9 days of the Crafty Countdown!!!!

Wow, we're in single figures - and my nails are not looking telly worthy!  Presently they are covered in paint, glue and ink - and I've suddenly realised I seem to have broken every nail.  Some things don't change.

Now, the challenge.  I use a random number selector (have I told you that before), and today it selected:

Ruth Kidd (well done Ruth, and thank you for your suggestion).  Ruth has thrown these into the mix:
scraper foil
Gilding wax
Acetate

Now, I know I have scraper foil.  I have been looking for it for 2 hours!  haha.  I've attempted to tidy as I went along, so the search wasn't altogether futile, but at the moment it's still in the elusive "safe place".  I will carry on my search, and your challenge will be completed Ruth.

In light of the missing scraper foil, I decided to finished the tutorial which I started last night, instead.

We were here (check out yesterday's blog if you are not sure how to get to this stage).  The gesso looks good as it is, I quite like the white.  The gesso also gives us a great surface to add colour onto.  In many forms.  You can use your paints, inks, spritzers, glazes or waxes.  The beauty of mixed media is the freedom to experiment.  You can always cover it back up again if you hate it.  It would even look really effective in black, with some striking gold gilding wax over the top. Play.

I went for my spritzers again.  You can tell when I rediscover something - I use it constantly.  This is a deep red

Until you add a little water to tone it down

I sponged off the excess water and ink, and you can see it lightens substantially 

I then spritzed on some dark blue.  I love the blend of the two inks.  I spritzed water to tone the ink and to mix them further

I also added a little of the silver mica spritzer, just a little for a bit of shine

I then dried it all with my heat gun.  Look how the colours change.  I love seeing the effects you achieve once the inks are dry, they often form veins of colour which are really interesting

I decided to knock the colour back a little, to swept over some white gesso.  Literally take you paint brush, load on your gesso, and sweep.  Don't apply to much pressure at first, build up the gesso until you are happy with the effect

The base you pop your art piece on will change how it looks, you can see how the colours stand out when I pop it on a white base

You may want to add extra embellishments - remember you can still colour tint them so they will match.  Just lay them on and see if you like the composition

I didn't like the flowers!  I turned to my trusty magazine instead, and cut out the word Escape.  I played around a little to decide where it looked good

And then decided to anchor the frame down with a ribbon - which I decided to run around the back of the piece.

Matt and layer your piece.  This is the same as you would mount your artwork - I went with a white mount, a small piece of black card and then finally a piece of white mount board

I adore the textures, and how, once it's completed, you can not tell what anything really is!  Who knew it was a bit of scrap card and some glue.

I finished, and then decided to add some gilding wax - well, it is....Monday?  

I hope that is helpful to those people who were stuck on how to start an altered art piece.  It's so rewarding - I'm completely obsessed.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to attack the challenge, otherwise it's another altered art piece :)