Welcome


Hello, my name is Dionne and I have been crafting for a very long time. As a very young child my mother tried to teach me to knit, it was a disaster. However, it must have sparked an interest in making things and, partly to prove that I was not totally useless and partly because I really wanted to make things, I taught myself to crochet. Over the years I have developed a love of cross stitch and all types of paper craft ..... I eventually even taught myself to knit.


I am married to a very understanding man, thank goodness, because I spend all my time either crafting, thinking about crafting or talking about crafting. I am hopeless at housework and dinner is often late!


Thank you for visiting my blog.


Dionne

Monday 27 April 2015

Things with Wings

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, I have been crafting, what more could I ask for?

Today a new challenge starts at Crafty Boots Challenges and it is one of my favourite themes - 'Things with Wings'.  Some of my favourite craft items fall into this group, butterflies, birds, bees, fairies and dragonflies, to name just a few.

The project I wanted to share with you today has taken me quite a long time to make.  It has taken me completely out of my comfort zone and there have been a few false starts and mistakes along the way.


Back in March I made a white mixed media canvass but I wanted something different for this project and I decided to make my design over three canvasses.  I started by giving the canvasses a coat of Gesso, followed by a coat of white acrylic paint.


Next I mixed up a batch of Pamellia Johnson's fantastic texture paste and created a distressed brick wall background.


I also added some ripped and distressed corrugated paper.  I made my own flowers from lilac tissue paper and some stamen.  I used one of my floral dies but, to be honest, I cannot recall which it was.


I made the butterflies by painting some card with purple acrylic paint and using a Sizzex thinlit die.

I wanted to give the brickwork some depth so the camera would pick up the texture.  I used Metallic Gilding Wax - Amethyst, Pearl Moon, Pewter and Golden Lilac.  However I was a little heavy handed so I went over the wax with white acrylic paint.  You can still see the gilding wax all over the brickwork but it does not show very well in the photographs.

I purchased a new staple gun to attach the ribbons because I was sure glue would not hold the weight, it was quite a nerve wrecking experience!  

The fabulous Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team has been busy making inspirational pieces, make sure you check them out.

Good luck.


Dionne

6 comments:

  1. Holy moses Dionne, I just love it when you whip out the texture paste!! This is just incredible!! I really love the addition of the ripped corrugated cardboard for texture, what a creative idea!! The purple flowers and butterflies look magnificent on the brick background!! Fabulous wall hang and a spectacular mixed media project!! I do hope you will do more wonderful pieces like this, you have a real knack for it!!

    PS, thanks for the shout out, you are a doll. PINNED! hugs :)

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    1. Thank you, praise from you is high praise indeed. I was a little worried that I had left too much white space. I was trying to create a lupin type flower spike against an old wall on a sunny afternoon with the cloud of butterflies taking off. When it was finished I was worried that I had been too literal.

      Thank you for the encouragement.

      Dionne xx

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  2. So worth the wait, your canvas trio is just perfect. Love the textures and the balance and composition is spot on. The flowers are stunning. xx

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    1. Finished at last, you have had to put up with a lot of my moaning about this one, all the false starts and me agonising about getting the right shape for the flowers. Thank goodness Pamellia's texture paste hold together through thick and thin.

      Thanks for putting up with me.

      Dionne xx

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  3. This is an amazing project, so much texture, you must have had fun, with all the stress :) in making this, great end result.

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    1. Thank you Faith, I was very pleased with the end result and it seems my two mentors were fairly pleased too.

      Dionne

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Thank you for visiting my blog, I look forward to reading your feedback on my work. I hope you will visit again.

Dionne