Challenge for the Girls

When we all met at NEC earlier in March, I took a challenge kit for everyone which I had put together from my personal stash.  All four were exactly the same and this is what was included.

We all got together on a Teams meeting and crafted and chatted together using the kit elements.

I started by planning my first substrate.

Using more from the kit and some from my own stash I started to build up the composition.

After I'd added the frame, I added the main focus, the moth.

I then stuck everything down and made a few alterations along the way.

And here is my final finished piece.

Next I took the clipboard, started to rummage through what was left and started placing the pieces.

Once I was happy with the general layout, I used a stencil to create a background.

This is what I ended up with.  I had a fab time in our crafting session.

Winter Steampunk Online Class

All set up ready for the class to start.

Painted the background, added silver flakes, stencilling and lace.

Started to build up a composition using found objects, resin pieces and wooden shapes.

And I kept going until I liked what I saw whilst trying to build up dimension.

Painted the edges to tone down the silver flakes.

Added the main focal point to check she would fit on her machine.

Painted everything with white gesso, two coats.

Put silver flake over the two light bulbs and painted the rest in chest of gold metallic paint.

Added black for some contrast and shadow.

Added white pearl wax with my finger over the top of the elements. Added some white splatters.

Added carmine to create a rust effect. Added pebbles.

Added crushed crystal effect paste and touched up with more wax, silver and pearl.  Watered down unicorn sparks and painted over the light bulbs and the wooden snowflakes.

Added the main image and the wing once everything else was dry.

Managed to get a couple of photos out in the garden.

Close up of the main image (from DigitalsbyJen on Etsy).

Ray Ray’s Creative Circus Class of 2024 - Part 2 - Finnabair

 

After a mammoth task of trying to find a supermarket to buy some lunch and being run off the road by a fire chief in an unmarked car, we finally got back to the hotel in order to make a canvas like the one above with Anna (Finnabair).

So Anna's style of teaching is completely different and she has everyone come up to the top table so that she can demo what to do.  

So the plan was to gesso the wood, then use three different colours of acrylic, water them down and create a sort of wood effect on one half.  The more water, the more streaks.

Next we added tissue paper to the top half and dried it thoroughly because the next step was to add guilding flakes. I chose to use all 3 available colours (gold, silver and copper) and on the wings of the moth.

There were lots of different colour combos going on.

Everyone still having fun.

Next step was to create the composition and unfortunately I totally forgot to take any more photos, so here is what I ended up with.

 

I used the same 3 colours of acrylic (avocado, umber and ink black) that I used for the bottom half. We then used white gesso and gesso'd all of the elements.  I took the black acrylic and painted around the outside of all the elements and used lots and lots of water to get the drip lines on the bottom half and dried each time between the spritzing.  Now the next thing we did is totally new to me, I used a matt wax (sage leaves) but like paint and totally covered all the elements.  Next I used a green metallic paint and randomly painted over the waxed areas using lots and lots of water, sort of washing the paint away but leaving the mica behind.  This also created more drips for me. I kept drying between adding more water.  Once happy with this, I chose the silver metallic wax and used it to bring back the highlights on the elements for a contrast.  I still have to stick the moth and add some pebbles.

And a huge thank you to Anna for bringing my prize with her from the latest patreons party.  This is so generous because there is only half of it here, I shared the paper with Janet.

I absolutely love these sticker sheets.

I am happy to say that the drive home was much less eventful than the journey down there. In fact, nothing happened at all - lol.

Another Spanner Plaque

 

I covered a piece of wood with t-shirt fabric that had been coated in black powertex. I placed the resin pieces and the spanner on the plaque whilst the fabric was still wet.

Once dry, I added a few more cogs and some colour to bring out the textures.

Close up of the middle of the plaque housing the spanner.

And the bottom part.

And the top part of the plaque.

This is available for sale in my online shop.

Sketchbook Journal Dream

 

I played around with some metal, wooden and resin embellishments on the front of the journal cover.

Then I slightly changed the layout and decorated the front cover.

And did the same to the back cover.

This is for sale in my online shop.

Cogs & Spoon Plaque

 

Remember this spoon I picked up from the car boot a few weeks ago?

I used my new Finn stencil and silver icing paste to put the pattern on this piece of wood.

I glued a piece of lace over the top.

Then I pulled out a few resin pieces and played around until I came up with something that I likes.

I painted on some prussian blue and sprayed water on it to dilute the colour.

Painted all the elements black except the spoon.

Next I sprayed the pieces with Decoart turquoise metallic spray.

Once dry, I used my new favourite colour of alchemy wax brushed iron, to high-light parts of the embellishments.

I decided to paint the spoon silver.

Close up of the head / bowl of the spoon.

And a close up of the other end, the fancy handle.

And finally the middle of the spoon.

This is going up for sale in my online website.