Sharing happiness ..........



I love this quote by John Harrigan and was keen to use it on this little gothic arch (and I just about managed to fit it in!) 

Today we start a brand new challenge at A Vintage Journey and this month our theme is

Use a Quote

The wonderfully talented Jenny Marples is our host this month and she is urging us to take a quote! any quote! whether it be on a stamp, a sticker, handwritten or sourced from the internet. Just make it the focal point of your vintage; shabby; mixed media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn or steampunk project.


Our sponsors this month are That's Crafty and very generously they have provided all the Creative Guides with one of their MDF boards to play with for the challenge project. 



This little gothic arch and stand is very cute and measures only 5.5 inches high, so it was challenging to fit my quote in!


I first coated the MDF with gesso and added some Tim Holtz Texture Paste through a couple of stencils and then filled in a few gaps with DecoArt Crackle Paint. I wanted to use PaperArtsy Infusions which always work so much better with a base coat of Fresco Paint, so everything got a coat of Chalk before spritzing here and there with Olive Infusions.


Finally some Vintage Photo Distress Ink around the edges along with a little stamping finished it off.



Despite the snowy weather as I write this our garden is full of sunshine in the form of daffodils (yes much later here in the north!) and I had these little yellow flowers left over from a workshop I taught last year so decided to use them as a cascade down the arch.


I needed some contrast for the light yellow flowers so painted a larger flower with the Olive Infusions and added a little torn book paper which had also been coloured with Ochre Infusions.


I do love these little beads, but they do rather go everywhere and not necessarily where you want them to go!



As you can see from these last two photographs, the MDF board is very thick and will take a punishing of gesso, paints and anything else you choose to throw at it! 



I have to come clean at this point and say my first attempt was using the Ochre Infusions, but I decided I didn't like it so covered it all over with gesso and started again!  I had even started sticking things down. So all credit to the MDF board - it's tough!




I do hope you will hop on over to the AVJ blog for our challenge post HERE and see what the other Creative Guides have created with their MDF pieces. Absolute stunners all of them!

As usual  you will find all the details of the challenge for this month there as well. I do hope you find time to join in.


As always, thank you for joining me.

Jennie x
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Comments

Mrs A. said…
This is beautiful.The colours all blened so perfectly together. hugs Mrs A.
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Astrid Maclean said…
Such a stunning background on this gorgeous arch Jennie, the perfect backdrop to those flowers! A wonderful vintage piece, - love it!!
Brenda Brown said…
As always Jennie your amazing choice of colour palette and embellishments is superb, I love how you changed the colours to create contrast and interest and those little beads are a brilliant touch. The way the buttons and butterfly are tucked in and tone together is delightful and your quote is not one I've seen before but fits perfectly. I am in love .... xxxx
Nikki Acton said…
Oh this is just gorgeous! The detail, the detail - I love it. The beads are amazing and the addition of the book page just balances it all perfectly xxxx
S@ndy Diller said…
This is so lovely and I simply love the quote. Your flowers are so real looking and the colors are perfect. Hugs, Sandy
Redanne said…
Beautiful flowers and butterfly, gorgeous neutral colours, wonderful textures, the whole piece is so balanced and beautiful! You decorated the substrate perfectly and I really do love your choice of quote... Hugs, Anne xx
Annie said…
this is fabulous Jennie and I so love the background you have created on your MDF Arch. Brilliant quote and it sits beautifully amongst your gorgeous flowers
TFS and best wishes
Have a great weekend xx
Annie x
Julia Aston said…
This is so wonderfully light and airy in your signature color palette Jennie! Beautiful florals with the delicate butterfly peeking out from them and that lovely quote! Julia xx
Such a delicate and beautiful creation with a That's Crafty! substrate, gorgeous!
Hugs
Donna xx
Lys said…
such an elegant scene on this arch! i love the soft tones you used (good idea to change after the ochres...). and the details are delightful.
Deb said…
This is so beautiful Jennie, adore your background (and thank you for the tip on basecoating with Fresco's before using the Infusions!) and what a wonderful quote, so glad you were able to fit it in. Love your flowers as always and I hear you about those darn little beads, they have a mind of their own ;O) Amazing to see that you were able to totally 'redo' your panel and that it stood up so well, what a wonderful surface from That's Crafty. Thanks so much for sharing it and if it's any consolation our daffodils haven't even thought about blooming yet so you are ahead of us, enjoy your flowers! Deb xo
A Pink said…
Gorgeous! Jennie. Love the colour palette, texture, elements and your chosen quote, which you have portrayed so well with your creativity. A real Vintage beauty.
x
Jenny Marples said…
Beautiful, delicate, elegant, as ever Jennie. Love seeing the before and after of your project as it awaited and received the paints and gesso which gave it such beauty. Love it xx
SewPaperPaint said…
Oh I love how you used the seed beads and the gorgeous sentiment on this. The background texture and patterns are swoonworthy! Wonderful project, most inspiring! Hugs, Autumn
Ruth said…
So pretty, just love this. Love your use of infusions too...magical! x
I agree with Ruth - the Infusions background is magical... amazing over the textured stencilling. A brilliant vintage make - just lovely.
Alison x
Art By Wanda said…
Fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!