Steampunk Tissue Boxes

My studio met with a certain demise over a year ago, and since that time I have been focusing on my digital designs, until I could acquire a new building that won't fall prey to every little water disaster that comes my way. My husband and I went down to a cedar shed dealer where we ordered a custom building that will be delivered in a couple of weeks. It is 14x40 with 16ft of loft space, and I will have room to stretch out and be all kinds of messy, and still have enough space for workshops.  

In the meantime, this is a favorite project that I left in my drafts folder, and thought it would be a great time to add something new (And knock that Christmas Tree off the front page!). 

I used almost all Tim Holtz die cuts, and painted them with iron paint and then rusted them. My favorite detail is the picture wheel. I scanned a black cut and made a digital template, then printed pictures on acetate. It is a time consuming project, but it is full of wonder and inspiration. 

Bracket Album - Pink Rose

Handmade mat board albums has been a favorite project of mine for a couple of years. They are special cut scrapbook albums, approx 11 inches and very sturdy and thick. The reason I have not listed or posted anything about them recently is because the material has been increasingly difficult to find. This album is my favorite of all that I have made. There is a vintage album, and a more masculine  theme album that I am preparing to list in my Etsy store. 

I used my Cricut Expression to cut nine bracket frames.

My work space tends to get a little spread out, and very messy. A single project can overtake my studio, and somehow turn into several other off subject projects. If I'm doing this, I might as well do that!

I have several more of these that are waiting to find creative homes. They should be as easy as just adhering your favorite photo's on the page. Embellish or not, I think they are fabulous just as they are, but that is personal discretion. 

In the coming months, I will start making these books with my own designs, which you can also find in my Etsy store. I will soon be making books in: Rose Diaries - Green or Rose Diaries -Pink themes. Hint... I also have images that are not listed in the store, so they will be truly unique! 

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

Thrift Store Upcycle

I found this really cheap, fake wood table at a thrift store for $14. It took a lot of work, but I prepped the surface by lightly sanding it, then gave it a primer coat. I applied a lot of layers of iron paint to it and left it in the rain for a while to give it a really old look. It still needs handles, but I can't decide to actually order the specialty size online. Hobby Lobby doesn't have the right size handles. It was easier to get a tetanus shot than to take the time to seal it nice and proper. The sealing process takes some of the depth of color away. I'll get to it.

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.

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.

Remembrance Card

I made a series of Remembrance Cards after my grandmother passed away. It was a very difficult time because I was already enduring other losses. I poured through my scans of my grandmothers old pictures, and found stages of her life that I felt meant something to her. I cropped them and put them on sheets to send to the printer. I remember walking to the pharmacy to pick up the prints, and the cashier said she knew my grandmother and was sorry to hear she had passed. I lost it. It was all I could do to pay the bill and get out. Once I complete the cards, and a couple digital layouts that I will post on another page, I felt a sense of closure. I think it helped the recipients as well. Loss is so difficult to endure, even when you anticipate the outcome. At the time, I felt like I could keep her forever, if I could just create something lasting. 

The inside has her personal information.

The birds are from a Sizzix border die. The flourish is Cheery Lynn Designs, the big flowers are Tim Holtz tattered florals, and he small flowers are Spellbinders Bity Blossoms. 

  The doily is Cheery Lynn Designs, also outlined with gold marker. 

The frame is from a Hero Arts set by Sizzix. I embossed it in a patina embossing powder by Judikins, and outlined it with a gold marker.

  The corners are also Cheery Lynn Designs, also embossed with a patina embossing powder. 

One of my cleanest work spaces EVER.

Thank you for stopping by!