SDC251 - Black and White Only

SDC251 - Black and White Only
 

 Nellie van Leeuwin is our hostess this week over at Stampotique, she is challenging us to use Black and White only. Here is what she says about it.

 

"I challenge you to use only black and white in your project this week. So there you have it, let's play with only black and white! What a challenge this will be."

 

I initially thought OMG but then I saw my daughters converse and I remembered I had a stamp that would be perfect for this project.

Inspiration!

 

Take one piece of smooth watercolour paper/cardstock, using Black versafine ink stamp shoes (once onto the watercolour paper and then again onto scrap paper and cut out to create a mask.

 

Place the mask over the stamped image and stamp a grounding.

Black soot distress ink was then used with an alphabet/numeric mask to add interest to the card. this was then edged with black ink and a sentiment added.

 

One black and white card!

 

 

To see more black and white inspiration hop on over to the Stampotique blog here.

A short post  but at least I managed an entry this week.

Sue X

 

 

Sculpture Medium

 Sculpture Medium

 

 I've watched many video's on using sculpture mediums/powertex, from initial preparation to completion.  I've not used the proper stuff before, normally I  substitute plaster fabric to create a piece of artwork, so, I thought it was time to give it ago.

 I'd recently bought a plaster head from a craft shop in Telford, (Crafty Bunch),  the clear sculpture medium by Finnabair had been collecting dust for a month or so in a little nook of the dining room come crafting room, I had an idea that needed to be released but failed miserably.

 With that in mind this is how I began.

 

Using a block of wood which had a former life as a tea light holder and a empty kitchen roll cardboard tube,  I created a body for the plaster head. To do this I made a slit up one side of the tube so I could make it fit into the tea light holder circle. I then used masking tape to hold the tube to the correct size creating a long cone. The whole of the tube was covered with the tape to make it stronger and stuffed it with tin foil. This was glued into position with heavy gel medium.

 

 

The head was also stuck into position with the heavy gel medium and masking tape overlapped the join.

 

I was a little sticky during the next step so didn't take any photos, sorry,but this is what happened.

 I raided my old t-shirts and found an old white boob tube type top which was way past its best and probably will never wear again, I tore off all of the sewn edges and elasticated bits then tore strips for ease of application.  

 

I didn't have any gloves, fortunately my medium was clear so you couldn't exactly tell how much mess there was, I did try keep it to a minimum though.

 

I put a puddle on medium onto my craft mat and used a paint brush  to apply it to the strips of fabric, making sure it was well saturated. I began at the top by the plaster head and worked my way down just winding the fabric to the base the sculpture.

 

A larger piece of t-shirt fabric was used to create a shawl and shredded powertex fabric was added to create texture.

This was left to harden in the conservatory, not that this helped because the weather changed and the room which in the summer is so hot you can't  sit in it became a cold room. Fortunately the fabric hardened off nicely, probably about three days to go off completely.

Amazing, Love it.

Want to make more!

 

 

So drying time over I wanted to paint it and add interest to the piece.

 

Pale blue chalk paint was used all over the piece and highlighted with white, old gold was dry brushed all over.

Originally I imagined  using denim but when I tore the denim it didn't have the look I wanted, it was new denim not old worn frayed denim, so I'll save that for another project. With the denim torn I will throw it in the washing machine every time I do a load that will distress it nicely.

So, that said, not the dark indigo blue I had in mind but it turned out okay for this project, I would like to add more detail but not gonna rush it, the best things come to those who wait (or can afford it). LOL

 

Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

Hope you like my first Sculpture medium Sculpture.

 

Sue X

 

 

Hidden HeART

Hidden HeART

 

 

Where to begin?

 

A few weeks ago or maybe even a couple of months ago I began a project altering a book, the aperture was cut out and the initial base was coated in black gesso to create a tooth to add on other mediums.

 Graphite  texture paste was added randomly (when it goes on its grey in colour but when it dries it has a fab gritty texture), once dry platinum crackle paste was added to the rest of the cover.

 

 

 

Art Stones were the sprinkled onto the platinum paste while still wet, the larger ones were pressed into the paste gently.

 

 

 

Then I left it to dry naturally for  the best results of crackle and the girls were due home from school, (end of crafting for that day).

 

A heART  which was cut from grey board was treated in the same manor.

 

Two months later I revisited it and the crackle was amazing.

I decided to leave the cover more or less as it was, all I added was a couple of Lindy's sprays and then I lifted off most of the colour. I sealed it with a matt glaze with a sponge to add a layer of protection.

 

 

Over to the inside again a couple of Lindy's Sprays added a touch of colour, distress ink was added around the edges and into the centre a touch, this was misted with water and lifted away to reveal a mottled effect. Splatters were added and then it was sealed with distress wax. Tilda metal sequins were added for a bit bling.

 

 

The HeART was wrapped in rusty wire and mounted onto frayed powertex fabric,art beard were mixed with gel medium and popped into the corners for texture. A few small metal roses were added along with a few beads of various sizes. A couple of tiny rusty bells and a label pushed into the pages finished the project.

 

 

A little closer.

 

 

 

I'm really pleased with the finished piece, just have to find somewhere to display my

 Hidden HeART.

 

Or Hidden Art, get it!

 

Sue X

 

 

 

 

 

 



SDC248 - All Creatures Great and Small

SDC248

All Creatures Great and Small

 

Time for another challenge over at Stampotique, this week Nellie van Leeuwen is our host. This is what she has to say.

 

"Wild and woolly or friendly and domesticated we love them all..... make sure to include an animal or two on your creation this week."

 

 

And so with that in mind I chose to do a swift journal page.

 

My tabby moggy's and me.

 

 The standing cat was stamped and masked out with masking fluid onto smooth watercolour card. Then sitting cat was stamped and masked out closely followed by my little character, again stamped and masked. Flowers were then stamped and the grounding added all on the same piece of card.

Almost forgot other random stamping was added to the background to add interest, all of this stamping was done in archival ink black and grey.

 

Distress ink was added to the page in four springy colours which was misted with water and removed with kitchen roll.  This left a lovely mottled effect on the background.

At this point I used a little distress wax to seal the distress inks.

 

The masking fluid was gently removed by rubbing lightly, revealing the white paper beneath.

Water soluble pencils were used to add colour to the images on the page.

Extra squiggles were drawn onto the images in black as the colouring seemed to dull the outlines.

The edges were inked and the page was stuck into my journal book.

 

To see more inspiration hop on over to the Stampotique blog here.

 

Sue X