2015 #18 Floral Clutch {by Lucy Edmondson}

 2015 Topic 18: Wearable Art

Hi everyone Lucy here from True Colours,  joining you this evening with one of my favourite things in life, something to wear! 

I've decorated a clutch bag made from flexible wood, giving it loads of texture by stamping on canvas, and finishing off with a matching tissue paper lining. I had a fabulous time experimenting with the different colour combinations achievable with the new Fresco Finish Limited Edition Paints, and the Eclectica {Lin Brown} recent glorious floral stamp collections.

I have used the Poppy stamp as a Poppy Anemone for my focal point, to fit with my colour scheme, and as a matching shrink plastic clasp. With canvas you don't achieve such crisp stamping as you do on cardstock, but I do find you get a much better image with Frescos than you do with inks.

Step 1: Remove the original wooden button clasp which has a little screw and set aside. Remove the elasticated cord which has a knot at each end. Paint the bag inside and out with gesso to help the glue adhere.

Step 2: Lightly apply Professor Plum (limited Edition PaperArtsy Paint): FFPA1 ...

... to the rough side of a piece of Frosted Shrink Plastic and stamp the Poppy from ELB23 in Archival Jet Black ink. Paint the centre with a light application of Tangerine Twist (discontinued ELB paint set, try Yellow Submarine  instead), and Zesty Zing, and the remainder of the flower with Prawn (Discontinued JOFY paint - mix Rose/ Chalk/ with the tiniest dash of Tango) and Professor Plum (FFPA1 set above).

ELB23

Step 3: Paint the 'button' you removed from the bag with Professor Plum. Cut out one whole shrink plastic flower and cut away the outer edge of the second so you have a slightly smaller flower. Shrink and flatten the first one with your heat tool. As you shrink the second, manipulate it slightly around the edges as shown so the petals are higher than the centre and the centre is flattened against the craft sheet so it will stick well. Use Golden Matte Medium to glue the two flowers together and then glue them onto the button. Leave overnight to set-up. (Do the same when you eventually glue them onto the bag).

Step 4: Brayer Professor Plum, Granny Smith, and Captain Peacock from the new Limited Edition paint set onto a sheet of canvas and some of the special tissue paper. Knock it back with Teresa Green. If it is still too strong in places, brayer a little Chalk. Allow enough canvas to wrap around the bag and also cover the oval pieces at the sides.

Step 5: Start to build up your design. It's easiest if you do the canvas and the tissue simultaneously. I have used all the paint colours from the limited edition set and stamps from ELB 22, 23, and 24. I then drooled as I mixed Captain Peacock with Teresa Green and discovered a gorgeous pistachio colour!

I used a stencil brush to apply it through the flowers from the JOFY stencil PS008 ...

... and as I didn't want all of it, I faded the colour out at the edges. I also used Granny Smith through the leaf stencil PS006.

ELB22

ELB24

Step 6: Another drooling moment! This time using Professor Plum and Captain Peacock to make a deep mauve for the fronds from ELB22. (see below)

Step 7: Stamp the Poppy from ELB23 in Little Black Dress to the right of the flap part of the prepared canvas piece. Paint the centre with Tangerine Twist and Zesty Zing mixed with a little Satin Glaze to make them more translucent, and add a little around the stamens. 

Mix a little Captain Peacock to Professor Plum to make a lovely bluey mauve and add a little Satin Glaze to make it less opaque so that it does not obscure the black details.Paint the rest of the flower with a small brush.  I kept remixing on my craft sheet so that in some areas I had a more blue, and in some a more pink, mauve. Dry brush some highlights onto the petals in places and around the centre with a little Bougainvillea. Stamp 'Find Beauty in the Small Things' from ELB24 in Professor Plum to the left of the Poppy Anemone.

Line the bag with the decorated tissue using Golden Matte Gel. Cover the bag with the prepared canvas in the same way. Reattach the elastic cord and edge the bag with some Granny Smith on cut n dry foam. To finish, add the shrink plastic flower clasp.

Finally, here's a close up of the bag, showing the flower in a bit more detail. You can see the pink highlights in this shot, and the canvas texture.

What I liked most about this project was that I totally adored the new colours and the floral stamps, and for me, the chance to use them on something I could carry around as part of an outfit was perfect. The new colours work so well side by side, but also as blends. I am thinking this may end up as a fancy pencil case to use on workshops. That would be a good chance to show it off!

Loads more photos on my blog! Thanks for looking,

Lucy 

The new colours are gorgeous indeed Lucy and work in harmony together. The little shrink flower embellishment is adorable. Wonderful project to kick start the new theme. Thanks for sharing your creativity with us. ~ Gillian

We would love you to join in with challenge #18: Wearable Art If you are inspired by any of our guests who blog with us over the fortnight, then please join in and link up your creativity HERE. 

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Circles link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Oct 11th winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.