Red and Gold Dylusions Background

THE BIG REVEAL, PART 4.

This is the second of two posts today.

Many of my regular visitors have been justifiably very frustrated and impatient with me lately because I’ve been working hard on several secret projects that I wasn’t at liberty to reveal until now. With her permission, I can now reveal that I have been making stuff for Shaz. As many of you will know, she is about to undergo major surgery and has been through so much over the past year. She and her lovely hubby share the same birthday and I have made cards for them both, a get well card for her (still under wraps) and a selection of bits and pieces for her to play with once she feels up to being creative again. She opened the parcel on her birthday (14th Aug.) and now that she has received them I can share the making of them with you. Until now, I didn’t want to spoil her surprise as she visits my blog regularly. Throughout my own cancer journey, this wonderful friend has been such an encouragement and support to me, and this is one way I can thank her, and show my own appreciation and support. I know that she would love a visit from you to wish her well for her surgery on 2nd Sept.

I shall be uploading a couple of posts each day over the next few days until all is revealed. Please scroll down for earlier posts.

Red and Gold Dylusions Background

This is the first of several A4 backgrounds/small masterboards I made for her, along with some other bits and pieces I’ve sent her to cheer her up. To make it, I painted a piece of white card with white gesso, using a foam brush, and I then used my new Dylusions paints which I applied with the round blending tools. I used the corner-corner-side method of creating backgrounds – two adjacent corners and the opposite sides are painted/coloured to begin with, and this sets the pattern for adding more colours.

I began by using the yellow paint (Lemon Zest).

Next came orange (Squeezed Orange) putting the colour on the other two corners and the opposite side.

Next came red (Postbox Red) which went mostly over the orange.

The final colour in this palette was pink (Bubblegum Pink) which covered most of the gaps.

More red to come, covering any remaining gaps and blending with the other colours.

Using a damp piece of kitchen paper, I added tiny amounts of yellow, blending them in well.

Some more Bubblegum Pink followed, also blended with damp kitchen paper. You can use a baby wipe for this technique, too.

More yellow, blended with the same method.

I chose some stencils to use. The small one with all the circles is not a stencil at all, but a stoma measuring gauge!! (I know this will amuse Shaz!) I have got quite a few of these and I thought they’d make good stencils, having circles of varying sizes. They are not terribly durable but I propose using them till they eventually fall apart. After doing this, I found my one measuring gauge made from acetate, and this has now migrated from the bathroom to my ARTHaven! It should last indefinitely and has the bonus of being transparent. (Now that Kermit, my stoma, has settled down to his final size, I no longer need these gauges). The other stencils I selected to use are my own Increasing Circles stencil, and the Tim Holtz stencil “Splatters.” In the end I didn’t use my Increasing Circles one.

Adding some yellow paint through a large circle on the stoma gauge.

More yellow circles. I love how this paint has some translucency to the layer beneath with only one coat.

Adding some pink circles.

I forgot to photograph using the Tim Holtz stencil, but I used orange paint for these circles.

Doodling with a variety of drawing pens.

Finally I added some gold heat embossing, using my embossing pen, and a touch of white gel pen. I added some shadow using a soluble graphite pen and a wet paintbrush.

The final result didn’t come out quite how I intended but I’m reasonably pleased with it! It actually looks a bit like gold bangles (and not, I hope, like stomas!!).