Halloween B and H Collection ATC Matchbox - by Kim

 You'll have plenty of time to get this done for Halloween!

Construction:

First, build your ATC matchbox and drawer (see previous posts for construction if necessary). 

We need to make a space for our skeleton, a hidden layer! For this I used leftover greyboard, about 85x105mm, and some coffee stirrers. 
I cut a coffin shaped hole in the main board and built up the edges with coffee stirrers, I used clothes pegs to hold it all in place until the glue had set. 

Paint everything black. When dry paint the skeleton onto the box top so that it will appear to be laying in the coffin. I used some pumpkins from the Minis - Mixed Halloween set to add extra scariness. After painting I glued them so they appear to be coming out of the coffin.

When it's done, glue the coffin layer on the box top so that the skeleton is revealed behind the pumpkins.

Next, I needed the graveyard scene to go on top. I used another piece of leftover greyboard for the ground, same size as the coffin layer, and a smaller piece for the gravestone. The 'freshly dug' mound is made of texture paste - this will take quite a while to cure properly as it is a thick layer. The spade is a piece if bamboo stick from one of those room smelly jars with a piece of greyboard for the blade. As the texture paste dried a crack appeared just the right size for the spade, but otherwise use a craft knife to cut a slot. The cat was leftover from a Casa Bonita project.

I used ribbon as a hinge for the graveyard scene.

Painting:

I used Forest Green and Foliage Green for the grass, the mound is Burnt Umber with a light beige dry brushed on to the raised detail. The gravestone was painted Zinc grey with random streaks of black, Green Gold and Quinacridone Gold Fluid acrylics, and light beige. The inscriptions are in light beige. 
The cat is black with Tangerine eyes,

Underneath, the coffin layer is Burnt Umber, Forest Green edging, and black surround to the hole - all drybrushed on to blend with each other.

The bat dangles from a piece of narrow ribbon and 'appears' from the coffin when the grave is opened. It is from the Minis - Mixed Halloween set.

The matchbox is black inside and out.

ATC cards and coins:

I just had to make the cards in to mini gravestones. Trim the top to a suitable shape, base coat in Zinc grey, add an inscription in light beige, then add colours as per the gravestone on the lid.

The coins are decorated to look like pumpkins. Basecoat in Burnt Orange, add dark stripes with Burnt Umber - use this colour to round-off the bottom of the segments to give it a pumpkin shape. Drybrush Burnt Umber as shadow around the bottom. Use light beige to add highlights to the tops. Finish with a green stalk.

Add a suitable title for your collection of ATCs and ...

... that's it.

If you don't have large enough pieces of greyboard hanging around for the coffin and graveyard, heavy cardboard or art board will work. Paint colours are not too important, any greens, browns, beige, and orange will do.

I hope you enjoy putting this spooky project together for Halloween - post yours on the Tando Creative Zone on Facebook!

(Why Burke and Hare? - Link to their Wikipedia page)

Products:

ATC Matchbox with cards and coins
Tando Minis - Mixed Halloween
150g Greyboard Offcuts - useful for projects
Coffee stirrers or similar

DecoArt Americana Paints
I used Lamp Black, Forest Green, Foliage Green, Burnt Umber, Burnt Orange, Oyster Beige.
Green Gold and Quinacridone Gold are DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics.

March Colour Theme Week- Fiona Randall

 

Morning all Fiona here with a project and here is the colour theme for this month.

What a wonderful colour pallette for the begining of spring.

So here is what I created using the colour pallette for inspiration.

I used a Tando Media board mounted onto a Tando Tag and added one of the new Bees recently released. I went for a spring feel feel for this project as the colours are so uplifting.

Products Used.

Tando Mixed Media Boards

Tando Size 8 Tag

Tando Bee Panel

DecoArt Chalky Finish- Carbon

DecoArt Chalky Finish- Keepsake

Other Products

Arteza Metallic Paints.

Tim Holtz Distress Rock Candy Glitter

Tim Holtz Faded Type Stamp Set and Tiny Text set

Tim Holtz Distress Ink- Vintage Photo

Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink- Ground Espresso

Archival Ink- Garden Patina

White Posca Paint Pen

 

Announcing our new Design Team Members

We are absolutely delighted to welcome two new design team members to our super talented team.

Heidi Green 

Hi, I'm Heidi, married to David and mum to Amy, Jess and Georgia. 

I am an avid crafter who loves all types of crafting but specifically stamping, mini albums and mixed media. I am keen to learn new techniques and enjoy mixing up colours. I enjoy combining mediums and am at my  happiest when covered in paint!😊

A very happy and excited to be part of the Tando Creative team.

Jan Bradfield 

Hello, arting/crafting/creating has been in my life for as long as i can remember, in one form or another. Im one of those crafters that wants to try every thing they see! But I’ve only really started to be confident with what i create in the last few years. Mixed Media is where my heart is, whether its repurposing finds or ephemera in to a piece, or using paints, pencils, collage, stamps and die cuts, to sketching whimsical girls and animals or even a bit of abstract doodling, I’m in to it all… yes i do have a ridiculously stocked craft room of things that ‘i must have’ only to have them sit on the shelves while i move on to the next intriguing project! And i wouldn't have it any other way. Although this 2020 Lockdown has seen me actually using some of the stuff I’ve collected over time!  Other than crafting, I love to be outside, so i hike and run. I run a lot :-)

This is the first time I’ve been drawn to a DT. My intro to Di, Tony and the ‘Elves’ was at my first Mixology about 3 or 4 years ago, and I’ve grown as a creative because of what they all bring to us through all the different classes. 

Im really looking forward to creating with the wonderful Tando greyboards kits, substrates, stencils and inspiration that the DT bring to us.

Anything Goes Week - Mini Concertina Book by Nikki

Morning all,

It's anything goes week here at Tando, and today I thought I would share a mini book with you.

The book and insides were first painted in Everlasting chalk paint.

I then used shades of blue and yellow as a base coat, watered down to create washes.  Let them dry in between adding the different colours.

On top of this, stamping was added in a toning colour, to create the background.  I first used a crackle stamp all over, and then made it brighter by stamping with a text stamp in white, onto the covers only.

I took the thin circles, and painted them in the blue, yellow and brick red, and glued them onto the cover first to use as a base for the feathers.

I triple embossed the feathers, and stamped into the embossing.  The centre feather (gold), was not heated all the way through  on embossing, and it left this cool pattern, so I didn't stamp into that one.

Some silk cord was added to the back covers of the book, so they could be tied through the front cover to keep it closed.

When the book is open, you can see the pages are all co-ordinating, and ready to decorate on both sides, or you can add paper pages to each section by tying them in.

Hope it inspires you to have a painty day. xx

Best Wishes,

Nikki
xxx

Products Used:

Tando Creative:
Mini Feathers
Concertina Mini Books
Extra Thins: Circles

DecoArt Media Crackle Paint
DecoArt Chalk Paint - Everlasting

Andy Skinner Chalk Paints:
Mustard Yellow
Ocean Breeze
London Brick

PaperArtsy Stamp by Courtney Franich.
(ECF03) Eclectica

Texture Week - by Nikki K

Morning all,

It's Texture week this week, and my turn to make a project today.  I hope you've enjoyed the rest of the team's posts this week, and if you haven't seen them, please check them out on the blog, we really appreciate your visit. x

I started by taking one of the fab layered Tags by Fiona for Tando, and putting a thin coat of Texture Sand paste on the bottom layer.  I wanted this to create texture later.

I glued the tags together, and painted the whole tag in black.  Then colours were sponged on to give a galaxy effect, I used Cobalt Blue, Magenta, Cobalt Teal, Dioxazine Purple and White.  For both of these processes I used a sponge to give the paint effect more texture.

The whole tag was then splattered, with white, to give the appearance of stars.

For the aperture's, I mixed Triple Thick Glaze, with a little transparent yellow iron oxide, and put a thin layer in each aperture, so that the texture still showed as lumpy through it.  I didn't want a flat glazed look.

The little bits of black in the moon and stars are from the sponge painting, I like that they show through and give depth.

I love the glazed effect, and you can add any colour paint in a tiny amount to Triple Thick Glaze for it to take on a whole different look.

Hope you enjoyed this today.

Best Wishes,

Nikki

Products Used:
Tando Creative
Layered Tags Bundle 2

DecoArt Paints:
Media Line: Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Teal Hue, Titanium White, Dioxazine Purple, Primary Magenta.
Texture Sand Paste
Triple Thick Glaze

Other products:
Andy Skinner's Quick Grab Glue

Same but Different - Layering Stencils by Nikki K

Morning all,

This week we have shown a few different ways to use the Layering Stencils, I created a folder with mini binder inside for Di's Hochanda shows a month or two ago, and thought I would share it with you now.

I painted the folder white first, then layers of  colour were added, with background stamping and crackle.

The Flourish stencil comes in 3 layers, and the middle bit for a mask if needed as well.  I used modelling paste for each layer, which builds your design in different area's to make it more 3d. 

The Leaves Layered stencil works similarly, and I did the little binder with this.  It even has the veins of the leaves standing out more. 

I painted the binder in teal, and added Metallic Lustre with my finger to age it.

Love how the mini binder fits in the larger folder pocket, a really handy folder and art case.

Best Wishes,

Nikki K
xxx

Products Used:

Concertina Binder
Layering Stencil - Flourish
Layering Stencil - Vine

DecoArt Media Line:
Raw Sienna
Tinting Base
Cobalt Teal Hue
Metallic Lustre - Iced Coffee
Chalk - Lace
Metallic Silver
Quinacridone Gold
Paynes Grey

Other product:
Background Stamp - Andy Skinner Textures.
Turquoise Ink.

Anything Goes Week - Face your Fears by Nikki K.

Good morning,

Hope you are having a good week.

Today I am sharing a tag I made in monochrome colours, which is unusual for me, but I loved how this one turned out, and have done some more since.

I put some modelling paste through a stencil, and then painted the whole tag in grey.  White Antiquing Cream was added over the top, and wiped back.

I added some stamping with a background stamp of my choice, you could use any.

I put some modelling paste on to the feathers, and painted them black.  The words were stamped in Archival onto textured card, distressed at the edges, and cut and added to the tag.  The whole tag was edged in Distress ink.

A 'washer' was rusted with paint and added to the hole, and a nice piece of rough ribbon threaded through.

Hope you like it, don't forget to check out the rest of the team's work this week. x

Best Wishes,

Nikki K.
xxx

Products Used:

Tando Tag.
Tando Mini Feathers.

DecoArt Media:
Paynes Grey
Tinting Base
White Antiquing Cream
Modelling Paste
Quinacridone Gold
Raw Umber
Patina Antiquing Cream
Carbon Black

Andy Skinner - Unexplained Stamp Set
Tando Industrial Elements
Incognito Stencil

Other products Used:
Archival Ink - Black
Distress Ink - Black Soot
IndigoBlu - Drive Hard Stamp

Techniques Journal - by Nikki Killinger

Morning everyone,

We are gearing up for 24 weeks of playing in our Journals/Technique Binders, starting Thursday 28th February at 19.00 GMT.  These will be in the form of step by step articles, Facebook lives, or video, and we hope you can join us in the Tando Creative Zone each week to see them. 

I created the cover of my journal by putting modelling paste through a cogs stencil on the back, and then painting the whole journal in black Gesso.  Some paper from Stamperia was added to the front, in a random edged manner, and further stencilling was added to 'ground' the paper & design. 

I painted washes of Prussian Blue Hue, Quinacridone Gold and touches of Raw Umber over the paper, cogs and words.

   
I decided to use mine as a techniques binder, and painted the words in Pthalo Green Blue, highlighted in Metallic Lustre, and glazed with Triple Thick Glaze.

The whole of the rest of the binder was also highlighted with Metallic Lustre, picking out all the modelling paste detail. 

For my Facebook Live on 14th March, I will be showing a couple of  'faux' techniques similar to those below.

Don't forget to come and join us if you haven't already, in Tando's Creative Zone where it will all be happening, and check out the rest of the team's interpretations of their folders on the blog this week.

Best Wishes,

Nikki K.
xxx

Products Used:

Deep Brick Stencil
Deep Cobbles Stencil
Binder & Tags

Black Gesso
Modelling Paste
Triple Thick Glaze
Metallic Lustre - Copper Kettle
Prussian Blue Hue
Pthalo Green Blue
Quinacridone Gold
Raw Umber

Andy Skinner Cogs Stencil


Other:
Stamperia Paper.