Something Evil's Lurking In The Dark...

Hello friends...

Today, I'm sharing the first of the projects that I created for idea-ology and Tim's FB Live which if you missed, then don't worry because you can catch up with all of the wonderful samples from each of the talented designers, HERE!

I just loved this years idea-ology release, it has so many amazing pieces and if you haven't seen the new Worn Wallpaper collection and paper stash, then you are missing out because they are stunning and I highly recommend you buy 2 of each ~ one to use, one to stroke and just look at!!

So back to my project and this was inspired by my love of all things Victoriana and with this period in mind, I used a Vignette Divided Drawer and created a piece all about a lady who isn't quite all she seems, because my night she goes by the name of the Bone Collector!

To begin with I took one of the dividers out of the drawer to create a larger section at the bottom and a smaller shelf section at the top. I then attached the shelf onto the top of Divided Drawer. At a later stage, I added some Hardware Heads to each corner.

The box itself is painted inside and out, with Distress Paints and I layered the paints to create a really dark wood effect to the natural wood of the box. I started with Ground Espresso, heat dried the paint before adding a layer of Antiqued Bronze, and finishing with Black Soot.

Once the paintwork is dry, I then adhered some of the Worn Wallpaper to the inside, using two different patterns that I thought worked really well together and attaching it with Matte Collage Medium.

Whilst the medium was still wet, I did tear some of the paper, ever so slightly, to create the look that it was peeling away from the walls but that was so hard to capture on camera.

When the paper is thoroughly dry, I then added some Ranger Ink Crackle Texture Paste onto random areas of the walls of the drawer unit and just allowed this to dry. As soon as it is dry, I applied some Walnut Stain Distress crayon over the top of the crackles and used a water brush to just move the colour around and allow it to sink into the cracks to accentuate them.

The inside of the drawer unit is now complete but I wanted to take it to another level and create a base ~ so, I took a Vignette Panel, slightly larger than the base of the drawer unit and after painting the base with the same colours of Distress Paint as I used on the drawer unit, I attached the base to create a stand.

I then took three of the Pinked Etcetera Trims and once I'd painted these in the same colours as the drawer unit and the base, I cut them down to size and then adhered them around the sides and back of the base using Matte Collage Medium which secured them into place perfectly.

To complete the drawer unit, I added some of the Bracket Etcetera Trims which I placed along the join of the drawer unit and the base to create a small step. The trims are given some texture with Crackle Paste and you can see how I did this in a previous post: HERE.

Now to start the decorating and have some fun bringing this to life....

At the top of the drawer unit, you'll notice that I added lots of tiny corked vials and larger corked vials but I wanted to add some textures and make them look more vintage. So, for this I used my favourite technique from way back ~ Rock Candy Crackle Paint which is applied over a layer of dried Matte Collage Medium! Once the crackle paint is dry, I then added various colours of Alcohol Inks, I used Mushroom, Sepia, Gold Mixative and Smolder Alcohol Pearls but you can use any colour you want ~ it's entirely up to you.

After tying some twine around the necks of the bottles, filling some of the bottles and adding labels, complete with Remnant Rubs, I then struck a match and set fire to the corks! Now, be careful if you do this ~ the corks do catch fire pretty quickly, you don't want to burn your house down, so have a bowl of water handy just in case but if you do try this, just set fire to them and then blow out the flame immediately, I just wanted a charred effect around the edges. I attached all the vials into the top section of my drawer using Matte Collage Medium and added a skull and moss.

Moving on and going from top to bottom, next we have some Mummy Cloth, something that I have bought in bulk ~ I just love this stuff!! I dyed the Mummy Cloth with Antique Linen and Pumice Stone Distress Spray Stains and then attached it along the shelf of the drawer unit, allowing some to drape down the sides of the box.

Next, the clock and for this I used one of the stickers from the Curiosities Sticker Book and attached it to the circular Deco Frame, which I altered with a little Black Soot and Antiqued Bronze Distress Paint and Rust and Patina Alcohol Inks to change the metal from pewter to bronze. I added some clock hands to the centre of the clock using a brad so that you could move them around to the time that you want it to be. I then attached the clock to the back wall of the lower section using foam pads to create a little more depth to the piece.

After colour tinting my paper doll, I then attached her using some foam added to her back so that it would create different depths within this piece.

You'll also notice that I added two small keys adornments to her hand, altered with a little Evergreen Bough and Rust Alcohol Ink and then tied together with a piece of cotton before being attached.

After adding some moss around the base of the unit....

...I added some more Mummy Cloth to the base and then started to add the embellishments, a thimble altered with the same paints as I used to alter the keys and packed full of some Boneyard Findings and moss. I placed the thimble onto a wooden slice...

...and then attached a Skull Fragment next to it. I also scattered some bones around and added some bouquet findings ~ dyed with Antique Linen to give them more of a feel of dried flowers, that have withered and died over time.

To complete the unit, I added the Bone Collector Word Band along the front of the Vignette Panel base...

...and then I attached a Vignette Finial to the top. The finial is painted with Distress Paints and has some Mummy Cloth wrapped around it, I also added some Hardware Heads to each corner, that I rusted with some Ground Espresso, Antiqued Bronze and Evergreen Bough Distress paints. You'll also notice that I popped a label from the Ephemera pieces onto the back of the drawer unit, which I just think finishes it off perfectly...

So, that completes the box and I hope you love it as much as I loved creating it! It sure was fun to bring this haunted room and the bone collector to life...or maybe that should read, bring her back from the dead!!!!!!

Thank you so much for visiting today and see you again very soon!

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Stampers Anonymous: Pinked Etcetera Trims, Bracket Etcetera Trims

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Antiqued Bronze, Ground Espresso, Evergreen Bough, Picket Fence

Distress Crayons: Walnut Stain
Distress Spray Stain: Antique Linen, Pumice Stone

Idea-ology: Hardware Heads, Curiosities Sticker Book, Skull Fragments, bouquet Findings, Boneyard Findings, Mummy Cloth, Vignette Divided Drawer, Thimbles, Deco Frames, Clock Hands, Vignette Panels, Paper Dolls, Boneyard Findings, Halloween Word Adornments, corked Vials, Tiny Corked Vials, Vial Labels, finials, Halloween Remnant Rubs
Alcohol Ink: Pitch Black, Rust, Patina, Mushroom, Smolder

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Crackle Texture Paste, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint
Surfaces: Halloween Wallpaper
Tim Holtz Media Glass Mat

Heat Gun
Palette Knife
Moss