Steampunk Professor

It is tima again for a new challenge at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog and this time it is an easy one - Anything Goes.

We are going with an 'Anything Goes' theme for this challenge and are looking forward to seeing your vintage/shabby chic projects.

I thought it might be fun to go Steampunk this time and use stamps from the Tim Holtz Professor set. This set seems to have left the shop but the main image can be found on the Professor 2 set, which is available.

I got going on this and completely forgot to take any process photos - blame it on Covid confinement and my brain turning to mush. Here is how it came together:

- I started with an 8" square canvas panel that I covered with White Gesso. For this one I added an open wooden frame to the back. I thought this could provide a way to hang to canvas panel although I usually just suggest 3M Command Velcro holders, which work really well. They tuck the canvas panel against the wall while the added frame will allow the panel to sit away from the wall.

- The next step was to paint the whole canvas with Buff Acrylic Paint (Dina Wakley).

- The Professor and three other images from the stamp set were stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) on tissue paper and then glued to the canvas.

- I used Jet Black Archival Ink to add some stenciling with a stencil called Measured (Tim Holtz) and some Texture Paste to add dimension through a stencil called Blocks Small (Dylusions).

- At this point I decided that the buff paint was lighter than what I wanted so I sprayed the whole canvas with Gathered Twigs Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz).

- I did the assemblage part of this in a backwards way because I had intended the canvas to be light and the bits and pieces to be dark so it took way longer and was really messy. Since I have a mixture of metal and wooden pieces, I gave everything a coat of White Gesso and then followed that with a coat of Iced Coffee paint. I should have glued everything in place after the Gesso was applied and before I sprayed the canvas with the ink because then I wouldn't have had to add the Iced Coffee paint but I wasn't thinking that day - or many others right now to be honest.

- After the Iced Coffee paint was dry, it still wasn't dark enough so I added some watered down Umber Acrylic Paint (Dina Wakley).

- Next I glued all the pieces to the canvas - there are gears, screws, washers, charms, buttons and all sorts of electrnoic bits - and then touched up any light spots with the Umber paint. If I had Gathered Twigs Distress Paint, I would have used that and then topped it with the Umber paint.

- The next step was to make all the bits look somewhat rusty. To accomplish that I rubbed a variety of wax pastes on with my fingers - Matte Wax Paste in Patina Green, Rusty Brown and Rusty Red (Prima) and Oxynite and Rose Quartz Treasure Gold Metallic Paste (Connoisseur Studios). I used a soft cloth to buff them and just kept adding the pastes until I got a look I was happy with. You will notice when you go to the shop that there are not many colours of Matte Wax showing right now but check out the March Pre-Order section and scroll down where you will find a number of luscious new colours available to order.

- After I was done with the pastes I decided the background was a bit plain so I masked the bits and pieces off and sprayed and dripped some Tarnished Brass Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz) over the background.

I had fun making my Steampunk canvas and hope it will inspire you to join us for the Anything Goes challenge. The challenge can be found HERE and runs until 11:55 pm EST on Tuesday, March 16th.

Supplies list:

Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set - The Professor 2 CMS395
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencils - Measured THS012
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain - Gathered Twigs TSS42310
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain - Tarnished Brass TSS42549
Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint - Umber, 1 oz Bottle
Prima Marketing Matte Wax Pastes - Rusty Red, Rusty Brown, Green Patine
Silver and Bronze Tone Key Set
Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
Connoiseur Studios Treasure Gold Wax Pastes - Rose Quartz, Oxynite
Dina Wakley Buff Acrylic Paint
Dylusions Blocks Small Stencil
White Gesso
Wooden Gears, Steampunk Buttons, Hardware and Electronic Parts, Charms

Faking It

It is time for the next challenge at Stamps and Stencils.  Toni is our hostess for this one and she calls it Let's Fake It!  Here is what she has to say about it:

I love faux finishes of all descriptions whether it be rust, stone, leather or time worn vintage. You name it we have the power to fake it! I'd like to see your projects that include at least one faux finish. Produce anything you like but please include some stamping or stenciling or both if your heart desires!

I decided to make a steampunk inspired canvas with lots of faux rust.

I started with a 7" x 9" stretched canvas that I picked up at the dollar store and covered it with torn strips of old book paper that I glued on with Mod Podge to give it some strength.  Next I used some Molding Paste (Golden) through a stencil called Measured (Tim Holtz) to add some texture.  The whole canvas was given a coat of white Gesso (Liquitex) before it was given some colour.

The canvas was painted with Honey Brown Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) and then a coat of Mocha Mousse Chalk Acrylic (Paper Artsy), which was randomly wiped back with a baby wipe while it was still wet.

To give the canvas some life I used a sponge to add a variety of acrylic paints - Espresso (Craftsmart), Pure Black (Folk Art), Rich Espresso and Worn Penny Metallic (Deco Art) and then I added spray inks - Moonshadow Mist Burnished Brass (Lindys) and Gathered Twigs Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz).

Using some Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) I some markings with stamps - Border Lines (Seth Apter), Limor's Circles and Tasty Textures (IndigoBlu).

I made a background panel next by adding paper backed adhesive metal foil tape (Cantech) to a piece of light chipboard and then ran it through a Blueprint Texture Fade (Tim Holtz).  Before I cut it down to size I used an embossing stylus to add more markings.

The next step was to paint it completely with Pure Black Acrylic Paint (Folk Art) and then wipe off the paint from the raised areas.

The metal panel was given a rusty tone by covering it with alcohol inks - Rust, Terra Cotta, Pitch Black and Copper Mixative (Tim Holtz).  Some blending solution was added on the felt applicator to make the colours flow and blend more easily.

I stamped the focal image from a set called Steampunkesque (IndigoBlu) onto a scrap of white card stock using Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger).

The image was inked all over with Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) and then coated with Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.

My husband cut some wooden gears for me on the laser cutter and to turn them into grungy rusted gears I first coated them with a mixture of Regular Matte Gel (Golden) mixed with some sand (borrowed from the playground).

Next the gears were painted with Payenes Grey Fuid Acrylic (DecoArt Media).  After this was dry I sponged on bits of Quinacridone Gold Fluid Acrylic (DecoArt Media) and Worn Penny Metallic Arcylic (DecoArt) and ojnce I was happy with the combination, I coated them with Ultra Matte Varnish (DecoArt Media).  The photo I took of this step was so blurry that no amount of edit would make it visible - my apologies.

I collected a bunch of other metal bits and pieces (Tim Holtz and My Husband's Workshop) to add to the canvas and altered them with a combination of Rust, Espresso and Copper Mixative Alcohol Ink (Tim Holtz).

To assemble the canvas I used some Soft Matte Gel (Golden) to attach the metal panel first, followed by the focal image and then the gears and bits and pieces adding a couple of buttons and a funky bead  from my stash to round out the embellishments.

I hope you will create something faux and join us for this challenge.

Broken Heart

A couple of months ago ago I created this steampunk inspired canvas with a large rusty gear and it has been sitting in my studio staring at me because I wasn't sure if I was happy with it - I wish I had put the gear on a smaller canvas.  Then yesterday, I saw the new challenge called Rusty and Crusty at A Vintage Journey and decided I would leave it as is and enter it in the challenge.  I started searching for the photos I took and couldn't find any.  I had a computer crash a while ago and I thought it recovered just fine but I guess not because I seem to be missing some folders. 😒

I took the photo of the finished canvas today and since Mother Nature is off her meds and can't decide if she wants it to snow or not and the sun can't decide whether to shine or not, I am getting shimmer from the metallic paint because I used my office lamps.  Next time I want shimmer to this extent, chances are good it won't happen.

Here is what I did:

1.  Stole a wooden heart from my husband's workshop.  It is 8" in diameter and was one of the first things he created and cut when he got the laser cutter.
2.  Conned him into cutting a wooden circle and three wooden hearts in various sizes and cutting a zigzag line down the length of the smallest one. (I know, I am so lucky to have him and the laser cutter available to me.)
3.  Glued the circle and then the largest heart to the gear using Soft Gel Medium Matte (Golden).
4.  Coated the gear and the circle with Coarse Pumice Gel (Golden).
5.  Glued a variety of hardware, electronic bits, buttons and small wooden gears to the circle around the heart.
6.  Covered everything in Black Gesso (Art Basics).
7.  Glued the next largest heart on and covered it in Black Gesso.
8.  Sponged randomly over everything with Espresso and Black Acrylic Paint as well as some Worn Penny Metallic Acrylic Paint (DecoArt).
9.  Painted the broken heart pieces with a mixture of Dark Scarlet Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) and Black Cherry Acrylic Paint (Folk Art).
10.  Joined the broken heart sections with copper wire and then sponged the edges with Worn Penny Metallic Acrylic Paint before I added it on top of the heart stack.
11.  Prepared the 12" x 12" canvas board (I wish I had used a 10" x 10" canvas) by coating it with White Gesso (Liquitex) and then gluing on some crumpled up tissue paper with Mod Podge.
12.  Stenciled clocks through a stencil called Mini Time Travel (TCW) using Light Molding Paste (Golden).
13.  Painted the canvas with Natural Tan Grout Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) and then sprayed with Gathered Twigs Distress Spray Stain (Tim Holtz).
14.  Adhered the gear using Soft Gel Medium Matte.
15.  Sponged more Worn Penny Metallic Acrylic Paint and more Black Cherry Acrylic randomly over the background.

This was fun to make and for a change there wasn't any deadline for it.  I need to play like this more often.

Mixed Media Masculine

It is time for the second monthly challenge at Anything But Cute challenges and I am the hostess for this one.  I decided to call the challenge Make It Masculine and I would like you to make a mixed media card or other project for a fellow in your life. It could be for Father's Day, a birthday, an anniversary or just because you want him to know how special he is.

I decided to make this Steampunk inspired card for my husband for Father's Day and while the cards are easy enough to make, it sure is difficult finding an appropriate verse for inside the card when he is not your father and your child is grown up and married with kids of her own.  In hindsight, I think I should have made it as a surprise card for no special occasion.  I can see another card on my agenda in the not too distant future.

I started with some Recollections kraft card stock for the blank.  Then I took another piece of the same card stock to make the background panel.  I used Golden Molding Paste through a TCW stencil called Mini Time Travel to create all the clocks and numbers and once dry I sprayed it with Lindy's Stamp Gang Burnished Brass Moonshadow Mist.

The next layer is just another piece of card stock to which I added some plaster casting material (Gauze mixed with Plaster of Paris) that I found at the local art supply store.  I didn't try to smooth it out so it would have some bumps and lumps when it dried.  Once it was dry, it too got a spray of Burnished Brass.

The top layer is some paper from a Prima paper pad called Printery and I added some stenciling with a TCW stencil called Mini Harlequin and Vintage Photo DI.

To make the hot air balloon, I started by grabbing a freebie image from The Graphics Fairy, erased the basket in Photoshop and then printed the remaining image.  I cut it out and then traced the outer edge on a piece of card stock and a piece of copy paper.  I cut both of those out and then cut pieces out of the copy paper version to replicate a balloon.  This became a pattern that I placed over some Tim Holtz Grunge Paper so I could draw and then cut around all the edges.

I covered the grunge paper balloon with a layer of Gesso and then I painted it with black acrylic paint and once dry spritzed it lightly with the Burnished Brass.  To put the balloon together, I inked the card stock version with Vintage Photo DI, added some pop dots, then added the original printed balloon, which was also inked, added more pop dots and finally the grunge paper balloon.

The basket was made by weaving some twine leftover from my macrame days and wrapping it around a piece of card stock.  I attached the balloon and the basket with some pieces of wire from Artistic Wire.  A gear and some clock hands from Bead Landing were added to finish it off.

To finish off the card, I added a few more gears, a clock from Jolee's Boutique and an arrow from The Paper Studio.  The clock edge and arrow were rubbed with Renaissance wax paste from Treasure Gold to change their colour to match the gears.  The final step was some text that I made on the computer using a font called Impact Label.

Once the card was finished I stood it up to admire my handiwork and it fell flat on its face.  It turns out the plaster panel with all the other added bits and pieces made it way too front heavy so I added a verse panel inside with some of the same stenciling to stabilize it.  I would not recommend the plaster for a card but it would be great on a canvas or other altered item.

I hope you will create a mixed media project and share it with us at Anything But Cute.  All of us on the Design Team will be choosing our favourites and mine will have the opportunity to be a Guest Designer.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp  - Make It Masculine
Card Mania - Metal Embellishment
The Kraft Journal - Father's Day

Frilly Steampunk

Last month I was honoured to be selected as a Top Pick at Country View Challenges and asked to do a Guest Designer spot for their Word Play challenge this month so I created this frilly steampunk card.

I started with some grey card stock from Recollections for my card blank.  The background was white card stock that I inked with Pumice Stone, Frayed Burlap and Black Soot Distress Inks from Ranger, stenciled with a harlequin stencil from TCW and then distressed with my scissors.  The text was computer generated and then inked with the same colours as the background.

The vintage clock piece was cut on my Cameo with Tim Holtz Grunge Paper and then coloured with a black Copic marker.

The steampunk lady is from a Hampton Arts set and was stamped with Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger.  I fussy cut her before I outlined her gears with a black Sakura gel pen and coloured her face with Copic markers.The hand is a digital image from The Graphics Fairy and was fussy cut and coloured with Copic markers and some Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  The balloon digital image from Free Vintage Printables and the corset from The Graphics Fairy were both fussy cut and coloured with Fired Brick and Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  Then I added some dollar store gems to the corset along with a skirt of tulle and organza.

Other embellishments are gears from Bead Landing and a metal arrow from The Paper Studio that I coloured with a black Copic marker, a washer from my husband's tool box and a black button from my sewing room.  The flower is made from paper-backed metal tape used in the heating and air conditioning industry.  It was cut using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die and textured with an embossing stylus.  Then black acrylic paint was applied and immediately wiped off leaving paint in the depressions.  One it was dry the highlights were inked with Cranberry Alcohol Ink from Ranger and a black gem was added for a centre.

Steampunk Birthday

Our challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called STAMP IT.  We want you to create vintage or shabby chic cards that have rubber stamping on them - no digi stamps.

I made this steampunk card for this challenge.  I found the papers online and I think they are from The Teapot Lady but I didn't identify them well enough in my files so I apologize if I have given the wrong artist credit. All the stamps are from a Hampton Arts set called Time Flies and have been stamped using Black Archival Ink (Ranger) and then the fussy cut stamps were sponged with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger).  A Tim Holtz die was used to make the swirly edge and then it was sponged with Crushed Olive Distress Ink (Ranger).

I found the quote online and then sponged it with some Peeled Paint and Crushed Olive Distress Inks (Ranger).  The metal gears and clock hands are from Bead Landings.  The wing was hand cut from metal foil tape stolen from my husband, textured using some metal working tools from Walnut Hollow and then inked with Terra Cotta and Butterscotch Alcohol Ink (Adirondack).

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Papercraft Star - Use a Stamp
Cards und More - Add Some Metal
Crafts 4 Eternity  - Wonderful Wings
Stamping with the Dragon - Steampunk

Steampunk at Sugar Creek Hollow

This week at Sugar Creek Hollow we are challenging you to make STEAMPUNK cards or other paper-crafted projects. This theme is perfect for the vintage or shabby chic style we require.

The timing of this challenge was great for me since I had a birthday card to make for my niece's husband and Steampunk works well for a guy. I do sometimes struggle with making masculine cards (I wish they loved lace, flowers and pearls like I do) so any assistance I can get is always appreciated.

I dug out some Tim Holtz Grunge Paper to make the gears with. I had bought it over a year ago but never used it. I cut it with my Cricut and it was like cutting butter so you can bet I will be using it again soon. The images were all freebies thanks to the generosity of The Graphics Fairy.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

ATCs & Cards With Attitude - Steampunk/Anything Goes
The Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes
Crafty Purple Frog - Anything Goes
Sarah Hurley Challenges - Steampunk
Creative Card Crew - Vintage
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Shabby Chic/Vintage

Images: The Graphics Fairy
Sentiment: A Gift
Card Stock: Recollections
Paper: Quick Quotes Paper
Tools & Embellishments: Grunge Paper (Tim Holtz), Brads (Making Memories), Star (Jolee), Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger), Clock (Cut from a piece of Provo Craft Paper)