Spiders - Love the Unloveable

Well it's Friday so that means another challenge over at Left of Center. This time I've used a great image from Sami Stamps called Spider Hugs. I love spiders but I must be one of the few people who do (many of my friends are arachnophobes). So, I decided to make a little tag to show how loveable they really are. I used distress inks splodged around with some water for the background, then ambossed it with a spider web embossing folder and highlighted parts of the web with black ink. I added some black pompom ribbon to the bottom, coloured the image using whatever I could find (having a bit of a clear up at the moment!) and stuck it on. Now, his little spindly legs got a bit lost amongst the black of her dress and the web, so I made some in the same style from green wire. Finally, I so wanted to add googly eyes but I can't find mine, so I used some glossy accents and little pearls instead, added a wee spider charm to her hair, and job done.

I hope you enjoyed it, and do pop over to Left of Center if, like me, you appreciate our little eight legged friends, as the theme this week is spiders so there should be lots of inspiration for you.

26. Don't Open The Door!

Wow Lou, a fantabulous project yesterday and one I will be making as it would go well with my offering for today.

Heard of fairy doors? Little doors that you place around your house, often next to the skirting, to let the fairies in. Phht - we want no butterflies and flowers and fairy dust coming in at this time of year. We want to welcome something scarier into our homes, right?

So, in the spirit of fairy doors, I present some Halloween doors.

First thing that came to mind was zombies. Of course, you probably don't want to let them in because they'll wreck your house and eat your brains right? So, I did a keep out door, using corrugated card as the base, the frame from a small shadowbox like the one I used for my Danse Macabre post, and faux planks of wood (see my witch's birdhouse post for details). A little gel pen for the nails, some printed zombie tape, a zombie picture behind the frame (mostly hidden) and some arms from the cheapest of cheap pound shop fake barbies, painted green, and bob's your uncle.

See, I told you not to throw away the dolls after you use the legs for Lou's project.

But why stop at zombies? Why not go horror as well? So next, I did a psycho door. Same corrugated card base, a bit of scrap sheer-ish fabric and some eyelets, glued onto the perspex from the shadow box frame for sturdiness. I slashed it a bit and added some alcohol ink for the blood. I also pooled some glossy accents at the bottom, coloured with the same red alcohol ink, and when it dried you have a nice pool of blood emerging from underneath the shower curtain which I accented with a knife photo. Not sure it's the sort of home decor that Janet Leigh would like, but it's going in my bathroom.

A door doesn't have to be just door shaped though. I recently received, via a swap, a coffin cut from chipboard and a skeleton that fit's beautifully inside. Plenty of templates out there on the net. I covered the coffin with paper and added an RIP charm I had. Did you know, if you add a splot of glossy accents and then smear it all over with the side of your finger, you get a passable polished coffin wood effect? Well, you do now.















I added some red crystals to my skeleton's eyes, and then you can leave the door somewhere either closed of half open to make it easier. I imagine skeletons, having not much in the way of  muscle tone, might appreciate the extra help.


And finally, arachnophobes look away now! It's going to get worse!!













I wanted to use the last bit of the shadow box, seeing as I had now used the other bits and couldn't really get a refund any more! So, I lined the base with paper with webs stamped over it, and filled it with a couple of fake plastic spiders and that fake web stuff that you can get in the Halloween aisle at this time of year. I made a web from thin black wire and added another spider, so hopefully it has a bit of depth and looks like a spiders' lair. A door made from embossed and inked card completes the deal.

Just for fun I'm entering this into The Male Room Challenge  and the Left of Center Challenge blogs.

Well, that's it for me for today. Tune in to see another fab project tomorrow, and the next time I post will be for our last Wicked Wednesday giveaway.

Stay spooky.

Bex

4 - Arachnophilia, for the LOVE of SPIDERS

Good Morning fellow Halloweeners.  Today I'll show you how I created these gorgeous Junque Journal Covers.  The only limitation is your imagination.

Material Used.
Old Sketchbook cardboard  back cover
Plastic Halloween toys (spider and a skeleton)
Black Tissue paper
Hot Glue & Gun
PVA Glue
Acrylic Paints in Black and Red
Treasure Gold (in Gold)

1. Draw a spiders web onto the cardboard.
2. Using hot glue trace over your pencil lines.
3. Attach spider with hot glue gun.

4. Tear up black tissue paper into small pieces, mine where roughly 1"x2".
5. Slap on lots of PVA glue and stick down lots of tissue paper.  Apply to front and back.
6.  Once dry, use the black and red acrylic paint to add colour to the tissue paper, colour both front and back.

7. Once dry highlight with Treasure Gold.

My finished front and back covers.

I am entering this into the  Frilly and Funkie Halloween challenge.

Googling "altered halloween book covers" will return a freaky selection of ideas, enjoy!

Lou x