THANK YOU KAZ!!!

I got another wonderful package from far far away!!!  This time it is from Karen Hall or as I prefer to call her, "Kaz" of "The Little Shabby Shed".  If you have not checked out her blog, you should!!  Kaz is an amazing talent.  But even more, she is such a sweet, loving and caring person!!

Kaz and I became fast friends online mainly from complimenting each others work on the Simon Says Stamp and Show and Grungy Monday blogs.  Kaz's blog was recently featured in this edition of Craft Stampers' Magazine in the UK.  More about that in a second...

In one of our email conversations, I was going on about how we didn't have that magazine here and I would love to see the article about her.  So...Kaz...being the amazing person that she is; said she'd send a copy right over!!!  I received it the other day.  But, she didn't just send me the magazine!!!  She sent me a gorgeous extra large tag she made especially for me.  After drooling over the BEE-U-TEE-FUL tag and having to touch every inch of it, I curled up in my chair in my bedroom, next to my new lamp (see my post from the other day), laid my beautiful new "ART" tag next to me and became completely engrossed in the magazine.  So many wonderful pictures and articles!

Here is Kaz' feature on her blog.  "Blog of the Month" is a new feature that the magazine has added and Kaz' blog is the first.  Great choice Craft Stamper!!  Kaz' work is really, really...I mean REALLY GOOD!  Even THE LORD TIM OF HOLTZ has her on his "Blogs & Stuff" section.  She's in some excellent company there!!  She is also on the wickedly creative Dyan Reaveley's Design Team.  I love it that Kaz is so down to earth, so willing to share techniques and just talk about anything and everything in art.

As I was reading the magazine, I ran across another of my Brit buddies and a fellow Ranger U Grad from the class of 2011 .... Hels Sheridan of Ink On My Fingers.  Hels is another extremely talented, creative artist and if you're around her for 10 minutes, she will have you peeing your pants from laughing at her.  She is hysterical.!!  I had no idea that I was hangin' out online with such a bunch of celebrities!!!  (smile)  I am so proud of my Brit buddies!!!  They are amazing talents, creative geniuses and just GOOD PEOPLE!  

Kaz, I love you girlfriend!!!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful magazine, your BEAUTIFUL large tag you made for me and for the sweet little note and black ribbon!  I treasure all of it and I treasure your friendship!

   

MY GARAGE SALE TREASURES

My mother in law came for a visit last weekend while our husbands went to the OU vs. MU  college football game in Norman, Oklahoma.  She and I had the best time!!

One of the things we did was go to some garage sales around my area.  We hit the sales on the second day.  For those of you who are big garage sale people, you know that after the first morning, most of "good stuff" is gone.  But, we went anyway...something to do!!! 

I didn't find too much but here are a few little treasures that made it home with me.  I found two more of the little metal pencil sharpeners (player piano and covered wagon) that I love for $.25 each!  Yippee!!!  I already have the piano but for a quarter...I couldn't pass it up! I also loved the two spoons.  Not sure what I'll do with them but they were calling my name!  I also love the wit of Mark Twain and got a book of his quotes for another quarter.  The bag of crochet twine....LOVE IT!  That will definitely be incorporated into some of my work.  It was $.50. 

But .. my best find was ......

this beautiful floor lamp.  It is a sort of antique bronze and gold finish and not a scratch on it.  The shade is a lovely vintage looking crinkled taupe satin and the beaded trim is in perfect condition.  It snapped it up the second I saw it for $20.  The lady who owned it said she had purchased it at a very exclusive gift and home decor shop in the town where I live and had paid well over $100 for it.  It is such a heavy lamp and so well constructed, I had no doubt she was telling the truth.  

I have two or three spots in my house that this lamp would be perfect.  But for now, it's new home is next to my leather chair and ottoman in our master bedroom.  It will be a perfect reading lamp!

A SURPRISE FROM THE NETHERLANDS

My sweet friend and Simon Says Stamp and Show Design Teammate, Terry from the Netherlands surprised me with a very special package the other day!!

She had asked me for my address and said she was going to send me something.  I had no idea what it was but I figured since we'd talked about different embellishments and laces, etc.  maybe she was going to send me a little piece of lace or a little paper embellishment.

Still, I was like a kid waiting for Christmas!  Every day, I would check the mail box and nothing.  But FINALLY, her package arrived!!!!  When I received the envelope, it was MUCH BIGGER than I expected.  I couldn't wait to open it up and see what my buddy had sent to me.

I opened it up and you couldn't have slapped the smile off of my face if you tried!!!  I was so touched at what my dear, sweet Terry had sent me!  There, wrapped up in the beautiful cream lace was the Travel Journal that she'd made for our Simon Says Challenge a few weeks back.  I had commented to her that I thought it was a lovely piece.  I never dreamed that she would send it to me...but she did!!!  She said she wanted me to use it to journal about my recent trip to China with my husband.  What a sweet and wonderful thing for her to do!  Along with the journal wrapped in the lace, Terry had tucked a beautiful hand made card into another piece of blue lace.  I was overwhelmed at her precious gift and I will treasure it!!!

Terry, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this most special gift but even more importantly, the gift of your friendship!

 

MEN ONLY!!!!

Hello bloggers!  It's another Monday and time for a new Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!  Let's hear it for the boys!!  This week's challenge is all about THE MEN!  

Now, the challenge is NOT for "MEN ONLY"...but the challenge pieces need to be masculine.

When I started thinking about what to do for a "MEN ONLY" piece, the first thing that popped into my head was that old song from The Judds; "Grandpa, Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days". (Sorry if that song will be in your head all day now!)  I couldn't shake it so, that was my inspiration for this frame; honoring my Grandfathers.

This is a simple wooden frame that I bought for $1.  It measures 8 x 8 inches.  I painted the frame with Raw Umber Acrylic Paint and let it dry.  Then I covered it with a background paper from the fabulous Graphic 45 Proper Gentleman paper collection.  I sanded the edges and distressed them with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I wanted to do something different with this frame, so I added a pouch made out of Hero Arts Kraft Paper  (that has been distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink) so that I could put extra pictures and whatever other little "treasures" I wanted to in it.  I just made up the pattern.  It's a simple little pouch that measures 3 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches.  I scored a 1/4" space in the center of the bottom and folded it.  I rounded the corners with a Fiskars Round N Round Corner Punch.  Next I cut two small pieces of kraft paper, 2 1/2 high x 2 inches wide.  I scored the paper every 1/4" using my Martha Stewart Score Board (love this thing!).  Then I folded it into an accordian and attached one to each inside of my little pouch folder using 1/4" Wonder Tape.  I glued the pouch in place.  (It hangs over the one side of the frame but that was intentional.)  Then I fashioned a strap out of another piece of distressed kraft paper.  I started with a piece of paper that was 1 1/2" wide x 9 inches long.  I scored it at 1/4" and at 1".  Then I folded under the two sides and secured them with Wonder tape.  I used my corner rounder to round off the bottom of the strap.  I distressed the edges of the strap using Black Soot Distress Ink and then I lightly (using my index finger) rubbed Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls powder on the strap to give it just a hint of a shimmer.  I used my Crop-A-Dile (on the largest hole setting) to punch three holes and then affix Antique Gold Grommets that came with the Crop-A-Dile.  I adhered the top of the strap to the top of the frame.  Finally, I attached one set of small round adhesive backed Velcro underneath the strap.  The strap is not only decorative but functional.  The velcro holds my little "treasures" in place in the pouch.  (By the way, the pocket holds pictures of both my husband's and my Grandfathers and my father's military service cards.)

Next, using Plain Grungeboard, I cut out different size gears from Tim Holtz' Gadget Gears die.  I also cut out a few from Tim Holtz' Mini Gadget Gears die.  I even ran a few of them through my Vagabond using Tim Holtz' Collage Texture Fade.  Then I pounced them with Gold and Silver Paint Dabbers for that rough metal effect.  To really scuff them up, I scratched a few of them using my Tim Holtz'  Craft Scratcher Tool before further distressing them with Black Soot Distress Ink.

I cut some clock faces from the Graphic 45 Proper Gentleman paper collection, inked the edges with Black Soot and then covered the clock faces with Crackle Accents for a really vintage feel.  After they were dry, I glued them onto the gears and set them aside until I figured out how to place them.

Using a vintage image of a little boy, some Clear UTEE, my Melting Pot and a round cookie cutter, I created this little "medallion" to place on my frame.  Simply grease the inside of a cookie cutter with a liquid embossing ink (to coat the surface and prevent sticking).  Lay the cookie cutter over the image.  Pour the melted clear UTEE into the cookie cutter...just enough to the thickness you want.  It doesn't take much!  Let it set for a few minutes and the remove the cookie cutter.  Pull away the paper underneath and you have your vintage medallion.  I glued it onto one of the die cut gears and set it to the side.

I wanted to use an image of a man on my frame and found the perfect one on yet another sheet of the Graphic 45 Proper Gentleman paper collection.  I cut him out, inked the edges with Vintage Photo.  I decided to hang a smaller clock on his hand and have a chain coming from the top of the clock to his pocket, reminiscent of a vintage pocket watch.  He's a great image but he looked a bit small in comparison to all of the "manly" gears.  So, I stacked two of the coordinating papers from the collection and made a large rosette to put behind him.  By stacking the papers, I mean that I cut two strips from Tim Holtz' Flower Strip Paper Rosette die cut.  I had one of the strips about 1/4" beyond the first strip and taped them into place using regular scotch tape.  (That hold the papers in place and also strengthens the pierced folds).  I glued the rosette together using Glossy Accents and let it dry.  Then I distressed it with Black Soot and finally edged it with Platinum Stickles...my favorite Stickles for vintage work.

Finally, it was time to make the very thing that I first envisioned when I started this frame.  I cut pennants from Tim Holtz' Pennants On the Edge die cut and covered them with a coordinating paper from Proper Gentleman.  (I left a small tab on the top of the pennants so that I could fold the paper over the black cording I used to join the pennants and then glue the paper tab in place on the back side of the pennant).  The letters are Tim Holtz' Vintage Market die cut onto cream cardstock and distressed with Platinum Stickles.  Finally, I made a small banner on my computer that says "tell me 'bout the good old days" and printed it out on white cardstock then distressed it with Vintage Photo and Black Soot.  I laid everything out, glued it all into place and now I have a new frame.  The picture in the center....that dapper fellow is my father's father when he was a young man.

Now it's your turn to create something for MEN ONLY and post it to our challenge at SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW!  If you're needing a little more creative food, check out the wonderful designs made especially for you by my design teammates.  Their work is always so inspiring, so unique and off the charts GOOD!!!  Then enter your art into our challenge.  You could be selected as one of our TOP THREE artists for the week.  You could also be the lucky recipient of our sponsor's very generous prize of ...

So, join the fun and YOU could be a lucky winner!!!

BOOOOOOO Blocks!

I started this fun little project this past Monday with a small group of my buddies.  We call ourselves "Artchix" and we get together once a month to "play".  We started making "BOO BLOCKS".  We got the blocks covered while we were together but then had to finish them out on our own. 

They are made out of 3 1/2" light weight wooden blocks.    The letters are 2" chipboard letters from The Paper Studio that I found at Hobby Lobby.  They are painted and then "glitzed" with Pumpkin Orange fine glitter from Art Glitter.  The black "things" behind the letters are Reflections flowers I found at Michaels and used as my background.  I stickled around the outer edges of the flowers with Orange Peel Stickles...which, against the black background, went a weird green on me...but I love it! 

Here is the top of my "B" block.  Many of the embellishments came from Michaels' Halloween section.  They always have fun stuff to craft with for Halloween.

Here is the first "O" block's top. Does the tree look familiar?  It's Tim Holtz' Spooky Tree die cut that I cut twice and fused together by making a slit in both trees...one from the top and one from the bottom of the trunk and just slid them together.  Next I hot glued them together.  Then I painted the tree with black paint and when dry, I added some Black Diamond Stickles.  I made the charms and hung them onto the tree branches.

  

Here is the other "O" block's top.  Again, lots of fun stuff from mainly Michaels to embellish with.  The vial is Tim Holtz and the labels are 7 Gypsies.   I put the skeleton together using just a skeleton head, a separate Halloween hat and some loose gray "spooky" netting.  I clipped off just a piece of the netting and used it for hair on my skeleton.  I love the boney hand and the sparkly black spider sitting on it!

Left side view of the blocks

Each side of the blocks are covered with images from Vintage Halloween Postcards that I cropped, sized and printed out on white cardstock for everyone.  You will see all of the different designs on the pictures.  All are glued into place (actually I used double sided tape to secure them in place on the wooden block), all edges sanded and then distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Some of the images are printed out twice so I could pop dot them on top of the original.  All have some stickles on them; to help "glitz" them up a bit but also add to the vintage feel.

Back view of the blocks

Right side view of the blocks.

These are easy to do and really go pretty fast!  I have a set for Valentines' Day and plan on making a Christmas set as well.

I hope you're having a wonderfully creative day!  Thanks for stopping by!

SIMON SAYS SHOW AN ATC

Happy Monday Everybody!!!

This week's SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE:  AN ATC

I have to admit, I am new at ATCs.  I've only made a couple of traditional ATCs ... you will see those as part of a future challenge. (smile)

But for this challenge, I decided to make a chunky ATC.  I LOVE these! They are basically an ATC, only dimensional.  I have only made one other of these...but after making this one, I am quite sure I'll be making more.  They look so cute sitting on a shelf together.  Chunky ATCs can be as simple or as intricate as you can imagine them to be.

 I titled my Chunky ATC "Time Passages".  It reminds us of how quickly time flies. 

The ATC is made from chipboard that is put together with 1/4" Wonder Tape (on the inside).  The back and front are the standard ATC size.  The two smaller sides are 3.5 x 1.5 inches and the top and bottom measure 2.5 x 1.75 inches.  I made each side individually and then put them together at the end.

The front of my ATC was done using a piece of white cardstock and a Wendy Vecchi stamp from her A Form Of Art stamp set.  I colorized the cardstock with Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  Then I used some Gold Paint Dabber paint on my finger to go around the edges of the chipboard and also add highlights to the front.

The clock face is recessed.  I did this by stamping the small clock face from Tim Holtz' Going Somewhere stamp set on a piece of white cardstock.  I distressed it with Vintage Photo and then covered the surface of the clock face with Crackle Accents and let it dry.  Next I used the packaging from Tim Holtz Ideaology Time Pieces to make the recessed area.  I cut one of the smaller time piece indentions out of the plastic and left an edge around it that I could glue onto the chipboard.  Then I cut a 1.5 inch circle out of the chipboard and my stamped and distressed paper.  I painted the edging gold.  Using Glossy Accents, I glued the clock face into the recessed area.  Then I glued the clock face in place on the interior side of what would be my chunky ATC.  I made "TIME PASSAGES" on my computer, cut it into little banners, distressed them and glued them in place.  Finally, I painted small chipboard-"ish" die cut clock hands from ScrapFX with gold paint and attached them to the clock face using one and a half Tim Holtz' Hitch Fasteners.  I dangled a gear from Tim Holtz' Sprocket Gears, attaching it to a piece of chain using a Tim Holtz' Jump Rings.

 This my favorite side of the ATC.  It features a vintage child with butterfly wings holding a picture of herself as an old woman..."Sunrise...Sunset".  The background paper on this side was colorized and distressed the same as on the first side.  The vintage typewriter letters on the background are from Tim Holtz' School Desk stamp set.

The butterfly wings behind the sweet little vintage girl are made to look iridescent by using a small Sakura Water Brush filled with water and dipped into Sour Apple, Turquoise and Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls powders.  When combined with water, the powders make a almost like a translucent paint.  It really adds a beautiful shimmer.  The little copper frame is one I had in my "stash" of stuff.  I sized the image of the old woman to fit, lightly distressed it with Vintage Photo and glued it in place with Glossy Accents.  The "SUNRISE...SUNSET" banner was made on my computer and I distressed it and glued it in place.  The little organza roses at the bottom are from Tim Holtz' Trimmings.  They are colored with a combination of Worn Lipstick and Spiced Marmalade color mists that I made using Distress Ink Reinkers, a couple of  Mini Misters and water.

The back side of the ATC features an image that is seen on Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutant papers.  The background is done using the same elements as on the other sides.  The top of this side is punched using a Martha Stewart Doily Lace edge punch.

 The image is colorized with a couple of colored pencils to add a bit of blush to her cheeks and some color to her eyelids and lips.  The tiny clock parts are from Stanislaus and are glued in place using Glossy Accents.  A wing from Tim Holtz' Regal Adornments Ideaology is placed underneath my very "timely victorian lady" with another computer generated banner, reminding us that "TIME FLIES".

The background of this side of the ATC is done using Tim Holtz' Nostalgic Tissue Tapes on chipboard and then distressed using the Vintage Photo and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks.  The frame is from Tim Holtz' Tag and Bookplates die cut.  It is distressed using gold paint and lightly edged with Black Soot Distress Ink.  It is then made to have a patina finish by added just a bit of Juniper Paint Dabber from my finger.

The vintage image was sized to fit the opening of the frame, glued in place and then covered with Glossy Accents to give the appearance of glass.  I added more of Tim Holtz' Sprocket Gears to this side and I dangled a Tim Holtz' Muse Token~"Forevermore" from one of the gears.

After completing all of the sides, I painted (using my finger) all of the edges with gold paint.  Then I put all of the sides together using the Wonder Tape.  Finally, I finished embellishing my Chunky ATC by adding elements to the top.

The top of the Chunky ATC features particles of time.  The little dome clock is a little "treasure" I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  The small vial laying on it's side is from Tim Holtz' Vials.  The little clock pieces spilling out of it are glued in place using Glossy Accents.  

The Chunky ATC is elevated using three wooden spools that are painted gold.

If you have not seen the ATC examples made by my design teammates at Simon Says Stamp and Show, you need to check them out.  They are wonderful!!!  So many ideas to get your creative juices flowing!  Then enter our challenge and post your entry on to our blog.  You could be the winner of our weekly drawing for a very generous 

$50.00 CREDIT VOUCHER PRIZE FROM SIMON SAYS STAMP! 

 You may also be chosen as one our the top three designs, earning you the right to display our coveted TOP THREE BLINKIE for your blog!

So...join us and SHOW US YOUR ATC!

STEAMPUNK MEETS MR. BONES

It's a back to normal Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge this week.  I hope everyone had as much fun as we did at the STAMP ~ TEMBER Blog Hop!  I had so many nice comments and I thank everyone who stopped by!  I loved seeing all of the "ANYTHING GOES" entries!!! Isn't it just AMAZING what you can do with paper?!  (smile)

It's a new week at Simon Says Stamp and Show!  This week's theme...."STEAMPUNK".  YES!!!  I LOVE STEAMPUNK!!!

My Design Teammates' brains have been working overtime this week to bring you some absolutely "sic" Steampunk designs.  You won't believe your eyes!!  Check them out at
SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW CHALLENGE!

If you haven't already figured it out, Halloween (other than Christmas) is my favorite holiday for crafting!  I was at Michaels the other day and picked up this really sad looking jointed skeleton.

Isn't he great?  He had so much potential! 
Oh...what to do with him?!

Then I saw our challenge theme was "Steampunk".   I really think that Steampunk and Halloween can go great together!  Both are a bit weird and quirky; just like my sad little skeleton.  So, for my challenge piece this week........my skeleton went Steampunk!

Meet Mr. Bones!  He's posing for you.

He's such a ham!!

I dressed Mr. Bones by fashioning a hat and vest for him out of black cardstock.  Yes, it started out as simple, plain black cardstock!  I made my patterns for the hat and vest and cut them out.  I generously sprayed the black cardstock with Ink Refresher.  Then I worked it into the cardstock.  It doesn't take long for the paper to actually start feeling like a soft leather.  I crinkled it all up and then partially smoothed it back out again.  Then I very lightly dusted the cardstock with a Perfect Pearls large brush dipped in Copper Perfect Pearls followed by Gold Perfect Pearls powders.  Then I heat tooled it dry. 

I wish you could feel the hat, vest and leggings.  They really do feel like a soft suede leather...nothing like paper!  And the Perfect Pearls give them such a weird shimmer...perfect for a ghostly ghoul who needs a new image.

I cut two of the hat brim and then cut a smaller circle in the center for Mr. Bones' head to fit through.  I used one of the holes that I cut out of the brim to be the top piece of Mr. Bone's fine steampunk hat.  The body of the hat was about 3" long.  I cut tabs up about 1/2" on both ends so that the hat could curve as I was attaching it to the brim and the top.  They went together perfectly!

Next I decorated one side of the hat with some Tim Holtz Ideaology Sprockets and Gears and Metal Game Spinners that are wired together.  Then I attached them to the hat with a Long Fastener.  I added just a bit of corkscrew copper wire to represent haywire mainsprings from a clock.  

The other side of the hat features a Tim Holtz Light Bulb that has a Gear attached to the front of it using a Long Fastener.  It is wired to the hat and I added some extra curls of wire extending from the bulb.  Pinned into the brim of the hat is a Trinket Pin holding a mini pumpkin charm.  Behind that, stuck into the hat is a Memo Pin holding a Happy Halloween ticket from Tim Holtz' Odds and Ends stamp set.  I stamped the image on watercolor paper that I had first dabbed with a Gold Paint Dabber and lightly touched with a Juniper Paint Dabber.  Then I further lightly distressed it with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink.  

The top of the hat features a Tim Holtz Time Piece embellished with more Sprocket, Gears and Game Spinners.

Let's move on to Mr. Bones' fancy steampunk vest!  Did you catch the back?  He looks like a biker dude!  The witch patch is from Tim Holtz' new Mini Halloween 2 stamp set.  

She is stamped on cream cardstock that is distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  After cutting her image in a circle that is the perfect size for a big patch on the back of the vest, I further distressed around the witch with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink.  Then I used a black cats eye ink pad to distress just the edges of the circle.  Finally, I drew black stitch marks using a Letraset Fine Line Drawing Pen.  I used Glossy Accents to attach the patch to the back of the vest and smeared Distress Clear Rock Candy Stickles over the patch for a more vintage look.

Moving around to the front of the vest, I used more Sprockets and Gears and another mini pumpkin charm to create a very fashionable steampunk lapel pin that I fastened to the left side of Mr. Bone's vest.  The right side features a 7 Gypsies Industrial Gear piece that has a picture of a steampunk heart in the center, covered in Glossy Accents.  Whoops ... isn't a heart supposed to be on the left side?  Oh well...Mr. Bones is dead...so it doesn't really matter to him!  The top of the Industrial Gear has another of Tim Holtz' Sprockets added on.  I love how these two steampunkish elements work so well together!  

Mr. Bones is stylin' with his hip Halloween necklace!  I had some old link chain that I made into a necklace.  The scary hanging pendant is a Bottle Cap creation made from a Flattened Black Bottle Cap.  I punched out a 1" design from their Halloween Craze Images and attached it to the bottle cap using 3D Crystal Lacquer.  Then I added the 1" Cabachon that really made the design pop!  I LOVE BOTTLE CAPS!!  SO FUN AND SO EASY TO PUT TOGETHER!  Then I added the scary pendant to the chain and Mr. Bones is all dressed and ready for a spooky "FRIGHT-DAY" night!

Finally Mr. Bones has leggings.  They're a little distressed but he doesn't mind.  I cut 2 1/2 x 3 inch squares out of the black cardstock and treated them the same way I did for the other clothes.  Then I tore the edges and little holes in them while they were still damp.  I wrapped them around Mr. Bones' legs and attached them with Tim Holtz' Tiny Attacher.  Next, I cut fringe up the side of the leggings and scrunched it up a little.  I put the Sprockets and Gears Ideaology together with a Long Fastener and added a piece of chain with a charm I made out of bones and a couple of iridescent beads.  I poked the Long Fastener through the black cardstock and the leggings were finished!

No self respecting skeleton would leave home without his keys....A Skeleton Key, that is!!  This is made with just the head image of the skeleton from Tim Holtz' Retro Halloween stamp set that is glued onto a Grungeboard key die cut from Tim's Hardware Findings die cut.  I pounced  Silver and Gold Paint Dabbers onto the key, let it dry and then lightly added some Juniper paint for that aged patina look.  Then I made my own little label saying "Skeleton Key" out of the center piece from the oval book plate from Tim's Tag and Bookplates Die Cut.  DON'T THROW THOSE AWAY!  THEY ARE THE PERFECT SIZE TO FIT INTO TIM'S IDEAOLOGY ORNATE PLATE!!! 

Back to the Skeleton Key label...this, too was colored with silver and gold paint first.  Also on Mr. Bones' key ring is a "key" cut from Wendy Vecchi's For The Guys Art Parts onto chipboard.  I pounced silver and gold paint dabbers followed by lightly antiquing with Juniper on this key as well.  Finally, I attached a little charm I made using a skull and a couple of iridescent beads. 

In his other hand, Mr. Bones is holding an empty bottle of Witch Hazel.  The label came from Tim's Mini Halloween 2 stamp set.  The bottle is the largest of Tim's set of Vials.  Both the skeleton key and the Witch Hazel bottle are hot glued onto Mr. Bones' hands.  Don't worry...he has no skin...so it didn't burn him!!

Finally, I made a little mini steampunk book for Mr. Bones to read while he's sitting on my mantle waiting for Halloween to come.  The cover of the book is made out of a manila tag that has been distressed with Wild Honey, Vintage Photo and Black Soot Distress Inks.  Then it is stamped using Jet Black Archival Ink with some images from Tim's Steampunk stamp set.  The cover is also embellished with more Sprockets, Gears and Game Spinners as well as a super small Stanislaus Light Bulb.  

The inside pages are made from distressed kraft paper.  It is distressed with the same colors as the cover.  The edges have also been torn with a Tonic Paper Distresser.  The text images on some of pages are from Tim's World Traveler stamp set.  Don't they look like real mini pages?  

The back of the book has a Grungeboard keyhole cut from Tim's Hardware Findings die cut and painted with a Pitch Black Paint Dabber. 

So now you've met Mr. Bones, my new little friend and Halloween decoration.  Steampunk meets Halloween...a great combination, if you ask me!  

With just a little imagination and some inexpensive "trinkets", I've made a new and one-of-a-kind Halloween decoration we will enjoy for years to come!



So now it's YOUR turn to show us some Steampunk!  Post your entry to our blog.  You could be the lucky randomly selected winner of our generous sponsor's 
$50.00 credit voucher!!! 
If your entry is chosen as one of our top three for the week,  you will receive a TOP 3 BLINKIE to proudly display on your blog!  So, good luck and I can't wait to see YOUR steampunk piece!