Metamorphosis - Idea-ology

Metamorphosis is a piece that shows three moments in the progression of Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. I was inspired by the new Test Tubes from the Tim Holtz Halloween Idea-ology 2021 release, and so manhy of the other new bits of the release just fit in so perfectly.

This YouTube  walk through will hopefully be helpful in pointing out some of the things I might miss in this blog post. I hope together the video and post will help or inspire you as you make a project of your own.

I began by removing one wall from a Divided Box so you end up with three long thin sections, then cover each one with Halloween Backdrop Papers or Halloween Wallpaper Scraps. I chose the elements Backdrop paper for the lab section, a masculine feeling Wallpaper for the study section, and the eroded metal Backdrop for the cell door section. I covered the outside of the box and the edges with the black and while speckled Backdrop.

In the laboratory section I wanted some books and test tubes that Dr. Jekyll would use to make his potion.

I began by covering some Pinked Etcetera Trims with Backdrop paper using the Sizzix Decorative Trims dies, and then cutting the trims down to fit in the section. I put a tinhy label from the Snippets Ephemera pack onto a Tiny Vial, shredded some Mummy Cloth colored with Distress Ink, and then added some mini books and a skull to the shelf.

I did a mini tutorial on making these books on my Instagram. But I'll post it again here. Pull the mini book covers out of the Halloween 2021 Ephemera pack. Score the covers about where the spine should be. You can see some are thicker books than others and the books are different shapes too. Love the variety.

Next, I took an old book I have and I cut strips of paper from the pages the width of a book cover (again these vary so you have to measure each cover as you do this.) Then once the strips are cut, you trim the strips the the height of each book. You need to make a stack of these mini pages that is equal to the width of the spine.

Once you have a stack thick enough, rough up the edges. If your book is old like mine, you can do this with your finger nail, or that metal wire tool Tim Holtz used to have through Tonic. Then ink the edges of the pages and the book cover. Add a good amount of Collage Medium along the spine and press the pages into the adhesive.

 

I ran my bonefolder along the spine to be sure I had good contact with all the pages. Hold them together until the glue dries enough that it stays together on its own.

 

As you can see, I added the Gallic Acid baseboard to the back of the section. Then I started making the Test Tubes and Vials into something that looked a little vintage.

 

 I chose some more of the labels from the Snippets Ephemera for each Test Tube and one of the Laboratory flasks.

I also made some holders for the Test Tubes and the Laboratory flask out of some soft, easy to shape thick floral wire I found in the floral section at the Dollar Tree, but I've also seen it in some craft stores. Once it is shaped as you see above, paint them black and then add Crypt Grit paste or Transluscent Grit Paste. Once it is dry, add a little Walnut Stain and  Rusty Hinge Distress Crayon so it ages the holders.

To make the little cabinet, cut a Matchbox in half, adhere a piece of chipboard to the front of the "drawer" and cover it with a piece of Baseboard paper. then add a Hitch Fastener to each "drawer" as a pull. Add a piece of chipboard between the "drawers" and adhere them together, one on top of the other. I added two pieces of chipboard on each side and then adhered a couple of pieces together to form the top and I covered the outside with Baseboard paper.

 

Add some scraps in the bottom of each "drawer" and adhere the whole cabinet in place. Put a key from the Locks and Keys in the top drawer.

Drill a hole from the back just above the top of the cabinet to use to light up the flask. Thread the green Halloween Tiny Lights through the hole and into the Flask. Cover the lights with some of the smallest Bubbles colored with a light green alcohol ink.

 

Add another Tiny Vial in the bottom drawer. This one has some Hocus Pocus purple mica stain and Glossy Accents in it and the cork is glued in place with Glossy Accents so there will be no leaks. the Remnant Rub is an older one that had some of these little skulls and crossbones. In my version of this story, both the Key and the Vial and foreshadowing that Dr. Jekyll was worried something might go wrong so he set in place to imprison himself or end it with poison.

In the test tubes for this piece I added Glossy Accents and various colors of Distress Mica Stains in the Halloween Seasonal colors, These take days to dry, so don't put too much Glossy Accents or they won't dry. Just a little at a time.

In the study we see that the metamorphosis is very violent and difficult to go through. You can see the study is in complete disarray. Let's talk about of few of the details in this section.

First, the clock is set at 10:31 for Halloween. Secondly, notice the two areas where the wallpaper has been torn and "burned" (the burn is Black Soot Distress Crayon.

The clock is found in the Baseboards pack. I used Clock Hands, Long Fastener, and the fluted part of a Ring Fastener, to make the clock face.

I painted the metal pieces with Black Soot Distress Paint and then added bit a shine with some Tarnished Brass Distress Crayon.

Attach one of the portraits from the Paper Dolls pack to the Ornate Frame. I added a bit of chipboard to the back and made four scratches that would make it look like Mr. Hyde scratched it in his metamorphosis. Also one of the books was tossed and landed on top of the Baroque Frame.

On this side of the shelf, two drippy candles are tossed askew, and a raven from the Ephemera pack has been sprayed with Distress Resist Spray to stiffen it, and it is sitting on one of the Drippy Candles.

Here you can see I used two of the Bracket Trims, again covered with Baseboard paper that was cut with the Sizzix Decorative Trim dies. Then I cut it wide enough that it could be crooked like this so it looks like the shelf broke. Then cover the bottom of this section with lots of the Snippets Ephemera that are crumpled up.

I used some pliers to kind of destroy one side of the Birdcage. I adhered the birdcage too a small Candle Stand and roughly painted some Black Soot Distress Paint on both, then I rubbed a bit of Tarnished Brass Distres Painton the nigh spots with my finger. Add some of the shredded Mummy cloth in the bottom of the cage and a couple the teeny tiny Snippets Ephemera.

The birdcage needs to look like it was bent open and the raven escaped. I added a butterfly just to symbolized a metamorphosis, albeit a completely opposite from the one Dr. Jekyll is making.

I have another Drippy Candle leaning against the wall with more burnt.torn wallpaper. and an almost empty Test Tube.

 

Unlike the other two, this Test Tube dried on its side so it would look like the little bit of potion that is left is settled on the side of the test tube.

 

The last section is the dungeon or cell that holds the mean, violent, crazed Mr. Hyde. 

 

I began by adhering two small Vignette panels together. 

Do them end to end, not side by side. Then cover the piece with Baseboard paper.

Add a couple of pieces of chipboard just thinner than the panels, to the back center of the section as seen in this photo. Drill a hole from the back and thread the purple Halloween lights through the hole and attach them around the outside of the chipboard. Then attach the panel door on top.

 Locate the moon Layer and the round Window Frame. They look like this. And that happy moon doesn't look like Mr. Hyde.

 

Use some Distress Crayons to transform the happy moon into the creepy looking face of Mr. Hyde.

 

 Cover his smile with the bottom of the round Window Frame. Adhere the window to the Layer and trim the excess when it is dry, Adhere to the center top of the cell/dungeon door.

 I used a hinge to cover the window with a Tin Top and a Hitch Fastener to act as a pull.

 

I layered some Industrial Gears on the cell door and used the "steering wheel" from the Odds and Ends pack to make a very impressive door lock. Attach them all with Collage Medium. Once it was completely dry (over night) then add the Hook Clasps and attach the chain end to areas of the door with the nails from the Vignette Hardware pack. Use one of the clasps to attach a lock.

 I covered the back of the piece with this cool backdrop paper and used some scraps to fillin here and there as well as to make the light battery pack holders.

Wow! That was a lot of detail to take in with just one blog post. As always, if you need any clarification on this piece, please contact me through the form in the column at the right.

 

Have a creative day!

Tami

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