Welcome to my creative space!
As much as I enjoy making shabby mixed media cards and home decor, I also have a passion for creating industrial steampunk art. I had so much fun putting this beauty together with the Woodouts Balloon Base, chipboard and Mitform Castings pieces from the Studio75 Store along with vintage finds from my stash. I just have to say that this amazing Woodouts Balloon is a such a fun shape to work with and the details in the Mitform Castings pieces are so amazing. They really add such fabulous texture and design to the project don't they?
My sister lives in a community that has a community wide yard sale every year. It's a tradition for the two of us to go out every year and of course I'm always on the lookout for cool things to use in my art. Some of those finds include the pressure gauge (from a local oil field), vintage keys, metal key hole, spark plug, metal drawing compass and rusty washers along with a treasured machined metal piece from my dear friend Mandy's grandfather's workshop. I've also added some Finnabair Mechanicals and resin pieces I created with her moulds. She has such fantastic steampunk/industrial designs too! The base is colored with Lindy's Gang mists and the chipboard and resin pieces are colored with Finnabair paints and waxes.
Tips and Techniques
To add texture to the background of the Woodouts Balloon Mixed Media Base, I applied Finnabair's Plaster Paste through the SnipArt Up In the Air Damask Stencil. I just adore this design, and it has become of my favorite go to stencils these days. Once dry, I spritzed with Lindy's Gang Hydrangea Blue Starburst mist then a small amount of Clamb Bake Beige and Incandescent Copper Moon Shadow Mist. I then misted with water to help the colors move and blend. This color combination gives a lovely patina effect.
I just adore these Mitform Casting pieces. The Steel Padlock piece on the left is from the Studio75 store. The fabulous metal pieces available in the store can be found HERE. Other Mitform casting pieces are purchased from My Rusty Crown. I rubbed the metal pieces with Brass Hardware, Bronze Age, and Stormy Ocean Finnabair metallic Waxes to age with a little patina.
This cool spark plug is one of my yard sale finds. The other metal pieces in this close-up are a combination of Finnabair gears, and bolts along with pieces that I moulded, painted, and waxed to give this vintage patina effect. I also added Finnabair's wax to the metal parts of the spark plug. Finnabair's blue Sugar Art Pebbles add just the right touch of sparkle to this piece.
More rusty goodness including rusty washers I've picked up on when I find them laying on the ground when I'm out and about along with vintage keys - another yard sale find. The machined piece below the pressure gauge is from my friend's grandfather's workshop. I layered a Prima piece on top to add to the steampunk feel. I'm so grateful she gave me a few of these treasured pieces to include in my art!!! The fluttering steampunk butterfly is a Finnabair Mechanical.
This cool pressure gauge is also one of my finds. Doesn't it fit perfectly into the notch on the Mitform Castings Steel Padlock? A little Finnabair moulded sprocket on the gauge adds to the steampunk effect.
These fabulous Scrapiniec Chipboard Steampunk Flying Hearts XL Wings are a perfect fit across the Woodouts Balloon! I painted them with a mix of Finnabair's Brass Hardware and Stormy Ocean Metallique paints, then rubbed with her metallic waxes to add to the grungy aged metal effect.
The metal Journey piece is of course from Mitform Castings with so much depth and detail. I brushed it with Finnabair's waxes to highlight the texture.
The Scrapiniec Focus Small Arrows were a perfect fit around this vintage drawing compass, and I also added a few Scrapiniec Confetti Stars below the wings. These chipboard pieces were finished with the same products as the wings. I dyed some cheese cloth with the Lindy mists and tucked it in behind the metal pieces for added texture. As I glued down the metal elements, the cheesecloth was secured in place.
I brushed a mix of Finnabair's Rust Pastes around the metal objects and spritzed with water so that it looks like they have been there and weathered to rust in place.
These faux metal chains are also from the Scrapiniec Steampunk Flying Hearts XL Elements set. Isn't it amazing how paint and waxes can make them look just like aged metal? I used a couple more Mitform Casting pieces to give definition to the balloon basked and added a vintage couple from the Tim Holtz Paper Dolls Set into the opening to enjoy the flight.
I used Bambino Glue to adhere prills and Finnabair Microbeads. Because it dries clear, it the perfect adhesive for these little bits of texture.
Studio75 Supplies
Other Products
Little Birdie Crafts ~ Cheese Cloth
Mitform Castings ~ Journey Frame
Mitform Castings ~ Side Corner 2
Mitform Castings ~ Top Corner 7
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Scrapyard Butterflies
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Mini Knobs
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Rustic Knobs
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Mini Stars
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Rustic Gears
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Hardware Accents
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Mini Hardware
Prima ~ Finnabair: Mechanicals - Vintage Trinkets Flowers
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art ExtraVagance - Microbeads: Bronze
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art Ingredients - Melange Art Pebbles - Sugar
Prima ~ Tiny Junkyard Findings - Nail Heads
Tim Holtz with Idea-ology ~ Paper Dolls
Machined Metal Piece ~ Mandy Morkel
Gauge ~ Flea Market Find
Vintage Drawing Compass ~ Flea Market Find
Spark Plug ~ Flea Market Find
Vintage Keys ~ Flea Market Find
Vintage Keyhole ~ Flea Market Find
Rusty Washers
US Artquest ~ Mini Prills - Gilt Trip
Martha Stewart ~ Microbeads - Apatite
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art Basics ~ Gesso - Clear
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art Basics ~ Soft Matte Gel
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art Basics ~ Plaster Paste
Prima ~ Finnabair - Art Alchemy - Metallic Wax: Peacock; Aged Brass; Bronze Age
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art Alchemy ~ Metallique Acrylic Paint: Brass Hardware; Stormy Ocean
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art ExtraVagance - Patina Effect Paste: Brass; Blue
Prima ~ Finnabair: Art ExtraVagance - Rust Effect Paste: Brown Rust
Liquitex ~ Gesso - White
Lindy's Gang ~ Starburst - Hydrangea Blue; Clamb Bake Beige
Lindy's Gang ~ Moon Shadow Mist - Incandescent Copper
Amazing Casting Resin ~ White
Prima ~ Finnabair: Moulds - Stars and Moons; Mechanica; Cogs and Wings
Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive
Tombo ~ Mono MULTI Liquid Glue