Winter Dreams

Hello dears!

I know we still have some autumn ahead of us but I also know many of you are already creatively preparing for the winter season. I hope this new project of mine gives you some ideas. :)

It was made for a very special collaboration with Iron Orchid Designs whose products I simply love for their beautiful vintage vibe and very high quality. 

Make sure you don't miss [this new post] on Prima blog where you can find more beautiful Wintery inspirations from IOD and myself!

And now just imagine...

Frosty air on your face on the way home, late in the evening, so fresh that you can feel it is biting your skin... the sound of the sparkling snow crunching under your feet... half-frozen fingers and toes after a long time outside, playing with your friends... and then - fairy-tale ice paintings on the windows... warm blankets, hot tea and the feeling of the ultimate cosiness, excitement, and happiness, because this very special night is coming and all your dreams and wishes may come true!

These are some of the emotions I wanted to capture in my winter-inspired wooden panel - I'm sure you can put yourself into the position of this little girl, wondering if all the letters she wrote to Santa Claus were delivered and hoping the next day will be as magical as she imagined!

I'm not a huge fan of traditional Christmas colour palettes and decors - so choosing more "icy cold" theme was my way to creating something more for the "Winter Season" in general than just for Christmas itself. I love receiving and giving handmade gifts - and this project would stand on my fireplace for the whole winter - or even longer?

In my project I was trying to capture the "cold and frosty" feeling, so I decided to start with layers of white-colored art mediums.

I started with a coat of Art Basics Heavy White Gesso followed with Modeling Paste and Harlequin Stencil and finally - a good coat of Art Extravagance White Crackle.

All the layers of lace, fabric, chipboard, plaster and metal embellishments were glued using Art Basics Heavy Body Gel.

I was looking for a good match to the old photo I've picked from my Ephemera Melange pack - and the elements made using IOD Moulds were just perfect!

They are elegant with this great vintage feeling I needed, they are dimensional and have just amazing textures - they were just a beautiful add on to the composition and they worked great with my Mechanicals and other art mediums, too.

They are easy to paint and glue - and it wasn't a problem to break them into pieces when I wanted to use just a part of the design. To get the extra texture I used some Frank Garcia's Memory Hardware Pearls and my Art Pebbles, Art Stones and Mini Art Stones glued with Soft Gel - they really look like little snowballs and snowflakes!

The final color palette was done with a coat of Heavy White Gesso, gray and blue sprays and finally - a touch of Art Extravagance Rust Paste in Red tone. I love how natural this effect looks!

To finish, I sprayed the project with my Art Ingredients Pale Silver Mica Powder mixed with water - to add this frosty sparkle I wanted from the very beginning!

As a final touch, I used one of smaller size IOD transfers which I cut into smaller pieces and used in the corners of the panel and on the photo. It is a great alternative to using stamps - especially when you want a beautiful, crisp image on rather uneven surface. Applying it was so easy - and I love all the vintage designs they have in the range, I guess I need them all!

I hope you'll agree with me that my products and the IODs are a match made in creative heaven. ;) I must admit I love how they complement each other and I feel tempted to play some more!

There will certainly be more collaborative products and in the meantime don't forget to check out our post on Prima blog for more inspiration!

Lots of hugs!

My products used: