Nautical Steampunk Shadowbox Tag using Graphic 45 and Tim Holtz products (Inspired by Tim Holtz' Tags of 2016)

Inspired by Tim Holtz' March Remix for the Tags of 2016 Challenge - the imagination in that man releases the crafting juju in so many of us - I got a little carried away.  Graphic 45's new Voyage Beneath the Sea paper line opens up a world filled with 20000 leagues of Steampunk happiness.   Tim Holtz' dies provided the most perfect setting for this tiny crafty adventure.   Clipping pieces off some old stashed florals, adding a few handmade resin pieces and that gorgeous red haired mermaid from G45 -- it turned out striking.

I created a small box out of carstock reinforced with medium weight chipboard to fit behind the tag die cut.  A piece of acetate covers the hole to create a "window" view.  The shiny blue "coral" inside the shadowbox are punches from Tim's new Branch punch.

Most resin pieces were from Martha Stewart and Mod Podge silicone molds.  The diving helmet was from a mold that I had made from a pendant. Real seashells were found on the beach during a past vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the real watch parts are from RedRooster UK.   

Metal Film (the shiny blue and green on the cardboard) is Minc Reactive Foil.  Fibers and laces are from a local craft shop & art boutique here in Blackfoot, Idaho, the Stinkin' Cute Scrapook Shop & Boutique.  After making the first one, I decided to make more for a swap I had joined over at Mini Album Scraps.

Backs of shadowbox tags have a pocket for a personal note or gift card, sides are decorated with Inka rubs and raised glued "webs".

GIANT Steampunk Halloween Skull Tag with interactive "DOOR" and tags (Tim Holtz and Graphic 45 inspired)

I made this extra large tag back in 2013 for a challenge in TCH and since MAS is planning a GIGANTIC Tag Swap (with a tag 7"x12") soon, I'm pulling some pics over from my old blog to compare and remind myself with -- HUGE TAGS ARE SO MUCH FUN!! You can make them the centerpiece for home decor, like on a mantle, or for when you give a gift the needs a presentation piece (like cash or a gift card).

This tag is about 7x5 without the dangle

Back of tag has some "little" tags and tickets and a pocket to hold them under the Tim Holtz apothecary bottle die cuts

 The Skulls are Tim Holtz stamps that I stamped, scanned and enlarged on my printer and cut out of white cardstock as are some of the other images (Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Apothecary CMS138)

 The eye on the back was CUT of a pretty model from a magazine, mwhahaha and the red eye is a clear resin dome that I painted the back with acrylic paint.  The "31" and bottles are Tim Holtz die cuts.

 Mr. Seymour Bones is from Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells paperline.  The "door" is Tim Holtz Vintage Cabinet die and using the Movers Shapers Mini Cabinet Card to cut out the inside.

Charms and beads are from my stash, some from ebay, other's are Tim Holtz, Wishbone and Apothecary labels are Tim Holtz.  The door is on hinges and the creepy skeleton hand charm is on a rhinestone brad that allows it to rotate to be the door's "LOCK".

TIM HOLTZ 12 TAGS of 2016 (My Version)

WooHoo! My 3rd year keeping up with Tim Holtz' tutorials for a tag a month.  This year he is going to take previous tutorials from past years and combine a couple to teach how different techniques work well together to create something new.  Here we go!

JANUARY 2016
I decided to theme mine toward Valentine's Day instead of the New Year (using the Tim Holtz stamp set sent a year ago from Mario from being one of the December winners in 2014) - I used an Anna Griffin "love" embossing folder to match and a felt heart and fibers from my stash.  To find Tim's January tag tutorial click HERE.

Some closeups of the top and bottom

FEBRUARY 2016
Couldn't decide on a focal print so, Made three tags using this month's tutorial.  

A while back I found some vintage photos at a thrift store for 25 cents each.  Thought the one of this bride was just elegant.

Also at the thrift store I found a pack of playing cards with beautiful prints of women from Asia.  Tied it together with some Tim Holtz' rubons and a faux coin.

I wonder who this handsome fellow was.  He was also one of the vintage photos I purchased for a quarter.  The photo was brittle and yellowed so I coated with with Ranger Multi matte for reinforcing.

Made a Separate Post for March's tag since I went a little out of the ordinary - (so there's more pics of it on an individual post)

MARCH 2016

APRIL 2016
Since I was working on some altered gift bags for Halloween, decided to go ALL Halloween for April -- so my texture on the tag around the mosaic I left all bumpy and grungy ... Birch tree die! for the background trees using Sheena's wood texture embossing folder.

Valentine's Day Stick Pins, made from Resin - Presentation in the works - Corset, Vintage Heart, Cupid, Cherub

Working on a stick pin swap for Mini Album Scraps (ning site) - I made some molds with favorite embellies -- and topped my stick pins with the resin - now I'm trying to wait for the enamel paint smell to leave ewww -- time to consider the presentation piece.

Upcycled ( Recycled ) Milk Carton into a Tinker Fairy Steampunk House with Bee and Bird Nest Chimney

Bringing over a few projects from my old blog to keep them in one place. This is a project I did a few years ago for a swap.

  Rinse out a milk carton and let completely dry inside (no yukky smells needed :P )
Then decorate with papers (I used Graphic 45) added a roof from chipboard and loads of embellishments.

 large fairy charm by front door tiptoeing behind a stream made from blue glass chips coated in Glossy Accents with a fish charm jumping out

 The back I kept more plain but had to ad some funnnnnn stuff

 The chimney I glued a bunch of broken pieces from an old grapevine wreath and made a "nest" from moss - added a few plastic "eggs" left over from an Easter craft.

 Pieces of old floral arrangements and a snail shell that I found outside make up the fairy's garden yard

 A giant bumble bee charm to make it look more fairy size and a handmade pink paper flower using McGill Gardenia leaf punch.

Christmas CHUNKY CHARM DANGLE with upcycled Metal Lantern

 Made for a Christmas Dangle Swap at Mini Album Scraps

Found these three metal tea candle lanterns at a thrift shop for 75 cents each.  Painted them white, added some Tim Holtz Walnut Distress Ink to shabby them up a bit.

DIVINING PENDULUM GIVEAWAY for YULE & Winter Solstice - Witch, Wiccan and Pagans

Camille Eichorn -- you are the random winner of the diving pendulum!!! Please send me a message or comment (it will NOT be published) of the address you wish me to mail the pendulum too!!! :D Congratulations!  I will mail out the pendulum the first week of January (if I receive your address!)  (after the holidays) with tracking .
BLESSED YULE and Happy Winter Solstice! Thought it was high time I did a giveaway for all my friends in the Witch and Pagan communities.  Simply COMMENT below this post to be included in the free giveaway (I WILL ship overseas)(If you don't want your comment to be seen, put "don't publish" in the comment as I know some witches and pagans are not "OUT OF THE BROOM CLOSET" yet and I have all comments set to moderation) .  If you would like to JOIN my blog, I would love it!! but it's not required to enter the giveaway.  Winner will be by random draw.  I will do an announcement posting of the winner on December 20th and will message the winner for their address, if they do not respond in 7 days, I will draw another name -- so please check back between Dec. 21-Dec. 27).  

The winner will receive the handmade pendulum above.  It contains natural gemstones and a 925 silver chain.  This pendulum is approximately 13.5 inches long (roughly 34 centimeters) from tip to tip.  If you haven't ever used one there are several tutorial videos online and printables you can use as "maps" to get answers. "Maps" for divining are easy to find (there are  many online).  Here is one quick LINK .

(sorry, NO person I've actually talked to face-to-face is eligible to win - everyone else is fair game in the random draw. )

I will mail this pendulum in a little velvet bag.  It has not been charged and as with all the tools such as wands, amulets, and pendulums that I create, I make them while feeling no strong emotions.  I believe that aids in keeping them energy free and makes charging them easier.

This pendulum was made with:

*Snowflake Obsidian (the actual pointy pendulum) - a neutral protective stone known for amplifying clairvoyance while also providing protection against deceit

*.925 real silver chain - awareness and clarity - alchemists attributed silver directly to the female deities (Rosicrucian attribute it to Artemis, Renaissance alchemists to Diana, and Arabic alchemists invoked Manat when working with silver

*Smoky Quartz (there are 4 small pieces): an anchor, an intensely protective stone against negative energy

*Amazonite (the bluish green stone): calms the mind, removes negative energy

*Labradorite (the flat round dark stone): most consider it the most powerful of mystic stones aiding in the separation of earthly and ethereal realms and aiding in psychic development

*Natural Agate (the larger stone):  inner stability and clear unbiased judgment

*The crescent moon and pentacle charm and all metal findings (other than the chain) are made of alloy

Just a reminder, anyone is permitted to sell their Gothic, Witch, Pagan, Steampunk, Halloween items and advertise on my Facebook sales group JUJU CRAFTS

Making Witch Wands with 20 Year Old Green Eyed Salina, my eldest cat

Almost 20 years ago, my husband saved a tiny kitten by running off several children who had her pinned in the lower branches of a pine tree and were hitting her with large sticks.  We were so enraptured with her bright jade green eyes we never even bothered trying to find her original home.  She immediately joined our family and took over as nanny to our son.  Should I ever raise my voice to "her baby boy" I was immediately disciplined.  Once she even jumped and clawed my back.  I could get upset at other things, other people, even my husband (we did an experiment) and she didn't mind, just as long as I always had my emotions in check when dealing with our son.  She's never taken much interest in my crafting, whether I was knitting, paper crafting or making jewelry.  So today, when she came over, lay on the table and pulled a Lilac wood core wand that I was making for a Pagan friend under her head, (maybe I should research what Kyanite and Amethyst  does for kitties)  it was too darling to pass up, it was definitely time for a photo shoot.  I'm not sure the lady who ordered this wand is going to get it :) Salina its quite attached to it.

 Whenever I moved items around on the table she would pull this one specific wand back over toward her.  She had no interest in the other wand or items on the table, not even the twine.

I asked her if this wand "was her favorite", this was the look I got.  Says everything doesn't it?

  

 I was glared at when I suggested I should move it.  Looks like this wand order is going to take a little longer to fulfill.

Halloween Mini Album using several Tim Holtz dies including Skull & Headstone with Opening Pages, Chunky Charm Dangle, and Handmade Paper Roses

Had a lot of fun making this one.  Every page folds out to multiple pages, there are over 30 tags.  Here are just a "ton" of photos and hopefully I can find my long lost camera and do a video soon.

Opening to the front

The tags remove from behind the frames for extra photos.

Each file has a magnet to help it stay closed

 A photo can fit behind the row of little tombstones if needed.  But that paper is almost too haunting to cover.

Turn the hand and ...

My favorite - the Arch "windows" are 3 layers of chipboard thick.  The resin Gargoyle frames are from Ebay as are the winged charms.  The hand and 2 headed twin cabochons are made from resin poured into silicone molds purchased from ebay, painted with black acrylic touched with gold Krylon paint pen.  The "veins" along the arch frames are simply hot glue.

Each large photo mat comes out of the red painted filigree for more photo storage and the fold out extension has a few flat magnets to keep everything lined up.

The blood "veins" are hot glue coated in Red Alcohol Inks and Stickles glitter glue.  Tim Holtz' wishbone and a little glass bottle altered with "ELIXER" and glued in cork.

The eyeball is a piece of dome resin that I painted on the backside.   The skull is 4 layers of chipboard that I cut around the eye in the bottom two layers to make the eye lay flat.  Dyed with Ranger Ink Dylusions and Color Wash sprays, cheesecloth pokes through the other eye.  The black roses I made using EK Success Retro Flower Punch and coated in Triple Thick to make them fairly hard (I hate squishy flowers).  The words "haunted" and "wicked" are from Tim Holtz dies, Handwritten Halloween thinlits.

 Using 2 large eyelets on each side, I added a length of thick, lightweight, black metal chain made by Blue Moon jewelry and then connected the two sides with a lime green ribbon.  All the other ribbons and fibers are from the tags.

 I was in a swap for a Halloween Chunky Charm Dangle (with Mini Album Scraps) and made one for myself!! The dangle clip is Tim Holtz Idea-ology.

This is a pile of most of the tags pulled out of the book but there were several more.  Tons of spots for journaling and little photos.