Art With Heart August - Choose Your Own Theme!

It is so hard to believe that we are in August already - how did that happen??

Over at Eileen Hull's Art With Heart Challenge for August the theme is a simple one - Choose Your Own Theme!  What could be easier than that!  Eileen is asking you to dig deep into your stash and break out some oldies but goodies and make them new again.  Use forgotten dies, stamps, trims, techniques of what have you and make them new again with a fresh project.  The theme you choose is completely up to you!  There is an awesome Sizzix prize pack that you can win just for sharing your creation with us...

I have chosen to make two projects using some of the dies that are in this month's prize and another one of Eileen's older dies - the Recipe Box (cut for me by my lovely friend Kath Stewart - thank you Kath).

This is a picture heavy post so I will keep the words to the minimum.

I used DecoArt products throughout, the flowers are from Eileen's Sweet Treats for You set of dies.

I wanted to create a faux wood look, originally taught to me by my wonderful friend Jenny (Buttons).  I used part of her technique but with DecoArt paints in Titan Buff and Quinacridone Burnt Orange, followed by Andy Skinner's 'dirty wash' and then overstamped with Andy's Industrial set of stamps by Stampendous.  See lots of Andy's techniques here.

The flowers are painted with Cobalt Teal Hue Mixed Media Fluid paint and seed bead were added to the centres.  The clasp has been 'aged' with Quinacridone Gold.  The little label is from Eileen's lovely labels set of dies.  Although a Recipe Card Box, it holds packets of seeds nicely.

Next up, I created a mobile for the garden, again using Eileen's dies and DecoArt products.

The dies I used are from Eileen's Birds and Butterflies set and also the Doily Lace Medallion and the small medallion is from Eileen's Sweet Treats for You set of dies.

The elements were cut from metal covered card.

Each piece was coloured with Cobalt Teal Hue and Blue Green Light Media Fluid Paints and then dabbed over with Quinacridone Gold to give a verdigris effect.  The butterflies were embossed with Eileen's Sunburst Embossing Folder.

Close up of the medallions.

A close up of the beautiful embossed butterfly (with matching jewellery wire antennae).

The little mobile in situ in the garden - it is weather proofed with a coat of varnish.

I really do hope you can join in our challenge at Art With Heart, just get out some of your older stash and let us see what you make!

As always, thanks for looking and I hope to see you again soon!  Hugs, Anne xx