is evident in what you make."

(click on each image for a closer look)

It was one of those rare occasions when I knew exactly how I wanted to tackle the theme, adding a heart to the centre of a 3D house, as for me 'home is where the heart is'. Then when the pages of my 'Compendium of Curiosities 3' fell open at the page showing Tim's Altered Burlap tutorial it seemed as if fate had intervened to show how to cover my little house. And as it progressed further many more of Tim's ideas came into play too.

I'll move on to the outside later; for now let's look inside this little home. As I planned to apply the Postale Tissue Wrap once the house had been constructed covering the inside with it would have been tricky but for the fact that Tim has shown previously how to wrinkle it for added texture. With a blend of Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap Distress Paints over the top it soon transformed into a 'grotto'.

I have a lovely crafty friend who, along with her husband, is taking a leap of faith and following a dream to relocate to the coast. They were both increasingly in my thoughts as this project developed and it occurred to me that we can survive without so many of our material possessions as long as we have special people to share our lives with. In one way that explains the saying 'home is where the heart is'.

With all this in mind I cut the loving couple from a Found Relatives card, added the Chit Chat stickers and covered it all in Glue n Seal to give a matt finish, mounting them inside the house. To emulate a coastal grotto I added small shells and created Tiny Tattered Florals with sanded kraft core cardstock. The heart was easy and effective; die cutting small heart shapes from acetate packaging I glued these together with Glossy Accents (sandwiching a piece of Idea-Ology Jute String between those layers from which to hang the finished heart). Once dry I followed Tim's Faux Cracked Glass tutorial to add texture and colour, finishing this centrepiece with a Heart Charm and suspending it through the chimney.

As mentioned previously I followed Tim's Altered Burlap tutorial for the outside of the house adding the burlap to the card before die cutting the box shapes which were used in the initial construction. The same Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap Distress Paints were daubed over coordinating Ephemera, used in this case to represent the everyday working life that my friend is leaving behind. Keeping the finishing touches (Industrious Borders, Small Talk stickers and Remnant Rubs) flat seemed essential in this case as I don't want to add too much complication to their packing!!! It also made the house even more tactile. Here it is shown from the other angles...

Now you've seen my 'Home Sweet Home' it's time to hop on over to A Vintage Journey where my fellow Creative Guides are sharing their own amazing projects. Then it's over to you - the challenge will remain open for a month so there's plenty of time to get those creative juices flowing and link up your entries to be in with a chance to win!

I'm back later this morning with a Friday Focus for Frilly and Funkie and hope you can join me for that.
For now though, take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx

Distress Paints, Inks, and essentials, Idea-Ology, Sizzix Dies and Tim Holtz Stamps can all be purchased at Country View Crafts.