This is a Happy Life by Amanda Southern
00:00
Hi Everyone
This week I have been playing with one of That’s Crafty's recent additions to their MDF range, a fabulous range of MDF shrines in various
shapes and sizes. I have been playing with the House shaped ATC art shrine
which come in a pack of 3 for £5.99. It also gave me the chance to play with
Tim’s new Metropolis Thinlits dies.
Here’s What I Did:
The
first thing was to cover the MDF with a thin coat of gesso. I then selected the
PaperArtsy Fresco finish paints that I wanted to use and built up the layers of
paint using my new best friend a washing up sponge. I have a pack of 10 sponges
for less than a £1 and I cut them up to use, the sponge has quite an open
texture to it so with a light touch it lays the paint down in a speckled
manner, so I just kept changing colours and building up until I was happy. The
sponge also leaves a nice texture with the paint.
I then
wanted to add some stamped detail to the inside of the shrine and Tim’s new
Metropolis buildings reminded me of the fantasy buildings that Azoline designs
for Carabelle studio. Now I
knew that stamping onto the paint texture I had created wouldn’t probably stamp
cleanly first time so I placed the MDF (both sides and the back all lined up)
inside a stamping platform tool. I am a reasonably confident stamper but these
stamping tools are fantastic for getting that perfect stamp and repeat stamping
in exactly the same spot building up the clarity of the stamped image. If you
don’t think that you need one, you really do. To transfer the image to the
painted MDF took about 5 stampings on top of each other. I actually used the
Misti but they all work on the same basis and the Hampton Art one available at
That’s Crafty! is half the price of the Misti.
I then
added a little colour to the stamped houses with coloured pencils and the roofs
have all been highlighted using one of the fabulous chrome pens.
Next
part was to die cut all the little Metropolis building from pieces of scrap gelli
prints. All the little roof add-ons I cut from ranger self-adhesive foil sheets
and then added them to the buildings. I then built my little town up in the
shrine. I added the stamped and fussy cut image, again designed by Azoline for
Carabelle Studio, to the front and one as a sun in the sky. Then I glued the
pieces all together using a good PVA glue.
I then
added my decorations to the house shaped front, again I have die cut into the
Ranger foil this time using one of the texture dies from the Textures #2 die
set by Carabelle Studio. I needed a couple of the die cuts to have enough to
add to the front (all the little self-adhesive foil shapes of the waste I have
kept for another project). Finally, I added the words which are mostly Remnant
Rubs from Tim Holtz and a little few of Tim’s Label Letters stickers.
Here’s What I Used:
Carabelle Studio Stamps Designed by Azoline (All the lime/yellow stamp packets)
Big
Shot or other Die Cutting Machine
Scraps
of Gelli Prints
Tim
Holtz Label Letters from my stash
Washing
Up Sponges
Thanks, and I will see you all next Tuesday
Love
Amanda X
7 comments
This is captivating Amanda, so much to look at.. I think you may have convinced me that I really do need these ATC Shrines in my stash.. A magnificent work of art. Hugs Tracey x
ReplyDeleteFabulous shrine Amanda.. Love all the details xx
ReplyDeleteAn amazing little cityscape Amanda and the amount of detail is fabulous. Love it!
ReplyDeleteFliss xx
Love this! Such a fab cityscape, from the stamped buildings with all their lovely details in the background, to the brilliantly used dies. Gorgeous colours too!
ReplyDeleteAlison x
Wonderful....makes me just want to buy a little house right there to live ;)
ReplyDeletehugs
Donna xx
it is beautiful and inspiring! xo
ReplyDeleteFantastic little montage Amanda!
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