Christmas Houses

Hello all!

Christmas is fast approaching...I am SO not organised! To be honest I have been busy making things for other people and not for myself; I always seem to think I have loads more time than I actually do!

Here is an MDF piece I was pleased with, made for a recent Imagination Craft's Hochanda show. It started life as plain MDF before being transformed!

The MDF was basecoated with white Gesso before I applied random thicknesses of Crackle Paste to add texture. Once dry I also stencilled a few bricks to some sections with the same paste to add another layer of interest. I used a wash of Chestnut Starlight Paint to age the houses and give some shading, making it darker or lighter as appropriate. The branches and birds are greyboard Magi-Cutz painted with Starlights and the rest are odd bits from my stash! Voila!

I think I may need to make another one for myself now!

xx

Starlight Waxes and Paints for Superhero Men's Makes!

Hello all!

Today I wanted to share with you two recent makes, one for my husband and one for the Imagination Craft's Starlight Waxes launch show on Hochanda. Both are in the same vein and are designed for boys (and men...!)

My first make was a pencil pot for my husband's work desk. He wanted something fun and different, so I decided to go for a vintage superhero comic theme!

Using Black Starlight Paint, I coated the edges and inside of an MDF pencil pot.

To find my 'backing papers', I visited a local charity shop and bought some vintage comics that were older than me! Flicking through them, I chose some images and page sections that I liked and wanted to make into a main feature.

I covered each side of the pencil pot, cutting the paper slightly larger than needed. Once the glue was dry, I used a nail file to file away the excess paper and give a neat edge.

To add some words to my design and make them stand out, I backed them onto some black card and created a border for each one.

As I was putting the pencil pot together, I decided I wanted to add some further dimension. I had some blank cabochons in my stash that I had bought in a bargain bin ages ago, so I had a play with these... Using a small round die, I cut out four different superhero heads to fit inside them. To make a dome effect and seal the design, I heated some clear embossing powder and poured onto each cabochon ( I also managed to burn my finger at this point!)

Once I added all the elements together, I tidied up the edges that had been filed with some Starlight Black Wax. I also added some to the sides in streaks to dull the papers and make it look a little darker and 'used'.

So, what do you think? My husband was pleased anyway!

My next make was in the same style, but this time using one of the Imagination Craft's MDF crates, designed for a boy's bedroom.

The crate was painted all over with Black Starlight Paint and then some White Gold Starlight Wax streaked across the sides. I also added the wax to some Chicken Wire Art-Cutz and snipped pieces out randomly to add to the sides. I cut some words from the same comics I used before, again backing them with black card. I did not use any characters this time, as I was not sure if I was allowed to on the TV!

My boys were pleased with this one, so the men in the house got a crafty 'look in' with my makes this time!

Thank you for reading, see you again very soon,

Love

Martina

xx