Make it Spooky - A Vintage Journey October challenge

Hello Everyone and Welcome
Hope you are all ok and a good week has been had by all. Today we are all set to start a new Challenge over at A Vintage Journey  and this time we have a theme that is ideal for the month of October.
Its the lovely Anne who is hosting this months challenge and Anne's chosen theme is 'Make it Spooky'! I'm sure most of you will know just how much Anne LOVES Halloween so she really is the perfect host and here's what Anne has to say:
'As we approach All Hallows Eve we want you to create a vintage, shabby, industrial, steampunk or mixed media project to celebrate the 'spookiness of Halloween. Don't limit yourself to black, orange and purple just 'Make it Spooky!'

 I confess to initially opting out of Anne's challenge theme thinking I wouldn't be able to do it any justice then I came across some styrofoam skulls and thought why not give it a go ... So for Anne's 'Make it spooky' challenge I have had a spooktacular time altering 'skellie' heads !! Each one has had a complete makeover using a range of products to give them their own unique image and personality!

So may I introduce you to the 'Skellieheads' ( left to right - Freddie, Johnny, Boris, Mozza and Spike ! (Please note:  I felt I had to tame the level of spookiness as I didn't want to scare you all away but believe me once I got started my mind was tripping over itself with some really gruesome ideas! Mwahhhh!!)

As each one wants their 'famous for five' spotlight be prepared - this is a long post!
Here's the before shot - white styrofoam skulls purchased from a commercial craft store for just 50p each. At that price it was most definitely worth the play and the fun to be had .

Now for all the makeover shots taking one 'skelliehead' at a time starting with Freddie.
He was given a coat of black gesso then covered with strips of metal tape , working the tape with fingers into all the contours and crevices of the skull. The tape was then coloured with Alcohol inks using a blending tool .

The creases that happen when applying the tape create some texture and detail

A ball tool worked around the eye sockets and teeth removes some of the alcohol ink and enhances these features.

By adding two rusty bead for eyeballs topped with silver gem dot pupils

I reckon Freddie looks kinda menacing!

Johnnys up next

He was given a coat of black gesso and then covered with gears diecut form greyboard using Tim holtz gearhead thinlit dies. Tim Holtz distress collage medium was used to adhere and seal the die cut gears.

He was spritz with Decoart Media shimmer mister, Perfect pearls and Tim Holtz distress mica spray. Silver gilding wax helps enhance the gears and his teeth

and Silver beads were used for his eyes.

So after his makeover here's Johnny

Are you ready for the next one? 
This time its Mozza. He was given a coat of white gesso and then mosaiced using Tim Holtz mosaic kit and paper from Tim holtz 'Regions Beyond 'paper pad.

Mozza was no quick makeover as each mosaic tile has to be cut and adhered before being glazed .

The glaze needs to be kept flat when drying and given that the skull is anything but flat it had to be applied to a few tiles at a time and left to dry before applying to a few more tiles ...... but as the saying goes patience is a virtue....... !

Distress ink is blended into the grout to give it a more worn appearance .

Mozza has gold bead eyeballs with rusty brown gem dot pupils and his teeth are painted with gold alcohol ink! Those empty hollow eyes are kinda freaky don't ya think ?

Hope you 're still with me .... Time for Spikes makeover .

He was given a coat of black gesso and then a generous coat of Tim Holtz grit paste.

Once dry a dry brushing of distress paint ( Black Soot and Walnut Stain) gives Spike some colour . Gold and Bronze gilding wax enhances all his texture

His eyes are bronze beads with gold gem dot pupils and his teeth are painted using bronze alcohol ink.

And last but by no means least meet the 'head' of the Skellieheads Boris
Just like the rest he was given a coat of black gesso before being covered with a very generous application of Silver Viva Decor Croco crackling medium . ( note: apply a coat of Tim Holtz distress collage medium before and after the Croco to help with adhesion .

Croco crackling is best left to air dry and the time it takes depends on the thickness pf application. Boris decided he was worth the wait and took about 36 hours. Here's a few photos of him 'cracking up' !

Boris has silver bead eyes and his teeth are painted with Black Soot distress paint. He insisted too on having a pair of headphones- he wouldn't tell me why but  between you and me I've heard he's a real wimp and is scared of all the spooky sounds the other skellieheads make so wants to drown them out with some 'tunes'! So not to upset (I hate to see a skelliehead cry) a pair of headphones were made using bottle tops, hexnuts and wire.

And here he is all cracked up and wired for sound! (Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' on a loop - mwahhhhh!)

So thats all five happy with their makeovers and all ready for their big Spooky fright night!.

Freddie, Johnny, Boris,Mozza and Spike hope you like their makeovers as much as they do and they hope too they have given you some inspiration to go create your own 'Make it Spooky' project and join us in this challenge.
Be sure to pop by A Vintage Journey (if you haven't already) where you can see a gallery of super inspiring spooky projects created by my fellow Creative Guides. 
I  would  would like to enter these into the following challenges 
Country View Crafts October Challenge 'All Things Spooky!'  
Simon Says Stamp- Monday Challenge - Halloween

From myself and the Skellieheads we would like to thank you greatly for stopping by today and enduring such a long post.
As always your visits, comments and follows are very much appreciated. 

So until the next time  take care and 

please

 don't have nightmares!
Mwahhhhhh!
Amanda
xxx