Buongiorno!
I have a great travel companion - my imagination - and today we are going to Italy!
I was getting ready to make a housewarming gift for my daughter when I saw that the March Challenge for the Fabrika Decoru Blogspot was Italian Mood. I decided this would be a perfect theme for a bit of decor for my daughter's new home. During a 'supply mission' to my local thrift store, I came across a broken olive wood serving tray. I immediately envisioned that it could become a window overlooking a Tuscan vineyard.
The first step to this 'conversion' was to create the faux stone walls. I tore pieces of cardboard and glued them onto the tray, leaving open areas in between for my 'mortar'. Texture was applied next with Fabrika Decoru Paste (which has wonderful little marble particles in it) followed by the initial coat of stone color. The inner frame work of the window was gessoed and treated with Prima's White Crackle paste.
Once the crackle paste had dried overnight, I was ready to add color to the inner frame of the window. I lightly painted a mix of brown, copper and cream and then applied DecoArt Media Antiquing Cream which was rubbed back and gently buffed with a soft cloth.
Next, I began working on my embellishments. I had been given a mini champagne bottle to alter which was the perfect size to place on my 'window sill'. However, the label was all wrong - I needed an Italian wine label, of course. So, to lend authenticity to the theme, my husband and I shared a bottle of Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. Such are the struggles of the creative process...
I removed the champagne label, adhered the red wine label and then applied tissue paper, crackle paste and a few micro stones to the bottle. Twine and braiding were also added. The vibrant color on the bottle, grapes and flowers was achieved by combining Fabrika Decoru paint and sprays and highlighting with the new Art Alchemy wax in Rose Gold.
The backdrop was done on wet watercolor paper using Fabrika Decoru for the sunset sky and a mix of Paper Artsy Infusions and Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay ink for the rolling hills. I tore 'hill-shapes' from the paper and layered them against the sky for a feeling of distance. This backdrop was then adhered to a foamboard before securing behind the window frame.
I cut a wine cork into circles using a serrated knife and glued wood letters to spell 'Italy'. This was glued onto my piece along with the other prepared embellishments using Prima's 3D Gloss Gel. The final touch were the vines which I gathered outside my own front door where they grow on the stone of our house (5,375 miles away from Italy).
Thank you for joining me in 'Tuscany' this evening.
Arrivederci!
Leslie
Product List
Fabrika Decoru: 'Aventurine' Chameleon Spray, 'Chocolate with Bronze' Metallic Spray; Metallic Paints in 'Brass', 'Olive' and 'Blackberry'; White Texture Paste with Marble Particles
DecoArt: Acrylic paint in "Antique Gold', 'Warm White', 'Grey Storm' and 'Desert Sand'; Antiquing Cream in 'Raw Umber' and 'Green Patina'
Prima: Art Basics Modeling Paste and 3D Gloss Gel; Art Alchemy Métallique Wax in 'Rose Gold' and 'Bronze Age'; Art Extravagance White Crackle Paste; Art Ingredients 'Copper' Micro Beads
Paper Artsy: Infusions in 'The Sage'
Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay Ink: 'Grass Green' and 'Sepia'
Folk Art Acrylic Paint: 'Pink Flash'
Miscellaneous: Gesso, broken olive wood serving tray, masking tape, cardboard, foamboard, watercolor paper, small bottle, tissue paper, wine label, wine cork, wood letters, twine, braiding, glass grapes, silk flowers and vine pieces
I was inspired to create this piece after seeing the theme and colors for the March Challenge at Fabrika Decoru.
