A blog for cooking and crafts

Saturday 5 April 2014

Rescuing a Failed Icon

Some time ago, when I had my huge craft room clear out, I collected all my wooden items (some half done, the rest still blank) together on a shelf .... then filled a couple of boxes too....:-)  This icon is one of the half done items, I had painted both sides burgundy, then sprayed with a reddish purple Glimmer Mist.  So far, so good.  But then I attempted to over-stamp the two inside surfaces and it was a disaster - I put it to one side and waited for inspiration to strike.
A while later ...... months later in fact ...... I picked up the Failed Icon again.  Here it is with the inside surfaces over-painted in cream, which hides the disastrous stamping nicely (took two coats, mind!).


Then I stamped a crackle design all over, which didn't properly take in some places due to the uneven wood surface, but looks OK for the vintage look I was after.


I stamped a selection of gears and swirls around the edges of each side, though I should have thought a bit more carefully about the inks I was using......


I had stamped the balloon image (Prima) and printed out a suitable quote onto the same paper, so I die cut the arch shape for each one, then brushed over with a selection of distress inks.  Then I sealed the whole surface with Mod Podge and at that point some of the inks I had used started to smear.  Luckily I was able to wipe off the excess and it had the effect of softening the whole thing - I would have hated to have another failure!  The quote hasn't come out well in the photo - it says:
"Everything which can be invented, has been invented" 
Charles H. Duell of the US Patent office in 1899.


Then it was time for the front and back.  I had made rosettes, the larger of them has washi tape stuck along the straight edge before folding up, which gives a nice two tone effect.  A pearl swirl connects the two nicely.  The back has some embossed heavy weight paper (Papermania gears embossing folder), though the embossing is softened a little by the varnish I used to protect the piece.  Then I added some laser-cut gears.







The final touch was to add feet - these are actually little drawer knobs meant for a dolls house chest of drawers!  I am so pleased that this is finally finished, I love it :-)

1 comment:

  1. I bet you feel great for finally finishing it. I LOVE the idea of the gear diecuts on top of the rosettes . FAB project.

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