A Halloween Cottage House

It's that's that time of year again....I know....it still feels like summer, but we always have to get a jump on the holiday creating, right?!?!

So off we go on a Halloween Cottage creation starting with a Retro Cafe Art Gallery ATC Cottage House. I've been trying to find inspiration, and I guess I just have to be patient and wait for it to hit me when it feels like it.

This took me a week to finally find what I was looking for in elements, and it just kept evolving.

I've had people ask how I start with the Masonite pieces from RCAG. So here I shared the 1st of the initial steps on this project. It's just how I do it. Do what works for you. 

                                1.  Base coat with gesso - here heavy black gesso

                                2.  Stipple on several colors of metallic paints  

                                3.  Stamp with embossing ink and embossing powder

I used several different sheets of Graphic45 papers and some Tim Holtz stamps to decorate the insides of the house.

The outside sections get more complex with cut outs, German Dresden, embossed metal and more.

Here are a few shots of the embellished sides as they are coming along.

I always have a time with getting good pictures without glare when using metal, so concentrate on the roof here. It looks pretty good. 

The bats, ornate flourish, clock hand, and spider are all cut outs from RCAG. The Witch and Iron Fence top are die cuts from Sizzix. 

The roof is embossed metal strips that have 2 colors of paint added. The colorful paints are metatlliques from Finnabair and liquid pearls. 

The G45 papers are stamped, and the front has a spider web heat embossed with embossing powder. The spiders, cat on a fence, webs, engraved pumpkins, label pulls, and bat are from RCAG.

The window frames are painted with Amethyst metalique paint and the spiders are brightened up with coral reef. A Mini Knob makes for a great door knob.

Here area few shots with the roof off.

I wanted something dramatic on the fence posts, and I think you'll agree, skulls on a stake are what I would call a dramatic accent. Agreed??? These are beads I found a few years back on a fishing trip.

Anyway, Madame Macabre rounds out the inside courtyard all framed up in an extra window frame.  I scrounged up some Skull and Crossbones charms to add to the fenceposts. I've been saving them for just this occasion.

The engraved pumpkins on label pull frames are added with 3D Matte Gel.

Put it all together with a small amount of glue and I'd call it finished....but you never know. The courtyard was originally designed to place ATCs in - cards and coins, but let your imaginations go wild with ideas to hide or display your treasures.

That pretty much sums it up for this project. If you have any  questions, you can always find me on FB, Instagram and here. Check out all the links to the wonderful Retro Cafe Art Gallery shop. I enjoy being your Retro Cafe Art Gallery Design Team member and a Finnabair Ambassador.

I hope you've been inspired to play.

Your Friend in ART,
  Linda

RCAG Products Used : 

ATC Cottage House Style 1 , Cats on a Fence Cut Outs, Spooky Black Cats, Dead Tree-Stand Ups, 

Spider Web Corners, Garden Insects, Bat Cut Outs, Ornate Flourish-Style 6, Label Pull Style Frames,

Engraved Pumpkins, Clock Hands.

German Dresden - Baroque Black

Tim Holtz - Stampers Anonymous- Mini Halloween 3 stamp set

Mini Dried Pumpkins

Finnabair/Metallique Paints - Coral Reef, Dragonfly, Amethyst, Gold Amber (new)

Finnabair - Heavy Black Gesso, Heavy Clear Gesso

Finnabair - 3D Matte Gel

Other Products: 

Graphic45 Papers - Rare Oddities and others

Rocky Road - Emerald Creeks Embossing Powders/Seth Apter

Sizzix Die/ Tim Holtz - Witch and Iron Fence/On the Edge

Liquid Pearls/Ranger - various colors

Tim Holtz - Ideaology- Crossbones Skulls

Metal Tape 

White Sharpie, Black Archival Ink, Embossing Ink, Embossing Powders

Flat pearl, rusty wire, kabob skewers, hairy spiders black chipboard, Vagabond Machine