Steampunk Fish from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, well it feels like Spring is finally here at last! Blue sky and sunshine always makes me feel so much better. I'm sharing a mixed media project made using Steampunk Funky Fish from Chocolate Baroque. The DT are showcasing some of their old favourite stamps and have lots of inspiration to share so it's well worth a visit to the Chocolate Baroque Blog.  I'm a huge fan of steampunk and had the idea of creating a porthole effect looking out onto the fish swimming in the ocean.

To create my sea for the centre of the port hole I inked my brayer up with turquoise dye in and rolled it over crumpled paper before brayering some white glossy cardstock to give the dappled effect of light shining through water. I stamped the images on white glossy card with versamark and embossed with a sparkly gold embossing powder and coloured with distress markers. I cut the fish out and glued them to the sea and set them aside to dry while I made the background and the porthole.

The background was made using some silver self adhesive tape from a local DIY shop, I've no idea what it's used for but apparently plumbers use it. I had a better use in mind though and set to snipping random shapes to create the 'faux riveted metal' technique. I haven't used this technique for ages as it does take a while but it's great fun! 

Next I peeled off the backing from the silver tape and stuck the shapes at random on some white card until it was covered (except for the area where the porthole was going to be positioned). To create the texture of the rivets you can use various different tools to create different effects, I used a ballpoint pen, an embossing tool, an old credit card and and a prpelling pencil. I created dots and lines along the borders of the pieces of tape. Once I was happy with the texture I coloured the silver tape with alcohol inks using shades of brown, yellow and orange. Next I applied some verdigris embossing powder. I gave some die cut cogs the same treatment and attached them to the background, adding some metal embellishments from my stash.

I made the porthole by die cutting some greyboard and painting with a mixture of gold and copper acylic paints. I added some 'screws' with tiny circles of card and a fastener from my stash.

To finish off I've added some more embellishments coloured with paint and some copper ribbon to hang the project up.

613 Avenue Create: Anything goes, twist beach/nautical

Altered Eclectics: Anything goes

Critters and creatures: always anything goes with a critter/creature

Fab'n'Funky: 3 or more layers

Little Red Wagon: anything but a card

Rhedd's Creative Spirit: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: home decor

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today,

Claire xx