Well well, winter is here... I wanted to create something for this months' moodboard that reminded me of what it's like to live on the coast, when swimming is NOT an option. My kids were born in a little seaside town on the Mid North Coast of NSW. We would rug up and take walks on the beach. I remember the sand would be so cold that our feet went numb but if you have under 10's, just try and keep them out of the water. Well they're not little anymore and this is as close as they get.
I am in love with the papers that Stamperia produce, designed by Antonis Tzandinakis. I have had the pleasure of getting to know the guy and do about 10 of his classes and play around with his techniques. With this month's inspirations, I merge some of the best I learned from him... and my own favourites. I used crackle paste on the background and then used some oil paint to age it and a bit of Lindy's sprays in teal and copper to enhance the colours used in the original paper because I didn't want to lose the tones that matched the mood board perfectly.
I used lots of texture and layers on my pages. Keeping with the theme of Underwater Treasure, knowing that there is more going on under the ocean than on top these days. I fussy cut my favourite elements from the paper range and matted them with black card stock. I used a solid colour to make the title pop this time.
I painted the Shells and Corals in white Gesso and dabbed it thickly with my brush to create peaks in the paint. This allowed me to create ridges for the Lindys and waxes to sit on. I also used white for the compass. I sprayed some colour on my craft mat and put the chipboard into it - face down. The ridges collect the shimmer and give it something to grab onto. This is also true for the waxes. I apply them with my finger tip and gently rub across the raised surfaces
Tip: The colours vary so much when you use chipboard in natural, white or black. If I am unsure I paint the back of the chipboard piece in sections of each option and test it. Then when I know what I prefer I flip it over and use my preferred choice.
I painted the Stars, Anchor and chains in black gesso. I used the dabbing on the anchor and chains... It gives off a fantastic textured effect, when teamed up with waxes looks like aged metal. #lovinit! I left the stars with a flat coat. I find that the variation in textures makes them stand apart from each other better even though they have the same base coat.
To break up my layers I added some sisal in between. Anything white is a good 'page break'. I am not a brave creator and really struggle with adding colours that stand out among my page elements so I like to use neutrals. I really loved the page as it was, however I felt I needed something to unify all the elements... Art stones! Can't get more aquatic than that.
This is our Mood board for the month, if I have inspired you to join in post your entry on the Dusty Attic Blog and pop it into our Facebook group Dusty FANattics and see what other people are creating with Dusty Attic Chipboard.
Thanks for looking and links to products are below!
