Tropically Funky Fish Tank

Happy New Year everyone!   Here is my first crafting project of 2015 and my first entry for the Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge 6, http://chocolatebaroquechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/.  I had the idea of creating a piece of artwork incorporating a tropical fish tank as soon as I saw these stamps before Christmas, I asked Father Christmas for them and he listened!  The stamps used are from the Steampunk Sea World and Funky Fish sets.  Distress inks used are Peacock Feathers, Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Worn Lipstick, and Lettuce Adirondak ink.  The paints used are Viridian and Cobalt Blue acrylics, and Pearl White, Metalic Bronze, and Metalic Gold Lumiere.  I started by creating the smaller background panel using smooth white card, onto which I blended the blue and yellow DIs.  I spritzed some water onto my hand and flicked it randomly all over the panel, then blotted the drops with a tissue(faux bleaching).  I took an image of cogs (CB Steampunk Butterfly) and stamped it along the edges of the panel using the Lettuce ink, to represent gravel and sand in the bottom of the fish tank.  I faux bleached parts of the cogs to add interest and highlights.  I then stamped the cogs and seaweed group centrally in the bottom third of the panel.  I faux bleached the image to remove some of the colour  then painted it using the DIs.  I also stamped the bubble machine and some additional bubbles in the same way, and faux bleached the bubbles.  I added glitter highlights to the cogs, seaweed and bubbles.  Next I took a brayer and loaded it with blue ink; then I scrumpled a piece of copy paper, flattened it back out and rolled the inky brayer over the paper which both reduces the amount of ink and picks up the texture onto the brayer.  I then rolled the brayer once over the background panel transferring the pattern and giving the effect of rippling water.  I repeated this process over the whole panel.  When dry I added Glossy Accents glaze to the bubbles.  I stamped the bubble machine (without bubbles), some fish and shrimps and the galleon onto white card in clear Versamark ink and heat embossed with embossing powder - Midnight Teal Obsidian.  I coloured the images using a mixture of DIs and paints, then cut them out.  I then attached them using dimensional glue, a 3D effect.  I left the image of cogs and seaweed flat on the panel to give perspective as if they are at the back of the fish tank.  I applied all the other images in 3D so they appear nearer the front of the tank.  I wrapped a sheet of acetate around the panel, scoring a fold line 2cm from the edge of the panel and fixing it to the back, creating a dome at the front.  Then I matted the panel onto black card, and cut out a lid for the tank from the same card.  I rubbed gilding wax around the edges of the lid to create highlights.  The larger background panel is made from a piece of cardboard cut to make a frame  around the fish tank.  I painted it with acrylic paints and when dry I placed a stencil over the corners and spritzed with gold glimmer mist to create a pattern, then attached the fish tank.   I  die cut some cogs out of black card and added glitter highlights, then attached them to the finished artwork.  I am really happy with the way this project turned out, and it was a great way to christen my new stamps!