Matchboxes

The Craft Individuals July challenge is asking for mini art. I made a pile of matchboxes using texture paste and CI rubber stamps.

I happen to have a tub of texture paste that is on it's way to dry out. It's perfect to use for stamping, because I didnät have to wait for the paste to settle before I stamped into it. I took a small bowl of water and lay the stamps I wanted to use into it. Then I just picked the stamps, shook of the water (leaving them wet but not dripping) and pressed them into the paste. I used plants and doilies. The matchboxes were rather black, and I didn't do anything to cover the logo on the cover, because I planned to rub the texture with acrylic paints that would cover anything that happens to show through the paste.

I decided to try sprays together with the acrylics, and the result was nice. The weeds got a layer of green Fresco Finish paint, after which I sanded the pieces to emphasize the texture. Then I added Interference Gold acrylic paint and finished part with some green sprays from Lindy's stamp gang and part with light blue from Tattered Angels.

I tried different shades with the doily boxes. The left one has just a pink mica spray, sanding and some Interference Gold acrylic paint. The right one has the same + some Bubblegum Pink spray. The middle one has violet acrylic paint rubbed into the texture, sanding, Interference Gold paint Crushed Grapes spray. The brown one has several different copper/brown sprays and some Interference Gold too. I like the way the black background shows through in the thinner places.

Here are some closeups. It's fun how much texture and interest the pieces have, because looking at these one wouldn't guess how fast these were to do. Just some drying time now and then.