Mixed Media Mosaic

I've had a lovely couple of days playing at my craft desk...it all started when I saw A vintage Journeys new challenge - 'Through the looking glass'. What came to mind first of all were the Tim H inspired fragment mosaic mirrors/frames I've seen about - but I don't have any fragments. I leafed through my compendium of curiosities book and came across the glazed mosaics technique - but I didn't have the equipment for that either. Not to be deterred I concentrated on what I did have and how I could get a coloured/stained glass effect. Still thinking of the UTEE from the glazed mosaic technique I dug out embossable acetate, an assortment of coloured embossing powders, fantasy film, some stamps and here's what happened - 

The frame was in the bumper box of goodies I won from Craft Stamper a while ago - it's something I would never have bought myself as I'm a bit scared of objects to alter. I painted with a layer of gesso, followed by titanium buff which I wiped off a bit with a baby wipe to distress. Next came some torn pieces of old book pages and stamping.  

The frame is made up of layers of more old book pages, tissue tape, crackle paste (which then got more or less covered up), mesh tape, glass bead gel, distress stickles and champagne glass glitter. 

 I love the effect the fantasy film gave between the embossing powders - I wish the photos really captured the shimmer. To create the tiles - I inked the acetate with versamark and covered with embossing powder, which I heated

I then layered over a layer of fantasy film, I wanted to try and get shimmering multi-tones and thought this might do it. Over this I inked again and embossed with either a pearl or clear powder. 

I then stamped into the embossing powder while it was still warm. 

 These tiles above and below were created using pearl embossing powder over the top and give a more frosted glass effect. 

This one below is clear embossing enamel over the layers of acetate and fantasy film - I love this I think it really looks like textured glass.  

To finish I stamped some words (artistic stamper) onto book pages and embossed in black and edged with distress ink. This picture below shows how vibrant the colours are - it's really difficult to capture.  

 As well as A vintage Journey I'm also sharing my mosaic here - 

Mixed Media World - Anything Goes

Try it on Tuesday - They that have wings
Stamps and Stencils - Anything Goes
A Sprinkle of Imagination - Anything Goes (used Papillon stamp, distress and archival inks and heat resist acetate sold in shop) 

Apologies for the long post and number of photos but I couldn't decide which ones to leave out and if you're still here thanks for sticking with me - Happy Crafting...Esther xx