Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes

For the challenge over at Southern Girls this month I have a little mixed media piece using an altered jumbo playing card which is part of a swap I am involved in.

I brayered paint on to the gelli plate and then put the card face down on the paint to get the background print. I then used other gelli printed paper to make the little birdhouses using a Tim Holtz die.  The birds are also cut from gelli printed paper and then I used a Spellbinders die to cut the flower and grass at the bottom of the birdhouses.

With the challenge being an anything goes challenge it would be nice to see what everyone comes up with so please feel free to join in the challenge by popping over to the blog and adding your projects.

Words

The challenge at Southern Girls this month is 'Words'. I thought I might try something a little bit different for this challenge so I have been playing with resin. I love this stuff. I used recycled pieces from a Scrabble board to make a magnet and some scrap paper to make a little hanging. I glued everything down then gave both pieces a coat of clear resin. Pretty simple really. Check out what the girls from the design team have been making over at the blog.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge - Love

For my DT project over at the Crafty Cardmakers blog the challenge is "Love". Although the blog title is Crafty Cardmakers all types of projects are accepted so I decided to make a small mixed media canvas.

I began by making a background on chipboard.  I mixed blue, green and yellow acrylic paint with texture paste and then using a spatula I spread the colours randomly over the card.  Once the background was dry I stencilled orange paint and texture paste over the top and then stamped randomly to give a bit of visual interest.  I then splattered some burnt umber over the whole background.

Using strips of paper and a small heart frame I began to build up my canvas using embellishemnts, dies cuts, flowers and beads.

Once I was happy with arrangement I glued everything down using 3D gloss gel and added some micro beads.  I then found a small canvas, painted it with white gesso, and layered on some crackle stencil paste.  Once this had dried I soaked an old crochet doily in Powertex and then I draped it over the canvas and allowed it to dry.  Once it was dry I glued the mixed media piece on top of the doily and the piece was finished.

Please pop over to the blog and check out the projects made by the rest of the talented Design Team and I hope you feel inpsored to enter the challenge with your own project.

Twilight Angel

I have been having a play with the torso and wings from Imagine If. Earlier in the year I used the torso and a set of fairy wings.  This time I wanted to use the angel wings and make a "pretty" angel.  So I pulled out my lace and doilies and flowers and here is the finished result.

Here are the bare PDF pieces I used

As with my Steampunk Faerie I needed to give my torso some shape in the form of breasts.

Using chipboard circles I formed the breasts and attached them using glue and masking tape.

I then took a few pieces of textured lace, a couple of croceheted doilies and a pieces of ruffled lace, dipped them in black Powertex and draped them over the torso.  I had a piece of heavily textured lace that I used as a belt across the waist.  I draped the lace and doily on the skirt on an angle to reflect the underlying shape of the torso and to give the piece some visual interest.  If you do not have Powertex or Paverpol then you can use fabric stiffener and once it is dry paint the whole thing with black gesso, allowing it to dry before adding the colour.

I wanted to create some texture on the wings that imitated feathers. So I took a fine chiffon scarf and dipped it in the black Powertex and gathered and manipulated it on the wings. I was pretty happy with the way they turned out.

I then dipped some fabric flowers into the Powertex and attached them to the waist adding beads and pieces of recycled jewellery to the waist and neck areas.

Once everything had dried I drybrushed the whole thing with mica powders mixed with gel medium and Inka Gold pastes. I added some glitter to the flowers and the piece was finished.

This was such a lovely piece to make. Head over to the Imagine If website to order a set for yourself, get creative and have fun. 

Love My Garden

It has been so good to get back into the carft room after the Christmas.New Year rush.  I have been playing around with a little project for the Imagine If Design Team using lots of the gorgeous chipboard pieces that Jo has in the shop.  Here is the finished project.

Jo had sent me a small MDF heart and I used this as the base for the project.  I painted it with white gesso and added textures using texture paste through a swirl stencil from Imagine If and a Tim Holtz word stencil. I also randomly added some coarse texture paste in  areas.  I then painted everything with white gesso.

I then took a gorgeous tag topped with a butterfly and spread it with crackle texture paste.  This is another all time favourite product.  Jo sells the crackle paste both on line and in her ship at Morrinsville. I cut one of the chipboard chandeliers in half and then sorted out some other chipboard pieces that I could incorporate into the piece.

I then had a play and layered them up to see how they would work on the project.

 Once I was happy with the way it looked I placed it all on the tag, then layered the tag over some muslin on to the heart.  I added a few extra bits and pieces of chipboard that I found and then I painted everything with white gesso.

 Once the gesso was dry I used several sprays and inks to colour the piece. I wanted to keep the colours muted so I blotted the sprays once I had sprayed them.

I love the texture and the colours on this piece and I really love using the chipboard pieces. They are strong and hold up well  to the use of paints and sprays.

Check out the products at Imagine If. Not only does Jo design and cut the chipboard herself but she stocks a wide range of paints, sprays and mediums to make any project.

Happy crafting. 

Mixed Media Cross

For the challenge over at Southern Girls the theme for Team Trace is Anything Goes. As I am still playing around with texture and colour I decided to make a mixed media  cross.

I began with a blank MDF cross shape which I painted with black gesso.

I then layered fabric over the painted cross and began adding in embellishments.   I used lace, buttons, flowers, metal embellishments and other bits and pieces I had lying around.  Once I was happy with the result I painted everything with black gesso.

Using Viva Inca Gold paints I then began adding on the colour.  This is the part that I struggle with the most.  I am still learning how to get the colours on properly and how to try and keep the colours crisp and not muddy.  Practice makes perfect they tell me so I will have to keep practicing.  In the end I used the emerald green and the deep blue with a light dusting of gold mica powder in light gel over the top. 

Please pop over the Southern Girls blog and check out what the other members of the Design Team have been up to and I hope you decide to join in the challenge. 
Remember Anything Goes and this challenge blog is not just for cards. 

Mystical Touch Swap - Wine Cork Charm Dangle

Here is a small charm using a wine cork that I have completed for a swap on Facebook (Mystical Touch).