Rice Papers, Florals and Foils with MDF

Hello all! Martina here with a post explaining how I made a very simple MDF hanging piece. First thing's first though, how are you all? Crafting lots? Enjoying some sun? I had the chance to chat to lots of friends at Friday's class, finding that although we have so many different reasons for taking up our crafty hobby, the main one seems to be escapism! I do enjoy a good natter at the classes, it is so nice to meet like-minded people and others that don't think I have totally lost the plot when I say I like sniffing paper...

Anyway, in case I lost you there for a moment...back to business, I promise!

I started my project with some MDF Hearts. I used a large one for the top, as that's where my message would be, and then found two others. Using a Crop-O-Dile I punched holes where I needed them to be later on (to be able to attach them together with ribbon). I then painted them all with  DecoArt Media White Gesso. They did not need to be totally white, (one coat is fine) as Rice Paper would go on top (but you do want a light base for this to go on, so that the gorgeous detail shows).

Once the MDF was dry, I painted Magi-Bond Decoupage Glue onto the hearts and onto the back of some of the Imagination Craft's Rice Paper Pattern 435.

Once the glue was dry, I used an old nail file and filing downwards, removed the excess paper from the edges. This leaves a lovely seal with a distressed edge.

Where the hearts had open sections, I sliced into the gap with a craft knife and then used a very small file!

Now for the gorgeous foiling. I chose a couple of corners and a sentiment from the Crafter's Companion Delicate Details Transfer Foil Set and used Raspberry Pink Foil over the top. Now I will admit here, Rice Paper and foils are not an ideal match. The fibres in the Rice Paper and the glue in the transfers tend to argue with each other. At first I was a bit concerned that the transfer would not be perfect, but when I applied the foil and it was slightly patchy, I thought it was cool! Even if you go a bit mad with rubbing the lolly stick on the foil and you leave pink scratches, it still looks effective!

Now for the pretty bits! Using some flowers, (colours picked from the Rice Paper and matched as well as possible!) I fiddled, tweaked, twisted and generally faffed until I had created some little arrangements I was happy with...

Before sticking my flowers in place, I wanted to tidy up those distressed edges and make the piece a little more 'vintagy' (yes I know that's not technically a word!). Using my finger and some Imagination Craft's Bronze Alchemy Wax, (I blimmin' love this stuff!) I added some wax to the edges of each heart and a little to the hearts themselves.

A hot glue gun to fix the flowers...

Some ribbon to hang them all, and we're done!

Hard to see the wax and the shine of the foil in the photos, but the effect is cool! I will see you next week for some more 'faffing'!

Love

Martina

xxx

   

MDF Uprights, PaperArtsy and a Rebellious Hare!

Good morning all, Martina here with a look at how one of the MDF pieces I created for Lisa's PaperArtsy workshop came to life...

I was rather keen to experiment with the gorgeous array of MDF uprights that That's Crafty! have produced of late, so Lisa let me loose on couple to have a play! At first, I have to admit I was a bit scared; I think it's that whole thing of it being MDF rather than cardstock (although cardstock still worries me if I muck it up and it was good card!) I was overthinking the whole thing really, but I guess we have to start somewhere...

I am going to have to talk you through the first stages, apologies, I cannot find the photos I took, I think the gremlins must have visited...

The first stage was to paint the whole MDF Scalloped Tag piece (assembled) with one layer of Sax Blue Starlights. I then coated the front of the piece with a thick layer of Imagination Crafts Crackle Medium and set aside (you can heat dry, but I honestly think it looks better when you leave paints and crackles to their own devices!). Taking a thick brush primed with Media White Gesso, I swiftly covered the whole of the front of the tag, using vertical brushstrokes and not going over, or back over any areas. This is important, as the crackle reacts with the paint so quickly that going over it again makes it peel and move, giving you lumps.

At this point, I had a tag with the front crackled in white and a hint of the Sax Blue Starlight showing through... Now for the stamping! Huzzah!

Using PaperArtsy JOFY 50 (catchy name!) I stamped the flowers, leaves and grasses several times on my tag front, ignoring any overlapping. I stamped in Forest Moss Distress Ink and then heat embossed with Wow Clear Detail Powder to seal it. At this point I should be honest: I think it would have looked better if I had used black ink, but I thought I would keep going anyway... a lesson for next time!

Now to sort out the messy flowers and overlapping! Taking some Watercolour Card, I sprinkled some Blackcurrant Infusions over the top and then spritzed with water. I varied the intensity of the water and then let the card dry. Using Black Onyx Versafine I stamped the flowers again and then cut the blooms away to be used on the tag. I repeated this process to make some blue flowers, this time using some 'In the Navy' Infusions and also some flower middles using 'Lemoncello'.

Once all my blooms and centres were cut, I started to arrange them on my piece. I did not want them to fit over the tops exactly, so I had a play. My thought was that the petals that were stamped directly onto the MDF would be in the background, so I would colour these straight onto the crackled paint; they would be 'flat' compared to my cut-out dimensional ones (if that makes sense).

I had a few extras, so I just kept playing until I was happy...

Now to make the piece a little more dimensional! I love the quirky 'bushes' that are on the JOFY 50 set, so I thought I would see if they could stand up at the front. I stamped them onto some thick card and then cut out leaving a wide 'tab' at the bottom. I coloured in with Distress Inks (Forest Moss and Bundled Sage) and then folded the tab in half. I glued the bottom section, tab down, onto the MDF a little away from the main upright. I liked it, but it needed a character to pop out...cue a  Hobby Art March Hare!

I stamped, coloured and cut the hare from some card and did the same with the butterfly and the words from the JOFY 50 set (I stamped the words onto some leftover Infusions card from earlier).

There we have it: Harold (?!) the Hare is being a rebel, and why the devil not in this day and age?!

I think stamping in the black at the beginning would have still looked better, but hey ho, nobody knows that, do they?

 Lisa is taking bookings for the next two workshops at Grove Green. You can find the information about them HERE and there are still places on the July classes, information HERE.

Love,

Martina

xxx

      

A Home Sweet Home Card Using Wooden Embellishments

Hello, hello all and happy 2017! Have you made any resolutions to yourself? Any craft related ones? I really need to get into the habit of making cards in advance and having a 'stock', so maybe I will have a go at that idea!

A new year and a new home for a friend of mine, so my first make reflects this. Lisa has recently got some fabulous wooden embellishments in stock from Craft Emotions, so I had a play with some of these. They all take paint really well and don't need priming, so as well as being light, they are easy to work with.

I chose a beautifully detailed frame from the Frames with Ornaments Set, along with a house from the Home Sweet Home Set and painted with Turquoise Starlight Paint. I used Silver Starlight Paint to colour two little signs and two little keys, again from the same sets.

Turning the painted pieces over, I used some brads and Baker's Twine to 'string' the signs as though hanging within the frame.

I cut some dotty card and matching background card from the Anna Marie Designs range to form matts and layers for the frame.

I then fiddled with the elements before finally sticking down to my card base.

Very easy to do, with the embellishments doing the talking really! Have a play; those wooden packs are great value and you get loads in them too!

Love

Martina

xx

 

Starlight, Sparkle Medium and a little upcycling

Hello all, I hope all your Christmas preparations are almost done and your ready for the big day.

It's a little something different from me today, I had this candle lamp that I wanted to decorate so I hope you like it as a change from cards.

Before

 

After

 

So I painted the wooden lamp with Black Starlights that I put on with a wide brush and mixed with a little water and left to dry.

 I then dabbed it with a little Gold Shine Sparkle Medium.

 

I cut a few Poinsettias from a die in my stash using the Pure White Vellum.  I then painted the little MDF Robin using Topaz Starlights and Red Starlights, which I stuck onto the lamp using a hot glue gun, then placed the poinsettias and the project was done.

 

Very quick project today as I'm still doing all the prep for my own Christmas and that's taking a lot of time at the moment.

Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you have a wonderful time, see you again next week.

Love Jan -x-