Sometimes it just makes sense to use what you have with just a little updated product - I am sure I am not the only one to have a craft stash that far exceeds my ability to use every last scrap and so I am going to be looking to mix and match my collections and hopefully provide new inspiration for using older ranges with current up to date items. This make is one such.

The starting point for this project was the world stencil but it could just as easily have been the Africa stencil. Next I thought about using butterflies as my focal but in the end decided that tribal masks would work for  both the South American continent and the African continent and so the rudiments of the project began to form in my mind.

I chose one of the wonderful MDF Uprights for the base of my project - selecting the Jagged Edge version as I felt this could be a broken plank of wood. I started by painting the Upright with the dark brown in the Pentart Rust Paint set and let it dry before applying crackle glaze and again leaving it to dry. On top of the glaze I then used a sponge to dab a mixture of the yellow and orange paints in the paint set on top - dabbing gives a crazed effect where as brushing gives an effect more like weathered wood effect. Once the paint had dried I then mixed Heavy Body Gel Glossy with Burnt Umber Glamour Pigment to make a paste that I applied through my stencil. 

Whilst the paste was drying I cast some tribal faces using Amazing Casting Resin and the Tribal Masks mould. Once cured the resin pieces were primed with Primer Paste before painting with two coats of Ivory matte acrylic paint. Once completely dry I then painted the faces with different shades of antiquing gel using Umber for one, Ochre for the second and Brown for the third. Wiping back the gel before it had dried to reveal the colour and textures of the pieces.

I knew that I wanted the masks to stand on sticks so I used some lolly sticks painted with Chestnut Light and Dark Wood Glamour Gels over more dried dark brown from the rust set and at the same time used the same products on the reverse side of the Upright.

I added the dried masks to the tops of the coloured lolly sticks and took an offcut and placed it at the top of the Upright before adding sentiments cut from the 6 x 6 Savana papers edged with dark brown Archival ink.

On the reverse I added paper elements from the Collectables paper pack and the third of the tribal mask pieces. Finally I added 3d balls in various sizes to the base to resemble a sandy/stoney ground. 

I do hope you like this make and that it inspires you to choose new products to go with items you have had in your stash for a while so that they get a new lease of life.