Creating an Antique Looking Embellishment

Hi, Marlene here back from a short blog break, welcome back readers.  Today I am talking about creating a patterned paper for an embellishment to use on a two page layout about visiting an old Spanish fort in southern Nicaragua.  I admit to being kind of a nut about continuity so doing a page about an antiquated fort, for me, demands an antiquated look.  I had in mind to replicate the partial stone walls seen in the pictures.  To start that, I distressed a piece of not quite white, canvas textured card stock using Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads in Pumice and Old Linen in a random pattern.  Since the distress ink is water soluble,  lightly  spraying the paper with water will cause the colors to run,  blending them in the process.  If the paper is curled after drying, iron it. 

Next, I turned to one of my trusty 12 x 12 Crafter's Workshop templates (love those things).  For this project I used a brick one.  I taped the sides of the template on the mat  beneath the paper (not on the paper) to keep it steady without risking the tape pulling up a layer of the card stock.  A deep and realistic looking brick will take several layers of whatever material is being used for color so it needs to stay in place.  I used I Kandee Earth Tone chalks with the clips and cotton balls that came with the set.   Starting with the lightest color,  a rose red,  I unevenly applied a layer, then continued to chalk using progressively darker colors ending with grey.  The final chalk coat was the first rose color.  Once the template was removed, loose chalk had gathered along the edges, I used a regular cotton ball to smooth that excess and shade the "mortar" area.  To smoosh all of the colors together, I added Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Old Linen.  I also stained the torn edges for a consistent look.  

 

For the final embellishment, the Spanish Conquistador helmet, I altered a  Cricut Cut.  The character started as an English knight's helmet from Everyday Paper Dolls Dress Up.  Part of the character was cut away and another piece twisted with one of the four layers run through a Cuttlebug to dry emboss. *  This piece was also heat embossed with Tim Holtz Distress Powder (Tea), then embossed again with gold . 

*I often adhere 3 or 4 layers of Cricut cut backgrounds together with the regular cut on top to create a chipboard element.

Thanks for looking.