Wood Block Halloween/Fall Home Decor

Hello!

Hope you are having an enjoyable day. With the first day of Fall in less than a week I wanted to share a home decor project that will take you through fall, Halloween , and into Thanksgiving. Love a home decor piece that is versatile, don't you?

This piece, really pieces, was left over from another project. Some 2 x 4 pieces already cut into 4, 5, and 6 inch high pieces. No stepped out photos on this one but I will walk you through the steps and list all the materials at the bottom of this post. 

As is my usual method I didn't have a specific end result in my mind but knew I wanted a Halloween decor piece.   Out came the Halloween colors, stamps and dies.  I ended up with this group of Halloween blocks. 

Fun, right?  I started by painting the blocks all over with black gesso. 

Once dry I applied some Ranger Texture Paste Transparent Matte through a spider web stencil.  I let the paste air dry and then pulled out some Tim Holtz Distress paints in oranges. I dabbed on and blended with a baby wipe. This was repeated until I was happy with the color. I applied this color to all sides except the bottom. A happy surprise is how the matte paste makes the wood look like it carved!  Next I die cut a variety of Halloween images and words. Some shading was added with Distress inks.  The die cuts were glued down with Ranger Matte Medium. Some were given extra texture with some crackle paint.  The final touch was some stamping of spiders and script on the sides and back.  To protect the blocks I added a layer of matte medium over the whole surfaces. 

It was at this point that I realized that I could add more die cuts on the back side!  Thus the Fall side of my blocks were born. I started the process again with some Fall themed dies, stamps, and inks. Side two turned out like this. 

I did not include the "wood carving" on this side but instead used the same script stamp as used on the sides for the background.  I followed the same process to color and glue on the Fall leaves and foliage die cuts.   Again, the final layer was matte medium to seal everything up to protect and provide long wear. 

I will display these blocks on a shelf in my great room on the Fall side. Some time in October I will flip them to the Halloween side. After October 31st I will flip them back to the Fall side and display through Thanksgiving. Three little blocks will cover the months of the Fall and Autumn holiday season. 

Hmmmm, now I'm thinking it would be fun to have a set of blocks for each season!  Winter/Christmas, Spring/Easter, and Summer/4th of July.   I've got the pastes, paints, inks and die cuts so now all I need is hubby to help me cut up some 2 x 4s!  

Hope this inspires you to look at scrap wood in a whole new way!

Supplies used:

Surface:  Scrap wood 2 x 4

Wet:  Distress paints, and inks in oranges, reds, yellows and browns;  archival ink, black gesso, Ranger Matte Medium, Ranger texture Paste Transparent Matte

Dies:  Tim Holtz Sizzix Tattered Leaves, Layered Leaf, Jack O Lanterns, Halloween thinlit word, Branch Tree, Mini Owl & Crescent Moon Mini Movers and Shapers, Autumn Gathering Sizzlet; and an original Sizzix die Pumpkin (38-0254)

Stencil:  Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Shatter

Stamps:  Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Ledger Script and MiniHalloween 4

Thank You for stopping by!  Happy Creating!

Hugs, Sharon

Village Dwellings, Sneak Peaks, and Halloween

Happy Monday!

hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer.  I'm excited about the latest releases from Tim Holtz.  How about you?

Today's Tim Holtz Sizzix holiday release sneak peek really brought me back a few years!  Be sure to check out the Halloween Sizzix Release and the Christmas Sizzix Release and see all the fun new dies and embossing folders.  There is sure to be something for everyone.  The Village Dwelling series has been creating quite the buzz and Tim does not disappoint with the latest dwellings to add to our village.  The Halloween Manor just makes me smile.

So many of Tim's dies and stamps have such a nostalgic feel to them.  I am always drawn to the Halloween images and products.  It brings back the wonderful memories from childhood. My Mom was so great at making every holiday festive and full of happy memories.

Tim's release, including the Manor, doesn't only take me back to childhood but just about 6 years ago when I re-ignited my passion for crafting.  When I saw that Manor this afternoon I instantly went back to 2010 when I created my own Halloween manor.  Hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane.  I know traditionally its throw back Thursday but I'm just a little early this week.  Hehehehe.

I was using my Cricut more those days and can still remember the excitement when I found the Happy Hauntings cartridge.  It included a haunted mansion to put together.  What started out as simply putting together the haunted house became a multi day construction project of not only the house but a whole scene.

It looked good,  It was a challenge to put together but I was loving how it turned out.  It needs some some shingles my husband said.   Hmmmmmm, I can do that.

Yes, it does look much better with shingles.

 I glued each one of these on by hand, carefully making sure to stagger the rows.

It needs more my husband said.  Ok, what else can I add?  How about rocks on the chimney, and a yard with spooky trees and a grave yard, and a fence.  

Perhaps as a sign of mixed media things to come I got some texture paste and created the "yard" on a canvas and painted it all spooky with black and gray.

So today Tim Holtz has brought back some happy memories and struck a cord with his latest dwelling the spooky manor.  I love how crafting can become so personal and take us to another place and time.  

I am looking forward to creating the next version of my haunted house.  Wonder what construction tips my husband will come up with this time?

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Hope you find joy in your crafting!

Happy Creating!

Hugs, Sharon

Halloween Fun with Graphic 45

Hello there!

I wanted to thank you for all the visits and comments on my mono print shadow box. Your support and sweet comments made my day and mean the world to me. 

Another Halloween project to share. This time I used the new G45 Rare Oddities.   Classic Halloween colors with some interesting and odd images. I used the small matchbox as my base to create a shadowbox wall hanging. 

It starts out as a dimensional hanging shadow box. 

With a surprise inside!

Did you spot the image from the first photo on the middle tag?  These three tags are linked with ribbon and attached to a clip to attach to the matchbox. They were created to be folded and stored in the box when not being displayed. This is not the best photo but this is so long it was a challenge to photigraph!

Here you can see the clip used to attach to the tags extender to the box. 

Close up views of the tags. 

I think this will look great hanging from the mantle to bring some spooky fun during the Halloween season.  Have you started any Halloween projects?  I'm really enjoying getting mine done early so that I will be able to enjoy them all season long. 

I posted this one on the Graphic 45 Facebook page for the August challenge. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Creating!

Hugs, Sharon

Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge 34, The Grand Finale

Hello everyone!

Well, here we are at the final challenge from The Tim Holtz book, Compendium of Curiosities 3. What great fun it has been to play along. 

First, a huge thank you to Linda Ledbetter for hosting the challenges and for gathering such a talented curiosity crew to inspire us all.  Thank You to the Funkie Junkie Boutique and the Inspiration Emporium for sponsoring the challenges and provide generous shopping gift certificates to randomly selected winners. A big Thank You to Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi for providing great prizes for the Curiosity Crews Choice for each Challenge. 

To all of you who have stopped by to see my creations, and those that took the time to make kind comments I am so touched and thankful for your support. 

The final challenge is the Layering Stencil Monoprint technique on page 48. This is such fun and it's easy to get carried away with a desk full of backgrounds. 

I used the technique on watercolor paper and used it to cover a shadow box die cut from Tims postage die. 

This piece ended up on the back. 

Yup, it's a Halloween shadow box. I know, I know it's only August. I love creating home decor projects for Halloween and I am getting a head start on holiday projects. I pulled out my favorite Halloween Distress Inks and got in some frightful fun. 

The jack o lanterns and skull were stamped, inked and cut out. The spider and Happy Halloween are from the same mini Halloween 4 stamp set.   The script on the front and sides is from the new ledger script stamp set. Serious, mad love for this set!

Here are some close ups. 

A good shot of the script stamp. 

The spider is stamped in black archival and embossed with clear embossing powder. The words and bat are rub ons. 

The gum drops were colored with mushroom alcohol ink for an aged look. 

This will be a fun piece for the mantel or a shelf.  I had a great time creating this shadow box.  Hope you enjoyed it to. 

This final challenge of CC3 is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate. Tim and Mario will be providing prizes for the Curiosity Crews choice. Be sure to jump over to Linda Ledbetters blog to see what the crew did as well as those who played along too. 

I admit I'm going to miss these challenges. Hoping there will be. Compendium 4 so we can do it all over again. 

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Creating. 

Hugs, Sharon

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2014, October

Hello!  It's almost Halloween!  There is still time to create some spooky projects!  Tonight I'm sharing my version of Tim's October tag.

Isn't his tag so much fun?!  The colors and textures are amazing.  Check out his blog post here for details on how its done.

While I don't have all the materials Tim used I followed his concept and theme.  I don't have the new Distress Stain Sprays yet so I colored my tag with his Wrinkle Free Distress technique.  I also made my focal point the stamped/embossed image rather than the pumpkin.  Loving how it turned out.  Doesn't Mr. Skeleton look like he is having fun with his pumpkins?

The monocle hanging with the wish bone off the swivel clasp is such a clever way to hang charms on a tag or project.

Love how the texture paste takes color!

The tinsel makes a fun accent with the pumpkin.

I wanted to add a word with the alpha chips but felt with the size of the skeleton and pumpkin at the bottom that it would have been too crowded.  Just makes me smile to see Mr. Skeleton carrying that little pumpkin.

Hope you enjoyed my October tag.  There is still time to join in the fun and make your own!

Thanks for stopping in.  Happy Creating!

Hugs,  Sharon

Halloween Fun

Happy Sunday!

I have just been so inspired with Halloween projects this year!  Yesterday I spent the day with my crafty friends at the annual Chico Scrapbooks Halloween crop.  What fun to see all the imaginative costumes and projects!  You can check out the pics from the crop and all the other happenings at Chico Scrapbooks here on their Facebook page.

Here we all are in our costumed glory!

Jodie always has something festive waiting for us to make each event extra special.  Check out these goodies.  Little treat boxes filled with candy.

Chico Scrapbooks usually offers some optional kits for the croppers to work on while having fun.  This event featured these two.  The one of the right is my Halloween Treat box that I entered into the Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge 11.  You can see my blog post here. 

This box would be perfect on your desk or to give as a gift filled with Halloween candies!  There are still a few kits available so if you are interested contact Jodie at Chico Scrapbooks today at (530)345-9333.

I worked on some decorative wall hangings inspired by Shelly Hickox and the Faux Tarnished Silver Technique she uses.  Nobody does Halloween like Shelly!  For some great inspiration be sure to check out Shelly's blog Stamptramp.  I will share the project I made and some of the steps in another post.

I also was able to finish my version of Tim Holtz October tag!  That's a record for me this year as I have been sliding in at the last moment on these.  Look for the post on that one coming up this week.

Hope you are enjoying this wonderful fall weekend.  Take care and happy creating!

Hugs, Sharon

Dylusions-Tim Holtz Halloween Art Journal Page

Hello everyone!

Happy Fall!   I have found that people either have a blast with Halloween or don't like it at all. I'm one of those who absolutely love to decorate for Halloween. Love the oranges, blacks, greens and purples that signify the spooky color scheme. So many fun images to work with. 

Today, being the last Sunday of the month, was mixed media day at Chico Scrapbooks, my LSS.   Everyone is encouraged to come by, hang out, and work on their favorite mixed media project. Today was all about my art journal and well, as if you haven't guessed, Halloween.  

It's a Dylusional Holtzian trick or treat page (smile, wink)!  Working in my journal of choice, Dyan's Dylusions large journal I started with some buildings cut out from the Tim Holtz Alterations die Artful Dwellings.  Add some water and Dylusions sprays and you've got the start of a spooky scene.   Stencils, stamps, and Pitt pens being the scene to life. A touch of white pigment pen and spritz with a silver sharpie and my page was complete. 

Supplies used:

Ranger Dylusions Creative Journal

Dylusions ink spray:  after midnight, white linen, slate grey, dirty martini, lemon zest

Faber-Castell Pitt artist big brush pen:  black 199, dark chrome yellow 109

Uniball signo pigment ink pen:  white UM-153

Sharpie silver metallic

Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamps:  distress damask cms190, mini Halloween 3 CMS 140, mini Halloween 4 CMS 198

Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations:  artful dwellings 657218

Tim Holtz distress marker spritzer

Crafters Workshop Stencils:  mini bricks 191s, mini capricious 124s

Prima stencils:  finnabair item 960179

Dylusions stencil: bubbles

So fun to let loose and just make a fun Halloween page.  I've got some other Halloween and fall projects in the works so please come back for some more posts this week. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

#timholtz #dylusions #sizzix #rangerink

Happy Creating!

Hugs, Sharon