Steampunk Box with New Finnabair Mechanicals

It's my turn on the

Finnabair Blog.

And, those who know me, are absolutely certain that this release

makes me very, very happy!

I LOVE Mechanicals, and I definitely LOVE

STEAMPUNK.

Having said that, I'll show you a few of the new products

and how they work on this plain 

wooden box.

I know you're going to love the endless possibilities. This showcases the large Pocket Watch, Grungy Butterfly, and Tin Hearts.

These are the Metallique Paints and Opal Magics that I used as well as the some of the Mechanicals and other products on their way and in stores now.

The Royal Red,  Rich Turquoise, Silver Spoon, Dark Velvet, Light Patina, and Steampunk Copper  Art Alchemy-Metalliques, plus Opal Magic Blue-Gold, Aqua-Rose and Green-Gold were my paint selections.

I started with a plain wooden box that I painted with Heavy Black Gesso using the new 1" Silicone Brush. Then I began gluing down my Mechanicals and found objects with Heavy Body Gel. I especially love the ART Mini Knob as the center of the Medium Flower. I wanted the larger ones on the left side of the box.

On the right I used the new Tin Heart, Grungy Butterfly, and Rustic Washers.

The back of the Pocket Watch comes off.  That makes it really easy to decorate the inside. Here I painted a heart with Black Gesso from the new Mixed Media Pack so the Royal Red Metallique paint will show up really well. (Bad shot taken at night..I'm a night owl)

You can see how the piece is progressing with the addition of the Tin Heart, Barn Star, and Rustic Washers. I added a coat of Clear Gesso to most, but not all of the elements, and then started adding Metallique and Opal Magic Paints.

Here's the thing....mica powder based paints and sprays need light to pick up the shine. So you'll see that different angles show a different pick-up of color. Different lighting does the same thing....so just accept that, and take the pictures for what they're worth.

I'm showing you what I see in different settings...Ott light, natural light, sunny day, snowy day, Studio light...they all have different pluses and minuses.

After many layers of different paints and some Inka Golds, this is the finished center section. I used Micro Beads, Glass Glitter and tiny watch parts as filler.

This area has many layers of color added to silver Mechanicals to create contrast.

A more muted background makes them stand out.

On this side, the Tin Heart with a Mini Star really steals the show, but the Grungy Butterfly holds it's own with multiple colors as well. You see some Steampunk Gears and Mini Hardware here, too. 

 I also wanted the blue-green background to stand out more on this side, so the objects are fewer and smaller.

After a few days of looking at this box, I decided it needed a title, some trim and Antique Brass Ornate Feet from Retro Cafe Art Gallery. 

I was thrilled when I found all the letters I needed in my typewriter key stash!!!

And this shows how you can antique your paper German Dresden from Retro Cafe Art Gallery with a coat of Steampunk Copper Metallique and then Black Gesso....removed when slightly dry using a soft cloth. Gotta love it!

(For those in the USA, Retro Cafe Art Gallery is getting the new Mechanicals and Art Alchemy Paints in soon!)

Many of these elements are earlier released Mechanicals you may have on hand. So, get out your stash of found objects, and get to work designing your own 

Work of Steampunk Art.

Be Inspired!

Linda