Urban Grunge Background Video

Hi all,
I have put together a video on the Urban Grunge Background technique featured in my last post.
Here are some of the results I have managed to do with it.

Click Pictures For A Larger View

Tutorial using Distress Ink, Acrylic & Gloss sealer

Really hope you find it useful.

Andy

Urban Graffiti

No tut today as I am preparing for a workshop that I'm running tomorrow with Silver Clay,  it looks like its going to be a busy one.
I haven't made any tags for a while and someone asked on my Facebook page yesterday if I could do more tags with tutorials.
So, here are a couple of tags done today which are a bit off the wall so to speak.. (sorry for the pun:)
I will try, time permitting this week to put something together on them.

Click Pictures For A Larger View

Enjoy you're Sunday

Andy

How to Retro Clock

Sorry to all feed subscribers for the test message sent yesterday, Feedburner had stopped Emailing my feeds and this took me a while to work out the problem, all does seems to be working now.
The post that was missed can be found here

Ok so here is the Retro Clock I have just made for my friend Joe, I will attempt to roughly guide you through it!

Click on pictures for larger view

I designed the clock face using Photoshop and printed it onto bog standard plain printing paper, I would have used better quality paper but there was none to hand.
Just to let you know I have placed these designs in my Picasa drop box to share with you, one with, and one without the name so you could add your own like Mums diner etc.. I have had to cut the resolution a little but they should be fine.
The font I have used is called Lokicola which you should be able to find on the web if you wish to use it. They are sized exactly for the clock blank I have used.
Here is a link to the images Dropbox

The substrate I decided to use for the Clock is a bisque clock blank available from the craft barn. view it .
On one side of the clock it has raised numbers as picture below, on the other it's flat so that you can alter it to your hearts content! You could decorate both sides and simply turn the clock to suit your mood!
Here is a painted sample of the numbered side.



Here is a link to a pdf tutorial for this clock…My I’m being generous today

Ok where was I? Ah yes, I sealed the surface of the bisque with Decoart multi surface sealer and allowed it to dry. While drying I cut out my clock face out with scissors.

I then glued the paper clock face onto the surface of the bisque using Americana matte decoupage glue, you could also use Ranger glue & seal.
Once dry I aged the surface with Versa Magic chalk ink and a blending tool. Note; Do not use Distress inks if you are going to use a liquid sealer on top, they will fade & smudge, there is a way to do it with distress inks but its long winded and I will leave that how to for another day.
Next I sealed the surface with Duraclear Polyurethane satin varnish, once dry I added Decoart 2 step perfect crackle to small random areas on the surface.
Once this had dried, I watered down a little Americana Burnt Umber and wiped this into the crackle glaze to accentuate the cracks.

Finally rust was added to the edges and a clock mechanism fitted.

THE END

Take care,

Andy

Free craft projects availiable at http://www.andyskinner.org

So Retro!

Here are some retro coasters I made earlier, you could also use them as wall-hangings.
My designs were made in Photoshop and printed onto standard paper on a laser printer.
Remember to make a mirror image of them before printing, especially if text is going to be involved.

Here is one of them

I then used Americana Gloss spray sealer to transfer the Image onto a 4” x 4” bisque tile. Here is a link to my you tube channel to watch videos on this technique. I will also be demonstrating this at the Craft Barn Extravaganza in June.
I then used a blending tool with Distress Inks to colour them.

The white dots are from droping water onto the surface of the bisque.
I like the two coasters but wanted to see how far I could go with aging them, they are a bit to clean cut for me.
I Brushed a coat of matte Duraclear Varnish over the top knowing that this would smudge and lighten the distress ink but would seal the surface of the bisque. This is just an experiment so if all goes wrong….hey I can always do some more!

Come on you know I just had to add a bit of rust!! I will have my coffee sitting on one in the morning!

Andy

inCOGnito

Here is the latest box, Calico Crafts sent me a pack of watch parts a while back now and I have finaly put them to use on this wooden box!

I applied gesso to the lid of the box thickly and sprinkled the small cogs and watch parts into it and allowed it to dry before decorating with Americana Acrylic paints and Distress inks.



I used an old typewriter key for the handle which was kindly sent to me from Louise over at Alter it Monthly.

Think I will use it to keep all my small watch parts in……….Hold on…errrr….ummmm.. I've just used them all!

Andy

Bits & Bobs

Is it me or is it flipping cold today? Guess I have been used to the good weather we have been experiencing lately and it’s a bit of a shock to the system!

Anyway thought I would quickly share with you what I have been up to the past couple of days. First up is Tim Holtz Distress Crackle paints, I was lucky enough to be sent a few samples from PI to play with and I know many of you have been using them for a while now but I wanted to show you my way. 
I was a bit wary as I have used many crackle paints and not all of them do what they say on the tin!
The first experiment was On a Decopatch Papier Mache box.

Click Pictures For a Larger View

I was really happy with the result and this is how I used it.
I first base coated with black acrylic paint…Americana of course! :) for two reasons, the first because black was the colour I wanted to show through the cracks and secondly I have always found crackle paints work better on sealed surfaces. The brush attached to the lid of the Weathered Wood crackle paint I found far too floppy as I wanted an even surface to stamp on so I used a regular 1/2 inch square brush, this made it much easier to get an even thickness. As soon as the cracks started to appear I blasted it with the heat gun to finish the process…so far so good, nice even cracks with the black showing through and a nice smoothish (It’s a new word…honest) surface. I then dry brushed with a little Americana Light Buttermilk and Burnt orange
Here is a close up of the crackle paint


I also tried this straight onto cardstock, it worked ok, the cracks were not as even and when I put it through the Andy test…(bending and scratching) the crackle paint started to come away so the next piece of cardstock I coated with Ranger Matte Glue & Seal first, this worked brilliantly!
I have to say I love this stuff..I have read that there have been issues with it drying up but I think Ranger have sorted that problem so its all good!

Ok next up is a wooden box I got from the Craft Barn, you can view it here.
This time gesso is the order of the day!


I have kept this box simples, I stamped into gesso and painted with Americana acrylic paint, another technique I will be demonstrating at the Craft barn extravaganza.
Finally a little bit of Tile Art…I love painting with acrylic paint on ceramic bisque, the two go together perfectly…if you have not tried it yet you really should give it a go!
This tile was decorated using Gesso, Americana acrylic paint, Alcohol Inks, Stazon White and Archival ink.


And this one for all the Rivet & Rust lovers out there! Acrylic, Distress crackle, Distress ink and Bits & Bobs!




You can get your tiles here!

Have a great day,

Andy

Vintage Gumball Machine

Transformed from a cheap plastic mini gumball machine to a distressed vintage look using Decoart Americana acrylic paint!

Click images for a larger view

This was so much fun to do and very quick as its only 11cm high.
I will be demonstrating these techniques along with a few others at the Craft Barn Extravaganza, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June, follow the link to find out all about it, it’s going to be a great weekend!
Here are a few pictures of it’s transformation.

Right, no peace for the wicked, off to put the finishing touches on some new stamp designs,

Bye for now,

Andy

It has been a bit quiet!

Hi all,
I have been a bit subdued this week due to having so so much to do, This combined with Blogger deleting latest posts has made it difficult, to be fair though blogger is actually very good normally, I have no complaints….. these things happen unfortunately.

Ok I have just got this cool Gumball Machine pictured below.

Guess what?…it comes apart real easy!



Hopefully I will have time tomorrow to do this project, if not look out on Monday!
Take care,
Andy

Asian Tea Caddie

Hi all,
apologies if you are receiving this post for the second time but blogger deleted it yesterday!

Here is one of the latest projects I have been working on.
An Asian box from Decopatch as pictured below.


I decided to turn it into a tea caddie using products from Decoart & Ranger.

I will attempt to give you a quick run through of what I did.
Detail was first added to the lid with a gold Americana writer to give the appearance of rivets.

The lid was then base coated with Decoart Dazzling Metallic Emperors gold followed by a coat of their Weathered Wood medium.
Once dry, one coat of Americana Buttermilk was applied on top. As it starts to crack the gold will shine through.

Two coats of Buttermilk Acrylic were then applied to the base.
Once dry, Weathered Wood Distress ink was then blended onto the lid, edges and the bottom of the base.
The box was then sprayed with a coat of Americana Matte sealer to set the distress ink.
Versamark was then stamped onto the base using a Tim Holtz stamp from the Floral Tattoo set and Bronze Perfect pearls Dusted on top.

Decopatch Jewels, tea labels and charms were then glued on with Ranger Matte Glue and Seal and a Fimo ball painted with Emperors Gold placed onto a cocktail stick, pushed through and glued into the centre of the lid.

Phew….Tea anyone?

Andy

It’s a Date!

Whilst at the Craft Barn last week, they were kind enough to let me choose a few wooden items to have a play with. I just had to have this wooden calendar!
Click on pictures for a larger view

The Calendar measures approx. 13x5.5x19cm & only costs £4.99!
First of all I aged the number and date blocks with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink followed by a coat of Decoart perfect crackle.


I then went to town with a steampunk style using Americana acrylic paint and a few odds & ends lying in the bottom of my scrap box!.


This will be the last steampunk piece for a little while as I am sure you're all getting very bored by me & also I have some new media that I really want to play with this week.

Bye for now,
Andy

Boys Toys!

Hello all,

Below are a couple of bisque pieces aimed more for the boys. The first an old motorbike followed by an old steam train moneybox.
Now, I was tempted to steampunk them but held back the temptation and decided to give them an old aged look with Americana acrylics.

Here they are…Ok admittedly a little steampunky but not full on
Click on pictures for a larger view

Hope you like them!
Andy

Drum Roll…and the winner is?

How many brushes were in the jar?

  The answer was 119!

No person guessed the correct answer but we did have two people who were both only six out!

The first was Rachelxx  who guessed 113 and Jude who was the last entry guessed 125

Both names were put into a bag and drawn by a member of the office staff here at Country Love Ceramics and the winner is???

RACHELXX

Congratulations Rachel if you could drop me a line with your postal address and I will contact the sponsors to get your goodies sent out to you.
Thanks also to everyone who took part.

Andy