My friend Shonda (YT: SLIMCards) put together a fun Halloween YouTube Hop in which each participant created a 3D or altered item piece. I haven’t done one of these in a long time, and I thought this would be the perfect motivation to get my upcycling on!<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n I started with an old cigar box that I painted the corners of with DecoArt Black Gesso<\/a><\/span>. This would allow me to be less exact in cutting the patterned papers that would line each side, top, bottom and interior section of the box. I used beautiful papers from Graphic 45’s “An Eerie Tale”<\/a><\/span> and “Steampunk Spells.”<\/a><\/span> Each patterned paper was cut to size and all the edges were inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot for a nice finished look. Then I used Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue<\/a><\/span> to adhere some Tim Holtz Foundations Metal Feet<\/a><\/span> to the bottom of the box to literally and figuratively elevate the box into something extra special.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n With the box construction done, I decided to fussy cut one of my all-time favorite Steampunk images: the Steampunk lady with wings and a top hat, riding a bicycle. I inked the cut edges with a Momento Tuxedo Black Marker<\/a><\/span> and popped her up on fun foam for a bit of added dimension. For the rest of the box lid, I decided to use a wooden knob to create a handle; a big black crocheted doily to add some softness; a metal key to add dimension to the Steampunk Spells focal image; a Tim Holtz Spinner<\/a><\/span> and Compass Coin<\/a><\/span> to add a whimsical interactive element; a Tim Holtz metal Keyhole<\/a><\/span> for a box front accent; and a bunch of metal filigrees, odds and ends, and flower pieces<\/a><\/span> to add a lush feeling. There was a lot of futzing but you can see the streamlined edited process in the video below.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The wooden knob and all of metal pieces were of varying metallic colors, and I wanted a more unified look, so I took all of them and put them through the following process: First I painted them all with more DecoArt Black Gesso<\/a><\/span>. Once dry, I used my finger or a stiff stencil brush to coat each piece with DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Black Shimmer.<\/a><\/span> That dries almost immediately so I next hit all the high points with a dab of DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Silver Spark<\/a><\/span>. The dull and mix matched metal pieces all got a cohesive luxe gunmetal silver grey makeover!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n For some finishing touches and a little sparkle and shine, I added Ranger Glossy Accents<\/a><\/span> to some of the features of the Steampunk lady (bicycle handles, clock necklace pendant and goggles on hat); some Recollections ebony glitter glue to the centers of some of the metal flowers; and some Tonic Studios Nuvo Glitter Drops in Midnight Sky<\/a><\/span> on the stamen of some of the metal flowers. These subtle little extras add some nice details without distracting from the overall focal points of the box lid.<\/p>\n