Zen Dragonfly Box with Sandy McTier

Hi Y’all!! I was super duper excited when I saw the new Southern Ridge Trading Company Zen Dragonfly items and couldn’t wait to create with them!! Of course I had a thousand and one ideas running through my head and initially planned to paint water lilies for my dragonfly (which I started but didn’t finish), then I saw this picture that INSPIRED my dragonfly creation! As I was scrolling through pictures on my computer, I found this gorgeous Art Deco Compact (pictured below) that was a silver brushed metal with a gold dragonfly on top, and it led to this catch-all box that I’m in love with.

The box is a 5” paper mache box from Hobby Lobby.

To give it that brushed metal look, it needed to have some texture. I used one of my all time favorite stencils. This stencil is actually from the M2 (as in ‘M squared’) line of stencils that Tracy Moreau and I have created. This particular stencil, M2-3, lends itself to the “Art Deco” feel. I used a palette knife to apply the DecoArt Media Black Modeling Paste to box, doing so in stages so that the sides, etc. had time to dry before moving on to the next area.

I didn’t paint the box first, but you certainly could with black paint. I chose to wait for the modeling paste to dry and then painted it with a very thin application of Lamp Black. Next, I loaded a sponge dauber with the black paint, pounced off the excess and painted the dragonfly.

Once the box dried, I brushed some of the Extreme Sheen Silver over the entire box and lid and then wiped back some of the excess paint with a paper towel. It was super shiny, and I loved the look, so I snapped a picture so you could see what it looked like. I even brushed on some Extreme Sheen Aquamarine to see how that would look, which you can see in the picture. However, I wanted a more subtle look to the metal shine, so decided to antique it with DecoArt Media Carbon Black Antiquing Cream. I brushed that all over the box and then wiped back the excess paint with a paper towel, repeating that step on the lid as well. While that was drying I painted the dragonfly with the Extreme Sheen Gold. I found it easier to load a sponge dauber with the paint and lightly pounce over the dragonfly to keep the intricate cutouts paint free.

To finish off the look, I loaded a 1” stencil brush with White Frost Metallic Lustre, working it into the bristles and then dry brushed the lustre on the box and the dragonfly. This added that perfect brushed metal look to the piece. You can buff to the desired shine with a soft cloth. Finally, I glued the dragonfly to box using E6000 glue.

I hope this inspires you to create it!! I think it would be cool to make some 4” coasters to match, using the M2 stencil and paint (without a raised texture) and then add the dragonfly using the new Southern Ridge Trading Company Zen Dragonfly Stencil.

Southern Ridge Trading Company Supplies Used:

ZenDragonfly 

Other Supplies Used:

Surface: 5” Paper Mache Box (Available from Hobby Lobby)

- M2 Stencil – M2-3 (Available from www.SandyMcTierDesigns.com)

- DecoArt Americana Acrylics: Lamp Black

- DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics: Carbon Black Antiquing Cream

- DecoArt Media Metallic Lustre: White Frost

- DecoArt Media Black Modeling Paste

- DecoArt Extreme Sheen: Silver and Gold (Aquamarine – optional)

- Dynasty Brushes: 1” Faux Sable and 1” Stencil Brush (Available from TheBrushGuys.com – use promo code: sandymc for an additional discount)

- Other supplies: Palette Knife & E6000

Website: www.sandymctierdesigns.com 

 FB: www.Facebook.com/SandyMcTierDesigns

©2018 Zen Dragonfly Box, Sandy McTier Designs ~ all rights reserved

Y’all have a GREAT day; Happy Creating!! Sandy 

 

 

   

 

Barbed Wire Beauty with Tracy Moreau

I'am known for my skulls. I love painting them, weather they be cute Skulls or more Gothic. I'am particularly enamoured with Skulls that fall into the Tattoo style. It’s not often I find a surface that lends it’s self so perfectly to this style. Southern Ridge Trading had this Wonderful HEART with a barbed wire overlay frame.. PERFECT!  My creative juices began to flow and I thought that a basic tattoo style skull with rosary and Roses would be perfect for it!! This piece is available in two sizes  and would be perfect for a door sign as well!!

I started with a base coat of Lamp Black on both the panel and the frame. For the frame, I mixed DecoArt Texture Sand with Soft Black, and lightly dabbed it all over the frame, creating a fine grainy texture (like rusted metal)

I used two Metallics to get this metal look. First by stroking in some details, like the twists in the wire with simple diagonal lines between the barbs. Then I dry brushed a Copper metallic and a Gold metallic onto the frame in a random fashion. I shaded the twisted barbs to give them a little more dimension and then added a small highlight to the twists with a small stroke of Gold mixed with a little Warm White.

I used the same Gold to stencil a little pattern onto the panel , only a little as it was just to carry the metallic onto the background. I based the roses with Scarlet, The Leaves with Antique Green,The Rosary Beads and the Skull with Warm White and the Cross with Dove Grey. I used what Soft Black to shade the petals of the Roses, And a Mix of the Soft Black and Antique Green to shade the leaves. Thin floats of Asphaltum are used to shade the rosary, cross and the Skull.

Dry brushes of Warm White mixed with the scarlet , and Antique Green with a touch of Warm White is used to Highlight the leaves,  highlight the petals, with a fine squiggly line of the same is added to soften the edges of the petals . All of the finer details are added with a liner. 

Adhere the Barbed wire frame with a CLEAR glue and allow it to dry.  Lightly Spatter the finished piece with Lamp Black and Asphaltum to create and aged look. I sealed my finished piece with two light coats of DecoArt Matt Spray. 

Southern Ridge Trading Company Products Used:

- Wood Barbed Wire Frame

Other Supplies Used:

- DecoArt Americana: Soft Black, Lamp Black, Scarlet, Warm White, Dove Grey, Asphaltum and Antique Green

- DecoArt Extreme Sheen: 24 KT Gold and Copper DecoArt Matte Spray

- Dynasty Brushes: Faux Squirrel - 1827 1/2 Angle, #4 Round, #2 Rigger, #4 Dome Blender and Tracy Moreau Stencil Med. Brush (www.thebrushguys.com)

- Tracy Moreau Stencil: Elegant Swirls (www.tracymoreau.net)

Thanks for joining me today!

- Tracy