Dressed Form...Love by Connie K

I am loving all the mixed media pieces I have been seeing lately...you can check them out on pinterest if you haven’t seen them. Such a great place for inspiration.

I thought I would combine my love for all things found, with this new to me medium...so here is my take on it. They are fun to make...

I took mine off the canvas and altered a paper mache dress form I had in my stash*, add to that a found silver candle stick from the thrift and a wooden finial from my junk drawer!

So gather your supplies...

Art Glitter: Ultrafine Transparent Martini #89
Art Glitter: Ultrafine Transparent Lipstick #88
Art Glitter: Fine Vintage Glass Glitter Ultramarine #604
Art Glitter: Ultrafine Transparent Mellow Yellow #158
Designers Dries Clear Adhesive
Paper mache dress form
Pattern tissue paper vintage
Multi matte medium.Ranger
Craft paint in the following colors: Cadimium Red/Americana, White/Americana, Bahama Blue/Americana, Yellow Green/Americana
Look at me blue / folk-art
Script rubber stamp
Archival ink black
Assorted stencils for texture including
Punchinella, fiberglass screening, netting
Rubons various...pink paisley, KaiserKraft, Melissa Francis
Faber Castell big brush pitt pens: scarlet red, nougat, cobalt blue, yellow
Pink paisley birds/butterflies
Small Prima flowers
Chipboard
Black pen for doodling

Lets get started...

My dress form had a base on it...I cut it off. Next adhere random strips of pattern tissue to the dress form with multi matte medium. Let dry thoroughly.

Next apply, paint in a random pattern using the bahama blue, green and blue. After you apply the paint wipe some of it with a wet wipe ...if you see the pattern tissue, it’s all good.

Once the base coat is dry you can start using your stencils to create texture and a random background. I applied the darkest colors last. Stamp the script stamp in a few random spots.

Adhere the two birds to the lower left side of the dress with matte medium. Shade the birds using a pitt big brush pen, once dry doodle around each bird with a fine point black pen. Add lipstick glitter to the red bird and blue bird with designer dries clear adhesive.

The butterflies were added to the back and glittered with mellow yellow and lipstick art glitter.

Cut two tiny leaf shapes from chipboard. Paint with yellow green paint. Once dry, shade with the green pitt pen & adhere to the dress form. Add two small prima flowers as shown on the sample. Add lipstick glitter to the red flower and vintage glass glitter in ultramarine to the blue flower. Martini glitter was used on the leaves.

Cut a small heart from the chipboard and paint with red paint, adhere to dress form as shown. Doodle around heart...using designer dries clear adhesive highlight the heart with the lipstick glitter...love that name of this glitter!

Add rubons as shown...seal with matte medium when complete.

Finally, I painted the wooden finial with red paint...and then stenciled some small patterns in white over top. Glue to the top of the dress form with a glue gun. Then adhere the dress form to the silver candlestick. Embellish with a bow made from the rayon seam binding...

 I hope you have fun with this...it is a no rules kinda of project where anything goes. It lets you think outside of the box. I’ve done many of these on canvas and have loved the results also.

*I have a huge stash...you never know what will show up in there.