Steampunk Tissue Box

One thing I can not get enough of is embellished home decor. The simple side of me suggests that the tissue box is decorated all nice and pretty from the manufacturer, and when you're done, you recycle the box. 

But I need these sturdy pieces scattered around my house so I can remember to do the things I love to do. And that would be cut paper, paint, and distress! I have spent a good chunk of my life trying to make something really cheap look really authentic. 

This is a wood tissue box from Craft Warehouse in Vancouver, WA. This is my favorite wood tissue box from all the stores I shop at. It has the open bottom and it's heavy and loose around the tissue box.

The majority of the die cuts I used are reclaimed chipboard sheets from a manufacturing department, but I found a way to make them look like real weathered metal items. 

I will eventually get to a place where I can show you step by step how I create all the layers, but for now, please enjoy the finished projects while I make sense of some "behind the scenes" photo's I have taken for that purpose. 

Supplies: I bought pretty much all of my dies and embellies from Joann's. They have amazing sales on scrapbooking supplies and tools, you get the best deals. But you have to get it on sale, because sometimes, and especially with the dies, they mark them up so the discount seems bigger. The 40% sale is my rule.

joann.com

Tim Holtz - Weathered Clock

Tim Holtz - Gadget Gears

Tim Holtz - Clock Face

Tim Holtz - Metal Box Corners

Tim Holtz Idea-Ology - Sprocket Gears

modernmasters.com

Modern Masters - Reactive Metallic Paints

Vintage Trunk

 I was especially proud of this project. It is a rather large trunk that I bought at the Craft Warehouse in Vancouver, WA. It was on sale, but still a pretty penny. I thought this wooden box would take a lot longer to complete, but I actually finished it in a day.

I painted the box frame with Modern Masters, to create this great rust effect. I used paper from a steampunk theme cardstock pack from the Hobby Lobby, and used the Cricut to cut out his monogram for the top, which I wanted to fit into the white space. 

The front is a stencil that I made with my Cricut (Indie Art, I believe) and stencil sheets from the Hobby Lobby. I rubber stamped his birthday in the crest just to make it personal. 

The inside is from the same paper stack, and really not that hard to cut it to size. This is another one of those stack-able projects. Some things need to be simple, so they are not just clutter and dust collectors. Keep it simple and it will last forever.

Curiosity is an ART

This technique makes my day better when I see it on my wall. The illumination shifts as the lighting changes throughout the day. Every time I walk by these pieces I see something different, and it reminds me of what I want in life.

This piece is by far my most favorite of all my mixed media. It has a lot going on, and I love the colors. The paints shimmer in the light, and the lettering is really unique, so much so that I can't duplicate it! How did I do that!?! 

The background is plastered with Natural and Resin Sand, applied with a palette knife. The tiny clock parts were difficult to find, but you can look on Amazon for Steampunk Watch Parts, excellent deal for what you get.

Above anything else, I would love to find the purple and green ribbon again, because this is my last rose in that ribbon.

The candle is a Tim Holtz die Candlelight Fright from Mat Board or chipboard. I used metallic paints to color it, and the Viva Decor Crystal Pearl Pen to create the wax. The flames are from the yellow pearl pens, which is a product I can't live without. I alternated the clear and the white pens while they were wet, to give that dripping look. If you are going to stock them based on my word, you better get two of each, because they are my go to for detailing dies.

I use various beads and glitters and flakes in my confetti fills. Both Michael's and Joann's sells the same product, but I like to buy mine at Joann's on sale.  

I used the Sizzix Serif Essentials alphabet to cut out mat board with an encyclopedia page on top of that. I stamped a peacock feather with Versamark and dusted that with blue and green Pearl Ex. I edged it with a gold paint pen.

I used gloss gel medium to adhere the beads and various pieces.

Any random bead mixture will work.

I linked products to the stores that I buy the most product from online or brick and mortar. Michael's, joann.com, and Amazon are my go to for supplies.

Great Performance!

This was a fun piece to put together. At the time, the wings were new to me, and I was on a fanatic dress form spree. The week I made this one, an actor friend was having a performance at his school and I was inspired by the intrigue of it all. Jesse got a standing ovation from me! One day when he makes it big in Hollywood, I will always have this piece of him from the past. Yes, he's a guy and this is a girl thing...I did use blue...

Cheery Lynn Designs - Wings 

Sizzix - Tim Holtz Sewing Room 

Sizzix - Tim Holtz Gadget Gears

Sizzix - Ornate Hanging Sign

Lumiere - Indigo

Precious Metal Colour - Blue Azure

Stampendous! Mica Flakes - 

You can find them at Michael's and Joann's stores, or here online.

The larger gear is from Cricut.com

Crafting Keeps Me Sane

I love the 8x8 canvas. They are so easy to work with because they are firm and tight, and there is no limit to what you can pile on. This piece was a sample board for various dies. It is all paint and die cuts, and die cuts I painted. I absolutely love die cuts more than anything else. I can cut paper for hours, so I have drawers of organized cuts. Cathartic I suppose.

If you like the look and options of this particular flower or rose, I would find the die as soon as possible because it is retired for some reason. It is a steel rule die and it cuts out nice felt flowers too. Sizzix.com should have some new options, I added a link to Amazon down below. Don't forget to ink the edges! 

Cheery Lynn Designs - Victorian Romance Flourish

Cheery Lynn - Sophia's Heart mini

Sizzix - 3-D flower 

I used an 8x8 canvas which is nice and manageable. I find they are difficult to get my hands on, but now I know to buy a bundle when they are available, and on sale. I buy all my canvas from Michael's when they have their fabulous Artist Loft canvas packs on sale. Girlie Grunge Labels word art.

The background is much more difficult to describe. I used Lumiere fabric paint - Indigo because it is so dark and flexible. I bought it on Joanns. While I was there, I also grabbed the metallic blue Viva Decor Precious Metal Color in various icy blues. And to keep it the marbled effect, I also used basic metallic craft paint that I buy when I go to Michael's.

When the paint dries, I add mica flakes using a really high quality Golden acrylic Polymer Medium, Gloss. The Mica Flakes are by Stampendous, and found at Michael's, Joann's, and Amazon.

Crafting Keeps Me Sane

Spellbinders - Valiant Honor

Spellbinders - Decorative Labels Twenty Eight

Spellbinders - Shapeabilities Venetian Motifs 

Spellbinders - Peacock Feathers

Cheery Lynn Designs - Hot Air Balloons

Create your Desire

I am a huge fan of subliminal persuasion, and having simple phrases on my wall helps me get through the day. Build the life you dreamed of. I don't know about you, but I need daily reminding that it is ok to pursue my dreams.

Get in your studio and CREATE!

Sizzix aplhabets Serif Essentials and Block Talk. Embossing powder and random stamps from Michael's   Flower dies by Impression Obsession and Sizzix. Frame has a 12x12 opening that fits scrapbook paper perfectly; from the Craft Warehouse. Martha Stewart craft paint- champagne and penny. Rust effect is Modern Masters paint.

Peace Layout

This is my mom when she was six months old. Her grandmother was not known for her warm fuzzy lovey-dovey tenderness, possibly to do with chronic illness that left her with one arm. People say "Ah! You have the Iverson chin!" Which is always insulting because that is code for double chin or flabby jowls...not something that you want people to tell you that you inherited, if you know what I mean. But not to me...nobody would dare say that to ME. *wink*

 I always hate to ruin my pretty pictures with lots of technical stuff, but you simply MUST know that I used spellbinders Decorative Fleur de Lis Rectangles for the mat because it reminds me of the white picket fence.

This is a word cut out from Michael's. I painted it with Lumiere paint, Halo Pink Gold...I simply LOVE it!! Bright and metallic.

Who doesn't love to use the Tim Holtz label dies? This is the one that came on the big tag die. I layered it and used a label maker for the names.

Heartfelt Creations, feathery peacock collection. It is a stamp and die cut set, then you color it. I used random colored pencils and pens.

 Heartfelt Creations, feathery peacock collection

And finally, the mastery process! I had a few stacks of the mat board from Hobby Lobby before they discontinued it. I cut it out with my Cricut using the deep cut blade and some full page label type shapes. Then sanded the edges before I adhered pattern paper on both sides. Then one more coat of paint to seal the edges so they don't fray. The idea is like a wall hanging, or a decorative plate. Self standing and durable, yet lightweight. I will be selling a ton of substrates in my Etsy store before to long.

Thank you for stopping by!

Old Curiosity Shoppe

Several years ago I bought a trunk full of mache boxes for $2 each. They are really nice quality and have longevity on their side. I used Graphic 45 paper, and the base is Martha Stewart festive green paint.

The wings are Cherry Lynn Designs, as well as the mini gear. The doll body is from the Spellbinders Mixed Media Playtime set.