The Masked Reader

 A few weeks ago, we had World Book Day. It was the week before the majority of children returned to school, so the usual dress up things was not really going to happen. So, we went for a pyjama day - both for those in school with us, and those at home. And, it was rather nice to be dressed in my oversize hoodie and leggings for school. Anyway, to mark the day, and make it more interesting, we did "The Masked Reader", where members of school staff recorded themselves reading the blurb of their favourite book while wearing a mask - and also disguising their voice. 

I decided to create my own mask, rather than use a shop bought one. I started by covering the mask with gesso.

I then mixed some Aqua Starlight paint with gesso, and painted the whole of mask.

  

I added more colour to the band and top section by mixing Artiste Lagoon with the Aqua Starlight and more gesso. I then added some Deco Mache Decoupage paper - not sure of the name. I then painted over it with some diluted gesso to knock it back.

 

To add more drama, I used Artiste Conifer Green and Tea Pink, and loaded the brush so that I had both colours on the brush. I then used this to paint over the band and the top of the mask.

 

Happy crafting.

Cxxx

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

Journal Cover

Am back with another sample made for Mandy-Jane's shows today at 12pm and 4pm. This time I have taken one of the Journals and altered the back and front covers.

I forgot to take the step by step photos for this - but I can hopefully remember what I did. So, firstly, I remove the front and back cover by gently prying apart the binder. I did take photos of this so I would have a guide as to how to put them back on - but you don't need to see them.

The next step I did was to decide on the rice papers for the covers - these are the insides of both the front and back.

And these were for the front and back - although at the last minute I swapped them over! 

I mixed Bright Maroon Starlight paint with White Gesso, and painted both the inside and outside of both covers. I added the rice papers to each part.

For the inside, I used the Swirls stencils firstly with Black Starlight, and then with Platinum Texture Paste. 

For the outside, I used the Inky Script stencil with the Linen Shabby Chic Relief Paste. 

I finished by adding some Diamond Starlight Wax around the edges before returning the covers to the pages.

Cxxx

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