Hello everybody
I have been having fun with all of the autumnal modifications right here within the UK. The beautiful heat colors of the leaves, shiny berries, and interesting toadstools and mushrooms which can be showing.
After I first heard the subject and theme for this part of the weblog, I used to be instantly excited. I really like all of Alison’s stamps, however particularly those who tie in with the present theme of nature. Â
I’ve fairly a group of pure discovered objects, together with lichen lined twigs and worn and weathered wooden, these have been the plain start line for the bottom of my undertaking. I am wanting ahead to sharing how I created extra nature themed gadgets so as to add to my undertaking and mix with the attractive stamps, tissue and paints.
This undertaking was so enjoyable to create, with a lot of strategies that I attempted for the primary time, but in addition some outdated favourites.
I had been desirous to create one thing with air dry clay for fairly some time, however by no means appeared to get the time, this was my probability to play ! As soon as I began I used to be hooked and ended up with fairly a group of toadstools. I can not wait to share how I added the beautiful pure color to them.
I began my undertaking by selecting a canvas as my base, however utilizing it the fallacious means round. So utilizing the recess on the reverse as my substrate. I like so as to add further layers to my work, these might not all the time be seen, however they add further depth and curiosity after they peek by means of. This time it was e book pages torn and added to the canvas with matt medium. When this layer was dry I added a skinny coat of the Chalk colored Fresco End Acrylic to knock again the textual content a bit.
When the tissue was fully dry I used some Simply Walnut Infusions combined with water to spray on the canvas. This gave a extra pure and distressed look.
I needed the house contained in the canvas to coordinate with the body, so sprayed a panel of Smoothy card (SCA4) with the infusions spray, dabbing in-between spritzes to construct up the color till I used to be blissful.
Stamping the botanicals from the set utilizing Ranger Classic Photograph Archival ink onto the panel gave it extra curiosity. I crammed any giant clean areas with random partial stamping of the textual content stamps, simply sufficient so as to add texture. I additionally added some depth to the stamped photos by colouring with diluted Simply Walnut Infusions. I used to be now prepared to begin working with some color.
After I first begin working with a stamp set I wish to get a really feel for a way they may work in a undertaking, the scale, which color to make use of for stamping and many others. This time was no totally different. I stamped the photographs onto Smoothy card and began taking part in with the Berrylicious Brights, swatching as I went alongside. I quickly determined that I needed a extra muted color palette, but in addition a extra translucent look. Including various water to the person paints gave me the look of watercolours that I needed, however I needed to knock the colors again a bit extra. This was my first “what if” second. I added a tiny quantity of Simply Walnut Infusions and combined properly. It labored and I cherished the outcomes. I continued to combine and swatch, typically mixing paint colors too.
My undertaking had a terrific begin and agency foundation for what I needed to create. I knew I had fairly much more I needed to realize although, not least the toadstools and berries. It was time to begin taking part in with the air dry clay.
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I have not labored with air dry clay very a lot, and once I did it was years in the past. I could not keep in mind how lengthy it took to fully dry, how robust it was or how heavy. This was going to be a giant studying curve for me, however I used to be excited to start. The clay I had was stone color, if I had bought it particularly I in all probability would go for white, however I used to be utilizing what I already had. I quickly found it was simpler if I wore skinny latex gloves and positioned my toadstools on an outdated baking tray lined with non stick paper. I created the stalks individually from the caps and strengthened a few of the stems with a cocktail stick within the centre, simply in case. It was simple so as to add the gills to the underside of the cap, by scoring traces with a cocktail stick.
You will notice on this photograph that I painted the toadstools with Chalk Fresco Acrylic. I believe even when I had used white clay as a substitute of stone color, I’d nonetheless give them a coat of paint to seal them.
It was now time so as to add color to my fungi. I used my favorite Simply Walnut Infusions spray but once more. I began by spraying the below sides of the caps, then moved onto the tops and stems. It pooled in some areas and highlighted the feel of the gills. I cherished the look of those after they dried.
I moved on to creating the berries I wanted for my nature scene. I gathered a lot of beads, some from an outdated necklace and a few from my stash. These have been simple to color utilizing a craft decide or cocktail stick to carry them while making use of Chalk Fresco Acrylic. I wanted some bramble berries so a few of the spherical berries had a coat of gel medium after which artwork stones sprinkled onto them, as soon as dry in addition they received a coat of paint.
One of many issues I confronted with the bigger beads, was that they’d fairly giant holes. I considered filling them in with clay, however then I had a brainwave. Why not benefit from the opening and create a tuft of twine to resemble the world the place the flower was connected to the berry. In order you may see, I added twine to the highest of the wire onto which I threaded the beads. I used inexperienced for the spherical berries and pure for the longer ones.
As you may see I had to make use of quite a lot of containers to carry the berries on their stems while they dried. I had colored them utilizing the paint and infusion mixtures I had experimented with beforehand, however with much less water added. At this level I wasn’t satisfied I’d use the brambles I had created, they seemed too large and the stones sucked up the paint and remained very pale.
Stamping and colouring the botanicals was my subsequent step. Smoothy card is fabulous for this, I received clear crisp photos and the color blended superbly on the floor. My color mixes have been as follows, however be at liberty to create your personal customized mixes.
Hawthorns – Toffee Apple and Brown Shed with water and Simply Walnut Infusions
Brambles – Bougainvillea and Lavender with water and Simply Walnut infusions
Porcelain Berries – Bougainvillea with water and Simply Walnut Infusions.
Leaves – Magic Moss and Limelight with water and Simply Walnut infusions (both individually or each greens combined)
I had stamped and colored further leaves and berries in case I wanted them. It was time to fussy lower the botanicals, a laborious activity however important. Leaving a small white border I felt would permit the berries to face out from the backgrounds.
As quickly as I had all my components prepared and there was one factor that was bugging me, the canvas body and stamped panel did not appear to mix with the remainder of the weather. A small quantity of sponged on Ranger Archival English Ivy ink did the trick.
I used to be pleased with a lot of the components I had created and laid them out as I assumed they would seem within the last undertaking.
It was time to convey all of it collectively. Little did I understand how many modifications I’d make earlier than the undertaking was full !
The Hawthorne berries added curiosity to the highest of the body and have been connected with PVA glue.
As you may see right here, the tufts of twine have been lower near the highest of the berry, this was very efficient at overlaying up these holes. While assembling the completed scene I added a lightweight wash of Simply Walnut to those stamped berries to knock again the color a bit extra. I additionally lower up the sprigs of berries and added particular person leaves the place acceptable.
Now on this image you may see that I did certainly use the brambles. I gave them a number of coats of the paint combination, adopted by sponging on black ink. They nonetheless did not appear fairly proper, so a sprayed them with a diluted mixture of Blackcurrant Infusions. That did the trick and I used to be lastly blissful so as to add them to the scene.
Right here you may see the toadstools standing robust and straight amongst the wooden and lichen lined branches I selected to incorporate. You may also discover I’ve grounded the canvas on a big chunk of worn and weathered wooden from my stash. As quickly as I began to assemble every part I realised I wanted a robust base onto which I might glue every part, so this did the trick. I used a sizzling glue gun to connect all of the heavier components such because the wooden, branches, toadstools and many others, and gel medium for all the remaining.
I’ve cherished each minute of making this nature impressed scene and have a lot of leftovers to play with in future tasks. While working with the stamps and experimenting with including colors I additionally selected my Christmas card design for this 12 months, in order that was an added bonus.
I can think about a number of different methods of adapting these strategies to different tasks, presumably a centre piece for a vacation desk or an autumnal wreath for an inside door.
I hope you loved seeing how I created this undertaking and check out a few of the strategies I shared with you as we speak.
Glad craftingÂ
Mags x
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