Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Hello friends...

Hope you've all had a great weekend and ready for the week ahead and you're also ready for a brand new week over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog!! This week, our theme is all about POWDER POWER! So whether you use embossing powders, mica powders or pigments such as PaperArtsy Infusions...we can't wait to see what you create and hope you'll join us for this fun challenge!

For my project, I chose to use a gorgeous Ranger Ink embossing powder to emboss die cut pieces to create a central focal point on my spooky altered book cover!

I started with this A5 kraft notebook that I bought for £1 from a local store...

...and then let the transformation begin!

I began by adding a coat of gesso over the surface of the book and heat dried it thoroughly! Using Frayed Burlap Distress Paint, I started to add some layers of colour, building up the intensity as I go along.

When that layer was dry, I then used Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge and Fossilized Amber Distress Crayons to add my next layer of colours, blending the crayons with my fingertips and again just building up the intensity of colour as I go along. Once I was happy with the base colour, I then used my fingers and added a small amount of gesso, blending it into the background. Heat dry the surface again, it's so important to do this between layers otherwise you could end up with a muddy mess...then add some darker shadows using the Walnut Stain Distress Crayon, finishing with Black Soot around the edge.

Give the surface a blast of heat using the heat gun to ensure that everything is thoroughly dry before adding some drips of gold using Ecoline Gold Watercolour Paint and just moving the book around to let the paint drip.

Once the paint is dry, you now have the base of your book and a surface to build on and for the next stage, I wanted to create some more layers and texture. I started this by using randomly torn pieces of Materialize Tissue Tape which I applied directly to the painted cover. I then took the Linen Layering Stencil from Mini Stencil Set 22 and applied paste through the stencil, focusing in the central area of the book and applying it over the top of the tape.

Let the paste dry and then using the same colour combination of crayons as before, apply the colour over the top of the paste, finishing with a dry brushing of the gold paint to add a shimmery highlight.

Now that the book cover is complete, I moved onto the embellishments...

I started with the frame and using the Ornate Frame 2 die, I used this to die cut a piece of chipboard. I then painted the frame using Black Soot Distress Paint and once dry, I applied some clear embossing ink over the top and sprinkled with Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder. Tap away the excess powder and then heat emboss until it becomes molten. I wanted to ensure that I had a nice thick covering for the frame, so for this...I applied a second layer of ink and powder and heat embossed again.

Now to create the spooky image of the face in the mirror. For this I used an image cut from the papers in the Materialize Paper Stash, a panel of mirrored card and the transfer technique. To begin with, I cut a piece of the mirrored card just slightly larger than the aperture of the frame. I cut the photographic image from the paper stash and with the image uppermost, I applied Tim Holtz Collage Medium over the top of the paper ensuring that every last bit is coated in the medium. Place the paper centrally, face/image side down onto mirrored card and use a brayer to ensure that it is firmly in place.

Leave this to dry thoroughly, I left it for a couple of hours but you can leave it overnight to ensure that it is completely dry. When you are happy that it's dry, spritz the card with water, soaking the paper really well and then start gently rubbing the top layers of paper away. Don't be too aggressive with your rubbing, nice and slow is better and if you need to add more water, then just keep spritzing until you start to reveal the final layer of the image. Wipe away any excess paper and water using a paper towel and I also, gently wiped away some of the straight edges of the paper, so that it created a less uniform look and made it more vintage.

Apply Mushroom Alcohol ink to the edges of the mirrored card and then position the image behind the frame. I also added a Remnant Rub to the mirror, placing it at the bottom of the image.

Attach the frame using foam pads to the front of the book cover, placing it over the top of some sisal floristry fibres.

Using the Halloween Script Layering Stencil, I placed this underneath the frame and applied paste through the word "wicked". Leave to dry and again, add some colour to the stencilled wording with Distress Crayons. Add a Remnant Rub spider to hang down from the frame.

To create the bat for the frame, I used the bat from the Hocus Pocus die and die cut the image from two pieces of black card. Dab clear embossing ink over the surface of both die cut pieces and then sprinkle the Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder over the surface. Tap away the excess and heat emboss. Apply a small amount of Black Soot Distress Paint over the surface of each die cut and leave the paint to go slightly tacky before wiping away the excess with a kitchen towel. Shape the wings of each piece and layer them over the top of one another. Attach the bat to the frame and add a Crossbones adornment piece to the centre.

Add one of the mini plaquettes (no.13) to the top of the frame and I then painted some Wicked spider adornments with Black Soot Distress Paint, adding a touch of red to the bodies and attached them around the frame, popping them in amongst the fibres.

Finally, I added some Hitch Fasteners to the bottom left and right hand corners, a pen nib and hung a chain down the side of the book and attached a Halloween Typed Token and an idea-ology key adornment, both coloured with Treasure Gold Gilding Wax to create a more vintage look.

My book cover is now complete and ready to use! I thought it would be perfect to use as a recipe book for all my Halloween ideas or maybe just use it as a piece of home decor but whatever it's uses, it's definitely full of wickedness!

So, I really hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind this project nd hope that some of the ideas will inspire you to create some Halloween decor pieces of your own. As always if you do need any further inspiration, then you need look no further than our blog to see all the wonderful creations from all the very talented Design Team members and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz Dies: Hocus Pocus, Ornate Frame 2
Tim Holtz Layering Stencils: Halloween Script, Mini Stencils 22

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Candied Apple, Frayed Burlap
Distress Crayons Set 1, 2 and 3

Idea-ology: Gothic Remnant Rubs, Mini Plaquettes, Wicked Adornments, Key Adornments, Halloween Typed Token, Crossbones, Pen Nib, Hitch Fasteners
Surfaces: Materialize Paper Stash, Materialize Tape, Mirrored Card Sheets

Mediums: Jet Black Archival Ink, Ranger Ink Texture Paste, Ranger Ink Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder, Versamark Clear Ink, Gesso, Treasure Gold Gilding Wax

Prima Louviers Antique Chains

Mushroom Alcohol Ink

Ecoline Liquid Watercolour Gold

Alcohol Ink Applicator

Ranger Craft Sheet

Heat Gun 

Floristry sisal and chipboard from my own stash