Sue Smyth August post

Spooky altered book and 

Trinket box 

By Sue Smyth 

I managed to acquire a lot of old encyclopedias, which are great to 

alter and also do a class, because everybody has the same as a base.

This book I have altered as a Halloween decoration.  

I have used an old plastic skeleton as the centre piece and for 

a set of layered wings I have use metal wings from Imaginarium and 2 sizes of the

monarch butterfly.

I really wanted to use one of the corner flourishes, but had 

none left, so I have used the negative of the chipboard

to apply texture paste to give the same shape. See my mini

tutorial below. 

My skeleton (Jack) rests on a bed of bubble wrap and muslin.

I have clustered a bunch of Imaginarium trinkets 

around Jack. I have chosen any trinket that 

fits the them, clocks anchors, heart and wings etc .

I painted the skeleton with gesso before laying him to rest. 

for the wings I have painted them black with spray paint

then rubbed over purple metallic paint on the edges, along with a tiny

sprinkle of gold stickles

Add some luminous rhinestone eyes to Jack and a metallic crown.

Add old keys, lock panels and I even found a skull and 

cross bones in my stash, along with skull beads.

Here is a mini tutorial 

Cut a rectangle panel out of the front of the book.

Adhere some of the first few pages to the back of the cover 

for a base.

So if you have ever found yourself wanting to 

use a certain chipboard and you have none

left, here is how to fake it.

Use the negative to apply texture paste, like you would a 

stencil. Allow to dry and work away as normal

I have added plastic braid and other chipboard, corners and 

cogs.

To add texture I have used a palette knife to apply 

texture paste and once applied pull up the texture

paste to form peaks.

I have painted the whole book with Dylusions purple grape

paint, leaving little peeks of red showing through.

Once dry paint over with black gesso.

Rub over with Graphite inka gold for a metallic sheen and layer

over metallic gold paint, then decorate as you like.

Imaginarium Chipboard used

Trinket box 

My next project is a little trinket box, as I love to make the

for friends and family as gifts.

This time I have used lots of Denises Art deco embellishment

flourish to make a 3 D rose, as I had a lot of them and wanted

to use them up.

I have a mini tutorial below.

Once the rose is constructed I have 

sprayed it with black spray paint.

Then burnish with gold and purple 

metallic paint

The end effect matches the metal trinkets I have used too.

Start with a disc of scrap chipboard.

Dampen all of the chip flourishes with 

a quick spray of water.

Bend them into curved shapes and hot glue onto the 

scrap.( it is important to not spray too much water on them

as they will not adhere down well)

Keep building offsetting each of the "petals"

Make as large as you like

So it looks a little like a crown

Then spray with black spray paint or any other colour you like and 

use on your trinket box.

Imaginarium Chipboard used 

Happy Crafting