Keeping it simple

A simple card today for a man.   Stamped with a freebie stamp from a craft magazine that was designed by Sheena Douglass, using Distress inks on watercolour card and then shaded with the add of a little water.  The card was then edged with the same distress ink, some nuvo drops added to create a faux brad effect;  and a bit of sparkle pen highlights.

The sentiment was from the same set of stamps and given the same treatment as the main image.

All mounted on cream pearlescent card.

Birthday Box

Gosh is it really that long since I blogged - me Bad.  However, I have had a little excuse for past couple of weeks as I have had a crafting pal staying.

I have loads of bits and bobs to share, so will start with this little box ....

Which I made for one of my granddaughters.   She saw the box in my stash and asked if she could have it for her birthday,  She chose what colour and stamps that she wanted on it.

The box was gessoed, and then a mix of Titanium white and Pebeo DYNA iridescent pink was painted all over it, giving it a slightly distress look.

I used the humming bird and hibiscus stamps from Sheena Douglass, and stamped with Stazon and painted with various of the DYNA iridescent paints.

I felt it needed something on the side drawers, so I painted some peel offs with the same paints.  Finally a coat of spray and shine was applied to seal it..

Fopr info the box came from The Works.

Another Slate Heart

I took advantage of the sunny weather yesterday and ventured to the Den for a play, and to top up on some free Vitamin D!

I still had a couple of slate hearts in my stash, so decided to play with one of those, with no particular  plan in mind.   I used Sheena's A Little Bit Sketch - Flower Power set of stamps. 

I realised I didn't have an ink pad up in the Den, so undeterred I tried a quick experiment.  I put a drop of white titanium on my craft sheet, and with a little water spread it out thinly and then put stamp in it and stamped on the slate with it! - success!  (I was good and wiped the stamp clean immediately!).

I initially painted the flowers with primary elements and the medium that comes with them, but of course being on the black background they didn't show up that well, so they were over-painted, having mixed the primary elements with white acrylic.   I then added the freehand painted leaves and little daisies.    I then added some little sprays of white dots using a cocktail stick, but didn't like the effect, so continued by adding dots all over the heart.  With the white paint and a cocktail stick I added the details to the flowers and leaves.  I found this easier than trying to get a fine line with a paintbrush.  Finally a spray of CC Spray and Shine.

Experimenting in the Den

 

I managed to get up in the Den on Thursday and have a play.  I had managed to get some more Cloud Clay and wanted to experiment some more.   This time I used Black Cloud Clay.

 

The first piece was a tiny easel with a canvas, that I purchased at the works.  I painted the canvas, with some pale green paints.  I rolled out the Cloud Clay and stamped into it with some of Sheena's stamps, and then cut around the edges of the flowers and leaves.  They were then painted with a random mix of metallic green and blue acrylics to give the teal finish, and mounted on the canvas.



Mini Canvas

 

 

 

The next experiment was using the Black Cloud Clay again, but modelling roses, and using a cutter for the leaves.  Even though I used the black clay, I did still paint them with black acrylic.  The canvas had Pebeo modelling paste spread across it and was stippled with a palette knife.  When dry it was painted with titanium white acrylic.   (Quite pleased with the texture - perhaps I could get a job doing artex! )

A5 Canvas

 

Finally, I fixed the flower spray to the canvas and gave it a spray of Crafter's Companion Spray and Shine.  

 

I am really pleased with this canvas - in real life it almost looks like wrought iron/metal work.

Altered Art/Mixed Media ........

........  I think that is what the name for this is!  I call it mucking about!

I have spent the last couple of days making the most of the gorgeous sunshine and playing in the Den.

Sunday's Efforts:

I bought the Mask in the Works.  The granddaughter's saw it in the Den last week, and all wanted to paint it - so a trip to the shop was required to buy some more for when they come to play. 

 

Thankfully I got some more for them, so I was able to play with my one to give them an idea of what they could do.   Originally it was going to be painted black, but picked up my brown acrylic first and decided to go with that.  I hadn't realised my brush was dry when I started to paint - but I liked the effect so much I decided to continue.  I then applied some gilding wax around the edges and the eyes, and varnished it.

 

I painted a piece of card with acrylic to help stiffen it, and when dry stamped on the other side with my favourite stamps from Sheena Douglass.  Painting over the images with primary elements - in various shades, although basic colour was cinammon.  (Tip: go over the outlines when painting - gives a better finish when cutting them out afterwards.)  When dry these were cut out and adhered to the mask with some modelling paste, some gems added to the centres of the flowers, and a smidgen of gilding wax added to edges of flowers,  and pearl stickles applied over the eyes.

 

you can see all the flowers on this photo....

 

 



.... but this one is more realistic for the colour of the mask

 

My next project was starting an altered art book cover.

As you can see I used the same flower stamps for this - actually when I first stamped them I couldn't decide which colour I wanted for the mask - so having used the red ones - the remainder were relegated to the book cover - and influenced the colours on the background.

I coated the cover with thick masking paste mixed with black gesso.  I then used some Andy Skinner stamps to create the random effects on the masking paste - crackle finishes etc.  With a palette knife I scribed the initials into the masking paste.   With the hot weather it didn't take long for the paste to dry!

When dry I got a selection of metallic acryllics and brushed them randomly over the background, edged the book with silver gilding wax, and then added more onto the cover as well as some in two shades of gold.

Finally I used pearl stickles to fill in the initials, and attached the flowers with more modelling paste, and added pearl stickles to the centres.   Now to decide what to do on the back cover and the insides ......

altered art book cover

and by the way the temp in the den yesterday!

Saturday:

(sorry working backwards - story of my life!)

 

 

I have had this Indigoblu clock kit for some time, and finally got around to doing something with it.

 

I think the thing was jinxed, as I carefully cut all the numbers from the stamp sheet, and was very good and put them all back on the backing sheet - and blow me down the no. III has disappeared.  I ahve searched high and low and retraced all steps from when I cut them out - but zilch - even got OH searching the cut off bits of rubber which were all in a packet to make sure I wasn't looking through them.  It remains a mystery as I had been so methodical for once!   Hey ho! it will turn up when least expected! in the meantime I cut up the no. VIII and used that.

 

I crackled the background, cream over red - but you would never guess that - yes the crackle refused to play - thank goodness for Andy Skinner's crackle effect stamp to save the day.

 

I also used gilding flakes for the first time - which worked well, but didn't show up enough, so had to overstamp with stazon!  yes definitely jinxed this piece!

 

I stamped the flowers that came with the set and painted them, and then overstamped them again.

 

Not entirely happy with the result - but it was only a clock for the Den - and if it annoys me too much - I can either repaint it  or paint he back and start again!



 

 

The finished clock in the Den

 

Having got so frustrated with looking for the no. III for the clock, I occupied myself by creating myself a new button box.

 

I may add some painted designs to the bottom of the box, but in the meantime am pleased with the result so far.  aintd with blue acrylic and one of Andy Skinner's crackle stamps used on the top using Stazon.  I love the effect.  I then found some freebie stamps that came with a Magazine (think it was Homemade mag.)  Stamped the images and painted them with pale pearlescent acrylics.  I actually stamped the hexagonals to create the "quilt" shape so I could attach the item as one piece rather than individually.  The stamped items were stuck to the top, edges gilded and then varnished.  Finally I painted a button and addded it to the centre.

 

 

Button Box





Well I hope I haven't bored you with this long post -  I supposed I should have posted them all individually, but at least I hope I have shared some inspiration.