Sunday, December 02, 2007

A Mixed Bag

My blogs are usually textile related, but I just wanted to share the first couple of items with you.
This amazing looking piece of fruit is called Dragon Fruit. It comes from a cactus plant and evidently has beautiful flowers that bloom for a single night.
According to legend, when fire-breathing dragons went into battle, a dragon fruit was the last thing they breathed out when their flames were extinguished.
How could I resist it after reading that?

It looks so pretty cut open too. The taste is very similar to Kiwi fruit but not quite so sharp.

The plate it is sitting on is part of a set called ‘Haute Shoes’ by Rosanna.The different pieces all come in their own lovely boxes .......
.....and while I had them out I decided to bake my speciality, Chocolate & Beetroot Muffins, and serve them for afternoon tea – very posh!
This weekend I decided to try out a new surface technique. As ever, the camera just wouldn’t pick up the fantastic metallic look.




And what is it?
Its just your boring old brown parcel paper with aluminium foil and Fibre in-Form foil on top for good measure.
Its quite simple to achieve. Lay out your sheet of brown paper and cover liberally with Goldens Gel Medium. Take a piece of aluminium foil/baking foil/tin foil, scrunch it up, flatten it out and then lay it on top of the medium. Make sure you don’t get any of the medium on the surface of the aluminium foil – it will deaden the shine if you do.
Next you paint the surface of the foil with acrylic paints, Quinacridone colours seem to work the best. I used Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Crimson and Burnt Orange in different degrees.
These paints each had GAC200 added to them before application.
If you were to paint the aluminium foil just with the acrylic it would rub off when dry, the GAC200 gives it a film hardness.
Once the paint was dry I foiled over the top. Normally with acrylic paints there is no need to use glue, adhesive webbing or heat to bond the foil to the surface. You can use the back of a spoon to transfer the foil and it will just catch the ridges but I wanted large areas of foil so I used a flat iron.
And just to finish off and very slightly knock back the shine I used a light wash of Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide.
I used some of the finished surfaces to make gusseted gift bags and tags to hold Christmas presents.
The handles are metallic viscose ribbon that has been threaded on to wire. And I have used wire to make some curly-whirlys.
These next photos are glimpsings of a project I am working on at the moment which needs perfecting before I show it. And I can guarantee that it is not what you might think it is!!




And last but not least, just thought I would mention that 12 of us have set up a group to begin on January 1st called ‘Calendar Girls 2008’.
Something to watch out for :)

28 comments:

Françoise said...

Beautiful metallic surfaces, as always. Thanks for the recipe!
Looking forward to seeing the calendar girls' work.

Carol said...

Wo ho! Love the metallic surfaces and the new work looks very intruiging! Hope your well! love carol t

Sandy said...

The papers are wonderful, the rest fun. Is it a corset? Sandy

Unknown said...

oooh, oooh ooooh, I wanna go play

crafty pam said...

Bit worried that you had not blogged for a while - now I know why.
Fantastic surfaces. Calendar Girls sounds intruiging - will wait with baited breath.

Vicki W said...

The gift bags are awesome!

Sarah said...

I love the cup and muffin saucer set - what a great way to sit and have a real treat.
The papers look great too. And I can't wait to see your projects - very intruiging.

Moira Anne Dickson said...

Fantastic results. Thanks for giving the method. Good luck with the group.
Moira.

FARBTUPFER said...

Thanks for the great tipps - the papers are so beautiful!

Sequana said...

Just when I thot I had every art supply I'd ever need, here you come with something else....*L*
Never heard of GAC200, but I'm sure Mr. Art. will send me some.

As ever, every pic of yours is a feast for the eyes. Happy Holidays!

Ruth said...

Wonderful all! Is it a new dressel? Calendar Girls sounds interesting. Can't wait for more!

Pat said...

Wow, who needs the presemt when this is the wrapping!!! And as for the other pieces of mysterious gorgeousness, I can't wait.

neki desu said...

you sure know how to create anticipation :)! i don't know what the calendar girls is but i want to be in it pleeese!!:):)

the retro puiece looks intriguing too.and too bad the bags couldn't hold a big parcel :)

neki desu

Susan D said...

It's NOT a corset then!!! Love the gift bags. Can we come to tea next time?

sharon young said...

Hi Lynda
Triumphed again!!
Love the bags I hope they're going to someone very special this xmas LOL
Every time you bring in a new product i write it down in my book for future shopping trips, but i think I'd need a bank loan to afford the arsenal of stuff you have!!
I've just bought the purple Q ? somethng acrylic and the interferance gold, so have started the stock pile.
Many thanks for your great explanations, can't wait to see where the dressmaking patterns are going!!

Shirley Anne Sherris said...

Hi
Whew!!! when do you find time to bake cakes????

The papers are fabulous and how do you bring yourself to part with those bags.

I too am intrigued with the pattern sheets - what a good idea to use them - I have a huge stock of them from my dressmaking days.

Just noticed that you have joined the CTDG - thought I would welcome you here as you may not find time to check the CTDG forum.

Cheers
Shirley

Doreen G said...

Well Lynda I have picked my jaw up off the floor again (you will have to stop doing this to me as I am getting a saw jaw)--how do you think up all these ideas.
Can't wait to taste the muffins at our party!!!!

Unknown said...

Love the foiled brown bags - done something similiar in the past but not such complicated methods! Is your secret item wearable? Your group sounds fun - best of luck

Gina said...

What wonderful surfaces Lynda - you've been busy as usual. I'm intrigued by the sound of "Calendar Girls" - look forward to hearing about it.

Julie said...

I can see I need to go shopping again! I love the china and the new paper is gorgeous. Beautiful bags too. I too will be looking out for Calender Girls. Thanks for the tip about Bloglines.....it's working well!

Penny said...

wondered where you had been and now i know, love the brown paper and foil but not sure if i can find the whatever it is to add to the paint in Oz, i will have to see does it have another name?

Micki said...

Those muffins look delicious! Wonderful technique for the bags. Can't wait to see the pattern piece.

Debbi Baker said...

Wow Lynda - what a fabulous post! And the metallic surfaces have come through beautifully in your photographs - they are awesome pieces. The muffins look extremely attractive too!

Alis Clair said...

The Dragon Fruit is so pretty and the plates are wonderful!

As usual I love your work so much and the humble paper bag never looked so good.

Joanna said...

Lynda, I love your surface technique can't wait to see what you come up with. Looks facinating.

Barbara said...

wow..such beautiful papers...thanks for sharing..

Unknown said...

Thank you for this wonderful post full of surprises and for sharing your experiments! Very inspiring! I still haven't had the time to order the foils and to play around with them...I fear that I won't do anything else anymore once I begin.

I love what you showed us here:)
greetings
Andrea

Anonymous said...

Amazing stuff, Lynda is a very talented lady, the guys at work are a bit concerned about your progression into the calendar market.

A fan. x