A Nature Study Project by Christen Olivarez

Begin with the Corina Book from Creative Imaginations. Using a craft knife cut off two panels from the accordion book. Coat both panels with GOLDEN white gesso using a foam brush. Set aside to dry. From the Cavallini & Company Natural History Carte Postale Vintage Postcard Set pick two postcards. Coat both postcards with gesso, leaving just the main image visible. Let dry. With a charcoal pencil outline the main image and then blend with a blending stump. For the starfish postcard, I stippled blue acrylic paint around the image. I then painted a border around it all with tan acrylic paint. Once that dried, I stamped the polka dot side of Romance Trims with white gesso on the tan border.

For the bird postcard, I sponged green acrylic paint around the birds, leaving a small white border. I then sponged a layer of white gesso on top of that. For the accordion book panels, I sponged on various shades of acrylic paint until I achieved the desired color.

For the starfish panel, I stamped the honeycomb portion of the Collage Cube with Timber Brown StazOn Ink on the top left and bottom right edges. I randomly placed labels from the Cavallini & Company Ephemera Vintage Labels set that I had first edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Once everything was in place, I adhered the postcards to the panel with a coat of GOLDEN Soft Gel Gloss. I then applied an additional layer of Soft Gel Gloss over everything with a sponge brush.