Monday, August 31, 2015

Steampunk Seahorse - Journal Page

If you've been here before, you know that I love Steampunk. A while back, I decided that I was going to create a series of Steampunk Journals. I'd have one for  creatures of the sky, creatures of the sea, machines, people, fashion, etc. Then I'd fill each journal with pages. Being me, I've created Steampunk Journals, Volume One - The Aviary. But I can't share it with you now. I'm such a tease.

I will be working on the other covers soon, but meanwhile, I'm making journal pages. I apparently like to do things backwards.

Here's the first one. It features a Steampunk Seahorse, SCACD's Nancy's Seahorse.


FYI, SCACD has loads of marvelous Steampunk stamps, in both rubber and digital format! If you're a Steampunk afficionado, you owe yourself to check 'em out. Just sayin'. 

Nancy's Seahorse is available as a rubber stamp, which is what I used for this page. The Steampunk Seahorse is also available as a digital stamp, Nancy's Mechanical Seahorse. If you're an international visitor, you can purchase this digi and others, HERE.

Nancy's Seahorse was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts), colored with Copic markers, fussy-cut, and edged with a Black Pitt Artist Brush pen (Faber Castell). Several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura) was used to add dimension and shine to the compass, screws, rivets, and gears.  Nancy's Seahorse was set aside while I worked on the background. True confession. He sat for awhile as my mojo disappeared and was replaced by sudden sleepiness. That went on for several days.

I cut two pieces of 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock (Strathmore) to 4.75" x 6.75". White Media Gesso (DecoArt) was liberally spread with a palette knife onto one of the pieces. The second piece was pressed against the be-Gessoed cardstock, squished a bit, then the two pieces were pulled apart and left to dry for an hour or so.

When I returned, the two sheets were covered with a totally lovely texture. Cobalt Blue Hue, Cobalt Turquoise Hue, Ultramarine blue, Pthalo Blue, and Pthalo Turquoise Media Fluid Acrylic (MFA) paints (DecoArt) were sponged over the background using Mini Ink Blending Tools and Replacement Foams (Ranger). The foam applicators are great for this because they're pliable enough to make sure that the paint gets into all those nooks and crannies.

Prussian Blue MFA paint was thinned a bit with water and sponged over the Gears Skinny Minny Mask/Stencil (Joggles). When the paint was dry, I decided to lighten things up a bit by lightly sponging Interference Turquoise and Interference Blue MFA paints over the textured background, so that the top bits received the paint.

140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock was die-cut with the Medium Steampunk Pipes dies (Memory Box) and the Edge Gears die (Joy Craft). These die-cuts were painted with Copper Dazzling Metallic Acrylic paint (DecoArt). When the Copper paint was dry, Blue Green Light MFA paint was randlomly sponged the pipes and gears.

Green cardstock was die-cut with a few dies from the dies from the Build a Scene: Underwater die set (Taylored Expressions). This greenery was adhered to the bottom of journal page with Media Matte Medium (Deco Art). The painted Medium Steampunk Pipes die-cuts were adhered, then the Edge Gears die-cut was added. 

Vellum was die-cut with my Puffy Clouds (Memory Box), run through a Xyron machine, then adhered to the top of the journal page.

Copper Foil tape, purchased at a gardening center*, was adhered to black cardstock. These strips were airbrushed with BG72, BG75, and BG 78 Copic markers to add an aged patina look to them. The strips took a run through a Xyron machine to add adhesive to the cardstock, then were die-cut with Eliza Mini font dies (QuicKutz). The Copper Foil word was adhered over the clouds at the top ofthe page.

An extra piece of foil was die-cut with an old oval label die (QuicKutz). Apothecary Remnant Rubs (Idea-ology) was used to add "Exhibit A" to the foil, which was then adhered to the page.

Clear pearls were added here and there to finish the page.

I also created this card for SanDee and amelie's Steampunk Challenges. They've had a TicTacToe summer challenge all summer. Being a master procrastinator, I waited til the very last moment. No lie. 

Here's the TicTacToe board. I chose the left vertical row. (words, stencils, the (deep) sea).


*Copper Foil Tape is in one's garden (not mine) to ward off snails. Go know.

I shall enter this in the following challenges:

5 comments:

  1. Hahah, I know that mastery of procrastination too well, Kathi!

    So glad you made it still in time and entered your charming steampunk seahorse to our tic tac toe challenge! LOVE it!

    Thank you so much for sharing it with us at SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges!

    Claudia x

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  2. Gorgeous design and textures! So glad that you join the fun over Simon Says Stamp Wednesday “Anything Goes” Challenge!

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  3. Fabulous page Kathi!!! Great texture on this one, and I love your amazing (as usual) mash-up of stamps, dies, papers and... so clever design!! And the coloring is just so beautiful, I'm in awe.
    Bises et amitiés from France, Coco

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  4. Stunning work, your seahorse is absolutely amazing! And I would liek to thank you for sharing it with us at SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges!

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