Spookilicious: Lights Out Altered Switch Box

Hi friends! Dana here today sharing an altered switch box that I created for the Spookilicious theme this week. I recently went camping with my family and the kids found this rusty switch box in the woods. They were going to throw it away, but I hid this treasure away while they were on a hike! I had a lot of fun giving this piece a second life for the challenge this week!

I embellished the top of the box with a leftover piece of tombstones from the Halloween Art Room I put together last year. I also added a piece of Grass Flexistrip, a Mini Pumpkin and a skull from the Mini Mixed Halloween Set. I filled in some of the empty space with plastic bones and a bit of moss for color. (I didn't think of it until typing up this post, but I may add the Tando designer names to the tombstones!)

I attached a plastic skeleton to the front of the piece. I added another Mini Pumpkin. The entire piece is glued to a coffin piece I had leftover from the Layered Coffin with Cobweb that I assembled last year.

The wires coming out from the top of the box were the perfect support pieces for a couple Bats and a Spider. I painted the bats and spider with black acrylic paint and then covered them with a layer of flock for a furry finish.

Here is what the box looked like fresh from the woods. I didn't alter the finish at all. This natural rusting a patina beats anything I could try to recreate in my studio. I did add some fake spider webs.

If you're looking for a strictly chipboard piece to assemble for Halloween here are a couple examples:

Layered Coffin with Cobweb Detail (Hinges Not Included)

Halloween Art Room

You can find the chipboard I used for this project and more in the Tando Creative Retail Store! We'd love to see what you create for our Spookilicious Challenge! To be in with a chance of winning some great Tando goodies of your choice, please make a piece based on our weekly themes and link your project, not just your blog, using the inlinkz tool located at the top of the Tando Blog. You don't have to use any Tando product, but, if you do, you will be entered into the draw twice! There are no limits to how many times you enter, however, we do request that you only enter your piece for 5 challenges. We look forward to seeing your creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Same But Different Week - Layered Coffin with Dana

Hi Tando fans! Happy Halloween! Dana here today sharing my 3D coffin for the Same But Different Coffin theme this week. I've so enjoyed seeing what my fellow team members have created with the same supplies! We have a couple more projects to share this week to stop by again...if you dare!

I assembled my Layered Coffin with Cobweb Detail and covered the outside with a layer of black crackle paint. I added a canvas skull, keyhole and a bouquet of black roses to the lid and some hinges between the top and bottom layers.

I covered the inside of the coffin with a coat of the same black crackle paint and used the Poppy Mask and some acrylic paint to add colorful flowers to the coffin lid. I lined the coffin base with satin and lace. I colored my skeleton with gesso and Distress Ink and added some glitter glue to the cobweb for a bit of sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by today! Tando offers a wide range of Halloween Chipboard. If you're ready to start your Christmas crafts, check out the fantastic selection of Christmas Chipboard, Christmas Greetings and Specials.

Same but different week... around Coffins !

Hello everyone, this week we have a full week a bit special for you, a "Same but Different" themed for Halloween, and it all revolves around coffins, using either the fab Layered coffin with cobweb detail or the 3D coffin, and also the pair of skeletons products manufactured by Tando Creative.

I really enjoy starting off this week because I had an absolute blast doing this coffin, putting in it this great fine skeleton after altering and painting all the elements… so much fun !!! Here's my take on these two products that can be combined perfectly as you will judge by yourself each day of the week I think !

I started by selecting all the elements I wanted to use, adding a light coat of white Gesso on each of them. From the skeletons pair that comes with two plain and sturdy coffin shapes, I took only one skeleton; I replaced the other elements in their bag for another project. I had also the idea to use my two remaining biggest bats from the set of 3 bats, as they fit wonderfully to such small 3D project, don't they ?...
Once dry I layered a thickish coat of Dreamwaver crackle paste here and there over the top and back of the coffin, as well as upon the edges and the skeleton. It was the first time I used a Dreamweaver textured paste, and…. wow, I really love this crackle medium, you can see how fab the effects are on my last close-up! For the delicate skeleton I used a pin to carefully remove the excess of paste within the holes.

All the shapes of my coffin (i.e. layered coffin with cobweb) have been painted in grey (PA Stone), orange (PA Pumpkin Soup and a few drops of Haystack), and teal (Studio Charcoal Classic Teal). I also sanded a bit some areas, and left a few others white, for a realistic look of a wooden coffin washed up after years in a graveyard ! I glued all the faces except the lid, and edged my coffin with black ink. At the end I also rubbed a bit of Charcoal black using a small cut’n dry piece along the main edges.
My funky bats were painted in charcoal black, embossed (except in the middle) with a mix of remaining powders from my large spooky A3 page you can see again here if you missed it (including the smallest bat of the three!), and adhered to the base. 

Here's a photo of the left side of my layered coffin, love the three hinges I made in Grungeboard from my Vintage Valise die and altered for an aged look ... It perfectly close the coffin on its left side (but need a full time to adhere using elastics to solidly maintain the whole !!).

Push open the top....and whats inside haha ??.....

My skellie has on his head a small hat cut out from an old cut'n'dry piece (the black side).

Here's the back side of my coffin. I also decorated it using a set of Crafty Individuals and Tim Holtz stamps and Stazon inks (Pumpkin, Dove Grey and Black Soot) to better adhere to the painted support. As you know, I love building small whimsical scenes and this one - a bit creepy but not too much  - made me smile !

You can find even more photos and details on my blog, pop over on it here if you like my coffin... hope so. 

Don't forget to call back again tomorrow for another member of the DT's project...For me, I am really looking forward to discovering some other versions of this great set of products made by my teammates ! Coco xx