First workshop of the year with Brenda with photos and video

My first workshop at Country View Crafts headquarters was a couple of Saturdays ago and it sold out with maximum numbers within days of going live. I feel so honoured that so many people wanted to come and make my project without actually seeing a photo of it in advance. I called it simply a Springtime Shadowbox.

The Tim Holtz Cottontails take centre stage on a rusted frame with a collage backdrop of ephemera and papers.

I demonstrated a quick watercolour technique using the DecoArt media fluid acrylics.

And we added several of the Entomology bugs to ad to that Springtime feel ......

.... including one hidden in the foliage.

 In the background you can see the fabulous crackled design with washes of more of the media fluid acrylics.

I so enjoyed my day and I think the participants did too.

My thanks to -

Helen Pigott

Helena Jeffries

Cheryl Reynolds

Helen Hinkins

Karen Conningsby

Fred Smith (aka Nikki Acton)

Margaret Green

Robyn McClay

Karen Bradbury

Nahid Khan

Lynda Sutherland

Hazel Corrigan

Claire Martin

and of course the lovely Susan Seabert

I have put together a video of the workshop and most of the projects made on the day. Some may be missing because I either missed them - this is my first time for creating a video like this or they just wouldn't load.

Fingers crossed this works.

Here are a couple more photos of the day.

Yours truly at the front of the class,

A small sample of the goodies that can be bought  and if you are attending the workshop you get a 10% discount on the day.

A new drying rack with all the backgrounds and cottontails drying before they can be used for their next steps.

All workshops at Country View Crafts can be found on the shop website here.

hugs Brenda xxx

www.bumblebeesandbutterflies.com

Floral Shadow Box

Hi everyone, Nikki here today to show you this shadow box I created. I seem to have a lot of photos today!

As is often the way I didn't have a fixed idea when I started and began with 2 pieces of card which I spritzed with tarnished brass distress spray.

Next a little stamping - any background stamps will do.

Next some distress paint coloured texture paste through a stencil - I used Tim Holtz Schoolhouse.

Once dry I added some fossilized amber distress paint with a baby wipe - adding, smudging until I was happy...

At this point I treated the two pieces of card differently... for the first I added more distress paint in blue tones...

For the other I sprayed with Victorian Velvet distress spray ... a little more subtle!

I wanted to knock back the colour on the stencilling so dry brushed white gesso over both of the surfaces..

I then took my scissors to the edge of the card to distress it and mounted it on complimentary card stock to fit in the shadow box. I added various embellishments - the flowers are bought ones on the pink version and made from the tattered florals die on the blue ones. The leaves are cut from the garden greens die.

Thanks for visiting

Nikki

Addicted to Art

InLinkz.com

Love...

Today is the day all us romantics get the opportunity make something special for our other halves! It's also the day that we often don't receive anything in return... well, in my house anyway! I had a fabulous shadow box from Country View Crafts that I wanted to use and so I cut paper to cover the front and the aperture became the backing paper for the back piece of the box. I dry brushed the inside of the box with white paint, adhered the central panel at the back and then sealed the edges with tissue tape.

The fun bit was adding the elements such a Wendy Vecchi heart and some Tim Holtz leaves from his new die! I LOVE that die! The vibrant colours are Dylusions Sprays. Love those too!

I love the die cut banner and the Valentine's ticket coloured with Distress Markers. The Idea-Ology I used included a pearl, a wishbone, a token and a game piece. So this is my romantic make for Valentine's Day - what did you make?

Gabrielle

paper
paper (seasonal)
White paint
tissue tape
Heart
Leaves
Green ink
red ink
banner
stamp
Markers
Pearl
Game Piece
Screw Eye
Wishbone
Token