Sunday 2 August 2015

Calico Coaches, Planes and Automobiles - by Alison

Hello all, Alison from Words and Pictures here with some tags and an ATC using some of the fabulously detailed Calico Craft Parts Transport Wood Shapes.  You might want to grab a cup of coffee! There's a quartet of tags...


And since I left the vehicles unaltered for the tags, I also created an ATC with a whole different look.  Here's a quick taster - more of this one later in the post...


Let's begin with the tags. I started out with the unadorned Craft Parts, layering up some bits and bobs to go with them.


I used DecoArt Chalk paint in Serene to paint my background tags, and also to stamp onto the smaller kraft tags.  You get a fabulously detailed image.


But then I couldn't bring myself to alter the cars themselves - they're just so delicious as they are.  Let me show you them in close-up.  This is Vintage Car Style 3.  Just look at the intricate cutting - these are works of art in their own right.


As usual with the craft parts, you can get them in different sizes.  This sporty number is Vintage Car Style 2.


On these tags, I've used the medium size cars, so they're about 9cm in length - perfect for a card.  This is Vintage Car Style 4, a lovely old jalopy pick-up.


And, as promised over at mine, it's not just cars!  This is the amazing Horse Drawn Tram in the large size, so about 12cm long.  The detailing is exceptional - look at the chap with his hand raised on the platform at the back.  And I do believe one of the passengers on the top deck is using a cigarette holder to smoke with!


Not forgetting the hardworking horse, prancing along with great energy.


I added some of the Mini Cogs - Styles 3 and 4.  You get a sheet with various sizes of each style, 19 cogs in total for only £1.99 - that's a bargain in my book.


And I added ChitChat stickers to some Mini Wood Plaques.  These are Fancy Plaques 3, but there are lots of different ones to choose from.


Having left the pieces unadorned for the tags, I was curious to see how they would look with a bit of altering, so I set to work on a bonus ATC.

It's on one of the plain ATC Wood Blanks which was hanging around on the craft table.  I'd already given it a generous coat of DecoArt Media Line Crackle Paint, and stained that with Raw Umber and Quinacridone Gold Fluid Acrylics, but then it stalled awaiting further inspiration.  It came in the form of the small size (6cm long) of the Vintage Car Style 2 and this adorable small Vintage Biplane Style 1.


I added some blues and greens (Cerulean Blue, Prussian Blue Hue, Viridian, Green Gold Fluid Acrylics) to create a landscape.  In the first picture above, there's a light layer of the colours, but I added more depth as I went on, as you can see from the finished ATC.


I had a lovely time with the biplane - creating the wooden frame and wings with layers of Titan Buff, Raw Umber and English Red Oxide.  The body is mainly English Red Oxide with a touch of Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide and then some Triple Thick Gloss Glaze.  For the propellor and the wheels I used DecoArt's Dazzling Metallics Silver.


For the body of the car I used the Viridian, a pretty close approximation to British Racing Green - perfect for a sporty model like this.  The chrome wheel arches and other detailing is done in Dazzling Metallics Silver.  I used a black Sharpie to define the tyres (those old-fashioned skinny tyres - a bumpy ride for sure), and Titan Buff to do the folded canvas roof and the leather upholstery just peeking up over the doors.


Once it was dry, I added Triple Thick Gloss Glaze to the green metalwork - you can tell the owner loves his car... he keeps it well polished!


The Chitchat stickers tell the story of an age when travel had a more glamorous aura...


... so they've had a thin coat of gloss glaze too to give them a bit of a sheen to reflect that.


I'm pretty pleased with the finished ATC... In fact, what was meant to be a quick bonus has ended up being my favourite thing.  And it has a lovely weight and permanence from being on one of the beautiful ATC blanks.  I think this one may be heading to the dollshouse museum!


I hope you like my vehicular bits and bobs.  These Transport Wood Shapes are perfect for masculine cards and altered gifts - and for any vintage-loving females too!  There are also some brilliantly steampunk-y engines and steamrollers to check out.  Remember, if you're tempted to go shopping, you can click on any of the links in the text to go straight there.

Thanks so much for dropping in, and I'll see you again soon.
Alison x

19 comments:

  1. Oh my!!! What delicious detail everywhere in these pieces.....and thank you for showing us all the Calico Craft Parts "as is" - they are amazing!! Really love how you've worked with all of the CC parts while using other media. Pardon the corny analogy, but much of this reminds me of Downton Abby (a favorite on this side of the pond!) And absolutely love the biplane and car - brilliant treatments on each of them and that fabulous background! xxx Lynn

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  2. oh, these are beautiful! I love the atc that you've coloured but agree that for the most part, they need to be left "naked"!

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  3. Alison, I just adore these wood vehicles. Your tags with the unadorned cars and trams are just fantastic; I love the stamping on those smaller tags! That along with the book pages just really shows these pieces off! But that post card has really stolen my heart! I love that crackles background and that wonderful altered racing car and especially the plane! Wow! I could do some shopping just from this one post! Amazing, inspiring work! Hugs!

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  4. Alison, love your tags and ATC! I am not sure which I like better. the unadorned pieces or the ones that you have enhanced...either way, great makes to showpiece the Calico Craft Parts. I am in love with your background on the ATC. Hugs, Kim

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  5. i really love your tags Alison, but have to say I really really love that atc and the fab vintage look you gave it! xo

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  6. Love all of these! Want all of them too! So beautiful, artistic and made with love! Karen x

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  7. Gorgeous Alison!! That is some amazing crackle you achieved, wowsers!! Great set! hugs :)

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  8. Beautiful inspiring projects here Alison! love the colored car and plane on the crackled ATC! Julia xx

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  9. My goodness! These are all so brilliant - l.o.v.e the crackle!! Chrisx

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  10. awesome crackle Alison - absolutely brilliant - the detail on the shapes is amazing! Hugs rachel x

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  11. These are wonderful Alison, I love how you kept the parts unfinished on the tags, they have such a wonderful tone already. The ATC is fabulous, I just love the beautiful crackled background and the colours you used on the car and biplane look so realistic. Wonderful work! Anne xx

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  12. Oooh fabulous ! Love the crackle x

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  13. Wow! Very cool vintage vehicles. Wish they were easy to get on this side of the pond...exchange rates and intl shipping et al .... Love your ATC best!

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  14. Wonderful Alison. I NEED the airplane one for scrapbooking my wing walk!!! And that tram is so beautiful. Like the cars too. Need them all!
    Thank you you stash enabler!!
    Hugs
    xx

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  15. Completely Wonderful, Alison!! XOXO-Shari

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  16. Alison, those are fabulous! I love the horse drawn tram and your ATC is wonderful. Amazing textured background and the triple thick glaze to your biplane and car (love the British racing green!) adds so much dimension. Fabulous as always, thanks so much for sharing them all. Deb xo

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  17. Wow! These craft parts are indeed works of art in themselves, Alison - you're right! They look beautiful with or without decoration! And - you are truly the Queen of Crackle! I love how expertly and creatively you use all kinds of crackle on your projects! This is such a lovely selection of tags and ATCs. xx

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  18. First -- these Calico Craft Parts are unbelievable. Love them!!! They are so versatile. It was great to leave them unadorned on the tags and then painted on the ATC. I love where the ATC took you as you embarked on your own creative adventure. It should definitely go to the dollhouse museum ... so wonderful. Gorgeous color in the crackled background. The plane and car are stunning. The triple thick gloss glaze is perfect. Really ... just like a the shine on a car lover's prized auto. My fave as well. Hugs -- Mary Elizabeth

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  19. Oh Alison, this is just stunning, your ATC is so very fantastic, you know I love the gorgeous crackled background,and its colours,- but the way you painted car and plain, is fabolous, looking so real, with "his polish" lol-
    Also the four tags with the cars and horse tram, are wonderful little masterpieces, looking so wonderful on top of your lovely nature background. I love it all, dear !!
    Dorthe, xxo

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