COMPENDIUM OF CURIOSITIES III ~ STAMPS AND FRAMELITS

Happy Saturday everyone!!!

Welcome to my blog and another challenge over at the lovely Linda Ledbetter's Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge! 

I have to say that I am continually BLOWN AWAY each week by the really beautiful and original art that everyone shares on our challenge. Sometimes it is SO HARD for the Curiosity Crew to choose just one winner. Truly...you guys are really creating some imaginative, BEAUTIFUL pieces! 

I also want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all of the really uplifting comments you leave me. I read each one and they truly mean the world to me! 

Tim Holtz and Mario have donated so many wonderful Tim Holtz products for these challenges. Did you see the pile of prizes for the last challenge?  Even a set of Letter Press blocks in a huge stash of goodies! A huge THANK YOU to Tim and Mario for their generosity!!

This week, we are diving into the world of Tim's Stamps and Framelits!  So, pull out your Compendium of Curiosities III books and turn to page 63.

Okay, confession time!!!  I was a skeptic of the framelits because I figured I can always stamp an object and just cut around it, right?  Why did I need a framelit to do that for me?  Well, after doing this challenge, I am a huge believer in framelits now! 

They are amazing little metal devices that make the edges around your stamped images so much more clean and precise. And it really cuts down on the time it takes to cut out your stamped images...especially if you are making more than one, as I have done on my project for you ...

A Halloween Candle Holder!

I literally made this project in about half a day.  It was one of those wonderful little times when you go to your craft room, all of the planets and stars align and you can just crank something out that you love.

(The progression of the creation of the sides of the candle holder.)

I began with eight pieces of black chipboard; 4 each cut to the size of Tim's Postage Stamp die cut and also his Window and Window Box die cut. 

I covered 4 of the pieces of chipboard for the postage stamp die cut with some Graphic 45 Halloween paper and 4 pieces for the window with orange cardstock using Glue N Seal to adhere the paper to the chipboard first. Then I cut them all out.

I used Tim's medium retangle from his Sized Retangles die cut in the center of the postage stamp die cut to create a frame effect. 

I used 1/4" Scor Tape to join all of the pieces together to create each basic side of the candle holder. It it hard to see in the photograph but I also added a sheet of heavy clear film  behind the window to create a glass window pane effect. After each side was finished, I die cut four more postage stamp frames out of black cardstock and backed each of the panels to cover all of my construction and give them a nice, finished look. 

Now...onto the Framelits and giving my candleholder some personality!

I decided to make all of the sides of my candle holder basically the same. So I stamped four of each of the images above from Tim's Retro Halloween Framelits set onto some Specialty Stamping Paper using Jet Black Archival Ink and then heat set it. I colored the witch face using my Detailer Water Brush and Shabby Shutters (face), Worn Lipstick (tongue), Tattered Rose (cheeks), Spiced Marmalade (hat) and a mix of Shabby Shutters and Evergreen (eyes) Distress Inks. This picture shows the images after they have been cut out using Tim's little Framelits still in place at this point.

The Specialty Stamping Paper is very white. I wanted my characters to be a bit more vintage looking, so I gently pressed Antique Linen Distress Ink all over them.  It is a bit hard to see but the top character in each pile does NOT have the Antique Linen rubbed over it yet. In person, you can see a big difference in the white being toned down.  Antique Linen also seems to "set" the colors of the witch so nicely.

I fashioned a "body" out of black cardstock for my witch. Then I simply glued each of the heads onto the body.  The other characters will be on the outside of the holder.  The witch will be on the inside, peering out of the window.  So, she needed a body!

Here you can see one of the four panels coming together. The witch is behind the window.  The black cat is prowling around outside. The skeleton will be added to the right side after I add the little Tattered Banners at the top.  These were constructed out of Sticky Back Canvas that was adhered to a piece of cardstock. I distressed all of the banners with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink then stamped either "BOO" or "EEK" onto them with Jet Black Archival. Each banner is wrapped around a piece of elastic black cording to create the banner. At the top corners of each panel, I used my Crop A Dile to punch a hole big enough for the cording to slide through and be knotted on the back side. 

Here are the completed four panels.  These would make really cute card fronts or embellishments for decorative trick or treat sacks, too. But, I had envisioned them as a candle holder so I continued on...

I joined each panel together at the top with some DMC Color Infusions Memory Thread.  I took the thread through the same holes as I punched to add the banners.

To hold the panels together at the bottom, I simply made some little strips of black cardstock and added 1/4" Scor Tape to them.  

Then I added four of these at the bottom and four in the center of each joint to hold the panels firmly in place.

I added a base made out of two pieces of black chipboard cut 5 1/4" by 5 1/2". I joined the two pieces together using 1/4" Scor Tape, sanded the edges and then colored them using a Black Soot Distress Marker. Then I simply set the candle holder on top of the base. Finally, I added four tea lights in each of the windows. 

Here is one of the finished "BOO" sides of the candle holder. 

And here is a closeup of and "EEK" side. 

So...there you have it...my fun and easy to make Halloween Candle Holder using Tim's Retro Halloween Framelits set among some of his other wonderful die cuts and products.

Now it is YOUR turn to pull out your Framelits and join in on the fun this week over at The Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge. The Curiosity Crew has some over the top cool ideas to get your creative juices flowing so go check them out.  Then join us and post your entry to our challenge. Be sure to link your project to our challenge and also to our wonderful sponsor's blog in your write up!  Speaking of our sponsor ....

This week, the wonderful folks at Inspiration Emporium are offering a 

$50.00 gift certificate to their fabulous online store!  THANK YOU to Inspiration Emporium and Tim and Mario (and also our other sponsor, The Funkie Junkie Boutique) for all of the amazing prizes and opportunity for more than one person to win a prize each and every week.

Have fun with this challenge and GOOD LUCK!!