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.

MDF Bookstand decorated for Chocolate Baroque Challenge 20

I had so much fun using this month’s hot colours to decorate this book stand for my desk. The colours just said ‘Indian Theme’ to me. I used acrylic paints and mixed and matched stamps from several different stamp sets. The design could easily be adapted to create a wall hanging or small canvas.

 

 

 

Good luck everyone with the Challenge – some wonderful projects on there already this month.

Anne xxx.

Materials:

·         Words of Inspiration, Indian Elephant, Exquisite Edges, Punky Flowers, and Gothic Fragments stamp sets

·         MDF book stand (Creative Expressions Kit)

·         White gesso and acrylic paints (pink, pearl pink, dark red, orange and yellow)

·         StazOn Inkpad (Jet Black)

·         Zig 2 Way Glue Pen

·         Fine tipped alcohol markers (black, pink, dark red and orange)

·         Polychromos pencils (pink, dark red, orange and yellow)

·         Cut-N-Dry Foam

·         Gold gilding wax (Pebeo Renaissance Gold)

·         Iridescent spray varnish (Crafters Companion Pearl Diamond)

·         Scrap paper for planning and masking plus dye based black inkpad

 

Step By Step:

I first sealed and primed the MDF stand with white gesso. Tip: When painting MDF items it is often best to paint them after constructing as the MDF can expand slightly making it difficult to fit the joints together afterwards.

The sides were painted with pink acrylic. The back and front panels were painted using orange and yellow acrylics. I painted from the outside edges working inward and blending the orange into the yellow in the centre.

The sides were randomly stamped with the paisley motif (Indian Elephant set) using StazOn. A bit of colouring was added using pencils.

I cut a piece of scrap paper the same size as the front panel in order to plan out the stamping. I have included a picture of my sketchbook page. I then worked out the order of stamping and which images needed masking. You will need to protect (mask) the foreground stamped images while building up the scene.

 

I stamped the lettering, elephants and border (Exquisite Edges set) with dye ink onto copy paper and cut around them to create masks. I added a few dots of Zig 2 Way Glue to the back and left to fully dry. This then acts as a temporary tacky adhesive to hold the masks in place while stamping.

It is tricky to stamp some areas on a ready-made item. The stamps need to be positioned on the stamping block to enable stamping into corners etc. It is also easy to slip when you are stamping at an angle on a 3D item. Tip: You could paint a piece of card to fit the area, stamp onto that instead, and then glue this onto your project afterwards.

I first stamped the sentiment, elephants and lower border with StazOn Ink. I then covered with the masks as shown in the picture.

 

Next I stamped the background arches (Gothic Fragments set) with a mix of pearl pink and red acrylic paints using Cut-N-Dry Foam to apply the paint to the stamps. Tip: Squeeze some acrylic paint directly onto the sponge and work it into the surface using a palette knife. This saves washing up of palettes and it wastes less paint. Place the coloured sponges face down on a craft mat and the paint stays workable without drying out for ages. Apply to your stamp with a dabbing motion. Clean your stamps quickly after use with warm water. A soft toothbrush can be useful to remove paint from the stamp crevices.

Next the tall stylised flower (Punky Flowers set) was stamped with dark red acrylic. The top of the stamp was then stamped with StazOn along the base. Masks were then removed.

A bit of colouring was added using marker pens and pencils. The pencils gave a nice textured effect to the elephants. I then outlined elements of the tall floral stamp using a fine tipped black marker. This brought the images further forward and created a nice frame up the sides of the scene.

I then sprayed with pearlescent varnish to protect and finished by adding gold gilding wax to the edges.

Pretty Box Created for Chocolate Baroque TV Show

I created this sample for the recent TV shows from Chocolate Baroque on The Craft Channel. Lesley Wharton was fantastic and gave some wonderful demos using the new background stamps. They are so versatile for so many projects and styles.  

 I used the lovely Baroque Orchids stamp to give a plain balsawood box a complete make over. The box was actually an empty Turkish Delight sweet box left over from last Christmas. Materials:

• Baroque Orchids stamp
• White gesso
• Acrylic flow formula paints – yellow, orange, bright pink and light turquoise
• Turquoise alcohol pen
• Die cut flower coloured with alcohol markers
• Fern leaves created with paper clay and a mould
• Pale blue glitter glue
• Cut-N-Dry foam and paint brushes
• 3D glue gel

How it was made:

1. Painted the box with white gesso.
2. Painted with yellow, orange and pink paints – blending the colours together.
3. Stamped the box with the Baroque Orchids stamp in turquoise acrylic paint. Applied to the stamp with cut-N-Dry foam. Tip: to stamp the sides it is easier to place the stamp onto your craft mat and roll the box sides onto the stamp. Remember to clean your stamp quickly before the paint dries.
4. Added dots of colour with alcohol marker and glitter glue. Sponged some turquoise acrylic along the box edges.
5. Glued on the embellishments.

Recycled Brush Tin using the Floral Weave stamp from Chocolate Baroque

I created this sample for the recent TV shows from Chocolate Baroque on The Craft Channel. Lesley Wharton was fantastic and gave some wonderful demos. Simply a natural on the TV. 

   I used waste coloured paper which had been used underneath an alcohol ink colouring project. I kept it in my stash as I loved the random dots of colour. I used the Floral Weave stamp and black acrylic paint. The bold silhouette style is perfect for stamping over patterned papers. I then added a little blue glitter glue to the flower centres. Now I have a pretty tin for storing my brushes on my work desk.
Happy stamping, Anne x.

Oriental Box created with the Floral Weave and Studded Lattice stamps from Chocolate Baroque

I created this sample for the recent TV shows from Chocolate Baroque on The Craft Channel. Lesley Wharton was fantastic and gave some wonderful demos using the new background stamps. They are so versatile for so many projects and styles.

I have had this box in my stash for some time. I used the lovely Floral Weave and Studded Lattice stamps to give it a complete make over in an Oriental style.

Materials:

• Floral Weave and Studded Lattice stamps
• Readymade box to decorate
• Black Gesso
• Versamark and WOW Embossing Powder (Gold Rich)
• Gilding wax (Pebeo Empire Gold)
• 3D Branches and blossoms created from paper clay and moulds (Martha Stewart)
• 3D glue gel

How it was made:

1. Paint the box with black gesso.
2. Stamp the lid with the Floral Weave stamp and emboss with the gold powder.
3. Stamp the box edges with the Studded Lattice and emboss with gold powder. Then rub edges with a little gilding wax.
4. Finally glue on the 3D elements to the lid top and rub over with a little gilding wax.
5. My box already had the button and cord closure. You could add these yourself to a plain box to achieve a similar result. Take care when heat embossing if your button or cord is not heat tolerant.

Technorati Tags: Chocolate Baroque,Stamping,Home Decor,Altered Art,Studded Lattice,Floral Weave

Haunted House Using the New Halloween Stamp Sets from Chocolate Baroque

I couldn’t resist making a spooky decoration with the FAB new stamp sets this month – perfect for a Halloween party. I used both the ‘Put A  Spell On You’ and ‘Hocus Pocus’ stamp sets and the little Wood House Shaped Shelving which is on sale at the moment.

• The house was first painted with black and white gesso to seal and prime the bare wood.
• Recycled corrugated cardboard was used to cover the roof, make the chimney and extend the bottom sides. I used a punch to create the scalloped roof edging from black card. Highlights were added using gilding wax. The ceilings and some walls were painted with orange acrylic.
• The sparkly clouds and wispy spider webs were created using Angelina fibre. A fine mesh of fibre was laid out and ironed between two sheets of baking parchment. The fibre melts and bonds to itself creating a fine ‘fabric’.
• The 3D embellishments, including cogs, flowers, toadstools, lettering etc. were created with silicone moulds and air dry paper clay. I created the broomstick from a cocktail stick and fringed trim.
• The main images were stamped onto white card using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and coloured with alcohol ink pens. I used a mix of Mowed Lawn and Broken China Distress Inks to ink the edges.
• The witch coming out of the chimney, bats in the clouds and the spell book in the roof space were stamped onto acetate using Staz-On Ink.
• I used punches to create the butterflies and black flowers. The leaves were created using a stamp from the Autumn Hedgerow stamp set. I also used the Mini Scripts set to stamp text on the walls and tomb stones, the Butterfly Poppy Collage for creating one of the wallpapers, and the Abstract Fragments set to add texture to the floors.

I had so much fun creating this and I hope that you like it.