AALL & Create Archway

Hello Friends

I have created a mixed media diptych as my Guest Designer project for AALL & Create this week.

To create the images I used two of Bipasha BK's newly released stamp sets - Archway #264 and Flourish #269 to embellish the doorway along with Stencil #60 for the background.

The diptych is from my stash and it was the perfect size for the doorway.

I attached watercolour card to the diptych, stamped the doorway and a further archway edging as I wanted some dimension.

I used watercolour paints to paint the background and the door and archway.

I stencilled the area around the doorway and I stamped, coloured and fussy cut some of the leaves from the Flourish stamp set and added these to the doorway.

To finish off I added some fussy cut leaves to the right hand side, along with the sentiment from the Flourish stamp set.

You can find a list of worldwide stockists for the stamps I used HERE at AALL & Create.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx

Light at the end of the Valentine tunnel...

Hello Friends

My lovely soul mate and I have been together for 25 years this year, he is a great railway enthusiast. So for Valentine's Day, and my Guest Designer project for AALL & Create, I used Bipasha BK's fabulous newly released stamp set #264 Archway,  to create a mixed media 3D project.

I know it doesn't have any hearts on it but I have saved those for his card.

I also used Stencil #38 Cracked Walls 2 by Olga Heldwein.

I started by decorating the inside of the box, for the 'tunnel' element.  This box has an arched front  and is self assembly (from That's Crafty) in the UK.  I used the stencil and some texture paste to line the walls of the 'tunnel' and painted the back wall with black gesso, dry brushed with some white gesso.

Next, I stamped the arway from the stamp set, I did this a few times, coloured them with Distress Inks in various grey and black colours.  I wanted to cover the archway completely so I cut up and paper pieced the stones to the front.

To give a little realism to the stonework I gave them a coat of Distress Clear  Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint which I hope you can see in the photo above.  Once dry I applied a coat of Matte Medium to dull the shine a little and then highlighted a few areas with some Hickory Smoke Distress Spry which settled nicely into some of the cracks.

Next, I cut away the track from my stamped and coloured train image and 'laid' the track in the opening of the box.  To give the base a more realistic look I glued down some of Seth Apter's Rocky Road Embossing Powder between the tracks.

I coloured the train with watercolour paints, fussy cut it out, layered it up in three layers to give some dimension and attached it to the back of the box.  I added some greenery and the tunnel number 25.

So, you may wonder why I mentioned the light at the end of the tunnel in my title.... well, that's because I added a light to the top of the box so that the train can be displayed at any time of the day or night....

I am pleased to say he loved his train, I have kept his card as a surprise though!

The stamp set and stencil I used are available from a worldwide list of stockists HERE.

For once I have made a project that actually fits in with a challenge!  I am entering this into Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where the theme is 'Crack it up'.  I used Distress Crackle Paint on the tunnel and a Crackled Wall stencil on the inside.

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate it!

Hugs, Anne xxx