An English Punky Garden

This design is my third entry for the Chocolate Baroque Challenge  http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk using the same colour swatch as the last two posts. I decided to have a go at a mixed media wall hanging this time.  The stamps I used are all from the CB Steampunk Butterfly set, and the cogs are made with a Spellbinders die set.  I used several Distress Inks:- Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, and Festive Berries.  I also used a Versafine ink in Deep Lagoon, a TCW stencil ( mini gears) and clear texture paste.  I used acrylic paints in Titanium White, Cerulean Blue Hue, Metallic Gold, and yellow and pale green glitters.  I started by creating the main background panel from a piece of smooth white card, on to which I blended the two yellow and the green DI's.  I then stamped the cogs and gears randomly over the panel in the red DI.  I mixed the white and blue acrylic paints and dry brushed them over the panel in places, so as not to totally obscure the pattern.  Next I placed the stencil over the panel in one corner and applied clear texture paste through it, then repeated this randomly over the panel.  While this was drying I stamped the butterfly, roses ( repeatedly) and some separate leaves on to white stamping card in the Versafine ink and heat embossed the images with clear embossing powder.  I then stamped the butterfly again but on to acetate this time, I also stamped the circular patterned image several times to create a circle and heat embossed them all as before.  I painted the images stamped on to card with the DI's then cut them out.  I glazed the flower buds and the leaves with Diamond Glaze, also the centre of the  circle acetate pattern, and I sprinkled a little glitter on to the glaze in the circle centre.  When the glaze had dried, I turned the acetate circle over and glittered certain sections of the pattern as highlights.  When they were dry I painted white acrylic paint over the glitter to make it pop.  I then cut the acetate images out.  I used a ball tool to shape the card butterfly, then attached the acetate image on top using clear drying glue on the body.  The wings are left unattached and pulled upwards slightly to create movement.  I cut several cog shapes out of pieces of scrap card and painted them with the blue and gold paints.  When dry I added gilding waxes in gold and aquamarine to give the cogs an aged metallic look.  I created a frame/base for my artwork out of a cardboard box lid.  I have wanted to try this technique for ages.  After cutting the cardboard to size I peeled some of the top layer off to reveal the corrugated card underneath.  I painted a coat of white Gesso on to it followed by two coats of gold acrylic.  I put two holes with eyelets along the top edge of the board panel, and added some blue raffia to hang the artwork with.  To assemble the piece I matted the stamped background panel on to dark blue card,  then layered it on to the gold board.  I then decoupaged all the other elements on to the artwork using  dimensional glue.  I'm really pleased with the finished result!