Sizzix Thinlets - Tim Holtz Abstract Faces

Of all the items I was asked to work with, the Sizzix Thinlets Tim Holtz Abstract Faces set was intially one of the most challenging.

It really took a while to think about what to do. Please have a look at my other post using this set - it uses the set in the sort of way I think it was intended.

That said, as I mentioned in the other post, it is a fabulous set for mixed media to add texture. For this canvas I used Distress Oxide Inks in Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss and Black Soot, and Distress Oxide Sprays in Bundled Sage and Peeled Paint.

Click on the image to see the video demo, and please feel free to follow me here on my blog, or on FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Happy crafting, 

Cxxxx

Seaside Canvas

Last week, I demonstrated this canvas on the FB live for Hixxy Studio. The full video is on the YouTube channel (click on the final picture for the link), but I have a few pictures of the stages to share here. I have recycled an old box canvas for this project - you can just make out the stripes underneath the layer of white gesso.

For the sea, I used white tissue paper and decoupage glue to create some texture like the waves.

For the sand, I used Imagination Crafts Icy White Paste because it has a grainy texture.

I used acrylic paints mixed with Gesso to paint both parts of the canvas.

 

I used Amy Design Maritime Fishing Net die to cut out the mesh from funky foam. I used white as it is easier to add colour to - with acrylic paint. I tore this up to add to the top of the canvas. To adhere it, I used transparent texture paste.

More paste was used to add the twine. You will see in the finished picture that I tweaked it and pulled it around once the picture was on. 

The photo was mounted onto a piece of card torn from a box. I ripped the edges of the card to expose the corrugated parts. And finally, I added shells.

Feel free to follow me here on my blog, or on FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. For all the videos, pop over to the Hixxy Studio YouTube channel to subscribe. And FB lives are streamed on both the YouTube channel and the Hixxy Crafts FB page. The main items I use can be found on the Hixxy Crafts website - have a look under the Hixxy Studio tab.

Happy crafting,

Cxxxx

Anything Goes!

Monday morning, and another new challenge over at Use Your Craft Stash on FB! We've gone for and Anything Goes theme this week - so..... Anything Goes. Whatever crafty project you are making with your old stash, join us and enter the challenge- just remember to add your photo to the album and tell us what stash you've used. Here's my inspiration for the week.

At first, I was thinking "We don't have a theme! I don't know what to do!", but then though, what do I really want to play with from my stash? Two things came to mind - rice papers and my melt pot. So

I used them to create the canvas.

The rice paper is an A4 one from Stamperia called Rose Garden with Fence, and I've used a 10x12 canvas.

As the canvas is larger than the paper, I used a palette knife to splodge white gesso and Imagination Crafts Menthol Starlight paint, onto the canvas. Then, rather than using a brush, I used the knife to spread it across the canvas. The paper was then stuck down with IC Satin Decoupage Plus.

The next step was to make some embellishments using the Melt Pot. I found the receipt in with the instruction book, telling me I bought this back in 2013, and I bought all the stuff to go with it - I have loads of large tubs of UTEE and some small ones too. I have the large tub of clear. I have the beeswax with a separate pan, the texture treads, inks designed to colour UTEE and a few moulds. But I am obviously out of practice as I managed to get the stuff on me twice - and that is very painful.

I never throw the unused UTEE out - and consequently I have a collection of things I never used, or ends of batches that I pour into little silicone moulds to set and keep for later. I wanted green leaves for the canvas, so gathered all the green and light coloured pieces from my scraps boxes, chucked them in the pot, and poured it into the moulds. There was a lot left over, so that has been saved for another day.

   

I didn't have much pink, so used the little bit I had, and mixed it with white, blue raspberry and clear UTEE. The little balls are UTEE Flex. The UTEE can be quite brittle when set, so this helps to stop it shattering if dropped.

Once made, the top can become matt from being in the mould. You can heat with a heat gun which slightly melts it and makes it glossy, but I decided to drag something else out the cupboard - my Cosmic Shimmer Mica Powders - which I dusted over the top. I used Golden Pear and Pearlescent.

 

And then, as always happens with me and mixed media, I forgot to take any more photos. But the next steps were stencilling the corner details on using Sheena Create a Flower A Leaf of Graph Paper stencil and IC Shabby Chic Relief Paste in Sage and Ashy Rose. I dusted these with Mica Powder too.  A little bit of stamping with an IC art stamp and Distress Oxides in Bundled Sage and Worn Lipstick added a little more to the background (but would have been better if done before the stencilling. And then I attached the embellishments with Finnabair Art Basics Heavy Body Gel, as they are quite heavy in relation to the canvas.

And there you have it. We hope to see all your amazing creations this week. 

Cxxx

I have entered this into: 

Mix It Up Challenge Blog #37

Love to Craft Challenge Blog #46

Believe Canvas

Well, blogging seems to go in fits and starts these days. The day job is keeping me really busy, but have the time, energy and inclination to blog!

This canvas combines Imagination Crafts goodies with one of the gorgeous Christmas 3D embossing folders from Crafter's Companion.

I started with White Gesso on the canvas and added Blue Starlights over it whilst wet. Next, I die cut some snowflakes - with a really old Crafter's Companion die set, and stuck those in the corners. I went over these with more gesso.

I then used Imagination Crafts Snoflake Swirl stencil firstly with Blue Starlight to creat a drop shadow, and then with Midnight Blue Sparkle Medium.

The after painting a piece of white card with Pearl Starlight Paint, I embossed it with Crafter's Companion Believe 3D Embossing Folder. Over the top of this, I applied Cobalt and Japanese Jade Alchemy Waxes. 

I finished off with a few little clear gems.

Cxxxx

More Flowers and Keys

Another canvas using the Flower and Keys stencil.

I covered the canvas with Gesso, then added Sand and Bright Maroon Starlight Paints. I then added rice paper (design 407) in the top left corner, and used watered down Cafe Creme Rusty Patina to knock it back. For the stencil elements, I mixed Rustique, Verdigris and Cafe Creme Rusty Patinas to make the drop shadow, then went over the flower with Ruby Gold Sparkle Medium and the Keys with Cafe Creme Rusty Patina. Once that was dry, I added some Verdigris and Rustique Rusty Patinas to the keys.

Around the edges I used Artsy Stones, Ruby Gold Sparkle Medium and all three colours of Rusty Patina.

Back tomorrow with more samples!!
Cxxx

Flower and Keys

So, as well as the gorgeous new Feather stencil, there is also a fab Flower and Keys stencil launching on Thursday too.

This is an 8x12 Canvas, coated first with White Gesso, then Zinober Gold and Black Gesso brushed through. One half I covered with rice paper (design 012). I then used Structure Paste through the stencil in both the top left and bottom right corners.

Once dry, I went back over the Sructure Paste of the flowers with a mixture of White and Black Gesso, and painted the petals with a mixture of Zinober Gold and White Gesso. I also used the Zinober Gold onthe keys.

Back with more later.

Cxxx

Vintage Charm

So, this week sees another great One Day Special from Imagination Crafts. The theme this time is Vintage!! As ever, there are gorgeous Rice Paper and Stencils, alongside Starlights, Rusty Patinas and Shabby Chic Relief Pastes.

This is one of the 10x12 Canvases cut in half and painted first with White Gesso and Green Starlight paints, then sprayed with Blue, Green and Orange Mix Media Sprays. Have to say that the Orange Spray got a little lost in the strong blue and green pigments. I then added a piece of rice paper (design 407) over the top, which adds more interest to the background. 

I used Zinober Gold Starlight paint through the new Feather stencil that MJ shared on her FB live last night, and then Ruby Gold Sparkle Medium, slightly offset to create a drop shadow. The postmark was added in the same way. The script is from the same stencil,with Linen Shabby Chic Relief Paste. And finally, the "Dream" word is one of the Magi-Cutz with Zinober Gold Starlight and Ruby Gold Sparkle Medium.

The ODS launches on Hochanda at 6pm Thursday - make sure you tune in!!

Cxxx 

Voila!!

Did you manage to catch the launch show of the Parisian themed Imagination Crafts One Day Special? Some great demos and fab samples from the team.

This is another of my samples, using one of the rice papers, Magi-Cutz, the script from Les Ciseaux stencil with Gold Relief Paste and of course Starlights in Banana Yellow, Hot Pink and Rich Gold.  Artsy Stones add a little bit of texture.

Sue will be back at 8pm tonight and again at 9am, 1pm and 5pm tomorrow.

Take care,

Cxxxx

Simply Scissors

Another day - another sample for Sue's shows on Hochanda starting this Friday at 6pm.

For this canvas, I started by painting the 10x12 canvas with white gesso, and Silver Gold, Amethyst and Dark Orchid Starlights. I added buttons to the corners of the canvas with Transparent Relief Paste, and painted over them with the gesso and Starlights.

I then applied Platinum Relief Paste through the stencil for the scissors, Linen and Lavender Shabby Chic Relief Paste for the flowers, and Dark Orchid Relief Past for the script and jewels. This took a bit of masking off, but the effort was worth it.

A background stencil and Platinum Relief Paste added the texture down the sides.

Will be back tomorrow with another.

Take care,

Cxxxx 

Oooo la la!!

A little Parisian charm is coming to your screens on Friday in the form of some great Imagination Crafts goodies. There are Parisian themed rice papers, stencils and Magi-Cutz alongside all the greats like Starlights, Texture Paste, Relief Paste and Alchemy Waxes.

For this, I cut a 10x12 canvas in half, and painted the background with white gesso and Banana Yellow, Silver Gold and Mediterranean Sky Starlights.  The texture on the left is some ric-rac and Artsy Stones that I stuck on before painting.

The "Paris" word is from one of the rice papers, and I used several of the stencils to create the script and other texture using black gesso and Platinum Relief Paste. The Eiffel Tower and the stamp are Magi Cutz.

Sue will be on your screens on Friday at 6pm for the launch of the One Day Special, and again at 8pm. She will then be back at 9am, 1pm and 5pm on Saturday.

I have more samples to share with you over the next few days - so I will be back!!
Take Care

Cxxxx

Little Red Beetle

Evening!! Am really proud to share with you my first sample for Imagination Crafts. The lovely Mandy-Jane Taylor will be on your screens on Wednesday 10th October at 12pm and 4pm with lots of gorgeous Imagination Crafts products.

I absolutely love this red beetle from one of the rice papers, and just had to team it up with the Magi-Cutz cogs.

I started with white gesso on the canvas which I had spritzed with water first to help it spread more easily.

After another spritz, I brushed some Misty Green Starlight paint around the edges. 

I then added some Pink Sorbet Starlight around where the car would go.

Next I used the Butterfly and Keys Mask with Red Mixed Media Spray. To avoid it spraying where I didn't want, I used some wax paper. Not sure I'd do that again as it left a very hard edge.

To make sure that the ink didn't move when I added other things, I spread a thin layer of Translucent Relief Paste over the top. When this was dry, I added the rice paper.

Using Smoky Gray Versafine, I added some texture to the edges of the canvas and the rice paper.

Sage Green Shabby Chic Relief Paste was added through the Baby Bubble Stencil.

The Magi-Cutz Cogs were painted with the Starlights and attached with Transparent Relief Paste. A few Artsy Stones were added and the little circles are punched from card painted with Misty Green Starlight, and sprayed with Red Mixed Media Spray.

Will have a few more samples to share over the next few days.

Cxxx

True Love Forever

I have been amassing a few gorgeous trinkets to alter from my local car boot, but in the meantime, I have a box canvas created using a load of Imagination Crafts goodies - and an old pre-used canvas.

I have used:

Off cuts from rice papers - 339 and 446

Starlights - Hot Pink, Clotted Cream

White Gesso

Decoupage glue

A4 Art Stencil - Crosshatch Elements

Structure Paste

Other

Box Canvas

Lace

Red Liner tape

Doilies

Art Basics Heavy Body Gel

Paper flowers, fabric flowers, wooden hearts, Card Candi, UTEE flowers

I decided to use up some scraps of rice paper and a box canvas that I had previously used and over-painted.

I played around with the pieces I had, until I was happy.

I painted the canvas with white gesso.

I then brushed Hot Pink and Clotted Cream over the canvas with a bit more gesso.

Using Decoupage glue, I stuck the rice paper to the canvas.

The lace trim was stuck on using red liner tape.

I added a quarter of a doily to each of two corners, using decoupage glue.

A mixture of structure paste and Hot Pink Starlight paint was mixed, and applied through A4 Art Stencil - Crosshatch Elements.

I then had a rummage through my stash to find some embellishments and stamps and played with the arrangement of them until I was happy.

At this point I decided to add the structure paste to the edge of the canvas . 

I glued more rice paper to a whole doily.

The first layers of embellishments were added using Heavy Body Gel.

I had a go at making some embellishments using the Structure Paste and moulds. It did take quite a while for the paste to dry in the mould - the thinner the piece the quicker it dried.

I added these onto the canvas.

And covered over with white gesso. The paper flowers really didn't want to be covered - never had that before - the colour just kept seeping through even after several layers. Lesson learned - and I don't think it shows too much.

With a dry brush, I added Hot Pink and Clotted Cream Starlights and more gesso.

I gessoed the wooden hearts, painted them with Hot Pink Starlight, and then dabbed Clotted Cream Starlight over the top with a dry baby wipe.

Having painted Clotted Cream onto a piece of card, and then I stamped using Crafter's Companion Textures word stamps. I cut the pieces into banners, and edged with some of the pink structure paste.

I added the hearts to the canvas.

And then the words.

The words don't show up so well on the final photo - but hopefully you get the ide.

Back soon

Cxxx