Items Needed:

• DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Modeling Paste - White (DMM21-71)
• DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Texture Sand Paste (DMM23-71)
• DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Crackle Paste - White (DMM17-71)
• DecoArt Media Varnishes - Ultra-Matte Varnish (DMM24-71)
• Wooden Boz
• Half Pearls
• Glossy Accents
• Paper Clay
• Molding Clay
• Doll Face To Mold
• Palette Knife
• Assorted Paint Brushes
• Baby Wipes
• Platinum Stickles
• Tim Holtz Crescent Moon & Stars Die Cut
• Tim Holtz Wanted Alphabet Die Cut Letters

Instructions:

Creating the Dimensional Man In The Moon:

Find a cute doll’s face and then using molding material (in this case, I used Amazing Mold) create a mold of the dimensional face. Follow the directions on the packaging to create your mold. 

Work Paper Clay and press into the face mold. Remove from the mold and create more dimension on the face by adding eyelids and puffy lips to the face with small bits of Paper Clay; molding them while the clay is wet and attaching them to the face. Allow the face to completely dry. When dry, create a circle using heavy cardstock behind the face to create a “moon”. 

Glue the Paper Clay face onto the circle “moon” using Glossy Accents. When dry, add a thick coat of DecoArt Media Molding Paste to create the surface of the moon. Use the wooden end of a paint brush to create craters. This will give your moon surface dimension and prepare it for the next step of adding a more realistic texture. Let dry.

Add a top layer of DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste to the surface of the “moon” and craters using your finger and a brush in the hard to reach areas. This will create a gritty, textural moon surface. Let dry.

Seal the Paper Clay face with DecoArt Ultra-Matte Varnish because the Paper Clay surface is porous. You will want your paint to glide smoothly over the surface and you will be able to blend your colors much better with a varnished surface. Let dry. 

Paint a basecoat of DecoArt’s Americana Flesh Tone Acrylic Paint onto the entire surface of your molded face. Let dry.

While the face is drying, paint the surface of the moon using a mixture of DecoArt Media Acrylic Yellow Oxide and Titanium White paints. I used about a 70/30 combination, mostly of Yellow Oxide. Let dry. 

Add shadows and depth to your moon with DecoArt Media Burnt Umber that is dry brushed or lightly added to the surface of the moon, particularly the outside edges, around the face, the inner craters and the tops of the craters. Let dry.

Create a more natural face by mixing DecoArt Media Quinacridone Red and Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide. Both colors are semi transparent and when combined, give a beautiful glow to an already fleshtone face. I used about a 70/30 combination, mostly the Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide for this step. When dry, I used more Quinacridone Red to create blushy cheeks and more pink highlights on the ears and other areas of the face. Let dry.

Using a smaller detail brush, paint the lips using a bit more of the DecoArt Media Quinacridone Red and Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide Acrylic mix, tinting more with the red to create natural lips. Paint the whites of the eyes using DecoArt Media Acrylic Titanium White then add a eyeball with DecoArt Media Cerulean Blue Acrylic Paint. Heat set. Paint a smaller circle in the inner eye using DecoArt Media Carbon Black Acrylic Paint. Heat set. Finally add a DecoArt Media Titanium White highlight to each eye and heat set. Use DecoArt Media Burnt Umber Acrylic to add definition lines to the eyes. 

When you are happy with your face, add a topcoat of DecoArt Media Ultra-Matte Varnish to the face to protect and seal it.Set the “Man in the Moon” to the side and create your outer space background and sentiment for the wooden box.

Creating the “Out of This World” Background of the Wooden Box:

Begin with a plain wooden box. This box measures 9” x 4” x 2 ½”.

Add a generous amount of DecoArt Crackle Paste to the sides of the box. I used a brush to apply the crackle paint; leaving more in some areas than others. The heavier the Crackle Paste, the larger the cracks. The lighter the Crackle Paste, the smaller the cracks. At this point, I also added the half pearls to the exposed top sides of the box using Glossy Accents and measuring every ½” for placement.

Place the dried “man in the moon” on the top of the box and draw around it using a pencil for placement. Then add DecoArt Crackle Paste to the top of the box, heavier around the edges and the perimeter of the Man in the Moon.

Die cut two sets of letters for the sentiment out of heavy weight white cardstock. Glue them together using Glossy Accents and let dry. Lay the letters out on top of the box to get the spacing correct.

Create a mixture of DecoArt Media Cerulean Blue and Titanium White Acrylic Paint to create the lightest, softest blue that will be used as the basecoat for the outer space look on the box background. I used a combination of 60/40, more Cerulean Blue. Cover all of the now crackled surfaces of the exterior of the box using a paint brush and maybe add little bits of water to the paint if it starts to get too thick. Let dry or heat set.

Brush a coat of Ultra-Matte Varnish over the crackled light blue surface to seal it; prevent any chipping of the crackled surface and to prepare the surface for the additional layers of darker blue paints. Let dry or heat set.

Using a baby wipe and DecoArt Media Phthalo Turquoise Acrylic Paint, I swiped random streaks of paint over the lighter Cerulean Blue basecoat. Continue to add the turquoise paint until you are happy with the results. Let dry or heat set.

Next add the final darker blue layer using a baby wipe and DecoArt Media Prussian Blue Hue Acrylic Paint. Continue to add more layers until satisfied with the results. Let dry or heat set.

To add shimmery cosmic highlights, rub DecoArt Media Metallic Gold that is slightly diluted with water into the cracks and on the surface of the crackled box with your finger. Work in sections so that the paint won’t start to dry before you have a chance to wipe away the excess with a baby wipe. Continue this over the entire surface of the painted box. Heat set. 

Paint the half pearls with a detail brush and the DecoArt Metallic Gold Acrylic paint.

Paint all of the die cut letters and stars using DecoArt Metallic Gold Acrylic paint. Heat set. Add Platinum Stickles to the stars, using your finger and a small amount of Stickles on each star to add a bit of a glittery effect.

Glue the Man in the Moon then letters in place on the top of the box using Glossy Accents. Then glue the stars in place. Add additional dimension to the letters by adding a topcoat of DecoArt Liquid Glass to each letter. It dries clear and gives the letters a rounde, glossy dimensional quality. Let it dry thoroughly before going to the next step.

Paint the bottom and inside of the box using a combination of the DecoArt Cerulean Blue and Titanium White Acrylic Paint topped with swipes of DecoArt Media Phthalo Turquoise Acrylic Paints. Heat set. Follow up with a topcoat of DecoArt Ultra-Matte Varnish to seal and protect the interior of the box. Finally, add a metallic gold paper trim edge along the bottom of the box. I first secured the gold trim with a 1/8” double sided ScorTape and then followed that by completely covering the gold trim with Ultra-Matte Varnish as a glue and a sealer. It dries clear and protects the gold trim from tearing.

Here you see all of the detail; beautiful crackling, deep blue tones and gorgeous gold highlights from DecoArt products.

A close up look at the die cut stars and letters given even more dimension with DecoArt’s Media Metallic Gold Acrylic paint and Liquid Glass.

Finally, a look at the rich tones of the sealed interior of the box that perfectly complements the beautiful mixed media exterior. It’s now ready to store your art brushes or pencils.