THE BIRD BRAIN HALLOWEEN DOOR HANGER

BOO!

Greetings to all boys and "ghouls"!
Trick or Treat?  How about some tricks and techniques in creating this fun project?!

Barney the "Bird Brain" skeleton is forever immortalized on this whimsical Halloween Door Hanger. Pairing Andy Skinner's fabulous Skull and his ever popular Specimen stamps along with his newest Raven was the perfect combination for this project. 

This was a fun and easy project to do. 

Here are the supplies needed for this Halloween treat!

• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Titan Buff
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Burnt Sienna
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Titanium White
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Paynes Grey
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Quinacridone Gold
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Yellow Oxide
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Carbon Black
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Pale Gold
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Gold
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Cadmium Red
• DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paint - Primary Yellow
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics - Silver
• DecoArt Americana Acrylics - Sour Apple
• DecoArt Media Crackle Paste
• DecoArt Media Crackle Glaze
• DecoArt Media White Gesso
• DecoArt Liquid Glass
• Andy Skinner Whirlpool Stencil

• Andy Skinner Skuldoggery Stamp Set
• Andy Skinner Birds and Bones Stamp Set

• Andy Skinner Industrial Elements 
• Door Hanger

Miscellaneous Items

• Stamping Paper
• Black Embossing Powder
• Heat Tool
• Craft Mat
• Paint Brushes
• Scissors
• Black Permament Ink Pen
• White Permanent Ink Pen
• Palette Knife
• Scrap Chipboard
• Wire and piece of chain
• Miniature Light Bulb
• Monocle
• Black Permanent Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Double Sided Tape or Glue
• Adhesive Pop Dots

Before we get started, let me say this ... you can also use DecoArt's Media Fluid Acrylics paints on the project.  They are wonderful paints and I use them A LOT! But, I have been playing with the NEW Premium Acrylic Tube Paints and I totally LOVE THEM as well!  The colors are creamy, go on so beautifully, have a different finish and ... well, you need to try them! Now ... let's get started!

The first thing you do is stamp a couple of skulls onto a piece of stamping paper using Black Permanent Ink. Sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder, remove excess powder and heat set the black skulls.  (I stamp a couple of them in case I need to start over when painting them).

Begin adding paint color to the image to make it more spooky and realistic.  The first layer applied is DecoArt Premium Acrylic Tube Paints Titan Buff and Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide. 

The next layer of color was DecoArt Premium Acrylic Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide coupled with Burnt Sienna. See the difference already from the first photo?

Next layer was adding more spooky shadows with DecoArt Premium Titanium White mixed with Paynes Grey.

Finally, add a little DecoArt Premium Quinacridone Gold wash over the skull and heat set.  Then cut out the skull leaving just a hint of a border.  Run your finger with a bit of DecoArt Premium Acrylic Carbon Black around the cut edge of the skull.

 Stamp the raven just as you did the skull.  Add a wash of DecoArt Premium Quinacrieone Gold over the bird, heavier in some areas; especially the beak and feet.  Paint the eye with DecoArt Acrylic Sour Apple Paint.  Heat set.  Cut out around the bird, leaving a slight border and edge it with the Carbon Black paint; just like the skull.

Draw a jagged line across the skeleton's forehead with a Black Permanent Ink Pen and cut across it to open up the skull. Create "brain matter" on a piece of scrap stamping paper with a Permanent Black Ink Pen. Paint it with a mix of Decoart Premium Cadmium Red, Burnt Sienna and Titanium White. Cut it out and glue it in place behind the skull.  Then glue the bird in place, coming out of the skull. Set aside for now.

I did not have a Tando Creative Door Hanger and I was so mad because I love the shape of them!  So, I grabbed what I had in my stash but Tando Creative has two different styles of door hangers that would work perfectly!

First I covered the complete door hanger with DecoArt Media White Gesso and let is dry.  Then I scraped on a layer of DecoArt Media Crackle Paste and let it AIR DRY. When dry, I placed Andy Skinner's Whirlpool stencil over the door hanger and scraped another layer of DecoArt Crackle Paste through the stencil. Let AIR DRY. When dry, repeat this step for the top of the hanger.  **NOTE:  Be sure to wash the stencil immediately after use. The inset picture shows a close up of the lovely crackle you get with DecoArt Media Crackle Paste.

Create a "specimen" plaque for the door hanger. First paint over some stamping paper using a combination of DecoArt Premium Acrylic Yellow Oxide and Quinacridone Gold. Stamp onto the colored stamping paper using Black Permanent Ink. Then, just as was done on the skull and raven, sprinkle with Clear Embossing Powder and heat set. Cut around the specimen stamp and edge with Carbon Black. Use your finger and coat the specimen stamp with DecoArt Media Crackle Glaze. Let air dry. 

Create a background of the specimen stamp using a piece of scrap Chipboard. Paint it with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Silver. Lightly add some DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black with your finger to "age" the silver. Heat set. Use glue or double sided tape to set the specimen plaque in place on the silver background.

Paint the door hanger background using a wash of DecoArt Premium Acrylic Paynes Grey.

Get that great Halloween orange in the background by mixing DecoArt Premium Acrylics Cadmium Red and Primary Yellow.  (I did not have any of the Premium Orange paints so I made my own!) Heat set.

For some fun and added depth, use a small paint brush and add first DecoArt Premium Acrylics Pale Gold followed by random areas of Gold over the embossed areas of the hanger. You can see the difference in the two gold colors above. Heat set.

Wrap wire around a Craft Knife or thin rod of some sort and glue or double sided tape them behind the bird's head.  Poke a hole through the metal bottom of the miniature light bulb and attach a squirrely wire to it. Glue or double sided tape behind the bird's head.

Write "BOO" on the skeleton's eye using a White Permanent Ink Pen and heat set. Add a chain to the monocle using a jump ring. Glue the monocle in place over the skeleton's eye using DecoArt Media Liquid Glass. Glue the skull in place on the door knocker. Also glue the end of the chain onto the door knocker using Liquid Glass. (That end will be underneath the specimen plaque.)  Attach the specimen plaque to the bottom of the hanger using Adhesive Pop Dots. 

Finally, add the "The Bird Brain" banner at the top of the knocker. It is glued in place. The banner was computer generated letters. The banner was colored using DecoArt Premium Yellow Oxide paint followed by smudges of DecoArt Premium Burnt Umber.  The two nuts on either side are from Tando Creations Industrial Elements Set. They were first painted with DecoArt Premium Acrylic Silver followed by a touch of Carbon Black and finally a light coat of Quinacridone Gold.

Easy, fun and a great Halloween decoration!  

Thanks for stopping by and have fun with this project!

About the Artist:  Candy Colwell

Blog: http://candycreates.blogspot.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/candy.colwell.9
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/rindacelly

Instrgram:  https://www.instagram.com/candy.colwell/

Industrial with a hint of Vintage.

 

Good Morning Fiona here and welcome to another instalment of inspiration from the Creative Team using Andy's Kits and Stamps. Today I am working with Tando Creative's  Andy Skinner Industrial Wings Kit. Focussing on Andy's Salt Technique on the tag base.

 

 

Andy's Salt Technique.

 

 

 

Base coat the tag with Titan Buff Fluid Acrylic and dry to seal the base.

 

 

Apply a very watery wash of Paynes Grey and whilst still very wet sprinkle with salt and aallow to dry .naturally.

 

 

 

When dry rub off all the salt and you are left with this lovely mottled effect. Next apply crackle paste through Andy Skinners Baroque Stencil using one of the corner elements to the base of the tag and set aside to dry.

 

 

 

Once the crackle paste has dried apply watery washes of Cobalt Teal Hue and Quinacrodone Gold. Drying between layers building depth until happy. Edge the tag with Raw Umber Fluid Acrylic to add depth.

 

 

 

Emboss the greyboard wings with an embossing folder of choice.Give the large wing Andy's rust technique and the small wing after applying texture sand paste a coat of Prussian Blue Hue, followed by a coat of Interference Turquoise and finally a coat of Transoarent Yellow Iron Oxide to give a greenish tint.

 

 

 

 

Next apply Dee's Triple Embossing Technique to the Heart supplied with the kit using Stampendous Chunky Silver Embossing powder. Stamp into whilst still molten using the Crackle stamp from

 Andy Skinners Toxic Set.







 

 

 

Repeat the steps as on the small wing to the gear that comes with the kit.

 

 

 

Take one of the portholes from Andy Skinners Industrial Elements Kit and apply Andy's rust technique.

 

 

 

Next I incorporated an element from my own stash cast with paper clay to fit with the vintage theme.

Apply a coat of Metallic Gold Fluid acrylic and when dry apply black Antiquing cream and wipe back.

To finish apply the rust technique to half of the screw heads supplied with the kit and to the other half the same technique as the small wing. Finally assemble all elements and apply to tag base.

 

 



 

I hope you have enjoyed this post. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read.

Fiona xx.

 

Products Used.

 

 

DecoArt Fluid Acrylics:- Titan Buff, Prussian Blue Hue, Paynes Grey Quinacrodone Gold, Transprent Yellow Iron Oxide, Interference Turquoise, Cobalt Teal Hue, Raw Umber.

 

DecoArt Antiquing Cream:- Black.

 

Pastes and Mediums:- Texture Sand Paste, Crackle Paste.

 

Stencil:- Baroque.

 

 

 

Toxic Rubber Stamp Set.

 

 

Andy Skinner Industrial Wings Kit.

Andy Skinner Industrial Elements Kit.

 

 

 

 





 



TANDO CHRISTMAS COTTAGE ORNAMENT

Hello fellow mixed media artists!

It's time for another fun project to get your creative juices flowing.  This time, I've combined DecoArt products, Andy SKinner's DecoArt Stencils and a Tando Creative's house from their Mini 3D House Trio set.  I've created a little vintage style stone Christmas cottage that can be used as a beautiful package decoration, just one cottage in an entire handmade Christmas village or a vintage ornament for your Christmas tree.

Now, you may be asking yourself "Christmas cottage? Already?"  But, have you noticed how quickly this year is flying by?  It's already only 5 months until Christmas Eve!  NOW the panic is beginning to set in, huh?

This little ornament using one of the THREE houses you receive in Tando Creative's 3D Mini Houses kit is the perfect size!  It's plain greyboard so each little house can look totally different.  

Let's get started on how this house was made!  First you'll need some supplies:

• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Paynes Grey
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Raw Sienna
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide
• DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics English Red Oxide
• DecoArt Media White Modeling Paste
• DecoArt Media Liquid Glass
• DecoArt Snow-Tex
• DecoArt Snow Writer

• 3D Mini House Trio 

• DecoArt Andy Skinner Shredded Stencil

Miscellaneous Items

• Paint Brush
• Scotch Tape
• 1/4" Double Sided Adhesive Scor Tape
• Palette Knife
• Kraft Pick 
• Wire (for creating ornament hook)
• Miniature Bottle Brush Christmas Trees (approximately 1 1/4")
• Miniature Bottle Brush Wreath (approximately 1")
• Sparkle Glitter
• Clear Mica Flakes
• Little Red Beads (for ornaments on the trees and wreath)
• Red and Green Ribbon (for ornament top and wreath bow)
• Heat Tool

Now to put it all together!

Aren't these just the cutest??  

Choose the house you want to use.  There are three different and adorable designs in this kit.  I chose the house on the far right in the picture.  This kit also includes window and door frames for each house.  Those add so much character!

I chose to add a piece of scotch tape on the back side of all of the joints in the house ... just for added support when I would begin adding products and bending the greyboard into shape.  I don't know that it's even necessary but it worked beautifully!

Brush a light layer of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Paynes Grey over the entire house exterior, including the bottom.  This will be the basecoat on the house and look like mortar between the earthy stone exterior that will be started next. Let dry.

Lightly tape Andy Skinner's Shredded Stencil in place along the house form.  Scrape DecoArt Media White Modeling Paste through the stencil with a Palette Knife to create a stone cottage look for the exterior.  Remove the stencil and gently heat set the Modeling Paste.  Move stencil to the next area and tape in place. Repeat this process until all of the house greyboard is covered.  Gently heat set. Immediately wash the stencil!

*DO NOT SCRAPE MODELING PASTE ONTO THE TABS THAT WILL BE FOLDED UNDER TO ATTACH THE HOUSE SIDES,. BOTTOM OR ROOF IN PLACE. If you happen to get Modeling Paste on those tabs, wipe it off before heat setting.

This is what the little house will look like at this point.  Not too impressive but hang on!

Apply 1/4" Double Sided Adhesive Scor Tape along all of the tabs now.  Then you will be ready to fold them to the inside and stick the house together once you finish the exterior walls.

Lightly brush over the entire house, particularly over the "stone" Modeling Paste areas with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Raw Sienna.  Add more paint randomly to some of the "stones" to give them more color.  Gently heat set or air dry. 

* Notice the double sided adhesive tape on the tabs of the house?

To add more depth, randomly brush on DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Burnt Sienna over the stone areas.  Again, randomly add more paint to some stones for randomness.  Gently heat set or air dry.

To add extra warmth and blend the colors all together even more, brush over the house with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide.  Gently heat set or air dry.

Paint the roof, window and door accessories with a nice contrasting color.  In this case, brush these pieces with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics English Red Oxide.  Gently heat set or air dry.

* I also painted the window panes on the actual house with this trim color before gluing the frames on over them.  

If you are creating an ornament, find the center of the roof and pierce a hole into it using a Kraft Pick.

Next  bend the sides of the house and using the Scor Tape tabs, stick the sides and the bottom of the house in place.

Glue the window frames and front door in place using DecoArt Media Liquid Glass.  

Once the window frames and door are tightly in place and dry, add the roof to the house by bending the house tabs inward and attaching the roof to them.  Then paint the underside of the roof that is visible.  Also paint the in the creases.  Gently heat set or air dry.

To give a wintry snow effect, generously apply DecoArt Snow-Tex to the roof of the stone cottage.  I used a thick brush to add the Snow-Tex but several things can work.  Wash the brush immediately after using it! Immediately add sprinkles of Glitter and clear Mica Flakes to the roof while the Snow-Tex is wet.  They will dry along with the Snow-Tex.  Let air dry.

To get a wintry snow effect in a more detailed area, use DecoArt Snow Writer above the door and on the window frames.  Sprinkle with Glitter and clear MIca Flakes while the Snow Writer is still wet.  Let these air dry.  DO NOT HEAT SET.

Add snow to the MIniature Bottle Brush Trees and Wreath with the Snow Writer.  Then sprinkle the Glitter and clear Mica Flakes.  Let air dry.  Glue the miniature trees to the house using DecoArt Media Liquid Glass.

Close up view of the front

Close up view of the back.

Once dry, add little red bead "ornaments" to the trees and wreath using DecoArt Media Liquid Glass.  Tie two bows using the red and green ribbon and glue in place using the Liquid Glass.

You've created the first little house for your Christmas village or your Christmas tree! Wasn't it easy?  Now have fun experimenting and designing an entire village.  See what different looks you can create!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it's inspired you.

About the Artist:  Candy Colwell

Blog: http://candycreates.blogspot.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/candy.colwell.9
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/rindacelly

Instrgram:  https://www.instagram.com/candy.colwell/