Make Art Not War - Crafters4Ukraine (UK)

 Hello,

The project that I'm presenting today was made especially for the auction on >> Make Art Not War << with the hashtag #Crafters4Ukraine. I'll not write here about political matters, as first of all I haven't been following political developments in the world for a very long time, and secondly, this is not a blog on this subject. There are a lot of professional places where you can read about what's going on, and here I don't want to make sad myself and you. However.. this project and this post as well is my cry for help to people in need. If you have options - help - everything counts. I have put this LO at an auction, all income from which is intended to help Ukraine - I invite you to bid.

It is a layout on a wooden frame covered with a 30cm x 30cm canvas. I painted the frame with black gesso and made it brighter by adding the white gesso partly. The design is stiffened with a beermat sheet, which is also black, but here I brightened it up quite strongly with silver wax from Sizzix. Each corner is decorated with miniature ornaments, secured with white gesso and silver wax.

I thought about the colours of this project for quite a long time. At first I was thinking about happy and spring tones, but I couldn't find artistic coherence within myself. The subject of Ukraine evokes a great deal of bitterness and sadness in me, and thus I was not able to make a joyful project while thinking about it. The moodboard challenge on the Dusty Attic blog, in shades of black and white, came to my aid. I have to admit that the idea came up in my head pretty quickly - and that's what creativity is all about. There must be a spark for a fire to start. So this time, thanks go to The Dusty Attic for such unconventional inspiration.

Maybe you too will take up this challenge? All you have to do is add your work to the comments section of the Dusty FANattics Facebook group for your chance to win one of two amazing prizes of $50 (AUD) on purchases from their store. I can't wait to see your work on the Dusty FANAttics group.

The circle on which the entire composition is built is a paper sheet from the "Romantic moments" collection, all in gray with extremely delicate decorations. I applied a large 12' dot mask on it using Finnabair graphite texture paste. After drying, I whitened it with white acrylic paint using the dry brush method. Between the circles of dots you can see stylish white thread stitching on the machine.

The major place is a beautiful two-layered frame available in a set with a slightly smaller one. I recently used it on a project with a girl with a horse. The underside is secured with a white gesso and the edges are slightly highlighted with a black gesso. It turned out to be a shade of unearthly pale gray that immediately stole my heart. The top layer, protected by a black gesso, is quite strongly emphasized with silver wax. The photo of a nostalgic thoughtful women was mounted on two circles of different sizes. Both are black and create layering, so I could attach nicely small pearls around the photo. In addition, the photo is decorated with a fairly large black flower I made, highlighted with silver wax and grey Sizzix stamens.

The flower arrangement in this design is very impressive and extends in a semicircle around the photo. There is a fantastic wreath underneath, prepared exactly like the bottom of the frame, with the difference that I also applied a delicate layer of crackle-effect paste from Ranger on top. I cropped the wreath to make space for the inscription and used the cut part to enrich the composition. The set with the wreath includes two twigs with leaves for the set, which I worked out the same way as the top layer of the frame and blended in between the flowers. A few leaves are also sticking out from under the flower near the photo.

I made all the flowers myself, using dies. White and silver are cut from tissues, and I learned how to make flower buds from Iza. Torn gauze and delicate silver strings stick out from under the flowers. My composition is enriched with small pebbles, cabochons and mini balls. Below the photo there is a meaningful text "every photo tells a story". Finally, I added some black splashes.

Dusty Attic's products:

I fairly believe that someone will like my work and that LO will find a generous owner, because the goal is worthy. I will be grateful for passing the link to the auction - maybe one of your friends will be willing to support this campaign. Thank you for being with me. Have a nice day!

Ankarika Craft (Fb)        Ankarika Craft (IG)