I want to be an Artist...

Hello girls and boys, it's my turn for another post over at Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft blog today!

I'm still finding my feet with these wonderful products which means lots of inkiness still to come once I can find an afternoon to really let my hair down and play but I absolutely love this range, it's so versatile!

Today I decided to alter this heart in readiness for Valentine's Day...something my hubby refuses to celebrate because he says it's a Capitalist's Dream haha! Really he's just a misery and doesnt want to spend any dosh!

Anyway, let's get on with it shall we...

I coloured the chipboard heart (about 99p from somewhere or other, bargain as it's about 5" tall) using the Stampers Big Brush Pen - the coverage on this is awesome, chipboard can be a pain to colour like this but the rich pigments meant it all covered in one quick and easy coat without a problem.

Next I took a silver Gelato and using it dry I splodged it into rough circle shapes using it like a wax crayon. Gelatos warm my heart, I ADORE them! They ARE like a wax crayon but somehow or other... and this bit freaks me out a bit... you can add water and they dissolve! It's just bizarre!

 I then rubbed some more Gelato around the edges and then rubbed over with my fingers to smooth it out and give a nice metallic sheen.

I then took a scrap piece of red spotty paper which is from my Picknix Christmas collection and wrote a sentiment on it with a black alcohol pen...

"I want to be an artist to paint pictures just for you, so then when it's 

your birthday I can send you quite a few"

I love this! I came across this a few years back and I've been waiting to use it, I know it's a Valentine's project but who cares haha! I distressed the paper and rubbed more gold and silver Gelato around all the edges. I then took some crackle paste and edged the whole heart, just being rough and ready and blobbing it around and set it to dry. When I came back the crackle hadn't worked at all but I was left with some great texture anyway so I just rubbed even more silver and gold Gelato over it and round all the edges, mixing it together to give it a nice grungey feel (I find fingers are best for this!) . 

I was determined to have some crackle so I turned to my Crackle Accents and added that over the sentiment instead. Next I took a stamp (it came in one of my Faber Castell Mixed Media packs) and inked it with a gold Metallic Pitt pen and stamped onto the heart randomly just to add some pattern in there.  Finally I cut some hessian and decorated the corner, again rubbing Gelato onto the hessian (yes, it works on fabric too but obviously not colourfast!)(edited: I've just been informed that when dry after about 30mins the Gelatos are actually colourfast!! How amazing is that, perfect for canvases and materials then!), then I just added some embellies. Finally I made a little ticket and again edged it with the Scarlet Stampers Big Brush Pen and the silver Gelato to tie it all in together.

I think I like it and I think his nibs might do too!

See you next time! x