Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge #3- Faux Tea Roses

Hello and Happy Memorial Weekend to ya! I hope you have some BBQing planned or something fun to do outdoors. I'm gonna go to my brother's house Monday for a cook-out and swimming and maybe even a little cocktail (or two) in the sunshine.

Today begins another great challenge from the Compendium of Curiosities III book by non-other than Tim Holtz, the master of all things vintage and distressed. You can find all the challenge details and FAQs here.  The lovely Linda Ledbetter is our hostess of this fun series of challenges, and all you have to do to participate is create your project and uploaded to her site at this link. Be sure, though, to read through all the FAQs so you're eligible to win. (Win? Keep reading below.)

We're working our way through this fantastic book of techniques and tips, and challenging you to join in the fun. This round's challenge is sponsored by the great folks at Inspiration Emporium who have a fabulous gift voucher to give away to one lucky random winner. Also, the Curiosity Crew Pick wins a big giant prize pack of goodies straight from Tim and Mario!

So let's get to it! This challenge can be found on page 65 in the book and it's called "Faux Tea Roses." While I can't share how it's done (that's for you to discover with your own CC3 book) I am happy to show you my creation and some of the steps & tips along the way.

My project is an altered mantle clock turned birdhouse. Lots of faux tea roses all around. They are SO much fun to make and quite addictive, I might add, so consider yourself warned.

I love shopping at garage sales, thrift stores and my local Goodwill. Recently I found these two wooden mantle clocks (without the clock parts) for 99 cents each. SCORE! For my project, I decided on the smaller one of the two.

From the new Wallflower paper stash and also from French Industrial (red stripe) I cut papers to cover my clock and inked the edges with Vintage Photo.

I decided the fixture at the top of my clock seemed a little small, so I unscrewed it and replaced it with this larger one that looks very similar. (Tip: I love to shop Hobby Lobby's aisle of knobs and fixtures when they are 50% off. I hoard up a bunch for future creations.)

I adhered the papers with good old glue stick (Elmer's Extreme is my current favorite) and then secured the fixture into place at the top. The color of the wood is so nice as is I decided not to paint it.

I recently purchased this great doily die and wanted to put it to use right away. I cut away the center circle of the doily for an opening to my birdhouse. And for a perch I used Graphic 45's metal staples Drawer Pull turned upside down.

After making several of the the Faux Tea Roses, I decided I'd like to have a few rose buds as well. First I started off with some small leaves snipped off of this die cut piece (after sanding the Kraft Core to distress it). 

Using the same method to make the Faux Tea Roses, only using less of the die cut, I created small buds and adhered three of the leaves tightly around the buds.

I got the hot glue gun cranked up while I made my roses, then put it to good use adhering everything to my clock. You'll notice I used some metal Idea-ology Foliage leaves around my roses.

I added my craft store birdie onto the perch and then filled in some spaces around my roses with smaller rose buds I had in my flower stash.

The top needed a little something too. More roses and metal leaves.

I attached a pretty charm, a Graphic 45 key, and one of Tim's mini sprocket gears onto some antique brass chain then added some strong metal glue to hold everything in place.

I forgot to mention that I put some nesty grass into the birdhouse before my bird went on.

I covered the back of the clock with more Wallflower paper, which in the right light you can see from the inside and of course it's pretty from the back side too.

There you go. Now it's YOUR turn to try out the Faux Tea Roses technique and create something grand. Have fun!