Ever start on a project and get disillusioned halfway through? This is one such project… I got hold of an outline file for a laser-cut 3D ‘book’ box and thought it would be ideal for a memory book. I spent all morning tweaking the sizes of all the holes, working through several sheets of MDF before I was more sensible and started cutting just a couple of joints at a time as tests. They’re still not quite dialled in correctly, but at least it went together for this prototype.
As always, a quiet blog usually means frenetic activity in The Studio. The start of this month has been no different, with not two, but three live hours of craft TV demos to prepare for. And, as usual, there was a press embargo on sharing the products, or the samples, until the live shows aired.
So, without further ado, here are my samples for the Hochanda shows that aired on 18th August 2017. Please let me know if you’d like fuller instructions on how to make any of these, I’ll see what I can do. Later this week, I’ll also do a review of the new That’s Crafty! Multi Surface paints based on what I learnt making the samples.
That’s Crafty! Multi Surface Paint: Black / Christmas Red / Yellow / Brown
That’s Crafty! Multi Surface Paint: Metallic Gold
That’s Crafty! Bits & Pieces Greyboard: Acorns and Leaves / Leaves
That’s Crafty! Bits & Pieces Greyboard: Christmas Sentiments 1
That’s Crafty! Surfaces Set of 2 MDF Shadow Boxes [small]
That’s Crafty! Multi Purpose Craft Adhesive Pen
Use the Craft Adhesive as a doming glaze for the berries. The metallic gold adds a little bit of shine to the leaves.
I’ve done faux leather, faux weathered wood and faux brass – here’s a fresh-from-the-desk journal page featuring a faux galvanised steel paint effect with faux rust. The sentiment is apparently a Turkish proverb. Is it immodest to say I’ve surprised myself again with another successful experiment? Next time though, I’ll not leave the studs until last, which somewhat annoyingly overlapped the end of ‘unlock’ – tI added the wording whilst I was waiting for the image transfer to dry, and I needed the image transfer uncovered to get the perspective right for the door studs.
I posted a week or so ago the start of an assemblage in a printer’s tray – The Apothecary. Over the last few days I have been making a sign for the top, building it from foamcore board, and coating it with several layers of paint to try and match the colour of the tray. Eventually, I ended up brushing on some tan wax shoe polish and buffing it back, and adding a small amount to the wood exterior of the tray. I think it warmed up the wood and helped make the both seem a whole. The inlay ‘brass’ line is Letraset metallic tape, and the lettering and logo are cut from 160gsm card, layered four deep and then painted with Treasure Gold Liquid Leaf Florentine and then a quick layer of Classic Gold.
I’ve also taken the photos into Photoshop and added vintage effects.
Now I’ve been looking at it from the photos, and getting a little distance on it, I’m wondering if the answer to making the bottles both accessible and not able to fall out is to make a glass door and change it into a cabinet?