It's My Week!

Hello,

Over at the Craft Barn Blog its Andy Skinner week starting today! Each day the blog will have a new tutorial using my stamps posted by the very talented design team.
I will be at the Craft Barn on Saturday the 3rd demonstrating and on Sunday the 4th I will be there running an all day workshop so hopefully I will see some of you there!

Here is my contribution, all materials used can be found???…. yep you guessed it, at the Craft Barn

Weathered Box

Lightly sand the box and seal with Multi medium matte and allow to dry.
Next apply a watered down wash of Decoart Gesso to the entire surface, you should be able to see the wood grain through the gesso. Allow this to dry.
Paint a little pva glue in random areas where you would like the paint to crack. Apply Vaseline with your fingers to areas you would like the paint to peel.



Pour a little Americana Indian turquoise and Snow (Titanium) white onto a pallet, with the pva glue still wet pick up the two colours onto a brush and apply this to the box, mixing the colours lightly as you go.
Once dry you will notice that the paint has cracked where the pva glue was applied. Now take a cloth and rub over the surface to start the paint peeling where the Vaseline was applied.
Sand the surface lightly with a fine grade sandpaper to soften the edges of the peeled paint.



Water down some Americana Burnt umber and Lamp (Ebony) black and pick up the paint onto a toothbrush. lightly speckle the box by flicking the bristles with your finger. Note: It is advisable to test this on some scrap paper first.
Highlight the edges with a little gold rub on using your fingers



Stamp the script with Walnut stain Distress Ink. Stamp the dove, cherub and antique sign with Black archival ink.
Highlight some areas within the stamps with a little titanium white to make them pop.
Finally, once fully dried attach a metal clasp, and spray with a light coat of Americana Matte spray sealer.



Materials List
Wooden Box
Decoart Americana in:
Indian Turquoise
Snow White
Burnt Umber
Lamp Black
Pva Glue
Multi Medium Matte
Decoart gesso
Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Black archival ink
Metal Clasp

Stamps
Batik Garden
Antiques
Simply Angelic

Simple Tag


Position the Tando clock mask over the tag. Pick up a little Americana snow white onto a stencil brush and paint in the numerals, allow to dry.
Using a blending tool apply mustard seed distress ink to the entire surface of the tag. Next blend barn door Distress ink, top left and bottom right of the tag.
Stamp the script top right and bottom left of the tag, using Broken China distress ink.
Stamp butterfly’s, berry bush and Object d' art using black archival ink.
Colour in the butterfly’s with fired brick, broken china and spiced marmalade distress ink using a brush.
Highlight the body's with an inksentials white gel pen.
Materials List
300 gsm tag
Tando clock mask
Americana snow white
Distress Ink in:
Mustard seed
Barn door
Broken china
Fired brick
Spiced marmalade
Black Archival Ink
Inksentials white gel pen

Stamps
Batik Garden
Antiques
A Winters Tale
Gothic




Bisque Hanging Heart Ornament

Basecoat the bisque heart hanging ornament with Multi matte medium.
Once dry apply clear rock candy to the surface. I prefer to use a slightly stiffer brush than the one supplied with the bottle, to give a more even application.
Once cracks appear, finish the drying process with a heat tool.
Paint surface with Americana lamp black and allow to dry for approx 2 minutes.
Wipe back black acrylic using a baby wipe until it remains in the cracks only.
Sand surface with 280 grade wet & dry fine sandpaper, this gives a smooth professional finish which is ideal for stamping onto.



After stamping apply Rub 'n Buff: Gold leaf to the edges.
I dipped this heart ornament using the alcohol ink floating method with brights, then applied the same technique as above.



Materials List
Bisque Heart ornament
Matte Medium
Distress rock candy
Americana lamp black
Rub & buff gold leaf
Adirondac Alcohol inks in:
Plum
Pool
Citrus
Stamps
Simply Angelic
Lindsay Mason Designs: Tattered Butterflies

Have a great day,

Andy

The Evil Elixir Mixer!

As most of you know I love altering and making things look old using a variety of techniques and media.
One type of media I have always struggled with altering are glass bottles, they are so easy to get hold of, especially if you like wine as much as I do!
The main problem I have is making paint adhere to the glass properly, you can use glass paint but this can still be scratched, even if it is oven baked, I have also used enamels but these dry glossy and I really wanted to use acrylic!
Well I am happy to say that after much experimenting and many disappointment's, I have eventually overcome the problem….Yippee!
Pictured below is the bottle I have used for my Evil Elixir Mixer altered bottle, Halloween is fast approaching and so is my dark side :)


and here it is the finished piece, very deMeng inspired!

Click Image For A Larger View

This project was completed in the hope of running an online workshop, not for you to produce the exact same bottle, although you may if you wish, but to share with you the techniques I use along with step by step instructions.
I run many workshops in Oxford which are mainly ceramic decorating and acrylic decorating techniques.
With the cost of fuel these days and having to take time of work etc, it can work out fairly expensive for people who live a fair distance away, this combined with many emails received asking me if I would put together some online courses has now prompted me to have a go.
One other great thing is that it enables those of you who are overseas to take part.
I have already setup a password protected site for the workshops where video's and instructions will be placed along with downloadable pdf's and there will also be a google group setup up for delegates to access at anytime to discuss the workshop with other delegates.
A tool's and materials list will be sent out upon registration. An invite to the workshop site and Google group will be sent out a couple of days prior to the workshop beginning.
The information will be removed from the site after four weeks from the start date, this will give everyone the chance to work at their own pace and you will also have the pdf's for future reference.
Now before I do anymore work on this I would just like to get a little feedback so please can I take a little of your time and ask you to complete the poll, and please leave a comment or email me if you have any questions or other feedback.

I will post out full details on the workshop soon

Thanks

Andy

Time for a Tag

Hello,
Eventually I completed a Christmas project today, I have been working on this for a magazine article which has taken so much longer than expected, admittedly all my fault!
My fingers get so inky,  when attempting a snow scene the slightest mark on pure white is most definitely the be all & end all!…(Unless someone out there knows a good way of removing distress ink from white cardstock?…. without leaving a mark??)
I know I should wash my hands, but to be completely honest, I get so involved that sometimes it just slips my mind!
Anyway I am sure we have all been there right? … Why does it always happen right at the end,  after all the hard work is done?!?

Ok rant over for now, here is a  tag that did not make it for the magazine, they wanted Steampunk and this really does not fit the bill, it is using the stamps from my new winters tale set.
To be honest, I have been so busy lately it was really nice to sit down and have a play with these stamps eventually..



Click Image For a Larger View

Mask of the horizon line and barn.
Blend Mustard Seed half way up the un-masked area of the skyline.
Starting at the horizon line, blend Fired Brick into the Mustard seed.
Finish the top of the sky with a little dusty concord and Faded Jeans.
Remove the horizon mask and stamp the tree with Black Archival ink.
Remove the mask from the barn and stamp the barn with Black archival ink.
Stamp the geese, gate, wooden posts, robin, sentiment and berry bush with black archival ink.
Using a brush, colour the barn and posts with Walnut stain & Aged mahogany distress ink.
Use Faded jeans with a brush to shade the snow.
Add the berry's with Fired Brick.
Finally add highlights using an Inkssentials White opaque pen.

Oh yeah, please make sure you wash your hands to avoid inky fingerprints in the snow! lol

Andy

Faux Weathered Wood

Hi all,

It's soooo quiet out there in internet land at the moment, so many of you are on holiday… Hmmm holiday…. maybe next year!… are you all still out there?? lol
Anyway, last week I posted a scrapyard challenge mirror on here, this unfortunately failed to go out via my feedburner email subscription, but you can always view it here if you missed it.
Using the same basic pine mirror I have distressed and weathered it using Americana acrylic paint.

Click Image For Larger View


The basic technique for this can be found HERE, in a video I made a few months back.
I have been busy experimenting with this technique over the past couple of days and it is really starting to come together.

There are approximately seven stages to get to this result on wood, all fairly quick but I wanted to give it a go on cardstock!
Now the only cardstock that I have found to withstand this sort of abuse is the one recommended to me by the wonderful Lindsay Mason, I absolutely love it!
It's 300 gsm and is the only cardstock I have used which can hold up to what I chuck at it :)

Here is a small tag i have made to resemble old painted floorboards, this is using just the 300 gsm cardstock and acrylic paint.

Click Image For Larger View

(Dream stamp by Lindsay mason  Fly Soar Soul Dream)

Next are a couple of book markers using my Antiques stamp set.
Click Image For Larger View



And finally I attempted a faux wooden clock. 
Again this is just a circle cut from the 300 gsm cardstock, absolutely nothing else has been added other than paint.
Next I will glue it to some thick cardboard and fit a clock mechanism.

Click Image For Larger View


Clock numerals were stencilled on using a Tando Mask which is available from the Craft Barn
To find your nearest stockist of this fantastic cardstock visit the stockist locater at the link below. code number is PIP 300 CWH
http://www.personalimpressions.com/

Andy

Three does not make a pear!

Hi all,
For those of you who like to paint with acrylics, have you ever tried using un-glazed earthenware as a substrate?
Well if not you should, it needs no priming or gesso as it accepts acrylic brilliantly because of it's absorbent nature!
The earthenware is cheap, will not distort or warp and framing is a breeze.
Here is a quick example I painted this morning using 4" x 4" tiles with Decoart Americana Acrylic paint.

Click image For A Larger View

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday,

Andy

Scrap Yard Challenge

A few weeks ago,  I posted on here regarding a shop called En Route in Chesham, whilst there I saw lots of fantastic south American art which had all been made from scrap metal.
They had wooden mirrors that had been covered with old rusty battered American number plates, these had been welded together and then tacked to the wooden frame.
I wish that I had a picture to show you because they were so cool.

Anyway this inspired me to attempt altering a wooden mirror myself, I wanted to achieve the effect of scrap metal welded and tacked together onto a wooden frame without having to use metal or a welding machine! :).
Click Image For A Larger view

I also had a go with an old biscuit tin.


I will be running a full day workshop at the Craft Barn on October 29th which will cover all of these techniques.
You can book by simply calling them on 01342 836398. 
Apologies, the September workshop is fully booked.

Andy

Curios?

Hi all,
Just a quick post to show you a tag I made earlier using a cog mask from Tando creative available at the Craft Barn
I will run you through the process of creating the background quickly.

Click Image for a Larger View

Lay the mask over the tag,  Pick up some copper acrylic paint using a stencil brush and gently dab the paint down to fill in the cogs. I have used Americana Royal Ruby dazzling metallic's.
Once dry blend distress inks in order of: Old Paper, Rusty Hinge, Antique Photo and aged Mahogany, leaving the tag slightly lighter in the middle, the acrylic will resist the ink.
Pick up some water onto a round brush and let it drip down from some of the cogs. Once dry you can start to stamp!
Other materials used include:
Tando Small Book plates
Distress Rock Candy
Glossy Accents
STAMPS
Flight of Fancy
Gothic and Antiques
Image Transfer
Googly eyes

Have a great day,

Andy

QVC Steampunk

Just a quick post to let you know that my stamps are going to be featured on a QVC  hour-long Steampunk show this Tuesday (tomorrow) at 2pm,  presented by Amy Shaw.
You can view more details here   QVC STEAMPUNK
There's bound to be some bargains up for grabs on this one so please tune in!

I have added a new page at the top of the blog called demo's & workshops, many of you have asked for a list of upcoming events that I will be attending.
I will start to put all venues and dates for the following month on this page…. Hopefully I will have it filled in by this evening.
Have a great day everyone,
Andy

Something for the weekend sir? Steampunk Cufflinks

Hi everyone,
As I mentioned yesterday, I took time out today to create something just for the hell of it and blog about it!
I have been using silver clay for a few years now but never had a go with the copper clay, so I thought I would have a go and make a set of steampunk cufflinks with a box to match. As you can see from the picture there is only one cufflink on show, I will explain what happened to the other one later on…..whoops!

Click on Pictures for a Larger View


I began by taking a mold of a few watch parts into some 2 part silicone moulding compound.

I then rolled out the copper clay to my desired thickness and embossed the surface using the silicon mold. Two squares of copper clay were then cut using a craft knife.
Once the clay was dry (very important) I placed the cufflink faces onto a firebrick and heated with a creme Brulee torch until they were cherry red for approx 7 minutes.


I immediately quenched them in water to remove any oxidisation.


Copper cufflink backings were then soldered on,  you can always get glue on backings if your not happy with the idea of soldering.

To finish off, I gave them a quick buff with a wire brush and a very slight polish.


Here is the second cufflink,  because of my impatience I started to fire it before the clay had properly dried and unfortunately it blistered and cracked, I have made a few more today and am leaving them overnight to dry before firing.


You can find lots more information about copper clay here  http://www.artclayworld.com/Tips-TechSheets/ArtClayCopperBooklet.pdf
It's very cheap in comparison to silver and you don't need too many tools to get started,  A fire brick and a creme brulee torch is all I have used!

The box is just an old plain cufflink box I had lying around which I altered and finished of with a copper patina.

Andy

I am still here!

As it's now been 14 days since I last posted, I thought I would quickly check in to say "I am still here!"  I will be back blogging on a regular basis very soon!
I have been working very hard on few private commissions over the past couple of weeks, the annoying thing is only one of which I can reveal :( and that's not until November… I want to show it to you now as it really is my favourite piece to date!

Anyway tomorrow I am taking time out as I want to create something for me! …..not sure what yet but I will post the results when I have finished.
Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather and for those of you with the children at home… I do feel for you but only a few weeks to go! lol
Take care everyone,
Andy