Monday, May 14, 2012

Two Projects, Three Challenges, and a Cool Technique

I know I said no more challenges or swaps until I finished some old projects, but I couldn't resist this month's tag in Tim's 12 Tags of 2012.  It features the beautiful faux porcelain technique, and it found me in the mood to haul out the melt pot.

I don't like copying Tim's tags exactly, so I just concentrate on the techniques, and my tag includes the faux porcelain flowers (I also used Primas, plus some others found in my stash), as well as the tissue paper background.  Instead of a spool, I placed my bouquet in one of Wendy Vecchi's art parts....the flower pot, which was gessoed, inked with the new peacock feathers distress ink, dusty concord and (also new) shaded lilac.  It was then stamped with one of Wendy's fab backgrounds with berry purple archival ink.



The sentiment is a Wendy stamp.  Next, a close up of the flowers.  The small ones started out purple, but the others were white, and I tinted them with two of the new distress inks.....shaded lilac and squeezed lemonade (which is a great yellow) before dipping them in the melted UTEE.  Please click on the link to Tim's blog (above) to see the step by step details for this technique.



Since digging out the melt pot and actually using it is not an everyday event around here, I wound up making way more flowers than I needed, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to participate in the current challenge over at the Wendy yahoo group.  The theme is ATCs and the only rule, other than sticking to the theme is to use at least one of Wendy's stamps.  I did that, and more, and also included more art parts than you'd think would fit on a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2" piece.



The scallops, leaves and vase are all art parts.  Actually the vase started out in life as the base for a lamp, but I easily sliced off the lampshade.  I used pretty much the same colors on it as I did on the flower pot and added a dusting of lemon sparkle perfect pearls (which goes so well with the touches of squeezed lemonade distress ink I used throughout the ATC. 

I tried faux porcelain flowers once before with less success.  The difference this time, I think, is that I really filled the melt pot with UTEE.  It works much better if you can actually submerge the flowers into the UTEE.  It still requires a little finesse, and Tim's blog has some helpful hints,.

As luck would have it, this week's challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show is "anything goes."  So, I'm submitting the ATC there as well.

And now, back to working on some of my unfinished "masterpieces," LOL.



19 comments:

Tammy D said...

Very neat technique!

Monica said...

The flowers really look like porcelain

Alicia B said...

I agree with Monica, The flowers DO look like porcelain- so dainty and a beautiful piece of ART! *Hugs*

Dorothy said...

I so love those flowers!!!

Anonymous said...

Pretty pretty tag!!! I LOVE doing flowers that way....gives them such a cool look!!!

Debby said...

Great job. The flowers turned out beautifully!

Anonymous said...

Your flowers turned out fabulous! So glad you gave in to the urge to make some new art!

Helen said...

Both pieces are just beautiful! I rarely use my melt pot either, but may have to dust it off for Tim's tag!

Bunnyfreak said...

Love how the flowers turned out.

Winnie said...

Such pretty tags...I love your flowers! I love the way you did the pot too.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, the flowers are gorgeous.

Lori said...

Great job on the faux porcelain flowers! I hope mine turn out that well..it is a little tricky. That tag and the ATC are just gorgeous, and thanks for joining the MAC!

Diann said...

Wow..love this tag...it's a beauty and the flowers are wonderful! Diann

Patzee said...

Great flowers! Love the new distress colors, too. What happy spring creations!

Anonymous said...

Very nice Eileen...I love that you always try new techniques and share the outcome with the rest of us!

Candy C said...

Love our tag and love the UTEE coated flowers! You really made some "faux porcelain" beauties!!! Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 Candy

sally said...

Love your take on Tim's tag!

Lori Anderson said...

Love your tag. I don't own a UTEE pot, but I do encaustic collage, so I heated a pot of wax and dipped my flowers. They remind me of the wax-dipped flowers on my grandmother's bridal veil.

Elena said...

This is fabulous Eileen! Absolutely love it!!!! Since I don't like him so much any more I have not been keeping up and didn't even know he was doing 12 tags of 2012!!! Fantastic!!!