CC3C - Challenge 8 - Faded Layers Monster Panel

Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge

I am participating in the Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge on the Studio L3 blog by Linda Ledbetter.  The Challenge 8 technique features the faded layers technique found on page 58 of Compendium of Curiosities 3 by Tim Holtz. Challenge 8 is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique, and also by Mario Rossi and Tim Holtz!

I tried out the faded layers technique before when I took the Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 102 course! I was surprised at how easy the technique was this time when I followed the instructions in the book.

For this project I decided to decorate my other Tim Holtz Burlap panel that was left-over from challenge 6. Even though it's only August I've been seeing some Halloween crafting starting to show up on lots of blogs right now which made me excited as I love Halloween crafts! Halloween and Christmas are my favorite crafting inspirations.

Since I'm scared of alcohol ink, I thought I should do something scary, so I created a monster!!! (lightening bolts, and thunder here)

I Created a Monster

Decoupaged and Transferred Frankenstein Movie Graphics

I found a bunch of Frankenstein movie graphics from the old original films that I printed after work on the laser printer. I decoupaged lots of black and white images onto the canvas, then I let it dry. Then I did the faded layers technique for the background. Then I sealed the background with decoupage medium and let it dry. I only needed to seal it so I could transfer Frankenstein onto the faded layers without ruining it. If I didn't seal it first, my Frankenstein transfer process would ruin the pretty background.

To transfer Frankenstein, I put the photocopy (laser print) of Frankenstein face down on the background, then I used a chart-pak blending pen on the back of the photocopy and kept inking it with the chart-pak blending pen until the back of the photo copy was saturated. I let it sit for a minute or so, then I peeled off the photocopy and Frankenstein was transferred. I practiced this a few times on a blank piece of paper until I'd figured out how to make the transfer process work so I wouldn't ruin my background. It takes some practice and sometimes it doesn't work very well. You just have to experiment.

Here's the background before I transferred Frankenstein onto it.

Monster Embellishments

After I transferred the Frankenstein image I had fun sewing on my creation, and creating embellishments for the panel until it came "Alive!"

I made this embellishment by printing an image with a laser printer. Then I cut it to fit my frame, then I decoupaged it to the frame putting the decoupage medium on the top and bottom of the image. After it was dry I put another coat of decoupage medium on the top making sure the edges of the image were all sealed. Then I let that dry. Then I used some uv-curing resin Lisa Pavelka - Magic-Gloss and the Lisa Pavelka UV Curing Light. You could also use glossy accents or dimensional magic.

I drilled holes in the sides of the canvas for the Frankenstein Bolts, my favorite part of the project!

I made the "Monster" title using some wire and alphabet beads.

I made the poison bottle using a small brown tinted bottle, a label, a Tim Holtz skeleton embellishment, and some green stickles. I squirted green stickles inside the bottle and also made a mess with it so it could ooze out the top.

I used a Tim Holtz key embellishment that says "Life", as the monster needs the key to life to become ALIVE! I also used a small shrink plastic mummy charm I made. Wasn't there an old Frankenstein movie with a mummy? Anyways the charm was a left-over from some charm bracelets that I was making last year that I haven't finished yet. (One of the millions of projects that are ... almost done...)

More Scary Projects!

So here it is all back together again. I had fun creating a monster with the faded layers technique which turned out to be a perfect technique for Frankenstein!!! I'm looking forward to many more scary projects this year!

A Debonair Mr. Frankenstein

Here is my favorite photo of Frankenstein I used in my project but it got covered up so I will display it here. Here's Frankenstein taking a little break, looking all smooth and suave, kinda like a jazz musician or a nightclub singer. It's Boris Karloff in the 1935 "Bride of Frankenstein"!