Festive Stamps AND Stencils ~ Stamps and Stencils ~ New Challenge

Happy December everybody! Not long now until the big day and I'm way behind with my Christmas preparations! Luckily for me, Sue, our wonderful host for this month's challenge, over on the Stamps and Stencils blog, has asked us to make a project using 'Festive Stamps and Stencils'. This was an ideal opportunity to have a go at a little festive home decor. I bought this blank MDF word, last year and never got round to using it. Largely because I really didn't have any ideas of what to do with it. Fortunately, inspiration struck, when I found it lurking in my stash this year! This is how it came together......

This is the word blank before I coated it with gesso. Once the gesso was dry, I used a palette knife to apply a layer of Deco Art Media Modelling Paste. I then allowed it to dry, until the surface was just touch dry. I then stamped into it, using some rather ancient snowflake stamps......

 After more drying time, I then applied patches of Deco Art Crackle Medium, through a distressed circle stencil.......

After even more drying time, some lovely crackles developed, and I was ready to apply some colour. I decided to keep to a neutral palette, as I thought it would work well with the Tim Holtz Christmas Paper Dolls, which I have been dying to use! The surface, has a lot of texture, which is not so easy to see in the pictures. in order to bring it to life, I started to paint over it with Deco Art Media Fluid, in Burnt Umber. I applied the paint with a bristle brush, forcing it into the textures and then gently wiping it off the surface with a cloth.........

It's very important to dry the paint completely, before starting the next step, which was to dry brush the surface, with Deco Art Americana Chalky Finish Paint. dry brushing is a fabulous technique, once you get the hang of it. The key is to use a bristle brush with very little paint, and just lightly but rapidly, flick over the surface. Gradually building up very light layers, until the desired effect has been achieved......... 

Before I added the Paper Dolls, I adhered a light covering of Distress Glitter, to the top half of the word, and blended some Black Distress ink, lightly around the bottom edges of the letters, so that the little family would be 'grounded'. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture the gorgeous, glittery glints in my photos but believe me they look very pretty ! 

 I used Distress Markers to add a little hint of colour to some of the figures and popped a little die cut greenery behind them, before mounting them to the word with dimensional tape. I also added a piece of rusty wire, so that I can hang it up. I may explore the possibility of mounting it on a base, so that it can stand on my mantle piece. I really enjoyed making this project and am beginning to feel a little more festive. When it comes to Christmas, I'm always a late starter! If you need a little nudge to get your Christmas mojo working, why not join in with our challenge. Just hop over to the Stamps and Stencils blog, with this link, and you'll find all the details as well as some fabulous, festive inspiration by the rest of the team. We'd love to see how you are using your festive Stamps AND Stencils.  

This month I am sharing my work with the following challenges...

Simon Says Monday Challenge where the theme is Icy Inspiration

A Vintage Journey where the theme is A Winter Wonderland