A Vintage Journey - Halloween: to die for!

 With this post - I am over the moon excited to tell you that I was selected to be a Creative Guide for the A Vintage Journey challenges!  I have been participating in their challenges for some time now - and I am SO excited (and nervous) to be working with so many creative vintage designers.  I know I'll learn so much about this genre being on this team.

So today I have my first project to share as a Creative Guide.  I was influenced by Tim's techniques - embossing my bottle, dying my ribbon with Distress Stains - using two of his dies and several Idea-ology pieces as I'll describe below.

 

Anne is our Host for this fortnight (do you love how I've become British!?! That's every other week for us State side folks!)  

And here is the challenge in her words  "Halloween is one of my favourite times of year, I love when the children come to the door, in their costumes, to 'trick or treat'. You do not have to make anything scary (but it would be fun if you did!) but you must use at least one die on your creation and it must be strongly influenced by Tim Holtz.  It can be a tag, card, canvas or mixed media piece."

  I have lots of photos to show you my creative process.

 I embossed an inexpensive clear glass bottle that I picked up at Michaels using Wendy Vecchi embossing powders in Orange Blossom with a little sprinkle of Watering Can.  I sponged Archival Orange Blossom ink all over the bottle (instead of Versamark) so the powder would stick to the glass. This is a technique I learned from Wendy Vecchi on her blog.

 I die cut the pieces below using Tims Halloween Shadows  die.  I inked the pieces with Watering Can Archival Ink and embossed with Wendy Vecchi Watering Can Embossing powder.  I didn't worry about getting total coverage with the powder - I actually brushed some off of the edges to give a more distressed look.

 Here's a close up of how it looks after embossing - you can see the spaces that were brushed off.

 I inked the cork of the bottle with Archival Orange Blossom ink and just sprinkled a little bit of Watering Can Embossing Powder over it - and it came out like this.

 I slipped the trunk of the die cut tree into a Memo Pin and stuck the pin through the cork - cutting off the point so no one would prick their finger on it if they removed the cork from the bottle!  I had glued one die cut bat and the owl onto the tree and added orange rhinestones for the owls eyes. I colored the Crinkle Ribbon by dabbing Walnut Stain and Spiced Marmalade Distress Stains on my Kraft Mat - spritzing with water and dragging the ribbon through the puddle.

 I did cut the gravestones using Tim's Graveyard die.  I added a skull and crossbones from Remnant Rub/Apothecary and a rhinestone to two of the stones.  I adhered it to the bottle with ScorTape and adhered the die cut Trick or Treat sentiment over the stones with foam dots

 I let the fun die cut row of Halloween Shadows run along the bottom of the bottle.  I adhered it with foam dots placed on the 4 heads in the center of the group.

 Of course, I couldn't leave the back of the bottle undecorated!

 I embossed the Alpha Parts Framed numbers with Orange Blossom just scattering a little bit of powder over the pieces after I inked it with Orange Blossom ink to hold the powder on (you have to be careful melting the powder on the plastic as the plastic can melt!).  I added a couple of Remnant Rubs/Apothecary and Label Letters to spell BOO.

 I hope I've given you a little inspiration with my Halloween - To Die For project today!

As always, our sponsor is Country View Crafts who is offering one winner, chosen by the Creative Guides, a £10 voucher to spend in their on-line shop.  

I hope you'll consider joining in on this Halloween challenge - you will find all the challenge details and the link up over at A Vintage Journey.  (Not to mention some MARVELOUS spookiness from the rest of the Creative Guides!  You MUST check them out!!

Paper:  True Black - Papertrey Ink
Ink:  Archival Orange Blossom and Watering Can.
Accessories:  Idea-ology - Memo Pins, Alpha Parts Framed, Remnant Rubs/Apothecary, Crinkle Ribbon, Label Letters; Ranger Distress Stains - Walnut Stain and Spiced Marmalade; Alterations dies - Halloween Shadows and Graveyard Die; clear bottle - Michaels, Mini Mister - Ranger, foam dots, ScorTape, Wendy Vecchi Embossing Powders Orange Blossom and Watering Can.