Mixed Up Blog Hop

I hope you are enjoying meeting the Mixed Up Design Team! Welcome to my blog.

As you know, each of us is sharing our favourite makes for Mixed Up today, and the project I’ve chosen to share with you is Deep Ice.

I created Deep Ice for the December 17/January 18 Magazine issue. I adore getting texture into whatever I create and this one is a very deeply textured and tactile piece made from Powertex and mediums created to work with it. 

It took a few days to create from start to finish just because you need to be patient and let the layers of 3D Flex texture paste dry out before you start adding colour. This was the base layer…

And this shows the build up of colour using pure powder pigments blended into Powerwax which is water based and archival quality..

I’m also showing a sneak peek of my Upcycled Powertex Japanese Journal that was published on Mixed Up Mag on Friday 18th May! You need to be a subscriber to view this step by step project.  

Mixed up Mag is such awesome value, not only do you get 3-4 step projects added per week, but there are downloadable pdfs for each project plus lots of other tips and tricks, how to's, interviews, product reviews and much more.The Mixed Up website has tons of mixed media projects, including these and many more!  If you want to know more pop on over to the website here
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Make sure you visit everyone’s blog to be in with a chance of winning the Grand Prize! Here’s the hop list!

Mixed Up Magazine
Leslie Lineberry
Riikka Kovasin
Erica Evans
Debs Wainwright
Carol Fox
Corrie Herriman
Fiona Potter YOU ARE HERE
Mags Woodcock
Lisa Taggart
Nikki K
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Hop Rules:
Visit each designer and leave a comment on their blog for a chance to win a fabulous mixed media prize
The draw is open interntionally
The draw closed 31st May at midnight GMT

Under the Sea Brooch - Mixed Up Mag Challenge Team Blog - Texture

Just a quick update to my blog on texture on how I add texture in my jewellery pieces.  This blog is part of the first challenged on the Make it Mixed Media Challenge Blog - May 2018 Texture. I'm so happy to be on this team as I love the magazine and love contributing my project ideas to it.

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Here I am again, it's like waiting for a bus - you wait for hours then all of a sudden three come along at once! Random but that's me at the moment as my head is popping off in all directions.

I'm in the middle of a big sort out as I'm planning on opening an Etsy shop and also some of my jewellery is going off to a new craft centre where hopefully some of it will be sold.  OK I'm rambling...

I came across this piece that I made from scratch when I was planning a bare copper and resin workshop for Jewellery Maker.

This Under the Sea inspired piece was made with Bare Copper which I textured and riveted together before oxidising.  I then added an image in the background.  The texture in this comes from two sources. The dark blue texture is crushed Sodalite gemstones.  The lighter blue is coarse German glass glitter.  These were all set in place in the first layer of resin.

I then added some more images of fish and some tiny real sea shells that I picked up on the beach.  These added depth and dimension and were set in place with another layer of resin. 

To finish I added more glass glitter and Sodalite and topped it off with a small real pearl and a silver fish charm.

Watch out for more jewellery blogs soon

By for now

Fi

Powertex Hat - NEC November 2017

Hi there long time no see!

I took a nice break and enjoyed 2 weeks in Cornwall in September and October just seemed to disappear!  Then November came along with a fabulous Hobby show at the NEC and I had a great time with Powertex UK demonstrating all kinds of texy things.

There was a lot of interest in the hat I bought along to alter with Powertex and so as promised here is a quick step by step photo story of how this old felt trilby was transformed into a bit of goth type magic. 

I started with a selection of fabrics and added MDF, Plaster and sand embellishments.

Once it was dry I added a variety of pigments to give it colour and to bring out all the fabulous textures.

It really was a great project to make and I wore it the following weekend at Ministry of Mixology, Coventry and here is the finiished hat.

Products used were all Powertex:

• Black Fabric Hardener
• Powertex UK MDF embellishments
• Powertex 3D Sand balls in small, medium and large
• Easy Varnish
• Powercolor Pigments - Burgundy, Ultramarine and White
• Colortricx - Pearl

Have fun and happy 'Texing

Bye for now

Fi

Mermaid with a Message

Hi there hope you are having a great summer so far...I have been loving this gorgeous warmth!

My favourite place is the beach, I love beach combing and seeing what's been washed up that can be used in art like bits of wood and sea glass.  But more and more I feel sad that our oceans are being cluttered and devastated by plastic, discarded fishing nets and so much more, and it is damaging marine life.  So I created a Mermaid with a Message for a recent Mannequin's and Mermaids workshop.

I used a polystyrene torso and and wood/metal base from Powertex UK .  I then used some 2mm aluminium wire to create the tail shape and extended up her body.  I secured using masking tape and used cheap tin foil to create the tail shape and then wrapped with masking tape.  I used Powertex Lead  and Stone Art to cover the torso.  I used knitted scrim for the tail on the reverse as this gives the impression of scales.  

I added Powertex to some lace trim and placed around the top of the tail fabric and added small  3D balls to the body and tail for texture and to imply those little balls of plastic that are found in cheap cosmetic scrubs that find their way into the water course and out into out oceans.  I then painted the base with more Powertex and embellished with tissue paper and more 3D balls in varying sizes.  Finally I rubbed Powertex into some net fabric and draped over her, as if she were caught while swimming.  I then left her overnight to dry.

I then used Easy Varnish with Powercolor and Colortricx pigments to add colour, I didn't go too far with this as I wanted to help her to get her message across, plastic and waste are damaging our oceans!

Finally I used some rusty wire to make some barbed wire and added to her body. This will be available in my etsy shop once I've had time to create one!

Hope you like this project and want to have a go yourself.  Post some photos on Powertex Addicts United  if you do we love to see what you create.

Bye for now

Fi xx

Oh so pretty Powertex Seahorse

So what did you think of the fabulous PowertexUK launch shows on HOCHANDA last night with Tracey Evans and my hugely talented Powertex DT teamy, Anna Amelia Howlett of Rosehart Studio?  What fabulous products they have bought us and oh my... their projects!!!!!

I love all the hustle and bustle that preparation for live shows bring with them and I have been very blessed to have been able to play with some of the gorgeous products they have bought you to create this rather pretty Seahorse and in a later blog today there is a perfectly pink Jelly Fish.

Before I started I spread out the embellishments and textiles on my workbench and came up with a rough idea of placement.  I chose to work mainly with the floral elements for my seahorse so that I could get two very different looks.

So to get started, I brushed some Ivory Powertex along the seam of the two main pieces and then brushed more Powertex onto the back of the square mdf piece and pressed this down over the join.  This gives great stability and you can also use this area to put the hanging loop on.

I then spread Ivory Powertex over the entire back and dried off with a hair dryer. I then turned it over and spread Powertex of the front and edges.

Next I started to put the embellishments into place having first coated with Powertex.  I tend to drop them into the Powertex and then rub with my hand.  This ensures that the Powertex gets into all the nooks and crannies and means we will get a superb bond ...you know the kind that Powertex is famous for!

I began at the head of the Seahorse, I used one of the circles that I snapped in half and placed in the nose area to accentuate the smile that I always think of when I look at Seahorse.

I also left some clear unembellished areas so that I could work with the Black Bister later.

I gradually moved down the body of the Seahorse adding some lace to the outer curve accentuating the spine and then some of the RicRac braid on the inner curve.

I pressed some flat and left some proud of the base as this will give extra texture and dimension.  I also left some overhanging the edge, again to add dimension.

I continued to build up the texture using the embellishments and under some of the metal pieces I rubbed some Powertex into some kitchen paper and scrunched up to raise them further and also to aid the bonding with the metal and Powertex.

Once I had added all my embellishments I added some more Powertex to the areas I had left empty.

I then sprayed liberally with the black bister and then used a hairdryer to dry off some of the bister and create a bit more textural interest with a bister split.

I then left the piece to dry overnight.

Day 2...let's get colourful and bring out the character using the various pigments that are in the One Day Special as well as the Easy Varnish.

As with the embellishments I made to colour palettes from the pigments in the kit so that the looks were very different. 

I used the Turquoise and green first and then moved on to burgundy and lilac.    

I don't add all the same colours over everything, I tend to pick out areas but allow some overlap so there is little or no evidence of a join.    

I carried on with the colours over the entire piece.






Once the main piece was coloured I decided to add a pop of colour.


So using the orange I hightlight just a few of the flower centres and the wings on butterflies.


Finally I used silver to add a bit of lustre to what I think is a rather pretty Seahorse!

Below are some close ups to show you how I created the detail, highlights and shadows.

I hope you like her and enjoy using your Powertex One Day Special and create a fabulous Seahorse of your own.

Please share your makes with us over on our facebook page Powertex Addicts United.

Keep watching Tracey and Anna on HOCHANDA and pop back later today and there will be another step project for you to follow using more of today's fabulous POWERTEX products.

Bye for now

Fi xx

Powertex: A window on Jurassic

One of our many "favourite" locations on the English South Coast is the cliffs along Burton Brandstock and eastward to Lyme Regis.  I love the contrast between the types of rock and their the colours and the little secrets of the past they reveal.  I remember one of our visits to Burton Bradstock not long after a cliff fall.  I was in awe of the rock formation, the layering and the little windows the fall had opened up in to the past.  

So with that in mind and having also loved working with Tracey Evans on our Jurassic themed shows on HOCHANDA TV where my remit was a on jewellery, I decided to create a piece of wall art using the Stencils and Ammonite Moulds and remembering that fabulous holiday and location.  

Before starting with the frame, I got out my Powertex Ammonite Moulds (they come in three sizes) and mixed various colours of powertex with 3D sand to make a collection of ammonites.

For this piece I used Powertex Yellow fabric hardener to paint over the frame which was from my own stash, we all have stashes don't we? 

I then added some 3D sand and more yellow Powertex to make a fairly stiff paste.

Using a palette knife I spread the paste onto the painted frame in a vague linear patter until the whole frame was covered.  I then painted some more yellow Powertex loosely into the linear grooves and dropped on some 3D small balls for added texture.

Next I mixed more sand into yellow Powertex to make a fairly sloppy mix, rather like wet plaster.   I poured this into the cavity and then arranged my pre-prepared powertex ammonites.  

Some I laid flat and others i places a varying angles, as they may have done naturally.  I dropped in some more of the 3D small balls.

I then tool some Powertex Easy Structure - boy I love the texture of this stuff!!!

I used the three sizes of ammonite stencils from Powertex Jurassic Stencil.

I laid large one in one corner and carefully pressed through the East Structure.  Then in the opposite diaganal corner I did the same but using the small and medium stencils.

Next I used some Green Bister (mixed into a fluid with water) and sprayed across diagonally to add some weathering as seen in the image to the right.  I also added a few squirts of Red Bister.

As well as spraying evenly, I did a few short squirts to leave some blobs of bister randomly.  I felt this added to the natural weathering and formation of my cliff seen.  

I then left the piece to dry naturally overnight.

Once the piece was dry, I dry brushed over the non stenciled corners with a little more yellow Powertex that I had slightly lightened with Ivory Powertex, to give the impression of a shaft of sunlight passing over the shadows of the cliff as it revealed it's secrets.

Finally I used Powercolor Red Ochre, Colortrix Bronze Gold and Colortrix Power Pearl Red  Pigments with Easy Varnish to bring out the highlights and features.

I hope, if you got the ammonite moulds and the jurassic stencil from our Hochanda shows, that you have had fun using them and that maybe this project will inspire you to create some more.  

Don't forget to share them with us on our Powertex Addicts Facebook page! We love to see what you create!

Bye for now...

Fi