Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying October and all the wonderful things it brings. This is my favourite time of year and love decorating my home for Autumn and Halloween. This year I am trying to make Halloween decorations to match my home decor and I wanted to share a piece I made using the new Tim Holtz Halloween idea-ology and etcetera tag with tombstone overlay.
I was inspired by a new gothic and gripping British TV series, “A Discovery of witches,” which I believe is going to air in the US in January. Much of the series so far has been set at Oxford University and specifically in the library. With lots of wood and old style architecture, it was perfect inspiration to match my craft living room, which has lots of dark wood and an old library feel.
If you have used an etcetera tag before, you will recognise the tag, (on the left) and the tombstone overlays are on the right. Having them in pieces makes life so much easier when covering with paper or decorating. I marked where the overlays would sit with a pencil. *the torn parts are where I used double sided tape to plan my tag.
Emboss 3 pieces of distress mixed media heavystock using the Tim Holtz 3D lumber texture fades folder. Spray distress spray onto a glass media mat and drag the heavystock through. Once dry, blend in vintage photo and walnut stain distress ink. Next, trace around the overlay on the back of the heavystock. Use the inside of the overlay as a template to trace onto paper from the halloween paper stash. Cut out and adhere onto the overlays using distress collage medium. Cut heavystock with the tangled twigs thinlits die, emboss with the 3D lumber texture fades folder and blend in vintage photo and walnut stain distress ink. Trim to fit the overlay and adhere just at the edges so the tangled twigs float slightly above the background paper from the halloween paper stash.
Adhere the overlay over the top with distress collage medium and place under something heavy to press, like a pupmkin casserole dish… lol
Adhere the lumber embossed heavystock to the tag just overlapping the pencil lines marked out earlier, trimming to fit. Adhere the tombstone overlays to the tag with distress collage medium. Once completely dry, blend in walnut stain distress ink around the edges of the tag and overlay, using a mini blending tool.
Decorate the tombstone with idea-ology. Add an adornment from the milagros set to the top of the overlay and a halloween word band, altered with picket fence distress paint and mushroom alcohol ink. Adhere heavystock to adhesive foam and die cut using the alphanumeric thinlits die. Add distress paint and when almost dry, rub with a dry cloth to give a weathered look. Add idea-ology skulls to the top of the vignette frame (detailed below)…
Cover an idea-ology vignette frame with rusty hinge distress paint and set aside to dry. Repeat using black soot distress paint, allowing to almost dry and rubbing gently with a dry cloth to expose tiny portions of the rusty hinge layer. Once completely dry, dry brush fossilized amber distress paint over parts of the frame.
Create the same underlay, of tangled twigs die cut and halloween paper stash, to create a base for the frame. Tuck in witches from the paper dolls ancestors, (so pleased the witches are back again). Use distress markers to colour parts of the paper dolls and allow to air dry before lightly rubbing with a cotton bud. Add a little flair to the hat with dyed mummy cloth, ribbon or twine. Using wire cutters, cut an idea-ology metal gate in half. I freaking love these metal gates and bought up quite a few to hoard and use throughout the year. Alter with picket fence distress paint and mushroom alcohol ink and adhere with distress collage medium to the inside edges of the vignette frame. Add idea-ology bouquet findings flowers, dyed with distress markers and stems painted with distress paint. Add an idea-ology adornment halloween spider to a broomstick and adhere to the frame. These spiders are so creepy I can barely touch them, (tweezers)!
Alter an idea-ology story stick with mushroom alcohol ink and rusty hinge distress paint and add to the frame. Die cut ivy from classic kraft stock using the garden greens thinlits die and adhere around the frame and to the top overlay. This is an older Tim Holtz die, but I just love how the older products work so brilliantly with the new ones.
Add the more of the die cut letters to the bottom portion of the overlay. I used “Est 1502” in place of where a death date would go to show when these naughty witches established their “Wicked & Co” boutique. If you would like to see what they’re selling in there, keep an eye on my blog…
I hope you have enjoyed this idea-ology and etcetera tombstone overlay tag tutorial and it has inspired you to get creative. These products are seasonal and available in limited quantities, (one and done), so don’t delay in picking them up from your local or online retailer.
The 2018 Tim Holtz Halloween release is a gothic wonder, so a huge shout out and thank you to Tim Holtz, Mario Rossi and Paula Cheney who collaborate to bring us these amazing products to craft with.
Thanks for stopping by.
Zoe
