Anything Steampunk

 Hi everyone!

    It is a new challenge over at Sandee and amelies steampunk challenge this month 

"Anything Goes!" 

I love it when the subject is as open as Anything Goes....the only problem is that sometimes it can be difficult to think of something when it could be anything!

 I was ok this time because I had a pendant that I wanted to alter and had been meaning to do it for  awhile...I was just waiting for the right time...

The pendant was a bright silver - so the first thing I did was paint it with Decoart Media fluid acrylic paint in Carbon black. When dry I gave it the lightest dry brushing with Decoart Dazzling Metallic paint in Champagne Gold.

 I cut some printed script paper to go inside the pendant and cut out a face from a vintage photo

After attaching them to the pendant I filled the pendant with Glossy Accents.

I then selected some cogs and gears to sit inside the frame - carefully setting them in place in the wet glue with a pair of tweezers

I then attached a brass watch charm to the base of the pendant and covered the join with a jewellery finding.

I attached more tiny cogs and gears and the word 'love' - and there it is...

an 'Anything Goes' Steampunk pendant!

Not a very long post today - Sometimes Steampunk can really be that easy!

Even if Steampunk isn't your usual style why not come on over and give it a go?

If you have never tried it before then this challenge is a perfect placed to start...

 You might just have a lot of fun doing it!

Come and join us at Sandee and amelies Steampunk Challenge....

Happy Crafting!
Laura

xxxxxxx

 

The age of Gentlemen

Hi everyone,

 Over at Sandee and amelies Steampunk Challenges today there is the new challenge...

Top Hats and Moustaches

This is a tag that I thought would end up in the bin...

You know how it is - what seemed like a good idea suddenly goes downhill? Well I was too stubborn for that and after leaving it alone for a few days I decided I liked it to much to let it go. It might not have gone the way I intended it to go - but that doesn't mean it is wrong!

I started out with a cardboard tag - I wnated a window in it so I got a thick sheet of corrugated card and cut it to the same size of the tag and cut a window out. I then stuck it to the tag and covered it all with text paper (which got lost a bit in the layers of paint - never mind!)

 I began to dab lots of layers of paint...sorry but I have no idea what they were - becuase it got layer after layer and soon even I didn't kow what I was doing!

   Eventually it just ended up a weird green and I left it alone.....

  Some crackle glaze was applied followed by some white Antiquing cream that was wiped away with a damp cloth. 

 A few days later I came back and stamped the image of the gentlemen from a Paperartsy set using Jet Black Archival ink onto text paper. I cut it out and stuck it onot the tag.

 I stamped some cogs and gears and a script stamp

Classic Treasure Gold was snudged around the edges of the tag

Dictionary paper was added to the window and painted with lime green paint.

The quote that came with the stamp set was added to the window along with a stamped tape measure and cogs and gears

Brass embellishments were added

And there is my 'Top Hats and Moustaches' tag

Even if Steampunk isn't your usual style why not give it a go?
 You might just have a lot of fun doing it!

Remember we don't mind if it is just a hint of Steampunk you want to feature...

   Come and join us at Sandee and amelies Steampunk Challenge....

Happy Crafting!

Laura

 xxxxxxxx 

Aged Beauty

Hi everyone!

Over at Sandee and amelies Steampunk Challenge this month we are focusing on -

Ravages of Time

 Thinking of peeling wallpapers, rust in all its glorious forms of appearance, peeled paint, crackle, patina, weathered wood,

I love making things with a weather worn aged effect...There are so many paint techniques that can transform card into a tarnished treasure!

    I started this creation with a Paperartsy substrate...they are great! They take so much punishment (I know because several times I have stripped back the layers of a creation to re-do it). This toughness comes in handy for a creation where layers and sanding come into play...

     First I covered it with a coat of gesso as a primer - I wanted to use Quinacridone Gold which is transparent and would loose some of its vividness if painted directly onto the brown surface of the substrate. The white paint makes a good base for the transparent paint to shine...

    When the Quinacridone Gold paint was nearly dry, I patted the substrate with the palm of my hand to remove some paint. I didn't want to wipe the surface with a cloth in case I removed too much - by patting it with my hand, I removed patches of paint and the effect was wonderful - one to remember and worth getting paint covered hands for!!!

      I then covered the substrate with crackle glaze. After leaving it to dry I painted it with a thick layer of  Decoart Phthalo Green-Blue Liquid acrylic paint mixed with some white acrylic paint. This  formed a gorgeous turquoise.

      I covered the substrate with a thick layer of this which formed wonderful crackles - revealing the rusty Quinacridone Gold and also the white patches.

When dry I sanded around the edges revealing the layers of paint and adding to the distressed peeling, aged look. I dry brushed some Raw Umber and Quinacridone Gold around the edges of the substrate.

 

     Now was time to decorate...

   I wanted to focus on time so a clock die cut seemed best....my recipe for creating rust is very simple

Dab on some Evergreen Bough DP

When dry dab on some Vintage Photo DI

Then dab on some Picket Fence DP

Then covered with Quinacridone Gold and sprinkle with Vintage Photo Distress Embossing powder when wet.

This method was used to create both the cogs and the clock surround.

The clock face was made from printed paper which was stamped with my favourite script stamp in Potting Soil Archival ink. A clock was cut out from printed paper and dabbed with Frayed Burlap DI. The clock hands were painted with Antiqued Bronze DP and a bronze screw brad was used to attach them.

    The word TIME was stamped using Evergreen Bough DP. It is stamped onto pattered paper which was then cut out and had twine stuck to the ends. Twine braid was wrapped around the substrate and the word time stuck onto it.

The background was decorated with a script and text stamp - using Potting Soil Archival ink and Picket fence DP. Several stamps  - the numbers, gears and quote were added using tissue paper - the stamp was stamped onto the tissue paper - the image was torn out and stuck to the substrate with Matt multi-medium. 

Hope you like it! Why not come over and check out the wonderful things the rest of the team have made to inspire you!

Happy Crafting!

Laura

XXX

In The Frame

Hi everyone!

 I am here today with...wait for it.....Another frame (what a shock!).....I love making them!

 I was inspired to do this after watching a video by Andy Skinner....I must admit I don't watch many instructional videos - mainly because they leave me wanting things that I can't afford!!!

 This one caught my eye and I thought I would give it a go.....

And of course, after watching the video I decided I really had to give this technique a try...but the only thing I had was the white antiquing cream - not much good on it's own.

I did have a Decoart Matt Varnish (not as good as the Ultra Matte - which is the BEST!) and I thought I can use approximately the same colours of other paints.....

...........but I really really really HAD to have the stamps - You see!....This is why I don't watch videos!!!....

So of course an order went out for the stamps...and when they arrived I got started...

I am not going to explain how I made the heart - I followed the video instructions and you should too! ;o)

I made a frame (of course) and painted it with Gold Decoart Media Fluid Acrylic and then covered it with crackle glaze. This was then covered with Raw Umber Antiquing Cream which was wiped away to reveal dark cracks

The background was embossed card that was dabbed with Evergreen Bough Distress Paint and then covered with Vintage Photo DI. It was then dry brushed with Raw Umber Decoart Media Fluid Acrylic paint and then rubbed with some Classic Gold Treasure gold.

A key and a cog were treated with some faux rust - first I dabbed on some Evergreen Bough DP then brushed on some Quinacridone Gold acrylic paint.
This was followed by some Picket Fence DP before applying a second coat of Quinacridone Gold.

 Then I added a very light sprinkle of Vintage Photo Distress Embossing powder.

I added some Artistic Outpost stamps to the heart and a quote as well...  

And here is the finished frame.....

Hope you like it! Thanks so much for being here!

Happy Crafting

Laura xxx

It's all an act

Hello everyone!

Over at Sandee and amelie's steampunk challenge the challenge this month is -

Raise the curtains

This month we challenge you to create Steampunk projects in which curtains play the main role.  

Your project can be anything that has to do with curtains (maybe being raised or pulled aside, revealing....well, whatever you can think of). I am sure you will once again surprise us all with your marvelous and imaginative projects!

When I saw this challenge my thoughts immediately were about making a theater...a Steampunk theatre of course!!!....

I constructed a theatre out of balsa wood and embossed card - here is how I made it...

I used a die cut as a template to cut out the balsa wood front. This was then covered with some embossed card.

I constructed the roof out of two pieces of balsa wood which were then covered with embossed card

The back was cut to size and all of it was attached to the base which was a much thicker piece of balsa wood to give it support. All of it was painted with Gesso, then covered with Burnt Umber Decoart Fluid Acrylic paint. It already had a bit of a tarnished bronze look already but I wanted to emphasize that, so I then rubbed it over with Iced Espresso Metallic Lustre. I thought this might be a huge mistake at first as the metallic effect was too bright....but another coat or Burnt Umber paint toned down the metallic effect really well and I ended up with the tarnished metal effect I had wanted....Happy accidents!

I stuck some buttons, a metal rose and an ornate corner onto the theatre

The background for the theater started off as a piece of card that had been swirled in Distress paints - I have absolutely no memory of what colours were used, but looking at it I would guess -Weathered Wood, Vintage Photo and Picket Fence Distress Paints. At the time this piece of card was made it had obviously not been 'right' for the project I had in mind and so had been put into the "Not useable at this time" box....I had found it and thought it was perfect for this creation.

I stamped it with Artistic Outpost stamps from French Flight and Industrial Backgrounds

Now onto the curtains...

I used some of my favourite material remnants that I had used for my dolls house - I knew it was perfect for this project. It is a printed velvet with a very subtle pattern. A two toned silky-soft velvet, it varies in shades from a gorgeous mink brown to a beautiful pale grey blue depending on which angle you look at it. Whatever way you view it there is always a hint of gold from the back of the material....absolutely stunning!

I had a very thin piece of brass tube that was cut to fit the width of the theatre and I sewed the curtain tops so that the tube could be inserted. Once they were sewn I attached the curtains and slotted the tube into the theatre

Pieces of rusty wire were twisted into loops with pliers to hold the curtains open

These were inserted into the walls of the theatre

The performance is about to start....

I used the image of the three men from the French Flight Artistic Outpost stamp set. I stamped them with Frayed Burlap DI and painted them with Tattered Rose DI mixed with water. I added detail to hair with marker pens. I stamped the bodies with Black Soot DI and painted parts with water to add a shading effect.

The actors were then stuck onto a piece of balsa wood painted with Decoart Carbon Black Acrylic paint so that they can be moved along the stage...

 

I do hope you like my Steampunk Theatre...Come on over to Sandee and amelie's Steampunk Challenge to see what the rest of the team have made to inspire you for this challenge....we would love it if you joined in!

Happy Crafting!

Love from Laura xxx

I am linking this creation to Artistic Outpost this month