Mermaid mobile. By guest designer Ambika Bakshi-Patton

Hello everyone.

I was very excited to be invited by the design team coordinator to be the Calico Craft Part guest designer for February. With so many to choose from it was difficult to decide what I was going to make. 

I fell in love with this seahorse frame. I selected both sizes, but ended up using the larger one to make a mermaid mobile. I’ll use it as a wall decoration, so I have kept the back fairly plain. 

First I used a liquid dimensional medium to add some detail to the frame and the seahorses. I tied lengths of thread to the smaller chipboard pieces and used the dimensional medium to disguise the thread and add some texture and details. 

While these were drying I cut a circle from a background I had made, using water based inks and a jell plate, and did some stamping to create an underwater scene. For the smaller circles in the frame I used design paper.

I painted the chipboard frame and pieces with black gesso. On the frame I used copper and green rubbing wax, then highlighted the texture with silver. I painted the sea creatures with a variety of metallic paints then attached them to the back of the paper with lengths of clear thread. 

I glued a loop of ribbon to the paper, and used another circle of design paper to cover up the glue. 

The mermaid was made from polymer clay and glued to the frame and background using gel medium. I then used a selection of self adhesive pearls, gems, sequins and glass cabochons to finish it off.

I hope this will inspire you to try something new.

Calicocraft parts used:

Nautical multi frame: seahorse and sea foam.

Mini sheet: Nautical motifs  style 1