Welcome Back Jo Myhill Project #1 Christmas Decor ....

Hi Everyone, Jo Myhill here checking in for blog-duty this week.  "As we fast approach Christmas I thought I’d make some home décor pieces on a Christmas theme. For this project I really wanted to use Liquid Leaf to create a rich intense precious metal look without being too bling and in your face"!

{Note from Leandra: We have ceased selling liquid leaf due to the recent Royal Mail restrictions on posting hazardous products within the UK, and similar international restrictions. However, this amazingly, fantastic, metallic solvent-paint continues to be manufactured in the UK, and is available from most fine Art Supply stores} 

Take a square canvas frame and paint Elephant all over it, a couple of layers to get a good even colour. Then using a stiff brush add someTaupe in places, before it’s completely dry wipe away with kitchen roll.

On your craft mat mix some Grunge Paste with Distress Stickles Dry Glitter together to create a grainy mix (I’ve had this knocking around for ages but you could probably use any old glitter you’ve got hidden away).

Spread onto the canvas in the middle leaving some space around the edge making sure you add more texture with the spatula. Not too many valleys and peaks, we aren’t looking for a mountain range here but just enough so that when you paint over the top the light reflects of the texture to give shadows.

Leave that to dry thoroughly. Leandra’s tip of checking whether the Grunge Paste still feels cold is a good one to test whether it’s completely dry (if it still feels cold to touch it isn’t completely dry).

Take a papier-mâché heart and paint it in Cinnamon, Again a couple of layers as you want a deep intense colour.  Add little bits of Chocolate Pudding so that you haven’t got a completely flat layer of colour.  We are trying to create tones, so working with more than one colour is the key. When you look at nature's bounty it’s not just a green apple or a brown leaf you see as a solid colour all over, there are different greens or browns and that’s what makes it live, breathe and look interesting.

Once that’s dry add a thin layer of Crackle Glaze over the front of the heart.  I used my finger this time to spread the glaze around and it doesn’t matter if it isn’t over the whole heart. Over the top of this I used Stone, a thin layer as I wanted subtle cracks, think old porcelain not weathered wood. 

Remember, it's the sensation of wet paint drying on the glaze that causes the chemical reaction and therefore the cracks to occur, so if you paint is dry brushed, you will not get cracks, so make sure your thin layer is wet so the cracking can happen! You can see below the effect we are after. Fine hair cracks ideally.

Do the sides of the heart in the same way.

Once this is dry add Chocolate Pudding and then Vintage Photo Distress Ink around the edges of the heart front and back. It adds a contrast to the Stone but also frames and defines the heart shape for when it’s added to the front of the canvas.

Using Watering Can Archival Ink I stamped the Mini text stamp (everyone's favorite stamp) MN61 over the front of the heart. 

Set this aside and go back to the canvas panel.

By now the Grunge Paste should be nice and dry. Paint over the Grunge Paste with Elephant, add quite a bit as you’ll need to get into all the valleys and peaks you’ve created. Blot with kitchen roll to remove any excess paint.

Add Stone just around the edges of the frame where you can still see canvas and add a bit of Chocolate Pudding from the Cut N Dry you used to paint the heart.

Add a bit more stamping in Watering Can using Mini 61 around the edges, you can’t read it or really see it but it adds another layer of tone and contrast.

Now for the Liquid Leaf. I used White Fire as it isn’t too bright, a very subtle gold with those white undertones. Give the bottle a good shake (maybe even a stir with a coffee stick could be necessary) and start painting it over the Grunge Paste. It made my heart skip a beat when it went on as it was exactly what I wanted to achieve. The Liquid Leaf can give off strong vapours (the metal powders are suspended in a liquid solvent - the solvent evaporates off leaving the real-metal powders bound to the surface) so make sure you are in a well-ventilated room.

As this is drying sprinkle some Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder in some places and carefully start heating to melt. Make sure your heat gun is quite a distance from the canvas as the Liquid Leaf solvent is strong (I open the windows and tend to go and have a coffee or do some chores to let this dry properly and clear the room of the vapours).

To finish off the heart I stamped the Mini 96 flourish in Versamark embossing ink and added Frantage Aged Taupe Embossing Powder. It adds another layer of texture and ties in with the Liquid Leaf on the canvas.

Mini 96

Using Vintage Photo Distress Ink I lightly dabbed the pad over the Grunge Paste so the peaks would get a bit of colour and create that tonal contrast and accentuate the texture.

Around the sides of the frame I ran some double sided tape and then added a strip of Artemio Linen Tape, I made sure the join was at the bottom of the frame. Over this I added a little bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

To finish off, I glued a scrap of book text that had been lightly coloured with Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the frame and then glued the heart over this.

Photo’s just don’t do the tactile yumminess of this French-shabby-bohemian-chic inspired piece; the way the light bounces off the Liquid Leaf grunge paste is gorgeous and I wish you could all see it in person. Hope you enjoy and have a go at creating these textures. Jo xx

Leandra Says: This is so YOU! I love your subtle colour palette, I could watch you make stuff like this every day of the year! A little bit vintage, a little bit modern, and yet I expect every home could find a place for this to go! We used to have a wall of 'lurve' in our kitchen. (loads of hearts), and it all got put in a box last year when the kitchen was renovated. you've reminded me that I need to reinstate my wall of lurve! LOL

Gillian Says: Adore the rough textures to this project Jo, the simplicity of the background is just perfect in making the 3d paper mache heart the centre focus. 

If you are inspired by Jo this week, then don't forget you are most welcome to play along in the weekly challenge, and thus go in the draw to win prizes. Details can be found here, which is also where you can go to link up your creativity this week, ie the 'Challenged by Jo Myhill' Sunday night blog post. You have until midday Sunday Dec 1st to enter.