STEAMPUNK Mixed Media Canvas with ColourArte

Hello everyone!  Today, I want to share my project for the ColourArte Design Team Call.

 

I am in a bit of a steampunk mood again, and I got lots of steampunk chippies (that's slang for chipboard) from Gina's Designs to use with all of my ColourArte Perfect Paints.  I pulled out some papers, a 12x12 canvas, and lots of metal to get me started.  So lets do just that!

Glue two pieces of scrapbook paper to the canvas, tearing one and layering it over the other, as shown.

Begin adhering chipboard alphabet randomly to the center of the canvas and the word "STEAMPUNK" along the top.

Paint background with white gesso and let dry.  Randomly add molding paste through mini grid stencil and let dry. The stenciled areas will show up in following photos when color is added.

Spray background with Radiant Rain Mists Fern, Key Lime, Seafoam, and Elderberry.  Dab some Hot Cinnamon Radiant Rain dauber randomly, then spray Radiant Rain Butternut Shimmering Mist over all.

I know it may seem crazy, but apply a wash of white gesso over entire background again and let dry.  Mixed media is all about layers, i.e., layers of texture and color.  The wash still allows some of the previous colors to shine through.  Next, paint background with Radiant Gels Olive Vine, Key Lime, Emperor's Gold, and Spiced Pumpkin.  Let this layer dry.  

Try as I might, the camera just cannot see all the colors I see in person.  Trust me, they are there.

Use Green Pearls Radiant Gel to highlight around the letters "STEAMPUNK" to make them pop, then randomly add it to the background, mixing with Twilight to get that beautiful turquoise color.  Apply patches of Luv U Pink and Autumn Leaf Radiant Gels.  

Awww, there it is,  a mix of all the colors radiating out into the light.  

Now to work on the embellishments.  Ink bottom of dress form with Versamark ink, heat emboss with Pewter Iced Enamels.  Trace and cut out top of dress form onto a piece of silver aluminum foil and emboss with Tim Holtz Diamond Plate embossing folder.  Antique with DecoArt Black Shimmer.

Adhere embossed foil to top of dress form and adhere a small scrap of chipboard to the back to add some lift when it gets applied to the canvas.

Ink wings with Versamark ink, heat emboss with Turquoise Iced Enamels.

Delaminate a piece of mica.  Lay mica over the hourglass portion, trace and cut out the outline of the glass only.  Set aside.  

Heat emboss the rest of the hourglass with Versamark ink and Chartreuse Iced Enamels.

Adhere mica to hourglass with 3D Crystal Lacquer or Glossy Accents.  Ooooh, doesn't it look like there is sand inside?  

Adhere the chipboard pieces to the canvas, as shown.  This half of the photo shows a closeup of the dress form and wings, some paper and metal flowers, gears and other steampunk style embellishments.  Can you tell which gears are chipboard and which are metal?

I also used the Egyptian Gold Radiant Rain dauber over the wings, flowers, and embellishments to give them a cohesiveness and make them appear even more metallic.

I added a metal spring and metal studs over the dress form.

On this half, you can see the chipboard bird with his mechanical parts and key winder to make those gears turn.  He was embossed with rust embossing powder, and Egyptian Gold Radiant Rain dauber added randomly.

The hourglass was also added, a "rusted" chipboard key, and more metal!

To really make the STEAMPUNK letter pop, I used a charcoal pencil and water brush to detail around each letter.

And here are two closeups of each side of the chipboard gears border at the bottom of the canvas.

Aren't these colors just fabulous?  I cannot say enough good things about ColourArte.  They truly have become my "go to" paints.

Now, let's finish off the sides of the canvas. In keeping with the metal theme, emboss a 14" strip of 2" wide silver aluminum foil tape with the Diamond Plate embossing folder.  I cut a slit in the top of my embossing folder so I could keep the tape running through continuosly.  Paint a light coat of the black antiquing creme over the entire strip.  When dry, use a soft damp cloth to remove excess paint.

Add a coat of Patina color to the aluminum strip and wipe away the excess.

Cut aluminum into ½" wide strips.  You need four. 

Adhere the strips around the canvas to cover the edges and give it that Steampunk style metal finish.

Supplies used:

ColourArte: Radiant Rain Shimmering Mists: Fern, Key Lime, Seafoam, Elderberry, Butternut
Radiant Rain Gels: Olive Vine, Key Lime, Emperor's Gold, Spiced Pumpkin, Autumn Leaf, Luv U Pink, Twilight, Green Pearl
Radiant Rain Colour Concentrates Daubers: Hot Cinnamon, Egyptian Gold
Silks Acrylic Glaze: Honey Amber
Primary Elements Arte Pigments™: China Black

Gina's Designs:  Steampunk Shape Set, Steampunk 2 Shape Set, Dressforms and Wings Shape Set,

12X12 canvas (Artist's Loft)

Finnabair A4 paper pad (Prima)

Chipboard alphabet (my stash)
White gesso (Liquitex)

Regular Matte Gel Medium (Golden)
Extra Heavy Gel/Molding Paste (Golden)
Carbon Black Antiquing Creme (DecoArt)

Stencils:  Mini Sketch Grid (TCW456s)
Embossing folder:  Diamond Plate (Tim Holtz)
Black Shimmer Metallic Lustre (DecoArt)
Versamark inkpad
Gilders Paste: Copper, Patina, German Silver
Iced Enamels (Susan Lenart Kazmer): Pewter, Turquoise
2" wide silver aluminum foil tape (hardware store)
3D Crystal Lacquer
Prima paper flowers, metal flowers and trinkets
Blue Glass Glitter (Melissa Frances)
Metal studs (CTMH)
Charcoal Pencil

I know this was a long post with lots of photos, but I try really hard to get realistic, true-to-life pictures of this fabulous paint products from ColourArte.  I hope I was able to do just that, and I am thankful to you if you were able to stay with me this far.

As always, I am so glad you stopped by today, and I would love to hear what you think about my project.

Have a wonderful and creative week, my crafty friends!

Barbara

ColourArte Design Team Application-Love Letters Keepsake Box

Hello everyone.  Today, I have the great pleasure of trying out for a fabulous company, ColourArte.  This company sells Twinkling H20's Watercolors, Silks Acrylic Glazes, Radiant Gels Dimensional Paints, Radiant Rains, and Primary Elements Artist Pigments.  While I have been using Twinkling H20's and Radiant Rains for years, the newer (to me) Silks and Primary Elements are so beautiful, I think they may be my favorites.  Of course, each product has a use, depending on how you wish to use them and the look your are trying to achieve.

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I decided to alter a box to hold love letters.

Side Front

Side Back

I started with an empty Cricut cartridge box.

I painted the outside of the box with Utrecht white gesso.  It is very thick and only one coat covered all of the writing very nicely.

I added a scrap piece of lace to the still wet gesso and allowed everything to dry.

While that is drying, gather chipboard, die cuts, ephemera, metal bits and charms, and anything you plan on using on the top of your box.

Use a spatula to spread the crackle paste through the stencil and allow to dry.  Continue adding the stenciled crackle paste along the back of the box, as well.  Do not use a heat gun to speed drying time for this step.  (See Fig. 1 below).

Allow the paste to air dry to form the crackles.

Adhere chipboard pieces and alphabet letters to box, as shown.

Use a ruler to help keep letters straight.

Cover entire box with another coat of white gesso.  Add a medium thick coat of crackle paste to the chipboard heart and allow to air dry.  Then adhere over honeycomb chipboard.

Randomly add streaks of crackle paste along the two side edges (See Fig. 2 below), as well as along the front edge on either side of the chipboard ornamental.

Add Burnt Umber Primary Elements to white gesso and mix together on your craft sheet.

Paint inside edges of box, as shown.  Allow to dry.

Adhere print paper to inside of box, leaving scant borders all around each section of the box.  One 12"x12" sheet of paper will cover the inside.  

Now comes the real fun ... coloring!!!  I began adding colors using the Silks Acrylic Glazes, beginning with Pomegranate, Ginger Peach, Yellow Rose, Olive Vine, and Bolivian Blue.  

I wanted my box to look quite old, so I needed to darken the colors.  I made a spray mist by adding Burnt Umber Primary Elements to a mini mister bottle.  I have no formula, just add small amounts  of the Primary Elements until you like the color.  A very little goes a long way.  Spray over the box and dab off some of the excess with a paper towel or baby wipe.

 

Also add this mist along the front and side edges.

Now get those embellishments out and start adding them to the top of your box.  I have used chipboard die cuts, fabric flowers, metal charms, buttons, and various embellishments. Once you like the arrangement, glue everything down to the box and allow to dry.  (NOTE:  I removed the Special Memories tag to be added at the very last, but this is where I will place it.)

Add a light wash of white gesso over these pieces and allow to dry.

Brush more of the Silks Acrylic Glazes in Pomegranate, Ginger Peach, Yellow Rose, Olive Vine, and Bolivian Blue.  The goal is to unify these additions while maintaing a bit of contrast. Since the colors are so beautiful, I wanted to share as much of the beauty as possible by including some closeups of the individual sections.

To add some additional highlights to a few embellishments, I used a tiny round paint brush, dipped into water, then picked up a scant amount of Sunflower Primary Elements to make this gilded color.

I added tiny touches of this luscious, golden color to the chipboard ornament on the front of the box. I absolutely love the color variations.

A few closeups of the sides, where I also added some of this golden color.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

I then added blobs of that golden color to my metal flower, simply by brushing the excess off of my brush onto the edges of the metal.  Isn't it gorgeous?

Supplies used:

ColourArte products: Silks Acrylic Glaze: Pomegranate, Ginger Peach, Yellow Rose, Olive Vine, Bolivian Blue;  Primary Elements Artists Pigments:  Burnt Umber, Sunflower

Cricut cartridge box (empty)

Utrecht white gesso

Cuttlebug 2x6 die sets:  (Poppies & Honeycomb) (Ornamental)

Cuttlebug 2x2 Butterfly Combo cut and emboss set

DecoArt Media Crackle Paste

Tim Holtz Harlequin stencil
Metal charms and embellishments, chipboard, buttons, metal clips, vintage paper ticket, mini mister, Prima flowers and leaves

I hope you enjoyed my repurposed box project today, and that I have inspired you to try some of these luscious and beautiful ColourArte products.  You won't be disappointed!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative week!

Barbara