Topsy Toadstool with DecoArt Media products

I was asked by a lovely friend of mine Angela Dearlove, if I would like to decorate this pretty fairy house storage box.  She hopes to be showing it as part of a new range she is launching TODAY on Hochanda at (4pm on the 29th September, look out for Polly Allsorts. Her range with it's beautiful assortment of styles and sizes is called 'Polly's Whimsical Houses!). I loved the look and clever concept so no hesitation on my part! I couldn't make up the storage section to show you here as I was posting it back to Angela to take to the show, so I can't wait to see how it looks all made up. Anyway, I had a play and really enjoyed it, so here's the pre construction project and a step by step....

The finished door, on "The Topsy Toadstool".

 

Here's the original piece. So cute, so much potential and this is actually the working door hinged onto a generous box with a shelf that you can't see in the picture.

I gave each of the panels a coat of DecoArt Chalky Finish paint in 'Lace' on both sides. Once dry I rubbed down lightly with sandpaper. To add faux brickwork to various areas on the door and walls, I used DecoArt Modeling paste through a stencil and once it was dry, another coat of the chalky finish paint.

A very diluted wash of DecoArt Media fluid acrylics next. Firstly in paynes grey, this  gives a lovely depth to the bricks.



Then a wash of Burnt Umber. Repeat washes until you like the colour, dabbing off with kitchen towel to remove any drips and create variation of colour and texture.

How the washes of colour look once all done.

I painted the cute little door red, and the roof too, again using chalky finish paint in in Rouge. But then added a little shading using an angled brush to apply Burnt Umber...I love how that brings out the detail on the door and roof and adds an 'aged' feel to them (look at the main pic below).



To add a shimmer and highlights to the brickwork, I added some DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Champagne by using it as a watercolour paint.

I also wanted to bring out the curves of the roof, so added a generous amount of the lustre along the lines.

And once all the shimmer was on, I wiped it back to be a little more subtle. I also added it to the door knob which made it really stand out.

To give this pretty, rustic house a little country cottage feel I then used some of the techniqes I've learned through 'You Can Folk It' who are also regulars on Hochanda to add flowers around the door frame and wall. Colours used were Pyrol Red, Dioxazine purple, and green, all mixed in various ways with titanium white.