Star The Gypsy Witch's Apothecary Cart

Hello there! All the new Tim Holtz Halloween Idea-ology got me so excited this year, I had to just keep on making, so I have a few more things to share with you for Halloween. Today, I present Star the gypsy witch and her apothecary cart. Grab lots of Halloween candy for this post...sooo many photos. Enjoy!

Star makes a great living traveling around and healing people with all her concoctions. Well, mostly she heals, but don't make her mad. Yikes! She's a true alchemist!

I took apart an Idea-ology Halloween Trinket Tin, simply by using pliers and gently bending back the tabs that hold the lid and bottom together. The tin is so cute, so I left it as is, and added Mini Pulley Wheels that I colored with Pitch Black Alcohol Ink. The Pitch Black sometimes makes a purple hue, so I added more black with Black Soot Distress Paint to the wheels. I used my dremel to drill holes into the the tin, and attached the wheels with a screwdriver.

This was my favorite part! I pounced Mushroom and Pitch Black Alcohol Inks onto a Mirrored Sheet, and then stamped and lifted the Apothecary image from the Mr. Bones stamp set from Tim and Stamper's Anonymous, using the Alcohol Lift Ink. The image was removed easily one time, but there was a residue left over on the Mirrored piece. I let it dry somewhat for about 30 minutes, and then gently laid a paper towel on to remove the rest of the Lift Ink. It removed some of the image and left a bigger print, but I loved it as it looked more vintage. I'll definitely be using the Mirrored and the Lift Ink again! LOVE it! I painted a small Vignette Frame with Antique Linen Distress Paint, and then rubbed Black Soot paint into the recessed parts of the frame, wiping the excess off. Then I mounted the mirror into the frame, and added the computer generated word to the mirror to make it all Star's. I also adhered paper to the back of the frame...the flocked damask design...my new favorite.

I added paper from the Halloween Paper Stash to the inside of the wagon. I adhered the mirror to the inside back edge of the lid of the tin with Ranger Multi Medium. It was a tight but good fit. I painted a dowel with Antique Linen, wrapped black glitter Design Tape around it, and adhered this into the tin to hold up the lid. I painted two small Vignette Finials with Black Soot, sanded them a bit, and then inked them with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. I adhered those to the front and back of the tin to act as engine and hitch pull. I attached a 31 Typed Halloween Token to the back of the engine, that I painted with both Antique Linen and Black Soot in the recessed area. I did the same with Halloween Word Stick, and attached it to a Chain Clasp to act as the hitch pull. I needed a counter space to hold all the concoctions, so I adhered two Measurement rulers to the tin, longer one in the back, and the smaller one up front and adhered to wooden cubes underneath the counter. I had a black glittered star in my stash, and added a Halloween Word Band to it and several Star Fasteners.

I thought the tin needed more support, so I stacked Mini Pumpkins that were painted with either Alcohol Ink or Distress Paint, mounted them between moss and into a wooden planter that fit perfectly into a Zombie Hand, and then adhered that onto the side of the tin base and lid. I had good luck on that fit, and the cart became super sturdy. I added a jack-o-lantern face to orange pumpkin from the Remnant Rubs. Again, I used Alcohol Ink and Distress Paint to color Apothecary and Corked Vials. I filled each with different things, like paper strips for spider legs, glitter, Glossy Accents, Bones, and even water. I used Screw Eyes on three of them so they could be hung with Carousel Clips (LOVE). I had a mini metal typewriter and book in my stash, so I altered those with paint and Remnant Rubs. I made a storage cabinet out of wooden cubes to hold the typewriter. Each bottle also got a label or Halloween Remnant Rub as well. I painted a star pin with Black Soot, and added Glossy Accents to it before covering it with Black Soot Distress Glitter for her wand. I made the bag containing magic tea (moss) from a stamp set package. I had a tiny bottle in my stash that was broken on the top, so I used Mummy Cloth to make a cap for it...I love that look. I used a mini wooden bowl and Bone for the mortar and pestle, and filled it with a mixture of embossing powder and Glossy Accents. Not seen, I colored in the Ancestor Paper Doll (Star) with Faber Castell Pitt Pens, added cardstock to the back of her to sturdy her more, and painted the back with Black Soot as well as the wooden cubes that hold her up. AND...I gave her a hat and ribbon. As if I needed more, I added a Corked Dome filled with Bones to the mix, but couldn't find where to put it. I used an Index Clip that I opened to a 90 degree angle, adhered it to the back of the Zombie Hand, and sat the Dome on it...so perfect! Oh yeah...I added in a Skull to the counter too.

This is the part that me swell up with pride and brag to the hubs!!! I knew the star was going on the front on the cart, but I wanted another counter as I was running out of room for all the bottles. I had one Blossom Bucket metal corner/shelf piece in my stash that would fit perfectly over the star if it had a hole in it. I pondered and pondered as to how I would do this, because I couldn't get any of my punching tools to work. I finally added a sawing bit to my dremel and slowly cut away the metal so that the star point would fit through. It's a little longer than I needed as the bit was wider, but I couldn't believe it worked! The metal heated up quite a bit, so I had to stop to let it cool many times, but it only took about 10 minutes to do. I slipped the star point through, added Multi Medium, and then added it to the front of the cart. Also, no photos as I was too busy to care at this point...I decided the cart needed a base. I took the small Vignette Tray, and used the Stone Layering Stencil to make a road using Distress Grit Paste. Once the paste was dry, I painted over the stones with Black Soot, Antique Linen, Hickory Smoke, and Walnut Stain Distress Paint. I figured the stones needed some grass around some of them, so I adhered moss around a few areas.  I added more Design Tape around the edges of the tray. I added Mini Foundation Feet to the bottom. I pulled out the Wicked Alpha Parts (remember those?!!) and used the word Halloween, covering it with Glossy Accents and Black Soot Distress Glitter, and added it to the front of the tray. I used a Big Chat Sticker for 'happy'. I adhered the cart and witch to the tray, then decided it needed a tree. I just couldn't stop!!! I used a tree from the Woodlands Lot, sprayed it with Black Soot Distress Spray Ink, and added Glossy Accents and more Black Soot Glitter to it. Finally finished! Oh wait...I added a flag too! Finished now?...NOPE!...I added a Broomstick and birdcage to the back, and painted the bird in the cage with Black Soot. Then came another star, and then one more star charm for the front. NOW I'M FINISHED!!!

 

 

 

 

  

If you made it to the bottom...THANKS!!! This was a long one! I'll be back again tomorrow with a Halloween Ranger Ink Tutorial, and then again the next day...if I finish up the project. Until then, glad you stopped by!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

The Raven's Nevermore Halloween Vignette House

I'm back...said in a deep, raspy, scary voice! The Ravens (FYI...a group/flock of ravens are called an 'unkindness'...who knew?!! Thanks Juli!) all complained that they needed a party house to sing and dance in, so once upon a midnight dreary, I got in full contractor and builder mode to construct one using the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Vignette House. They were so particular about the design, and stressed that they wanted an Edgar Allen Poe 'Nevermore' theme in accordance with Halloween, to pay homage to their dearly departed ancestor 'The Raven'. Talk about divas! But anyway, I did the best I could, and they ended up loving it. Grab lots of sustenance, as this post is as long as it gets. Enjoy!

Using the wood planks paper from Tim's new Halloween Paper Stash from Idea-ology, I embossed the paper with his Lumber Sizzix 3D Texture Fade (misted with water first and ran through machine three times for perfect detail and texture). The 3D Fades are fabulous.  I die cut roof pieces from the Village Rooftops Bigz Die using the black Deco Sheets from Idea-ology. Everything was inked with Tim's Pumice Stone (hooked on it again) Distress Ink from Ranger, and I ran the ink on top of the wood paper to further highlight the grain.

I added the orange foil damask looking paper to the back walls of the house, and the scratchy looking orange foil paper to the inside sides of the house. I added the pumpkin faces from the new Idea-ology Halloween Remnant Rubs, to the Pumpkin Pieces, and inserted one in the top room of the house, then used raffia to cover the floor. Inside the Paper Stash are wonderful transparency sheets, and I used the one with the spider webs to cover the top room in the house for a window effect. I used the ravens Design Tape from the Halloween set to trim out the edges of house. Finally, I adhered the wood grain paper on the sides and back of the house, and added the rooftop pieces on, all with two sided tape.

I cut the photo of Edgar from last year's Halloween Paper Stash, and added orange glitter Design Tape to him, and then adhered more of the spider web transparency over the top of him, before mounting to a Foundry Frame. Then I adhered the Story Stick, using Clear Foam Tape from Ranger,  and Heirloom Roses to the frame. I die cut the raven from more Black Deco Sheet, using the Feather and Ravens Thinlets, and gave him a good inking. Then I adhered those inside the house.

For the base of the house, I made a courtyard using the largest Vignette Panel. I used pliers to bend the Metal Gates,  and then glued them along the edge of the panel with Multi Medium, allowing drying time between pieces. I glued the Mini Foundations to the corners of the bottom of the panel. Then I adhered Halloween Fringe along the bottom of the gate with two sided tape, and threaded fuzzy ribbon through the tops of the gate. I added metal pieces from regular and Halloween Vignette Accents to the house and panel, and then pounced on some Pitch Black and Sunset Orange Alcohol Ink on the metal pieces. I also added the 31 from Halloween Tokens onto the house using a Screw Eye, and glued on the spider from the Wicked Adornments to the transparency web.

I covered a scrap piece of cardstock with Distress Grit Paste through the Stone Layering Stencil from Tim and Stamper's Anonymous, and let that dry. Then I laid the stencil back over the stones, and pounced on Black Soot, Antique Linen, and Ground Espresso Distress Paints over them. I dried that, and then sprayed the stones with Walnut Stain Distress Ink Spray to color the parts in between the stones for grout, and wiped the rest off the stones. Then I wanted a little shine to the stones, so I added another layer over them with Transparent Gloss Texture Paste from Ranger. After I inked the edges, I adhered the stone path to the panel, along with the house.

I distressed the Tombstone with a little Black Soot Distress Paint, and let it dry. I used Remnant Rubs from the Apothecary and Halloween Set on the Tombstone of Lenore (the lost love from the poem The Raven), and then adhered more Heirloom Roses to it, and affixed the tombstone on the panel. I sanded the edges of the Black Alpha Dice a little, making the word Nevermore, and glued them in place. Then I covered the ground of the courtyard with more raffia, and added more jack-o-lanterns with the Pumpkin Pieces.

I had this heavy kraft cardstock tree in my stash, and inked over it with Hickory Smoke Distress Archival from Tim and Ranger. I ran it through the Lumber 3D Texture Fade , and then inked over the raised wood grain with Ground Espresso Distress Archival. It's so super cool! Then I adhered the tree to the back of the house.

I used more of the scratchy orange foil paper, and inked over it with Ground Espresso Archival, and then punched out leaves with the Medium Maple Leaf punch from Tim and Sizzix, and adhered some on the tree and throughout the courtyard. Then I added more glittered bats to the tree. Phew...that about covers it!!! The Ravens now have a home!

  

 

 

 

 

It's definitely a little dark in there...I should have added a light.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, and for all the comments yesterday on the blog, Facebook, and Instagram...WOW!!! You guys make my day, and I sure hope you have a spooktacular Halloween!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!