Remember, Remember, the 5th of November...

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November. Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!

I love this time of year as the autumn moves towards cosy winter nights. Halloween has passed and bonfire night awaits before the count down to Christmas. And a cup of hot soup in front of a big bonfire takes me straight back to my childhood and my childhood bonfire nights wouldn't be complete without a Catherine Wheel - the inspiration for this project.

I started with a 20cm square canvas and painted it with black Powertex. I then used Easy Structure to stencil a swirl design onto the canvas and once dry painted over this with black Powertex. 

Although very little of this pattern would be visible on the final pieces it also provided me with a basic shape to follow when adding the paperdecoration.

First I used small pieces of white paperdecoration which I laid slightly randomly but following the swirl pattern and painted over it with black Powertex. (You could use any colour paperdecoration for this part as it is completely covered with the black)

Once this was dry, I mixed rich gold colortricx pigment with Powerwax and gently applied it over the raised parts with a sponge.

To add some extra depth and texture to the corners of the canvas, I mixed some red Powertex with Easy 3D Flex to make a paste and applied this roughly to the corners and left it overnight to crack. 

I then carefully painted the top surface of the cracked area with black Powertex. Using the red Powertex with the Easy 3D Flex made sure that there would be nice bright red colour in the cracks.

Next, it was time to add the gorgeous coloured paperdecoration - burgundy, light pink, red wine and red.

I tore off long thin pieces of paperdecoration and fanned it out towards the end. I laid these onto the canvas following the swirl pattern and painted over them with a good coating of transparent Powertex. Although this goes on a milky white, it dries clear allowing the original colours of the paper dec to show through.

Once I had added enough paperdecoration I left it to dry overnight.

The final part was to add some gold and copper tones to give it the warmth of fire. I did this by mixing colortricx pigments (copper, bronze gold and rich gold) with Powerwax and applying it over the tops of the texture with a sponge.

I am still undecided if I need to add anything into the centre. I am keeping my eyes open for a nice bit of fiery bling...

Until next time, Abs xx

Halloween Nightmare or how not to make a craft video!

I bet I am one of the few people who have a dread of Halloween. It's not that it scares me or that I don't like the art of it all, it's just that for some reason every time I try to create what's in my head, it turns into a Halloween Nightmare!!! 

I had this grand idea that I would use Powertex and some of the super Secret Art Loft bright acrylics and the Gothic Arches.
It has all worked out just fine except I had it all planned in my head that I would create my very first Craft Video!

As you may know that as well as being on the Powertex DT I am also a Resident Tutor on the Mixed Up Creative education platform, so in my infinite wisdom and being filled with oodles of enthusiasm I got myself all set up to create the video for them.  Bearing in mind I also have lots of experience demo'ing on TV craft channels this should all be so easy...well believe me it isn't!  

In a TV studio there is a crew, superb lighting and a presenter who asks the questions viewers want answers too; you have your step pieces prepared and you have everything laid out ready to head in the order you want to use them. Oh and with filming, all you have to think about is product placement and which camera to look at.

Hmmm this is where it all goes belly up!  I didn't have steps planned this was going to be a one shot product.  I had just one small light; I had to operate the camera in my very small studio - just 3 meters by 1.5 meters but every mm is packed tight rather tardis like!

I had it all planned though so it would run like clock work.  

I made sure my long suffering other half knew what I was doing and he was primed to stay well away.

OMG it was a total nightmare!!!  

Not at all the slick professional looking video I had imagined, planned for and not at all fun! It was my Halloween Nightmare and then some!  Dropping various bits, forgetting I had wrecked the first arch and the second had sticky tape on etc. etc.  Worse still is that that what you don't see or hear at the end of the video is my husband walking in on me, talking loudly about tea, apologising profusely, then me slinging the paintbrush and who knows what else across the worktop and sighing so loud I have every expectation even a Ghost would have shrieked in fright!

After all that I decided while it was a rubbish video I would share my experience with you because at the end of the day we all have to start somewhere.  Hat's off to all those highly polished artists and crafters who have mastered the intricacies of video, I am learning, I will not be defeated and I will master it.  

In the meantime have a laugh with me, share my pain and I hope the resulting Powertex Halloween tag is slightly OK.

Bye for now, Fi xx

ps Here's the link to the video

 Halloween Nightmare or how not to make a craft video!..