One Lucky Day: September 2024

Hello friends,

I'm sharing my Curious Things Vignette Tray today. One of my favorite projects I made for the Halloween release. I'm going to show the finished project before I show some of the step-out photos because I think it might make more sense that way.

This project is hard to photograph because as you view it here, it looks like the small boxes are flat against the Vignette Tray, but they are not. The boxes are purposefully askew, just the way I wanted for this Halloween make. I also kept the boxes quite simple compared to most Vignettes I make. But that was also done on purpose, to show off the details of the "flooring" and to balance the wheel on the left.

I started with a large Vignette Tray + 3 Vignette Boxes (I have a plethora in numerous sizes). I used 2 of the smallest size + one of the second largest box. I was playing around with the boxes and I decided to knock the back off the larger box at the bottom. You will be able to see it later in the photos because it appears here as if it has the back, but in reality where you see the spider, is really the back of the tray.

While I was working on this small box, I thought I might use the smallest Bubbles to mimic larva of the bug that I had already added to the box. I colored the Bubbles with Lettuce Alcohol Ink before adding them to the box with College Medium.

If you are going to have a bug, then you need a web. I decided to use nails and string to mimic the web.

The cauldron is filled with white Tiny Lights + Bubbles that have been colored purple and yellow Alcohol Ink (you will be able to see the color once it lights up).

I purposefully stretched the hot glue across the Bubbles so it looks as if the spider in the background has walked back and forth over the Cauldron.

The Layers piece was the catalyst for the idea for the spinning wheel. It just looks like it should spin, right? I wish we would have had a sticker that said, "you are getting very sleepy..." but we don't! So I used, "things are not what they seem".

The painted red Hitch Fastener helps you to spin the wheel!

I used Fossilized Amber Spritz on the wheel and the giant moth transparency. It really does bring a great glow to the wheel.

I ordered the 4" lazy susan on Amazon. I chose this one because it was small and plastic (so lightweight). The lazy susan is clear but in the photo I have added double stick tape in one of my test runs to add it to the box. In the end I added the lazy susan with Collage Medium. That way I could adjust the placement before the glue set. If I had used the tape, it would have been a one shot deal. Collage Medium was the way to go. Here is the link for the lazy susan.

Back of the tray with Backdrop paper, ephemera and Cello Tape Stickers.

I hid the Tiny Light battery Pack with a Matchbox that I cut down then covered with paper.

BEHIND THE SCENES TIPS

The large box has to be put in place first:

I just painted the Toadstools with black paint, then used steel wool to sand off some of the paint. My trick with the Toadstools is to use hot glue to secure them to a small square of chipboard. Then I used Collage Medium to secure the chipboard to the box (I trust CM more than hot glue).

I used the box without a back so I could add the "flooring" at an angle. Can you see how it sticks out the back of the box? The slats I used for the "flooring" are from the Halloween Baseboard pack. I used an awl to poke holes in the slats for the nails.

Then I just nailed the slats into place.

I added the box to the tray with Collage Medium. You can see how the slats that I added push the box out on the right end.

Next goes in the bug box.

You can see that the bug box goes in at an angle.

Then the Curious Things box. I wiped black paint on the Typography letters, then sanded away the paint with steel wool. I love the look of the letters.

I wanted the box to stick out from the tray so I needed to fill in the depth of the box on the left side.

(from the top, looking down)

You can see how I added the chipboard to the left side.

Here you can see the side of the box that was extended with chipboard so it covered space all the way to the back of the tray.

Now lets go back to the bottom box to talk about the cauldron.

*please note that I have the tray sitting on top of a box just so can see better.

A hole was drilled through the tray (remember the box has no back). I threaded the Tiny Lights through the tray and up into the Cauldron.

Wind the up the Tiny Lights so they fit into the Cauldron.

Add Collage Medium to the legs of the Collage Medium (it dries clear).

Once the Cauldron was secure, I added a few things under the Cauldron. What I love about this box is that the Toadstools look like they are growing out of the floorboards.