We're all mad here

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here.” - Lewis Caroll

Oh my gosh, isn't this Cheshire cat hat by Annette just adorable. 

Used tea leaves mixed with ivory texture on the mouse and used tea bag papers on the cup! Ingenious....

Annette Smyth DT 2018

It wouldn't be an Abigail project if there wasn't a rainbow of colour in there. Love this!

Abigail Lagden DT 2018

I would hope that my make would be mad enough for the hatter. I loved working with these bright colours and another fabulous theme from our Tracey.

Well, it wouldn't have been right if I hadn't of made a journal now would it?

Anna Emelia Howlett DT 2018

I'm so in love with the colours on these designs by Kore. Nice and bright. Just what I love!

Kore Sage DT 2018

Our Tracey will be showing you the techniques so you can re-create some stunning works of art in time for your tea party. Are you ready to join us in wonderland? Don't be late. Tune in or look on catch up online for the shows which will be airing at 12pm and 4pm. Free view 85, Sky 663 or free sat 817 Let us know what you thought on our Facebook page. And if you need any extra guidance from a local tutor contact us at Powertex UK and we can put you in touch. Toodles Anna xXx

It's always tea time

Well, I hope you have all managed to set a side some time this Good Friday to catch our Tracey on Hochanda. We are super excited aren't you? Here is a little sneaky peak of whats in store. The DT team has had a ball bringing such a varied selection of ideas and inspiration for you on their projects.

Jinny has managed to create some scrummy texture on her beautiful hatters hat.

Jinny Holt DT 2018

Stunning Designs bought to you by Fi I am just loving how she has turned the teapot and cups into a hanging sign. 

Fiona Potter DT 2018

Just loving the bow and tassle on this superb hatters hat by Donna.

 Donna Mcghie DT 2018

Our Tracey will be showing you the techniques so you can re-create some stunning works of art in time for your tea party. Are you ready to join us in wonderland? Don't be late. Catch Tracey's shows at 12 pm and 4 pm. Tune in or look on catch up online for the shows which will be airing at 12pm and 4pm. Free view 85, Sky 663 or free sat 817. Let us know what you thought on our Facebook page. And if you need any extra guidance from a local tutor contact us at Powertex UK and we can put you in touch. Toodles Anna xXx

Medieval Chalice (by Anne)

I had fun creating a medieval chalice from an old glass that I have had for years. If you look closely it is actually made from a recycle wine bottle cut in half. The old bottle base is cut off and stuck to the bottle pouring top. The upturned bottle therefore making a new glass. I didn’t make it myself but it was a present from my ex’s daughter and has sentimental value. Now I have a super chalice to fill with cider and enjoy my drink along with good memories.

I wanted to keep the rim of the glass clean as I intend to use it as a drinking glass. I can clean the inside properly and around the rim etc. after use. The outer decoration will be ok with rinsing but obviously will be washed with more care.

I first stamped some tissue paper (recycled packaging) with Versamark Ink and heat embossed the script image (Butterfly Poppy Collage set from Chocolate Baroque) with metallic gold embossing powder. I also collected some MDF embellishments ready for decorating. The Ankh is from the Pyramid and Ank Trio set, the hares and small cross from the Mini Hieroglyphs set.

As I wanted to keep the glass for functional use I didn’t want to completely cover it with texture and wanted to keep the stem area comfortable to hold. I first painted a band of black ‘all surfaces’ weatherproof glitter paint (Black Diamonds Crystal Glitter) onto the glass to add some interest and texture which will show through the background areas that I wanted to keep fairly smooth. The gold paint that you can see on the base was done some years ago with glass paints – I covered this up in later steps.

Next I tore areas of the script paper and applied them over the glass stem and bowl using Easycoat Mat Decoupage Medium. Tip: I used a water pen to draw around the pieces that I wanted, making it easy to tear shapes in a more controlled way. I sprayed with a little Green Bister just to blend in a little (dabbing off excess dribbles) where the white tissue paper was a little obvious.

Next was true happiness – a fist full of Powertex Clay – tee hee. I mixed some Stone Art with Bronze Powertex (approx. 50:50) with a small addition of Transparent Powertex, working it well into a non-sticky consistency.

Next I cut of square of T shirt fabric to cover the glass base and treated it with Bronze Powertex. I also treated a strip of T-shirt yarn and used it to secure the fabric over the stem base, then wrapped it up around the glass. Snips of textured lace were treated and added around the base plus a strip of treated lace was added to create a border around the top.

A rough slab of clay was rolled out and impressed using the text stamp. This was glued onto the glass front using Powertex. Stems and leaves were moulded by hand and ‘glued’ in place along with the MDF embellishments. Where needed a little Easy Structure Paste was used as a 3D ‘glue’ (painted over with Bronze Powertex to hide the white colour). A faux gem was stuck into the centre of the ankh.

The chalice was then left to dry for a couple of hours.

Next came the fun of dry brushing. I used Rich Gold Colortricx mixed with Easy Varnish first. It looked a little uninteresting in just the one colour so I also dry brushed with some of the new Aqua Metallic Acrylic Ink. Both of these dry very quickly so I just repeated layers of dry brushing until I was happy with the result.

I will leave the vessel for a couple of weeks to fully dry and cure before giving it a final all over coat of Easy Varnish to fully seal it. Et voila! My lovely new drinking vessel. I cannot wait to use it.

Take time to do what makes your soul happy

When I first caught glimpse of this project pack I was super excited. This was one fun project to make. And I thoroughly enjoyed creating this pocket watch. It was even more exciting because I got to use our Tracey's studio at hq to create mine. There is no feeling like being in a big studio with every Powertex product imaginable to hand. Oh its heaven.......

So without further a do here is my design for this months project pack.

As usual I made a layout of the items I was going to use. I just had to use some of the rose and daisy embellishments. I made some stone art clay with the stone art powder and Powertex and pushed the  clay into the daisy and rose mould.

Top tip: If you layout your composition for the design you wish to achieve before you start, its a lot less messy.

 Next I took my Ivory Powertex and coated all the mdf and embellishments. The only thing you need here is Powertex. It's magic formula glues, sticks and paints your works of art.

Top tip: I didn't use all of the mdf shapes in the pack. This means I have them leftover for any other projects I wish to use them on. You can chose to use them all or save some for other projects you have in mind.

Top tip: Your items won't be instantly stuck so if you want to relocate them you can pick them up easily and move them to another part of your design.

To add some extra texture to the piece I took some sand and balls and mixed them into some Ivory Powertex I had poured out. I then used a plastic palette knife to apply the mixture on various areas of the piece. 

 I then sprayed blue bister on the left side, green in the middle and black on the right side. I accidentally used brown and only have the photo with brown. But I just sprayed the black on over the top. Bister is a walnut stain so it covered the brown perfectly.

Top tip: I like to mix my bister granules in a small bowl with hot water, this enables them to dissolve better. I use the back of a teaspoon to crush any granules that haven't fully dissolved. You can pop them in a spritz bottle and shake them, it completely personal preference.

I then dry brushed red ochre, yellow ochre and turquoise powercolor over the black stained side, to give a faux rust effect. And turquoise, moss green and yellow ochre on the blue side. 

I think you can tell I loved creating this one and I had some left overs that I can use for other projects. I hope you all enjoy the project pack and find some inspiration in our blogs. Do share your makes with us at Powertex addicts united on Facebook or join our new group. We love to see what you are making. Toodles Anna xXx You can find more of my work on @ Rosehart Studio.

Powertex meets the Raven and the Rusty Pocket Watch

Hi it's Kore here with my March blog. I'm so excited about the fantastic Alice in Wonderland theme this month! They are brilliant stories with extraordinary characters and everybody has a favourite quote. "Tea-time?" or "I'm late" or "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" which is my favourite!

The white rabbit is pretty important to the story and I'm using the Pocket Watch Kit for my project and a totally irresistible pot of Rusty Powder. I love the colour and texture of Rusty Powder and it's slightly unpredictable results. I like mixing the recipes, like playing mud pies as a kid. A little mud, a little water, a little grass for texture, perhaps a worm! Maybe I was warming up my Powertex skills back even then. Wonderful, messy, arty, crafty chemistry.

My ingredients this time:

Pocket Watch Project Pack
including Ivory Powertex
Black Bister granules
Blue Bister granules
3d sand
3d balls small

And:
Transparent Powertex and/or Easy Structure Paste
Rusty Powder
Transparent Acrylic Inks in Aqua and Viola
Distilled vinegar and small spray bottle
Easy Varnish
Colortricx in Bronze Gold

Optional:
Drop outs mdf
Raven mdf

Step 1: Figuring out how it could fit together.

Step 2: Preparing the pieces. For brighter colours coat with Ivory Powertex first. I used Blue bister granules mixed with water to make a spray. I also used some Aqua Transparent Acrylic Ink and varied these over all the mdf pieces. I want some of this colour to show up.

Step 3: Mixing up Rusty Paste. When the colour is dry, mix up some Rusty Powder with some Transparent Powertex, or Easy Structure Paste is good too. The recipe is key to a good rust. The more Rusty Powder you add, the darker your rust will be. Don't forget to add a little vinegar, that's what makes the magic happen. I add some 3d Sand for texture too. Have some 50/50 vinegar and water spray ready. Apply the mixture partially over your pieces and then spray with vinegar/water. Leave it to rust overnight.

When it's dry you can repeat this step for extra texture or rust colours. It's great to layer different stages and textures of Rusty Powder.

I used my leftover Rusty Powder paste to paint these fabric scraps. I also left my plastic mixing plate to dry. The dried rust mixture can be peeled off and used in my mixed media canvases. Gorgeous!

Step 4: Putting it together. Once my pieces were dry I put them all together, roughly like my layout. I used Powertex to stick the pieces down. I wasn't worried about any drips or splodges, it all adds to the texture. 

I used some tiny mdf shapes from the Drop Outs mdf pack to raise up some of the numbers from the frame and I've included a piece of that rusty fabric on the heart. I'm really loving all these layers! While rooting through my Drop Outs I found these fantastic little spirals and decided to include them. They look like little question marks!

Step 5: Make your watch stand. This is a good time to stick your mdf watch stand together too. Slot the pieces together and paint over the pieces and joins with Ivory Powertex. Leave it to dry.

Step 6: Adding another rust layer. I mixed up another Rusty Powder but this time my recipe was Easy Structure Paste and 3d small balls. and a little vinegar. I wanted a sloppy paste that would drip. You can add sand to make a thicker paste.

Add some Rusty Powder mixture to your watch stand and sprinkle over some black and/or blue Bister granules to add textures. Spray your Rusty areas with your vinegar/water spray. Use Bister sprays to colour some parts. 

Step 7: Adding colour with Inks. Once all my rust layers are dry I love to add more colour and the Transparent Acrylic Inks are brilliant for this. They tint the rust a little and are fluid enough to run around all the textures. I used Aqua and Viola and a couple of sprays of Black and Blue Bister. Oh that's better!

Step 8: Adding embellishments and hands. The last stage is to add the remaining embellishments. I've chosen an mdf raven as well as the butterflies, dragonfly and clock hands. I coat them with Acrylic Inks in Aqua and Viola. Then add a spray of black Bister to the raven and blue Bister to the butterflies. The clock hands are painted with Ivory Powertex so they stand out. 

 The watch face is looking very dark so before I add the embellishments I use a little metallic dry brushing over the numbers. For this I mix Bronze Gold Colortricx pigment with Easy Varnish. This will make the last pieces stand out more. A little Ivory Powertex would also look great for highlights.

Final touches: I stick the last pieces into place with Powertex and wait for them to dry before fixing the watch to the stand.

There are lots of gorgeous textures in the project pack to make this pocket watch your own. What colours would you use with your Rusty paste? There's still time to get yours and show us your creation for the March Powertex Challenge.

You can enter your Alice in Wonderland themed creation into our monthly challenge over on Instagram. Check @PowertexAddictsUnited for details. Not on Instagram? Join The Powertex Studio group on Facebook to share your makes and catch the latest news and inspiration.

You can also follow me and my Powertex experiments and projects @skysagestudio on Facebook and Instagram.

Until next time, make a little space and let your art out!

Kore x