Tremendous Textures by Abigail Lagden

One of the things that drew me to Powertex was the amazing textures and depth that can be created. I now look at everything for its texture potential and powertexability. So this month I thought I would share with you just a few of my favourite textures that I have encountered over the years that I've been creating with Powertex.

T-shirt Yarn

I have to start with t-shirt yarn. Made from the off cuts from the textile industry, not only is it a great use of otherwise waste material, it was t-shirt yarn that first led me to Powertex. Originally, I was using it to crochet chunky bags and doorstops and wanted to make a plant pot that could go outside... so on the hunt to find something that would harden it and make it weather resistant, I discovered Powertex. (and then I discovered all the other amazing stuff you could do with Powertex, and the rest is history!!)

You can pick up t-shirt yarn from the Powertex website.

Embossed Wallpaper

If you've seen my previous work and blogs, or been on one of my workshops then you will have seen wallpaper crop up here and there. Perfect for creating background textures quickly and easily, it is also available in such a huge range of patterns to suit any style or project. This is definitely one of my go-to's.

I used a tree bark effect paper on the roof of my fairy house.

Stockinette Polishing Cloth

I am told this stripy cloth is for polishing cars, but it is even better Powertexed. Whilst the colours get lost under the darker Powertex, each stripe is actually a different knitted stitch and so the stripes are still visible as texture. I have used it for the cloak on this little hare.

My 'hideous fabric'

I have always jokingly called this fabric my 'hideous fabric'. I really don't like flesh coloured fabrics and the elasticated embroidered pattern on this would make it a nightmare to try and make anything from. But the texture created by the stitching is absolutely gorgeous.

I found it reduced in a fabric department (probably because no-one normal would want it) and I bought all that they had left. Sadly I haven' t been able to find anything even similar since and I am reaching the last of my stash!

Halloween decorations

This time of year is great for finding interesting spooky decorations that can be incorporated into projects. My favourite discovery this year is this fabulous netting from Wilkos (thank you fellow tutor Lin Shields for sharing her find with the rest of us).  Looks great on this bottle wrap created by Lesley in my workshop the other day.

Web fabric

Made from jute, this florists fabric creates beautiful effects, particularly as an interesting background texture. I love the irregularity of it.

Well, that's enough from me, now get out there texture hunting...

Until next time, Abs xx

Curiously Contrary

A Powertex Masquerade Ball by Abigail Lagden

A Powertex Masquerade Ball

by Abigail Lagden

Well, as someone who loves an mdf embellishment or two, thismonth's project pack had me drooling over the number of lovely pieces included. Just look at all these flourishes, florals, feathers and fans:

Add in Easy 3D Flex and this is almost my ideal kit!

As this kit contains so much to play with I was easily able to make two projects and had a few bits left over at the end. This blog will describe how I made the Mask on a Canvas project.

Project 1 - Mask on Canvas

Products used in the final version of this project:

• Elements from the masquerade mask kit
• 40cm x 30cm canvas
• Easy 3D Flex
• Ivory Powertex
• 3D Sand & Balls (small)
• Brown bister
• Venice rice paper
• Easy Coat Mat
• Secret Art Loft acrylic inks - violet, egg yolk and aqua
• White powercolor pigment & Easy varnish

I wanted my mask to sit on a canvas and decided the beautiful cracked effect of the Easy 3D Flex would make a lovely textured background. So I painted the canvas with a coat of black Powertex first to make the cracks look darker - although this isn't necessary.

I then mixed Ivory Powertex with Easy 3D Flex to form a fairly thick paste and spread it around the areas of the canvas that would show around the mask. I varied the thickness of the paste to give different texture and depth of cracks across the canvas. 

Brown bister was then sprayed over the canvas and it was left overnight to dry and start cracking.

I used Easy Coat Matt to stick some of the Venice rice paper onto the full face mask. This was positioned to show through underneath the half face mask. Some lace was then coated with ivory Powertex and ruffled up along the side of the base mask.

For the half face mask, I cut a piece of swirly wallpaper to fit over the whole surface. Ivory Powertex was used to attach the paper onto the mask and to coat the top surface of the paper.

I changed my mind a few times throughout this project. Initially I painted the feathers with different colours of Powertex and used bister and a hairdryer to create a crackled look. I also painted the flourishes and florals with red & blue Powertex. Here are the feathers.

However, when I came to put it all together I felt it looked a bit disjointed so I painted all of these bits over with ivory Powertex and I also sprinkled 3D sand and 3D small balls onto the florals and flourishes while they were wet. I love that the texture of the bister crackles is still visible on the feathers.

All of the florals and flourishes were then added to the half face mask using ivory Powertex.

I covered the rice paper on the base mask using cling film to protect it, and then positioned the half mask over the top. To get nice vibrant colours to blend with the rice paper, I used the violet, egg yolk and aqua acrylic inks from The Secret Art Loft and sprayed them onto the layered masks.

A lesson learnt! - I put the project out in the sun between sprays to dry - sadly a bad idea as the cling film ended up welding itself onto the Easy Coat Matt and did not peel off nice and easily as expected to real the lovely paper. Hence, if you look closely you will see some wrinkles of cling film still left in places.

Once I was happy with the colours, I removed what cling film I could from the base layer and attached the half face mask on top using transparent Powertex (any colour Powertex can be used to stick the bits together if applied with care). 

The dried bister was gently wiped back off the cracked canvas with a sponge to lighten the colour before the masks were attached using transparent powertex.

Then just a touch of dry brushing using white powercolor pigment mixed with easy varnish to give it some highlights, and it was finished.

As mentioned I also made this second project using the MDF from the kit, black Powertex, and Easy 3D Flex. Coloured using red ochre powercolor pigment and the beautiful pearl pigments from The Secret Art Loft.

And I had these bits left over!!

To see more of my creations and workshops, pop over to my Curiously Contrary facebook page.

Until next time,

Abs xx

Sassy Seahorse's day at the beach

Hello there

Welcome to my Sassy Seahorse project, getting her ready for her day at the beach.

For this project I used the Seahorse project pack available at Kirsties handmade fair at Ragley Hall with Black Powertex and a child's old skirt.

Don't forget to cover your work surface with plastic, wear an apron and gloves. 

Start off by joining the two halves of the seahorse together with the rectangle of mdf and at the same time add the hanger.  Use a layer of any Powertex to do this. Allow this to dry.

Place a layer of Powertex onto the front of the seahorse and place the wallpaper directly onto this.  Don't worry if you have to piece isn't big enough to cover in one go, piece it together as once it is all coated in Powertex it will not be noticeable.

Once dry cut around the shape and then coat the wallpaper with a layer of Powertex.

Now take your chosen fabric and dip it into the Powertex, I pour mine into an old plastic container a little at a time.  Dip your fabric and work the Powertex through it making sure it is completely covered but not dripping.

Then place it onto the seahorse wherever you decided,

I used the pretty edging as a bikini skirt and the ties from the waist as the bikini top.  Any fabric buttons or metal ties can also be used to add more interest to your design.

        

Next I took the mdf embellishments and coated them in Powertex

I layered up the two heart bursts with one of the flowers to make an eye.

The paper flowers became her headdress.

Three fabric buttons from the skirt had mdf flowers placed on top of them to make her necklace

The final flower became her belly tattoo.

Now set aside to dry, if you can't wait you can always use a hairdryer to speed up the process.  I used my gloves to prop up the skirt so that it dried in a wave shape.  Powertex doesn't stick to plastic so its great to use to help form shapes as you simply pull it out once the piece has dried

Finally, I used the easy varnish along with turquoise, burgundy, white and rich gold to dry brush the colour into the piece.

To dry brush, place a 5p sized amount of varnish onto your plastic work surface,  dip your brush into the varnish then straight into the pigment (work from the pot as the varnish does not contaminate it).  Now mix to a thick paste on a clean area of your work surface.  Take a piece of kitchen roll and wipe off the excess colour, then holding the brush flat to your work brush across the raise areas.

To add a more opaque covering hold the brush loosely at the end and dust across the area.  The more times you go across the deeper the colour will be.  

Don't be afraid to mix your pigments together to create different shades and effects, the combinations are limitless.

If you want to place this outside, make sure that you coat the back and sides with Powertex to complete seal the mdf then allow it to dry in the house for three weeks.

Well Sassy is ready for her day at the beach and she hopes your sea horses will be along to join her.  Don't forget to post your makes on the Powertex Studio Facebook page, we love to see what you create.

Until next time Happy Creative Adventures

Annette

Inspired by leftover wallpaper?

Hello there

Did you read the latest Powertex newsletter and see the top tip for September was to use leftover wallpaper within your Powertex creations.....

Well it got me thinking about how useful that would be to create a really quick Halloween canvas

Here I used some leftover brickwork wallpaper and adhered this to my canvas with Easy Coat Mat varnish .  I then created a thick clay with Ivory Powertex and 3D Sand  

Using the new stencil "The End", I applied Easy structure paste through the bottom left skull image and once dry applied colour  to the clay and image using pigments and Easy Varnish   

The words were added by stippling the ivory powertex through the stencil once everything else was dry.

What wallpaper do you have that could inspire you?

Bye for now

Annette x