Christmas Collage Panel

This year I actually had time to make a few gifts. I get so much joy out of making and giving and I literally spend hours and hours in my crafty dungeon just making. For this project I wanted to use the new Tim Holtz collage tiles and panel.

I’m a collector of ‘things’ and I like to incorporate them into my projects. I was really inspired by Paula Cheney at One Lucky Day to use things I’d never used before. Here is a link to her panel: http://www.oneluckyday.net/2021/11/collage-tiles-panel.html?fbclid=IwAR0hhMG4iGP8WZdasjERGL9vpeSlprA7HUYH9iaqe0SOozsXj_cjFQAyEfc&m=1

Tim has made this so easy with the new Christmas tiles. I only needed to glue them to the 10×10 panel with collage medium, add Distress crayon around the edges and smudge it in to create the aged patina. I also added strips of backdrop paper to the sides. Then I added collage crackle paste randomly around the frame sides. Once dried I smudged in some vintage brown crayon.

I then used some TH Christmas Baseboard items for the focal point. I used the new distress collage snowfall grit past to enhance the frame. For the posterior I used a piece from the Christmas ephemera pack. I tied some red and white string in a double bow and attached some TH ice skates that I had distressed.

I selected a vintage photo of a small boy and his sled (sledge) and tinted him with Distress crayons. I used a TH metal frame to frame him. The vintage tiny lanterns from TH caught my eye even though I had no idea how I would use them. They are so cute! For this one, I painted it with candy apple paint then rubbed black crayon onto it. So simple!

These little bristle brush Christmas trees are so sweet. For this one I sprayed it with the new Holly Branch Mica spray, then I dipped the top bristles in a glass of water to remove some of the paint to create the ombré effect. I colored a few baubles with alcohol ink. When the were dry, I rubbed some snow grit over them. I hot glued them to the tree once the tree was positioned to the panel.

For the ‘shelf’, I used some old vintage rulers that I had collected, glued them together to create approximately 1 1/2 – 2” shelf so that there was space to add the tree and lantern. I glued these onto the panel and let set over night to ensure it was stable. I then glued the lantern and tree in place after adding tiny lights. To fill in around them I glued tiny pine cones that I had also collected.

Once I had the main objects attached, I went back and added bits and pieces of ephemera. The 25 metal number from TH which I painted candy apple red and distressed. I glued these over the printed 25 and makes this little tile look 3-D. For the little baseboard I added mica behind and then attached TH word stickers, then below the photo opening I glued and added mica flakes. I also added the Merry & Bright baseboard to the top of the photo frame and enhanced it with tiny stars and icicle grit paste.

I used the baseboard stars as the final finish after distressing them with distress vintage platinum glitter dust to add a little bling to this panel.

Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture with the tiny lights on or the little pocket I created in the back to attach and store the light batteries. But I hope you get the main ideas. This project really only took me about 2 or 3 hours, most likely because I used Paula’s as an example.

Hope this inspires you to use you ‘stash’ and collectibles. I think the vintage ruler is the highlight on this panel. The receiver if this gift was delighted 😊.

Happy Creating ~ Joanne