October Colour Theme by Nicky Roussou

Hello and welcome to my first blog post for Tando-Creative. 

For my first project I have decided to make a canvas. It’s pretty large, about 20cm by 30cm.

I started by painting the entire thing in black gesso. Then I used torn up strips of 3D embossed paper and randomly placed them around the canvas.

In my stash I had some hearts which I made using the Stamperia moulds and some plaster of paris which worked really well. 

I combined these with some Tando-Creative Wings and Mini Clocks which  I covered with some Cosmic Shimmer Lava Paste and heated. I do love the effect this gives!

I also used a flower stencils and a modelling pastes, again randomly round the canvas… I have to admit at this point I got a bit carried away and forgot to take some photos! (sorry.. I will get better at this!)

For the really rough areas I used a Medium Grain Gel which once painted gives a lovely texture.

Once I had most of the embellishments on the canvas I gave it all a coat of Brown Acrylic paint.

I then began adding layers and layers of a number of different gilding waxes to create the effect I like. On top of this I also used a Dark Brown Oil based paint which I watered down with white spirits. I then go back and layer the waxes again. 

For the butterflies, I started by painting the back piece with some Deco Art Metallic Teal Paint. For the front again I used a Medium Grain Gel to give it a rough feel and then painted them in Deco Art Carbon Black and highlighted in a wax. To tie in the teal to the canvas and to add a bit more texture by adding some little glass fragments by Stamperia from my stash.

This has been such a lovely project to make for my first blog and I hope it gives you some inspiration! 

Much Love

Nicky x

PRODUCTS USED

Tando clocks

Tando  wings

Tando butterflies 

Cosmic Shimmer Lava Paste

Deco art media burnt sienna

Deco art metallic teal

Deco art carbon black

Cadence moss effect paste

Treasure gold waxes. Rose classic, classic, silver and Rose quartz.  

Stamperior Cerantica teal wax. 

Stamperior Moulds

Glamour Sparkles Turquoise  fragments.

Tim Holtz distress inks 
Hickory smoke
Walnut stain 
Gathered twigs

Tim Holtz 3D Wood effect folder

Tim Holtz 3D brick folder

Some oil paint and white spirits 

Product Focus - MDF Chess Piece - Zoë Sanderson

If you enjoy home decor or 3D Mixed Media then these Tando MDF chess pieces are a lot of fun to work with.   Before becoming a Kit Ambassador for Tando I had already purchased a couple of these, this is what I did with the first one.

The kits come in two parts the chess piece with a tab at the bottom and a stand with a slot for the tab.   

It's important to check that the base and tab will slot together.  You will find it to be a snug fit which it needs to be; but you also need to keep in mind that product will make the MDF expand.   It will help at the end of your project to have something to hand to help sand both the tab and the slot down.  You can see here just how snug the fit is. 

As with just about anything of this nature the first stage is to give it a base coat that will seal it.  

                           

As we all know chess is played with a white set and a black set so with this piece one side painted with White Gesso, the other with Black Gesso.  The piece then had to be left to fully dry, you can use a heat gun but I prefer not to as it can set a bit of a warp.

My next move was with the black side and a stencil, I didn't tape the stencil in place just held it down with one hand while applying white gesso with the other.   Gasso pushed through the stencil with an inch cube of applicator sponge.

                        

When that was dry the knight was flipped over.  Pre loaded watercolour brushes provided the colour here.   The blue was very dark so it was lighted with plain water puddled on it, moved around with a plain water brush which picked up colour and discharged onto the paper surface below.  Which also explains the change of backing paper!   Before any further colour or medium could be added the water colour needed to be sealed so a coat of Matte Medium scrapped over with a stencil paste knife thing.

   
  

As you can see some of the watercolour did move when the medium was applied but as this is a much busier side that became part of the charm.  Embossing ink to the stamp and then some white embossing powder, the effect especially on the water coloured areas was so good a little more stamp and ep added to the top.

Then came more colour, this time from DIs and blending brushes.  The embossed areas act as a resist to the ink but to get that effect the colour has to be wiped off.  Not wanting to remove too much colour from the base a baby wipe wrapped around the end of a paintbrush handle allowed some control of the areas cleaned.  Of course if to much colour is removed it can be reapplied and the baby wipe touched over again.

Still on the "white" side I used some rik rak ribbon to added extra texture and detail.  Chess competitions seem to involve a time piece which each player stops when their turn is completed.  So an air dry clay clock or watch face from my stash was added.

Wanting a dash of colour on the "black" side an old stamp of a rose provided the answer.   Stamped in black with just the flower head coloured this was fussy cut and stuck in place with the Matte Medium.

Finally the tab and the slot needed to be sanded down so that once again the two parts came together snugly and securely.   To give the base some interest a texture paste was scrapped onto it.

The finished project stands just about 8.5 inches tall and 4 inches wide, making it an attractive ornamental project.

Products used.  A lot of my stash is old so some products might not be available anymore.   Don't let that stop you using what you have to hand.  If you don't like the result give it a couple of coats of gesso and start again!

Tando MDF Chess Piece kit

Windsor & Newton Galleria Gesso White and Black

Pronty.nl Stencil - Square Explosion

Creative Expressions Sponge Applicator

Penny Black Stamp from their Brush Strokes range - Rose

Spectrum Noir Alcohol Proof Dye Ink - Black

Letraset Promarker - Carmine

Ranger Multi Medium Matte

Pentel Colour Brushes

Visible Image - See Everything Stamp Set

Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad

Heat it up embossing powder - White Seafoam

Ranger Distress Inks - Mustard Seed and Worn Lipstick

Inkylicious Ink Dusters

Basic Grey Precision File Set

Pretty Gets Gritty - Marble Texture Paste

I hope you enjoyed this and will be back to see what everyone else has been creating.   Don't forget you can find us on Facebook and let us see what you have made using Tando chipboard and/or MDF

Anything Goes Week- Fiona Randall

 

Morning all it's Anything Goes Week here on the Tando Blog.

I love the Tando Matchboxes both the deep and the shallow versions.

They lend themselves to so many decorating options and I just can't stop paying around with them.

I have used the medium shallow matchbox for my project this week.

Full Frontal View.

Angled Front View.

I started by applying Modelling Paste through my Star Shower Stencil to the top and sides of the matchbox. I then took one of the Matchbox inserts and  and applied the  Tando Harlequin extra thins to opposite corners and The Tando Flourishes to the opposing opposite corners.This was then glued to the Matchbox top. Next step was to stamp and emboss onto a piece of black card using one of my new stamps from the Sacred Set. This was then cut to size and attached to the the resin frame. The frame was then attached to the top of the matchbox. The whole matchbox was then given a coat of DecoArt Chalky Finish in Carbon making sure I got into all the nooks and Crannies. The whole piece was then dry brushed with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics. I used a mix of Dioxazine purple mixed with Silver Metallic to create a Metallic Purple shade. DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Goldrush was then applied to highlight all the high points. A fun project to create and this one is to store my bracelets in.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Do check back to see what the rest of the DT are up to.

Stay Safe

Fiona xx

PRODUCTS USED.

Matchbox Medium With Inserts

Tando Flourish 3

Tando Extra Thins- Harlequin

Fiona Randall- Star Shower Stencil

DecoArt Chalky Finish- Carbon

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic- Dioxazine Purple

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic- Metalic Silver

DecoArt Metalic Lustre- Gold Rush

Fiona Randall Sacred Rubber Stamp Set

Other Products

Frame cast from resin using Finnabair Mold

Black Cardstock

Gold Embossing Powder.