My project using the free digital paper from Chocolate Baroque

What a beautiful digital paper we have to play with this month. I decided to create a framed decoupage piece with mine. Available from the Chocolate Baroque Challenge Blog.

Materials:

• Cacti Postcard Digital Paper printed onto A4 paper
• 31cm square mount board in cream and dark green, plus backing card
• Crafters Workshop 6X6 stencil (Cell Theory) and swirly branches stencils
• Pearlescent acrylic modelling paste
• Acrylic paints (blue and pearlescent pale aqua)
• Polychromos Pencils (blue/grey and grey)
• Stickles glitter glue (Diamond)
• Pearlescent spray varnish
• PVA glue and 3D glue gel

How it was done:

1. Printed the image six times and cut around the cacti and flower image building up layers onto the background. Shaped and glued with 3D gel.  Note: Keep the leftovers for other projects, they will be great for cutting out with punches or dies.
2. When dry I added a little shading using the pencils.
3. Mixed some blue acrylic with the modelling paste and applied through the Cell Theory stencil with a pallet knife to create a border around the image.
4. I cut an approx. 20cm aperture from the cream mount board. The dark green was cut approx. 4mm smaller and glued behind the cream frame.
5. Stencilled pearlescent pale aqua paint through swirly branches stencil to create added texture to the frame.
6. Glued together, backing with thick card. Sprayed with varnish to protect.
7. It could be further mounted into a 3D box frame, behind glass, for added durability.
8. Tip: If you want to create a long lasting home décor project it is very important to use acid free paper, card and glues. I have a printer with archival pigment inks which are much more fade resistant than dye based standard inks.