Entomology board for Country View Crafts

You love them or you hate them, all those bugs in the garden but they're totally safe when stamped on a project. I have an easel board over on the CVC project blog today created with the Entomology set of stamps by Tim Holtz and my faux encaustic technique.

If you can spare a moment to pop over and see how it all came together I would love to see you there.

Thanks for stopping by here.

Updated from CVC

I got the bug for this set of stamps - please excuse the pun lol, but the little creatures called to me to use them in a project so here is an easel board and yes my faux encaustic technique again.

Cut a piece of thin greyboard and adhere a piece of designer paper - mine is from the Tim Holtz Correspondence set - using the decoupage glue and seal the top with it too. When dry mix watery media fluid acrylics in three colours and dip, drip and dry random pools of colour and heat dry between each layer so the colours don't mix and produce mud.

Next mix some watery gesso and repeat the technique again.

Stamp three of the bugs - I used Tim's stamp platform and so glad I did as I was able to give it a second stamping to get very clear and sharp images.

I used the same colour paints I had in front of me to mix blends to paint the bugs and I adhered a plate name for each of them. (See my freebies page located just under the blog header to download for you to use).

I applied a thin coat of DecoArt clear modeling paste and left it overnight to dry.

I took some white gesso and transparent yellow iron oxide media fluid acrylic and blended them together to get a very light yellow colour and with blending foam I stenciled using one of Tim's mini stencils. This began to create some depth and interest. I also added a little text stamping using the gorgeous text from the Etymology set.
I also made a watery wash with raw umber fluid acrylic and dribbled and dried some round the sides and I distressed the edges and painted them with the left overs.I splattered a white gesso/raw umber mix covering the insects to begin with so they got barely any on them. I got so involved in the process I forgot to take a photo here.
I finished with a thicker layer of the clear modeling paste.

You can see how the layers are creating some depth.

To help bring the bugs nearer to the surface again and be more prominent I drew round them and added a little of the detail with a permanent black pen and added some asemic writing in white a also a white remnant rub. To encapsulate it all and seal it I gave it another thin layer of the clear modeling paste.

To create the simple background on the canvas board I simply took phthalo green blue, transparent yellow iron oxide, titan buff, titanium white and burnt umber and blended over with a baby wipe. As areas dried off I kept adding more colour and rubbing some away with the babywipe until I had a mottled effect.

Next with a small brayer I rolled on a little of the titanium white around the edges (remember the panel will sit over the centre). You could also add some very light text stamping if you wished, but I didn't want to detract from the central panel being the main focal point.

Create a 'dirty' wash (I use different colours according to how I want it to look) I used burnt umber, raw umber and titan buff to keep it light in colour - I didn't want a really dark one. I also just finger painted and added some darker areas on a few of the edges. If the brown comes out too dark you can always rub it back with a wet wipe even after it has dried for a while.

Finish by adding an easel to the back .....

... and you're ready to send it to someone special either as a gift or add a sentiment as a special easel card.

Tim’s tags of 2012–July revisited.

It’s almost that time of the year again and so I am getting in early with my first Halloween make for 2013.

This is tag 6 in my quest to revisit Tim’s tags of 2012 which originally started off to get Mr Mojo back, but after all the wonderful workshop experiences I have had recently I feel truly inspired again so I will continue to finish them all just for fun. But more inspiration to come from Tim, I have just signed up for Creative Chemistry 2 and looking forward to seeing what he and his guests make for us.

You can find Tim's July tag HERE where he gives all the details of how he made his one and of course it was a completely different theme. I followed his instructions for the process and techniques but changed the colours and images.

Supplies -

Alcohol inks – sunset orange, wild plum, gold

Distress stain – picket fence

Stamps – mini halloween, mini halloween 2

Looking forward to see more halloween makes over the coming weeks. I know some of you are well into it already.

I had a great day with Jo Firth Young yesterday and am looking forward to today's session too.

I hope you are having a great weekend. I can't believe  the beautiful blue sky and sunshine we have started with today, we are forecast gales and lots of rain which I guess will come in later :((

"Explore, discover and Create"

hugs {brenda} x0x

Finding Mr Mojo–Tag 5

I will have to admit to a bit of cheating making this tag, it is actually one of six I prepared earlier in the year but only two got finished and they were given to very dear blogging friends. So what I did was play with making new backgrounds but then finished all four of the other tags, the backgrounds will be used for something else later on.

This is my re-take on Tim’s June tag of 2012. I used the marbleised background, stamped over it and then used a vintage image I had downloaded.

I followed the same steps but improvised along the way with colours and supplies.

Along with my DT makes and these tags, I think Mr Mojo is finding his way back home but I will continue and finish the 12 tags just for fun.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look and a huge thank you if you leave me a comment. I really appreciate the time you give as I know how long it can take.

I will be back tomorrow with some photos of the weekend.

Have a great day.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Finding Mr Mojo–Tag 4 and Tim Holtz workshops

This tag was inspired by Tim's May tag 2012 (check out his blog for the full details of his tag), but I changed mine as I went along -  as you do!! It is a sample for Crafty Individuals who have new stamp sets just released and of course I love lighthouses so had to use this set asap. Please check out Jean’s blog to see the stamps and see the other DTs amazing inspiration.

I started with a tag that had been prepared from left over inks and stains from another project and stamped the numbers from the CI – 397 plate using cobalt archival ink.

I glued scrunched up blue tissue paper over the top and stamped the lighthouse and painted in using distress markers. The picket fence is perfect for colouring up the lighthouse itself.

The seagull was stamped separately on inked card, cut out and edged with walnut stain DI.

I added two wooden shapes both painted with white acrylic and this one stamped over with some of the names of the 31 areas used in the BBC shipping forecasts, as was the border that can be seen a couple of photos above.

Thought  would just add a few photos from the retail day and consumer workshops that Tim did this week. Firstly though I have to say it was just an amazing experience both from having Tim take the sessions and having him teach us about the products and how they work but also because I got to meet up with quite a few blogging buddies too, which was wonderful. So to Jennie (Buttons), Rita, Annie, Sue C, Jennie Boxall, Alison (Butterfly) thank you for an incredible time meeting up with you all and having so much fun. In fact Wednesday night we laughed till we cried.

Wednesday photos – beware you might need a cuppa to get through these lol.

Meeting Tim was fab.

and Mario ...

and Dyan.

Tables laid out ready for the day.

Tim teaching.

One of the 15 tags we made, this one just started and using remnant rubs,

Dyan teaching us how to use the Dylusions sprays.

Thursday's photos

Rita and Annie came down Wednesday....

Thursday's workshop - Sue, Jennie and me with Mario.

Tim teaching.

Jennie getting inky...

and Sue,

My work station. with tags in progress.

Our table (photo taken by Tim)

Us three getting stuck in (photo taken by Tim)

me getting bits ready to embellish the tag book (photo taken by Tim)

Just an incredible two days.

So today I am off to Swindon for the weekend where I will be with Alison again and more crafting friends joining in a 2 day workshop with Anna Dabrowska also known as Finnabair. (Photos to come next week). How lucky am I?????

Enjoy your weekend whatever you have got planned.

hugs {brenda} x0x

Finding Mr Mojo – Day 3

Hi and welcome to another of my Tim's tags for 2012 re-visited. Before I move on though I would like to welcome new visitors who have joined me in the last few weeks and thank you everyone who visits here regularly encouraging me in the work I do. You really give me the motivation to extend my artistic endeavours and make it so much more worthwhile.

This tag uses the reflections stamps on an embossing folder and reflects the techniques used in Tim’s tag for April.

The small movers and shapers dress form has been inked with tattered rose and frayed burlap and the corresponding distress embossing powders heated over the top.

It’s finished off with rock candy stickles and some watch parts. The wings and crown were covered with whitefire treasure gold and buffed up when dry.

Here's the tag before being embellished.

The base of the card with the sentiment band and some filmstrip.

Still waiting for Mr Mojo to turn up but in the meantime I am having fun with the tags.

I hope your weekend is going well.

Take care.

hugs {brenda} x0x