Dream, create, inspire plaque

Good Morning everyone

Its the first friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is always 

MIXED MEDIA

anything goes using at least 3 different mediums

Ive made a fun wall hanging for a craft room this month using Jane Davenport stamps and a piece of hardboard that came as packaging for a heavy item - so i snaffled them😀, 1 was snapped but 3 perfect as a substrate.

Size 8.5x4.5" (22x11cm)

See below for how i did the background.

I stamped all the elements onto watercolour paper and watercoloured with derwent inktense pencils, sticking to the same colours for all the elements.  Once dry i coated with mod podge front and back to seal and stiffen and then cut out, doing it this way easier than cutting out first and trying to varnish the tiny pieces like the pencils etc....

I rolled some pieces of torn handmade paper up to look like rolls of paper in different lengths to add a tactile soft element.  These I placed towards the bottom right corner where i wanted the quote.  The quote was stamped onto white, die cut and matted onto black, covered with mod podge and adhered into place.  I then got arranging all the stamped elements to create the scene - this very much looks like my desk after a good crafting session - I start off with good intentions to stay tidy but it never works once Im enjoying the process😄

I took 3 colours of cotton cord and loosely plaited for the hanging loop and added 3 beads each side which pick up on the colours used for the stamped elements. Choice here is to thread and tie so that the knot is at the front or back...I decided i wanted some beads for a bit of bling and to use up some of the thousand i had so have the hanging coming out the front...hope that makes sense!

When i coloured the paint pallets I deliberately added colour over the outside edges like you see in a well used pallet - more realistic 

The paint brushes i added behind the quote weren't long enough so i cut them in half so could have some poking out the bottom of the quote too - making sure i glued them in line with the tops.  I love the frayed edges of the handmade paper here as it adds a lovely soft element.

I used an old stamp set from Creative Craft (company sadly no more) called 'craftiness sentiments' for the quote.  It has lots of lovely craft sayings but i went with this 'dream, create, inspire' as i have to create a project in my head before i can make it, so i get the idea and then work out all in my head how to create it and mentally work through what products i have that can work so by the time i sit down to make anything i know exactly where im going - now that doesn't mean it works, as is so often the case with art it evolves in the creating but i can't start anything without that original idea and starting point.  Im not one that can just sit down with a product and play for me that doesn't work at all.  

I first gave a coat of black gesso to prime and then added texture paste through a swirl stencil which made me think of ink or paint splashes so perfect with the theme.  Once dry I then coated  that with more black gesso and then added black, navy and very dark brown acrylic and then touch of teal and pink to soft a little but i didn't want it too colourful.

I then dry brushed on black and silver cadence dora paints which really shimmer in the light, the silver nicely caught the edges of the swirls.  I edged the whole panel in silver.

I was going to leave it as was but when i placed my stamped images on top the splashes were lost so i added a little colour - keeping it more muted by just dabbing on with my finger - its just enough to see when finished but not to distract from the main elements.

I added some 'arty' lines and dots with black and white posca pens. Punched holes in the top with my crop o dile to thread some twine.

Items Used

(creative expressions) Jane Davenport stamp set CEJDCS023 'HeArt Supplies'

Creative Craft Products(company sadly no more) 'craftiness sentiments'

Derwent Inktense pencils

Cadence Dora paint - black, Silver

Folk Art Matt acrylic paints

Matt Mod podge

Golden texture paste

12x12 Swirl Stencil 

Spellbinders nesting dies 'labels 4' 

Handmade paper

Posca Paint pens - black, white

Hop over to Creative Artiste to see what the rest of the DT has created and to join in with your mixed media makes, everything welcome as long as you use at least 3 different mediums cards, atc's, journal pages, canvases, 3d makes etc....

Thank you all for stopping by.  

Id love to enter the following:

https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-july.html

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https://cardsgalorechallenges.blogspot.com/2026/07/july-2026-crafts-galore-encore.html

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https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2026/07/double-d-potpourri-challenge-2026.html - potpourri - rainbow mix of things

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https://paper-rocks-scissors.blogspot.com/2026/07/july-18-challenge.html

 

Natural beauty - butterflies

Good Morning

Its the first Friday of the month so time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste Mixed Media where the theme is anything mixed media goes, using at least 3 different mediums.

 I made this mdf plaque home decor piece for a friends birthday.  Her favourite colour is purple so I started with that.  We've had some sun this week so Ive seen a few early butterflies out, a couple of brimstones & painted ladies so spring must be here😀

This is another one I forgot to measure before posting but I think it was approx 6x10" 

See below for how I did the background.  I took the chipboard butterflies and on 2 base layers and 1 top layer 1 painted with pale and dark purple paints and then on the other 2 top layers and 1 base layer I used an interference paint which is purple until the light hits it when it turns gold.  Once dry I layered the butterflies together. 

 Inspired by my fellow DT at Creative Artiste Tracey at hotchpotchcreations who uses alot of seed beads in her creations I decided to use some of the million seed beads I have for the bodies of the butterflies - I chose beads in a mix of purples and golds, when the light hits them they really sparkle and shimmer.

I raided my stash of alphas and decided on 'natural beauty' the smaller ones are plastic ones by tim holtz which I covered with very dark green acrylic to take the plastic look away and the larger ones are chipboard which I painted with the purples used on the butterflies.  I then worked out the placement for the alphas and the butterflies and adhered all into place.

You can see the dimension on the butterflies better here and the beads give a lovely 3d effect to the bodies.  To stick the seed beads I added a good layer of tacky pva glue and waited for it to start going sticky and then added plenty of beads and pushed into the glue, once completely dry i brushed off any that hadn't stuck. 

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onto how I did the background

I first coated the background in pink and purple acrylic paints and once dry added texture paste through a large floral stencil, this is a nice big stencil so i could easily pick out the flowers i wanted.  I edged around the flowers with green paints and then dry brushed on a yellowy orange paint to just catch the texture paste flowers 

I added gold glitter paste through a foliage stencil but it wasn't very effective, i think the glitter too chunky for the stencil so switched to gold paint instead, you can just make out both here.  Once the background was finished i coated in mod podge to seal and protect.

This is how it started off - a charity shop find for £1 - I bought it with the sole intention of upcycling it.... First i gave it a light sanding with fine sandpaper and then a coat of gesso and no one would know Tenerife was there!    I also found the pack of greyboard butterflies in the charity shop for £1 so a bargain and the starting point for this project was born.  Now that im doing more mixed media projects  I do pop in charity shops more just to see what they have that I can use as a substrate and to upcycle. Its win win as it supports the charity shop and gives me affordable bases to work on..........mind you I do also have plenty of 'proper' substrates in the cupboard but it is fun to see how something preloved can be turned into something new. 

Items Used:

MDF plaque

Maya Road Chipboard butterflies 

Cosmic shimmer glitter paste 'sahara gold'

Marabu Crea texture paste

Decoart Metallic 'splendid gold'

Pebeo & Folk art acrylic paints

Folk art 'color shift' 'blue violet flash'

Thats crafty 7x7" stencil

13@rts stencil 'tiny leaves'

Tim Holtz adhesive alphas

Chipboard alphas

Gold & Purple seed beads

So hop over to Creative Artiste to join in and see what the rest of the DT created while mixing their mediums

Thank you all for popping by once again. I am still having issues with my eyes especially close up but determined to keep crafting and now using a magnifying glass that hangs around my neck so that is helping a bit but can only do small sessions but better than no crafting! Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftingfromtheartchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/02/february-challenge-2026.html

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https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2026/03/march-2026-tb-challenge.html

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https://stencilfun.blogspot.com/2026/03/stencil-fun-march-2026-challenge.html  I used a large floral stencil and a small foliage stencil

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https://dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com/2026/03/march-challenge-butterflies.html

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https://tolanythingbutacard.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-outlawz-anything-but-card-march.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2026/02/garden-party-no-12-anything-in-or-from.html

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Tea 'A hug in a cup' home decor project

 Good Morning everyone and welcome to April.  

So today im sharing the present i made for my mum for mother's day, I made this first and then used the same papers for the matching card.  MDF teapot and cups.  Combining mums love of flowers and tea.  

This first photo shows it hanging up, i connected them all using jewellery chain, its always nicer to drink tea with a friend so you have to have two cups ready.  

The teapot.  First i covered them all with patterned papers from a 12x12 pad, i then edged them all in gold paint, to give the effect of those bone china sets you get with gold rims. And of course tea has to be in bone china😊.  

I made the roses using my old favourite spellbinders spiral flower dies, this flowers are ideal for long term projects as once made up they are very study and take some battering, using a mix of papers, die cut rose leaves too, these i spray varnished with a gloss. Tea bag tag sourced from the internet, pearl clusters and metal charms to embellish and add interest. 

Close up showing the flowers better and the little teapot, chair and key charms.  This shows the colours better too. 

Close up on cup one

close up on cup two, i faced the handles opposite by design.  

Items used:  Spellbinders spiral blossom 2 die

Spellbinders bitty blossom dies

Papers all from B&M 'springtime bouquet' paper pad

Imagination crafts starlight paint 'gold'

MDF Teapot & cups from ebay

Distress ink 'picked raspberry' & 'Clover'

You might also like:

Coffee home decor project

Mad Hatter's Tea Party home decor project

Thank you for stopping by for a peek and all your lovely comments this week.  Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and a good start to the new month. Emma