Tatteredrocks meets flutterby

Had this one in my head ever since I did my tatty, raggedy winged angel

Loved, loved, loved doing it but sure did mess up with the colouring

Tried to be true to the brand and only use Powertex products but the colours were not working for me

After throwing it across the room a few times (test flight for the butterfly) the penny FINALLY dropped that I could use any product I wanted to get the effect I wanted ... so in came Lindy's & Finnabair

Still managed to stuff it up so walked away, had a nap, had a jam doughnut and came at it again

Not perfect but my favourite colours with a bit of a twist and it sure does shimmer when the light hits it - just like a real butterfly's wings 

Size is about 10" across the widest point ... pretty square shape so probably 10" deep too!

Have hung it above my craft table as it does kinda, sorta represent my work right now ... and who can go wrong with a butterfly on her wall?

How she started out ... the long tail was intended to be strengthened so I could stand it in the garden but then I used products other than Powertex so probably would no longer be weatherproof ... so she is a house butterfly now

Products used:

Powertex 

Ivory / Bluish Grey

Easy Varnish

Bister 

 Blue / Green / Red

Lindy's Stamp Gang  

Moon Shadow Mist - Tawny Turquoise

Starburst - Afternoon Denim Delight / Jazzy Jivin' Purple

Flat Pabio - Rizzo's Rowdy Red (had to put on my glasses to read that one as I was sure it said "randy" not "rowdy" !!!!)

Lindy's Magicals

Tea Pot Purple / Tweedle Dee Denim  

Colourtrix

Clear Gold / Terragreen

Finnabair (Prima Marketing) Art Ingredients

Mica Powder - Lilac Opal Magic

We have a problem ...

The problem being I am everso slightly addicted to Powertex fossils!

Not a bad addiction to have I guess but as I type I have an idea for something quite random forming in my tiny wee brain so might see where that takes me and STEP AWAY from the fossils for a while

Can't think of a title for this one but might yet be inspired

Now, what was that I said?

Put the fossils down and WALK AWAY!!!!!

Never Say Never

Said I'd NEVER make any form of figurine and most definitely never an angel

but, hey-ho, having discovered Powertex and seen what can be done I quite suddenly had an image in my head

and knew I wanted to make an angel

but one with the most tattered, raggedy wings EVER

So booked myself and my Lil' Sis' onto one of Annette Smyth's workshops and came away with my tattered, raggedy winged angel

She evolved hugely over the workshop - she was going to be everso much more heavily clothed but whilst draping parts of Annette's gorgeous lace tablecloth - cut especially for me ... we looked at each other and thought she was fine just as she was

So simplicity rules and that left me free to go to town on her wings

which was always my aim

Can't thank Annette enough for her help with this one ... was not at my best on the day and had no idea AT ALL just how much work goes into these sculptures

But, I am so pleased with her

and as for saying "never" ...

what's next, I wonder?

Rocks of the Jurassic Kind

Rocks of the Jurassic kind ...

well, not really of course, but say anything with conviction and someone will believe you

Still rocking (see what I did there?!) my ammonite phase 

my first piece of this kind .. ie: not a canvas - so plenty of room for improvement

but it sure was fun and a desire to improve merely means you get another chance to play

Which I will just as soon as the old mojo kicks back in ... it's a bit intermittent as the journey along the path of grief takes its toll

Anyway, Powertex products ... fossils made using that air-dry paper clay stuff and one heck of a mess ... can't wait to do another!

Pausing The Past

Ok ... this one has my soul invested in it

Clearing the loft at daddy's we found the old tape recorder

not that I had ever forgotten it

I have had the smell of it in my head forever

and can clearly hear a little bit of our voices recorded on it

smells and sounds that have never left me

There is still a faint whiff of the smell there

but I did not want to hear the voices again

I know my voice is there but didn't want to risk hearing the voices of  
mommy & daddy

so I have used the tapes as they are - without playing them 

Pausing the Past .... get it ?

Huge dilemma about what to do with the machine

put it in our loft for the boys to deal with eventually?

send it to the charity shop where it would become just another item selling for a few pounds?

I couldn't bear to do that so took a deep breath and decided to make it into art and so preserve it

for my lifetime anyway

So here it is - a very fond memory from my childhood

I used just the top deck part and as many bits from inside as I could -but had to add some extra cogs as it was looking a bit bare

Then, of course, you paint it all black

I used only Finnabair's waxes for the colour and then dry-brushed the highlights with her acrylic paint

One slight change of mind along the way

painted the tape from it's original brown colour to black

didn't like it

so peeled some off the reels to paint it red

didn't like that either

so repainted it gold ... so now it looks like the original brown again

but with a bit of sparkle!

And then I finally felt it was finished ... know when to stop!

Very much The Past ... Paused

Stuff used:

Heavy Body Gel

Art Basics Heavy Black Gesso

Art Alchemy Opal Magic Wax : Green Brocade / Vintage Silk / Blue Velvet / Turquoise Satin

Art Alchemy Antique Brilliance Wax : Red Amber / Mystic Turquoise

Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint : Metallique Steampunk Copper / Ancient Coin