Anything But Cute Mixed Media Challenge #6-- 31 Days of Halloween

Hello friends!

It's my turn to play hostess Anything But Cute, and the theme this time is "31 Days of Halloween". I'll give you the challenge description, but first here's my  31 Days of Halloween altered box. I found this old box in a dirty, damp cellar, and I dusted it off. Baaaad mistake! What I found inside sent shivers up and down my spine!

Disclaimer: I will warn you...this a VERY long post, but fortunately, mostly due to the number of photos. Let's get started...

If you love Halloween like I do, it's more than just one day out of the year, it's a season! For this challenge, I would like you to make a mixed media card or project for Halloween. It can be spooky or not, but you MUST include the number "31" somewhere in your project.  We can't wait to see the creative ways you'll be incorporating this number in your mixed media piece!

It all started with this old wooden box in somewhat sad shape.  

Look what I found inside! An old newspaper lining dated 1890! Could this be real?

I tried to remove the paper so I could use it again, so I sprayed with some water hoping to loosen the glue. It didn't work, so I ended up covering it. See that article titled "Life and Death"?  And how about that message that magically appeared  to the right of that dark spot?  No kidding...that was not there before I sprayed it with water! These things prompted me to do what I had to do to bring this lost soul to life.

But first, let's take a look at the outside...I applied DecoArt Media crackle paste through a Tim Holtz stencil and inked, painted and stained it, wiping off the color from the background, as I wanted that pretty wood to show through.

I made the frame using 5 layers of card cut with Tim Holtz Postage Stamp die and hand cut the ovals using my OLD Creative Memories ovals--we used these in the dark ages before we had die cutting machines! Lots of  paints and Crackle paint and manipulating and even some sutures to make this disgusting old frame.  I got my inspiration  from Jan Hobbins. Jan, you're a genius!

Obituaries are from Tim Holtz Regions Beyond paper stash and cut and re-worked and inked to get all the important details and an aged look. Oct. is from my stash (but I believe it's one of Tim's Alpha Parts) and painted with more Distress paints, and the metal "31" are from Ideaology and altered using gel medium, UTEE and Perfect Pearls powders--my technique can be found in my tutorial at Anything But Cute,and the details are at the end of this post.

Evidence Word Band (Tim Holtz Ideaology) is altered using Distress paint.

More Ideaology,  paint, and Remnant rubs to make my pull.  The key hole is original to the box. The pull really does closely match the key hole in color, but my photography stinks.

Are you ready to see what 's lurking inside?

A boneyard with...what else?  A creepy spider! I think I gave him too much of a blast with my heat gun while I was melting my embossing powders! He was my last one, so I had to go with it! My number one reason I LOVE Halloween is I don't have to be perfect!

The background is inked and stenciled using various stamped images (Stampendous) and stencils (Tim Holtz) and inks on water color paper. Lightning strikes! (Stampa Rosa image and Brilliance Black Lightening ink)

Mr. Skelly is fussy cut from Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper stash, inked,crackled and layered up (although difficult to see in the photo). The background image to his left is of a graveyard, but also hard to see here. I used water color paper, but if I had time for a do-over, I'd use a smooth paper for the background.

Two tombstones and crow were made from acetate cut outs I had in my stash.  I altered the tombstones with DecoArt Media gesso and Distress paints and popped them up on layers of foam tape. I just added Multi Matte Medium to the crow to take the shine off.

Here's what the stones looked like:

The white plastic fence was altered using alcohol inks and Rock Candy Crackle Distress paint.

Eeewww!  What is that scurrying into it's hole? Oh, that's just a rubber rat!

One last look and then let's see what else is here...

Oh, it's a slimy, damp cellar!

I sprayed the inside of my bottle with Krylon spray paint and used Tim's  Faux Cracked Glass technique on the outside. There's lots of goo and a swarm of spiders oozing out of that bottle! What's causing that bottle to tip?

Uggg!

For a brief tutorial on how I made the background paper, please scroll down.

The pumpkins were made using my Warts and All technique. The rosette was made using a Tim Holtz die. The "31" image is from Recollections. The ticket is Tim's die and stamp.

My skulls started out looking like this.  DecoArt Modeling paste, inks and paints transform them...

into this:

The business end of the rat.  I added Stickles to his eyes, and if you look closely you can see his eyes glint ever so little.

I made the moldy pumpkin from paper clay and painted with Distress paints. The "31" seen here is from Tim's Regions Beyond paper stash. I distressed it, crackled, and attached it with my Tiny Attacher to a piece of leather from my husbands almost 40 year old work boots!

The "31" in the background is from Tim's Kraft Resist paper stash colored with paints and inks.

How did I do that? For the metal "31" embellishment on the front of the box I spread some Gel Matte medium onto the metal, then sprinkled on a mix of black UTEE and Pewter Perfect Pearls mica powder.  I heated it with my heat gun until bubbly, let it cool and added Caramel alcohol ink in the "open" areas.

                                      
                   
For the background in the cellar, I started with water color paper. Mistake, actually, but for time's sake I had to go with it.  I tried this previously on manila card, and it turned out much better. I spritzed the back of  Tim's Halloween stencil with Hickory Smoke Distress spray stain, and then spritzed with water. I laid my paper over this and ran it over with a brayer to transfer the color.  I repeated to cover the areas I knew would show in my display. I then washed my stencil.

It appears I forgot to photograph my next step, but I applied a variety of Distress inks to color the background. Next I carefully replaced my stencil over the background aligning it with the previous stenciling and spread transparent matte texture paste. I removed the stencil and placed it in water immediately.

While the paste was still wet, I sprinkled on embossing powder randomly and  tilted my card around to get the powder to lay onto the paste in a come-what-may fashion. I allowed this to air dry and then heated to melt the powder. I repeated these steps with the additional stenciled areas.  For the "31's" I used regular texture paste and Wow embossing powder using the same steps.  I guess I forgot to photograph that, too!  I was working fast, as this was my 3rd attempt--my colors were off on previous attempts.

I hope you will be inspired to join my31 Days of Halloween challenge at Anything But Cute--you have an entire month to enter!  Don't forget to show us your "31"!!!  And be sure to check back on the 12th of October to see if you are a winner in our Mixed Media Makeover challenge.

I would like to enter my altered box into the following inspiring challenges:
Country View Challenges October #32 ADD some Texture
Stamps and Stencils Make It 3D With a Hop
That Craft Place Mixed Media Anything Goes
Eclectic Ellapu Purple Team Halloween/Dark/Horror
Mixed Media World MMW#7 Anything Goes With Autumn Colors
Our Creative Corner Halloween Horror
DecoArt Mixed Media Haunts Challenge
Try It On Tuesdays Autumn Halloween is my favorite Autumn holiday!
Left of Center Challenge # 98 Montsters With Ike's Art
Creatalicious Challenge # 79 Halloween (+ DT call)


Here's one last look at the completed project.

Thank you for hanging in there!  I bet some of you even read the text!  There is a Halloween treat for doing so...if you can name my number one reason why I love Halloween, I will send you some Halloween tickets and rosettes die cuts (you will need to assemble the rosettes and will be able to color your tickets as you desire). Open to the first 5 commenters who get the correct answer and open to continental USA residents only, please, due to shipping costs.You do not need to be a follower.
Thank you for stopping by today and for all your lovely comments! Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily

 They liked it!!!!