Geevor Tin Mine

This is a page I have made for this week's challenge at Gingersnap Creations where we are focusing on steampunk all month.  We are very kindly sponsored this month by Dezinaworld and some of the images I have used in this piece were donated by them.   The title of the challenge is GC112 Iron, leather and Brass.

In one of my earlier posts, following my first foray into trying out steampunk, I said that I hoped to scrap my photos of our recent trip to the Tin Mine in Cornwall in a this style.  I hadn't realised when I said this, that I would get an opportunity to do so this quickly!  

A good friend of mine recently sent me the fabulous die cut clock which she has designed and cut out on a Pazzles machines.  It has sat on my desk for a week while I decided where to use it and then this layout sprang to mind.  

I inked the corners of my paper, which is by Pink Paislee, with distress inks to highlight the gorgeous damask masking.  I printed and cut out the cogs from a collage sheet by Dezinaworld and altered the large cog to make it a more open style gear.  I coupled these images with real cogs from old watches.

I cut my Victorian gent from a tag collage sheet, also by Dezinaworld and used more old watch parts to dress him in a steampunk style.  The moths and tiny dragonflies were stamped with Pumice Stone distress ink.

I created my title sign from grungeboard which I inked with distress ink and then dried with a heat gun.  I then re-inked it with Versamark and coated it with UTEE which I heated until it started to bead and then stopped.  This gives a faux leather effect which is hard to pick up with the camera but it really an easy and impressive technique which I would recommend everyone to try.  Tim Holtz (who else could have dreamed this up?) is the master behind this technique and there are several u-tube videos on it if you would like to see a clip.


My letters were cut on my cricut machine in dark grey cardstock to match the clock.  However, I had not thought through the faux leather colour and soon realised they would need to be pale to show up.  I decided to ink them with VersaMagic White and clear emboss them.  I was really pleased with the result as they actually look like tin - result! 

I ran them through my Xyron Quick Sticker but found that they wouldn't adhere to the faux leather finish. so some fiddly gluing was required!  


I am really happy with this page as it has all come together really well (hope you agree!) and it was fun.  It was a great place to visit and I had lots of great shots which I wanted to use.  Best of all, my friend who provided the clock for me lives about a mile from the mine so my page has a great local connection.


Happy crafting everyone! x

Smile & Wave!

Oh the fun I had with this page!  

The challenge this week at Gingersnap Creations is continuing with machinery and steampunk and is GC111 Trains and Planes.  Dezinaworld are very kindly sponsoring all the July challenges at Gingersnap and my airship image was donated by them.

A few months ago I bought two old volumes entitled 'General Knowledge Illustrated' from a secondhand book shop for £5.  They have lots of black and white image plates in them which I knew would come in useful for loads of projects and this fantastic background image is a prime example.

Once I had found it and decided to use the image of the couple on the 'airship' (can I call it that?!), so many funny conversations came to mind that that hardest part of creating my project was deciding that that couple would be saying to one another!

I studied the faces of my vintage couple.  The man is smoking on his pipe and waving, quite happy with his situation whilst his lady friend is looking rather more concerned at where they are.  By positioning them in a sky filled by a  plane being re-fuelled mid-air seemed the only appropriate course of action!!

I printed my image onto acetate and used an vintage typewriter (another recent purchase) to add the conversation which reads 

"SMILE & WAVE!" 
But suddenly taking to the sky in his marvellous flying machine seemed a little foolhardy ...


I used an embossing folder for the backing sheet and also for the cogs and I applied silver metallic rub-on to hightlight the texture.

One of my faster projects which I hope brings a smile to your face and encourages you to join us for the challenge. x

Escaping the Machine

This week the challenge over at Gingersnap Creations is GC110 Gears, Cogs and Watch Bits.  The whole of July's challenges are being very kindly sponsored by Dezinaworld and some of the imagery I've used has been donated by them for this project.

I bought my background machine image from a secondhand book shop which sells plates from old books.  I cut it out and then used an the steampunk alterations die to create my cogs.  I used black UTEE on them all and sprinkled a little embossing powder into the last layer.

I used the mini gears from the movers and shapers alterations die set to cut some further cogs in metal and metal mesh.

The wording is from a dymo machine and the winged wheel is by The Artistic Stamper.

I haven't done a steampunk layout before although I've always loved the style so this was fun to do.  I've got some photos of old mining equipment to scrap and I'm going to attempt to use a steampunk style on them.  If this turns out OK, I'll add it to the blog ... 

Hope this inspires you to join the challenge! Have a crafty weekend! x