My First Foray Into ACEOs

The theme for our PCAGOE February challenge is ACEOs, or Art Cards, Editions and Originals. I thought I would get a jumpstart on making one, since I've never done it before and didn't even know what they were until recently.

After pulling an all-nighter on New Year's Eve (don't ask), I created my first one, this Faux Victorian Ceiling Tile with an image transfer of a variagated Camelia, one of my favorite flowers.

The image transfer is from a decoupage tissue I've had for several years, but didn't know how to use. I cut out the image and burnished it on the raw clay, soaked it in water to soften the paper (it isn't the kind that dissolves) and carefully peeled it off. It was time consuming and nervewracking. I love the effect, though. The cream colored background is embossed with the Studio by Sculpey Chantilly Lace Texture Sheet. I wanted the piece to look like a Victorian Painted Ceiling Tile.



This one is an image transfer, too. I love the L O V E stamp on the left side and the "rick rack" border.



This is the same image, reversed. I used a blend of Premo Cadmium Red and Kato Red and embedded it with Diamond Dust embossing powder, then embossed it with a paisley stamp. I love the fluted edges and thought I would dress it up with a little bling bling, some Swarovski crystals.



I had to do a gold one, of course. I use this Studio by Sculpey Script texture sheet a lot, and my favorite surface to use it on is a metallic clay with a mokume gane technique. It takes a lot of sanding and buffing to bring out a real shine, but my sore arms are worth it. I LOVE this one! The clay is Premo Gold, the image transfer was done using Magic Transfer paper, which I baked right on the raw clay.



Finally, two Valentine Memory ACEOs. I have been doing a lot of image transfers of family photos onto brooches, and just had to put my maternal grandparents and my mother on a couple of ACEOs. The base of the first one is a Skinner blend of Premo Cadmium Red and Kato Red, which I embossed with a baroque stamp and painted with eggshell acrylic paint mixed with diamond dust embossing powder (which makes the best "grout"!). I clipped the edges with a ripple blade and cured it, sanded away most of the paint, and buffed it. The images and text are image transfers.

The white base is Kato white embossed with the same baroque stamp and painted with red acrylic paint. It was cured, then sanded and buffed, too.



I think I'm hooked! I've got in mind some copper ACEOs with a verdigris finish and some in a faux tooled leather look with turquoise. And, I'm not done with the Valentine's Day theme yet, either!