Hello Everyone!
Welcome back and thanks for stopping by! Today I am sharing a 5" x 7" canvas created especially for a Spooktober Challenge from Andy Skinner and Traci McLean of Creative Expressions. Week one; October 4th - 10th is themed "Skulls".
If you are a poker player, you've heard of a "Dead Man's Hand" that consists of aces and eights. Andy's Skull of Spades and Stonewash stamps with a transfer black spider from Horror Mixed Media Transfers from Creative Expressions provide the PERFECT combination for this idea.
This was a fun and easy Halloween project to create especially with all of the wonderful products from Andy and Creative Expressions!I began with a piece of speciality stamping paper (has a bit of a slick finish and is almost like a cardstock feel). Using permanent black ink, I stamped the skull ace image. Then I cut out around it to make it look like a 4 3/4" x 3 1/4" playing card. I rounded the edges with a corner punch. Next I used the permanent black ink and ramdonly stamped partial images from the Stonewash stamp to give a weathered, rough feeling to the card. Heat set. Aren't these great stamps?
This ghoulish ghost is perfect for coming out around the back corner of the card. This is a transfer from Andy's Horror Mixed Media Transfer images. I also added a top hat from his buddy who is also on the Horror Mixed Media Transfer Sheet. I transferred these two images onto a piece of white computer paper and fussy cut them out. I cut the hat our and added it to the ghost's head to make him look more like a gambler ghost.
I added Andy's Cosmic Shimmer Lava Paste to a metallic number "8" and heat set it. The heat activates the Lava Paste and turns it into some amazing bubbly texture as you see in the inset. When cool, I painted the eight with Black Acrylic paint followed by Quinacridone Red Acrylic Paint around the bottom as if the eight is bleeding out.
Now for the canvas base! First I added Andy's beautiful Rice Paper image from his Tiles collection. This was done using Matte Medium generously brushed onto the canvas. I laid the Rice Paper in the center of the canvas over the Matte Medium and then burnished it to remove all wrinkles and air bubbles. Then a coat of Matte Medium brushed over the Rice Paper to seal it. Heat set. Next, using my finger, I added Andy's Cosmic Shimmer Strata Paste on either side of the canvas (to hide where the Rice Paper did not cover). Heat set. This Strata Paste gives such a tactile edging! I LOVE IT! I painted the edging using Andy's Payne's Grey Cosmic Simmer Artist Pigment Paint. Look how beautifully it adds to the tile Rice Paper.
Still using the Cosmic Shimmer :Payne's Grey Artist Pigment Paint, I stenciled all of the letters I would need to create the "DEAD MANS HAND" tiles for the canvas. This was done on a piece of creme card stock and using Andy's Redemption Stencil. I cut out around the letters, added a light touch using a cotton ball with a hint of Cosmic Shimmer Yellow and water wash then edges with my finger and a touch of Payne's Grey Artist Pigment Paint. Now it's time to assemble everything and glue it into place!
The letter are glued in place using a small adhesive pad under each one. I also added adhesive pads underneath the "8" and the gambler ghost to give the canvas more dimension. Also a little scrap of black netting was glued underneath the Ace for added interest.
Add a little "blood" using Quinacridone Red Acrylic Paint to the "8" and let it run down onto the letter tiles. Wha-lah! You have a fun Halloween decor piece! Be sure to check out all of Andy's products at Creative Expressions website. Links are listed below! #spooktober
Here is a list of all of the items you will need to create this fun project:
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES
About the Artist:
