Upcycle a flea market picture frame with this mixed media China doll elf.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• scissors
• pencil
• #3 round brush
• #2 liner brush
• 1/2" flat brush
• old picture frame with wood backing
• Fun Foam sheet
• tracing & transfer paper
• small wire cutters
• cardstock
• Aleene's Tacky Glue
• 2 sheets of scrapbook paper
• small clock face clip art
• black stove wire

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Let dry completely between painting steps.

1. Remove the wood backing from your vintage frame. Cut a piece of scrapbook paper the same size as the backing. Cover the wood with a piece of scrapbook paper using Matte Decou-page and the 1/2" flat brush. I applied mine right over the picture because it was glued to the backing.

2. Find a China Doll head on line and print it out to fit in your frame. Mine is 1 inch tall.
3. Cut a piece of fun foam slightly smaller than the head and glue it to the back of the head with tacky glue.
4. Using tracing and transfer papers, copy the body and hat to cardstock.
5. Lay down the head, hat and body onto the surface of your decoupaged paper in the frame for placement.

6. Paint the background of the frame face with a 1:1 mixture of Cobalt Turquoise and Primary Yellow. Add more yellow as you get to the center. Use the #3 round brush. Save your mixture.

7. Using the #3 round brush, paint polka dots with the mixture from before with a touch of Titanium White added.

8. Using the #3 round brush and Cobalt Turquoise, make a circle around the edge of the frame face. Make a mixture of 1:1 Cobalt Turquoise and Titanium White and using the #2 liner brush, make little dots inside the circle.

9. Paint your cardstock dress and legs and hat. Paint the dress a mixture of 1:1 Naphthol Red Light and Titanium White. Use the #3 round brush. Add an outline with the #2 round brush and Primary Magenta. Using the #2 liner brush, fill in a Naphthol Red Light stripe where the belt would be.
10. Paint little Carbon Black stripes on the legs with the #2 liner brush.
11. Mix a little Titanium White into the Pink you mixed and make the lighter pink to add dots to the top and stripes to the skirt with the #2 liner brush. Give her little rosy cheeks.
12. Using Carbon Black and the #2 liner brush, paint the little hand shapes at the end of the arms. Fill in the hands with a mixture of Titanium White with a touch of Naphthol Red Light and a touch of Primary Yellow.
13. Paint Naphthol Red Light stripes on the hat with the #3 round brush.
14. Make the other stripes Primary Yellow with the #3 round brush.
15. Choose a scrapbook paper to be the wings. I chose a very subtle baby blue with white dots. Transfer the pattern to the paper and cut the wings out.
16. Use tacky glue to attach the head to the backing. Glue the hat to the head and also the part of the frame where it overlaps.
17. Use the #3 round brush and Matte Decou-page to attach the dress and legs and wings.
18. Cut out your clip art clock face and use tacky glue to glue it to a piece of fun foam that is a slightly smaller circle. Glue the clock and foam down to the backing.
19. Print out words that say "i choose naughty." Use a simple font.
20. Cut out each word and glue them down with Matte Decou-page and the #3 round brush.
21. Paint around the doll elf with the #2 liner brush and mixture of 1:1 Primary Yellow and Titanium White. This adds interest and makes your elf stand out.
22. Use Cobalt Turquoise and the #2 liner brush to add accent lines to the dress, words and hat and apply eye shadow.
23. Water down Burnt Umber and shade the side of the hat. Shade the face of the clock.
24. With the #2 liner brush and Primary Magenta, outline and shade the wings and outline the words.
25. Make your wire hanger with about 10 inches of the black wire. Loop the ends around parts of the frame and twist to secure. Add a 3 Inch piece of wire to the top of the hanger wrapped as tightly as you can.

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