Secret Garden

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  I have a piece of home decor/mixed media to share with you today.  A friend of mine gave me a couple of MDF watering cans that she had got from Dreamees   https://www.dreamees.org.uk/  and I immediately thought 'Vintage' and 'Secret Garden' theme.  I have recently aquired some new silicone moulds which I use with air dry clay that I knew would be great for this project.    

So, I have used acrylic paint and mat arylic paint from my stash, air dry clay, moulds from Prima and La Blanche, Little Birdie paper flowers, La Blanche paper ephemera,die cuts from my stash, That's Crafty crackle gel, La Blanche antiqueing laquer, 13 Arts grit, Distress Inks, a little garden twine and gold gilding wax.

I  began by painting all surfaces with a terracotta acrylic, letting it dry then painted on a coat of crackle gel.  When that was dry I painted all the surfaces with a mat acrylic paint and watched the cracks appear, giving the effect of old, cracked paint.  

I added antiqueing laquer using a dry brush to age everything a bit more.  I wanted to include a brick wall in my design and some texture.  I have a brick wall stencil in my stash but it's too big for this project so I made one myself.  I took some clear packaging, which is usually very strong, and I used a die from my stash of a small brick wall.  I then mixed some sand texture paste and terracotta paint, and stencilled it onto the body of the watering can.  When that was dry I took the air dry clay pieces that I had prepared earlier; a bird bath, a figureen head, a bird house on a post and some tiny birds.  I painted the birds and the bird house but left the other pieces white so they looked like marble.  I attached them all to the watering can with multi purpose gel medium.  I added some die cut Ivy leaves, which I had edged with white gesso, to replicate creeping Ivy growing on the wall.  I then attached some white paper flowers, a couple of painted clay flowers, some die cut trellis and added some garden twine on the handle.  

I took some La Blanche paper ephemera sheets and cut out a dragonfly, a small photo and a tag.  I tore the edges of the photo and added some DI to them.  I then added ink to the edges of the tag and the Dragonfly before attaching all the pieces to the spout of the watering can.  

    

Next it was time to decorate the other side, I wanted to create a secret entrance to the garden.  I took another of my clay pieces, this time an old wooden door, and I painted it with mat acrylic paint.  I used gold gilding wax on the hinges and door handle, then added antiqueing laquer to knock them back a bit.  I dry brushed a light colour over the door to accentuate the grain then decorated the doorstep in the same way.   

I wanted to create the effect that the door to the secret garden was a bit hidden by lots of overgrown foliage, so I added various die cuts from my stash in different shades of green card.  I then added DIs to the edges of the leaves.

The next stage was to add the old brick wall, using the same products and techniqes as before.  When the 'bricks' were dry I attached the door and doorstep with multi-purpose gel.  

I then attached all the die cut foliage including the creeping Ivy across the top of the door.  I wanted to create some scruffy grounding for the piece so I took some fine grit and attached it on both sides, at the bottom of the watering can and over the base.  I then painted the grit with a mat acrylic in a tonal colour.   I attached a small white flower as a little tease of what might be behind the door.  

I added gold gilding wax to all the edges of the watering can and base, then cut out a butterfly and attached it to the spout to complete the design.

I had so much fun creating this piece!  I used around 8 different techniques and lots of products, in other words I had a wonderful playtime lol!  I am so pleased with the results too, it looks just as it did in my head when I was thinking about how I wanted to decorate my MDF watering can.

Thanks so much for dropping into my blog today, I hope you've enjoyed this post.  Feel free to browse further and I hope to see you here again soon!  :)

My Rusty Bulb Project from CCA

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  Today I'm sharing a lovely little mixed media project I've recently completed that I got from the Creative Craft Acadamy, it's a design by Aida Domisiewicz.  I bought a kit with everything I needed to create this artwork, including an online workshop with the artist.  

  

This project is based on an inverted canvas design.  The first step was to tear up some Tim Holtz designer tissue paper and cover the edges of the canvas.   I painted over the tissue with the same medium I  had used to attach it then painted over the whole thing with brown and blue translucent paints from the kit.  This gave the project an aged rustic look whilst being able to see the patterns of the tissue.  

The next step was to fill the light bulb with copper glitter, tiny glass beads and some copper sparkles.  The plastic bulb is very static so the glitter sticks to the inside giving a nice covering.  I then took a piece of thin wire and rolled it around a paint brush handle to create a coil for the filament that goes inside the bulb.  I kept one end of the wire long enough to thread up through the top of the bulb and attach it.  It was then time to attach the bulb to the substrate which I did with some multi purpose gel medium.  

Now it was time to start attaching the embellishments, which is always fun!  I began by attaching the metal embellishments, some of which I had added the paints and some gilding wax to.  I also added some sparkles, micro beads and glitter to the dragonfly as well.  

The original project wasn't as 'blingy' as mine, I have used more of the glass beads, glitter and sparkles, putting my own spin on it.

I had a real blast creating this project!  I learnt a few new techniques as well as using some old favourites.  It now hangs in my kitchen where it looks good with my industrial lighting.
Thanks for dropping in today, I hope that you've enjoyed this post and that you'll visit again soon  :)  

The Traveller

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  I have a collage/mixed media card to share with you today that I made for someone who loves travelling, as you can see I used it as a birthday card - belated I'm afraid  ;)  

I have used stamps from La Blanche - their Vintage Collection and Background Set; Distress Oxide inks, Versafine inks - sepia and black, a lazer cut MDF piece, puffy stickers and Vintage Ephemera from La Blanche, a couple of stencils and a some dies from my stash.

  

I took a piece of white card and blended a couple of DOs all over it.  I then flicked water over it and faux bleached randomly.  When it was dry I used a blue ink to stamp a collage image randomly over the background.

I took a stencil from my stash and used DO inks to add another layer to my background.  I love layering backgrounds.

I used a couple of the background stamps to stamp around the edges of a white base card.

I matted the background panel onto black card.

I stamped several focal images relating to travel with a Steampunk and Vintage twist, then cut them out.  I added gold gilding wax to the compass.

Next I took a piece of printed ephemera, I tore the edges and added ink to them then folded and rolled them to create an old, distressed look.

I took an MDF embellishment of a gentleman on a Penny Farthing, which was beautifully detailed, and stamped a postal themed collage image in black Versafine ink over it.

I stamped and coloured some more focal images.  I attached the background panel to the base card at an angle, then attached the other images and embellishments.  I decided to add the Penny Farthing because  the recipient is really into mountain biking, and he likes Steampunk too.  

I added some puffy stickers that look like rivets to add to the industrial Steampunk look.  Everyone knows how much I love Steampunk and Vintage so I  had a lovely time creating this card!  These gorgeous stamps are among my favourites in my collection, and the image of the lady with a steam ship and clock in her head is one of my oldest stamps.  It works just as well now as it did when new.  

Thank you for popping in today, I hope you have enjoyed this post.  Feel free to leave me a comment, I love to hear from you, and I hope that you'll drop by again soon  :)

Beachside Memories

Hello and welcome to my blog  :)  I have a lovely Vintage card to share with you today, one of my samples for the October Chocolate Baroque tv shows.  I wanted to create something that looked like a collection of seaside memorabelia - the sort that you might find in Grandma's attic.

I have used stamps from the Baroque Ephemera 1 & 2, Seashore Scenes and Eccentric Edwardian sets; Distress Oxide inks, and sepia Versafine ink.  

  

I began this project by taking a piece of copier paper and stamping ephemera images randomly all over it, using DOs.  I then spritzed water all over the paper and scrunched it up to create a distressed, aged look.  I pulled the wet paper out and flattened it, but not too much as I wanted it to look like a piece of old paper that had been folded several times and screwed up into a ball and forgotten about.  When the paper was dry I blended Vintage Photo ink around the edges of the paper and over the crinkled surface to age it even more.

I took a piece of smooth white card and stamped several images of tickets and post cards in the sepia ink and coloured them with DOs.  I didn't want the writing on one of the post cards so I used a damp tissue to remove it after inking.  I wanted to create a picture post card out of it.  Once I had coloured the images I cut them all out.  

After colouring the images I blended ink around the edges of each of them.  I then stamped the image of an Edwardian gentleman onto a piece of satin finish card using sepia ink.  I wanted to replicate an old photo.  When dry I took all of the images and scuffed, folded and tore the edges to age and distress them before arranging them on the background paper. 

I attached the background panel to an ivory base card, making sure that it wasn't too flat and 'perfect' looking.  

I attached the ephemera that I had made to the front of the card as a collection of memorabelia.

This card was not a quick one to make but I loved every minute of it!  I absolutely LOVE creating Vintage themed projects, and these gorgeous stamps gave me the opportunity to be really creative and indulge my passions. 
Thank you for dropping in today, I hope you've enjoyed this post.  Feel free to browse further, maybe leave me a comment, and I hope you'll visit again soon  :)  

Baubles, Baubles Everywhere!

Deck the Trees

Hello there - welcome to my  blog  :)  I'm sharing a few quick and simple cards with you today, all were samples on the CB July tv shows.  For the first card I have used stamps from the Shaded Baubles, Christmas Circle and Robin the Spruce sets; Koh-I-Noor water colour paints, Distress Oxide ink, gold and white EP, a die cut, some ribbon and bows from my stash.  

I stamped and embossed both bauble images, one with white EP and the other with gold.  I then painted the images, the white embossed baubleI I painted green,  and the gold one I painted red.  I then stamped and embossed the Robin image in gold and fussy cut it out before painting it as before.  I took a white base card and stamped some Pine branches around the edges using Distress Oxide ink.
  

I attached the green bauble flat onto the card and the red bauble I attached with 3D foam pads.  I added some ribbon and bows to give the impression that the baubles are hanging from a tree, and stamped a sentiment onto the card.

Bauble of Light.

I have used the same stamps as for the last card; grey Versafine ink, Distress Oxide ink, Luxury smooth colouring paper, glitter, alcohol pens, silver pen, coloured card and a couple of dies from my stash.

I began with a piece of smooth colouring paper and stamped the empty bauble in one of the bottom corners with grey ink.  I then stamped Pine branches around the edges of the focal panel with DO ink and added silver pen around the outer edge.  I coloured the bauble with pens.........

.........and added silver peel-offs to create a string for the bauble to hang by.  

I then took some coloured card from my stash and die cut some Pine branches, blending DO ink to the edges of the die cuts.  I matted the focal panel onto a piece of darker card then attached it to a white base card.  I attached the die cut branches to the card in one of the top corners, then die cut a lantern and added Glossy Accents to look like glass.  When it was dry I attached the lantern to the card, then I stamped a sentiment onto a spare piece of card, matted it and attached it to the card.  

Vintage Compliments of the Season.

For this card I have used stamps from the  same sets as the previous projects; alcohol pens, Versamark ink, white EP, smooth Kraft colouring paper, Distress Ink, and a circle die from my stash.

I started this project by stamping and embossing the empty bauble twice onto the Kraft paper in white.  I then stamped both Christmas Circle images within the baubles and embossed them in white.  I used a circle die from my stash to cut the baubles out, then attached them to a cream textured base card.

I stamped a sentiment with DI on the front of the card.  

I'm very pleased with these cards, the beautiful stamps are an absolute pleasure to work with!  All the designs are simple and quite easy to recreate, they will all be suitable for batch making too - which is essential for Christmas!

Thank you for popping in today, I hope that you've enjoyed this post and have been a little inspired by these projects.  Feel free to browse more projects on my blog and to leave a comment if you wish, and I hope that you will visit again soon  :)