Haunted Seas

I started with one idea, switched to another and then went back to my original idea.

Together, they add up to Haunted Seas! Jack Sparrow would be right at home.

(Click to see larger! such gorgeous detail!)

Supplies
VLVS Stamps Used:
Skeleton Mermaid - Item 19257 Plate 940
Lighthouse Scene  - Item 19125 Plate 923
Cray-Pas® Expressionist® - Orange , Pale Blue, Yellow, White
Gellyroll Stardust-Lime-Star, Golden Star; Metallic Green, Purple; Standard-White

Masonite Panel
Silk Tissue Paper
Ranger Archival InkPad: Jet Black
StazOn Inkpad: Jet Black
Golden Fluid Acrylic paint: Micaceous Iron Oxide
Golden Soft Gel medium
Golden Self-Leveling Gel
Ranger White Enamel Accents
Clay-shaping tool
Plastic eraser
Hairspray

I prepared my wooden panel by priming it with Micaceous Iron Oxide, an acrylic paint with particles that produce a dark surface with a fine tooth, and sparkle.  It's a good surface for pastels, and light on dark painting.

I used the oil pastels to paint a moonlit ocean.

I sprayed the piece with hairspray to set the pastels, and left it to cure overnight.  Hairspray is not a permanent fixative, but it will help keep the oil pastels from smearing when you put on gel medium for a more permanent seal.

At this point, I started working on another project.  A few days before I had poured some Golden self-leveling gel onto a craft mat and left it to dry into a 'skin'. 

This medium takes quite a while to dry--a good 48 hours here, with the weather we're having.  Others times it dries faster, but I usually plan on at least 24 hours.  The medium dries clear, and peels right off the mat.

I poured out a fairly large amount and stamped several images onto the dried skin.  Including one of a lighthouse.  As I was cutting the images out, I had the thought that the lighthouse would look pretty good on my moonlight ocean.

It did--but the shading was wrong.  Now the skin is clear and I could flip the piece using either side.  That's one of the reasons for stamping onto the dried gel.  You also get some depth.  But when I flipped the image to get the shadows right, it didn't fit properly.  I compromised.  I just placed the lighthouse skin onto my scanner and lay the oil pastel painting on top.  Now I have a scan, incorrect shading and all, but I still have the painting free for my original project, as well as the lighthouse skin for yet another project.

I stamped my skeletal mermaid onto silk tissue paper, colored it with the gel ink pens.  Then I cut it out and used soft gel medium to glue it down onto the oil pastel painting.  I let that dry and then coated the whole piece with more soft gel.

For a last touch I added the seafoam with white enamel accents.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed sailing on Haunted Seas!For more of my work with Viva Las VegaStamps!, Amazing Mold Putty, zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog.   ~ Sandra Strait

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