I’m very excited and privileged to have been sent the new release stamps from Lavinia stamps and I must say it was love at first sight! They are launching this weekend at the Alexander Palace trade show. For a look at all the new launches see here:

https://laviniastamps.com/latest-products/

I have chosen to use quite a few of the new stamps today but the main feature is the magnificent Raven fairy stamp.

You may have noticed that I have been using up all my acrylic pour canvases of late. I love using the random patterns as backgrounds. I have to admit that some of the conversion projects have been quite a challenge! Today’s canvas reminded me of snow so I thought it might form the basis of a winter scene for Raven. If you don’t have an acrylic background an inky background with distress oxide inks would do just as well so long as you spray with fixative before adding wet medium on top.

Yes most of it got covered up in the end but that’s mixed media for you! The challenge with busy backgrounds is to create a focal point so your eye is drawn to the right place.  If you are interested in creating acrylic pour backgrounds I have 3 video tutorials this week on the MixedUp mixed media resource site. If you are not a member you can check it out here :

https://members.mixedupmag.com/join/mum/9/

To start the picture off it’s best to heat emboss the images using black embossing powder on to rice paper ( from IndigoBlu ). These are cut out and adhered on top of the acrylic paint using matt gel medium.

I continued stamping with the branch stamp around the canvas in blue and black ( versa Clair ink)

I heat embossed some foilage around the top using white glitter powder.

To create the focal point I cut a large circle to mask out the fairy and the larger snowy parts of the canvas and inked around this using distress oxide ink. I gradually darkened the edges and added splatters of white acrylic ink to create the impression of snowing.

To draw out and compliment the red in the pour I stamped and highlighted some berries. I also added some hand drawn berries a little less defined to act as background interest. I used red glitter embossing powder to Ravens hat which was cut out of rice paper and added on top.

I wanted to draw the eye in further so I used water soluable pastels to add extra depth around the edges.

I added more stamping in black using the large and small branch. I also decided to emphasise the blue in the centre so I coloured these areas with a blue marker.

Finally I restored the white glittery foilage to the top right hand corner. This was heat embossed. I made sure the canvas was sprayed with fixative first and completely dry.  Then I added final touches of stickles glitter and mounted the canvas to complimentary card stock.

More tomorrow. Thanks for taking the time to have a look.

Lisa x