Inspiration Journal Challenge - Metal

This is one of those projects that has been simmering away in my mind, just waiting for the right time to get made. It's a Steampunk crown, created from chipboard that I die cut using various Tim Holtz/Sizzix dies, paint,  and a lot of different Idea-ology embellishments.

The hardest part of this project was trying to photograph it! It is so amazing looking, but it's very hard to capture all the texture and dimension. Forgive me if I bury you under a barrage of pics!

This is one of my favorite bits. I wanted a somewhat feminine feel, so I made some little metallic flowers using the Tattered Florals die. I considered making this more of a static showpiece by adding a lot of embellishments, but decided I really wanted it to be a 'useable' crown.

The base of the crown was created using chipboard that was cut using the Steampunk On the Edge die. It was given a metallic look with the use of an Adirondack Silver Dabber and a Pitch Black Dabber.

The gears were cut using the Sizzix Gadget Gears die and the Sizzix Mini Gears dies. Layers of paint were added using Gold, Copper, Silver, and Pitch Black Adirondack Paint Dabbers. It's hard to believe that this is made of almost nothing but paper!

To add more dimension, I mixed the painted gears with a lot of different Idea-ology bits and pieces. I used Game Spinners, Sprocket Gears, and Washers. They are all attached using Idea-ology Long Fasteners. I gave the brads the look of rivets by piercing them with an awl - one of my all-time favorite tips from the amazing Tim Holtz!

I hope my Steampunk crown inspires you to try some metal work of your own! Over at the Inspiration Emporium blog we are challenging you to use metal in your creations this month. When you join in, you will be eligible to win a  $50 gift certificate! Don't forget, you can also receive 10% off your order at the Inspiration Emporium store by using my discount code: stamptramp, at checkout.

Thanks so much for stopping by - have a great weekend!