2020 Topic 22 Winter Wonderland with EKC (by Miriam Grazier)

 2020 Topic 22:Icy Christmas

Joan Didion is quoted as saying “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” and stories have such a power to fire our imagination and transport us away from the humdrum. Miriam today is telling a story through her magical piece. We all need a little magic right about now!

~ Keren

Hi everyone, it's Miriam with you today, and I'd like to share with you a home decor project that I have created for Christmas.

I hadn't actually planned a 3d project. When I thought of the icy theme I wanted to use Kay's amazing stamps to create a mixed media panel. But as I started to stamp the fabulous Holly Cottage my mind started to wander and wonder what it would be like to live in such a house in the cold and frosty winter, and that's when my whole project plan changed.

The project started with me covering a wood slice with lashings of Grunge Paste.

Grunge Paste is so versatile. It also dries really quickly and was a great first layer for my winter wonderland.

I used a stamp platform to stamp by houses and left the images in place while I painted the houses so that I could re-stamp in order to show the stamped outline. I have shown this technique a couple of times this year and it is not a technique that I created, but it is by far my favourite way of being able to paint images using opaque paints.

I used Kay Carley's sets EKC31 and EKC32.

I also added to the 'icy' feel by using pearl glaze to stamp snowflakes onto my banner. I love using the Glazes.  Again, they can be used in so many ways and are so versatile.

I added Mica flakes to the trees and to the holly cottage to give the effect of frost and ice. I also added small clumps of Snowflake coloured Grunge Paste to parts of the trees.

At this point my mind started to wander again as to what fun activities you could get up to on an icy day if you lived at Holly Cottage. Plus what better way to spend such a day than building a snowman.  I loved how it would be sneaking through the trees. 

Projects that light up make me smile and so I added lights to my project (any excuse).  I also thought the lights would make the project look more magical and there is something special about a crisp snow and ice very late at night or first thing in the morning. I think I achieved this.

My finished project couldn't be any different from what I had initially planned.  But I am so pleased that my mind wandered and started creating a story in my head about Holly Cottage.

I loved how I was able to create a winter wonderland using so few products and absolutely thrilled that it looked so beautiful once lit up.

Kay's stamps are so wonderful to use for projects such as these and Kay has shown some wonderful ways of using them.  To step the project up further you could use the co-ordinating stencils.  Kay has done a fabulous tutorial on how to use the stencils with the stamps.  

I really hope that I have encouraged you to create your own story for Holly Cottage.  In fact, I have a Spring themed story in my head already.  

Thank you very much for joining me this evening and i hope that you have enjoyed walking through my wonderland.  This is my last post for PaperArtsy this year and so I would like to take the opportunity to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe and Peaceful New Year.

Miriam

Blog: Miriam's Creative Dreams