How To Create a Fall Sign

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today showing you how to create a fall sign.

Drawing a leaf on Smoothfoam, I used the Hot Wire Cutter to cut the leaf. 

I wanted the leaf a little thinner so I cut the leaf  in half with the Hot Wire Cutter.

I painted the leaves and the plaque with Folk Art Paint.

Using a Plaid stencil, I added a design with modeling paste

 Once dry, I used the Bench Drill Press to add holes in the top of the sign.

For additional colors, I spritzed the sign with Fireworks Shimmery Craft Sprays and used a baby wipe to remove some of the colors.  I also spritzed the leaves to make them more realistic.

String was added in the holes.  The phrase was stamped with brown ink and die cut.  The phrase was matted with a larger die using Rinea Marigold Foiled Paper.

Finally, I added Gold Stickles as the veins.

Happy Fall.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blue Bird of Happiness by Steph

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today using an assortment of Proxxon tools to create my mixed media project.

Supplies:

Delta Sander

Delta Drill Press

Power Carver

Plaid Paint

Imagine Inks
Petaloo, Prima flowers
The Robin's Nest Dew Drops

This bird has been in my stash begging to be altered so I thought it was about time to create my Blue Bird of Happiness.

I began by using the Delta Sander to sand the bird.

Next, I used the Drill Press to drill a hole for his eye and 2 holes for the hanger.

I wanted some decorative details in the wood so I used the Power Carver to carve lines in the body and the tail.

I used Plaid Coastal Texture Paints in High Tide and Largo Blue to paint the bird.  I then painted Seal Grey about the body using a baby wipe to blend the colors.

Next, I added some texture by inking a grid stamp with VersaFine Clair Pinecone Ink and stamped it randomly about the bird.  Then I added a touch of ColorShift orange paint on his beak

Now that the base work was done, it was time to decorate.  I had lots of blue flowers, so I selected some Petaloo and Prima flowers.

To finished, I added The Robin's Nest dew drops as flower centers.

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

Home Wall Hanging

Hi everyone Steph Ackerman here and since we still don't have any signs of Sping, I thought I'd create a new sign to hang in my studio.

Supplies:

Proxxon Tools:  Delta Sander, Hotwire Cutter

Smoothfoam - Foam Sheet

Plaid FolkArt Brushed Metal Paint - Black, Brushed Gold

Plaid FolkArt Coastal Texture Paint - Sand Dollar, High Tide, Sea Mist

Plaid FolkArt Color Shift Acrylic Paint - Green Flash, Purple Flash

Unity Stamp Co. - At Ground Level, Little Haven

Makin'sⓇ Clay 

Robin's Nest Dew Drops

I began by sanding the wood panel with the Delta Sander, my go to sander. 

Next I painted the panel with 2 colors of the new FolkArt Coastal Texture Paints - Sea Mist and High Tide, blending them where they met.   The paste-like texture created a nice effect on the wood panel.

To simulate clouds I used FolkArt Coastal Texture Paint in Sand Dollar - dabbing it randomly on the panel.

I wanted to add a house to the panel so I traced one onto a panel of Smoothfoam.

 Using the Hotwire Cutter, I quickly and easily cut out the house.

Next, I stamped a house on the Smoothfoam panel with black ink.  I then used the Hotwire Cutter to cut more precisely around the stamped house.   The Hotwire Cutter does an amazing job!

I used Plaid FolkArt Brushed Metal paints in Brushed Gold and Black to paint the Smoothfoam house.

I stamped a tree on the wood panel, then added color using FolkArt Color Shift Paint in Green Flash.  I added additional color to the house with Purple Flash then adhered the house to the sign. 

Using Makin'sⓇ Clay, I created flowers.  After stamping green stems on the panel, I placed the flowers on top.  Dew drops were added to the flower centers.  Finally, I die cut a butterfly from Makin'sⓇ Clay and placed it on the tree.

I die cut the numbers and added them to the panel.

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

Butterflies and Flowers Wall Hanging

Hi everyone Steph Ackerman here and I'm hoping and wishing for Sping.  With the new snowfall we recently got and with more on the way, I wanted to create a wall hanging that would have me thinking of Spring all the time.

I used the Delta Sander to sand a wood plaque I had in my stash.

Next, I added color to the plaque using Plaid Folk Art Ultra Dyes in Emerald City and Turquoise, blending the colors with a baby wipe.  I love how the dyes allowed the wood grain to remain visible after painting with Plaid Folk Art Ultra Dyes.  Originally I placed painters tape around the edges so the colors didn't run over the edges, but I decided to add the same colors around the edges after all.

Using Joy Clair stamps, I stamped a flock of butterflies on the left side of the plaque in black ink.  Then I used molding paste through several different stencils about the plaque.

Once the molding paste dried, I added some large flowers to the corner.  Then I added some butterflies created with Makin's Clay.

Finally I spritzed some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist for some splotches of color.

The words are also stenciled on the plaque with molding paste.

Have I gotten you in the Spring mood yet? 

Thanks for stopping by.

Keep Calm and Garden Wood Sign

Hi everyone Steph Ackerman here with a sign that screams of spring.  We have had our fill of snow so it's time to think spring with sunshine and flowers.

I began by sanding a wood sign with the Delta Sander.

 

Next I painted the sign with Plaid Folk Art Ultra Dye in Infra Red.  This dye brushes on so smoothly and easily.

Once dry, I sanded it again to get a more rustic look.

 

 

Next, I created a vase from a paper towel tube using Transparent Paverpol.  Once dry, I painted it with Plaid Folk Art Milk Paint in Jamestown Blue.

 

 

Next, I used the Delta Jigsaw to cut and clean up the edges of the "vase".

 

 

Finally, I added some May Arts ribbon to the top and bottom of the "vase" and adhered it to the sign.

 

 

I created words from left over chipboard letters then randomly stamped flowers from the Joy Clair Stamp set, Paisley Bouquet,  around the sign. 

 

 

A butterfly, created from Rinea Foils, was added atop the vase.  Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists were sprayed over the sign to add a little shimmer as the finishing touch.

 

There is nothing better than seeing the flowers bloom after a long, cold winter.  And this sign is sure to remind me that spring is not far away.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

A Whale of a Shadowbox

Hi everyone Steph Ackerman here today and I've created a whale of a shadowbox.  Sumer is here and I wanted something summery to hang in my studio.

I started by painting a chipboard whale from Eyeconnect Crafts with  FolkArt Milk Paint by Plaid in Jamestown Blue.  Once dry, I assembled the whale with brads, then painted the waterspout with Petticoat.

I found a delicate wood shadowbox and lightly sanded it with my Delta Sander.  Next I painted the shadowbox - Jamestown Blue around the outside and Petticoat inside.  Once dry, I lightly sanded the shadowbox again with the Delta Sander then painted on a second coat of Jamestown Blue.  The Delta Sander is perfect for accessing small areas.

 

Around the edges of the shadowbox, I stamped a small design in complementary colors of ColorBox Crafter's Ink by Ann Butler. 

I adhered the whale across the middle of the shadowbox, then placed assorted die cuts in the boxes.  An anchor holds a sentiment from Rubber Dance in the top box - mesh was adhered along the edges of 3 boxes and some coral die cuts were placed in several other boxes.

 

To finish I created some clay shells, a fish and a starfish created from Makin's Clay Sea Shell Push Mold and assorted colors of clay which I mixed together to create a variety of colors.  They were mixed amongst the mesh and coral and adhered in place with Beacon Adhesives

Be sure to check out the Proxxon website and see all the amazing tools available.