Linda Walsh Originals Blog Pages

Friday, September 23, 2022

My New Mixed Media Beach House Diorama


Back in 2014 I decided to take the Artful Gathering Session 1 Class - Let's Go For A Ride by Julie Haymaker Thompson. 

This class taught you how to make a mixed media shadowbox "doggie" wall decoration, which was a lot of fun to make.   

Like other classes I've taken I usually make more than one item and this class was no exception.  I created two base shadowbox pieces but, for some reason, only used one of them for the class project.

So, when I was looking at my supplies for the Spring and Summer mixed media shadow box diorama's I wanted to create I decided to use the extra mixed media base I had created for this class.  

As you know, I always save everything. You just never know when you might need the perfect thing for the creation you are making.

This time I wanted to create a wall house decoration with a window beach scene shadowbox diorama, which is shown in the picture above.

Here, too, I decided to use scrapbook papers for the outside and inside of the front and back and all the sides versus sponge painting all of them, like I usually do.

I selected two scrapbook paper collections to use: P13 - Beyond The Sea Scrapbook Paper Collection and Graphic 45 - Catch of the Day Scrapbook Paper Collection as well as bits and pieces from other scrapbook papers as well.


I also decided to use mixed media trims along the house edges, alpaca roving for the bottom of the window frame to create a sand dune, paper flowers, and paper leaves and reeds to create the effect of sand dunes with beach flowers and reeds leading down to the beach.



I was really happy with the way this decoration came out and decided to hang it in my kitchen year round.  It looks great there and compliments the "Let's Go For A Ride" decoration I had made that is also hanging on that kitchen wall.


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Thursday, September 22, 2022

New Mixed Media Shadow Box Diorama Trio For The Summer


I've been crafting my whole life and love the Fall and Christmas holiday season.  As a result I have made more decorations for those two seasons than any other season or holiday.

The Fall and Christmas holiday season only lasts for 3 months from October to December so there are 9 other months that need decorations too.  

Over the years I started adding more decorations for the Winter, Spring and Summer months but always fell short on the Summer decorations for some reason.

So, I decided to make some additional mixed media shadow boxed dioramas for the Spring and Summer seasons.  Of course, I just made them and, of course, the Summer season is basically over.

God forbid I should ever make decorations ahead of the season....lol 

The three new diorama's shown in the picture above will be put away until the next Spring and Summer season.  It'll be a delayed viewing but be enjoyable anyway.

Usually for the shadowbox decorations I make I use wood shadow boxes and, generally, sponge paint them inside and outside for the backgrounds and sides.


This time, however, I decided to use scrapbook papers to cover the wood shadow boxes inside and outside and on all the sides.

I wanted all of these shadow box dioramas to have a 3D effect from the bottoms and sides of the shadow box so I cut some of the figures I wanted to use with bottom or side tabs and glued them in various positions within the 2" bottom and side areas of the shadow boxes.

I also wanted to use mixed media paper flowers, various types of fibers, alpaca roving with and without Angelina fibers, and various other mixed media effects to get the looks I wanted.


I just loved the Stamperia - Romantic Sea Dream Scrapbook Paper Collection and decided to use only this paper for the 4" x 4" wood shadow box diorama shown in the picture above.