Friday 24 October 2014

Dance Among the Shadows!

Welcome to Magpieheaven! Today I have a spooky little house to share, which I would like to link to the 'That's Crafty' challenge here. This make was inspired by so many things I'm not sure where to begin!
 Chiefly I think I have to thank Lynne Moncrieff, an amazing artist who always produces work that takes my breath away: I loved a Halloween card by her for That's Crafty called 'Boo cry the Children!' You can see it here. It captured my imagination so much I just had to have the stamp plate she used - Oxford Impressions' 'Trick or Treat'! Halloween is not far off, when local children with parents in tow; but unrecognizable as witches, wizards, little demons and even a sprinkling of fairies and Disney Princesses, will be knocking at the Magpie's Nest. We always have a basket of treats by the door. I love that our street is friendly and safe enough to share this community evening with its blend of excitement, tradition and fun! I suppose the sense of community we feel living here has also inspired this make. It reminds me of all the fun our own children had dressing up for Halloween parties; baking and decorating spooky treats and devising games. I remember one year they transformed our little cottage into a 'haunted house' and took guests on a tour of displays they had created in each room!
 I started by giving this little house from 'Tiger' a good couple of coats of Gesso! Those 1970s style flowers take some hiding! I also got out the rusting powder. The bare tree you can see in this image is from a broken Christmas earring and it aged very nicely with rusting!
When the flowers had sufficiently faded, I painted the outside of my house with PaperArtsy Fresco Little Black Dress. Inside I painted with Fresco Stone and blended in places with a touch of Toffee Fresco. This was very roughly painted, as I was going to add peeling paper - thin card, coloured with spritzed Distress Inks in Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap and Spiced Marmalade. Can you see the palette knife? I used this to apply a thin layer of PaperArtsy Crackle Glaze to my house. When this was quite dry, I painted with thick, singe brush strokes of Turquoise Fresco and then stamped with a PaperArtsy mini flourish in Potting Soil Archival ink by Wendy Vecchi.
You can see how the rough painting gave an aged appearance to the floors! I filled in the little rusted frame with some Glossy Accents to create the appearance of a looking glass.
I combined two sets of Halloween Stamps in the end - both available from 'That's Crafty'! I had to include my favourite little Artistic Outpost witch! Later I gave her a spare broom, which I created from a tiny twig.

 The Gothic house from Artistic Outpost is stamped onto tissue and then fixed with Satin Glaze. It reminds me of a house where I had a flat before I was married - the rather gothically named Greystoke Court! I stencilled the peeling paper with a Prima flourish stencil and spritzed both sides so that the reverse, curled over side would have some interest.
Here are the little pierrots who stole my heart! I stamped them onto some of the spritzed card and then coloured them with Inktense pencils to create chalky white faces and hints of shadowy colour! I created the little midnight clock with a painted Prima wooden frame; Pewter mixed with Turquoise; a tiny watch part and a black permanent marker to create the hands fixed at the witching hour!
I used a white pen and Inktense pencils to add depth to the Moon's face and dimension to the sign on my house.
Treasure Gold also helped to age the house.
I added some details - a couple of autumn leaves cut from Shrink Plastic painted with Frescos and stamped with text and a tiny lantern!
A couple of found objects - a tiny pine cone and a bird's egg, both discovered on a walk earlier in the year. Now the Halloween House is finished and ready to stand next to the 'Treat Basket' in the hall.
May all my lovely followers and friends have a wonderful time next Friday! May Halloween be a time when you 'Dance among the shadows', chasing the darkness away as you celebrate warmth, light, love and friendship.


16 comments:

  1. Love your fab house,so many gorgeous details.xxx

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  2. Hello Miss Julie Ann, well I know Miss Lynne will be honored and so please with this creation, its just SPECTACULAR, full of all sorts of fantastic details, I loooooove the crackle outside, those floors are fantastic,, I can't stop looking at it, all the details to drink in, I can wait for my friend to visit to day and I can show her this, you blow me away Miss Julie Ann, this is just SPECTACULAR full stop, thanks so much for always inspiring me, and sharing your lovely memories, you rock Cuz, Hope you have a wonderful weekend, (((( HUGE HUGS )))...

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  3. Beautiful as always Julie Ann, isn't it wonderful when you feel so inspired that you NEED to get the item that is responsible, and of course you NEED it quickly lol!

    Inspired House and lots of textures and colours to keep the eyes happy and alive. Always a pleasure to visit your blog Julie Ann and thank you for the encouraging comments you leave on my blog, they are really appreciated :-) xxx

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  4. This is wonderful Julie Ann - love the house and all your gorgeous touches.

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  5. Gorgeous creation Julie-Ann...Beautiful images & colours...Love it all.... Hugs May x x x

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  6. What a delightful piece, it's wonderful, Julie Ann!!!

    :)

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  7. Beautiful Julie Ann! Those colours are so good together and with all those images it really is a fabulous project! Chris

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  8. This is wonderful Julie Ann, so much to look at and perfectly constructed xx

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  9. Fab house, love your choice of images but wow what fantastic crackle you have on the roof, perfect xx

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  10. Julie Ann, this may be inspired by Halloween but what strikes me is how charming this is. The shrink plastic leaves and the lantern and of course, a gathering of fabulous stamped characters, including the two children who stole your heart.
    I cannot imagine how I could inspire you because Julie Ann, you are brimming over with the most creative ideas but if I did happen to inspire you a smidgen then that makes my day.
    Now, tell me, when can I move in?!!
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  11. oh Julie Ann! How incredibly fun is your gathering of Halloween! I love all of the details and finds you have added! xo

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  12. What a lovely post Julie Ann and your Halloween House is amazing! Lots of brilliant detail and I would love to see it in real life. It would take a lot of examining to take it all in.

    Hugs
    Lesley Xx

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  13. This is such a beautiful creation, Julie Ann. Love all the fabulous details. :)

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  14. It's the first time I see an Halloween inspired piece so beautiful and elegant,with unusual colours, I love it!

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  15. Amazing house Julie Ann! Is a fun filled place of all. I love the these Idols and your images xxx

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  16. Oh wow wow absolutely gorgeous little house, even when you do Halloween it's not scary, it's like being zapped back in time to the stories of chitty chitty bang bang and others alike, they had baddies but they were more fairytale then scary. Kezzy :-) xxx

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