Altered Tin

Recently I entered a swap on UK Stampers to alter a 400g tin. After a lot of contemplation I decided that I wanted it to be very industrial looking and was heavily influenced by the Steampunk style of artwork, which is very popular at the moment. After I had finished it I was partaking in a little of my other favourite pastime (other than crafting, that is! lol!), which is bloghopping and I came across two blog challenges that my newly altered tin was suitable for. So, I decided to enter it in them as well. One was the Grungy Monday Challenge Blog www.studiol3.blogspot.com/2011/11/grungy-monday-28-and-great-big-prize.html and the theme was "Techniques of Tim - Great Pumpkin Challenge" using the techniques of metal embossing and alcohol inks, both of which I utilised in this project. Here is a link to the pumpkin that Tim created, it's amazing as always and well worth a look www.timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/11/rangers-great-pumpkin-challenge.html . The other was the Creations by Gill M blog www.creationsbygillm.blogspot.com/2011/11/cbgm-blog-challenge-20-recycling.html ,whose challenge was to recycle something. As my tin had originally been a can of Heinz Tomato soup my daughter had for dinner I thought that it fitted the criteria.

So, onto how I made this altered tin. I firstly embossed some foil with a cuttlebug embossing folder then adhered it to the tin using red-line tape. I put copper memory foil around the top and bottom to hide the join, and then alcohol inked the inside and outside of the tin.

I die cut the cogs from aluminun foil covered grungeboard using a Tim Holtz Alteration Die and coloured them with alcohol inks. I stamped the steampunk image from a Paperartsy set onto some of their metal foil card, cut out and attached to the tin with glue gel. I then added the grungeboard clogs and embellished the tin with Ideaology metal cogs, a book plate with another stamped image from the same stamp plate in it which was sealed with Glossy Accents, chain, jump rings, clasps and tags.

For the base I die cut a scalloped circle from grungeboard, painted it with black acrylic paint, embossed using the same embossing folder, sanded it to reveal the core and highlighted it with Inka Gold in Lava Gold. I attached it to the bottom of the tin with glue gel and then attached four small cotton reels that I had also painted black and highlighted with Inka Gold.

And there you have it my take on a Steampunk themed altered tin. Hard to believe that it used to be a Heinze Tomato Soup tin isn't it?

Dream Doll

It all started with an empty ribbon reel that I was determined to create something with rather than just throwing it away. It ended up sitting on my desk for what seemed like ages, until I was hit with inspiration!

I had been wanting to make something with my Tim Holtz dress form alteration die for a while and had, had vague ideas of what I wanted to do.......something 3-dimensional, using the beaded ribbon I had got at the SECC show this year. All of a sudden as I was staring at the ribbon reel it all came together in my head and I knew exactly what I wanted to make............. a 3-D decorative dress form statue, and thankfully it ended up just as I had imagined!

I used the alterations die to cut two dress forms from grungeboard and decorative papers (ensuring I cut a mirror image for the back), covered the grungeboard dressform, cotton reeel and button in text paper, trimed the decorative paper to fit just the body, adhered and distressed with distress inks. Once the glue was dry I stuck the front and back together with a coffee stirrer in the middle to give it strength and a way in which to attach it to the ribbon reel.

Meanwhile I painted the ribbon reel with Inka Gold "Lava Gold" and then used a mask, embossing paste and glitter to create the pattern on the bass. Once that was dry I filled the hole in the centre with glue gel and stuck the coffee strirrer at the bottom of the dress form in it and supported it until it was dry and firmly upright.

Now came the fun bit........embellishing! I used Tim Holtz Ideaology for the wings, and coat hanger clip, a paper flower, ribbon from a hanging tab on some clothing, hat pins, beads, a stamped Tim Holtz "Adage Ticket", glitter glue, the beaded ribbon I had got at a show, the button and cotton reel and a brass scissor embellishment, using glue gel to adhere. Once they were all as I wanted I spritzed the whole thing with Perfect Pearls mist in Heirloom Gold.

And there you have it my completed dream recycled project, now what else can I re-use?

I am going to enter this piece in the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge "Tickets"; www.simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2011/11/simon-says-stamp-and-show-some-tickets.html

as I think it fits in with the theme, I hope you all do too.