Come, my spade

I’m guesting over at Aunty Vera Scrap and Craft with this fun Hallowe’en home décor piece I created.

The inspiration for this piece came from Kriss Church of Old Raven Creates, who made the most awesome Hallowe’en train.  If you’re into mixed media and home décor pieces you have to go check out her blog, she does amazing work!  Kriss also makes the most realistic spiders (arrgghhh!) and sells them in her Etsy store, so if you aren’t an arachnophobic like me you need to check those out too.

We don’t do Hallowe’en so much in Australia as they do in the US but I have always loved it, it’s my fav season even if I don’t like creepy crawlies or spooky things ~ I know, right, go figure.  So when Tim came out with the big Vignette Coffins I knew I had to make something with them and a Hallowe’en candy cart was just the thing.  I think his coffins are discontinued (I bought up all of Vera’s left-over stock) but you could maybe find a papier-mâché coffin online like Kriss used, or even make one.  Tim’s large Pulley Wheels also seem to be discontinued but Vera will order in the small ones for you, which is how I got mine.  My dad made sure I had a full shed of tools before retiring interstate last year so getting the wheels on was easily done with my Makita drill.

Once I had the wheels on the base I set about decorating the coffins with all manner of Tim stuff.  I went with a gravedigger theme so his new Iron Gate was the perfect edging, reminds me of the little fences around old graves.  His new Tombstones had to go on, decorated with this season’s Remnant Rubs, in appropriate deceased names.  Also used a ton of his Skulls and a few old Wishbones and Boneyard bits, Broomsticks (you gotta be a clean gravedigger) and some Measurements to know how big to dig those holes.  I covered the screws from the Pulley Wheels with some of the Hallowe’en Vignette Accents ~ loving these!  I didn’t remember to look for a shovel in the toy shop so I made my own from shrink plastic because if there’s one thing a gravedigger needs, it’s a shovel.

For my gravedigger I got a plastic skeleton and carefully bent him into shape.  A pair of oversized trousers off a cheapie doll from Kmart, a felt hat from the discount store I painted brown, and a snip of Barbie hair and he was ready to sit on his seat made from one of Tim’s Custom Knobs, a Tombstone and some Skulls.  But what was to power his coffin cart?  What better than a couple of mummies.  These were made from another two plastic skellies bent into running position and wrapped in Tim’s Mummy Cloth.  They’re carrying torches made from Boneyard bits and a dripping of sealing wax with a string wick.  A bit of leather thong and Tim’s Original Wordband made for a harness and reins but the mummies weren’t going to stand upright.  So I stuck the leg (foot to their bums) from another skellie to them and to one of the awesome Zombie Hands, which I then stuck to the front of the coffin.

Finish off with your fav Hallowe’en candies and the cart is ready to grace the centre of your table for a spooky Hallowe’en dinner.  I had so much fun making this.  I only hope I can finish all my homework in time to do up the other three I have planned out (got the wheels on so far and that’s it).

Given it’s Hallowe’en season there are a few challenges going for spooky things and I am entering my coffin cart in the Crafting by Design Boo ~ Scare Me! one and the Spookalicious one over at That’s Crafty! because they are just awesome names for a challenge!  I’m also linking up at Frilly and Funky in their Haunted Halloween challenge as their DT do such awesome things with Tim products and home décor pieces.

Oh, and if you want to know how I made my coffin cart, head on over to the Aunty Vera blog as there’s a tut up there.  I’ve also got a mini tut for a ghost at her Crafty Vera and Friends FB page, where you can come join a group of super fun and crafty peeps for fun, chat, and the odd challenge or two among a really lovely and supportive bunch.

Ingredients:

Chalks & Powders etc

Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder ~ Vintage Photo

Embellishments

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Fasteners ~ Jump Rings & Ring Fasteners

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Findings Adornments ~ Foundry (not shown in the photos but there’s one on the back of the second cart)

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Findings ~ Boneyard, Broomsticks, Custom Knobs, Measurements, Metal Gate, Mini Pulley Wheels, Mummy Cloth, Skulls, Tombstones, Vignette Accents Halloween, Wishbones, Wordbands & Zombie Hands

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paperie ~ Remnant Rubs Halloween

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Structures ~ Vignette Tray Coffin

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink ~ Ginger & Rust

Tim Holtz Distress Paint ~ Brushed Pewter

Papers

Grafix ~ Matte Shrink Film

Ribbons & Trims etc

Leather Thong from stash

Challenges

Crafting by Design ~ Boo! Scare Me!

Frilly and Funky ~ Haunted Halloween

That’s Crafty! ~ Spookalicious

Thanks for stopping by!