Discover Inspiration

Hi everyone,

   April is going to be a busy month for me with the school Easter holidays. My daughter will be taking over the art cupboard for all the projects she has planned and my son will no doubt be wanting to learn more cake making skills! Busy busy busy!

   I don't know how many projects I will have time to make this month, but one challenge caught my eye and I had to do it! My wonderful friend Claudia at Sandee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge is asking us to use our 'Favourite Technique'. I always have found Claudia to be so inspiring - she has helped me many times get over a mojo-less time with the most amazing encouragement and words of advice. And as usual, her challenge blog has provided inspiration again.

    I do admit I have always been a little bit nervous about Steampunk - feeling that it isn't a style I feel comfortable with and can feel a little overpowering at times. Claudia and I were chatting once about Steampunk and she said that she doesn't mind if things on her challenge have simply a 'twist' of Steampunk and I really loved that idea - To use my usual techniques and style but add a Steampunk flavour rather than an elaborate creation overloaded with Steampunk-ness.....and this is what I came up with.

    I don't know what my usual style is because I do try to stay away from focusing on a set style. I think art evolves and as you learn your 'style' changes and grows. I do know that I love vintage, flowers, feminine creations that seem at first to be the direct opposite to Steampunk. I was looking forward to adding a Steampunk twist to a vintage feminine creation. Though I look at this and wonder if I went a little more Steampunk than just a 'twist?!!!

     I used a few favourite techniques here....I love making my own balsa wood frames as also seen here, and here and here....I chose to do this again for this project.

   I cut a square from Balsa wood with a smaller square cut from the inside. I got card that had been embossed with a cogs pattern and cut it to the shape of the frame and stuck it on. I then cut strips of the embossed card to cover the outside and inside of the frame.

    I painted the frame with Chocolate Pudding Fresco Paint and then smudged some copper wax to highlight the texture. This is another technique I adore - though I usually use Old Gold Fresco paint on em,bossed card, darkened with French Roast and adding Treasure Gold. I love making embossed card look like metal.

Evergreen Bough DP had been watered down and darkened with a spritz of Calypso Teal Dylusions spray and splattered over the frame. Then I splattered the frame with a bit of Vintage Bronze DP.

    After this I dabbed some embossing ink on the frame and sprinkled the frame with Walnut Stain and Tea Dye Distress embossing powder. Then added a little verdigris embossing powder.

    The picture in the frame was made using card that had been blended with Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain DI. A vintage photo was added over various stamps stamped with Coffee Archival ink.

    The flowers were covered with Bundled Sage DI and edged with Walnut Stain DI and then small watch gears were added as the flower centers. Watered down Honey dew Fresco paint was splattered over the flowers. A bit of curled rusty wire was added.

 I used the same rusty wire to create a hook for the frame. Curling the edges and then twisting the center into a loop. I used a bronze decoration on top of this.

 The words 'Discover' and 'Inspiration' were chitchat stickers edged with Walnut Stain DI and added to the ends were a tiny pieces from the collection of watch bits and pieces.

    And there is my Vintage Steampunk frame - using more than one of my favourite techniques!

   Thank you so much for being here - Hope you like what you saw!

I would like to enter this at the following challenge -

SanDee and amelie's Steampunk Challenges - Your Favourite Technique goes Steampunk