Mission- POSSIBLE

You sit down to open that box of fruitcake your Aunt Zelda sent you AGAIN this year, like she does EVERY year. Every year it's the same, boring, fruitcake. But, upon closer inspection, you determine one of the cherries doesn't look...quite right. 

You notice there is a small, folded note laying in the box, tucked next to the fruitcake.

You unfold it. It reads "Press the cherry, dearie."

So, you do. I mean, after all...it's from Aunt Zelda and although she's known throughout the family as being...eccentric, she's harmless, right? It's not like it's a bomb or anything. *snicker, snicker*

Suddenly, a muffled voice emanates from deep within the cake...only it's not Aunt Zelda's voice. Your eyebrows raise as you listen, intently.

"Greetings and Salutations!! 'Tis I, Torrey, Ms. December over at Bombshell Stamps! I'm here to throw down the creative gauntlet (as it were) and issue the MONTHLY PIN-UP CHALLENGE! It is proving to be quite the HOT TOPIC around the old Bombshell water cooler.

CODE NAME: "Operation Radiator"
AKA

"Hot and Steamy--A Steampunk Challenge"

Operation Radiator (should you choose to accept it) requires you to don your super-duper-spifflicator-idea-helmet and conjure up a Steampunk-themed project using your Bombshell stamps!

If y'all have absolutely no idea what "Steampunk" is...then check out the forum HERE and read my posting. It will enlighten you.

Still not sure whether or not to accept the challenge? Well, let me sweeten the pot by dangling a virtual carrot. There is a prize to be had--a very NICE prize for one lucky participant! IT COULD BE YOU!

I can see you still have big ??? circling your head.

*sigh*

Okay, okay. Here are some projects I whipped up to MOTIVATE you.

This fruitcake will self-destruct in 10 seconds...9...8...7..."

(Uh OH...it actually WAS a bomb!)

So...join us over at Bombshell Stamps in our Steampunk frenzy!! Be sure to link your project at their Blog HERE using the LINKY tool provided at the end of my post over there. If you don't have a blog to link to...don't dismay...just post a photo of your entry in the forum on This Thread in their forum for your chance to WIN!

Now, LET'S GET STEAMY!

"Gettin' Steamy" (closed)

"Gettin' Steamy" (Open) 

 Ingredients:

Images used:

• Pin-up Girl, her outfit, wings, banners- Bombshell Stamps (Bombshell Angel, Butterfly Queen, Banner Sayings, Biker Bombshell) 
• 3 Victorian men- Tim Holtz
• Clockwork birds - Hazel Fisher
•  Flying man, pocket watch, caged skirt, bustier, propeller, wind-up key, goggled helmet, pointing hand - public domain images

Dies - Spellbinders (Sprightly Sprockets, Lotus Borderabilities)

copper brads - Creative Impressions

skeleton key - K&Co.

Prismacolor Colored Pencils

Frame - Michaels

copper ink - Tsukineko

Designer paper - Paper Adventures

Vellum

Cardstock

transparency

My second Steampunk offering is a sassy holiday card I posted a few days ago for the sketch challenge over at Bombshell Stamps...Here it is, once again, doing double-duty as one of my projects for Bombshell's Monthly Pin-Up Challenge! (I think it deserves to be showcased twice...don't you?!)

Ingredients:
Pin-up girl stamp - Bombshell Stamps (Bombshell Angel)
Gear dies, Nestability dies - Spellbinders (Sprightly Sprockets, Labels 10)
Prismacolor colored pencils
rhinestones - Michaels (Recollections)
"JOY" letters - Michaels (Recollections)
copper glitter paper - Michaels (Recollections)
Clockwork embossing folder - Provo Craft (Cuttlebug)
ribbon - Michaels
stamping ink - Colorbox
metallic gold and copper papers
black cardstock
transparency
wings, skirt - public domain images from internet