Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Making Magic


The August challenge starts today at Anything But Cute and Georgie, our hostess this month and is calling it Making Magic.  She describes the challenge this way:

"Most of us are drawn to the magic of fairy tales and fantasy. The colours are often hypnotic and your mind is free to explore outside the limits of reality. For this challenge, I would like you to create a magical mixed media project strongly inspired by the moodboard. Be inspired by the theme, the colours, the textures or all three. Lets bring a little magic back!"


I decided to try to channel my inner Finnabair or at least to see if her inspiring talent could rub off on me just a little so I made this canvas in her style.  She posted a canvas with a paint brush recently and I used that as my jumping off point but the rest of the layout is mine.  You can click on the image to get a larger view.

I started with a 9" x 12" canvas from the dollar store and covered it with Liquitex Gesso.  Next I added some texture with Golden Molding Paste through a stencil from TCW called Mini Hexagons and a few randomly placed pieces of mesh drywall tape.  I also dabbed some of the paste on for more texture.

Next I raided my sewing stash and added some strips of denim and lace along with a long piece of cheesecloth from my kitchen supplies.  The paint brush that I picked up for a dollar at Wal Mart came next and then I started to add all sorts of bits and pieces from my craft room and my husband's tool shelves - screws, gears, washers, metal medallion, buttons, flowers, beads mini clothes pin, can pull top, wooden shapes, electronic bits, etc.  I used Liquitex Matte Super Heavy Gel Medium to attach everything and found once it was dry, it really kept everything in place.

Originally I had decided on a different way of doing the text but didn't like it and changed my mind after everything was done so in this case the letters, which were cut from wood on our new laser cutting machine were altered after the fact ( what a pain that was since they are tiny).  Normally they would have been added along with all the other bits.

The next step was to give everything a couple coats of Gesso and then a coat of Leaf Green acrylic paint from Delta Ceramcoat.  Once that was dry I went over it with some Hey Pesto Fresco Finish paint.

The next step was to add lots of inks, sprays and more paints.  I used Burnt Sienna Liquitex Ink, Antelope Brown and Silver Moss FW (Dalex Rowney) Ink.  The sprays I used were Lindy's Glitz Spritz Blazing Sun and Lindy's Starburst Jack in the Pulpit Teal.  I mixed some Lindy's Magicals My Mojito Green with water and used my natural sea sponge to dab it on as well as some Folk Art Peridot Metallic and Deco Art Champagne Gold acrylic paints.

Here are a couple of close-up views:



I had a blast making this and hope that I did Finnabair proud.  I also hope that you will join us in Georgie's challenge and make something magical.

I am going  to enter this project in the following challenges:

That Craft Place - Mixed Media Anything Goes
Simply Create Too - Anything Goes
A Sprinkle of Imagination - Anything Goes
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes (must be mixed media or altered items)
Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes (must be mixed media or altered items)
Mixed Media Mojo  - Anything Goes (must be mixed media or journaling)
Mixed Media World - Stencils
We Love 2 Create - Anything Mixed Media/Creative/Inky Goes

23 comments:

  1. Wow Cec, you never disappoint with your amazing projects! This is just incredible!! I just love all the elements you used to create your texture, such a masculine/feminine mix from laces and flowers to washers and a paintbrush...what!!!! AWESOME!!! I love the colours you pulled from the mood board and your 'make magic' is so perfect for your piece!! Well done my friend! hugs :)

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  2. What a fantastic work or art this is!!! Love the elements you used to create it :) How fun!! You truly made magic here :)
    Hugs to you my dear!

    Samra
    Paper Talk with Samra

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  3. A stunning project Cec, who would guess that a humble paint brush could look as fabulous as this one does. Gorgeous colours and additions.
    Yvonne xx

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  4. Oh my goodness, I am completely in love with your magical piece of art, Cec! I love every single detail you used here to create such a fantastic canvas! What a marvelous idea to use your paint brush as a focal point and I adore your perfectly blended colours!
    Hugs to you! Branka xxx

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  5. Cec, I have to say I have been staring at this ever since you posted it and I still have not seen every single detail! I am in love with this piece...it has got to my favorite Cec creation yet! You have really done Finnabair proud! It would surprise me if this didn't ace every single challenge you entered it in! Your composition and paint blending is just magical! Big hugs to you!

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  6. Cec, you totally would have done Cinnabar proud with this beauty! The greens and golds are just divine and words are perfect! I just adore all those embellishments you've used to create a masterpiece xx

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  7. Cec you have totally nailed Finnabair! Its brilliant! Cxx

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  8. Great canvas Cec, a brilliant piece. Thanks for joining in the challenge at That Craft Place, Angela DT.

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  9. Really nice love how you added a paint brush

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  10. You did indeed channel your inner Fin with lots of fun elements and tid bits! This paintbrush design is one of my favorites and your colors are awesome sauce! So sweet of your DH to join in with the new laser cutter and your sentiment is perfecto dearie! Wowzers on so many levels! I bet your stash is something to behold. Hehe! Wonderful and stupendious Cec! Hugz to you muffin! ~Niki

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  11. Your canvas is gorgeous,green being my favourite colour, so I am loving this...
    A stunning entry for our challenge over at http://rheddscreativespirit.blogspot.co.uk/...x

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  12. Totally fantastic Cec ! I attended the Finnabair class when she showed us how to create this project and at first glance I thought you'd been on it too ! I love the colour palette you used and I keep wondering where the lady I met a few years ago is who had never used Distress Ink ! Now look at you ! Gorgeous ! Sue C x

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  13. This is amazing to me! Love love the paintbrush! Thanks for sharing with us at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month! Nanette, DT

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  14. Simply stunning! And yes, very Fin, but also totally your own!
    Thank you for joining us for the challenge over on the That Craft Place Challenge Blog..
    xxSAMxx TCP Design Team.
    ❤My Blog❤
    ❤That Craft Place Challenge Blog❤
    ❤That Craft Place on Facebook❤

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  15. Aww this is brilliant - love the composition and the colourings - Thank you for sharing with us over at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month and hope to see you again in future challenges.

    Handcrafted by Ellapu
    Mother Hen for Altered Eclectics
    Mother Hen for Eclectic Ellapu
    DT Rhedd's Creative Spirit
    DT The Mirror Crack'd
    DT Anything but a Card

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  16. This is really excellent! I love the way all those buttons and bobs are unified by your paint technique. Great way to make magic out of ordinary bits and pieces! Love the shimmery-ness of it!

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  17. What an interesting piece of work. Thank you for entering the ASOI challenge this month.

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  18. Sheer magic, it is! I love the use of different elements for textures and the shimmery colors.Thanks for sharing this with us at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month. Good Luck, Rupa (Dt).

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  19. great job - I have tried this and was not happy I need to go back and try again. thanks for joining us on Mixed Media Mojo

    Barb Housner (DT)

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  20. Wow! This is amazing, I love all the elements and the colour is fabulous. Thank you for sharing it with us at Mixed Media Mojo.
    xxx Hazel.

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  21. Beautiful - you've certainly tapped into your inner "Finnabair"!! Love your colors here, and all that yummy texture! xx Lynn

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  22. So cool with the paintbrush front and center and the greens - a wonderful canvas with so many little details to interest!! Magical! Julia xx

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I love to hear what you think about my work, so please leave me a comment.

Thanks!
Cec