Fairytales

Fairytales are magical world of make believe.  My favorite parts were the illustrations and i wanted to live in a magical forest and an eleborate treehouse.  Today I created a ornate hot air balloon flying high in a cloudy, twinklingly night sky. 
This month's challenge at Mixed Media Academy is Fairytales, and here is the moodboard.

I have built these balloons before I think of them like a puzzle except i don't know what the end result will be.  I have reference photos of things i like and combine elements to create the final product.  I also rarely recreate the same thing so each one is orginial and the more i make the more challenging it becomes.

Polymer clay stars painted with Finnabair sparks raven paint, the brushed with white gold alchemy wax.  Makes it look like pewter.  I used iron lacework chipboard along center. If the chipboard is delicate enough it will wrap around a curved surface.

In the center is scroll gear chipboard painted with rustic brown alchemy paint and brushed with white gold alchemy wax.  On top is polymer clay sun/moon, I used a mould and laid the moon on top of sun before i cooked.  I had to shape them together so it would look like one piece instead of two.

The basket is made form a slurpy cup that i cut down, then in half.  I cut paper strips 0.25" thick in two patterns then weaved them together.  To finish the top and bottom of balloon layer together gears, cut down center and paint.

I create the background by first applying modelling paste with a palette knife- adds some texture.  Next paint the sky background with acrylic paints, at first i didn't love it but once I antiqued i was happy.  Once painting is completely dry paint with watered brown then rub off top layer with baby wipe.  The brown paint settles into nooks and crannies and gives it a nice rustic look.  Finish the edges with white gold alchmey wzx.