May Colour Theme - with Nikki

Morning everyone,

I made something for the colour theme week, I don't usually do these as I struggle sticking to 'rules'.. lol.  But these colours were so good together I couldn't resist.

I started with a media board that I had already put some modelling paste on, with the Clock stencil, and painted in magenta and turquoise, for a different project.  But something told me it would work well, so I stuck with it.

To disguise the turquoise (as it wasn't in the theme), I added pale grey/blue chalk paint and yellow iron oxide to areas just really roughly with the paintbrush.  A bit like the theme above!

Once I had finished messy painting, I added transfers to certain areas in keeping with the time theme, and stamped in a dark burgundy in random places.

I painted a Tando ATC coin in the grey, then stamped in yellow chalk paint with a distressed wallpaper stamp.  These pics are taken in the evening so the colours are more vibrant when seen on the finished piece.

This picture shows the background detail and layers on the media board background.

I took a plaster crown from my stash, and painted in a mulberry pink chalk paint, then finger painted over the relief bits with purple.  On top of this I highlighted in gold.  This was glued to the ATC to finish, and a final transfer number added for detail.

I absolutely love how busy and vibrant this is, and that depending on where you start with a piece of art you never know where it is going to end up.

Best Wishes,

Nikki K.
xxx

Products Used:

Tando Creative:
Media Board
ATC Coin
Clock face Stencil

Andy Skinner/Creative Expressions:
Enigma stamp.
Mixed Media Transfers
Distressed Wallpaper Stamp
Andy Skinner Structure Paste
Artist Pigment Yellow Iron Oxide Paint
Artist Pigment Paynes Grey
Quick Grab Glue

DecoArt Media:
Primary Magenta
Quinacridone Violet
Tinting Base
Cobalt Turquoise Hue (under layer).
Metallic Gold
Dioxazine Purple

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

Faux Metal week with Nikki

Hi everyone,

It's my turn today here on the Tando Blog, for Faux Metal week.  I inevitably included a lot of rust!

The background is a media board, stencilled with modelling paste, painted in silver, and then a wash of Payne's Grey with a little salt added.  Rub off the salt when dry for a weathered metal look.  I added Quinacridone Gold in certain areas and to the edges, and put some on thick in places, so that when heat dried it bubbled up, giving extra texture.

I gave a pair of wings Andy's Skinner's Rust treatment - and bound them in rusty wire.  The skull was a resin skull I had at home, painted in silver and then antiqued with Black Antiquing Cream.  I added some black stencilling to the background, just a couple of 'marks'.

I gave a book plate (minus it's bottom scroll) a quick rust technique in just two colours, Raw Umber and Pyrrole Orange, and the same with a couple of 'screws'.  Toxic Hazard was stamped onto card, and aged with Yellow Iron Oxide, then cut to fit the book plate.  Onced fixed to the background I added two holes to the top of my board with a Cropodile, and added some more rusty wire with curls.

I had great fun making this guy :)  Hope you like him too.  Don't forget to check out the rest of the team's makes this week too.

Happy Crafting,

Nikki K.
xxx

Products Used:

Tando Creative -
Book Plates
Media Board
Wings
Rusty Wire

DecoArt Media -
Quinacridone Gold
Payne's Grey
Metallic Silver
Yellow Iron Oxide
Black Antiquing Cream
Tinting Base
Modelling Paste
Sand Texture Paste

Andy Skinner Stamp -
Toxic

Modelling Paste Week - by Nikki K

Morning all,

This week our task is to use Modelling Paste in our makes. 

I have taken a Tando Mixed Media board, as I love these for little hangers or technique boards, they are so easy to use and are brilliant for when you want to 'art' but can't tackle a big project.  They make nice gifts when done too, as they fit in an envelope nicely. 

First, Gesso the board all over, then take the 'All Seeing Eye' stamp, and stamp slightly above centre.  Give a wash of Cobalt teal hue and primary magenta over the eye.  When dry, use Liquid Glass to give a clear raised coating over the eye area.

Around the eye and over the rest of the board, spread a layer of crackle paint. When dry, give a wash of Cobalt Teal Hue. Highlight areas with Metallic wax in Copper.

Over the top of this, I layered a Tando Brick wall stencil, and used modelling paste through it.  This was given a wash of Red Iron Oxide, and then some Patina Antiquing Cream in places.

You could add holes to the top of the board and some wire to make a little hanging, or a centre hole to make a tag.  A cropodile works well on the board, no problems.

Hope you like it,

Have a good week,

Nikki K.

www.nikkikart.blogspot.co.uk
www.facebook.com/nikkikartist

Products Used: 
Tando Creative Mixed Media Board
Tando Creative Mini Mask - Brick
DecoArt Media Line paints
DecoArt Media Antiquing Cream - Patina
DecoArt Media Crackle Paint
DecoArt Media Modelling Paste
Andy Skinner Stamp - Curiosity

Anything Goes Week - Nikki's Backwards Crackle Technique.

Hi everyone,

After a fab weekend at the Ministry of Mixology treat, I promised to share my 'Backwards Crackle' technique with you, and as it's anything goes week here at Tando it seemed a perfect time, so you can all see the process.

Step 1.
Peel back just ONE side of the plastic on your acrylic piece.  This protects the front from any paint spills, or scratching, but mostly stops you peeking until the end reveal!  (It's more fun that way).

Step 2.
Stamp your image in Carbon Black paint.  Put a small amount on your craft mat and spread thinly, then 'ink' up your stamp as you would with an inkpad, and stamp.

Step 3.
Colour your image all over but without going out of the lines.  I used Pyrrole red inside the heart.

Step 4.
Give another layer of colour inside the heart.  Because the Media Line paints are slightly transparent, you will still see your second colour coming through.  I put a layer of the new 'Extreme Sheen' metallic bronze here.

Step 5.
Water down a bit more of the bronze paint very slightly (or any colour you have chosen), and 'splatter' the whole of your piece.  I repeated this process 4 times, in different colours, drying between each colour so they don't turn to mud.

Step 6.
Paint a complete layer of Americana Crackle medium over the painting done so far.  This is a chalk crackle medium and only works with the chalk paints.  It also won't crackle what you have painted already, only what is put on top.  Wait until completely dry before the next step.

Step 7.
Take a chalk paint in a chosen colour, I used Timeless, and give a quick, even coat over the crackle.  Don't rub the paintbrush up and down, or it takes the crackle off, it needs to be a swift, even coat, not going back over places already done.  Wait while it crackles before your eyes.  Leave to dry.

Step 8.
For a final coat and to see through the crackle, choose a contrasting colour of paint.  For this layer it doesn't have to be a chalk paint, it can be any, but I used Treasure in the chalk paints.

Step 9.
When dry, peel back the front cover on your acrylic to reveal!

Step 10.
Working on the front of your piece now, take some embossing ink, I used Versafine Dazzle here, as you can see where you stamp it as it has a shimmer, and works really well on acrylic.  Emboss in a fine powder, I used a faded gold colour.

Add some wire and beads of your choice (mine are skulls of course).

 

Here are a couple more versions I was playing with :)  You can use any paints, as long as the chalk crackle has a chalk paint as it's next layer, the rest of the paints can be anything.

Hope you like it and have fun playing.

Best Wishes,

Nikki K. xx

www.nikkikart.blogspot.co.uk
www.facebook.com/NikkiKArtist

Products Used:

Tando Creative Acrylic Media Boards (holes added by drilling)
DecoArt Media Line Acrylic paints: Pyrrole Red, Green Gold, Metallic Gold, Carbon Black.
DecoArt Chalk paints: Timeless, Treasure
DecoArt Americana Crackle Medium
Versafine Dazzle Embossing Ink

All of the above apart from embossing ink are available from http://www.tando-creative.co.uk/

Same but different - by Nikki

Morning all,

It's my turn on our 'Same but different' week to share a Tando Shrine with you that I have made. 

We were all given the same piece this week, the Tando Shrine.

As it's October, and I do love Halloween, mine seemed to call for a little spookiness.

I first painted the shrine in white gesso, and then white crackle paint.  I picked some of the crackle back off on the outside to make it look older.  I painted several washes of colour over the shrine, starting with quinacridone gold, then prussian blue hue, quinacridone burnt orange, diaoxazine purple, then dry brushed with silver.  There may even be another colour or two I missed in there! 

The inside walls of the shrine had a similar treatment, but I stencilled clocks on the rear wall, and went darker with paynes grey and silver inside.

The bracken on the floor is actually seaweed I collected on holiday, and the pumpkin was a little pop up toy from the supermarket.  He had a wash with quinacridone gold too!

The sticker 'established 1876' and witches are from the Tim Holtz range, I thought it made it look like an old building, and the witches are fun.  See where the paint is peeled on the building?

I love these shrines, you can have so much fun and the variations from our team show how versatile they are!

I had fun doing this, hope you are inspired to have a go at the shrine yourself after seeing so many different versions this week.

Happy Crafting,

Nikki
xx

Anything Goes Week by Nikki.

Hi all,

Nikki here with a simple and pretty tag, made from Di's lovely new material, it's a plastic tag that takes paint really well, and has a rough and a smooth side, so you can choose which to paint.  It's slightly opaque, but if held to the light can be seen through.  They make really good alternative tags.

I painted the tag first with a thin coat of blue, this left streaks which I liked the effect of on the reverse side.  I then added a layer of DecoArt Americana Glitter paint in crystal, which made the whole tag shimmer.

I stencilled Wish, Hope and Be Happy in Lace chalk paint, and also edged the tag in the same with a piece of sponge.

I love the effect this had of an icy looking tag.

Think I was trying to cool down in this beautiful weather!

Happy Crafting,

Nikki
x

Products Used:
Tando Plastic Tags.
DecoArt Stencil, DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics, Americana Glitter paint, DecoArt Chalk Paint - Lace 2oz.