So where did the week go?

 

I know, I know but I have no idea where the last week disappeared to! So, to catch up, firstly here's last Tuesday evening's workshop project.

 

 

The triptych is an empress wood blank, painted with Eco Green Crafts Acrylic paint in Orchid and layered with Prima's Fairy Belle papers, distressed around the edges with my trusty Tim Holtz Distressing Tool.

 

 

I stapled some cotton lace to the layers of paper before I stuck them down, ( I borrowed Penny's stapler in the workshop and then forgot to give it back - drop me your address Penny and I will pop it in the post to you!), added a few roses, paper flowers and the frondy bit from TH Alterations Pinecone Die - I've done everything but make a pinecone with it but more of that later! I found an old broken Style Stone frame and some metal bits and bobs then misted the whole piece with Cosmic Shimmer Vintage Mist in Patina. The plan was to mist the finished piece with black ink a la Finnabair, but I lost my nerve. I quite like my subtle take on her work, but next time, courage lol!

 

This week also saw a visit from Nicky Cresswell aka Minxy to teach a couple of workshops for Snazzys. She, unlike yours truly, remembered to take photos during the workshop so here we go! 

 

 

This was her initial project, and here are all the variations

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fabulous aren't they?

 

On Sunday Nicky agreed to run a drop in session making roses from both stamped images and dies, and boy did I need her help, I am all fingers and thumbs with anything fiddly. She used the Studio 490 Accents for Art stamps and the TH Alterations Pinecone Die ( yes, to make roses) and some of her own Spellbinders dies. There was much hilarity, but Nicky was very patient, full of really useful tips and tricks, and a good time was had by all. I'm not sure that Wendy will still be planning a heart made with 40 handmade red roses for her parents Ruby Wedding Anniversay tho'!

 

 

So, a huge thank you to Nicky, who I'm hoping to talk into a repeat performance once she has recovered from an excess of Snazzy seniors and juniors, and I'll leave you with a little video tour of the store taken by Nicky before she left.

 

 

 

Thanks for dropping by. 

Back soon xx

 

PS The Christmas Dylusions stamps are up on Snazzys online store now with the stencils/masks on tomorrow and lots more to follow.

Steampunkery Embellishments

Hello again stampers, two days in a row eh? Whatever next!

Yesterday I showed you my Tuesday evening workshop 'for instances' at Snazzys and I'm back today to give you the lowdown on how I made the embellishments using Chocolate Baroque's Steampunkery stamps. Firstly the steampunk topper,

which was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black onto the smooth side of some Ideaology Grungeboard which gave a good, sturdy base for a coat of Eco Green Crafts black acrylic paint and three layers of Snazzys clear embossing powder. I then restamped the wings from the stamp three times onto Ideaology Grungepaper and the turnkey once - much easier to cut out the detail, painted them with Eco Green Crafts Aged Silver acrylic paint and when dry, restamped them all again. I find it simplest when stamping elements from a stamp onto pieces I have already cut out, to ink the stamp, leave it face up on the desk and position the pieces onto the inked surface using an acrylic block on top to apply pressure to the piece before carefully removing from the stamp. I added a couple of gears cut from Ideaology Grungeboard and black shrink plastic, coloured with Viva Inca Gold in Silver, and topped it with a watch face from a selection of Snazzys Steampunk Bitz Watch Faces. I attached the whole thing to the aperture with Snazzys Black Foam Pads.

Next the caged Flying Alarm Clock,

which was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black onto Ideaology Grungepaper with the wings and the watchface restamped onto Bazzill Smoothie cardstock in Blackberry Swirl and embossed with Snazzy's clear embossing powder. The cage was cut from Grungeboard with the Tim Holtz Alterations die, painted with Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabber in Copper with just a smattering of black acrylic sponged on top to add to the grungy look.

The alarm clock was also painted with copper dabber and then restamped with Onyx Black as described above and after a swipe with the Viva Inca Gold in Copper I assembled the embellishment with Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue and topped it with another of the watch faces from the Snazzys Steampunk Bitz set.

Lastly, my favourite embellishment, the Steampunk Beetle

stamped like the others with Versafine Onyx Black onto Ideaology Grungepaper with the watchface and the wings restamped onto Bazzill Blackberry Swirl cardstock and embossed with Snazzy's clear embossing powder. (I didn't bother painting and restamping this one as all of it was eventually covered with the restamped wing pieces and the UTEE beetle). Yes, I made a mould using Ranger's Mold-n-Pour and a lonely brass Steampunk Beetle from my stash - I could have overcome that it was the wrong colour for my project with some black acrylic paint and Inca Gold in Silver, but I couldn't get past it's weight, which was way too heavy for the piece. I melted 50/50 Ranger Melt Art clear and black UTEE in my Melt Pan and poured very slowly into my beetle mould. I was surprised how quickly it cooled and set, all ready with the extra wings and watchface for a (rather heavy handed) smidge of Silver Inca Gold and a good dollop of Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue to assemble. The hanger is another Tim Holtz Alterations die cut from Grungeboard and painted with the Aged Silver acrylic paint and the jump rings are Tim Holtz Ideaology too! 

I love the way the embossing on the black cardstock wings was highlighted by the Inca Gold, and I'm sure I'll find a way of using that beetle mould over and over.

Thanks for popping by, back soon xx