Shrine

At the beginning of the week, we each choose a wooden shrine to work on. I picked a large narrow arch shaped shrine. Painted the inside with an assortment of Lumiere paints in blues & purples. Painted on a light brown acrylic wash over the inside of the doors and the arch frame, then painted over with gold powders in gel medium and allowed to dry.
Painted the outside of the shrine with brown acrylic paint and stamped a crackle image (designed by Zeb) with black acrylic paint, covered with a wash of gel medium & q. gold acrylic paint. Then stamped the same crackle image with brown StazOn ink and added another layer of gel medium & q. gold acrylic paint.

Inside: stamped a moon image onto the blue surface. Stamped large flourish with dark gold Lumiere paint, then painted over surface with a mixture of gel medium and very small amount of gold Lumiere paint. Stamped a different flourish with a lighter gold Lumiere paint, and then painted with a mixture of gel medium and q. gold.

Did two more layers of stamping flourishes with bronze then gold Lumiere paint and after each stamping layer, painted over the surface with a mixture of gel medium and q. gold paint. Also stamped some small stars along the arch shape in the gold Lumiere paint. I like how the layers give the surface depth, yet still allow the wood grain to show.

On the outside, I stamped the crackle stamp with gold Brilliance ink and then covered with a layer of gel medium and q. gold, let dry. Rubbed a mixture of gel medium and gold Lumiere paint on and the excess off with a baby wipe and let dry.

Colored the hinges with black metallic rub-ons. Colored the edges of the doors and along the edges of the rest of the outside of the shrine with the black metallic rub-ons. Made decorative knobs with The Nut Opals in a Krafty lady mold (thanks Adrienne for teaching me to make molds and lending me this one). Colored the raised areas and outside edges with black metallic rub-ons, then over the top with bronze metallic rub-ons. (Even with all the lovely layers of paint, the wood grain can still be seen).

Along the inner edge of the doors, added gold flakes. Decorated the inside with items to remind me of what I've learned and the people I've been with at this retreat.

Some details: adhered the cut out Fantasy film stars (from Debbie's technique) to the roof. Attached two of the Enameled Copper pieces I made in Linda's class to the top of the roof. Jessie and Debbie showed us some more fun things to do with Opals. One was sprinkling Opals between two craft sheets and ironing (here Sunburnt and Abalone) this produces a thin sheet of melted Opals which can easily be lain on any surface, heat with heat tool and the Opals will remelt and attach. Love this extra texture and shine to my shrine.

Made a mini Squishy book from the left overs of Jeni's class (the wings were also made in her class) and added some of the papers made in Cory's class to the book (thanks Adrienne for suggesting I edge the papers in gold (used gold Krylon pen). I will stamp in some art related quotes when I get back home. The angel form was made with a Krafty Lady mold and Abalone Opals. Tied on some small Arizona charms Jeni gave us, and a shell charm that Jessie made.

Now I have a beautiful piece of art that is filled with some of the techniques I learned here and many fond memories of the people I have enjoyed being with and learning from.