Bats over the city for Halloween

CVC - Heavenly bodies/Space    

For my inspirational challenge project for Country View Crafts I created a simple scene to fit in with the challenge title and Halloween. 

Firstly create a background using brown distress inks - dip, drip and dry. Splatter etc until happy with it. Then die cut some buildings from the cityscape die set. Also cut some of the extras from coloured card to add some roof details.

Create another background using the same technique as above and using black, blue and brown distress inks, keeping it very dark. Splatter with the spritzes. Diecut the bats.

Take a third piece of card to create the night sky background, using removable tape fix the largest moon mask to the card. First blend over the distress inks and distress oxides .....

..... then start the distress process of using a small stamp block spritzed with water dabbed on to create movement, also dry between each step and splatter water droplets, dry some and repeat and blot others. Also splatter watery ink droplets and dry in layers. Remove the mask and give a final spritz around the edges of the moon. It softens the edge, allows some of the colour to creep into the moon shape to add shadow and texture, plus the oxides start to do their magic and create an oxidised effect where the ink components split, resulting in a muted, opaque, and slightly chalky appearance It reminds me of the milky way. 

When those layers are perfectly dry add the mask again and splatter the brushed pewter spray stain to create star constellations. 

They look grey in one light direction but sparkle in another. Don't forget to clean the mask and your paint brush straight away before the stain dries.

Remove the mask and dabble distress inks within the moon shape,, spritz, splatter and dry.

Assemble the city buildings onto the card, add some bats and a halloween message.

xx

Supplies linked to Country View Crafts

Tim Holtz Sizzix dies - Cityscape, Metropolis 661804, Mixed Media Halloween 661588

Tim Holtz Moon Mask THMSK0,

Tim Holtz Distress inks Walnut Stain, Ground Espresso, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot, Salvaged Patina

Tim Holtz inks for the sky - DI Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Tumbled Glass, Hickory Smoke. Dox Faded Jeans, Iced Spruce

Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain - Brushed Pewter

Tim Holtz - Spritz - Peacock Feathers, Hickory Smoke

Tim Holtz stamps - Skull Blueprint 659375

Faber Castell Pitt artist pens - brushes - TERRA

Toadstools

 Stamping Toadstools

“The children of the forest live deep in the roots of an old pine tree. They collect wild mushrooms and blueberries and shelter under toadstools when it rains.”

Elsa Beskow Children of the Forest

I love mushrooms, yes to eat, but also as a shape. I focussed on the Tim Holtz mini toadstool stamps and I made a small concertina book to house them all.

I stamped, painted, distressed all 7 stamps and the whole process focussed me in to light backgrounds, composition, shapes, colour mixing and blending. I used them to add an activity for my second Creative Sketchbook workshop that had a focus on 'Autumn'

Process Steps for all of the toadstools

Stamp chosen colour distress ink.

Stamp first using oxide inks to create the outlines and structures.

Use permanent ink fine black pen to create some of the outline and texture.

Paint DIs and/or oxides in layers similar to watercolouring.

 When dry add details with black pen.

Stamp mask and cut out. When image is dry place mask over.

Create background of your liking.

Toadstool #1

Stamp with Hickory Smoke - dry. Use black pen to start some of the detailing and outlines. Blend and layer colours of both oxides and inks to create a watercolour style. Colours listed below.

When dry add further details and shading with the black pen.

Stamp mask and cut out. When image is dry place mask over.

Blend pumice stone and lost shadow around the image. Drip water droplets on and blot and/or dry. Splatter with any left over inks on your palette and blot before they dry. Stamp texture using walnut stain.

Remove mask

Repeat similar steps of your own with all the toadstools.

xx

Supplies

All
Pens - Uni Pin fine line 0.1 Black, Uni Posca White
TH stamps - Tiny Toadstools CMS377
My supplies - media paper, black card


Toadstools 1
Stamped outline with Hickory Smoke
Colours -
TH - DOxs Hickory Smoke, Lost Shadow, Forest Moss
TH -DIs Picket Fence, Pumice Stone, Gathered Twigs, Rustic Wilderness, Walnut Stain.


Toadstools 2
Stamped outline with Pumice Stone
Colours -
TH - DOxs Vintage Photo
TH -DIs Frayed Burlap,
Paints - Snowflake


Toadstools 3
Stamped outline with Fired Brick
Colours -
TH - DOxs Fired Brick
TH -DIs Rustic Wilderness, Walnut Stain, Picket Fence, Vintage Photo
Paints - Snowflake


Toadstools 4
Stamped outline with Iced Spruce (small ones) and Hickory Smoke (large one)
Colours -
TH - DOxs Iced Spruce, Hickory Smoke
TH -DIs Peacock Feathers, Frayed Burlap
Paints - 

Toadstools 5
Stamped outline with Wilted Violet layered over on the stamp with Iced Spruce
Colours -
TH - DOxs Iced Spruce, Wilted Violet
TH -DIs Villainous Potion
Paints - 

Toadstools 6
Stamped outline with Scorched Timber
Colours -
TH - DOxs Scorched Timber
TH -DIs Scorched Timber, Ground Espresso, Picket Fence, Gathered Twigs
Paints - 

Toadstools 7
Stamped outline with Gathered Twigs and Picket Fence
Colours -
TH - DOxs Scorched Timber, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso
TH -DIs Scorched Timber, Ground Espresso, Picket Fence
Paints - Snowflake

Christmas Decor - Distressed, embossed Christmas tree

CVC Challenges Heavenly bodies/ space. Include stars and or planets in your project.  

    

Hubbie cut the wooden pieces for me and I started by painting the block stand and dowling (trunk) with the chalk paint and when dry I sanded some corners and edges and rubbed the brown distress ink into it.

Next do the same with the side panels of the tree.

Cut silver mirri card to A5 size, secure it into the embossing folder/texture fade and run through a big shot. Remove it and cut two pieces to the size of the flat triangles of wood. Adhere them to the wooden tree shape.

Rub chalk paint over each side and rub of with finger and repeat till required look has been achieved.

Die-cut stars with gold mirri card and also rub in chalk paint and leave till almost dry then rub over with kitchen roll. Rub coffee archival ink pad round the edges and points of the star.

The the above and lowest photos have reflected the colour of my phone (red) back to the camera.

Collect together elements to make up the tree topper decoration (berries, silver pine cones and ribbons) and something for the wooden base, I had some tiny pine cones.

Glue the trim to the base, punch 3 small star and edge with brown distress ink.

Assemble and complete .

xx

Supplies mostly from Country View Crafts

Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Thinlits Dimensional Stars,

Sizzix - Tim Holtz - 3D Texture Fades A5 Engraved Large,

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Industrious Stickers - Trims and frames

Tim Holtz star punch

Chalk Paint - Frenchic Yorkshire Rose

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Walnut Stain

Archival ink - Coffee

Miscellaneous - silver and gold mirri card, berries, ribbon etc,