Hi everyone, today I would like to show you my inspiration for the HobbyVision (a Dutch craft store) Autumn Challenge week 1 for which the theme is “mushrooms and moss”.
Step 1:
I started my project by selecting the digital stamps that I wanted to use and I printed them on alcohol marker friendly paper. For the mushrooms I used a digital stamp by Power Poppy called “Miraculous Mushrooms” and for the leprechaun image I used a digital stamp by The Paper Shelter called “Three Wishes”. I made sure that the mushrooms are fairly large versus the leprechaun image (since leprechauns are really small as we all know!).
For colouring I used my Spectrum Noir Illustrator alcohol markers. I started with the reds for the ribbons on the tree and the hoods of the mushrooms. For this I used DR7, CR11, CR9, CR7 and FS5.
At this point I didn’t know how many of the mushrooms I would be actually using on my project, but to be safe I coloured them all.
Step 2:
For the lantern I went for the more burnt orange colours (using these also for the leprechauns hair later on and the lightest colour for the lower part of the mushroom): FS7, BO3, BO4 and DR7.
Step 3:
For the golden yellow colours I picked: BO4, GY5, GY3 and GY1. Notice that I use several of the same markers in both the red and orange tones, and both the orange and the yellow tones. You can mix them as you please, a swatch chart is really handy for this.
Step 4:
For the skin parts I used: TN1, CR2 and FS7.
For the tree I used: MB2, RB2, EB5 and EB8. I also don’t stay within one designated colour family, as I mentioned before I pick and choose my colours from the entire range of colours that I own.
Step 5:
For my greens I picked the following combination: DG1, CG3, CG4 and YG3.
Step 6:
Finishing the colouring part of this project by colouring the area’s that have no colour yet using colours that I used before already. By not adding to many colours in your image you create a harmonieus piece. For the area around the image I picked IB1, matching it with the design paper I already picked for my background.
After the colouring is done I add back in some of my highlights using a white gel pen.
Step 7:
Now it is time for my images to merge together, this was fun to do but also scarry, because when I cut of a piece I can’t add it back on again if I regretted it. I fussy cut the images leaving a small border. Than I decided on my composition and first adhered the elements together using regular tape on the back and than using liquid glue on the front.
Lastly I used the green alcohol markers again to make the edges of each piece less visible. From the second set of mushrooms I ended up only using the small one, as you can see in the picture.
On the glass of the lantern I applied some Ranger Glossy Accents and let it dry over night.
Step 8:
Time to work on my background: for this I used the top part of one of the Dutch Doobadoo tracing stencils (470.713.776) and traced the largest design on white linen textured card stock and the smaller design onto design paper that looks like wood. Than I cut the designs using my scissors and I distressed the edges using an edge distresser (but you can also use your scissors).
I knew I had to add some sort of moss kind of product to forfill the requirements of this challenge and I wanted to tuck it behind something. The coloured image was to small to make that easy, so I looked through my dies and found this Spellbinders (S5-321) one that would match my project nicely. I cut it from the blueish design paper that I already selected for this.
Step 9:
Onto the moss part: I recently ordered some of this Raw Mulberry (by Joy Crafts) it’s made out of wood and when you spray water over it and let it sit for a short while you can shape it into the design you want using your fingers. If you let it harden again it stays in that shape. So I took a piece from this product (you can cut it with your scissors as well) and shaped it the way it looked nice to me and made it look like moss by spraying it with Lindy’s Stamp Gang spray in “Green with Envy Green”. Then I dried it with my heat tool and tata my moss is ready to be adhered to my project!
Step 10:
Time to start putting my project together: my two base layers I adhered together using liquid glue. I stamped my sentiment onto the blue design paper using Archival ink in “Jet Black” (I don’t know the name of this snetiment set, it a no name brand). Than I decided on my lay out and adhered the “moss” with liquid glue and the blue design paper part on top using two millimetre thick foam tape.
For some added interest I added some splatters using a Pearl Colour in “Inka Gold” by Coliro GmbH and let that dry. I covered up my sentiment with a scrap piece of paper before splattering to not have any splatters on my text.
Step 11:
To finish my project I now only have to adhere my coloured image on top using one millimetre thick foam tape.
Detail picture:
I totally love how this project turned out! I wish you a creative day!
