Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 22

Dear Santa and blog readers,


I've tried to be a good girl, honest...
I've tried really hard to hold off on blogging this Christmas Craft item, honest...
But you see I finished work today, so I feel the need for some kind of a celebration...
So I can't wait any longer, I just HAVE TO share this Christmas Craft!!


My Christmas Angel


When I bought my 3D Christmas Tree I also bought an Angel on sale. I've wanted a nice handmade angel for our Christmas Tree for a while now, but I've never been able to find one that I really loved so I figured if I didn't love one of my own creations, then I would have no one to blame but myself!!!
I found this strange beige little angel in desperate need of some tender loving care and a splash of colour. (Where is Gok when you need him??)

See she was quite pretty, if a little plain.
First thing I did was clip her wings. Well actually I did more than clip them, I removed them completely... though it was only temporary, she does get them back at the end of the make-over!!

The wings sans body. In case you haven't guessed (cos I forgot to take a before photo), I then drew a pattern around the wings and cut out the bits I didn't want. I left a frame about 5/16 on an inch (6mm) around the outer edge as well as the bottom of each layer of feathers.

 The next step was to then paint the wing frames in a couple of coats of gold acrylic paint. I left the paint to dry overnight (yes instead of using the heat gun, for a change) between the layers of paint. I was concerned that using the heat gun too much might warp the frames hence my enforced patience.

After the gold paint has dried. Now doesn't she look so much better already... and that's without a head or body!!
While the paint was drying on the wings, and so it didn't feel like I was sitting watching paint dry and doing nothing... I also painted the body of my fair maiden. I painted her head to toe in a couple of layers of white gesso... with a KaiserCraft foam brush of course. These truly are a Godsend to every crafter and you can pick them up very reasonably. I have three different sets in my eCommerce shop.

Then I painted her head and hands with a skin-toned acrylic paint (but you probably guessed that).
I had seen the technique I ending up using to decorate her on a Christmas Tree and thought it looked beautiful, so I decided to "do it my way" and tried the same thing on my Angel.
I trimmed small paper doileys (from the $2 shop) in half. I adhered them in place around the body using a glue dot on either side of the doiley. I didn't worry about putting the glue dot on the die-cut part as I knew I would be layering the doiley halves on top of each other for complete coverage. It only got a little tricky around the arms... mainly it was just a matter of placement around the arms though as the body became significantly smaller near the head, I did have to trim the doiley halves a little and add some additional cuts to aid the shaping at this point. It was pretty much a feel it as you go type of thing.

The next thing I did was add some hair. Now I need to point out that this was the FIRST time I have ever used doll's hair. I had intended to use long ringlet curls, much like my own hair (on a really, really, REALLY good hair day) but alas the dolls hair wouldn't do what I wanted it to do, so I after re-reading the instructions, I resorted to short, frizzy but still curly hair. 
I think I prefer this, because as soon as it was done, I couldn't help thinking how much she looked like my late Nana - Lillian Mary Wilson (nee Walker). So from the time she received her hair, she also received her name. She is the Angel Lillian.

 And then of course I added a demure look on her face simply with acid free journaling pens.

By now the wings had well and truly dried so it was time for their special treatment. If you've been following my blog during my Christmas Craft Challenge you would have seen my earlier blog about the Christmas Card swap I did and the non-traditional card with the removable bauble ornament. I used the same technique for my Angel's wings.
I cut some Angelina's Heat Bondable Film to the size of the wings.
Glued the film in place using Helmar Tiger Grip Glue and left this to dry overnight. This may have seemed like a long time, but I wanted to be sure.
I trimmed the film down to a 1 - 2mm overhang around the outside edge of the wings.
Using my trusty head tool, I heated the Angelina's film until it was taut across the frame of the wings.
I was not expecting the film to pull and re-shape the wings as much as what it did though I love the end result even more than I expected. The extra shaping just adds another design dimension that I love so much.

I re-attached the wings to the body once again using the Helmar's Tiger Grip Glue and left her to dry. Then I added a halo which I made from a gold metallic pipe cleaner.
The final step was to add a little bling by dotting individual pearls and gold rhinestones on each of the roses in the die-cut part of the doileys forming the Angel's dress.

 And one final photo opportunity - in her pride of place on top of the Christmas Tree in Nana Lucy's lounge (my mother-in-law who lives with us).

Since this photo was taken, the number of presents underneath the tree has increased significantly!!!! Unwrapping presents, may take all day!!
{Edited - Added Before & After Photo}