Feature Artist for It's Ornamental - Welcome Cathryn!

Hello Everyone!

Niki here and I am so excited to finally get the chance to introduce you to our Feature Artist for November. She was the winner of my "Mixed Media Makeover" challenge in September. Welcome Cathryn Wood of Strangely Creative!!

Cathryn is an amazing crafter. She is such an amazeballs and versatile crafter. She has also been known to teach some interesting techniques. Every time I visit her blog, I learn something new. She shares some of these techniques with this gorgeous design!

I think you will all agree that Cathryn is a creative force to be reckoned with and I am so proud of the project she put together for our current challenge "It's Ornamental"! Feast your eyes on this!! Not only did she design a gorgeous, vintage display box but she made 2! What! Shut the front door! Both are stupendous and make perfect displays for any house during the holidays! I can go on and on about these but you should know more about this lovely, and Strangely Creative lady!

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I am thrilled to be chosen as Feature Artist for such a lovely challenge blog as Anything But Cute - I am Cathryn Wood, although I am known as Strangely Creative.

I have always loved art and crafts, and have had huge fun within the industry and along the way have made some lovely friends as well.   I have taught art all over the UK and Holland, designed various products, done TV work, and just had a great time! I am always laughing, and hope to keep it that way!

"It's Ornamental" is such an inspiring challenge - straight away I knew that I wanted to do something using a box canvas, and that would stand alone.  Also I wanted to use my faux microscope slide technique.

First of all I created the faux microscope slide by choosing an image (I collage a whole sheet of images at once). Laminated it, and for the back of the slide used some hardboard but you could cut an old book cover, grey board etc to size.

Next, I stuck some kitchen foil to some double sided tape, and attached this around the edges to look like soldering,  It is really effective!  There is a tutorial on my blog for this which I hope you will view.

So here is my "stuff" - my start point!   A canvas, a cotton spool for the base, 2 faux slides (I couldn't decide which one to use at this point), a frame cut from scrapbook paper, a crown I cut from foam-board and 2 bells.

First of all I die cut some snowflakes and glittered them up and then stuck them to the back of the canvas,

The next stage was to paint the back and sides of the canvas with a colour darker than the scrapbook paper (I used a deep Rookwood Red).   Then glued the scrapbook paper frame into place and drilled a small hole into the top of the frame.

I cut and shaped a length of card to look like hanging snow, and glued this to the top of the frame then used texture paste over the card, on the inside of the frame and around the edges and also glittered it whilst it was wet.

The foam board crown was covered with scrapbook paper and then the edges neatened using the faux soldering idea (as used on the faux slides).  Then I inked the edges of both frame and crown, the 25 comes from the Tim Holtz Salvage Stickers Lost and Found collection.   The key is from the TH Alterations movers and shapers die, and its actually 10 layers of card stuck together.

I gathered together various bits of lace, the large bundle in the front I dyed with tea for a really vintage feel.

I then decided I wanted the frame to stand proud from the cotton reel, so drilled another hole and glued some doweling into it.  The lace was glued onto the back of the canvas in layers so its really full, then I added some Stickles in Diamond for further interest. I sunk the key into the foam-board and then glued it into place.

The next step was to tie the bells onto some thread and stick the thread along the back of the slide, and up through the hole in the canvas where I glued it firmly down.   The slide moves slightly and looks really good.

Finally the crown was glued into place and I added some more Stickles along with a red bow and popped it into the cotton reel!

I enjoyed it so much I made a second one - exactly the same way but slightly larger and using cardboard numbers instead of the crown.

I hope you have enjoyed this project and feel inspired!

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WOW, is about all I can muster! My vocabulary escapes me! From faux soldering, to faux microscope slides, these are brilliant and so very festive and not to mention stunning! Did you see that snow effect!?! Are you inspired because I know I sure am. Thank you Cathryn!

I hope that seeing Cathryn's wonderful creations will inspire you to join me for our current challenge "It's Ornamental"!

You have until the 4th of December to play - and you'll find all the challenge details as well as lots of inspiration from the brilliant Anything But Cute design team by clicking on the challenge link.

Happy Crafting and Carpe Diem
~Niki!