First button project

My poor hubby Mark has been working in Manchester and hoped to be home last night but things didn't go quite according to plan and he had to stay an extra night so I took the opportunity to have a late night creative session so that I could finish two projects with my fabby new buttons. Well two projects proved to be a bit too ambitious for one evening.....I've got one and a half!!! I'll share the other half when it's finished but in the meantime here's a little blue creation.

My frame was base coated with Paperartsy's Baltic Blue Fresco Finish paint and then I dry brushed a smidge of Ice Blue on the frame.....still love the shabby look.


The first layer of paint on the canvas was Fresco Finish London Night which I allowed to dry completely before adding a very thin layer of Leandra's super duper Crackle glaze with a palette knife. This layer was also completely dry before painting on my custom mix of colours. I wanted to create a beautiful ivory colour, so dobbled some Snowflake on my craft sheet and gradually added tiny amounts of Haystack until I achieved the desired colour. Now here's the tricky bit!!! I wanted to have a two tone top coat so I knew I would have to work fast as this paint crackles at the speed of light. So I already had my custom mixed ivory all ready to go, now I needed a very pale blue so with some Ice Blue and added Snowflake, I was all set. I took a large paint brush and generous blob of my ivory, I started t0 paint randomly over my canvas, filling in the gaps with the pale blue. You do have to work very quickly to blend the colours before the magic cracks start to appear, but it is so worth it, the effects are beautiful.

Then the embellishing fun began. I took a few scraps of printed paper and tinted them with watered down Baltic Blue, I also tinted some of Tim Holtz tissue tape the same way and started layering them on my canvas. I found some fabric that was the perfect colour and all of this made an interesting background. Once I was happy with the layout, I used Claudin Hellmuth's Multi Matt Medium to glue everything down.
I do like to add dangly bits and bobs to things, so a few simple beads and charms on my key, just added a little something to the overall look. Then I was faced with a a very unattractive gap between my canvas and wooden frame, plus I found out that my canvas was not completely square.....oh spit, I said to myself!!! Notice I said spit!!!! Anyways, I fixed my gappy problem with some chunky chain from my huge collection of chain offcuts.

The chain on the frame gave me another idea.....skinny chain through my button!!!! I joined it together with a small jump ring and added a few more beads....
...me likey this A LOT!!!
And guess what, Claudine's Multi Matt Medium stuck that button firmly in place.....who would have thunk it????

Hope to have project number two finished soon.
Lin