Sunday, 20 May 2018

"Just Relaxing" by Melissa Struhs


Hey Everyone. As we approach the middle of the month already I wanted to really make an effort to dig through my chipboard stash. Figured it was also a great time to sort  and reorganise the millions of remnants gathering in a huge container while I searched for pieces that would be suitable for my photo.


I am sure you have probably seen the May Challenge for this month's Colour Blast Creative Corner Challenge....chipboard and Colour Blast? Ha! Too easy. It is very simple to see that my usual stash of photo's gravitates towards to masculine / industrial theme and that it definitely the style of chipboard I have been hoarding.


As I started digging, I found cogs, industrial hanging lanterns and chains and circuitry panels. Some pieces were brand new, others were pieces left over from other projects and others were dug from the deepest valleys of my stash.


I began with Dusty Charcoal Colour Shimmer Spray over the Title, chain and hanging lanterns. These in particular have an etched pattern in them and the Shimmer Spray does not fill the pattern like other mediums would. Two coats were applied and dried off with my heat gun between each layer.


To incorporate some extra large metal cogs into my design, I gave them a matt finish by painting them with Black Heavy Gesso.


1 coat is all it takes to achieve this matt look with full coverage.


On the remaining chipboard cogs, silver ink was applied and then sprinkled with Steel Colour Embossing Powder. I like to do 3 coats on pieces where the shape is quite bulky and the finished look is thick and super glossy.


I tinkered with layering of the patterned paper and shuffling the photo's into place before adding Just Blue Colour Paste


across the top of some stamped script images


and below my focal photo.


While the paste was still wet, I flicked some heavy splashes of Deep Water Colour Shimmer Spray
over the stencilled pieces.


It's only subtle at this stage but by introducing other chipboard elements with the same colour again


plus by adding Deep Water Colour Embossing Powder it would a little more of an intense look.


Forget about hunting for an ink!!! I soaked my chipboard with the shimmer spray and before it was able to soak in too much


covered it in the matching Colour Embossing Powder. 


The look can be patchy and slightly textured and then thick and glossy in some spots. Sometimes that can really be what you love most about it.


All of the layers could be adhered to the layout, I used every chipboard piece to border or frame my photographs.


Even incorporated some hand stitching to anchor the pieces more securely...


especially some the layers that really were only held with a tint bit of glue.


Hope this inspires you to dig through your chipboard stashes and perhaps blend some unusual pieces together in an interesting way. Have a fabulous and creative Colour Blast weekend.

Mel.


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