About Me

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I'm a retired primary school teacher, who started paper crafting in 2008, when I had a fancy to make my own Christmas cards. Since then, I have tried all sorts of techniques and styles - and I kind of like them all. I have been lucky enough to be on blog teams and large design teams and to do a bit of freelance demonstrating - and I love the challenge of working with different products. My crafting style is very varied - from junk journaling and art journaling, bookbinding and journal making, to quilting and patchwork - and of course I still make cards. This variety keeps me interested - and my crafty stash growing!! I'm always seeking inspiration for new projects.

Thursday 5 March 2015

The Mirror Crack'd - Challenge 7 - Wings

Afternoon! Am here today with this month's mixed media challenge from The Mirror Crack'd. We would like to see anything (other than cards) that you can create with wings. For my project I have gone for a butterfly theme, using a sentiment stamp from Crafter's Companion Sentimentals Nature set - 'There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly'.

I've been wanting to have a go at the 'caught in crystal' technique for a while, and finally got round to it. It was a bit of an experiment, as I wanted to play with some of my Pebeo Moon and Prisme paints. Well, to be honest it all went a bit wrong as I hadn't realised that the floor polish would repel the paints (or the other way around). So I didn't get the effect I wanted at all. 
At this point I stopped taking photos of what I was doing, and just started throwing all sorts on. This first one has the following on it - although I'm really not sure what it is that actually shows up: Pebeo Prisme - Eggshell White and Emerald; Pebeo Moon - Gold and Apricot; That Special Touch Mica Powders - Golden Malachite, Golden Pear, Pale Gold, Enchanted Gold; Stampendous Frantage - Sage and Taupe. 

Because the paint didn't spread, and the mica powders soaked up some of the floor polish, when I put the tissue on, it all seemed a bit, well, bitty. So I whipped out my Aqua Tints, and dropped some over the back of the tissue with a pipette. I used Bright and Beautiful 37, along with Pretty Pastels 39 and 25. 
Despite the fact that it wasn't quite what I had intended, I was quite happy with the effect. But I decided to have another go - this time using the Aqua Tints from the start. I was a bit heavy handed with the orange!! And then I decided to add glitter to this one - and had a bit of an accident - so dropped on far more than anticipated of the orange glitter - and not so much of the green glitter. Never mind! It turned out OK.
The next step was to create a base for my project. I bought some scalloped square clock bases ages ago - not to make clocks with - but because they were really cheap and I knew they would come in handy!! 
Using Cut & Dry foam, I dabbed on Pebeo Deco Matt Acrylic Paint in a combination of Tangerine, Greengold, Forest Green, Anqtique Green and White.
I used sections of the 'caught in crystal' acetate to create the background and mats, with frames cut from Crafter's Companion Matt Black card. And I edged the scalloped square with my True Black Spectrum Noir pen. 
The butterflies are cut with Crafter's Companion Die'sire Butterflies, and Essentials Butterflies. The leaves are cut with Leaf 2, and embossed with the new CC Textures Leaf Vein 8x8 Embossing Folder. I rubbed some Creative Expressions Golden Green Gilding Wax over these - and alo arund the black frames. I finished off with some glittery flowers and pearls from my stash.

Be sure to pop on over to The Mirror Crack'd for lots more inspiration from the team!!

I would like to enter this into:
Ruby's Rainbow Challenge - #99 Anything but a Card

Craft My Life - Feb/Mar All Crafts Challenge

Cxxx

8 comments:

  1. Lovely frame, Carole. Beautiful background and die cut butterflies are super cute.

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  2. Even though you had a hiccup with the background colours it actually turned out perfect love it hun xx

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  3. Wow, what a fabulous design, love it! Creative Blessings, Tracy x

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  4. Hello Carole,
    I will admit you put a smile on my face when I was reading the faux pas you had. I have been in this situation many times and no doubt it will continue, where Mixed media is concerned it is all experimentation in my book!!!!
    I really like your finished piece; the Orange is rich and full bodied which gives the piece some depth and your added elements are perfect. Great make.
    Smiles:)
    Sue

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  5. Lovely project, great techniques and love the butterflies.
    Have a great week, Angela x

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  6. Hi I had to laugh reading your blog, we must be alike as I have those serendipitous moments too when techniques don't work. I love the outcome, hugs Jan Hill x

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  7. Great use of the clock base, Carole!

    And who doesn't know this kind of "creative process", where "throwing on" media at some point leads to a result you sooo wish you could reproduce...lol.

    Hugs,
    Claudia x

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  8. The art of happy accidents is Serendipity, and you have achieved a wodnerful piece of art. The main thing is having the fun with a satisfactory end result. Thanks for sharing with us at Alphabet Challenges. Caz

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