Dia de los Muertos ( Day of the Dead ) Rosette Challenge with Handmade Flowers

Another challenge from The Craft Hole!  Friday night challenge, to create a rosette (at least 6") and decorations/theme is up to you :)  I had already found this clipart on the net and had it mounted on chipboard with some Triple Thick coating so it worked perfect to have a Day of the Dead rosette.  Dotted paper from BoBunny, all solids, including the handmade flowers are by Bazzill, stamens and feathers just from my stash.  The banner is another clipart printed on the cheap white cardstock from Walmart.

High Heeled Shoe Card, using Graphic 45 An Eerie Tale paper, Tim Holtz Bow Tied and Handmade Paper Flower Roses

The Friday Night challenge at The Craft Hole (Facebook Group) gave us a template and 3 hours to make a card - cards are my bane! They take me FOREVER to get the way I want so I was pleasantly surprised the way this one turned out in less than 3 hours. It was my first time using Tim Holtz' Bow Tied Die (another die that I bought because I'm a crafting hoarder and actually didn't think I'd use much and now realize I'm in LOVE with it and will use it day after day after day). By the way, the die was made so that you can join the bow with the Idea-Ology Tiny Attacher and the center pieces are made to perfectly fit over the itty bitty staple.  The man is a crafting genious! 

There unevenness on the bottom is just a shadow.

The background paper is "Enchantment" - part of Graphic 45's new An Eerie Tale line (gorgeous!) and though the pic doesn't show it well, the bow and bottom of the shoe are a metallic gold.  All flowers were made using the EK Sucess Retro Flower (medium size) and leaves are the Punch Bunch Fern punch, Martha Stewart's Branch, McGill's Birch Leaf Punch, the 3 prong leaf is an end off  a die cut from the Tim Holtz Garden Greens die.  Card is made from Bazzill (brown).  The black little ball embellies were white, but that didn't look so "sexy" so I used the enamel black (model paint) and made the color change. :D  Thanks for looking.

FRIDAY the 13th TAG using Tim Holtz Tag, Apothecary and Cargo Stencil Numbers Dies and Resist Papers

Started making this tag on Thursday night and after seeing a tag challenge on The Craft Hole for a tag on Friday 13th decided to use the newly released CARGO Movers & Shapers Die set by Tim Holtz (put a few in the pic below so you can see how they are arranged.  At first I didn't think I would use them, now I don't think I will stop.  I cut  these numbers out of medium/thick black chipboard and altered them with Tim's Distress Stains and Paints and Ink Gold Rubs.  The test tub on the side is a real pharmaceutical grade glass test tube with a cork, I found both at a military surplus store.  Wishbone=Tim Holtz.  The labels are by 7 Gypsies.  Chain handmade from wire in my stash.  Charms & skull from stash.  Eyelets are WeRMemory Keepers.  In the test tube (since the label I chose stated "CHLOROFORM" I used the Huggies wet wipe I had used to clean the ink off my mat, dried it with the RANGER HEAT IT tool and tore off a piece and stuffed it in the test tube for an aged look.  The skull on the resist paper was initially covered in Picket Fence (white) Distress Stain, then rubbed off, dried, coated in CRACKLE Glossy Accents, and after drying touched with some of Tim Holtz' Adirondack Alcohol Inks.

Altered Wine Corks - Steampunk Nautical / Ocean and Victorian

I love love love altering wine corks.  I'm not an alcohol drinker so I have to be a bit savvy in how to obtain them without paying much for them.  JoAnns has some in their floral department but they were quite plain, you can occasionally get some on ebay or etsy.  However, since I wanted quantity and variety I hit up a local Wine Store!  Just walked in and asked if they had any wine corks I could have or pay a couple dollars for and they loaded me up.  I go back every 2-3 weeks and tip the lady behind the counter $3-$5 or give her a cork I altered and she always seems happy to see me :)  I had started working on these a while back and a swap event over on The Craft Hole ( a Facebook group ) inspired me to finish them up.  I couldn't figure out if I wanted to do Steampunk or Beach / Sea inspired, so I combined the two themes.  I used a 3/4" metal washer, painted it, and E6000 glued it behind an oval glass dome for the large eye, did some wire wrapping and added some charm and crystal elements.  The eye reminded me a bit of a squid eye (except the shape) but round just didn't look right :P

 

Just on a different background so you can make out the flowers better.  These flowers and leaves are from I AM ROSES

Chain and Dangling Rhinestones are from jewelry I took apart -- the porcelain charlotte head with rhinestone collar and metal flower are by Amy Labbe (Art-i-Cake).

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