Carte Blanche to Get Creative...

Hi everyone and welcome! Thank you so much for the fabulous feedback to my junk journal last week and vintage canvas yesterday; I feel blessed to get so many lovely comments to work which is shared as it's never a given. Now to today's project, and this one's a particular favourite...

(make sure you click on each image for a closer look)

Confession time - this was originally destined to be my project for yesterday, but having got lost in the process of creating it I realised there wasn't enough pale purple on it!!! Moral of the story, remember the brief - lol! However, that means it I can share it with other challenges, namely the latest one over at Creative Carte Blanche - Triple Trouble. We've been asked to combine three things which at first glance wouldn't go together (lace, metal and corrugated card) but for me that's a cocktail made in mixed media heaven and I couldn't wait to get started.

I often get asked 'where do you start'? The fear a blank canvas can create can seem insurmountable sometimes so a good approach is to grab a selection of things which are a) required for the challenge/rules/etc and b) colour coordinate. I also found a photo from last year's trip to Venice that fitted in well (a grand, yet dilapidated Art Deco/Nouveau style entrance at the rear of St Mark's Square - I could just imagine those 'rich young things' arriving here at sunset ready to party into the wee small hours).

After applying Texture Paste through a mini stencil onto corrugated card I let it dry, dabbed on Brushed Pewter Distress Paint and heat set until it bubbled. Getting rust stains on top is easy with the Distress Crayons; I drew through the stencil and then blended with my finger.

The colour laid down by Distress Crayons doesn't move until it is touched, even if you mist it with water. So I took care to add water just to the edges of each 'stripe' and rubbed gently with my finger again. Use a paint brush to add your water to make this process even easier.

If you go too far and end up with too much colour spread about fear not, a quick rub with a wet wipe will remove any excess!

These clever little crayons will also help you age resin and paper clay embellishments.

The canvas board was given a coat of texture paste to level it off and stick the lace in place. Once dry I spread on some of the Crazing Collage Medium using a spatula, even over the lace! This takes a little while to dry and create delicate little cracks. Colour was added initially by rubbing Tattered Rose Distress Paint over the lace and spritzing Tattered Rose and Rusty Hinge Distress Spray Stain.

In the past that would have been it, but being able to blend these little sticks of magic over pretty much any surface means you can continue to layer on colour to create a more intense and weather worn look.

I added stamping, Filmstrip Ribbon and Industrious Borders to the base for even more interest/texture...

and layered the photo onto the corrugated card with spare bits of card/packaging with altered embellishments...

to make up the finished canvas, one of my all time favourites.

And here are some close ups...

As well as the current Creative Carte Blanche challenge I'm entering;
Our Creative Corner - The Return of the Challenge - Go Rustic (October 2014)
SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges March 2016 - Anything Goes Steampunk/Industrial
Mixed Media World Challenge #12 - Vintage
Rhedd's Creative Spirit March Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Artiste Challenge #12 - Anything Goes

You deserve a long lie down after all that! I hope it's given you a little inspiration to get creating too.

Take care of yourselves, Jenny xxx