Autumn Wheat - Creative Artiste Sept

 Good Morning everyone

Its the first Friday of September so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is anything mixed media goes

MIXED MEDIA

Use at least 3 different mediums

Ive gone for a full on autumnal wall hanging with sheaves of wheat

Approx size 5.5x7.5" (14x20cm)

Photos below with a step by step.

Once i had made my wheat i added some of the same gilding flakes to my background in places to tie it together.  I then got arranging my wheat using pinflair glue gel, as i had curved the wheat with a ball tool i could add dabs of pinflair behind them, building up a nice full arrangement....just counting ive used about 20 stems.

I then tied a bow using several loops of garden twine for a nice rustic natural feel....it stayed like that for a long time but i kept thinking it needed something and on looking for something else i came across some printed chipboard shapes and in the set was a turquoise heart which was the perfect colour...i added a nice thick layer of glossy accents to it which adds another finish to the project............

I love adding different finishes to alot of my projects so that the light plays on them at different times of the day, always adding a different look and feel depending on which angle you are looking at it and whether its in sunlight or artificial light at night.  

You can see the light hitting the guilding flakes more here

I love how the wheat turned out from the messy painted background to lovely ombre of autumnal colours giving them more depth than a flat single colour and so simple to achieve - see below 

I used garden twine for my hanging for a rustic feel and added a few beads to match the colours of the wheat

I stamped 'Autumn' onto a scrap of kraft card with dark brown ink and tore it into shape and added into place.  I found a turquoise chipboard heart in my stash which i covered in glossy accents and added to the twine bow.

I cut a piece of corrugate cardboard box to size and peeled off some of the top layer to reveal the corrugations.  I then dry brushed with soft blue white acrylic paint which i also used to stencil on some foliage.  I then used grit texture paste through a brick stencil, it is a duck egg blue colour so a nice contrast to the oranges of the wheat.  I then dry brushed on some soft teal over the whole panel and edges.

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How i made the wheat

I covered 2 sheets of scrap A4 with autumnal coloured acrylic paints - just sponged them on randomly- the messier the better here.  Once dry i added the dreaded gilding flakes - i hate these things so they hide in the back of the cupboard, but i decided to try them this way and found it much better for me as i could just take one flake out at a time so they didn't quite get everywhere.  I just added dabs of mod podge randomly and dotted on the gilding flakes - this is a mixed colour of copper, silver & gold.  Once dry i rubbed off the access.

 

Yes this sheet looks a mess however once its die cut into shape its takes on a completely different look and feel.........see below

I die cut them with my very old IO wheat trio and you get a more natural look with the variegated colours on each head and flashes of the gilding.  Its an easier way to colour die cuts and use up old scrap paper/card as well.  I mostly used folkart matt and pentart chalky paints.  

Items Used

Impression Obsession (IO) wheat tri die set

aall&create stamp set 'seasons'

Cosmic shimmer 'Andy Skinner' matt chalk paint 'Ice Blue' 

FolkArt matte paint - 6459 ocean blue, 434 berry wine, 2560 bark brown, 

954 fresh foliage

Pentart dekor chalky paint - sun yellow, orange, red

Cosmic shimmer guilding flakes

Foliage stencil

Brick stencil

garden twine

cardboard box

beads

I hope you all have a wonderful September and enjoy the splendour of the Autumnal season. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftingfromtheartchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/08/august-challenge-2026.html

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https://die-cut-divas.blogspot.com/2026/09/an-ai-event-art-impressions-for.html - Ive recycled the backing panel from a cardboard box and used recycled Kraft card 

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/fall-season-september-2026.html

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https://addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-525-diecuts-andor-stencils.html

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https://lilredwagon.blogspot.com/2026/09/challenge-874-hayloft.html

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https://cinspirations.blogspot.com/2026/09/september-challenge-hello-autumn.html

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https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-september.html

 

The apothecary

Good Morning everyone

Im honoured today to be guest designer at MMTOTY

My last halloween make for now is this apothecary shelf mixed media project.

Approx overall size: 10x7"

I made up this MDF box frame and added texture paste through a brick stencil and also dabbed some here and there to give a rough wall effect.  Out of stiff cardboard box card i cut two strips and glued into place to act as shelves.  Once dry i coated it all in black gesso.  Splodged on some acrylic paint in red, orange and green and then dry brushed over the top with more black gesso and then silver and black cadence dora paint which really shimmers.

I then had fun raiding my stash to fill the shelves.

I knew i wanted a potion bottle that looked like it was glowing & luminous.  I used my daler-rowney acrylic neon paints and poured some of the yellow and green neon into the bottle, dabbing some onto the outside and then popping the cork back in so that it looks like it is really bubbling over.  To give the effect of it really being luminous i then dabbed more of the neon paint around the bottle so it looks like its lit up.  

I also knew i wanted some mini spell books so i played about to make my own, using kraft card and rubbing glycerine in until you get a leather like effect and its becomes malleable for the covers and cut up thin paper pages for the inside - these are just glued into place.  I used twine, touches of distress inks and paint to make them look used and well loved. 

From previous projects i had lots of mini bottles printed out from a very very old daisytrail 

digi-kit, they were printed, cut out and covered with glossy mod podge, so i have used lots of these in the back of my shelves along with real mini bottles to make the shelves look fuller with more depth.

Some of my mini glass bottles i added some alcohol ink and swirled around, others have little beads in them.  The little skulls are beads.

I added some little plastic bugs to the frame, along with the clock and keys.

I used some old wood beads as thought side on they looked a bit like scrolls on the shelf.  A printed eyeball covered with crackle accents in a little wooden bowl.  Can you spot the bat? he really is camouflaged - a little rubber bat, i gave him a coat of black gesso and adhered him up inside the frame.  

Tim Holtz bones, candle & candlestick.  A little broom and a bottle of green glittery potion - this i made up with cotton wool, green ink and gold glitter.   I added die cut spider webs to the back.  Tim Holtz chat stickers added to the scene.

I had really great fun building this up and raiding my stash.

Do hop over to MMTOTY where you can join in with anything halloween or Christmas - my brain is now in full on Christmas crafting mode -scary we are not into November, i know we say it every year but this year really is flying by😀

I hope you all have a great weekend. Crafty hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://twooldbatshalloweenchallenge.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-anything-halloween.html

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In the birdhouse

Good Morning everyone

Today is a little mdf project as a new home gift using those fab katzelkraft owl stamps again

Approx size 7x5"    I first added texture paste through a brick stencil to the front and added it with a pallet knife to the roof keeping it rough to give a nice bark like texture.  Once completely dry i covered it all in black gesso. I then dry brushed on acrylic paints picking up the colours in the owls.

The owls were stamped and coloured with inktense pencils and cut out.  

I die cut foliage from scraps of cardstock and got arranging.  Computer printed sentiment.

A close up on the owls - of course i had to add glossy accents to their eyes.  The owl peeking out the hole is glued on from behind

and below is the back which ive decorated as the inside of the bird house

I used a wood effect pattered paper and covered the back, dry brushing on some acrylic to give it an more lived in look. Then just added my foliage, owls and computer printed sentiment.

A close up.

Items Used:

Katzelkraft stamps - les super chouettes

Foliage dies

Mdf house

acrylic paint

Imagination crafts starlight paint 'rich gold'

Thank you all for stopping by.  I hope you have a good end of the week and weekend, stay safe. Hugs Emmax

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Id love to join in the following

http://ttcrd.blogspot.com/2021/01/anything-goes-challenge-week-beginning.html

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http://blog.dare2bartzy.com/january-challenge-anything-goes/

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http://thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.com/2021/01/create-your-own-background.html

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Spooky

Good Morning everyone

Today is a little fun mixed media project inspired by 

 Make a halloween scene  

I started with an MDF frame, dug out lots of stamps and mediums and got playing.  Whereas last week my katzelkraft owl was out in the daytime, today its full on night time.  There is an owl that sits on my parents chimney at night hooting - always sounds spooky in the dead of night when everything else is silent.

Ive had this MDF box frame for years, i had the idea of the owls living in an owl barn and looking out the window to the dark of the grave

Frame approx 8x8" Inside frame size 6x6"  Please see last photo for how i did the frame & background.  I then found a chipboard grave stone in my stash which i covered with black gesso and dry brushed on some silver & gold paint.  I added with glue gel and added a skull and leg bone and a fly.  I die cut my spider & web from black card and brushed on silver & gold paint, i added crackle accents to the spiders body.  I glued the web to the top left behind the front frame.

I had the die cut ivy left from another project - its been coloured with brusho's.  I stamped and coloured my owls with inktense pencils and cut them out.  I went with bright colours as i didn't want my project to be too dark on the wall.  I got a dried hazel twig from the hedge and attached to the frame and then arranged my owls.  Tim Holtz words to finish.

I like using inktense pencils to colour images for home decor as ive found they are much more colour fast than using inks.

Of course i had to add glossy accents to the owls eyes

Peeking inside - these fab plastic flies i found in morrisons a few years ago

I first used a brick stencil on the outside frame with texture paste and on the middle piece i just added texture paste with a pallette knife to give a rough texture, once dry painted all with black gesso.  Once the gesso was dry i painted on patches of purple, yellow, green and blue paints to pick up on the colours i used on my owls.  I then dry brushed on more black to help the bright colours blend in but you can still just see them.  I then dry brushed over the top with silver & gold paint to highlight the textures. 

For my scene i cut a piece of white card for fit inside, i added a circle mask to act as the moon and then sprinkled on brushos in colbalt & prussian blue and purple pixie powder to add some shimmer.  Once completely dry i removed the mask and using a brush added a little colour to the moon to make it less white and stark.

I then stamped the big tree & eyes (sheena) in black and the smaller trees and the one with owl (choc baroque)  I coloured them with walnut & black soot oxide inks and added some shadow in the bottom of the frame and around my eyes.  The eyes i coloured with lime/lemonade oxide ink and a white gel pen.

Items Used:

Katzelkraft stamps - KTZ237 'Les Super Chouettes'

Chocolate baroque stamps 'howling moon'

Sheena Douglass stamps 'Little Red' & 'Scary tree'

Ivy, Spider & web dies

Brick stencil

Golden texture paste

Pebeo acrylic paints

MDF box frame

Derwent inktense pencils

Brushos & Pixie powders

Tim Holtz chit chat stickers

Thank you all for stopping by once again.  I hope you have a good week and we have a bit less rain than last week.  Stay safe. Hugs Emmaxx

Id love to enter the following:

Hopefully if the new blogger feature works the links are now attached to the images - so fingers crossed you can click on the image and it takes you there😀

 

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House of Horrors

Good Morning everyone.  

So today im sharing something a bit different with a 3 dimensional project.  Im not really into halloween but am into all things mystical - witches, vampires, Cornish Piskeys so had great fun decorating this house shaped printer tray.

I bought a pack of halloween emphemra from ebay, containing lots of different products including tim holtz and combined with items ive collected over the years in my stash.  I decided to give each room of the house a different theme.  The attic isn't yet finished, im still looking for the perfect items which i have in mind. 

Overall Size: 12x7" (20x30 cm).  I first added touches of sand texture paste for the front edges and through a brick stencil on the outside sides of the house.  Once dry covered it all with black gesso. I then highlighted with dry brushing silver acrylic paint on top to give a kind of moonlight feel. 

I cut a blue and gold foil paper, inked the edges and glued to the back of each room of the house as wallpaper. I then bit by bit built up the rooms with items until i was happy, more details below on each room.  I then die cut spiders & webs from black cardstock, again added silver paint and added these to the front of the house.  

The Copse Bride room - i added a grunge board skull & cross bones to the back of the room, my immortal soul tab on top. A vintage wedded couple image, grave stone, skull, spider and white flowers inked with a touch of red. I added a black inked heart in the background. 

Close up, love the skull, so much detail in it

A close up on the spider web, see the fly? - Morrisons supermarket Halloween isle, i toned it down a bit with black ink but think it looks quite realistic. 

Lots of bottles of potions for the witches to use, ive built them up in the background using digital images printed out and sealed with mod podge.  For my real bottles in some i added a drop of alcohol ink just to stain the glass, in the red one there ive added lots of red alcohol ink and glued the cork lid in - a bottle of blood of course.  Micro beads, and glitter in another bottle.  Bits of twine and handmade tatty labels.  One bottle has tipped over and lost its cork stopper and that pesky fly is about. 

Is it an Angel, A Cherub or a nightmare?! I added wings which are actually a die cut angel wings but were the perfect size for the Tim Holtz doll, i also added black ink to tone down the white.  

The bats are sleeping peacefully while the spooky hand carries away an eyeball to its hidden lair.  Not another fly!  My eye balls are digital images, printed out and covered with glossy accents.  The hand reminds me of 'thing' in the Addams Family.

The Witches Lair -  2 Witches over seeing their latest potion.  The cauldron is chipboard - i painted it with black gesso, adding the gesso thick in places to give it texture.  In the backgound a pale whispy girl - Is it a ghost?!  More spiders and cobwebs.  Label in the front.  I added a metal bat at the top of this room too, being too shiny i again added black gesso to dull it down. 

More potions, i used sequins for my mermaid scales bottle, another spider and a little key...... maybe the key unlocks the attic...... time will tell....

This shows the outside wall of the house.  I added sand texture paste through a brick stencil, the sand texture gives a more realistic look to the bricks i think.  Once dry covered with black gesso and dry brushed on red and orange imagination crafts starlight paints and then just a light touch of silver acrylic paint. 

Items Used:

Tim Holtz idea'logy range

Mini bottles and various metal, chipboard charms & ephemera

spider & web die

Daisytrail 'steampunk emporium' digikit

Serif craft artist

Imagination crafts starlight paints

Brick stencil

Sand texture paste

Black gesso