House Shrine

So yesterday one of my art pals, Andy, posted a "permission slip" to go to your studio to make art on Facebook. This is the result of my play time yesterday and I am so pleased with the outcome.

The base was from the wood section of a big box craft store.  I had primed it with black gesso long ago, and today was the day that leg work paid off.  The jumping point on my basic technique was when I started to edge the house with Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) in bronze.  I realized that I could make the look of patina by adding in a little turquoise Iced enamels while the UTEE was still hot.

In this image you can see how I made my Tim Holtz hardware match the project with the use of Vintaj patina.  I also love the little heart embellishments.  They are made of wood and I used more Iced Enamels, this time in ivory to create some contrast.  A vellum heart cut out by Heidi Swap was layered on each heart for extra detail.

This bee bezel I made a few weekends ago found it's home along with some other metal bits and pieces from B'sue Boutiques.  Again, the use of the patina helps to bring everything together and create a cohesive look even with different metals.

As you can see I got really crazy with the UTEE.  I ended up doing the whole outside of the house with the stuff.  To add some texture I used a script stamp while the UTEE was still hot.  To blend it a bit, I used the heat gun over the stamped words to erase and blend some of the texture back. More patina was added and wiped off to make the letters pop.

My intent was to create lots of depth by having different layers of embellishments.  I mounted the focal butterfly on a box lid so it would stand out from the back.  The heart banner was made from a scrap of cardboard that was embossed and distressed.  It was a challenge to solve the bottom of my shrine, I got stuck a few times on my composition, but in the end I worked it all out!

Here you can see the inside edges just a bit.  Layers of tissue tape and stickles make for lots of texture.  Also you can see a tiny glimpse of the embossed metal that I used in the very back.

This was such a fun piece to create and share.  I hope you found some inspiration along the way!

Cheers,

Rhea

Bezel Maddness

So my loyal followers will know that I have an amazing crafty outlet store close at hand.  Well a recent score at said score evolved into a full day of inspiration and fun.  I managed to get a giant bottle of Lisa Pavelka's Magic Glos for only $12.50 when it retails for fifty dollars.  With my trusty UV light I set out to layer it up and boy did I have fun!

As you can see I was quite productive.  I just could not stop once inspiration struck and the product was so simple to use, no mixing!  Now, I love my Ice Resin, but the swiftness of this product for the purpose of layering was just awesome.

Other mixed media supplies used included a ton of Iced Enamels, Art Ingredients (glass glitter, micro beads, mica) Vintaj patinas and gilders paste. 

The one pictured above turned out really cute.  It is so outside of my go to colors and I am proud of myself for being brave and embracing these vibrant colors.  I used turquoise Iced Enamels in the background and Heidi Swap embellishments. Her product stood up well to the resin as they are plastic.

This bezel was inspired by the charm that I found while rooting through my drawers of junk.  I thought that a Dymo label would stand up well to the resin and I was right.  I think adding text in this manner with resin is perfect. In this one I also used some of Finnabair's Art Ingredients.  The tiny silver beads look great suspended in two separate layers of resin.

Another sample with a Dymo Label reads "love" above.  On this one I used the Iced Enamels on the outside of the bezel.  The distressed look is perfect for my style.  These other small projects have all kinds of junk inside: keys, watch parts, washers, glass glitter and shattered mica. 

One feature I really liked with this system was the quickness of the resin set up with the help of the UV light.  I was able to create layers and layers very quickly this way by systematically working on several pieces at a time.

Another experiment with color below.  The turquoise, red and black reminds me of Day of the Dead and I am sure I will find a project for it someday!

I kept the one above on top super simple and just layered different types of shattered mica.  I think may add a rub on sentiment eventually, it is crying out for just a little bit more, as is the faux Drusy below that I experimented with.  I can never leave well enough alone when it comes to my art!

This was such a fun day of pure artistic play, it energized me in so many ways!

Cheers, 

Rhea

American Vintage Assemblage

I was inspired to create this project as soon as I saw the new American Vintage paper line come out from 7 Gypsies.  I slowly began to gather found objects as well as my coveted 7 Gypsies metal elements that I knew would complement the theme in order to create this fun vintage letterblock tray.

It takes some patience to make a project with this many elements, the key is to be patient and do it in stages.  Sometimes walking away from the project to let glue dry will allow you to come back and see the whole things with fresh eyes. I find this tactic really helps me to fill in every inch of my art, which contributes to my own personal style.  After coming back to my work a niche will be calling out for extra junk and the search will then start for another element to add.

When I make these assemblage style trays, I try to attach things at many different layers of depth.  In this project I used some scrap cardboard to prop up some of my ephemera and make it stand out.

Another little secret I will share is to mist your project with a sheer Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist at the end to cover up any glue that may have escaped. This trick will not totally cover the glue, but it will distract from it at least a little bit.

I mixed in lots of great elements from the 7 Gypsies line along with my own found elements and treasures to pull this piece off.  I love how the old and the new blend seamlessly together. It is fun to root through your junk drawers and your craft stash to come up with fun personal things to add to your tray. Another great idea would be to plan to make one of these before a road trip and then purposefully seek out your own pressed pennies, ticket stubs and ephemera to capture a memory in a whole new way!

You may have noticed that the base of my tray has been altered a little bit as well.  I used a scrap of paper towel to buff on a layer of patina colored gilders paste to add a weathered look to the wood.

I hope that this post has inspired to go through your trinkets and create a letterblock tray that captures a special trip or memory!

***This post was also featured here!***

Cheers, 

Rhea