Tim Holtz/Sizzix - Winston and Candlelight Colorize Thinlits

Hi my friends, I'm sharing the Etcetera Tag I made for the YouTube Live launch of Tim Holtz/Sizzix Seasonal release using two of the new die sets from the Colorize Collection, Winston and Candlelight and Festive Words Thinlits. If you missed the Live, you can check out the new release and the amazing projects from all the Makers on Tim's Blog HERE and YouTube Channel HERE. Winston is the most adorable snowman ever and doesn't he remind you of someone, of course, it's that amazing elder statesman Winston Churchill and Tim obviously thought so too, hence the name.

I instantly fell in love with this chubby, chilly little dude and had so much fun with this make. I began by die-cutting the Let It Snow sentiment 6 times from Distress Watercolor card using Tim Holtz/Sizzix Festive Words Thinlits and fixed together with Distress Collage Medium to create 2 dimensional sentiments. I used Tim Holtz/Sizzix Brickwork 3D Texture Fade with Distress Watercolor card and cut into small sections. I fixed the sentiments and brickwork pieces to a Small Etcetera Tag using Distress Collage Medium Matte. I applied two coats of Black Soot Distress Paint to the tag. I used Evergreen Bough, Salty Ocean, Fossilized Amber Distress Paints and White Gesso to drybrush the background. This process is all about building up layers of colour with the minimum amount of paint on your brush and making sure that each layer is dry before continuing. If you are impatient, perhaps this technique is not for you. I started off drybrushing with Salty Ocean and once I was happy with the coverage, I picked up Evergreen Bough on my brush without cleaning off the Salty Ocean and continued with Fossilized Amber and sometimes adding a little White Gesso into the mix along the way. I scrubbed the colour off my brush on kitchen towel and drybrushed the sentiments with White Gesso.

I fixed Sizzix Adhesive Sheets to panels of Distress Watercolor and Classic KraftStock and die-cut Tim Holtz/Sizzix Winston and Candlelight Colorize Thinlits.

I used Distress Reinkers and a Distress Detailer Brush to colour Winston's scarf and broom, the candle and holly leaves and berries.

I sanded the lantern to reveal the kraft core

I dry-brushed Winston's hat which was die-cut from Black KraftStock with White Gesso.

I die-cut the lantern from Idea-ology Black KraftStock and Winston from Distress Watercolor card and fixed to the tag with Distress Collage Medium Matte to help with the placement of the Idea-ology Halloween Tiny Lights. I applied a coat of Distress Collage Medium over the entire background, sprinkled on Stampendous Frantage Chunky White Embossing Enamel to create snow and heat set. I drilled a hole in the back of the tag, fed through the light strands and fixed around the edge of the lantern, behind where the candle would be and around the edge of Winston's body, held in place with small dots of hot glue applied to the wire sections only - if you get hot glue on the lights, you've cooked your goose - been there, done that, got the Tshirt. I tested the lights and attached the battery pack to the back of the tag with hot glue. I fixed Winston and the Lantern to the tag popped up on foam adhesive to create dimension and also to allow the glow to shine out from the Tiny Lights.

To finish I added Idea-ology Christmas Remnant Rub stars to the top corner. I added Christmas  Remnant Rub sentiments to strips of Idea-ology Black KraftStock and used one to cover the hole in the tag

and added the other on Winston's body.

A huge thank you to my sweet "master shipper" friend Mario, who made sure Winston made it safely home from his exciting trip to Tim's studio and I can't wait to switch him on and enjoy his cheery Christmas company in the cubbyhole and in my cosy TV den for the festive season.

Have fun with whatever you are making to decorate your home for the holidays.

Hugs Kath xxx