I don't color inside the lines

Yes, it's true, sometimes I don't color inside the lines.  Art is supposed to be freeing.  When I saw this quote I knew I had to create something using it.  Stop by the Robin's Nest to see the wood panel I made.

Keep room in your heart for the unimaginable

This little girl, from Tammy Tutterow, was smiling at me and I knew I had to use her on a project.  I fussy cut her and gave her a bit of color using Fossilized Amber.  While she dried I worked on something to put her on. 

I took a 5x7 canvas panel and covered it with tissue paper.  I put a layer of matte gel on the canvas and put the paper on top.  I then applied another layer of matte gel.  I squished the paper around to get some wrinkles on there.  Wrinkles add great texture; and if you goof and make wrinkles when it was intended you can say you meant to do it! I dried the whole thing with my heat gun.  

 I smeared on some Distress paint in Broken China and Bundled Sage.  I used my finger to move the paint around.  I sprayed the canvas with water to move it around even more.  I dried it with my  heat gun, between each layer I blast with my heat gun.

Next I grabbed my Tattered Angels Simply Sheer in Cozy Yellow and randomly spritzed. I mixed some Jacquard Pearl Ex in Copper and water to spritz on too.   

After this was dry I used Distress Spray in Tea Dye.  I squeezed my fingers around the sprayer to give more droplets than a fine mist.  

Now it is time to start layering.  I knew I wanted to use the little girl and I found this fantastic saying.  The saying led to me giving her giant wings.  I used my trellis die and added that to the side.  I didn't use any of the internal pieces so the tissue could still show through.  At this point none of this is glued down.  I don't usually glue until I have everything set in case I change my mind.  

Here is why I don't glue.  Here are a couple things I tried before settling on my final layout.  At one point I had a key, a compass, and an arrow on here too! 

The wooden bits are old game pieces.  I have no idea what the metal number is from, but I bought a bunch at a junk show. 

I love how her wings are so big they hang off the canvas.  She is popped up using foam tape.  The wings are popped with a double layer of tape for extra height.   You can see I added some rub ons to draw your eye around the piece.   

Here she is all finished. She looks pretty pleased with herself. 

Frilly and Funkie Something to Say Challenge

I am submitting this to Colour Arte for review.

What have you been crafting?

Jess

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

After being sick for over a week, I finally felt well enough to go back in my craft room.  This little box has been sitting around for some time now.

The plexi glass top slides off so you can get to the insides.  

I started by pulling out some Christmas bits to see what spoke to me.  I ended up going with a pink theme, rather than traditional reds and greens.  With my major inside pieces picked out I grabbed my paints.

A very light wash of pink went on the entire box.  I started very light and went back in to make it a stronger paint finish, not just a wash.  Once I had the entire piece painted I went back and flecked the box with the off white.  I also used Tim Holtz's distress paints in Brushed Pewter and Tarnished Brass.  

Now it was time to layer up the inside.  I pulled pages out of an old dictionary and glued them down with Matte Gel.

Once they were glued down and dry I did a wash of the off white paint just so the words weren't so prominent.  

Flecked the paint inside too.  

Now to make it pretty.  I just love bottle brush trees and plastic ballerina cake toppers.  

I dyed the trees pink using Distress Stains in Pickled Raspberry and Worn Lipstick.  I watered the stain down a bit and then just dipped the trees in until they were a color I liked.  Then I got out my mercury glass beads and pearls to decorate.  

The ballerinas are cute, but I wanted them to be a bit fancy for the shadowbox.  I grabbed my sari silk and dyed that to match the pastel colors.  

Worn lipstick and antique linen made the pink silk.  Broken China and a touch of Peacock Feathers made the blue.  I just wet the silk using my spritzer and ran it through the colors that I had smudged on the craft sheet.  I dried them with my heat gun. 

Fancy party dresses.  

Now I just had to put everything in the box.  

I had some of these vintage houses that used to be part of a light set.  I put some mica snow on the roof and the base.  The ballerinas got glittery crowns and shoes.  The background also got some Christmas remnant rubs.  I just tossed them in there randomly.  Once I was done I realized I made it too fat for the plexi glass top to slide back in! Now I have a piece of plexi glass for another project.  

I added one more ballerina to balance things out. 

 I got the Merry Christmas tag in the dollar bin at Michael's.  The star pin is jammed into the wood and holding up the tag.  

I think this will make a lovely addition to my Christmas decor.  I can't wait to pull it all out.

Have you been by The Robin's Nest? They have a great store and fun blog too.  Great tutorials.  

What have you been crafting?

Jess

Linking to:

Simon Says Stamp A Walk Down Memory Lane

Inspiration Emporium Happy Holidays