MIxology Make and Take

 I taught a Make and Take project at the last Ministry of Mixology which was in Milton Keynes in April.

I had made some stencil covers for the new Andy Skinner set of stencils and thought that this gorgeous little rounded tag would create a great little journal/book. So I used several creating a new technique on each one.

  

I called these -

Dip, drip and dry. 

 Distressed gesso layer

Water distressed layers

There were two others that people could do themselves on the open table if they wanted to.

These are in the sample book I made for all five of the techniques.

I then added a little decorative collage to each one using papers and Di's chipboards ...

.. and some words I create on h PC.

I also use some of Andy'ssnew stencils.

I wanted to show that these backgrounds can be used for grungy or pretty projects, it's just the colours that you use that will make the difference.

I hope you like my samples.

Spray paints or inks - Tando Creative

I've made a tag for this theme today at Tando Creative.

I used a media board painted with gesso and when dry scraped white modeling paste through a stencil.

These pieces I took from a bits box which were already painted - leftovers from previous projects.

I also grabbed these from another bits box of Tando leftovers to add to the design. As you can see these were not painted or sealed so I started by gluing these to the media board ...

.... and when dry I gave it all a coat of gesso.

Next I sprayed some water based and DecoArt white mister over the surface, dried it and repeated again to give me my base  colours ...

.... and then dribbled some watery media acrylic paints, ....

.... sanded and inked the edges of the board and finished with some splatters of titanium white.

Because the sprays I used were water based they created some lovely mottled effects together when I spritzed them and when I repeated the layer. 

xxx

Supplies from Tando Creative

Media board, chipboards.

Andy Skinner stamps and stencils

DecoArt Media gesso, misters

Stencil covers for Tando Creative

When Di at Tando Creative designed and cut some new stencils for Andy Skinner she also cut a stencil cover for them so they could be kept together as a set. I did a simple background and made the covers fairly flat so they could sit in my drawer.

Process steps
1. Take tag and give it a random coat of white gesso.
2. Paint cerulean blue acrylic paint mixed with a little water over the whole tag and dab with some kitchen paper to remove some of it from the gesso. It will of course soak straight into any greyboard that is left exposed.
3. Use a small palette knife and scrape some white gesso lightly and randomly over the surface keeping the flat of the palette knife level with the tag. Dry.

 4. Seal with a coat of decou-page.

5.  Mix a little prussian blue hue 50:50 with glazing medium and paint over the tag and gently rub back with dry kitchen roll and a babywipe keeping the dark blue to the edges.

 6. Mix a little quinacridone gold with water, dribble on one place spritz with water and move around and dab some off with dry kitchen paper before drying. Repeat in another couple of random places.

7. Mix a little paynes grey with water and dribble around the edges, spritz with water and dry. I worked on about a 2 inch spread at a time.
8. Use the two different stencils - similar to American car number plates and with a palette knife spread black modeling paste through them and leave them to dry naturally.

9. For the inside covers, use a palette knife to spread a smooth coat of everlasting chalky finish paint over the greyboard, give them a watery wash all over of cerulean blue and dry. Mix a watery wash of prussian blue hue and dabble, spritz and dry around the edges. Heat dry and finish with some stamping and some colouring and a light quinacridone wash to tie it all together..

10. Seal both the insides and outsides of the overs with a coat of ultra matte varnish. 

These are great for altering and are useful to use to cover the stencils. You pick them out in an instant when they are with other stencils in a drawer.

Thanks for stopping by and ......

xxx

Supplies 
Tando stencils and stencil covers. 

DecoArt media fluid acrylics - cerulean blue, prussian blue hue, quinacridone gold 

DecoArt mediums - white gesso, black modeling paste, ultra matte varnish, decou-page sealer

Shabby Mini Album for DecoArt and Tando Creative

An 'Encore' Post

I made this little album for Di as a sample to take to her Hochanda show at the beginning of March and this was also my DecoArt Media Team Project too. I know some of you will have seen this already but I always like to bring my work back into the fold here at Bumblebees and Butterflies.

It was fun experimenting with painted lace covers and some small collage panels inside.
I am also sharing it over at Tando Creative.

Using lace as the texture for my front cover proved to be a great way of getting the shabby chic effects I wanted and it really didn’t take too long. 

Process steps 

1. Take the mini boards and using matte medium some lace onto the outer covers. Let dry naturally or speed the process up with a heat gun.

2. Add a fine layer of texture sand paste in the gaps between each row of lace and again dry.

3. Take the cover boards and the page inserts and paint everything with a coat of white gesso on both sides.

4. When everything is bone dry sand the edges and any rough spots then use a natural sponge to blend over a neutral palette of media acrylic paints mixing the colours on the project spritzing and blending them together with a babywipe as you go. Dry each layer before adding another. I used burnt umber, titanium white and titan buff.

5. Because I wanted the next layer of watery paint to seep into the recesses and not into the lace I gave the covers a couple of coats of matte medium. When they were dry I dipped and spritzed the washes over them then took some time to add the colours directly into the recesses with a small brush heat drying as I went.

6. Now came the time to add embellishments to the front cover…..

7. …. and to add some collages to each of the pages and some uplifting words.

Here are some close ups -

8. Once assembled I added some American seam binding to tie it together.

Thanks for popping in today and -

xxx

Supplies

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Raw Umber, Titan Buff, Titanium White, Burnt Umber 

DecoArt Media Speciality - Media White Gesso, Media Texture Sand Paste, Media Matte Medium

Tando Creative Mini Album/ Journal 

Lace and embellishments 

Vintage photos and collage fabric scraps

Spring Flowers Mini Album for Tando Creative

Here is another little album made for Di to take to Hochanda with her. This time I was inspired by seeing all the beautiful flowers at the garden centres we had visited in March.
I am sharing it on the Tando blog for the Anything Goes theme this week.

Process steps. Pages

1. Cut panels from patterned paper, ink the edges and adhere to the album.

2. When dry sand back the edges and ink again..

3. Use snippets of Tim Holtz  botanical collage paper with decou-page  mate sealer/glue on each panel,sealing the complete surface of each one

4. Sand off any over hangs.

5. Paint the flowers and leaves with watery media fluid acrylics.
6. Add some tiny flowers and words.

7. Repeat the same process steps for the front and back covers.

I used small buttons and thin black elastic to make the closures.

Finished front cover

Finished back cover.

 This is such a cute size 8 x 9.5 cms and feels lovely to hold in the hand and I adore the hand painted flowers and leaves



I am adding this to the mini album makers challenge and happily linking to where there is a wealth of album making inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by and ....

xxx