In Britain throughout the summer you will find a wide variety of festivals from big music concerts, country shows to smaller local fetes and fairs. Fields become temporary homes to hundreds of tents, caravans and beautifully painted fairground attractions lit up with strings of pretty lights. Big canvas tents are filled with stalls selling a wide range of treasures from vintage clothes, bric a brac, handmade crafts, yummy cakes and local farm produce. Often these tents and the surrounding areas of the fair are highly decorated with colourful bunting, balloons, cut flowers and pretty ornaments hanging from ribbons. Often reflecting positivity and love and created by local school children and craft groups.
Thursday, 19 May 2022
Festival Time! Festival Heart by Kat Hazelton.
In Britain throughout the summer you will find a wide variety of festivals from big music concerts, country shows to smaller local fetes and fairs. Fields become temporary homes to hundreds of tents, caravans and beautifully painted fairground attractions lit up with strings of pretty lights. Big canvas tents are filled with stalls selling a wide range of treasures from vintage clothes, bric a brac, handmade crafts, yummy cakes and local farm produce. Often these tents and the surrounding areas of the fair are highly decorated with colourful bunting, balloons, cut flowers and pretty ornaments hanging from ribbons. Often reflecting positivity and love and created by local school children and craft groups.
Saturday, 14 May 2022
Art Journal Cover - Springtime Feelings by Kerstin
Welcome creative friends!
I created a textile collage with leftovers from various fabric and laces
as cover for an Art Journal.
I always love to use the MDF shapes as 3d elements
in their original form.
Love this special wood expression, often I also split them
and create new impressions with it.
sewed a small house with different fabrics together
and decorated it with a mini door in grunge style
some close up's
used MDF shapes from Calico Craft Parts
Ancestry MDF Wood Font - Create A Word
Hello
Wildflowers, Grass & Bird
Sheet of Mini MDF Door Wood Shapes
I hope you find inspiration!
Thanks for stopping by...until next time
with some pages from this Art Journal !
Kerstin
Thursday, 5 May 2022
The Wishing Well by Kat Hazelton.
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✨Now make a wish! ✨ |
Thursday, 21 April 2022
Pigs Might Fly! 🐷
Pigs might fly! The expression is quite easy to understand. Basically a sarcastic remark on something never to happen or something never being done. Where the phrase 'pigs might fly' comes from is something of a mystery though. There are many variables to the phrase depending on what century or country it's used. Some researchers say the origins of the phrase descended from the Americas, because of the difficulties of farming pigs, others say it originates from Scotland from 1616 list of proverbs by John Withals's English-Latin A Shorte Dictionaries for Yonge Begynners. Where it mentions 'pigs fly with their tails forward'* which became a phrase for many years. As for the image of pigs flying in the sky going back further into the 16th century a book called 'Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel' by François Rabelais features a beautiful woodblock print illustration by Paul Gustave Doré of a flying pig monster with bird like wings.
Original translation *'Pigs fly in the ayre with their tayles forward.'
To make your own flying pig hanging Ornament you will need.
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/pig-mdf-wood-shape-style-4.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/pig-mdf-wood-shape-style-3.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/sheet-of-mini-mdf-wood-wings-style-4.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/sheet-of-mini-mdf-wood-wings-style-3.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/rounded-rectangle-greyboard-mixed-media-board-style-18.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/wooden-word-elements-blank.html
Assortment of acrylic paints including matt white and metallic gold, plus paintbrushes.
Crackle medium.
Texture paste and spatula/tool for applying.
Gold pen and black pen.
A slice of wood.
Glitter or gilding flakes.
Super glue.
String for hanging.
Firstly I painted all my mdf shapes with an undercoat of matt white acrylic paint. This helps to give a nice base for adding lighter colours to MDF.
I then painted on two coats of a pretty piggy pink paint to my pigs and also their wings. To give my pig wings an angelic look I added gold metallic tips using metallic gold acrylic paint.
I then painted my slice of wood and word plaque with the same matt white paint. Edging the wood slice with the same gold metallic paint used for my pigs wings.
Once dry I glued on my largest pig to the wood slice. This will be my centre piece.
Saturday, 16 April 2022
Happy Easter card + Giftbox
Welcome creative friends!
I was inspired to create a delicate card
as easter greeting. Together with a small box
a beautiful gift to easter.
use this beautiful egg as center point
primed with white gesso
and dry brushed with brown acrylic paint
used MDF shapes from Calico Craft Parts
Easter Egg MDF Wood Shape with Rabbit & Butterflies
Daffodils MDF Wood Corner Embellishment - Style 22
sheet of Mini Hares - MDF Wood Animal Shapes
I wish you all a very Happy Easter, and together let us
share the hope
to conquer adversity to live in peace with justice and freedom.
Thanks for your visit!
Kerstin
Thursday, 7 April 2022
The Easter Witch by Kat Hazelton.
Just before Easter in Sweden and Finland there is a tradition for children to dress up as Witches. Very similar to Halloween's trick or treating the children go from door to door wishing their neighbours a happy Easter and handing out handmade cards in return for sweets and treats. The tradition of dressing as Witches goes back to the 19th century though during this time it was generally done by teenagers and young adults.The reason behind this tradition is based on an ancient scandanavian legend. Around the time of Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday, it was said that Witches would ride off on their brooms to the island of Blåkulla. Where it was reported they would gather together, feast and dance with the Devil! Villagers worried by this event of 'Witches Night' would lock away brooms and their cattle for fear of witches using them for transport. They also worried that witches would also drink their milk! As a deterant they would also light bonfires to keep the witches away! Even now many centuries later villages often organise bonfires and firework displays over Easter weekend to commemorate this tradition.
To make your Easter Witch decoration you will need.
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/witch-on-broomstick-mdf-wood-shape-style-2.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/oval-shape-greyboard-mixed-media-board-style-22.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/sheet-of-mini-rabbits-mdf-wood-animal-shapes.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/short-haired-cat-sitting-mdf-wood-shape-style-8.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/teacup-saucer-mdf-mixed-media-board.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/round-shape-greyboard-mixed-media-board-style-21.html
Assorted acrylic paints, metallic paints and brushes.
Sculpting paste.
Liquid pearls or flat backed gemstones.
Either cotton lace or die cut paper lace.
Tacky glue and super glue.
Paper scissors and pencil.
Assortment of marker pens.
Assortment of patterned paper.
Little flower sequins or paper flowers.
String or ribbon for hanging.
Firstly I painted all my mdf shapes with a basecoat of white acrylic paint. I used a matt white.
For my Witches clothes I drew around my witch shape onto several pieces of patterned paper. Using a pair of scissors I cut out a paper hat and skirt.
For the witches face I used pens to draw her features, adding rosey cheeks. After all she is going to be riding her broom in the fresh air!
I then glued on the Witches paper hat and skirt pieces using tacky glue. Using my black pen I added additional hair over the brim of the now paper covered hat.
To add some texture I sculpted her cloak and broom using texture paste. I allowed this to dry for 24 hours. Before I applied the paste I did draw in the broom with a pen this helped to give me a guide on where I wanted the bristles.
To decorate the teacup and egg I used paper. Using the same method as the witch I drew around the whole mdf shape and cut out and glued with tacky glue.
To add chipped markings on my tea cup I used texture paste and white acrylic paint. I then added spots to the top part of my Egg using liquid pearls. You could use gems or apply spots with a pen.
For the grassy background I painted the round mixed media board with a mixture of metallic green paints making grass like marks with an old paintbrush.
To give the MDF bunnies a bit more texture I used texture paste again. Leaving to dry for 24 hours before painting with a gloss white acrylic paint. To give my bunnies more character I added little pink ears and noses.
I then positioned and glued on all my MDF shapes including my Easter Witch and her faithful companion using super glue. The cat was painted with acrylic paints and I also painted the witches cloak with some metallic blue paint to add a bit of bling!
I then added extra details such a white highlights to my Witches hair, some paper lace trimmings, and pretty flower sequins on the grassy background.
Then to finished off I threaded a length of string so I can hang up my Easter Witch for Easter!
Thursday, 24 March 2022
'Moonlight' by Kat Hazelton
Andrew Lloyd Webber musical 'Cats' was based on the book of poems by T. S Eliot called 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'. Written in the 1930's the book of poems centres around the personalities of different cats such as Mr. Mistoffelees, who is a small black cat who can walk on the narrowest rail and do magic. Macavity the Mystery Cat who is a master criminal and referred to as the Napoleon of Crime. A possible reference to Sherlock Holmes calling Moriarty as "the Napoleon of Crime" in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the Final Problem!
In the stage play the main plot centres on the tribe of cats, called Jellicles, coming together for the annual Jellicles Ball to decide which cat will ascend to Heavebside to be reborn. Heavebside being cat heaven. During the stage play an ostracised older cat called Grizabella, famously played by Elaine Paige, sings a beautiful song called 'Memories'. This song was also adapted from T. S Eliot's work a poem called "Rhapsody on a Windy Night". The melancholic poem walks the reader through the spooky dark streets of a town or city lit only by the moon and lamplight.
To make this T. S Eliot's Cats inspired mixed media picture you will need.
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/chilled-out-cat-mdf-wood-shape-style-29.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/dancing-cat-with-banjo-mdf-wood-shape-style-37.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/cat-scrap-mdf-wood-shape-style-38.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/circus-dog-mdf-wood-shape.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/triple-convex-picket-fence-panel-mdf-wood-shape.html
https://www.calicocraftparts.co.uk/sheet-of-mini-mdf-street-lamps.html
Canvas or MDF sheet for background.
Acrylic paints, paintbrushes.
Gloss varnish.
Silver metallic flakes and flake glue
Silver glitters including stars.
Card and scissors.
PVA glue.
Using acrylic paints I created a moody midnight backdrop.
To create the big silvery moon I cut a circle from card. I then covered the moon in glue and silver metallic flakes. Once dry I gently rubbed the flakes into a smoother surface. I then glued the moon onto my nighttime backdrop adding additional glitter and silver stars.
I then painted all my MDF shapes. Firstly with a white base, then with black paint. To finished them off I then painted them all with a layer of gloss varnish and silver metallic highlights. And yes one of the cats is in fact a dog! But when in shadow I thought he bore a resemblance to Rum Tum Tugger! Probably my favourite cat!
Saturday, 19 March 2022
Easter Decor by Kerstin
Welcome creative friends!
In these gloomy times it's really not easy to sit down happily and relaxed
at the hobby table, but at some point you have to switch off.
I'm back to share with you my new Easter Home decoration.
I used a simply wooden bunny from an Euro Shop as base.
When I start a project like this I have never a plan,
I like to go with my intuition.
I choose three spring typical shapes and
was in love with the daffodils and chickens.
For the background I used water diluted chalk paint,
MDF shapes were painted with acrylics.
Branches on the ears are twigs from a picked tree.
some close up's
used MDF shapes from Calico Craft Parts
Daffodil Flower
Songbirds in Spring Branches
Hen & Cockrell Side by Side
Skeleton Tree MDF Wood Shape - Style 3
I hope you find inspiration!
Thanks for stopping by...until next time!
Kerstin