Time...

Hi all,

Time is something I haven't had a lot of lately, but time is also an amazing entity in itself.  All the things that 'time' has created, especially in nature.

I have a huge love of fossils, being bought up in a fossiling family on the Dorset Heritage Coast.  My lovely mum found a 'Hybodus' Sharks skull, and I have proud pictures of her that I will share one day.  She was always down the beach at stupid times of the morning, and often I would go too.  My dad found many quarry fossils, and also was a keen beach fossiler, and my (not related.. lol) Uncle has an Ichthyosaur in the British Museum.  I have fond memories of that part of my childhood.  I also know how and where to find fossils, although you need permission now to remove fossils from the beaches.

So when Andy Skinner's fossil stencil came out, I knew I had to have it.  Here is a little project I created, using just part of the stencil.  It reminds me of a real ammonite, as you do get rainbow colours within the shells, set into the stones you find them in.

I stencilled the centre of the fossil onto a Tando Media Board, with DecoArt Modelling paste.  Let that dry, then smooshed more modelling paste around the edges, and at the bottom of the tag.  Into that I stamped an 'Ink & The Dog' stamp, of a fossilised fish, into the modelling paste.  Let dry, then started on layers of paint, which I don't know how many times I did, but I used DecoArtMedia Cobalt Teal Hue, Primary Magenta, Interference Magenta, Interference Turquoise, Interference Violet, Paynes Grey, Quinacridone Gold, and possibly another blue... I was having fun and lost count...

The outcome almost looked like real slate in places, and although that's not strictly where you will find fossils, the colour was good.  I then went over the fossil relief, with the three colours of intereference, in a rainbow effect, so a few sections in one, and so on.  This had some more Quin gold over, so it did dull it slightly, but I loved the effect.  I also painted inside the fish scales. 

I finished off with Andy's clock from the Steampunk set, and some sticker sentiments from Tim Holtz. 

I wanted to portray Time, and the amazing things that come from it.  I think this applies to all of us, not just nature or history, we call all learn, and grow, take a few minutes to look around you, take it in, to listen, to slow down, and take time. xx

Crafty hugs,

Nikki

xxxx

Products used:

DecoArt Media paints & Modelling paste.

UK/elsewhere Tando Creative Ltd

US: DecoArt Inc

Media Boards - Tando Creative

Andy Skinner Fossil Stencil - Tando Creative

Andy Skinner Steampunk Stamp set. - Tando Creative 

Ink & The Dog Stamp