The Upcycled Mummy's Curse! A spOoky #Cre8time #DIY by Tracy Alden

Hello! Tracy with another home decor creation using Amazing Casting Products! I had some rather odd inspiration for this project and it all started with me finding some fun plastic Halloween skulls at a Thrift store. With two of them, I made Ghoulish Glam Skulls and the rest I saved for Halloween decor around the house.

While I was outside in the garden one of our dogs, Luna, decided to play in the house, the skulls were close to her toys and she cracked one of them. I of course couldn't be angry with her playing though her rather adorable "I totally did NOT do that" face also helped. When I was about to throw out the skull, an idea came to me, why not use the cracked skull as a base for a Halloween mummy head prop?

Supplies:

• Amazing Casting Resin
• Alumilite Dyes
• Liquitex Gloss and Matte Varnish
• Acrylic Paint
• Aluminium Foil and Paper Bags
• Stir Sticks
• Plastic Halloween Skull
• Cotton Muslin Fabric
• Black leaf tea bags
• Beacon's Gem-Tac
• Paint Brush
• Paper Tape Roll
• Hot Glue Gun and glue sticks

With the crack being along the side of the eye socket and most of the left side of the skull I needed to stabilize the now fragile skull. I thought of using Amazing Casting Resin but I needed to seal the hole before filling the skull with resin. I taped up the crack with clear packing tape, creating a temporary seal for the resin.

Knowing if I were to fill up the whole skull with Amazing Casting Resin would require not only a lot of resin but make the skull on the heavy side I needed to put some sort of filler inside the skull. Using used clean paper bags and aluminum foil crumpled up I slipped them inside the skull through a hole in the bottom.

Next I made small batches of Amazing Casting Resin poured it through the hole in the bottom of the skull. By pouring small batches and then tilting the skull I was able to make sure all of the inside of the skull was equally covered with resin, stabilizing the plastic skull. This process went very quickly because Amazing Casting Resin sets up in 10-15 minutes. I ended up using 3/4 of a resin kit to fill the inside of the skull.

Once I had filled up the inside of the skull I hot glued a tape roll to the bottom of the skull to create a neck for the mummy head. Any gaps between the tape roll and the skull I filled in with aluminum foil and hot glue.

I then mixed up some Amazing Casting Resin and poured it into the newly formed neck of the mummy head. I put some extra foil into the neck cavity and filled it up with more Amazing Casting Resin, using up all of the kit.

Once the resin was cured, I removed the tape from the now resin filled crack and removed any excess resin spills off the skull.

Since not much of the plastic would be visible under the wrappings but I didn't want it looking like a skull I painted the skull a mixture of yellow, brown and black acrylic paint. I glued on used tea bags to create eyelids and created a nose out of paper bags and tin foil. I glued on some loose tea grounds to give the look of sand/dirt and sealed it with Liquitex Matte Varnish.

To create wrappings: I dyed cotton muslin fabric in a bath of hot black leaf tea and bags. I let it soak for a few hours to stain and then let the fabric dry. Once dry I tore the fabric into 2 inch strips to make wrappings. I started applied the wrappings to the skull with a bit of Beacon's Gem-Tac and started to wind it around the skull. I didn't use any set pattern or style; I just had fun and made sure to cover up any of the more skull-like features of the head.

Once I was finished wrapping the skull I liked the overall look but felt it needed something more to create the look of age.

Since real mummies still have old oils and resin still visible on the surface of their wrappings I created some out of Liquitex Gloss Varnish mixed with some Brown Alumilite Dye. I used the varnish instead of resin because I wanted to control how it dripped and needed it to dry quickly. The Alumilite Dye allowed me to tint the varnish without losing the transparent nature of the varnish.

Once dry this spooky decor is a perfect addition to my

creepy curiosity cabinet on display for Halloween!

 

What AMAZING arts and crafts can you create?

Please share them on the user GALLERY on the Amazing Crafting Products Website!

Visit my blog Art Resurrected for more craft tutorials!

Until next time, safe travels! ~ Tracy

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCasting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

 

Sit for a #Cre8time Spell! #DIY Eye of Newt Apothecary Jar by Tracy Alden

Hello! Tracy here with another Amazing Casting Products inspiration post! This time I am taking inspiration from one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, Macbeth:

"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing, --
For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."

That part of the play has a wonderful spooky quality, often inspiring all types of ghoulish displays and decor for Halloween. The interesting part is that most of those names of ingredients were not intended to be taken literal, but were herbalist or folk terms for common herbs and plants. In the case of "Eye of newt" it was referring to a type of mustard seed. However thanks to pop culture more often than not most people think of real newt eyes in a jar. So knowing some seeds in a jar isn't that ghoulish of a Halloween decoration I decided to go with the pop culture version of making a jar with faux newt eyes.

Now I already have a growing collection of bottled fantasy curiosities I have created and bought. So following along the lines of my Zombie Apothecary Jars I cleaned up a old jar. In this case it was formerly a 3 wick candle jar, as the glass was heavy and the lid metal, making it perfect for an apothecary jar.

I put some dried moss at the bottom of the jar to add some visual contrast. It would also help with adding some textured base to prop the fake eyes on so they wouldn't all sink to the bottom.

I mixed up 3 fluid ounces of Amazing Clear Cast Resin 

and slowly poured it on top of the moss to cover it.

The moss became a bit dark after the resin started to soak into it, so before the resin layer started to cure I sprinkled a bit of micro crystal glitter to give just a slight shimmer to the moss layer.

For newt eyes I used transparent acrylic Eye of Warding beads carefully placed in the still wet resin. Recent popularity of the beads has had a lot of bead manufacturers making all kinds of the Eye of Warding beads out of glass, acrylic, clay and even recycled plastic. *Take a trip to your favorite craft store to check out what types of beads they might have for you to use!

Once I let the first layer of resin cure for about an hour I added some more eye beads and little snippets of moss. I didn't want to add too much. I wanted it to look like someone used the "newt eyes" a lot in their spells.

While the final layer of resin cured I worked on the lid to the jar. To bring down some of the bright silver tone of the lid I used some sandpaper and little bit of chalk paint to give it an aged look. A painted wooded bead glued on top of the lid gave it a pull knob.

With a chalk board sticker for a label the jar

was finished and not a single newt harmed! :)

 

What AMAZING spooky arts and crafts can you create?

Please share them on the user GALLERY on the Amazing Crafting Products Website!

Visit my blog Art Resurrected for more craft tutorials!

Until next time, safe travels! ~ Tracy

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCasting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

A Mantle for all #Cre8time Ages... Shrunken Macabre with Rachel Whetzel

Hey, AMAZING gang!! Rachel Whetzel, here! Playing some more with my apothecary display!! I recently made some large scale Heads in a Jar for our High School's Zombie Ball Homecoming dance. 

*WARNING: this post is picture heavy. 

Here are my original gallon sized heads in a jar! 

For the gallon sized heads in a jar, I used pictures of some of our Seniors, following the instructions from THIS SITE. I didn't have the same photo editing software that the site used, so I used iPiccy, and PicMonkey along with Picasa to achieve the same results. When the full sized heads in a jar were such a huge hit, I got the idea to do a smaller, "shrunken head" edition with Amazing Crafting Products! 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE YOUR OWN SHRUNKEN HEAD IN A JAR:

*you can click on any of the photos in the post to view them larger. 

• Pint sized jar that can withstand high heat from the reaction of Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Alumilite Brown Dye
• Computer and Internet connection
•  iPiccy, PicMonkey and Picasa
• Printer
• Krylon Matte Finish or other clear sealant for your image
• Tape

First, take a picture of your subject making a face for your jar. Take a side picture also. (These are the cropped photos... you can leave space around your face and crop once you load to Picasa.) 

In Picasa, crop your images to 4X6 size, and take the front of your face off of the side angle shot just near the corner of the eye.

Once you have cropped your images, load them to iPiccy. In iPiccy, choose the collage option, and then  select the second option on the fourth line, with three image areas. Don't load your photos. Simply select the red check mark at the top right of the screen when you're done choosing your collage. This is your background that will provide you with the space you need to work.

Next, choose the tray icon, which is the LAYERS tab in iPiccy,
and then choose the picture option for layering. 

Click the UPLOAD PHOTOS button on the left,

and choose the images you took and cropped. 

Drag your images one at a time, onto the background, and pull with your mouse curser, on one of the corner circles to make your image larger. 

Drag your side picture onto your background twice, and use the flip button to change it's direction on one of them. Layer the side images over the top of your front facing image and line them up to fit your front image using the hairline and eye area to best match up your photos. Don't worry if your side images don't fill your background completely. We'll fix that later. 

When you are done layering and positioning your images, click the red check mark at the top right of the screen, and then choose the "floppy disk" SAVE tab. You'll have the option to save your image as a PNG or JPG, but Picasa automatically converts PNG to JPG, so I use the JPG option.

Now, open your new image up again in Picasa.

Use the RETOUCH option to blend your hard lines. 

Click on the hard line, and then move your mouse to the left or right. The area you move the curser to, is the area that Picasa will replicate, so use areas of the face that will blend well. If you make a mistake, just choose UNDO PATCH to remove your last retouch. You can also adjust the size of the area to be retouched. 

At the bottom of the neck, I use the existing edge of the neck as a retouch area, and move my curser until the hard line of the underside of the neck lines up well in the spot I am retouching. 

Once I'm done, I save my photo and take it to PicMonkey. 

In PicMonkey, I click on the lipstick icon, and use the AIRBRUSH option in touch ups to smooth the lines and blend the color of my face further.

NOW FOR THE FUN PART!! I use the THEMES in PicMonkey (the Pumpkin icon) and play with the themes there. I used the BEARD edit, and the ZOMBIE BRUISE, along with some of the texturing in the WITCHES theme. 

Another favorite is the ZOMBIE theme GASHES AND SLASHES. I used one of the Gashes and Slashes to create a stitched effect over my shrunken head's mouth. The actual layer was too long, but there is an eraser edit on most layers in PicMonkey that allow you to remove the layers in whatever area you want. I used that to cut my staples short enough to *just* cover the mouth. As you can also see in the photo below, you can move the layer and tilt, flip, etc... to arrange it just the way you'd like. Clicking and holding the circle with a line to the surrounding line is how you drag the layer to move it.

I used another of the Gashes and Slashes to create a chopped off head look. 

I saved the image when I was done playing with creepy layers in PicMonkey, and took the image back to Picasa. In Picasa, I cropped my image to a 3X5 size. This is where you crop out any areas that your pictures don't cover your background. Once I had cropped, I used the LOMO edit over the photo to create a shadow around the edges, that make the effect of a head in a jar better later on. Save the image. 

FINALLY, you are ready to print! I printed out my 3X5 image onto regular paper, and then sealed it with some Krylon Matte Finish to keep the ink from bleeding in the Amazing Clear Cast Resin. 

When the paint was dry, I used some clear tape to pin the paper into my jar where I wanted it. I tried to keep my paper fairly close to the side of the glass, with a very small amount of space for resin. As you can see, the photo doesn't circle the entire jar. You can see it clearly here, but in the finished piece, you can't. 

To create the formaldehyde in the jar, and hide the harsh lines of the paper, I mixed Amazing Clear Cast Resin with a TINY drip of Alumilite Brown Dye. (CLICK HERE for directions on mixing Amazing Clear Cast.) Your Amazing Clear Cast Resin will look dark. To see if it's too dark, you can pull out your mixing tool, and if you can see through the tint, then you'll be able to see your image in the jar. I poured it all into my jar, and worked out any bubbles between my paper and the glass using the tool I mixed my Amazing Clear Cast with.

Be careful to you check your project soon after mixing and pouring your resin, because the reaction of the two parts create a lot of heat in large quantities. This is also the reason you want a canning jar or other heat resistant container. Now I have a tiny shrunken head to add to my collection! I thought about putting a lid on the jar, but I really like the liquid look of the resin, and being able to see it without a lid, so I decided to leave it off! 

What kind of Macabre things are you
dreaming up in your AMAZING minds? 

Thank you for reading! Want to see more of what I'm up to?

Visit me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM, or like MY PAGE on Facebook!

Thanks for stopping by! ~ rachel

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

AMAZING #Cre8time Spooks and Spells... Frog Eggs by Rachel Whetzel

Hello, AMAZING peeps!! It's Rachel Whetzel... this month, I am preparing for Halloween! It's one of my favorite holidays, and I have a pretty extensive collection of Witch's Apothecary items for my mantel. Every year, I try to add a few new items to my collection, and most of the time, I like to create those pieces myself! This month, I created some Frog's Eggs and created them in a witchy mid-potion display!

Here's what you'll need to make frog's eggs of your own:

• Marbles 
• Amazing Mold Putty
• Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Amazing Casting Resin
• Alumilite Black Dye
• Alumilite Brown Dye
• Paints 
• Glue (I used E6000) 
• Tea cup and saucer 

Start by mixing your Amazing Mold Putty. (Please CLICK HERE for more detailed instructions on how to mix Amazing Mold Putty.) 

Press Marbles into your mold putty like so:

Next, mix Amazing Clear Cast Resin. I wanted my frog's eggs to have a slightly white look, so I decided to experiment by mixing some Amazing Casting Resin (which dries white) with my Amazing Clear Cast Resin. I mixed them separately, and then combined them into a 4:1 ratio, (4 parts Amazing CLEAR Cast Resin to 1 part Amazing CASTING Resin) combining the Amazing Casting Resin mix with the Amazing Clear Cast Resin once they were each mixed separately. CLICK HERE for directions on mixing Amazing Casting Resin and Amazing Clear Cast Resin. The results were very interesting! If you don't want to try mixing the two, you can use Alumilite WHITE Dye to get a cloudy look in your Amazing Clear Cast.

Once the resin was dry, I popped out the balls, and sanded up the flat side a bit.

Then I pained black ovals onto the round side, and glued them into place in my cup where I wanted them. Gluing before the next step will keep your pieces from floating to the top of your Amazing Clear Cast Resin while the resin cures.

Finally, I mixed a tiny drop of Alumilite BLACK and Alumilite BROWN Dyes into some Amazing Clear Cast Resin, and poured it over my eggs. (When I say tiny, I MEAN tiny!! My "pond sludge" turned out a little darker than I planned. I could have used a tiny bit of each dye color on the tip of a toothpick and gotten a more see-through result.)

Before the Amazing Clear Cast Resin was cured, I tipped my cup over, so that the inside of the finished piece would be easier to see from a front view on my mantle. I love the way the tipped cup gives the illusion that the witch who owns my apothecary has just stepped away to grab a couple more ingredients for her newest spell! 

What kind of spooky fun are you
brewing up this Halloween season? 

Thank you for reading! Want to see more of what I'm up to?

Visit me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM, or like MY PAGE on Facebook!

Thanks for stopping by! ~ rachel

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

The DOCTOR is IN! AMAZING #Cre8time Apothecary Bottles by Lonnie Sexton

Lonnie here with another project using Amazing Crafting Products. Today I'm sharing how to alter/customize some recycled spice bottles into a set of handmade potions by molding/casting a design onto an existing lid. 

Parts/Tools:

• Amazing Mold Rubber
• Amazing Mold Putty
• Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Mixing Cup 
• Mixing Stick 
• Mold Release
• Alumidust Bronze Powder
• Alumilite Dyes - Fluorescent "Flo" Red and Blue
• Modeling Clay - gray
• Poster Board
• Hot Glue Gun
• Box Knife (razor for cutting poster board)
• Xacto Knife
• Carving Tools
• Ruler
• Sharpie
• Adhesive Inkjet Transparent Sheets
• Glass Jars with lids (I used recycled herb jars)

Steps:

1. Create Primary Object – Custom Lid
2. Prepare the Part for molding
3. Mold the Primary
4. Demold
5. Casting
6. Graphics Label
7. Final

PRIMARY

I used modeling clay and the metal lid from the glass jar to create the primary object; a custom old timey medicine jar lid. I was trying to get the feel of a hand made copper or bronze cap from the early 1900’s. So instead of using plastic cut parts for defined surfaces and edges, the clay creates more of a rustic feel when smoothed out by hand.

PREPARE

Create an Amazing Mold Putty plug to protect the threads of the metal cap. Mix Amazing Mold Putty per instructions (I used 20 grams of each part). Please CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation.

Press into the bottom of the lid, form and let cure. 

Cut a positioning 'key' in one side of the cured putty plug.

PRIMARY MOLDING

Cut 5 pieces foam board to create a mold box.

Use got glue to secure them together.

Place the lid on the putty plug and secure it into the mold box

with a small screw from the base to prevent floating.

Mix Amazing Mold Rubber per instructions {CLICK HERE to view}

and fill the mold box. Let cure.

DEMOLD

After the Amazing Mold Rubber is cured, gently

cut open the mold box and remove the rubber mold.

CASTING

To help secure the casting to the lid, add a small screw to the center of the lid.

Brush on Alumidust Bronze Powder to the inside of the rubber mold.

Mix Amazing Casting Resin per instructions.

Fill the mold 3/4 to the top and place the Amazing Mold Putty

insert with lid in the rubber mold and casting. Let Cure.

GRAPHICS LABEL

Measure the container and make a test template.

Create a layout in any graphics editor software with guide lines that match the template. I made 3 different labels using the same format, replacing items, symbols and text where needed.

Print onto the adhesive sheets (be sure to use the right printer settings for label paper and best quality); then cut and apply to the bottle.

Mix Amazing Casting Resin per instructions {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}. Add Alumite Dye for desired colors. Fill and let cure.

**PLEASE NOTE** Be sure to use a glass jar capable of handling the temps created during the casting cure process. The resin curing process does become hot, and temperature increases when mixed in larger quantities for both the Amazing Casting and Clear Cast Resins. If not sure, resin can be mixed and poured in smaller batches by layering {add additional resin layer after each cure is completed and cooled}.

Amazing Casting Resin is clear when mixed {on left},

then turns to an opaque white {on right} when curing completes.

Completed set – Love Potion, Cure All and Truth Serum.

How would you alter/customize

your bottle creations?

Thanks for joining in. Come back soon for more projects
from the Amazing Crafting Products Creative Team.

~ Lonnie

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty