Exquisite Art Shrine from Retro Cafe Art Gallery

I decided to channel my inner Michael deMeng here. It is surely one of my favorite combinations...Steampunk, Shrines, Relics, and embossed Metal.

The Large Exquisite Shrine from Retro Cafe Art Gallery is just too cool not to be made into a Work of ART. You'll love it when you get one!!!

You know I decorate the pieces and then glue them together. So I won't elaborate on that. The base is painted and then I added the G45 steampunk papers. It's accented with Sharpie pen dots.

 Then I embossed my metal by running it through the Vagabond Machine with the really, really cool embossing folder from Sizzix and Vintaj. The Art Deco designs on these are gorgeous!

Then I painted the metal foil with Heavy Black Gesso and let it almost completely dry. 

Buff it off with a soft cloth and shine the metal...gently.

Then you add your patinas....Guilders Paste and Inka Golds.

This is the front that I covered with Graphite Texture Paste, let it dry for a few minutes and then created a design in it for additional texture. The insides are covered with cut pieces of the embossed metal sheets.

This shows the back with the design created with 2 runs through the Vagabond. It's a little tricky, but it can be done.

The Skull is painted with a glaze and some permanent inks. The gears have been painted with metallic paint dabbers and the metal ones with patinas. I glued the Skull to a Fancy round Cut-Out. 

I glued the Steampunk Key to the Heart with 3D Matte Gel and added it to the Shrine on a wooden block for height. It is hanging from the top with a piece of black chain. The Rhinestone ribbon covers the inside edge of the front.

The antique bottles and clock gears add a bit of vintage feel to the piece. Some of the vintage gears are fit into the crevasses at the top of the Shrine. The Chipboard Flourishes are painted with acrylics and white dots are added. Then they're glued to the sides of the Shrine.

All in all, I really enjoyed creating this piece. It's quirky and I LOVE how it turned out.  So check out the links for RCAG and order one for yourself. Make it all different, make it your own style, but I guarantee you'll love it, too.

Linda

Products Used from Retro Cafe Art:
Large Exquisite Art Shrine
Ornate Flourish  - Style 5 and Style 2
Sandra Evertson's Relics & Artifacts - Skull and Heart
Fancy Round Cut-Out
Guilder's Paste - Patina  and Coral Red
Inka Gold - Gold and Copper
Art Basics - 3D Matte Gel
Art Basics - Heavy Black Gesso
Brass Gear Mix
Silver Gear Mix
12mm Basic Gear Charms
12mm Fancy Gear Charms
Steampunk Gears II
Metal Foil Tape
Sharpie - Extra Fine Point Poster Pen

Other Products:
Art Extravagance - Texture Paste-Graphite
Vagabond Machine
Vintaj Embossing Folder - Nouveau Tiles
Graphic45 Steampunk papers
Metallic Paint Dabbers
Acrylic Glazes
Rhinestone Ribbon Trim
Vintage Clock Gears
Vintage Glass Bottles