Mixed Media Harlequin

Hi and welcome to my blog  :)  I have one of my DT samples from the Chocolate Baroque tv shows this week on Hochanda, featuring some of their gorgeous Autumnal stamps, to share with you today.  I love Autumn, the colours, the late sunshine and frosty mornings - not too keen on the rain though lol!  So this call out was DEFINATELY a dream for me.  I have used stamps from the CB  Butterfly Collage and Nature's Peace sets; Distress inks,  Distress Oxide inks, Aqua pens, Aztec paints, black and Sepia Versafine, clear embossing powder, CB Butterfly stencil, silver glitter texture paste, acetate, cardboard.  

I began by creating the focal panel.  I stamped the Poppy Harlequin image onto white card with sepia Versafine ink, then masked the Poppies and seed heads.  I then colour washed the card with DOs and let it dry.  I blended DI around the edges of the panel then removed the masks.  I used Aztec pearlescent paints to colour the Poppies and seed heads to make them pop. As the paints are transluscent non of the fine detail of the stamps is lost.  
  

I stamped a collage butterfly in black ink onto a spare piece of white card and embossed it.  I painted it and cut it out.  I then stamped and embossed a couple more butterflies on acetate then cut them out. 

I wanted to 'ground' the Poppies so I used a brown fine tipped marker pen to draw some ground lines, then added some dots to shade it and to compliment the stamps.  I used texture paste through the stencil to add silver butterflies to the piece and left them to set overnight.  When everything was dry I tied some twine around the panel.   

I added the acetate butterflies as an overlay for the silver textured ones and to give them detail.  The silver glitter paste shines through the acetate beautifully.  I attached them by glueing on the bodies only leaving the wings free.  I attached the painted butterfly in the same way. 

On a white base card I stamped the top of the tree image around the edges with DI then blended the ink as well.  I took a piece of corrugated cardboard, peeled the top layer off and painted it silver.  When dry I added it at a jaunty angle to the base card.  I then attached the focal panel.

I have to admit that I LOVE this card!  I adore mixed media and messy crafting, and this design enabled me to include both so it was a win win!  I think that all the elements, textures and colours come together nicely.  Most of my samples for this call out were traditional Autumn colours but I tried a few different combinations as well.  This cool colour scheme represents the bright but frosty Autumn mornings to come - brrrr!
Thank you for popping by today, I hope you have enjoyed this post and will visit here again soon  :)