Sunday, October 7, 2012

SPOOKY RUSTIFICATION

Halloween is just three weeks away!

 I was glad to see our Simon Says Stamp and Show theme this week is all about RUST!   Check out the really unique and sometimes spooky sights that my Design Teammates have waiting for you!  Talk about some cool Halloween ideas as well as other great projects!

 I have to say that I think this is one of my favorite pieces that I've made.  Do you ever have that experience where the project just keeps telling YOU what it wants to become?  Well...that happened with this book.

I had recently taken an online class with Andy Skinner called "Timeworn Techniques" (I highly recommend it).  Rust is one of the techniques we learned how to create using acrylic paints.  It was my inspiration for this piece ... The Book of Spells.

There are lots of pictures sharing the transformation of this book.  I hope you enjoy them and that maybe they will inspire you to let loose and have fun creating with "rust".



Here is my rusty creation...made from a plain paper mache book.



Well,  I actually have had this book for sometime now.  I started working with it a couple of years ago.  I got this far with it, got bored and put it away.  I pulled it out again the other day and decided it didn't need to be orange and black.  It needed to be RUSTED and covered in Tim Holtz' die cuts to give it all sorts of dimension and a fun design!



So, I added a bit of Liquitex Resin Sand to black acrylic paint and completely covered my book.  I already liked it better!  That black color and the added texture of the resin sand was already starting to give my book that eerie and mysterious feeling.


Then I started laying out some ideas for a design while the book was in this very early stage.  All of the objects are cut out of Grungeboard.  I used several of Tim Holtz' die cuts to create all of these pieces and more that were to come.  They are all listed at the products list at the end of this blog.  I liked this design but didn't LOVE it.  It still needed more detail. 

 

I added some Melissa Frances pearls for rivets and glued down the cats parading across the bottom.  That was the beginning of my finished design.  This picture was taken very early in the "rustification" process.


Through the "magic" of Andy's rusting technique, here is the book cover again; and the cats and rivets with what could be considered a finished rusted appearance.

 

But, I took it one step further and dry brushed some gold acrylic paint over the rusty look to add more interest, color and pull more gold from the letters and the metal corners.


Here is a closeup section of the spine of the book, also "rusted" but then dry brushed with some gold to really give this paper mache book a metallic appearance.


I decided I wanted the book cover to be more ornate than the original design.  That rust technique always looks really cool with all sorts of texture.  So, I added Tim Holtz' Scrollwork die cut and more rivets to the top; first using the rust technique and then dry brushing the gold over it.  The bottom of the book also received an ornate edging, Tim Holtz' pinking with it's jagged edges and dry brushed gold finish.


The lettering is a conglomeration of letters from Tim Holtz' Mixed Minis and Grunge Blocks.  The raven and spider are also Tim Holtz die cuts; rusted and then dry brushed with the gold to really make them stand out.  I added a bit of bling to the spider's back to catch the eye and invite those who dare to open the book ...


Here is a closeup view of the "pages" of the book.  I created the texture for the book pages using Claudine Hellmuth's gesso, using a craft type brush so that I could get a rough, uneven surface much like old worn pages.  After that dried, I brushed the gesso with a medium white acrylic paint and then gave the pages a wash with burnt umber acrylic paint and water..


Here is the beginnings of the interior of the book.  It was all rusted and then I added the sort of ghoulish flocked black paper as a background.  Loved it!  


Next I placed the portion of a poem that was the inspiration for the interior elements ... 
"Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howler's wing -- 
For a charm of powerful trouble.  Like a hell-broth boil ..."  Perfect ingredients for a Book of Spells...don't you think?


Inside, you will find all sorts of spooky things!  


I made the poem and the labels on my computer.  The test tubes are Martha Stewart and are filled with Wool of Bat (brown marabou) and Eye of Newt (little round wooden balls painted and eyes attached).  The mice are little rubbery glow in the dark mice that I have transformed using acrylic paint and dry brushing them into looking like real mice.  One sits atop of the Wool of Bat test tube ...


the other crawling out of the boney dry brushed hand holding the Eye of Newt test tube and climbing the side of the dry brushed skull.  I added the honey colored stained cheese cloth for a more eerie feeling.  I think it looks pretty creepy without being macabre.  


I found this little laser cut wooden frame in the Christmas section of a craft store and thought it would make a pretty cool looking frame for my book.  It just needed some "rivets", a little dry brushed skull and a sweet but eerie portrait.  Check out the eyes of newt!  Aren't they hysterical?

So there you have it; from start to finish, my rusty Book of Spells.  I hope this has inspired you to create something rusty and enter it into our challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show.  YOU could be the winner of our


$50.00 credit voucher.  You could also receive recognition as one of our TOP THREE entrees for the week!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Here are all of the items from Simon Says Stamp used in creating this piece:



















40 comments:

  1. Candy,you rocked the rust...as fab book of spells, the rustbis rust tactic...but for me ..the eyeballs have it,!, the inside is wonderful and packed with spooky yumminess!
    With the gorgeous paper to all the ingredients...but cannot take my eyes off the eyeballs!!! Another wonderful make! Love trace. X

    ReplyDelete
  2. This topic is something that I have been looking into for a while now and your insight is exceptional. Thanks for sharing this information.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oooh, I LOVE this - all the details are just brilliant! I've just done Andy's course myself and I recommend it to anyone. (Just signed up for the Bottle workshop as I've enjoyed Timeworn so much!) Thanks for the inspiration! Hugs, Keren

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Candy, you are such an inspiration! This is just so fabulous I am stuck for words - your rusting is superb, the rivets are brilliant and the decoration of the outside is so impressive. The inside made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, it is really spooky and then I saw the eyes and I just laughed - they are so funny (in a good way). A genius idea, executed in style! Love it........ now want to do the AS Timeworn Techniques course even more. Thank you once again for your amazing inspiration! Crafty hugs, Anne x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow Candy, I love this and so glad to see you found the techniques useful and you are executing them amazingly!
    Andy

    ReplyDelete
  6. No wonder you are proud of this Candy. It is stunning! Love the way you have carried on adding more ink/paint/layers until it was perfect. And then even more evil goodness inside too! Wow this must have taken some time to complete. Hats off to you. Hugs, Buttons x

    ReplyDelete
  7. OMG This is totally AWESOME, love all the details, the rust looks spot on and the inside is the perfect compliment to the overall look.

    ReplyDelete
  8. WOW WOW WOW! Candy this is another amazing project.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Candy, I really enjoyed reading about your book of spells , in fact I read it twice lol. Love your rusted technique with the metallic touch. Love the ornate edging on the too of your book and the due cuts on the front work beautifully. Lovely attention to detail. Ww then we have a real treat on the inside, beginning with the gorgeous flocked paper and the poem is just a perfect inspired touch. Love the frame around your witch and the added eyes, skull and Halloween bits and pieces. This piece is just wonderful and a favourite of mine. Enjoy your week. Tracy x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wowzer! I loved the outside as a creepy book and the inside is even cooler with the damask background and the spell and the skull!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Candy, this is just… WOW!!! Crazy-beautiful art, girlfriend!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Candy, this is just the coolest project! Love how you altered the book into that great rust look and the gold dry brushing added a perfect touch. And all those spooky goodies on the inside. Fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Totally awesome!!! I love everything!! Soooo creepy but yet super cool!
    Kaz x

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow, that is a wonderful book, and it is interesting to see step by step how you created it.
    There are so many beautiful details to find and I love the spooky things inside.
    Have a good start into the new week.

    Anke

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, I so want to come to your house!!! You just make the most amazing pieces of art!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Candy, this is fantastic! I love how you added the gold to really make the letters POP. those cats are so fun and love that spider. Then, it opens up... wow! Really cool inards! Your work is always so fantastic and so many delish details.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hey Candy! I loved all the inspiration from the DT this week, but I just ADORE your book of spells and after visiting to see it in the flesh (so to speak), it's even more spectacular! Your rust-ification is just fabulous and like last time, you inspired me to get my inks out and have a go! I don't have the equipment to take it as far as your amazing creations, but maybe that will have to change in the future? ;) I always love seeing your work - YOUR creativity is definitely contagious! Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh Candy!!! This is SPOOKTACULAR!!! lol..corny I know. LOVE this technique, and it worked so well with your book!

    ReplyDelete
  19. oh my goodness I love this, the eyes might give me nightmares though lol!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh my goodness! What a cool Halloween decoration, Candy! I love all the embellishing & detailing you added to this book to really give a lot of spooky appeal & character!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ohh my, what a beautiful book of spells! Love the inside very much too! Amazing how you've transformed this into a real halloweenish looking piece! Fabulous! Hugs, Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow Candy ! Absolutely stunning project ! I love it ! Sue C x

    ReplyDelete
  23. WOW oh WOW! This is fabulous, Candy! I love all the details. The inside is so fantastic. Those eyes of newt are too cool. I would love one of these.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hey Candy! Just linked up to your amazing creation over on my blog! Lisa X

    ReplyDelete
  25. This is fabulous Candy :) I just love visiting your blog as I am always amazed at your very creative and inspirational projects. Its so kind of you to share the 'how to' with us all. Hugs Annie x

    ReplyDelete
  26. Absolutely AWESOME!!! You have given me lots to think about. LOVE IT!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. very cool project :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Totally brilliant. I love the outside of the book, but I ADORE the inside!!!!

    Wow.

    Pinnned!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Candy, you rocked the rustification! Your book is fantastic. I just love all the details and what amazing rich color you've brought out with the additives and drybrushing... it's really wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Just fabulous, Candy! I absolutely love the gold detailing on your magnificent rusty book cover... And how could I not love the Shakespeare inside!?! Thanks so much for your lovely comment over at mine - only just getting around to visiting the fabulous DT work in detail - wouldn't have missed the inside of this for the world!!
    Alison x

    ReplyDelete
  31. OMGOSH Candy!!!! I am in such awe of your talent girl!! AMAZING creativity that has me staring at your piece for hours just to get in all the details you have added :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. That is such a creative box. I just LOVE it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Timeworn in perfection and the inside of the book is just stunning. Love all your creepy stuff. Especially the eyes (:o)

    ReplyDelete
  34. How the heck did I miss this fabulous book Candy....! Its more of a book cabinet...great texture and rusting and loving the fab contents. xx

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have just found this and think it is amazing!I am doing Andy's workshop at the end of the month and am even more excited now I've seen this this! x

    ReplyDelete
  36. Love the book! I think the addition of the texture from the resin sand was a brilliant touch, it really makes the book feel old and rusty and grungy. The inside is my favorite though. It's like a secret shadow box. Well done!

    ReplyDelete

I am so happy that you stopped by my blog! I truly appreciate your time and thank you for leaving a comment! Have a wonderfully blessed day!