That's Life: corked vials

Showing posts with label corked vials. Show all posts

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Hello everyone, welcome to the Witch Market and an update...

Hello everyone...it's been a while since I was last here and many of you have very kindly been sending messages to ask if I was ok and I thought now was the time to take this opportunity to update you all. If you follow me on social media, you probably already know the reasons why I've been absent from my blog, and why I've taken a break over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge but for those who don’t follow me, I thought I'd drop by, say hello and just fill you in on what's been happening since my last post in May.

So, here we go, and this isn't the easiest post I've ever written, I don’t usually share personal things on here, but I wanted to share this and hope you don’t mind reading it…

In May, my Mum suffered a Haemorrhagic Stroke and from the very beginning, the medics told us that we should hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. My Mum was a fighter though, she always had been and she wasn't prepared to leave us without one last fight of her life. And that’s what she did, she fought so hard and so bravely, but after 9 days, my Dad and I had to say goodbye and that was the hardest thing to do, because this beautiful woman, who had a smile that would light up a room and a sense of humour that would brighten our day, was everything to us ~ she wasn't just my Mum, she was my best friend, a beloved wife and a very special lady to everyone who knew her.

For the next 9 weeks, Dad and I tried to get used to life without Mum...it was hard, and it was definitely the most difficult time we had ever faced but no matter what we were going through, we had each other, and that was how we coped with the heartbreak.

But at the end of July, after spending a lovely day together, my Dad started to feel unwell and he was rushed to hospital. After a very long 5 hours, hoping and praying that I’d be able to take him home, my wonderful Dad, my hero, passed away and once again, I had to say goodbye. In the space of 9 weeks, my world had fallen apart….

These last five months have been extremely painful and I can't tell you how much I miss both of them, it's more than words could ever describe but they are always in my heart, by my side and they will never be forgotten because every night, they are both shining bright in the sky!

So, as I begin to slowly ease myself back into a world of creativity, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has sent messages, cards, flowers and just been there for me during these last months. I especially want to say thank you to Tim, Mario, Paula, ❤️❤️❤️ and everyone at Simon Says Stamp. ❤️ You have all been so caring, and so supportive and it really has meant so much to me as I've tried to move forward and cope with all the chaos that comes with this huge loss.

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…and now, to the second half of this post, and if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you will have seen a few of the makes I've created for Tim's recent Halloween Sizzix, Ranger Ink and Christmas Stampers Anonymous releases.

I also shared this piece that I was creating for the Halloween idea-ology Live Launch. I'd actually already made this project just before Dad passed away but unfortunately, it wasn't quite finished in time for Tim's YouTube Live. But for those who haven’t seen it on my socials, it’s now time to welcome you to the Witch Market....

This post is really to show you around the make, it’s not a tutorial but I wanted to share some of the close up details with you and the products I’ve used. If you do have any questions though, then please don't hesitate to message me.

Products used in this post are available at Simon Says Stamp

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To create this piece, I began by choosing the Square Vignette Panel as a base, using the inside to create the appearance of a box. I painted the entire box, inside and out with Black Soot Distress Paint and then adhered Design Tape Trim around the four edges of the panel.

To add texture to the sides, I used the spider's web die in the Sizzix Vaults Fright Night Thinlits set. The web is cut from black card and I just snipped into the die cut to create sections and pieces which I then attached directly onto the box using Matte Collage Medium. Once dry, I just gently rubbed some Sterling Foundry Wax over the raised areas to accentuate the detail before I heat set the wax, using a low setting on my heat tool.

To add even more texture, I used Black Opaque Distress Texture Paste to create a gnarly, vintage effect, and once that was dry, I again used the Foundry Wax to highlight the details. To complete the box, I added some Hitch Fasteners to the top of the panel, and a Machinery Head on either side.

As we begin to walk around the market, you'll notice that I covered the back of the panel with the brand new Halloween Large Collage Strips. These are a favourite of mine and I love that you can use the strips just as they come out of the pack or like I did on this piece, where I cut them into sections so that they all fit perfectly. It’s a bit like a jigsaw and you will need to place some horizontally, and some vertically.

Inside the box, you can see that I built up the main central focal point by layering an Etcetera Facade, (with the circular piece in the centre removed), over the top of the smaller rectangular Etcetera Panel. Both of these pieces are covered with gorgeous papers from the Halloween Backdrops pack and on the centre of the Etcetera Panel, I also attached the black and white circular layer, which is from the Halloween Layers and Paper Dolls pack. You can just see this through the aperture and creates the perfect backdrop for the witches.

Now to add those Halloween Tiny Lights to create that perfect purple glow behind the witches. I attached the lights by drilling a hole through the back of the vignette panel, and continued drilling through the Etcetera Panel which I had fixed into position using Matte Collage Medium.

I then used hot glue to attach the lights to the back of the Facade, placing them around the edge of the circle. With these firmly attached, I used the risers that come in the facade pack, placed these on the back of this piece, and adhered this into position.

On either side of the facade, I used a Bat Web Etcetera Trim. Each trim is painted with Black Soot Distress Paint and then attached ~ one on the left, one on the right.. Once again, I added Black Opaque Distress Paste to each trim for added texture and accentuated this detail with Sterling Foundry Wax.

To complete this focal point, I used Spanish Moss and Mummy Cloth that I dyed with Frayed Burlap and Antique Linen Distress Sprays and tucked this in around the edge of the facade.

Now to move onto the witches...

To create support for the witches and to add some more depth to that central area, I attached "wooden planks". These realistic planks are from the Baseboards pack, and are perfect for adding to a window, or an opening to create a spooky effect.

I added two of these planks to form a cross, which as I mentioned, also doubles as the support needed for the witches heads to rest upon.

I actually used a combination of two Halloween Paper Dolls ~ one is the woman and child, and the other is the older lady, who sits on the right. I then added the eye mask and the witches hats, both of which are from the Halloween Sticker Book, before surrounding them with floral layers on either side.

At this stage, I also added the spider, painted with Distress Paint, and the Shake Well Before Using Label which I adhered directly onto the Facade. I also added the No.13 Remnant Rub, rubbed onto one of the Cello Sticker onto the left hand side, and finally some Screwheads.

Tucked into each side of the panel, and nestled amongst the floral display are some Drippy Candles and all that I did with these to add that orange glow is dab some Stickles Glitter Glue to each of the wicks.

To ensure that the figures look as if they are grounded and their feet aren't floating in mid air, I added an Etcetera Trim across the bottom section of the facade. I painted the trim with Black Soot Distress Paint, and attached it with Matte Collage Medium before adding moss, some Boneyard Findings and Mummy Cloth around their feet.

You'll also notice that I added a key from the Gothic Gates set. This key, which I altered with Distress Paints to create a rusty effect, hangs down on a chain which is attached to a Nail Tack, hammered into the facade.

Now to add some details and on either side of this panel, I attached the gothic gates which I made to look rusty using Transluscent Grit Paste and Distress Paints. I then added a spider along the very bottom, just crawling out of the gate....

...and on the opposite side, I attached a lock, which hangs from this open gate. Once again, Distress paints did their job of creating the look of a patina on the metal.

Now, no Witch Market is complete without bottles full of potions, poison and other elixirs, and this market is no exception because these three witches have been busy and as the 31st October draws near, they are obviously working their magic ~ ready and waiting to cast a spell or two....

I used a combination of Corked Vials and Tiny Corked Vials for this. You can read all about how I alter these clear glass vials on a previous post, and you can also see more of this technique HERE.

Once all my tiny vials were ready and all the little Curator labels were attached to the fronts, I just positioned them across the bottom of the panel, adding moss in and around each bottle.

Finally, I added the Witch Market sticker onto one of the "wooden planks" and used Nail Tacks to attach this to the bottom edge of the panel.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope to be back full time with you very soon but before I go, this post is dedicated to my parents because without them, and without their encouragement to dip my toe into the craft world ~ I wouldn't be here! My Mum bought me my very first kit because she believed that I'd be quite good at making something!

So, with this in mind ~ I hope I made you both so proud of me and I hope you'll always be looking down to see the next part of my journey!

Love you both and shine bright!

xxx

Monday, 14 August 2023

Web of Dreams...

Hello friends...

Hope you are all having a great Monday and enjoyed Tim's Saturday Live, it sure was fun and if you're a Sizzix fan, then there was so much inspiration from all the makers!

So, as we start a brand new week, it's time for a new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog and this week our theme is all about using our FAVOURITE TECHNIQUES and with so many interpretations of this theme, I'm sure if you play along you will be spoilt for choice of what you will be making!

For my make, I chose to get my spook on and as my favourite time of year has started, I used my favourite technique which is all about stencils and spritzing to make a textured background for my Halloween Panel and used Tim's amazing new Black Texture Paste and the beautiful new Halloween Mica Stains to add some amazing sparkle and shine. I also thought this was a perfect backdrop to use with some of the new Halloween ideology pieces, because they are too good not to use.... 🖤

So, let's begin ~ it's time to introduce you to Regions Beyond!

For this make, I used the smallest sized of the rectangular Etcetera Panels as my base and I covered the edges with Halloween Design Tape.

BACKGROUND

Now first of all, I am going to give a shout out to Tim and Ranger Ink for the brand new Black Texture Paste, because I don't know where this has been all my life ~ it is incredible but you have to get it whilst you can as it won't be around for long and I've already stockpiled it!

So to create this background, I cut a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card the same size as the panel and then using my new favourite product, I applied the black paste through the Crossed Layering Stencil to cover the entire panel.

Let the paste dry thoroughly before applying the Mica Stains and I used a combination of Unravelled, Fallen Acorn and Ominous, spraying each colour individually and misting a small amount of water over the top to blend them. Once happy, I dried the panel and machine stitched a border around the outside before I adhered this onto the Etcetera Panel.

We're now ready to start work on the embellishments...

SHELF LEDGE

To begin with I made the ledge for all my embellishments to sit on and used a medium sized Pinked Etcetera Trims and a Bat Trim. I painted each trim with Black Soot Distress Paint and then once dry, I lightly spritzed them with Phantom Mist Mica Stain.

I then placed the pinked trim, attaching it at a 90° angle so that it formed the shelf and attached the bat web underneath. I then adhered a strip of Halloween Design Tape along the top of the web trim and placed a Curator Snippet Ephemera piece in the centre.

Beneath the ledge, I added the "From Regions Beyond" Quote Chip from the Baseboards pack. I sanded the edges and inked them with Walnut Stain before I attached it to my panel with Matte Collage Medium and added two Hardware Heads either side.

FRAME

Now we're ready to move onto the frame and for this I used the larger sized idea-ology Photo Frame and altered it by first applying some foundry Wax over the metal surface. I used Statue, which I heat set and then applied a lighter layer of Sterling over the top, not applying a complete coverage and making sure the previous layer showed through in random areas. After I heat set the wax, I then applied some Black Texture Paste using my finger to spread the paste over the metal. Allow for this to dry and to create the look of rust, I smeared Burnt Sienna Acrylic Paint over the surface, again just applying it with my fingertip.

For the 'broken glass' effect that I used in the frame, I cut a piece of the shattered windows, (another new 'must have' idea-ology product from Tim), and I attached this to the metal frame with a strong adhesive tape. To add the 'oldy worldy' effect to the acetate, I flipped the frame over, so that I worked from the back and dribbled Mushroom Alcohol ink onto the acetate. I then added flicks of Black Soot Distress Paint and allowed this to dry.

Setting the frame to one side, I moved onto colour tinting the photo. I love this photo from the new idea-ology Halloween Layers pack which this year, contains a selection of paper dolls, photos, portraits and ephemera pieces ~ you have everything you need in one single pack.

I cut the photo so that it would fit inside the frame and then I coloured tinted it with Distress Crayons and a waterbrush and then using foam pads on the back of the metal frame, I placed the frame over the top of the photo and attached it to my ledge, leaning it against the panel.

EMBELLISHMENTS

CANDLE:

To make the drippy candle that sits to the right of the frame, I began by attaching the candle to the shelf using Matte Collage Medium and then taking my hot glue gun, I formed the drips around the base.

Once the glue was rock hard, I then painted it with a combination of Old Paper and Frayed Burlap Distress Paints before adding some moss around the base and a Bouquet Finding, that I tucked behind the candle.

BOOKS:

The books are so easy to make, and so addictive and I have already made an entire library ready for my Halloween makes. The covers are from the Halloween Ephemera Pack and to build these three books that I used on this make, you will need either old book pages, or you can use some of Tim's idea-ology papers ~ I do tend to use book pages, because they are easier to manipulate when building the pages, but the choice is yours and both work ok!

Taking the book covers from the Halloween Ephemera Pack, I scored the book to create the back and front and a spine and folded along the scorelines. I then cut my book pages to size ~ for this you will need to measure the front cover, width and height and then double the measurement to give you the pages that fit inside the book cover.

Once you've cut enough pages to fill the book and you do want to make sure it's really full, then fold each of them in half and then start adhering them inside the cover. I used Matte Collage Medium.

When the pages are all fixed into place and the secure, I scuffed the edges of the book pages, and then dipped my finger into some paint, and with the book closed, I rubbed the paint along the scuffed edges to add that gorgeous look of an old book.

I tied some twine around one of the books and added a Clippings Sticker to the spine to complete it.

I attached the books on the left hand side of the shelf, lying two of them on top of one another and then leaning the third against the other two.

Hanging down from the two books, I attached a spider from the Spiders and Branches Adornments set, and altered this with a little Mushroom Alcohol Ink and a touch of Gilded Foundry Wax.

SKULLS:

Now for the skulls and I used my finger to add a fine layer of Grit Paste over the skull's head to create more of a lumpy bumpy texture and then once it was dry, I rubbed the Black Soot Crayon over the surface, blending it out so it still shows the original colour in places. I placed the skull on top of the books, attaching him with Matte Collage Medium.

BOTTLE:

I have featured tutorials for these bottles many times on my blog but it always helps to recap and it's such an easy process. I used a Tiny Corked Vial for this make and applied a layer of Matte Collage Medium over the surface of the glass.

After allowing it to dry thoroughly, I then applied Sterling Foundry Wax over the top and gently heat set the wax until it was set.

The label that I used on the bottle is from Curator Snippets Ephemera pieces and I adhered it to the glass using Matte Collage Medium and then rubbing some Walnut Stain Crayon over the top to age it.

Cut a length of twine and after spritzing it with Walnut Stain Distress Spray Stain, I wrapped it around the necks of each bottle. For the corks, I actually burnt these by holding them over a naked flame ~ please be careful when you do this, as they do tend to catch fire quite quickly and I don't want to cause any accidents. You literally need to show them the flame and blow it out quickly.

Pop the corks into the bottles, and seal them with collage medium.

Finally, I used my hot glue gun and in exactly the same way as I did with the drips on the candle, I applied the glue to drip down the side of the bottle.

Once dry, I used some Envy Alcohol Pearls, applying this down the hot glue to colour it and then a smear of Sterling Foundry Wax over the top.

Attach the bottle to the shelf and finally, I placed moss all around the embellishments, adding a couple of Bouquet Findings and a small die cut leaf that was on my desk to complete the arrangement.

I also added a touch of the moss to the top of the frame.

We're nearly there and all that's left is the finishing touches...

Using foam pads, I attached the Poison Ephemera piece to left of the photo frame...

...and then added the flying bats, from the Halloween Baseboards and Transparencies set. I shaped the wings by gently heating the plastic and just moulding them into shape before attaching them to my panel with Matte Collage Medium.

The final embellishment was to add the three studs at the top of the panel and I used Long Fasteners. I cut the backs away from the fasteners and then attached them directly onto the panel, placing them at equal distances along the top. I then painted them with a combination of Crackling Campfire and Black Soot Distress Paint to add a rusty finish, before applying a touch of Gilding Wax from my stash.

So that's my project finished and I hope you love the first of many of my Halloween makes and shares for 2023 ~ it's going to be a spooktacular season!

As always, if you make anything, or if you've been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look!

Don't forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until next Monday at 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today ~ stay safe and keep well.

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous: Rectangle Etcetera Panels, Crossed Layering Stencil, Pinked Etcetera Trims, Bat Web Trims

Distress Paint: Black Soot, Old Paper, Frayed Burlap

Foundry Wax

Distress Crayons

Distress Ink: Walnut Stain

Mushroom Alcohol Ink

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Halloween Layers 2023, Shattered Windows, Hardware Heads, Curator Snippets, Photo Frame, Drippy Candles, Halloween Ephemera 2023, Baseboards and Transparencies, Large Fasteners, Tiny Corked Vials, Spiders and Branches Adornments, Bouquet Findings

Mediums: Foam Pads, Black Texture Paste, Halloween Mica Stains Set 5, Halloween Mica Stains Set 6, Burnt Sienna Acrylic Paint

Glass Media Mat

Blending Tool

Tim Holtz Rotary Paper Trimmer

Heat Gun

Hot Glue Gun

Twine

Moss from my own stash

****These are not affiliate links****

Monday, 24 October 2022

A Taste of Poison...

Hello everyone...

Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend and as we head into another week, it's time for a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week our theme is HOME DECOR.

As we head into the final week of October and the witching hour is nearly upon us, I chose to squeeze in one more Halloween project. This was actually something I started way back in August, but it got put on the back burner because I was carried away making other projects and I found it sitting on the shelf in a cupboard, just waiting for me to complete it. So, with this in mind, it made it's way out onto my desk and I thought now was as good as time as any to finish what I started, ready for the most spooktacular night of the year.

So let's get started and welcome to the creepy laboratory, a place of wicked things and spooky findings...if you dare enter, then just follow the glowing green light to explore and see what's been happening here!

To begin with, I made my structure ~ this consists of the middle sized square vignette box, and the two smallest sizes of rectangular vignette boxes.

BUILDING THE STRUCTURE

I attached my boxes with Matte Collage Medium, placing the larger of the two rectangular boxes that I chose to use, on top of the square one and then, the smaller box was adhered to the right hand side. Once the adhesive is dry and the boxes are stuck, I added Halloween Design Tape Trim around the front edges and then applied some Translucent Grit Paste to give a gnarly, crusty finish to the wood.

After letting the paste dry thoroughly, I painted the sides and the back of completed structure, with Black Soot Distress Pain and once the paint is dry, I applied some Sterling Foundry wax to accentuate the crusty areas. Heat set the wax with a heat gun.

On the inside of the box, I covered each surface, and also the tops of the boxes on the outside, with Halloween Worn Wallpaper, adhering the panels with Matte Collage Medium. I then applied some crackle paste, adding it to the corners of the boxes to make it look old. Once the paste is dry and the crackles appear, I used Hickory Smoke and Walnut Stain Distress Crayons to accentuate and colour the areas.

With the structure ready, I made a base and for this, I adhered two smaller vignette panels together to form one long panel. I applied a coat of Black Soot Distress Paint to the base and then covered the top section with a panel of Halloween Backdrops before I attached the vignette boxes to it.

To complete the box, I used a Web Trim, painted black and attached this along the top of the tall part of the structure, adhering a halloween Mini Flair in the centre.

My structure is now ready for all those Halloween goodies...

CAULDRON SECTION

...and we'll start by adding the cauldron with it's glowing green bubbles.

I began by boring a small hole from the back of the box, through to the front and then threaded the green string of Halloween Tiny Lights through. Taking one of the cauldrons, I placed a wood chip in the bottom and attached it to the centre of my square box. I then ran the light string up the back of the cauldron and into the base, attaching it with a dab of hot glue. If you find you have too many lights, just cut away the excess ~ they will still work as long as the remainder of the wire is attached to the battery box. I then filled the lit pot with the bubbles, placing them one by one and attaching them with Glossy Accents, making sure that I didn't cover or block out any of the lights.

Once all the bubbles are fixed into place, walk away and let the adhesive set.

GAUGE FRAME

Whilst the bubbles are setting, I moved onto the Gauge Frame that sits on the back wall and started by attaching a skull adornment to the gauge, before applying some Translucent Grit Paste to the metal surface. Leave the paste to dry before painting the metal with a combination of Black Soot Distress Paint, followed by a layer of Crackling Campfire, Ground Espresso and Antiqued Bronze and once again, leave to dry. Once the paint is dry, I then added a smear of Statue and Sterling Foundry Wax over the top, and again gently heat set the wax.

Behind the aperture of the Gauge Frame, I added a Gauge Dial and then attached the completed piece to the back wall of the box.

SKULLS and FENCE

I used a selection of idea-ology skulls, some of the new ones and some of the older ones as I wanted all different sizes. I arranged all my skulls on either side of the cauldron, attaching them with a scattering of bubbles and boneyard findings that can be found in amongst them.

To complete this section, I attached a metal fence to the left hand side, again using the same technique as I used on the gauge, to add crusty goodness to the metal. I attached the frame with Matte Collage Medium and placed clumps of moss in and around the skulls and fence.

BOOK SHELF

For the book shelf, I added a small off-cut of an Etcetera Trim and stuck this in the middle of the box.

I then made two of the tiny books. The covers for the books are in the Halloween Ephemera pack and I used old book pages to create, the old book pages that I made for the insides of these miniatures. As some of my regular followers will know, I've made these books many times before and if you want to see how I create them, click HERE.

After adding Curiosities Stickers to the spines and aging them with Walnut Stain Distress Crayon, I attached them to my shelf.

Underneath the shelf, I made tiny scrolls, again I've featured these in previous projects, one of them can be seen HERE. I attached these scrolls to my project with hot glue to secure them.

Next to the scrolls is a bottle of toadstools. I used a Corked Vial, complete with a Curator Ephemera Label attached to it. I then attached two toadstools inside the vial, and adhered the vial onto the base....

...attaching a third toadstool next to the bottled toadstools.

On top of the bookshelf, are a couple more bottles. These are crackled with Rock Candy Crackle Paint and then I dripped alcohol inks onto the crackles to add colour before adding Curator Ephemera Labels and twine around the necks of each. I attached the bottles to the shelf and then placed the birdcage, filled with boneyard findings next to it.

I added a piece of chain to the birdcage, and hung the spider adornment, complete with painted red body to the end of the chain.

To finish this section, I added more moss.

TOP SECTION

The top section of the box, houses some more moss, bottles and skulls. The tiny bottle lying down is spilling out some poisonous potion, which is made by applying hot glue, allowing the glue to set and dry before painting it with Distress paints.

To finish this section, I hung the arsenic sign. This is a Halloween Baseboard piece and I just made it look more vintage by adding crackle paint around the edges and tinting it with Walnut Stain Distress Crayon. I then punched two holes in either side of the sign, and added some chain. I hung the sign from a Nail Tack that I hammered into the front of the box.

We're nearly there and all that's left is the key that sits on the side. Again, I altered the metal in exactly the same way as I altered the other metal pieces and then I just attached the key to the side of the box....

...and that is the finishing touch to my halloween make, which I hope you love and will be inspired by because it's such a fun piece to make and will be perfect to use as a home decor piece for Halloween.