Inspire Wall Plaque

Hello fellow ColourArte-ists, and welcome back to my second post for April.  As I mentioned before, this month, ColourArte will be featuring Twinkling H20s!  These are the most shimmery, super concentrated, watercolor paints you will find anywhere.  

I have been wanting to make an inspiration piece to hang in my studio.  Something I can see everyday and that will color me h-a-p-p-y.

When I found this wooden heart and laser cut word "Inspire" in my local craft store, I knew exactly what I was going to make.  Coming up with the idea is half the battle right there, isn't it?

Paint heart and word pieces with white gesso.  Adhere word and strip of lace.  

Stencil areas (as shown) with white modeling paste.  Allow to dry.

Add light wash of gesso over lace.  

Glue all the embellishments to the surface and allow to dry.

Dry brush some white gesso over the flowers and metal bits and let dry.  Begin by adding washes of Twinkling H20s in Hopeful Honeysuckle and Ginger Flower. Terra Cotta Rose was painted over the entire wood surface to blend the colors and give a more vintage look.  

To cover the surface more quickly, I decided to try something new, to me at least.  I mixed a lot of water into each pot with my paint brush, then dropped the color mixture right from the jar onto the surface, allowing it to run into the nooks and crannies.  I love the effect.

Leave to dry naturally to allow the fullest shimmer to shine through, which unfortunately the camera does not capture well.  Next, I misted the entire piece with Ginger Flower Shimmering Mist, some water to lighten it and let it flow, then Copper and Namorado Shimmering Mists.  I left it to air dry.

Paint metal butterfly with white gesso first.  Let dry.  Add Radiant Gels Guatemalan Green, Key Lime, and Stargazer.  Cedar Wood Twinks finished off his body.  Adhere butterfly to plaque.

Paint burlap leaves with Twinks Moss Green and Radiant Gels Key Lime.  Glue Champagne glass glitter inside cone shaped bead.

Paint Inspire with Radiant Gels Emperor's Gold, then the lower half of the letters with Twinks Ginger Peach.  Spread a wash of the Emperor's Gold randomly over the base for warmth.  

Mix Twinks Blue Zircon with a lot of water and apply to edge of wood, allowing excess to run and puddle.  If it does not run enough, you can mist it with water.

Color the flowers with any and all of the Twinks, using lots of water to blend them.  I also added some Key Lime to the centers of a few of the petals.  

Color the metal embellishments with Radiant Gels Emperor's Gold.  When that dries, add Ginger Peach over that for a faux rusted metal look (see photo above).  

Add a light wash of Moss Green over the ribbon, and randomly on the background.  Give the letters a deeper shadow by painting a line of liquid pencil around the word. 

Lastly, mist entire piece with Namorado Shimmering Mist for a real vintage feel. 

Allow to dry, then edge heart with brown chalk ink.

ColourArte Supplies used:

Radiant Gels Dimensional Paint:  Key Lime, Emperor's Gold, Guatamalan Green, Stargazer
Radiant Rain Shimmering Mists:  Ginger Flower, Copper, Namorado
Twinkling H20s:  Hopeful Honeysuckle, Ginger Flower, Terra Cotta Rose, Cedar Wood, Moss Green, Ginger Peach, LemonGrass, Blue Zircon

Other Supplies:

DecoArt Media White Modeling Paste
White gesso (Liquitex)
Finnabair Ripped Fishnet stencil 
Denim and Lace ribbon, Inspire and Heart Laser cut wood pieces, paper flowers, metal charms, burlap die cut leaves (Michaels)
Champagne glass glitter (Stampin Up)
Liquid Pencil (Derivan)
Brown chalk ink (Mix'd Media-Leather)

ColourArte just announced they have six new Silks Acrylic Glazes for Spring 2015, Sea Spray, Apple Blossom, Lemon Drop, Kiwi, Cool Water, and Plum Blossom, and each is as gorgeous as they sound.  In addition, there are also eight new Radiant Gels that are to "dye" for.  Stop by the shop and save $10.00 off your next order, good until 20 April 2015 with coupon code:  aprilshowers.  

And that's not all!

Win Free Product Twice a Month 

In our Bi-Monthly Scavenger Hunt

How do you win? Go to the ColourArte  Arte Blog April 15th or 30th. 

Scroll to the bottom of that days post. The rules for the bi-monthly scavenger hunt will be posted.  Winner is announced  in 72 hours.  

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you are inspired to try some of these fabulous paints and watercolors in your next project!

Have a wonderful, creative weekend!

Barbara