Thursday 1 May 2014

So Serene

Hello everyone!

      We are back with another challenge at Our Creative Corner and Linda is hosting for us with a scraps challenge!


    All of this creation is made from scraps - well, except for the substrate! I couldn't resist buying a lot of Paperartsy substrates at Ally Pally last month and had to use one for this challenge!

     I have been visiting a lot of blog posts this month looking for some inspiration. Jenny, one of my wonderful team at OCC, was demonstrating using Distress Paints and I must admit I was totally ashamed when she mentioned mopping up the leftover ink/paint and using it for later projects. I am afraid I never do this...I just wipe the leftover paints and inks away with a cloth. I always knew that people mopped up leftover inks to use later, but I just imagined I would have masses of painted, inked card and never use it. Anyway, the next time I was playing with some Distress paints (Frayed Burlap, Peacock Feathers and Picket Fence) Jenny's blog post came to mind again and I used two pieces of card to mop up the paint. I wondered what on earth I was doing at that moment, because I didn't like the effect of the paint on the card and I thought "Well, that's one for the scrap box, never to be seen again".....How wrong I was!

     When I sat down to do this creation I thought of using Turquiose and Brown - a favourite combo of mine and I had already hunted through the scrap box and found several cream and turquoise decorations. Then I caught sight of the pieces of card with the DP smooshed all over. I really hadn't liked them when I did them, but now that they were dried they looked a lot better...a background already made! Love it!

    Out came some of my favourite Artistic Outpost - A frame from 'Chalk it up'. Some ivy from 'Hayride'. A quote from 'Serenity' and a picture of a mill from 'Old Grist Mill'

    I had the two pieces of background painted card and I stamped the mill stamp onto one with Potting Soil Archival ink.


The frame was stamped onto the other piece of card with Potting Soil and Cornflower Blue Archival ink. I cut out the frame and stuck it onto the picture of the mill.


I then applied crackle glaze to the frame and when dry covered it with Decoart Media Antiquing Cream - I LOVE this!!!! You apply a coat over anything you want and when dry you use a damp cloth to remove as much as you like. It is great for crackle to highlight the cracks and I find it works much better than using ink or acrylic paint. I love that it isn't permanent until varnished, so it gives you so much more control. This is on my favourites list already!!! The crackle glaze adds a little bit of dimension to the frame as well as that gorgeous aged look.


  In the center of the frame there was enough card left over to stamp a sentiment and I chose one from the 'Serenity' set. I stamped this in Potting Soil archival ink



The edges of the quote were sanded with a sanding block bought from Paperartsy at Ally Pally. My sister-in-law Alison recommended them to me. I had always used sandpaper or the edge of scissors to distress the edges of card, but this gave a much nicer subtle distressed edge.


   The substrate was painted with Chocolate pudding Fresco paint and then covered in crackle glaze and left to dry. I used Chalky Finish Americana Decor paint in Lace - I love this too! These Decoart products were bought at Ally Pally (along with liquid glass) and I am so impressed...the crackle glaze works really well with this paint! and the matte chalk finish is gorgeous!


     When the paint was dry and cracked I stamped all over the substrate randomly with an ivy stamp from 'Hayride', this came out a little dark so I dabbed diluted Lace Decoart paint over the top to tone the colour down a little.


The edges of the substrate were dabbed with Gathered Twigs and Peacock Feathers DI.










  

   

   I do use a lot of flowers in my creations, especially roses and I usually make up more than I need, so there are always a few in the scraps box. The Tando swirl was painted in Nougat Fresco paint but never made it onto the final project that I had intended it for. At last it found a home, dabbed with Gathered Twigs and Peacock Feathers DI, it fitted perfectly.

   

I hope that you will go raiding the scrap collection and make something for us this month! Our sponsor this month is Crafty Individuals and they have donated a gorgeous prize for one lucky randomly picked prize winner this month - It could be you!
     
   There will also be a winner and Top Three too....So many ways to win! But you have to be in it to win it! Hope to see you there!




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9 comments:

  1. A wonderfully aged piece Laura. Loving the crackle. Jenny x

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  2. Uh oh, I see another Mistress of the Crackle has arrived in blogland! lol.
    Julia was the first that was entitled by me with this honorary title, but now you have earned that title too - all your crackle goodness I have been seeing on your blog during the last months is deeply impressive and utterly beautiful! Wow!

    Deep bow,
    Claudia x

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  3. This is so amazingly beautiful!

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  4. So beautiful love the crackle effect .

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  5. aaaaaaaaaadorable :-))
    Hugs, Andreja

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  6. This is so beautiful, Laura. I have had the same experience with trying to save mop-ups. I have been using Baby Wipes lately, storing them in a bag in my cupboard so they may be appearing on a piece soon! I love the image on this hanging; the crackle and the beautiful sentiment. Julie Ann xxx

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  7. This is just so lovely, I am in love with your work and your blog, so excuse me if i stalk you for a while lol, totally following :)

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  8. I like this piece, the colors and the crackle. Thanks for all the tips. I wanted that Serenity stamp set especially for the quote you used. Beautiful!

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