"Stay Home" altered plaque - by Lesley

Hey everyone. Lesley here with some altered art for you.

I've been pondering for a while now whether to do a piece about what we're all going through at the moment, and this is what I came up with.

I started out with an oval media board which I covered with old sheet music. I used various spray inks and paints over the top and texture paste through a stencil. I finished off with a date stamp.

The next layer was a trefoil border mixed media board which had more ink and paint slung at it. 

I then used art deco foliage shape. I cut off the top bits and then enamel embossed it all.
The doll is an old cake topper! She was given a concrete look with textured paint. I used wire to attach her to the foliage shape.

I gave her a mask. Old fabric, rusted up of course!
And finally, I added a blank word element which I added the words "stay home" to.

Thanks so much for reading. Please take care and stay safe. 

L.xx

Ingredients used

Art deco and nouveau foliage shape. style 54

Trefoil border mixed media board

Oval shape mixed media board

Word elements, blank

Rectangle shape mini wood plaques

Secrets by Lesley

Howdy everyone.

This week I've been playing around with a few of the new pieces that have arrived in the shop!

I started off with a plain MDF board which I covered with an old book page .

The three sticks are kebab sticks!

I layered the craft parts onto the sticks. And included a picture of a young boy behind the clock.

I use lots of different coloured embossing powders over the top. Love the effect it has given.

Thanks for reading
L.x


Ingredients used

Art Deco and Nouveau style 65
Art Deco and Nouveau style 51
Art Deco and Nouveau style 8
Rustic Roman numeral clock face
Rounded Rectangle shape, MDF Media Board

Baby Hut - by Lesley

Hello everyone. This week, I cleared my desk up and gave myself the challenge of only using bits from desk from leftover projects.....

The house was left over from Christmas ornaments I made. No idea where the roof parts went! So I made my own with some copper wire mesh!

The house was originally green and silver! I added a part of a flourish to the back and a small handmade flower.

The house had lots of texture on it from layers of paint, crackle paint and waxes.

The wire mesh holds its shape, so was easy to add the curls to it. 

I had loads of these baby doll heads. This was plain, so I added paint and micro beads.

I think I'll add something to the top so I hang it!

Thanks for reading

L.x

Ingredients used

Block style house kit

Fancy flower flourish, style 3

Documented Book - by Lesley

Hey everyone, this week I have been playing around with a little handmade book I made years ago!

It was heading towards the recycling bin, but I decided it was too nice to just throw away!

I used lots of the mini craft shapes on, and bits of watch parts from my stash.

Its ended up being quite a tactile piece.

My craft room is in the basement and its super cold down there at the mo......I didn't think the crackle would crackle!

I think i'll get cracking on the insides next week!

Thanks for reading.

L.x

Ingredients used

Mini MDF cog shapes, style 8

Mini MDF feathers, style 3

Mini 6 pointed stars

Mini bees and honeycomb

The Handy-man House - by Lesley

I'm currently doing a bit of DIY in my house...….this led me to make a little rusty handyman house...

As usual, the pieces were primed, and then I dry brushed on dark colours.

I used bits from the pipework sheet to decorate the sides and back.

And used the tiny pieces for the roof. These were covered with copper texture paste.

I filled the house with rusty bits and bobs from my stash.

Thanks for reading.
L. x

Ingredients used
Framed MDF tall house kit
MDF pipework maze

Altered Tea Caddy - by Lesley

Hi everyone. Lesley here with my first post of the year. 

I've had this tea caddy for a while, don't know why I've waited this long to use it.....its fab! Such a brilliant size!

All sides were prime with gesso. And then I picked some colours and dry brushed them on.

I stamped along the sides and added a lightbulb on the top!

I used some of the mini stars on the sides.

The image of the girl was a stamp from my stash, which I stamped onto tissue paper and glued to the front of the caddy. She deserved a mini crown!

Thanks for reading,

L.x

Ingredients used

MDF kitchen caddy

Mini MDF primitive stars

Mini crown wood shapes, style 1

Lesley's Calico Review 2019

Happy New Year everyone! 

It’s my turn to pick my 3 favest makes of the year. 

My first one takes us back to January, The Four Sided Face where I got to use clay, one of my favest mediums to work with.

My second project was in February where I upcycled an old frame. I do love a bit of upcycling!

The final favourite piece was in the summer where I altered a stack of the artist trading cubes. My go to item when my mojo has upped and gone! 

Looking back at my favourite makes, I see a theme occurring......FACES! I’m sure they’ll be more of these to come! 

Thanks for reading.

L.x

Christmas Trinket Box and Canvas

Well......this is my last post of 2019....where has the year gone?!

I altered a trinket box from the shop, using a gorgeous rose gold coloured paint.

The lid was given a bit of height with an ATC and I also snipped a part of a snowflake flourish to adorn it with.

I added random patches of embossed enamel around the sides.

I had a teeny canvas on my desk and a star left over from my last project. Using the same colours as the box, I did a quick Christmas tree using the back of the canvas.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and hope you all have a magical time!

See you next year!

Thanks for reading.

L. X

Ingredients used

MDF Trinket Box style one
Plain ATC Wood Blank
Snowflake Flurry, corner embellishment
Mini wood plaques, primitive star shapes

Christmas Tealight Holders - by Lesley

I've had these plain tealight holders in my stash for a few years, thought they deserved the Christmas treatment!

I didn't go mad altering them, due to them holding a candle!

I used the mini stars and glitter on the painted silver one.

And the holly and berries on the gold painted one.

Simple, but Christmassy!

Thanks for looking

L.x

Ingredients used

Holly and Berries
Primitive mini stars

Believe in the Stars - by Lesley

Hi everyone. I have my first Christmas themed make for you this week.

This was lots of fun to create!
I started off with a large plaque and gave it a coat of gesso. I then dry brushed some silver over the top.

I used texture paste and liberally sprinkled the different sized texture balls over the top.

I tore up a vintage doily and glued it down to add a bit of pattern.

The star wreath was given some texture paint and then silver wax on top.

I also added some mini plaque stars painted silver.

A few feathers were added under the star wreath, and then I added the word “believe’ on top. And then a few coats of shimmer spray in blue.

I added some darker paint around the edges to bring it all together.

Thanks for reading,
L. X

Ingredients used
Country Star Birchwood plaque
6 Pointed mini star shapes
Primitive mini star shapes
Mini Star wreath