Artist Trading Post Exchange - Anything Goes Mixed Media Style

Morning everyone. Today sees the launch of the new challenge blog for the Artist Trading Post called the Artist Trading Post Exchange and I'm thrilled to be on this amazing team! A new challenge will be set every fortnight and we'd love you to join us!

The Artist Trading Post Exchange ask that you follow the theme set each fortnight and work in a mixed media style - if you want to know more details click here to take you to the blog.

Artist Trading Post will provide a £10 voucher for the winner so even more incentive to link up with our first challenge.

For our first challenge we are offering the theme Anything Goes - my favourite! There are virtually no restrictions as long as you work in a mixed media style and avoid using digi stamps.

For my Anything Goes project I have decided to make a wall hanging using chipboard, acrylic spray paints, pencil,  a stencil, modelling paste, gilding wax, stamps and some ribbon.

Here's what I made along with some information about how I achieved the end result:

A two tiered wall hanging made with a chipboard substrate.

I started with a piece of watercolour paper which I had used to absorb the excess paint off the stencil used in another project.

The stencil was replaced on the design and some acrylic paint misters were used to add further colour.

Watercolour pencils are used to add colour to the unpainted areas of the design. The colours are blended with a waterbrush.

Matte medium is carefully applied over the surface to seal the design. The watercolour paper is then adhered to the chipboard which has been cut to size. Don't worry if the watercolour pencil areas move slightly - you can add more later on top of the matte medium which can then be sealed with a suitable spray sealant.

Stamp the chosen design (I've used a Tim Holtz plate) onto the surface using Archival Ink. Use the inked areas as a guide and paint the design using black acrylic paint of choice. The stamp chosen is too small for the space so I simply extended the image to the edges of the chipboard.

Add more stamping with Acrylic paint until desired effect is achieved.

Black modelling paste is applied through the same stencil as used previously and left to dry.

Use a black pencil to add detail where chosen. 

Metallic lustre is applied over the dry modelling paste using a paint brush. If I try to use my fingers it goes everywhere but the place I want it to go!

The hanging section at the base is created from watercolour paper applied to chipboard. The background is sprayed with a mixture of the same acrylic sprays as used earlier. The large letters are mapped out using a die cut stencil and pencils. The small letters are die cut from card which is coloured with the same pencils. The stencilling is done using black modelling paste and some metallic lustre.

Eyelets are applied to top section with a crop- o -dile. I didn't have the right colour eyelets so I coloured these to match the project with alcohol inks. You could also use paint but be careful because it can chip off.

The lower section of the project is joined to the top section using some black grosgrain ribbon (from a chocolate box!).

Some further images to show full details:

All the edges of the chipboard are finished with black acrylic paint applied with a piece of cut n dry foam.

The small dots of modelling paste were achieved by using a leaf stencil which just happens to have this design. Sequin waste can also be used by I felt the circles should be small so they don't attract all the attention.

 Now you've had a look at what I've been up to, why not hop over to the ATP Exchange and see what the rest of the talented team have come up with! We'd love you to join us for this new adventure too so why not make something using the theme Anything Goes and link up with us. Can't wait to see what you make!

A wealth of art and mixed media products on offer here!

Thank you so much for spending time reading about my latest project.