Steampunk Springtime

This project started with my score of Spirofoil.  I loved the way this product worked with my die cut machine.  I started making metal flowers colored with alcohol inks and had no idea what I was going to do with them.  A recent score of watch parts and pieces got me even more inspired to put my flowers together, as I knew these would be great focal points on my flowers.  I combined my watch parts with Tim Holtz's gears and other found objects to achieve an eclectic look.

My messy craft area sometimes can inspire me too.  I spied a few boxes left over from my last Configurations project.  A light bulb went off and I thought I could make a flower box for my industrial flowers.  I glued two boxes together, covered in paper and finished with tissue tape.  A little green floral foam and some lichens I gathered on Lake Superior's shore made a perfect flower box, but the scale was off.  My blooms were way too large in comparison to the box.  More brainstorming.

I had gone to a local flea market earlier in the day and scored two old wooden Velveeta Cheese boxes, which are are perfect size to store your ATC's by the way.  To help my scale issue, I decided I would stack the two boxes, allowing me areas to create assemblage in.  Problem solved, and an opportunity to flesh out my steampunk springtime theme. 

I started to stuff my flowers into the foam and decided I did not like the bare gold wire.  Inspiration struck again, and I reached for my tissue tape.  This stuff is just amazing, and worked just like floral tape!  I wonder if Tim knows of this delightful technique.  I added more watch parts to simulate leaves, or budding steampunk flowers.  I found that the box needed more interest so I came up with some unopened flower buds with more watch parts and gears.  A few wire coils also add a bit of texture. 

The bottom is stuffed with all kinds of found objects.  I started with an old grapevine wreath, which I cut up to resemble a little nest. A bird from my holiday stash got a cool spritz of glitz, a bit of glitter and a punky little watch part eye.  On the left side there is a meat grinding part (looks like an old phone dial), an awesome clock part, old bone dice, a bobbin and a light bulb egg.

On the other side a print block and sign creates another place to shelve objects.  The tin was from my score of watch parts.  I had a few old fuses left from my last project and amazingly, I found another roller skate yesterday.  I have a ton of vintage bingo pieces, thanks Dad, which I peppered in to bring a touch of red to the bottom. A small jar of keys and a few charms add some movement to the piece.

I added in a metal birdhouse, colored with alcohol inks, as well as a time piece and spinner from Tim.  I like to add authentic vintage finds along with the reproductions that are out there to help stretch both products.

This is my second assemblage piece, and I think it just may be my newest crafty addiction!  When I get started on one of these, I just can't stop until it is finished. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about this little creative journey.  Thanks to all of you who stop by check out my posts.  I really do appreciate the feedback I get from you all!