Leafing week: pendants

Hi, 
There was a bit of a mix up as Isa'sArt worked with the fragments instead of the leafing/gilding flakes. But the project is beautiful and would work with leafing too, so I post it anyway. 

Those Mica fragments can be glued to your projects, heated, embossed or even, as Isa did here, used with UTEE (or andy embossing powders) to make pendants

Here's how she did it.

1- She used a melting pot to heat the plain metal pendant

2- She then sprinkled some embossing powder(s) on the hot metal

3- She added the fragments over the hot (melted) powder (You could use gilding flakes too) which "sink" in the hot embossed piece. 

4/ Take it off the melting pot and let it cool for a while

And you get this... isn't it gorgeous?

Materials

Fragments

embossing powders

Glitters

Heat tool, Melting pot, craft sheet

So have fun with your melting pot/powders and flakes and we shall see you tomorrow

Don't forget to come and show us if you try this technique ;)

ETA

Pictures of Michelle's gorgeous canvas (paint effect week - March 28th) have been added. 

Thank you Michelle for taking the time to take those pictures for us :)

Leafing week: Leafing on AJ

Hello :o)
Today Neil is giving you a basic gilding tutorial using the flakes I mentioned yesterday and then add the shiny little bird to an Art Journal page....  

I'm using the bird from the Alteration die for this. You will also need some gilding flakes, (I prefer to use the variegated ones as I love the different colours you get, it's always a surprise!) and a paintbrush to apply the flakes.

I know that a lot of people tend to avoid them as they have a tendency to fly away but it's worth persevering. 

Your flakes usually arrive in a small container so the first thing I do is decant them into a lager container; usually a take away tub. The other thing that is useful to remember is not to work in a draft as they are so light the slightest air movement sends them off!

Start by applying a blob of glue onto your piece and spread it thinly with your fingers. 

Open the container of flakes (Carefully!) and pick some up on the paintbrush. lay them onto the project and carry on till you have covered the piece. 

 Press the flakes into the surface to flatten them out and you should end up with something like this.

You can see from this next photo too that what I do next it take a blending tool and foam; add a little distress ink (Usually walnut stain) and gently burnish the piece, this makes sure everything is sealed into the glue and also any small gaps are coloured. 

So there you have it, one gilded bird!

I used the bird on this journal page.

To do the background I tore random strips from a magazine and stuck to the page; painted everything with gesso and walnut stain over everything when the gesso was dry. Then a spritz of water to add interest. I stamped the Paperartsy stamp along the top and bottom in black archival ink and adhered the cage to the page. (I die cut the cage in black and sandwiched the bird between it and a background paper and cut it out.) 

The words were written in white and outlined in black and a little button on top of the cage to finish.

Materials

Alterations caged bird die

gilding flakes

Glue

Paperartsy Lynne Perrella collection stamps

Archival ink - black

distress ink - walnut stain

distress stain - walnut stain

See you tomorrow

Leafing week: Easter is just around the corner

Hi, 
Hope you had a great weekend. This week our lovely team has been working with leafing/gilding flakes and created some scrumptious projects for you. 


You will find different types of leafing/gilding material on our site, either by the sheet (La Dore brand or here ) or in flakes in different shades in little boxes (my personal favourite)

We hope you enjoy this week and all the different ways to use this beautiful product.
Let's start with Michelle today... 

Easter's on it's way and I just happened to have this goose egg in my box of alterables and thought I'd have a go at making a golden egg!

I first masked the egg roughly with torn masking tape then sprayed it with spray adhesive. After removing the tape, I then applied the gold leaf with a dry brush, adhering it to the sprayed adhesive on the egg. I rubbed the loose leaf off with a soft brush. The Lace stamp was stamped onto tissue paper (definitely my technique of the week) then stuck over the join on the gold leaf with multi medium. A few gold bits and bobs to decorate and I'd laid a golden egg!

 I used

Glue Dots Low tack masking tape

Metal leaf: gold

White tissue paper pack: 10 sheets

Claudine Hellmuth Studio - Mini matte medium

Katzelkraft unmounted rubber stamps Lace

Versafine ink pad - black

Was enjoying myself so played some more.

For this I just painted the mini canvas with black acrylic paint then stamped a flourish onto the canvas with versafine.

I then embossed with Stamp and bond then brushed on the gold leaf. Afew bits and bobs to decorate finished it off nicely!

I used

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints: Little black dress

Versamark ink pad

Stamp and bond

Metal leaf: gold

See you tomorrow