Thursday 14 January 2010

The Bird & The Bees...

....Wax! I have finally managed to be brave enough to attempt a Beeswax project all by myself :O)) I went on a Beeswax class at LB Crafts back in December and totally loved playing and making something that looks great and different at the same time. I used Natural Beeswax pellets in my Melt Pot and some fancy tissues that I bought in a heavenly shop in Faversham last time I went to see Jennie...I did have to explain why I bought so many packets of tissues and napkins...she probably thought I had lost the plot...or was expecting a posh cold LOL




The canvas is a diddy one...just 4" x 3" and deep edged, pre-gesso'd so no mucking about first...I just painted it with...erm...*why change a habit?* Traditional Tan Claudine Hellmuth paint... I know, I know, it is always that colour but it just lends itself sooo well to most things...anyway, I split the tissues so it was just one layer (or for those who study loo rolls, ply :O}) and then painted a bit of Beeswax onto the canvas and then overlaid the tissue...the used my heatgun to keep the wax melted whilst I placed my tissue bits where I wanted them...and used a paintbrush to smooth out the surface and get an even layer of wax.




The cute birdy is a Long Tailed Tit...**oh how I wanted to call the title of this post something else but I just didn't dare...I could have been reported for being naughty ROFL**...I cut this little fella out of the tissue pattern and popped him onto the canvas in the same way as above. I used some script stamps to break up the plain background...stamping with Timber Brown StaZon...adding teensy round fragments over the letters to make them stand out and I then added some divine little gold pearls that I bought yonks ago on eBay and found them when I was tidying the room the other night...they were pre-strung and are cultivated wotsits...so they are all different shapes and sizes which I thought made them look prettier. The final bits were a few clear micro beads in clumps and then a swoosh of Gold Krylon around the edges to finish it.




Then...disaster struck! There I was merrily tidying away *so good still* and I dropped the StaZon pad onto the canvas!!!!!!!!! Before I had put the lid back on properly!!!!! ARGH!!!!!!! But...I rectified this mess up by swooshing the pad right around the edges over the Krylon which thankfully didn't rub off onto the pad and I actually think that it frames it better!




Thanks for looking...sorry I haven't visited peeps for a few days...been bogged down with the Lappy being re-jigged and haven't been able to get online much...Now I am up and running properly I will be able to hop later to see all your lovely creations :O))

Hels x

37 comments:

Lucy Edmondson said...

gorgeous!

lucy x

Caroline D. said...

You did an amazing job on this!! Now I wanna play with beeswax too! Thanks for sharing your project -it's beautiful.

Nancy said...

Lovely, Hels!! Now I want to play with my wax....

Melody (lacyquilter) said...

This is gorgeous.

Kathy Eddy said...

OMG, this is so fantastic! I simpky adore it. I love birds anyway and beeswax peojects and this is just over the top gorgeous! I have heard to not mix acryllic paints and beeswax though so have always been reluctant to try. Looks like it worked fine for you. Kathy

Ali Manning said...

Blimey! I just picked myself up off the floor - this is an outstanding project. It really takes my breath away!

Sandy said...

Oh wow what an amazing chunky.
Fantastic design and lovely bird. Love them.

Have a wonderful weekend my friend. Hugs.

Jennie -The Artistic Stamper said...

what a fab piece, now did you use the toilet paper, I ask myself? lol
xxx

Lynn Stevens said...

Wowzers Hels, you are just spreading your wings and flying with all these new ideas. This is Drop Dead Fred Gorgeous! I must pull out my beeswax now, wish you lived closer we would have a blast creating together.

Helen said...

Hels, this is amazingly beautiful. I think I need to try beeswax... shame the trains don't allow me to get to Lin's for a class on time - can't afford to go overnight, would mean no money left to shop, lol!

shaz earl said...

WoW!! this gorgeous Hels and well done on using the wax on your own for the first time its fabulous xx

Fliss said...

This is stunning Hels. The colours are gorgeous and the textures fab.
Fliss x

Laura said...

Fantastic and fab tutorial too! I bought those napkins ages ago and tried adding to things. Never looked quite right but never tried to use wax. Must give it a go. Yours looks great. I have quite a stash of pretty napkins thinking it would be a good thing to do. Never been happy with what I tried. Never mind the leg hairs lets try the canvas!

Effie said...

That's a stunning little canvas... love the birdie!

LME said...

Love it :)

Joy said...

Can't believe it only 3x4 it is so detailed and absolutely fabulous! xx

Craftyideas said...

Gorgeous canvas -love it

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness it is stunning. Tissue images - are now on my must have list

Lori said...

Well, I would say this attempt was a HUGE success! It is just lovely!

Elaine A said...

Hels -

This is just gorgeous! OUTSTANDING!! What a beautiful piece you have created. Everything comes together perfectly!

Elaine Allen

Chris said...

This is fabulous, Hels.

I'm off to do a class with Suze Weinberg next month. Can't wait! :o)

Daniele said...

oh this just looks great I think I might be brave enough to try beeswax again sometime soon as the effect looks great
Daniele x

Tinkertaylor said...

OMG stunning..... why is it that we drop the stazon at the end of the project and not at the beginning? Can't tell though

cockney blonde said...

I love your canvas Hels and its reminded me that I have loads that need decorating. I really enjoy doing them and I need to have a play with my new pot of beeswax that's only been on the shelf for ???months, lol. I also love working with tissues or serviettes. That's the beauty of blog hopping, you get reminded about all the stash you have hidden away somewhere :))

Papier Creatif said...

I am in dire need of wotsits, Hels! ;) Beautiful work! I love when you do bird collages!

{xoxoxoxo}

Juls~

Lorraine said...

well this is fantastic I love the artiness of it with all the layers of wax, ink, tissue and the watercolour effects and thanks for making me laugh again with your COR comments..have a good weekend

Anonymous said...

How wonderful! Must give that a try myself. I was playing with embossing paste today for the first time, great to try new things! xx

Anonymous said...

How wonderful! Must give that a try myself, had some wax for ages! Lol! I was playing with embossing paste today for the first time, great to try new things! xx

Anonymous said...

oops! must stop repeating myself! lol!

Anonymous said...

This is just amazing! You definitely have beeswax down!

Jean Franks Beck said...

Wow, so pretty! Love the beeswax!

Art By Wanda said...

Hels, I totally LOVE this!!! Gorgeous, gorgeous!!!!

TinaB said...

It's beautiful!!!! xxx

TinaB said...

It's beautiful!!!! xxx

Ann said...

Beautiful Hels, it's really amazing I love it xxx

Lynne said...

This looks really lovely!

Joanne said...

This is my first visit to your blog but will deffinately not be the last. This piece has me mezmerized - is that how you spell it? Would you get a similar effect by using UTEE rather than wax, which I don't yet have - notice the yet bit!! I thought of entering your Sunday challenges but with art like this think I shall leave it for now. Thanks for the explanations of how you achieve your creations. They are so helpful to mere crafty mortals such as I. xx

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