Autumn Postbox Tutorial

Hello crafters! We have started getting frosty mornings now, winter is coming. Here comes the tutorial for the autumn postbox that I posted earlier in the month.

I posted this postbox as a part of the blog hop for Eileen Hull's two new dies, of which the Postbox is one. This is a very quick and easy project and perfect as a gift for someone. It can also hold a little gift and the slot is meant to fit a gift card. It also works great as a money box, which is what my son is using it for.

Start by die cutting the Postbox from mat board. The entire box is just one piece and the die both cuts and scores the mat board, making assembly very easy.

Stamp the box with the Simon Says Stamp Wood Planks background stamp using two shades of brown Archival Ink. I used Ground Espresso and Vintage Photo. For more inspiration on the Wood Planks stamp, check out my Old Spooky House tag and Nature Vintage Sketchbooks.

Ink the box with various shades of Distress Ink. Mat board takes ink beautifully.

To assemble, place a strong adhesive along the two flaps, as shown here. 

And then assemble. Super easy and quick. This box would be great for a kids' craft project.

I used flowers from SSS Anna's Flowers. Ink with two shades of Distress Ink, mist one to three times with water (depending on the size of the stamp) and stamp on watercolor paper.

Cut the flowers out and shape them slightly with a pencil or a bone folder. Adhere to the box. There are also a couple of labels from Tim Holtz Field Notes ephemera. The stamped sentiments come from SSS Anna's Flowers and Laugh in Flowers.

Tie the box with twine or use Velcro dots. Add pearls to the flower centers.

The sentiments were stamped on cream paper with Ground Espresso Archival Ink, cut into strips and inked around the edges.

Gift cards, a little note, small photos, or money can easily fit into the slot. 

I left the back plain. You can see the joint between the stamped impressions at the bottom. If you overlap the impressions slightly, it won't show.

When open, the box looks like this.

This is a fun, quick and sturdy box that can be used for a long time. 

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! Stay safe!

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Mini Vintage Dartboard

Hello friends! It is Monday and today I have a miniature project to share with you, but as always, the technique work on a big range of projects.

I have spent most of the weekend outdoors, either at the side of a soccer field or walking in the forest. It was time to take out the warm clothing, since it always gets colder than one might expect on a field. We also had time for some second-hand shopping and made a few fun finds.

At the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog we have a 'Not a card theme' this week, so there are endless possibilities. Don't miss the stunning project by our October guest designer Alison Bomber and her blog Words and Pictures.

My son recently made a tiny canvas which is displayed on an easel and it inspired me to work with a small project this week. I hadn't done that for a while and it is always a fun change. Working on a small scale also makes even small items seem big, such as this Tim Holtz Junk Drawer baseboard dartboard. My little board is about 2.7 x 2.7 in big.

Start by cutting three pieces of Sizzix mat board, all the same size and round the edges. Coat the top board with gesso.

Glue the three boards together with matte medium so that your project is thick and sturdy. Paint with Speckled Egg Distress Paint and mist generously with water.

When dry, stamp with the Simon Says Stamp Circle Pattern Background stamp and emboss with Ranger's Sea Mixed Media powder. Add embossing powder around the edges too.

Emboss a Theories Quote Chip with Speckled Egg Distress Embossing Glaze. I used two coats, which gives you a darker color. The glaze is transparent and is therefore great to use when you want a glossy finish, but don't want to cover up something in the background.

I cut a small circle from mat board and pierced holes through the circle, dartboard and background. 

Layer the small circle under the dartboard, so that it can move freely. Attach with a long fastener, which was first colored red. The long fastener brad was just long enough. Add Tiny Text rub-on words around the dartboard. Both the dartboard and the game spinner spins.

The mixed media powder has chunks of larger pieces inside and also some metallic copper shades.

I like the look of the embossing glaze on top of the quote chips. For another example, check out my Speckled Egg Vintage Tag.

Here you can see how glossy it is.

It is easy to alter metallic pieces with Distress Paint.

The board is very sturdy and has a nice dimension, which you can see here.

I hope you will join us this week in our Not a Card challenge. You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until next Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Don't forget to follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram, they post great stuff daily. 

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.

Old Spooky House Tutorial

Hello stampers! Today I have a spooky house tag to share with you, but with a few alterations the house would not be spooky at all, but could be turned into, for example, a cozy Christmas house.

We did a fun outing on Sunday to an art village, with a second hand shop, a glass blower and more. I love to visit markets, but they have all been cancelled since March and this outing was as close to a craft market as you can get at the moment. 

We have a Spooky theme at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week. Don't miss the spooky project by our October guest designer Alison Bomber and visit her blog Words and Pictures, which is full of inspiration.

I created a tag with a scene focusing on the wooden house, into which a lost wanderer might disappear. The haunted house was really fun to create with the wooden planks, windows and all the details. 

I started by stamping the Simon Says Stamp Wood Planks background stamp on cream paper with Ground Espresso Archival Ink.

Use a pair of scissors to cut the stamped impression into wooden planks, altering the width and trying not to make them too perfect. Ink with two shades of brown ink. I dragged the edges of the planks across the Ground Espresso ink, to get a really dark edge.

Glue them to a piece of Tim Holtz Blackout Kraft paper, cutting them here and there to make it look more like planks. Leave irregular spaces where the dark paper shows through. I glued them down with Matte Medium. Let dry.

Die cut with Tim's Haunted die. I used the Precision Base Plate and you might need to let the sandwich go through your Big Shot twice, since the paper is pretty thick. 

Die cut the house from Blackout paper too. Cut the cat from the black house and glue it on top of the cat in the wooden house. Use the second die in the Haunted set to die cut all the details from blackout cardstock and glue to the wooden house.

Ink a heavystock tag with Faded Jeans, Pumice Stone and Hickory Smoke. Mist the sky area with Speckled Egg Distress Oxide Spray. This gives a mottled and misty look to the sky.

Stamp the sky with the SSS Crackle Background stamp and the ground with Tim's Specks stamp.

Cut a piece of acetate or Modeling Film for the back of the house. Color with alcohol ink. I only added color where the windows would be (place the die cut underneath as a guide).

Adhere to the back of the house with double-sided tape.

Glue small pieces of mummy cloth to the windows and as smoke at the chimney. Add foam dots.

Die cut a spider web and two spiders from SSS Glimmery Coal cardstock.

Glue the black house and sanded boards to the tag. Glue the web to the top of the tag. Then add the wooden house on top of the black house, offsetting it just a little.

The glimmery cardstock contrasts nicely with the matte oxide background.

Starting with Distress Ink and finishing with a lighter Distress Oxide Spray gives this cool mottled look, perfect for a misty nighttime sky.

The Haunted die has such fantastic details, like these roof tile pieces.

The tinted windows adds a nice touch to the house, such as here where the cat sits.

The light is shining in only one of the windows and of course it is the tower window. Who might be there? I added extra mummy cloth behind that window so that the yellow color would show better.

I used Clippings Stickers for my sentiments, adding a question mark with a pen.

The door is ajar.

The second spider hangs down the left-hand side of the house. The shutters are such a great detail.

I hope you will join us this week in our Spooky challenge. You have a chance to win a $25 gift voucher to do some fun shopping at Simon Says Stamp. You have until next Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in.

Don't forget to follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram, they post great stuff daily. 

Do you use Instagram? If so please add #sssmchallenge so we can see your entries there too.

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! 

Happy crafting!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:

* Please note: the links are affiliate links, for which I receive a small percentage of sales generated by the link, at no extra cost to you.