Fresco fabulous!

It's been a busy old week on the work front with new services being implemented. Some already being successful (24/7 opening of the library and yes there were students in all night), some with teething problems requiring me to reassure project teams that everything will be OK, stick with it, don't change anything, problems are good as they identify how we make it better.

Sometimes work for me can have a tendency to take over and I find myself not having any energy to do anything else apart from work, eat and sleep especially in the evenings.  This year I am going to try really hard to make time to create even if it's the smallest amount of time.

This week (and I really mean this week, a bit here, a bit there) I've been working on this. 

I really do love layers and texture, so the things you can achieve with the gorgeous products from PaperArtsy really make me happy.

I wanted to try and recreate a plaster fresco wall type of thing with Terra paste and Treasure Gold.  The idea was to spread some Terra on a tag, not all over but in away to suggest a crumbling fresco. Let it dry, paint it, add Treasure Gold and then an image on top. 

As you can see it didn't happen because i couldn't resit stamping into the Terra with a PaperArtsy mini text stamp (mini 74).  It just gave all these fantastic crevices and raised bits that when it was painted (Fresco Eggplant) and Treasure Gold (White Fire, Classic and Onyxite) added, it caught the light beautifully. I edged the tag in some Frantage Embossing Enamel in Aged Black, the bigger grains and touches of copper just gives a different finish which I love.

I really added a LOT of paint layers to the canvas that it sits on.  Started off with Haystack, Butternut and Pumpkin Soup, just adding and drying until I got the distressed soft look I wanted. Added some stamping again with the Mini 74 and the diamond stamp from this set (Letters 5). Did some bumping through a circle stencil with Eggplant and Brownshed mixed together with Mocha Mousse and a smidge of Chocolate Pudding over the top. Stamped this mini flower (mini 69) in maroon archival. Gave it a good blast with the heat gun to make sure it was all set and dry.

I knew I wanted to add some fabric but wasn't sure how or what, so I left it alone for a few days pondering options as I drove up and down the M1 to work (I shouldn't say this really, but after 10 years of ddoing this journey it's a bit automatic pilot and good thinking time, one day I'm going to sail past my junction!).  Last night it came to me, wrap some sari silk round the whole canvas rather than sit it on top.  I sprayed it with some pinky silvery Glimmer Mist and some Walnut Stain to colour / distress it further. 

Added the tag on top with some die cut paper flowers that had a bit of Treasure Gold added, some Frantage Glitter, brads and Walnut Stain on the edges. I also sprayed some more Glimmer Mist also letting it dribble in places.

If I'm still in time I shall link this post to the PaperArtsy blog.

I still want to do the original plaster fresco idea but the idea for a twig wreath is bugging me more at the moment, now where did I put my stash of twig wreathes (notice the plural there)?

hugs

jo
xx