How I Came to be making a Powertex Sculpture in my local bank

I hope you are all enjoying reading our Powertex UK certified tutors success stories. Here is another by our design Team member Donna Mcghie. I hope you find this one an inspiring read as much as I did. Are you looking for a change of career? To find out how to become a certified tutor in your area send an email with a bit about yourself to info@powertex.co.uk.

How I Came to be making a Powertex Sculpture in my local bank

A few years ago I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the Lloyds Bank Social EntrepreneurScheme.

With a background of working with mental health charities and inclusion work I have always used creativity as a way of engaging with people.  And I firmly believe that mental health wellbeing is important all for of us, even those who are lucky enough to  wake up every morning bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Each and every one of us (I think) can benefit from having a creative outlet of some sort or another.

The beauty of Powertex Workshops is their accessibility.  There really is a powertex workshop that is suitable for everyone.

This is a way of thinking that comes naturally to me, and because of that I feel very comfortable in my role as a Powertex Tutor.

What I’m not naturally comfortable with, is the role of business woman.

However, on the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneur Scheme, under the guidance of a wonderful mentor, my mindset began to change.  I learnt about business plans.  I learnt about money management.  I learnt about keeping accurate financial records.  All of which, as a ’creative person, I had shied away from before.

So it really tickled me when I was asked if I would consider sitting in the lobby of my local Lloyds bank to do one of my fabric sculptures and talk to people about the scheme.

Me?  The worst money management person in the world?  Talking with some sort of authority in a bank?  They were having a laugh, surely.

But one of the other things I learnt on the scheme, was to say yes to things.  So I did.  I said yes.  And that is how I ended up sitting in my local bank, creating an angel out of Powertex.

People were interested.  People stopped to chat.  People asked about Powertex, about my business, about the scheme. Someone even came up with a name for my angel.  Penny, what a perfect name for someone created in a bank. 

So the day was a success.  I was a success.  And that’s another important thing I have learnt.  Not to be scared of success.  Not to be shy of saying when something has worked out well.  Not to belittle what I have achieved so far.  These are the photos that were taken on the day. (I made sure to put lots of protective floor covering down, as I find it impossible to work without making a mess!)

So thanks to Powertex, and to the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneur Scheme, I am now saying yes to a lot more things.  As a result I have been interviewed more than once on local  radio staions, and am due to be being filmed for local media running a workshop.  Is it scary?  Umm, yes.  Really scary actually,  for a natural introvert like myself.  Would I recommend it?  Absolutely.  I'm learning that as long as I am myself when I'm interviewed, I can, and do, quite enjoy the process.

Positive affirmations are like marmite, you love them or loathe them.  I’m a fan as long as they are not too syrupy.  My favourite ever is ‘jump and the net will appear.’  Well I jumped.  It wasn’t quite a leap of faith, as thanks to the Lloyds Bank scheme, I have my business foundations well in place.  But it was still pretty daunting standing on that edge and plucking up the courage to go for it.  But I'm so glad I did.

And really, you can’t go far wrong with Powertex can you?  I'd love to know where Powertex has taken you.

You can find out more about my workshops on my website www.artandmurals.co.uk  or my facebook page www.facebook.com/artmuralsbydonnamcghie 

Alice in Wonderland Clock created (by Anne)

I have had so much fun joining the Alice in Wonderland Tea Party with Powertex UK. I love fantasy themes and wanted to make a working clock full of bright fun colours and sparkle. Hope that you like my Alice Clock. It certainly fills me with cheer and makes me smile.

I had an old heart shaped MDF working clock that really needed a revamp. I combined it with the Pocket Watch Kit to create my crazy clock. The kit contains a stand, solid back and frame to make up a 3D pocket watch. Also included are lots of smaller embellishments for decoration – great kit.

The stand was put together using Black Powertex to coat and glue everything together.

The open watch frame was coated with Black Powertex.

The back and outer rim of the solid pocket watch shape were also coated with Black Powertex. The central area was painted with Ivory Powertex ready for adding images. When dry, pocket watch images from a decorative Rice Paper were applied using Easy Coat Mat decoupage medium. The sheet I used does not appear to be in stock at the moment but the Victorian Steampunk sheet is similar. The surface was spritzed with a little Green Bister to knock back the harshness of the Ivory colour. 

I coated my recycled MDF clock with Ivory Powertex on the front, Black on the back. Again Easy Coat was used to add Rice Paper images. You can still see the original painted numbers on my old clock face.

A layer of Crackle Accents (Ranger) was added onto the clock face images to give an aged crackle effect. When dry, more Green Bister was added to emphasise the crackle (the wet colour seeps into the cracks). Texture was then applied using Easy Structure Paste through the Wonderland Stencil. I dabbed over with a little black Powertex to cover some of the bright white colour. Easy Structure Paste was also used as a strong 3D glue to attach the watch to the stand.

Rice paper images were also applied to my recycled heart clock. Layers of kitchen paper were applied around the decoupaged images using ivory Powertex to give added texture. I also added Easy Structure Paste through the stencil to add hearts.

Several of the new Acrylic Inks and Paints were used to add colour to my project (Acrylic Inks in Egg Yolk, Tangerine, Golden Metallic, Viola Metallic and Aqua Metallic; Acrylic Paints in Raspberry Sorbet, Orange Marmalade and Key Lime). The inks are gorgeous fluid transparent colours ideal for painting over other colours or patterned papers. The medium bodied acrylic colours are semi-translucent and are great for heavier colour and layering. I LOVE them.

A piece of tree bark was treated with Transparent Powertex. I have had this piece in my stash for years (so it was fully dried out) just waiting for a suitable project to use it on.

The pocket watch frame was glued in place with Transparent Powertex ensuring that it was well centred. Easy Structure paste was used to glue 3D elements onto the base stand. Bronze Powertex was used to cover and colour the Easy Structure Paste where needed. At this stage I checked that the clock hands would be able to move freely around the clock face (once it’s all glued and dry it’s well and truly glued!).

The small MDF heart (from my recycled clock) was treated with black Powertex. I added some 3D Sand and Balls into the wet Powertex for texture. When dry I coloured with Easy Varnish and Interference Lilac Pearl Pigment. Have you seen these new Pearl Pigment colours? WOWeeee!  I rubbed over a little Pebeo Gilding Wax (gold) to cover the edges and highlight the texture more.

Gilding Wax was also rubbed over the Pocket Watch tops and tree bark. A thick greyboard frame and rectangle was coated in Black Powertex to create a table. A piece of lace and scrap of knitted cotton was also coated in Black Powertex to fill in the base of the ‘tree’ and to create the table cloth. I started placing other MDF elements from the Pocket Watch Kit (but not glued down yet).

More colour was added with the Acrylic Paints. The metal clock hands were coated with Jade Patina (Ranger).

….. and yes my craft stash is encroaching inwards – tee hee.

I continued to build the scene, coating elements with Black or Ivory Powertex then colouring with Acrylic Paints before gluing down with Powertex.  

The MDF sentiments and Flamingoes were from the Alice Collection; the butterflies, dragonfly, numbers and spirals from the Pocket Watch Kit. The sentiment plaque was a greyboard piece from my stash. I added some 3D Sand and Balls to the Flamingo wings for extra texture.

A layer of Glossy Accents (Ranger) was applied over some of the painted elements and fine crystal glitter dropped into the wet surface for added bling and sparkle. The piece was then left overnight, propping it in a horizontal position.

I also added an MDF Heart Flower, Lion, cat and small bird from Mini Hieroglyphs, MDF flowers and leaves plus greyboard flowers (from my stash). The little signposts were made from recycled wooden canvas stretchers and black alcohol marker used to write.

Then I had fun with my dies. Each element was built up using 4 layers of either black or Kraft card and layers glued together with Powertex to make them thick and robust. Coffee Archival Ink (Ranger) was used to stamp the chairs (Sizzix). The cake stand, cupcakes, small cup & saucer, spoon & fork and teapot cut (Intricutz); the larger cup & saucer and top hat (Sheena Douglass); the chandelier (Crafters Companion) were built and glued in place with Easy Structure paste where needed to give added depth. More Glossy Accents and glitter were added over some of the elements.

Finally a little dry brushed colour was added over some of the textured surfaces using Easy Varnish and the Pigment colours (Iridescent Lilac, Violet Valentine, Rich Gold).

I will leave it for around three weeks for everything to fully cure, then finish with Easy Varnish to fully seal everything and give added protection to painted surfaces.

I’ve popped in some close ups for you. Ooooh sparkly flamingos.

I am always running late so this sentiment is perfect for my clock – tee hee.

You can see that crackle texture on the watch faces here.

Lots of layering and sparkle.

I absolutely love my new clock. I hope that you love it too, Anne xxx.

Frame it with Love

We have some really great challenges on the Powertex Design Team and here's another back to basics one from me using the May Wedding Theme Project Kit.  I have to say I love the challenge of working with minimum materials and as you will find out, this one really did challenge me!

As I always do, first I unpack the kit and play around until I get a good idea of what I want my finished piece to be.  I'm clearly heavily into the beautiful bluebells at the moment, well it is spring at last in the UK and our woodlands and hedgerows are full of them.

This is the layout I came up with originally and I used every part of the kit.  

As you can see from the finished piece I did make a few composition changes and as I hinted at, there was a stage when it didn't appeal to me...read on!


I started with the back.  Using Ivory Powertex I joined the three spacers and the back of the aperture.  I also gave a nice coating of Powertex over the entire back.

I also added on the hanging pieces. Now unlike me, think about this before you add them!  There is a spacer bar that you snap off the bottom of the hanger, this means you can completely hide the hanger, which I didn't do.  My excuse was it was the hottest May Bank Holiday for 50 years!!!
Once it was on, there was no getting it off so it is what it is!  Leave it to dry before turning your attention to the front.

 I used the textured paper to form the background of my composition, I also added a very small length of leftover lace from my stash to create a bit of interest in the heart aperture and also on the top right of the frame

I coated the base generously with Powertex, then added the various embelishments a layer at a time.  Each time coating them well with Powertex.


When everything was in place I checked all over adding Powertex where I felt it needed it.

This is how it looked once I finished this stage....

After leaving the piece overnight to dry (you can speed it up using a hairdryer) I started to colour using Powertex Easy Varnish with Ultramarine and White Powercolour from the Powercolor Pigment Tray. I built up the colours using the dry brushing technique until it looked like this....

....oh boy I hated it so much I was ready to bin it!!!!

But Stop! Wait! This is Powertex you can change it completely with a bit of patience!

So after gathering my composure, drinking a nice cuppa and cooling off , I got out the Ivory Powertex and took it right back to this stage

But now I had a better plan. So this time I used just Ivory Powertex and Powercolor Ultramarine Blue.  I carefully mixed a little Powertex into about half a tsp of Ultramarine pigment adding more Powertex until I had the colour I wanted.  Starting from the bottom I painted the Powertex mixture onto the bottom third of the frame, I then added more Ivory Powertex to the blue that was on my pallette and painted the middle section, I added more to the pallette and painted the top third.  

Now it looked like this and I was happy at last!

I walked away and left it to dry.  Later I added a further layer of blue pigment with Easy Coat Varnish to the bottom before adding a pop of Easy Varnish with Bronze Gold to highlight some of the top layer which added a nice bit of dimension.

Here is the finished piece

I hope you like it and if you ever get to the "I hate it" stage with your Powertex piece, you now have a bit of an idea of bringing out the otherside.

Happy 'texing!

Fi xx

Here Comes The Bride

As Prince Harry and Meghan prepare to walk down the aisle, here at Powertex we're feeling pretty loved up as well.

This month I decided to use up a battered old canvas I had lying around to create a 3d picture of a fairy tale bride.

To do this, I used the back of the canvas.  Almost like a ready made box frame to work within.

I started off by mixing Ivory Powertex hardener with a very very small amount of Lead Powertex, hardener as I wanted to give a slight illusion of depth to my picture.  Once I had the shade I wanted I painted the entire canvas, and frame with this colour.

Once this was dry, I used wire covered with tin foil and masking tape to create an archway for my fairy tale bride to be walking through.  I adhered this into place and mixed some Powertex Stone Art with the remainder of my ivory and grey mixture to create some a clay to cover the arch with.  Once it was covered, I used a pallet knife to make some rough marks to indicate brick work.

To get the effect of  stone wall I then mixed up some Ivory hardener and Powertex Easy 3d Flex into a very wet clay and pretty much slapped it on the area between the archway and the frame.  I wanted this very rough and ready as my fairy tale bride is getting married in an old fairy tale castle.

As it was a very hot day, I then put this outside in the heat to allow the cracks I wanted to develop.  If you are not lucky enough to have a hot day then a good blast with  a hair dryer will work just as well. If you can it is best to leave Easy 3d Flex overnight to give the cracks a really good chance to develop.

Next I started to work on my bride.  I chose the Esther head available from Powertex UK  European selection as as I wanted my bride to be very delicate and pretty.

I used some tin foil and masking tape to make the shape of her bodice, making sure that I indicated where her arms would be also.  I then covered the top of her bodice with some gorgeous lace soaked in ivory powertex.

I wanted her dress to be flowing out of the picture, so used tin foil and masking tape to help create this effect, then put layers upon layers of lace.   I stuffed used rubber gloves up inside of the layers to help them stand out from each other.  I tend to keep most of my used rubber gloves for this purpose.  They work perfectly, and are easy to remove once you have got the effect you are after.

I was really pleased with the cracks in my Easy 3d Flex, however, when I looked closely I could see that some of the clay had moved away from my arch.  To disguise this I used some fabric flowers that I had picked up from a charity shop some time ago, and trailed them up the cracks.  I actually think this enhances the design.  I tend to find this with 'mistakes'.  With a little imagination you can usually use them to your advantage.

I used some hessian to cover the wooden frame as their were ugly staples showing through.

I didn't want much colour at all for this design, as I liked the simplicty of the colour scheme, so just used the new interference range to give a very slight hint of translucent colour on the Easy 3d Flex. Almost like the sun glistening on the stone.  I then drybrushed some clear gold colortrix to give a very subtle depth to the hessian frame.

I am really pleased with how she came out.  My fairy tale was pretty much all experimentation, but I love to experiment, and I love finding ways of turning mistakes around.   I hope that she truly will live happily ever after.

You can see more of my work on my facebook page or my website www.artandmurals.co.uk  

Also, don't forget, here at Powertex we love to see your makes so please do post them on The Powertex Studio Facebook Page.

Wedding Day Wish Box

Hello there

I used the Frame kit available at Kirsties Handmade Fair, Ragley Hall to create a Wedding Day Wish Box for the happy couple.  Simply write your wish or words of wisdom onto the paper heart, tear off and place in the box for the happy couple to read later.

I opted for Ivory Powertex and a variety of lace pieces to create this special gift.  I hope you enjoy this project and feel free to alter it as you go,  that's the fun of being creative.

I started by using a recycled cardboard box that was the same size as the frame.  I coated this with 2 layers of Powertex to firm it up.  I also coated the frame with a layer of Powertex.

Once dry I placed the frame onto the box and drew around the inside of the heart (push out the heart shape if it is still attached to the base) and then cut that out with a craft knife.

Then I painted the inside of the box at the back that was now exposed.  I also painted the back of the frame and repainted the front of the box and stuck the two together.

I used various pieces of lace to create a patchwork effect on the box.

All lace needs to be coated with Powertex so that is is covered but not dripping.

Firstly,  I took a piece of lace and used the heart as a template.  I cut this out so that the lace fit snugly around the opening.  Coat this in Powertex and place around the opening making sure you press it firmly onto the box.

I then worked my way around the box with all the different laces, laying them in different directions to create interest.









The lace heart I cut out in the earlier step was placed inside the box and the edge of the cut out was covered with a thinner lace ribbon.

Once this was all covered I set it aside.

I took some lace ribbon, dipped it into the Powertex and squeezed out the excess, I then wrapped this to create flowers.  In each corner I used a small piece of gauze that had been dipped in Powertex to sit the flowers into.

Now allow this all to dry thoroughly.

There are lots of videos on YouTube if you're not sure how to make these.

I have coloured these here so you can see them more easily

For the notepad holder, I used the back of the frame and coated one side with Powertex.  I then placed this onto the back of the wallpaper and allowed it to dry.

Using sharp scissors I cut around the edges, painted the back with Powertex,  then using lace ribbon I added a pretty border.

  




 For the notepad itself, I used the heart on some thick paper and drew around it making sure I marked the holes.

I cut out the sheets and used a hole punch to make the holes, then threaded ribbon through to hold the together.

I painted the mdf heart burst embellishment and the mdf heart and layered them up ready to tie onto the ribbon as a paperweight.

If you wanted to you could drill holes through the notepad holder and tie the paper onto this to make it totally secure.






For the photograph, I used a laser copy as these don't smudge.

I worked out where I wanted the heart to sit on the photograph and marked the back of the paper accordingly.

I painted a thin layer of Powertex onto the back of the paper and another layer onto the heart then placed them together.  I turned them over and smoothed out the picture to ensure there are no air bubbles or creases.  Make sure your hands are clean or better still put a piece of kitchen roll on top to protect the picture.

I left this to dry before cutting away the excess with sharp scissors.

I painted the back of the heart with Powertex then added a delicate edge by using lace ribbon dipped in Powertex.

I attached it to the box using a cushion of gauze dipped in Powertex.

I coated the key plate with several layers of Powertex and printed off "wedding day wishes"  but you could hand write this.  I used Powertex to stick the edges to the back of the key plate and then onto the box. 

I dry brushed the piece with a combination of burgundy and rich gold however you could match the colours to the wedding party colours for that personal touch.

I hope you've enjoyed this project and it has inspired you to have a go.  Don't forget to post your makes on the Powertex Studio Facebook page as we love to see what you've created.

Until next time Happy Creative Adventures

Axx

Textured top hat for beginners

Hi it's Kore! Take a look a this adorable little Top Hat project. This cute kit size makes a great project for an afternoon of crafting and all you need to add is some Powertex Universal Medium and a couple of pigment colours. As always you can include fabric, lace and embellishments from your own stash.

Ingredients

Bronze Powertex Universal Medium

Top Hat project kit

Powercolor in Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre and White (in the pigment tray)

Easy Varnish

Apron, gloves, Paper/plastic plate, flat brush, paper towel.

Optional

Length of string to wrap around hat

Small piece of cotton/muslin to wrap front of hatband

Piece of t-shirt yarn/strip of fabric to make a bow

(Remember natural fabrics and fibers work best with Powertex)

You can see the decorative pieces I've chosen below. The MDF pieces and the wallpaper from the pack plus a length of string, tshirt yarn (enough for a bow) and a piece of cotton muslin, enough to pleat and wrap around the front.

Pour a few tablespoons of Bronze Powertex into your plate and paint the base pieces. You have about an hour of working time. This seals the MDF and is used to glue the base pieces together. Dry them on a plastic surface or craft mat.

I had a play with laying out my pieces and decided to tear up the wall paper so I could get the texture all over. When you know which pieces you like, paint them with the Powertex.

Now pour out a few more tablespoons of Powertex and use your brush to paint and stick down the wallpaper pieces and paint over them. You may want to wear your gloves for this part! 

To add the fabric hatband use your fingers to apply Powertex to half the fabric, not too wet, and then massage it through the whole piece. Ensure the whole piece is covered but don't saturate it or it will take a long time to dry. The fabric should be sticky to hold. When it's ready, you can wrap it around the front of the hat, creating pleats and wrinkles as you like. The Powertex will stick the fabric to the base and when dry will hold it's shape. 

Use the same technique with the string. Tuck the feather into the hat band while the fabric is wet.

Use Powertex to adhere any other embellishments such as the small hearts, the tag or anything else you fancy! Just remember that Powertex doesn't stick well to plastic. If you prefer you can colour your embellishments before sticking them to your finished project.

Leave to dry. Depending on room temperature this may take 1-4 hours to be touch dry. My art table on a sunny day will dry this nicely in half an hour!

There's lots of texture on here so now we need to bring that to life with some colour. We use Powercolor pigments for our colours. They come in powder form so can be mixed with many mediums but here we are going to use Easy Varnish to create a paint that is also weatherproof!

I chose Red Ochre and Yellow Ochre as these warm pigments really complement each other and look fantastic against the Bronze Powertex. 

Use a flat 3/4 inch brush and put a small blob of varnish on a plastic plate or craft mat. Pull a tiny amount to the side with your brush and then dip the tip of your brush into the powder pigment. Tap off any excess and then mix this with your varnish. The varnish dries quickly so mix small amounts.

For the dry brushing technique in this project your paint mixture should be quite dry. Wipe excess paint from your brush on a paper towel before you touch your project. Keep your brush flat and brush your project in the same direction each time. Your aim is to highlight the textures you have created and leave the Bronze coming through.

I used more of the red at the top of the hat and more the yellow at the bottom. Also if you're not sure about the colour, you can brush over it again until you're happy. The Yellow Ochre was great for highlights against the Red Ochre background.

I made, dried and dry brushed the bow in Yellow Ochre before I attached it with Bronze Powertex.

I brushed pigments straight onto the feather piece.

The Yellow Ochre hearts really stand out against the dark background  but I used white for highlights.

Products can feel overwhelming when they do so much but these techniques are simple and fun for   any age. The project packs make it easy to get started and you can add treasures or scraps from your stash to make it really personal.

I really hope you've enjoyed this project. Don't forget to check out the YouTube channel for instructional videos and projects or The Powertex Studio on Facebook for inspiration or to chat to other Powertex Addicts! You can also contact Powertex UK to find a Certified tutor or workshop near you.

Ok, now it's your turn, have a go and let your art out!

Kore x