Something Wicked This Way Comes

Hello folks! Even though it isn't evident here on the blog, I *have* been puttering around in the studio all summer. It's just been puttering, though, so there are a number of unfinished projects.

I do have something to share today!

I found a cool 7 Gypsies chipboard triptych at Tuesday Morning and put it together with Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells line. I'll be honest and tell you I'm not a huge fan of this collection because of all the orange in it. It does have some great graphics perfect for fussy cutting, though.

I've used G45's hinges to hold the triptych together. There are bits of metals from Finnabair and Tim Holtz on the panels, too. 

 I used Mod Podge to glue the roughly-cut bats to a thin scrap of cardboard. Once dried I cut them out and inked the edges with a black marker. I'm trying to stop using foam dots on projects I want to last a really long time so the bats are popped up using 3D Zots. I had to trim the super sticky Zots to fit - use nonstick scissors if you do the same... once they stick it's hard to get them off from anything, including fingers.

The cat is cut from one of the journaling cards. One thing this collection has is a great selection of journaling cards (hint: mini album just might be in the future for the rest of my Steampunk Spells!).

I used a Sizzix "Branch Tree" die for the  barely-visible tree and the Sizzix Movers and Shapers die for the branch sticking through the window. 

The clock was cut from a Sizzix die - both in plain cardboard and black. Can you see the black shadow behind the red one? The first layer of the red one is Barn Door Distress stain. Ater that dried I used a crackle gloss *then* re-stained the back with Wild Honey Distress Stain to orange it up a bit. As it turns out, Barn Door is really really red. :)

The blue swirly is a Dusty Attic vine and spritzed with a brownish sparkly spritz. (Does anyone remember Tattered Angels?) That was too brown so I painted over with a blend of Lumiere blues and greens. It helps carry that teal color across each panel nicely.

So that's it. I'm going to put this in the Etsy paper shop shortly. thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

Halloween Spool Project Swap

Hiya folks! I made this Halloween project for an Altered Spool Swap on Craftster.org.

On one of my spools I used a little Gathered Twigs Distress Ink on a sponge. I didn't want to cover the text on that end so the ink helped to age it a little more. (A spool of thread for 29 cents? Wow!)

I used little wood caps as for Scrabble letter bases. My favorite adhesive these days is a matte super heavy gel medium. It works for just about everything and sets up quickly. Total drying time is longer, but it does set up so you can set things aside to dry without worrying - the Scrabble tiles never threatened to fall off as it dried.  

The banner was made from bits of cardboard with Halloween paper on top. I poked small holes and used jump rings to connect them and teeny tiny eye hooks attached to the dowel rod and spool.  

The raven is a Dusty Attic chipboard painted with black satin acrylic. I wanted to find black feathers for a wing, but no luck.

The bats were originally going to be solid black. I have an older paper with bats all over it but I wanted to make them a little more durable. I found a kraft paper with swirls on it and thought it would look fine as the backside so I glued them together. Once I colored a tiny bit with a black Copic  the swirls had a resist effect. Neat, huh?

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan

London Souvenir

Hiya folks! Today is my birthday so I'm celebrating by spending the whole day in the studio. I put the finishing touches on the project I'm sharing today, will start an altered spool thingy I'm kicking around in the noggin, AND working on an ongoing 12 Days of Christmas piece. 

That's the plan, anyway. Oh, oh! It will all be done guilt free, too! Yes, I'll let the doggy out as needed, but otherwise my butt is in the studio guilt free.

So, on with the sharing!

Last year I took classes at The Queen's Ink with Anna Dabrowska a/k/a Finnabair. I was thrilled to be there and learn about mediums I've never used. One of the classes was supposed to use a (supplied) chipboard rocking horse, but I knew I didn't want that... so I gathered bits and pieces along a theme. It turned out -as the only one who struck out on their own instead of copying Finn's project- I swam upstream in that class. No worries. I have a thick skin and am proud of this meaningful project. 

 The Husband and I went to London for our anniversary. As we waited for the management company to bring us our Covent Garden flat key, we hung out next to this row of phone booths.

The "Keep Calm" ATC is one of a bunch I made to trade. Of course I kept one for myself. I used an Artistic Outpost Union Jack stamp with Lumiere Pearl Blue and Crimson paints. The Keep Calm panel was made to look like crazed china. 

The phone booth in the project is from Jolee's. I'd been hoarding it for years, waiting for the right project. The metal clock and a lot of the metal pieces throughout were supplied with the class. I bought a huge lot of clock hands off Etsy for very little money. I think it will be the best $12 I've ever  spent!

In her classes, Finn guides students in using an assortment of adhesives, molding materials, paints and sprays. None of which I'd used in this way before, so it was good for me.  

The lion knocker was a perfect find in the store. The handles moves! I brought the crown in the photo below; all other bits were class kit supplies.

This last photo is my favorite detail of the piece. I used Scrabble tiles and Dominoes to show it was our 15 year anniversary. The wee little lion was from my sister ages ago.

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan 

French Country Treasure Box

Hello friends! I'm here today to show a little altered box. It started out as one of Graphic 45's Mini Book Boxes and was covered with G45's French Country. Ooh la la!

Thanks for visiting today - see you soon!

Cheers,
Susan

Hummingbird Altered Block

Hiya! I have a new altered block to share today, made from Graphic 45's Botanical Tea paper. 

I cut around the hummingbirds in a general way, then used Mod Podge to adhere it to light cardboard. (Also know as a cereal box.) I then stuck both of those to a pattered scrap to coordinate the back of the wings. Once dried, I used a sharp X-Acto knife and a lot of patience to cut through the thickness. (And ended up white washing the backs anyway, so the stripes don't show much. Ha!) See how I wrapped the background paper around the side? I like the effect.

The base is an old wood knob found at a thrift store, painted coral and a bit of ivory. The rosette is just a 1/2" x 12" strip of paper from the collection scored at 1/4" intervals.

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan

Bun Bun Garland

Hello hello! Bun Bun and his friends are stopping in to say hello with me. We all hope your day was grand. :)

There are 9 panels to the garland: 

These were made using Pion Designs' Fairytale of Spring paper collection from a few years ago. I've been hoarding it until now!

The rosettes are made from fantastic heavy-weight crepe paper. It's like nothing I've seen before and I'm over the moon about it! I found it at Castles In The Air, thanks to my fabo-riffic sister Lora.

Thanks for visiting today! I've got a few projects to share this week - see you then!

Cheers,

Susan

ATB - Artist Trading Block - Swap

Hiya folks! I recently participated in ATB (artist trading block) swap over at Craftster. The block had to be the same height and width as an ATC, with the added depth of 1.5". The Husband whipped out the power tools and made me a bunch, plus cut a hole right through this one!

Nurture. The wooden letters were colored with an olive Copic.

The eggs were made using paper clay. I painted them bone and the speckled with browns.

Thanks for visiting today!

Cheers,

Susan