Goblin Tag for Alpha Stamps

 

 

It is getting to be that time of year when creepy crafts are all I seem to be making.  This is certainly the case for this month's project for Alpha Stamps October Kit, goblins!  Of course I chose an image that was not too spooky and still had a beautiful element to it.  

 

 

 

 

I love being able to incorporate metal elements in my designs, so the charms and these metal die cut corners are perfect for this project.  On the corners I simply used alcohol inks to get a nice rusty aged look.  A few flowers from Petaloo and my tag was complete!

 



I hope you enjoyed this little spooky treat.  Be sure to check out the Alpha Stamps Blog for all kinds of inspiration and weekly give aways too!

Cheers,

Rhea

Halloween Burlap Canvas

I recently scored a few of Tim Holtz's mini burlap canvases on clearance at a big box store.  I was totally inspired to use one of them when I saw the latest challenge over on Linda Ledbetter's blog for the Compendium of Curiosities series.  This week the technique was photo tinting, perfect for a Halloween theme.

I used one of Tim's Found Relative cards and got to altering.  Since this particular relative did not scream Halloween, I simply added a few elements.  My favorite is the hat.  I used a scrap of decorative tissue paper that I had put resin on to create the hat.  A little bit of alcohol ink and it coordinated with her tinted dress.  

Another way I added interest to this project was with the use of beeswax.  I have had this lying around in my stash for a while and have yet to use it.  To add the layers of wax I warmed up a few pellets with my heat gun and just let them drip free form on the image.  I love the cloudy look it gave the piece in certain areas.

More Tim Holtz goodies with the use of his rub ons and word bands.  I thought the sentiment on this one was perfect, especially with the spider lurking on this little girls side.

I added lots more grunge with black gesso, bits of tissue tape and a bit of highlighting around the focal.  To finish things off, a few Petaloo flowers in black frame the image.  I had a blast creating this fun holiday piece.  Thanks to Linda and her crew for amazing inspiration once again.  It feels so good to create just for me and not for a deadline!

P.S.  This challenge is again being sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique, a lovely shop for all things Tim!

Happy Haunting, 

Rhea

Eerie Tale Letterbox Tray

I just knew that I would have to use Graphic 45's An Eerie Tale in an assemblage tray.  What a perfect partner in Petaloo to create this special project for their current blog hop.  The hop is located on the sponsor pages, and there is a $100 prize at hand!

There are a ton of photos to attempt to capture all of the fun details, so grab a cup of something warm and enjoy this post!

The color palate of Petaloo flowers and Graphic 45 are a match made in heaven.

I chose lots of fall themed embellishments to add to my assemblage as well.  Pumpkins, pears and a few brown toadstools were a great compliment to this tray.  

To add texture I used a leafy vine ribbon from Alpha Stamps.  Also lots of moss and layers add to the dimension.

Notice how I stretch my flowers by cutting them in half.  Yes, it is hard to do, but this technique not only makes your stash go farther, but it adds interest to each little nook.  

The use of the chipboard pieces from the paper line make for easy focals in each little box.  I am always sure to sand and distress the edges with ink for that tattered and worn look.  

A few of the metal staples always end up in my projects for Graphic 45, as they are my favorite.

I also had a few choice paper cut outs from Retro Cafe Art Gallery that fit this theme perfectly, so the raven and the black cat were added.  

And one last shot of the whole thing to end my very long post!

Thank you so much for stopping by! And a welcome to my favorite time of year: Fall!

Cheers, 

Rhea

Steampunk Spells Handmade Book Tutorial

This little Steampunk Spells book I made for Graphic 45 was so easy to alter and I am going to show you just how I did it, so be sure to check out the tutorial in my post. 

Supplies:

Old Book

Steampunk Spells 12x12 paper

Steampunk Spells 8x8 paper

Steampunk Spells Chipboard 1

Steampunk Spells Cardstock Stickers

Steampunk Spells Alphabet Stickers

Steampunk SpellsTags and Envelopes

Steampunk Spells Banners

Distress ink and Stain: Black Soot

Scor-Pal

Xyron Mega Runner

Seam Binding in Black and Spice

Craft Knife

For this project I was inspired to use the ribbon binding technique in yet another way.  This time I decided to upcycle an old book I had on hand.

To start out, I used a craft knife to remove the inside of the book.  Be very careful not to cut too deep.  Don’t forget to save the inside pages for other projects.  This text is in French, I think I forgot I even had this book in my stash. 

Next I chose a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper for my cover. 

I cut the paper large enough for about an extra inch of paper surrounding the cover.  I have always been one to work around measuring. 

I used the Scor-pal to guide my creases for my folds to wrap the cover. 

A quick adhesive was used as I folded down all my edges.  I really love my recent discovery of “dry” adhesives!

Next I folded my spine to break it in a bit and I cut and scored my signatures. The paper will need to be just less than double the width of your desired page size.    The size will be dependent on your book.   You simply score down the middle of your paper so you can tie in your pages. 

For the last step, simply tie in each of your paper signatures.  I chose to use seam binding from Alpha Stamps.   This time I chose to go with classic bows instead of tying uniformly at the bottom.  I like the volume and texture the seam binding provides.   Now you have a fun altered book or photo album to document your spooky Halloween season.  

Happy Halloween folks, I hope you enjoyed and found a bit of inspiration. 

Cheers, 

Rhea

Halloween Banner with Packing Tape Transfer

Today I am going to show off a basic image transfer with packing tape.  This is a very simple technique that makes for a wonderful way to layer imagery. Here is a sneak peek of the finished project.

To start you need to be sure that your color copies are toner based.  Most printers for the home are ink jet printers and this technique will not work.  You can get your images printed off at a shop, or you can order them from Alpha Stamps and they will work perfectly.

As you can see from the inside label I used Scotch Sealing Tape.  I have successfully used this with regular old packing tape as well.  A non-stick craft mat is super handy for this project, but it can be done without.

Prepare your images.  Keep in mind that if there is a colored background, this will transfer too.  Since I did not want those backgrounds, I chose to fussy cut two of my images.  Add the tape on top of the image.

Burnish your images well with a bone folder.  This step is important.

Peel your work off the mat and spritz with water.  I let the water soak in for a few moments to saturate the paper.

Begin to rub off the paper with your finger.  I typically work from the inside out.  Add more water as you go and keep the paper very wet.

Continue to rub until the paper is gone.  Magically the ink is left behind on the tape.

Add your image to your chosen background.  You can see here that some of the stamped image is showing through, which is what makes this so cool.  If you had just fussy cut the image it would not look nearly as blended in.  Now these still had enough "stick" on the tape that I burnished them onto the pennants.  I would recommend adding them with matte medium though.

Check out those lovely embossed bats I used too.  Super fun and easy. I simply embossed an image on the black chipboard bat and then finished it with a rubbing of gilders paste.

I hope you enjoyed this fun and resourceful way to add imagery to your work.

Cheers,

Rhea

Halloween Boo Banner

I just adore the fall season.  There is something about the crispness of the air, the spectacular Michigan color show and the perfect temperature that really inspires me.  Making fall and Halloween inspired crafts is always fun too.  I made this "Boo Banner" for Alpha Stamps and it certainly has a fall feel.

Using the mini Halloween kit paper as the background, I layered medallions to create what I would consider a classic banner look.

 

 

Instead of using my typical inks to darken the edges, this time I used black acrylic paint.  I wanted to get an extra grungy look and I feel this was a good tactic to achieve this.

Each medallion was backed with some old lace. I simply bundled it up in a pleasing fashion and then added a few staples before hot gluing.

 

 

I was also pleased to be able to use an old piece of chain to extend my piece. I am always happy to be able to use up something in my stash.

 

I hope you enjoyed this simple project that can really be made for any season.

 

Cheers,

 

Rhea



 

 

Steampunk Spells Love Potion Apothecary

A lovely little apothecary made with lots of Graphic 45 goodness.  Please enjoy some pictures along with a few tips, or scroll down to the bottom and catch a video tour below!

Graphic 45 Products used:

Steampunk Spells 8x8

Steampunk Spells 12 x12

Steampunk Spells 6x6 Pattern and Solids

Steampunk Spells Card Stock Stickers

Steampunk Spells Card stock Alphabet Stickers

Steampunk Spells Card stock Banners

Some of the other Items Used:

Small Bottles

Matte Medium

Bits of junk from my stash

Alcohol Inks (used to dye the corks)

Distress Stain and Ink in Broken China and Black Soot

Mica Flakes

This Graphic 45 project evolved from the scraps I had lying on my work room table.  I was looking at the Card stock sticker sheet, when I realized that the small words would fit perfectly on some teeny tiny bottles I had on hand.  Before I knew it I was altering bottles like crazy and searching for curious items to add to my apothecary.

I decided upon a white house shaped shadow box that I had picked up at a garage sale for a dollar.

To give the project a good base I started with black gesso.  A layer of copper gilders paste was added to the edges of the wood.

On the inside I used scraps of Steampunk Spells paper along with matte medium, distress stain in blue and mica flakes.

Inside the bottles I used all kids of fun things like sand, glitter and embossing powder. Most of the labels were created from the Card stock Sticker Sheet and a bit of black soot distress ink.  

To create interest in each little cubby, I was sure to include several bottles all at different heights. Remember too, that odds work best!

I just love how it turned out!  This is probably one of my favorite projects to date.   I hope that you too will now look at the scraps of paper lying on your work table in a different way.  For more tips and a closer look here is a quick video tour.

Cheers, 

Rhea