The Bleak Mid-Winter: A Mixed Media Panel by Lynne Moncrieff

Hello

You might think that the recent snowfall in the U.K. was the inspiration for this panel but I had this made prior to the arrival of the Beast from the East!

On first receiving the That's Crafty! 8"x8" Mandala stencil, I was struck by the beauty of it.  The beauty is that you could work with the full stencil or partial stenciling.  If someone was planning home decor projects, imagine this stenciled onto cushion covers or to create your own tiles.
This is the Mixed Media panel I made.

Supplies

That's Crafty! Surfaces MDF Panel Pack of 3 - 4.5x9"
That's Crafty! 8"x8" Stencil - Mandala - TC8014
That's Crafty! Light Texture Paste
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics: Pewter, White Fire, Chalk 
Memento Ink Tuxedo Black
PaperArtsy Cling Mounted Stamps Eclectica EAB05
Gesso
Gel Medium
Calico
Rusted Washers, Safety Pin
Eco Dyed Rice Paper
Found/Recycled Papers

Instructions

The preparation is in the stenciling. Apply Light Texture paste through the Mandala stencil onto calico.  Now you can either stencil the complete stencil or do some partial stenciling. I tore the calico into a panel prior to stenciling. This needs to be left flat to dry so what I did at the time, prepared a few different size pieces of calico but that is generally the way I work, always preparing extras when possible.

Apply Gesso to the MDF panel, allowing some areas of the MDF to peek through. Then, apply the Frescos, aim for texture. If the calico panel is dry, apply the same Frescos to this panel and also to fragments of found papers.

Onto eco dyed rice paper (or substitute with margin from old book page), stamp the PaperArtsy stamp, with Memento Ink. I only partially inked the stamp, stamped it onto two pieces of rice paper.  It was then stamped onto two other fragment of eco dyed rice paper, this time it was second generation, providing a softer result.

To bring the eye to the centre of the Mandala, two rusted washers create a detail with a rusted safety pin placed above the stamped focal - the rice paper was too delicate for me to pin the safety pin.

A shift in the colour palette would immediately bring a different mood to this stencil.
It has been a busy time at That's Crafty! with many new releases. You can catch-up with new stencils, stamps and Chunkies by visiting the What's New? section at the on-line store.

Many thanks for taking the time to visit.

Wishes
Lynne