ANYTHING GOES WITH THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOPPE

Hello friends! It's another glorious Monday and time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge.  This week....Anything Goes!

I had so much FUN with this one! I took an unfinished wooden box, turned it upside down, added Tim Holtz' amazing Pulley Wheels, covered it in Graphic 45's fabulous The Old Curiosity Shoppe Papers and filled it with all sorts of "curiosities". 

Here is a picture of the completed cabinet with the embossed glass door closed.

Here is a picture of the original wooden box, before I did anything to it, including turning it upside down and having to also turn the handles upside down.

I sanded the box and then washed it in a mixture of Raw Sienna Acrylic paint and water.  Then I began covering the box in those amazing Graphic 45 The Old Curiosity Shoppe papers plus one very cool lady from Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante 12 x 12 paper.  I used both 12x12 and 8x8 papers on this box.

The right side of the box features the lady from Steampunk Debutante.  I created a pocket in the lower portion to hold yet more "curiosities".  This is how I did that....

I scanned the globe portion of the lady on my computer so that I would have an exact copy of the image.  I printed it onto white cardstock.   Then I cut it out and cut out another shape of the globe out of Kraft Paper (to later use as a backing for my pocket.)  I also left a tab of kraft paper on the bottom of the globe that I could use to attach the bottom of the globe to the lady already glued on to the side of the box.  This would create the bottom of my pocket.  I took a piece of black milliner's netting from an old hat and covered the globe with it. It almost matched the cross hatch pattern in the paper perfectly. I attached the netting to the back side of the globe using 1/4" Wonder Tape.  Then I placed the kraft paper backing over the loose netting ends.  That gave the inside of my pocket a nice, finished look.

Next I made little bows out of black organza ribbon to glue onto the globe.  I also made two little accordion sides for my pocket out of kraft paper.  I inked just the edges using a Black Cats Eye Ink Pad.  Next I used the Wonder Tape to secure the bottom tab to the cabinet.  Then I secured the sides of the pockets to both the globe pocket and to the side of my cabinet. I hot glued the little bows in place on the globe.

Here is a view of the finished pocket before I added ephemera.

This side also features an embellishment that I learned to make in Tim Holtz last summer.  It is made from a Copper 1x3 Memory Frame, an Ideaology Corner, the bird and heart from Tim's Ideaology Adornments, Sketchbook Tissue Tape as the interior of the frame, an Ideaology Time Piece, two Game Spinners and a Jump Ring.  I have given them a patina look by using a Juniper Paint Dabber.

The left side of the box features a victorian lady from The Old Curiosity Shoppe papers.  I love dimension and pieces that are free to move.  So, I added a patina key to her back and a metal butterfly hanging from a chain.  It is able to swing freely.  There is also a larger patina butterfly hot glued onto the upper left corner of this side. I had a little metal crown charm that I thought my proper lady should be wearing.  I added a piece of vintage lace and three little roses to the side. The lady is holding a small mirror charm in her hand.  I found the OLD MAID playing cards online.  So, I sized them to fit my cabinet and added them for fun.

In both of the side pictures, you can also see embossing on the glass doors.  I found out the hard way that when you're embossing on glass, be careful not to let the glass get too hot or it can crack.  If you look closely, you can see the crack on this door.  I added a little Glossy Accents along the wooden frame edge to hold the glass in place and prevent it from slipping.  It dries clear and worked perfectly! I actually like the crack ~ a happy accident!  The steampunk man's image on this glass is from Tim Holtz' Pen and Pencil stamp set.  It is heat embossed using Black Embossing Powder.  The flourish used on both windows is a smaller version from Tim's Artiful Artifacts stamp set.  It is embossed using Queens Gold Embossing Powder.  

The back of the box is quite intricate as well.  I scanned the skate, and popped it on top of the original skate after adding some feathers for more dimension.

Here is a view of the back of the box with all of the "curiosities" on top.

Here is a closeup view of the left side of the back of the cabinet exterior.  I gave a patina look to Tim Holtz' Faucet Knob and an Ornate Plate that serve as a hanger for a little butterfly girl inside of an optical lens.  Tim Holtz' Vials came in handy.  One sits in the corner, holding more feathers while another smaller one holds a tiny lightbulb and is sprouting a "flower" made from a Memo Pin, Foliage and Glossy Accents.  A little Bottle Cap rests on the bottom lip of the cabinet along with a Pen Nib.  I used Butterscotch and Stream Alcohol Inks to create the background on the domino and stamped a sentiment on it.  I also added a little crown from Tim Holtz' Adornments.

As I stated earlier, I pop dotted the skate on top of the original skate on the paper.  I filled it with feathers and used Graphic 45's Brad Metal Staples for the wheels.  All of the bottle images on the bookshelf are filled in with Glossy Accents to give them a bit more dimension.

The interior of the box was so much fun to put together.  It's filled with stuff I've collected or some stuff I altered especially for this box. 

Here is a better look at the upper shelf.

Here is a closeup of the lower shelf.

I think the top of the cabinet is my favorite.  Remember...this was actually the bottom of the wooden box and I turned it upside down to add the wheels.  But..it also created the perfect top shelf to add more "stuff".

My favorite is "Petunia", inspired by the "When Pigs Fly" paper in the Old Curiosity Shoppe pad.  I bought this pig at a craft store and "gussied" her all up with butterfly wings left over from Pink Paislee's Butterfly Garden collection.  I added the pink tutu and ribbon sash.  I added the little crown on her head, the magic wand in her hoof and the rose she's grasping in her teeth.  She is hysterical when you see her in person.

She is perched on a little stand made out of unfinished wood pieces (two sized of tires and a little post with a small wooden disk at the top).  I painted these wooden pieces with Paper Artsy's Haystack Fresco Paint.  I then crackled the pieces using Paper Artsy's Crackle Glaze.  It's AWESOME stuff...crackles within minutes!  I then antiqued it further with Gathered Twig.

And here is Petunia's "little one" sitting high atop his high chair...spouting his baby wings.

Here is a closeup of the left side of the top of the box.

And here is the right side of the top.  As you can see, it's quite a conglomeration of "stuff".

I found these labels on the internet, sized them to fit the bottles and then distressed them and glued them in place.  I rubbed Rock Candy Stickles on the labels for more interest.  I also added more feathers to the one bottle and made a little dangling charm out Swarovski crystals.

I purchased the mannequin at a craft store and sprayed it with a honey colored stain.  The wings are stamped and then colorized with Tim Holtz' Distress Markers.  I added a little time piece and hanging key to his front and gave them a patina look.

You can see more detail from the back of the top of the box.


The ABC book is from a collage sheet I purchased at Alpha Stamps.  I sized it to the size I wanted and made a little book out of it, using chipboard, masking tape stained with Fired Brick Distress Stain and the book cover that I distressed with Gathered Twig and Black Soot Distress Inks.


Sorry for the extra long blog today.  There is just so much of this piece that I wanted to share with you.  It's such fun and it makes me smile just to look at it.


So...ANYTHING GOES!!!  Join the fun at Simon Says Stamp and Show and enter our challenge. You could be chosen as the lucky winner of our weekly prize of 

Your art could also be chosen as one of our TOP THREE for the week.  We have such gifted artists who follow and enter our challenges.  So..this is quite an honor! 


Have fun with your ANYTHING GOES! I can't wait to see your creations!