Foreword 15th April - here I am sitting looking out into my back garden pondering what I can make for this new challenge chosen by the lovely Astrid - Spring Colours. It is a sunny Spring day, the sun is shining, the birds are visiting the feeders and there is an odd colourful butterfly or two winging their way around the shrubs and trees. The pretty pink blossom from the flowering cherry tree is just finishing and the white blossom on the plum tree has just emerged. In the garden next door I can see yellow button and yellow forsythia shrubs and a tub of orange flowers ...... mmm could this be my Spring colour palette?
Taking a piece of black foamboard I cut Tim's cameo frame. When I did this I found the edging to the frame came away and I could place the main part of the frame in the outside piece leaving a gap between them - so this became my substrate to work with. I sealed both pieces with DecoArt black gesso.
On the inner piece I painted rock candy clear crackle paint and on the outer frame I rubbed some candle wax and dabbed picket fence distress paint over it.
Whilst the frames were drying I die-cut Tim's layered butterfly and ran it through the embossing folder. I wanted to play more with tbe mixed media butterfly effects I had achieved on my Destination Inspiration collection of three - see here. After choosing the colours I wanted to work with - mustard seed, victorian velvet, spun sugar, picket fence and dried marigold (chosen from my ponderings above) I began by taking a box of oil pastels and colouring over the raised areas with white, creamy pink and yellow.
Next I spritzed the butterfly with water and daubed on mustard seed, victorian velvet, spun sugar, picket fence and dried marigold distress stains and heat dried it.
Lastly I splattered some ripe persimmon, abandoned coral and picked raspberry distress inks over and spritzed with water again, finishing with a paintbrush and touching in some of the colours to get the contrasts I wanted. I also inked the edges with walnut stain.
The inside frame dried with lots of lovely cracks. I firstly gave it a wash of picket fence distress stain wiping off the excess and then I daubed walnut stain and brushed corduroy stains over it and baked them in with a heat gun.
When the outer frame was dry I heated it to warm the candle wax up and gently rubbed with some kitchen toll to reveal the black underneath and then I daubed both walnut stain and brushed corduaroy stains over this and baked them in.
The whole piece was finished with some embellishments and a backing which had been dipped in the ripe persimmon, abandoned coral and picked raspberry distress inks.
For the title I used Tim's big chat words
Rather different again from my usual and its one of those projects where the photos really don't do it justice - but I enjoyed the experimenting.
We would love to see you over at A Vintage Journey for this month's challenge and do pop over to see all the amazing inspirational projects from the very talented Creative Guides.
Enjoy your weekend whatever you have planned.
hugs Brenda xxxx
