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Jul 5, 2017

Seahorse Mixed Media Canvas with Diecuts


It's time for a fabulous new challenge at Frilly and Funkie.  Our hostess Kathy has chosen the theme In the Good Old Summertime.  She says, "It's time for those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.  Whether you vacation at the beach, in the mountains, or enjoy a relaxing "Staycation" in your own back yard, your challenge is to create a vintage or shabby chic project that shows what you love best about summer.  Use summer colors in your project, and be sure to tell us in your post what you love about summer, and how you've represented that in your project."


For my project I had to really stretch my supplies, as I have very little sea themed items in my stash, other than the fantastic new Prima St. Tropez Washed Metal Charms I'm using for an upcoming project.  I found this gold plated seahorse at a thrift shop for a couple of bucks a few years ago and decided to build an entire project around him.  I raided my die cut stash for anything remotely beachy and came up with this rough layout.  The "coral" comes from two different greenery sets.  The plants are from the Wildflowers set.  I cut everything from thin chipboard.  I cut two of the Ornate Oval dies and glued them together so that my focal point would be a bit sturdier.  I threw in a couple of buttons too.


To make my fish net, I lined up the pattern from the honeycomb die from the Mixed Media Thinlets set.  I carefully cut around the design when it was all punched out.


I had some MDF packaging from a piece of furniture that was very long and skinny.  I had saved it for ages and decided to try and cut it down to size.  I actually put it in my paper cutter, which helped me cut a straight line a little less than halfway through the thickness of the material.  I used scissors to finish cutting through, then sanded the edges really well.  (Alternatively you could use chipboard.)  Next, I gessoed everything, every single die cut, my seahorse and my MDF panel.  I took some shoe packaging tissue and adhered to my base with gel medium.  I tore several extra layers and adhered them to the center diagonally to built up thickness there.


I dried the tissue layers with a hair dryer so it didn't buckle with my heat gun.  Then I mixed both sizes of Art Stones with gel medium and brushed on, mostly around the center where I was building up height.


I glued everything back in place with Beacon 3-1 then proceeded to spray with a variety of Lindy's Stamp Gang and Prima Color Bloom sprays.


I really wanted to add more depth and color to my project, so I went back in with Prima Art Extravagance pastes.  These worked beautifully over the sprays and added wonderful texture to the dies and charms.  For the brass, I watered it down and used my finger to apply it with a very light touch, spraying with water and dabbing as necessary. Adding this color really brought everything together.


Below my seahorse I added some basket filler, which I also gessoed and sprayed.  I added some small Wild Orchid Crafts flowers to help frame him.


I was so pleased to achieve so much dimension with merely using dies and a few embellishments.  The honeycomb is one of my favorite details.


For a final touch I did some gesso dry brush to bring out a little contrast.  I gave some good splashes of gesso too.  I added some tiny chunky glitter I have had in my stash for ages with gel medium and brushed on randomly here and there.  I embossed a Prima sentiment onto vellum and tucked it and a loopy bow on on either side.  I hope you like it and are inspired to play along for a chance to win a $25 GC to the Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Thanks for visiting today!


Shop the Funkie Junkie Boutique for these and other fine supplies.




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41 comments:

  1. Hi. I love your creation! A lot of wonderful details and colours.

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  2. What a stunning work of art Autumn - love it - the colours, the dimension and the fabulous texture!! Who would have thought that chipboard layout (which was attractive in it's own right) would end up like that!!
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  3. Wow...your under the sea scene looks amazing, the colours are gorgeous! Thank you so much for the step by step, I really enjoy reading about the process. Fabulous creation :)

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  4. Wow, sensational textures! I want to touch it!

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  5. WOW Autumn this is stunning! I love the textures and beautiful seahorse.
    Hugs
    Linda xxx

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  6. I'm swooning over this glorious work of art, Autumn! Wow, wow, wow! So much gorgeous texture and dimension. I really appreciate the step out photos and descriptions. It was almost as good as being in the room with you, watching you create. I love the sea, and this really speaks to me of summer, calm, the shore and all the things I love best about nature. Such creative use of your dies, too. Just heavenly!

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  7. So love the depth and texture you've achieved. So many elements to look at and admire. Great layering and what gorgeous colours. Stunning creation, thank you for the inspiration and sharing this beauty x

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  8. Gorgeous patina on the pieces and love love the before shot showing how you layered all the gorgeous die cuts together. Beautiful soothing sea inspired canvas!!

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  9. Wow..It loojs fantastic..those textures and sea themed look !

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  10. Absolutely gorgeous canvas !!

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  11. Wow! Autumn, I loved seeing your before and after photos! Your incredible colors bring out the magic in those fabulous textures, and the scene in itself is one of beauty. I love love LOVE everything about your Undersea Masterpiece! Thank you for the step-by-step shots of your creative process, too. Wishing you a great Wednesday! hugs, de

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  12. WOW!! This is just AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL! You sure have the touch when it comes to mixed media ... I love it but just don't seem to have the 'touch'. Just stunning! Thanks so much for playing in our ‘Layers’ challenge at Dies R Us! Please come back again soon!

    Darlene (DRU Blog Leader)
    DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG
    DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS Please come for a visit.

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  13. A GREAT project Atumn, sooo beautiful! You have to keep looking at it!

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  14. Oh my good gosh, this is spectacular!! Wow!! I don't have words!! It's a underwater masterpiece!! The texture is phenomenal!! I love every single thing about this, Autumn!! It's so stunning!! And the process pictures are so inspiring...thank you for taking the time to photograph along the way!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  15. You may not have many sea themed products but by golly you have created a real stunner here... I absolutely adore anything to do with the sea/ocean and this is just quite simply perfection!! It gets a huge WOW from me!! Hugs, Anne xx

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  16. Great canvas! I love the texture!
    Alison x

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  17. Awesome textures and design! You definitely captured a holiday-at-the-beach- mood with this wonderful project. Thank you for including it in our challenge at Mixed Media World!

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  18. Gorgeous mixed media piece!

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  19. What an awesome project! Your textures ad techniques are gorgeous. Thanks for joining us at Dies R Us!

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  20. Oh, my goodness, Autumn, you have made an underwater mixed media masterpiece! My favorite bit is... well everything, but the texture you have created using the tissue, the beads and that mixed media die cut--how amazingly clever you are! Really now, THIS is my favorite! Well done, you--big loud applause! Hugs!

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    1. And look at you! Biggest congratulations on your Top Pick at DRU! And I'm sure there are many more...just haven't gotten around to everything! Well done, you! Hugs!

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  21. Wonderful and so full of fabulous texture. Everything looks like I can see it sitting on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and it has been there for a while.
    Hugs!
    Cec

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  22. Amazing creation wow wow wow Thanks for playing at mmp and Scrapki challenge this month!!!!

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  23. Holy smokes... this is amazing. The fact that you added all of these layers (including Easter grass) and it's not a mess is impressive-- well, not really, coming from you! This is fab. Live the colors and dimension.

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  24. Magnificent. This is an underwater wonderland of fabulous elements and colours which may have stretched your supplies but not your incredible imagination and talent of which you have in abundance. Love this Autumn xxx

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  25. Your card is lovely - actually amazing!

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  26. This is such a great technique Autumn, and the end result you have achieved, is absolutely STUNNING!! Love those wonderful colour tones you have used, perfect for the theme!!

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  27. This is an incredible piece!!!!!

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  28. Lovely canvas. Great elements and findings. Thank you for joining us at Altered Eclectic this month. Hope to see your inspiring art work back here again soon. Judy DT

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  29. Necessity is the mother of invention they say and you have certainly worked your magic with your supplies here Autumn! Loving seeing all the layered die cuts brought to life with the marine colours xx

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  30. oh my goodness - I absolutely love this! Its amazing Autumn - beautifully made, beautiful tutorial - I love it!!! Hugs rachel x

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  31. In my wildest dreams I couldn't make anything like this! Your work is absolutely gorgeous, Autumn--love everything about this!

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    1. Well-deserved favorite at DRU, Autumn!

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  32. What an utterly charming and delightful project - I find it hard to believe you don't have much sea themed stash! I love the colours and your use of non-themed stash is ingenious as it all works so beautifully together.
    Diana x

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  33. This is stunning, Autumn! You have a lot going on here! There are so many elements I need to save this and re-read it, but it is absolutely gorgeous and a beach-lover's dream. Love it! Hugs :-)

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  34. Absolutely Gorgeous! Autumn . The colours, the layers , the texture and the layout make for a superb piece of art .
    hugs x

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  35. I adore anything Nautical..your canvas is absolutely gorgeous.
    stunning entry for our challenge this month over at Altered Eclectics...x

    Dt Altered Eclectics
    Owner & Dt Rhedd's Creative Spirit
    Owner & Dt at Go Tag Thursday.

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  36. So gorgeous Autumn ! I love seahorses and this looks divine with so much delightful dimension and texture xxx

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  37. Gorgeous! Thank you for joining us at MMP challenge!

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  38. Very Beautiful! A lot of lovely details! Thank you for joining us at MMP challenge!

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  39. very beautiful project and lovely texture! Thank you for joining us at MMP challenge

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