Always Take The Scenic Route

Good morning and happy Friday. It's Sue here with a step by step project that really was a labour of love.

This is a wooden photo frame/box which is great to play with 'cos it's about 2 inches deep.

I started by giving it a coat of gesso, and then sponged on the greens (for grass) and blues (for sky) PaperArtsy Fresco paints with an old kitchen sponge. As you can tell I only got to primary level at colouring-in school.

For my box, I've only used one stamp set Whimsical Summer which the lovely Donna designed for Rubber Dance. Here I've stamped the tree and cloud stamps. I've built up the colours in the trees with a cotton wool bud. Sometimes you just have to splash out on the specialist equipment!

I love these happy clouds, had white Fresco paint sponged on them too, and then I've re-drawn in the lines with a blue pencil.

Ohh Summer, please come back! Now the frame's complete it's time to concentrate on the inside.

I painted a background and a sheet of mixed media card with Aqua Tints.

Then added a bit more sponging to give it some texture.

I die cut some clouds and made a plaster of Paris sun - who mentioned Tele Tubby land!

On my Aquatint background, I stamped the hill from Whimsical Summer and coloured them with Posca pens.

For my happy houses, I used a Gelli print background and lots of white pen. The trees have been die cut from some Christmas paper (it's only 65 days now) :-).

Honestly, this stamp plate has everything! I love these cars - the red one's mine. They're even quite simple to cut out.

I know what you're thinking - I must have spent years at art school, or at the very least the road planning department, but no! I know the white lines are a bit wonky but it's so you avoid the hedgehogs!

I gave the houses little tabs so I could stick them to the base of the frame.

Then added a Tim Holtz sticker to finish it all off.

I had such fun making this, which to me is what it's all about. So just go and stamp and have fun, but don't forget to show us what you've made.

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

Supplies

Rubber Dance Stamps - Whimsical Summer

Other 'Stuff'

Deep photo frame

Fresco Paints in blues and greens

Posca Pens

White paint pen

Kitchen sponge

Cotton wool buds

Black card

White card for die cuts

Scrap of Gelli plate print

Green paper for trees

Plaster of Paris sun