Entomology board and simple background for mounting on.

I got the bug for this set of stamps - please excuse the pun lol, but the little creatures called to me to use them in a project so here is an easel board and yes my faux encaustic technique again.

Cut a piece of thin greyboard and adhere a piece of designer paper - mine is from the Tim Holtz Correspondence set - using the decoupage glue and seal the top with it too. When dry mix watery media fluid acrylics in three colours and dip, drip and dry random pools of colour and heat dry between each layer so the colours don't mix and produce mud.

Next mix some watery gesso and repeat the technique again.

Stamp three of the bugs - I used Tim's stamp platform and so glad I did as I was able to give it a second stamping to get very clear and sharp images.

I used the same colour paints I had in front of me to mix blends to paint the bugs and I adhered a plate name for each of them. (See my freebies page located just under the blog header to download for you to use).

I applied a thin coat of DecoArt clear modeling paste and left it overnight to dry.

I took some white gesso and transparent yellow iron oxide media fluid acrylic and blended them together to get a very light yellow colour and with blending foam I stenciled using one of Tim's mini stencils. This began to create some depth and interest. I also added a little text stamping using the gorgeous text from the Etymology set.
I also made a watery wash with raw umber fluid acrylic and dribbled and dried some round the sides and I distressed the edges and painted them with the left overs.I splattered a white gesso/raw umber mix covering the insects to begin with so they got barely any on them. I got so involved in the process I forgot to take a photo here.
I finished with a thicker layer of the clear modeling paste.

You can see how the layers are creating some depth.

To help bring the bugs nearer to the surface again and be more prominent I drew round them and added a little of the detail with a permanent black pen and added some asemic writing in white a also a white remnant rub. To encapsulate it all and seal it I gave it another thin layer of the clear modeling paste.

To create the simple background on the canvas board I simply took phthalo green blue, transparent yellow iron oxide, titan buff, titanium white and burnt umber and blended over with a baby wipe. As areas dried off I kept adding more colour and rubbing some away with the babywipe until I had a mottled effect.

Next with a small brayer I rolled on a little of the titanium white around the edges (remember the panel will sit over the centre). You could also add some very light text stamping if you wished, but I didn't want to detract from the central panel being the main focal point.

Create a 'dirty' wash (I use different colours according to how I want it to look) I used burnt umber, raw umber and titan buff to keep it light in colour - I didn't want a really dark one. I also just finger painted and added some darker areas on a few of the edges. If the brown comes out too dark you can always rub it back with a wet wipe even after it has dried for a while.

Finish by adding an easel to the back .....

... and you're ready to send it to someone special either as a gift or add a sentiment as a special easel card.

Thanks for stopping by.

hugs Brenda

www.bumblebeesandbutterflies.com

Sacred Secrets

I was incredibly fortunate to join a talented bunch of crafters at the recent Andy Skinner workshop at Country View Crafts. I have found that the best way to put into practice what you've learned is to do the techniques at home. So this project is the sum of what I learned!
The original kit I used was the Sacred Secrets kit. The picture on the front of the packaging shows what's in the kit but as there's no picture of it made up then you can really use your imagination! In writing this blogpost I've seen that there's a sample on the website so if you'd like more inspiration click on the link above.

I started by making pieces look rusty:

1. Use a watery wash of Paynes Grey
2. Add a coat of Quinacridone Gold
3. Use a very watery wash of white paint
4. Add another coat of Quinacridone Gold

Then for the background (and sunburst up to step 2)

1. Paint the background generously with Chocolate Pudding
2. Paint a thinner layer of Caribbean Sea. When dry, sand and add a very watery wash of white paint
3. Use a watery wash of Paynes Grey and allow some drips

To make the frame more interesting, glue the off cuts from the cogs to the frame. Make sure it's very dry before making it look rusty.

For the heart I used gold paint and some numbers left over from the workshop kit

The finished piece looks like this:

Thank you, as always for popping by and thanks for the tips Andy!

Misted Ink Background

There's something really satisfying about making different backgrounds for your projects. There's a quick and easy background that you can make as easy, or funky as you'd like!

Simply draw squares in your journal (I used the small Dylusions journal block as  I like the wavy lines). It should look like this - don't worry if, like me, you need to go over a few lines!

Add some stencilled shapes. I used circles with a stencil like this one.

Then the fun starts! Fill a water brush with Black Marble Dylusions Ink. Colour in the background on one square and the shapes on the next, making a chequerboard effect. It's very therapeutic!

This is the finished effect.

You could leave it just like this. But knowing the ink reacts beautifully with water then I just couldn't help misting the page until the ink started to run.

You can, of course, use any combination of colours you like to make the background. Also, don't just do squares, you can use stripes or any other shape you like!
To finish this off I used the new Darcy stamps for PaperArtsy. I added a few gold lines and white painty circles for added interest.

Thank you, as always, for popping by

Wallpaper and dress forms

I thought I would make an easel card using the Tim Holtz wall paper and his inventor 3 set of stamps with the lovely dress forms. You could use the composition and ideas to make an ordinary card but I have gone with the faux encaustic again.

Cut some thin greyboard and adhere a piece of the wall paper onto it using decoupage and then seal it with the same product. You will see that decoupage is very versatile and can be used as a glue, a sealer between layers and as a finish (top layer like a varnish). Scrape a thin and random layer of decoart crackle paint over and leave to dry.

I stamped the dress forms using black archival and then took greyish blue and neutral grey Amsterdam inks to paint n some of the dress form bodies and frames.

I distressed the edges of the panel with a distressing tool and blended in ground espresso distress ink knowing it was likely to move and seep a bit with the layer of DecoArt clear modeling paste on top. 

I stamped the scissors onto matte silver card, cut them out and again blended the brown DI around them and then laid them into the top of the paste just very gently pushing them into it.

The next layer I painted the scissors with a little raw umber and yellow oxide to tarnish them a bit, added some words and the gave another coat of clear modeling paste and added half a snap fastener as an inclusion.

I coloured up a canvas board using cerulean blue, light grey, titan buff and titanium white with a wet wipe to blend the colours. I gessoed using a brayer to create some highlights and then gave it a 'dirty' wash using burnt umber, raw umber, cerulean blue and titan budd with some decou-page sealer and water. I'll have a mini tutorial in my next post at the end of the month to see this with photo steps, so keep an eye out for it.

Eh voila, I just needed to add a mount board easel and it's finished.

I love making these easel cards, they don't take much longer than making a card one but they certainly have more impact especially if you can hand it to a friend but even paying the extra postage is worth it for a special occasion.

 Thanks for stopping by, see you at the end of the month.

hugs Brenda xxx

www.bumblebeesandbutterflies

ATC inspiration

I have blogged recently sharing my gel prints and I just can't stop using my plate! Today I thought I'd share three quick ATCs that you could easily turn into a card, journal page or a host of other ideas! If you would like a reminder on how to use your gel plate, please see this post: Flowers are smiles

Using my gel plate I printed this A4 card in the following order:

1. Print a layer of Caribbean Sea
2. Print a layer of Snowflake
3. Print a layer of Granny Smith
4. Print a layer of Snowflake
5. Add Banana using the Tracks stencil
6. Add Bougainvillea using the Gothic stencil

Cut three ATC sized pieces from the page (reserving the rest for a future project!) An ATC is 2.5" x 3.5"

Decorate! 

This little chap is from the fourth Zinski Art set. I stamped the chap on a piece of white card and the ATC so that you don't have to cut out his antenna!

This ATC was finished in the same way as the first. The quotations on all three are from Chatter Design Tape - I cut the phrase from the tape and adhered it to the ATC.

To tie the three together I used a black pen to frame each ATC, white pen for the highlights and the circle stamp.

Thank you, as always, for joining me!

Gabrielle x

Faux Encaustic Mixed Media

Today I would like to show you a new way to use the DecoArt clear modeling paste and I am using some Andy Skinner stamps and an old PaperArtsy one too.

Scrape medium layer of modeling paste over the board.

Heat dry until a skin forms but the paste must not be dry right through. Take your stamps. spritz them lightly with water and press into the modeling paste to create texture. Add some inclusions to add height. (Leave space for your fish to be added on).

Either heat dry or let the board dry naturally so that the inside of the paste is totally firm then paint it with white gesso.

Use colour sprays or paint washes to add some colour to the texture and again dry the board.

 When the board is completely dry again take a palette knife and spread a layer of clear modeling paste. Let it dry - I left mine overnight.

This is what it looks like when you come back to it. The modeling paste has given it a milky almost encaustic look.

All I had to do was add some something on top. I found an old PaperArtsy stamp which I thought was quite apt as I hadn't put any fish in the water. As the surface is rather uneven the stamp didn't quite come out as crisply as I wanted it to I went round the letters in pen.

If you fancy having a try at this technique you can find the clear modeling paste on the shop website HERE.

I hope you like the faux encaustic idea and if you use it please let us know.

Thanks for stopping by.

hugs Brenda xxx