I
have two projects for you depicting a lost world beneath the sea (Atlantis),
where the merpeople and sea creatures have adapted and integrated the materials
and technology to suit their needs.
The
inspiration for these projects came from the Sea World Paper pictured
below. This is one of the most
beautiful and whimsical paper sets I’ve seen in a long time. I love the merging of Steampunk with sea
creatures, which then inspired me to create two new collage sheets along the
same vein, which are “Welcome to Atlantis 1 & 2” and other complimentary sheets
containing seashells, coral, seaweed, and fish.
Further
down in the post, I cover how I put these pieces together and the techniques I used
to alter Steampunk and sea-themed chipboard shape sets.
These
sheets contain whimsical steampunkish sea creatures I imagined a lost world
beneath the sea (Atlantis) where the merpeople and sea creatures have adapted and
integrated the materials and technology to suit their needs. The scale of these images works well with my
Mermaid Gardens and other sea-themed collage sheets and digital image sets.
To purchase this sheet, click on the image below.
To purchase this sheet, click on the image below.
This
sheet contains 48 unique colorful fish.
The scale of the fish works well with my Mermaid Gardens, Welcome to
Atlantis, and other sea-themed collage sheets.
To purchase this sheet, click on the image below.
This
sheet contains 42 unique shells with 2 sizes of each for a total of 84
images. The scale of the seashells works
well with my Mermaid Gardens, Welcome to Atlantis, and other sea-themed collage
sheets and digital image sets.
To purchase this sheet, click on the image below.
This
sheet contains 22 unique coral and seaweed images. The scale of the coral and seaweed works
well with my Mermaid Gardens, Welcome to Atlantis, and other sea-themed collage
sheets.
To purchase this sheet, click on the image below.
THE DETAILS - TRIPTYCH
The
triptych is constructed using three chipboard frames. To connect them and make them
stand, I trimmed some of the scroll work from the bottom of the frames and from
the sides of the frames.
I
painted the frames with copper-colored paint and then used Distressed Ink to
add touches of teal.
I
backed the frames with paper from the 8x8 Sea World paper pack and used images
from my Mini Hardware Collage Sheet to attach the frames to each other.
I
started adding background components which were a combination of images from
the collage sheets and chipboard seaweed.
To
add color to the seaweed, I painted them with metallic paint and then rubbed
them with Distress Ink for additional color.
Next,
I added the focal point images (mermaids and a sea horse).
To
add more dimension to the seahorse, I added a chipboard propeller and metal
gear. On many of the images, I added
Glossy Accents to add dimension.
At the top of the center frame, I added a chipboard clock and compass.
I
then added more images on top of and around the focal point images.
DETAIL SUPPLY LIST - FRAMED TRIPTYCH
Welcome
to Atlantis #1 Collage Sheet
Welcome
to Atlantis #2 Collage Sheet
Colorful
Fish Collage Sheet
Seashells
Collage Sheet
Coral
& Seaweed Collage Sheet
Mini Hardware Collage Sheet
Sea
World 8x8 Paper Pad
Elegant Chipboard Frame
Coral Chipboard Set – 4 Pieces
Chipboard Tall Seaweed Silhouettes
Deep
Sea Shape Set
Steampunk
Gears Chipboard Set
Metal Gear Mix
Enameled Seashell Charm Mix – Set of 3
Large Patina Anchor Charm
THE DETAILS - FAUX BOOK
I
started with a faux book I purchased some years back at a craft store. The colors worked great with the papers. So, I
didn’t need to paint or paper the edges or spine.
I
started by papering the outside (except the spine) and inside using Sea World
Paper. As I was using 8x8 paper and the
surfaces of the book were larger, I cut up and pieced the paper with the designs
I liked.
For
this project, I used chipboard and wood gears to embellish both the paper pad
images and the collage sheet images. To
make them look rusted, I added glue and then sand from my yard. The sand makes it look more like it is
rusting, bubbling up, and flaking pieces of iron.
Next,
I painted the gears with a flat dark orange color; then, to give them more
dimension, I applied a small amount of bronze paint to various areas on the
gears (don’t cover all of the oranges).
I
used the same coloring techniques for the seaweed and coral that I did for the
triptych, but I also used clump foliage to add more dimension. I started by painting one side of the
chipboard. Next, I tore the foliage into
smaller pieces. I applied glue to the
painted side and then pressed the chipboard into the foliage. Once dry, I used scissors to cut away the
access foliage.

Below
you can see how I used various gears (chipboard, wood, and metal) plus clock
hands to embellish the paper image.

For
the chipboard turtle, I added blobs of paint and, when dry, painted over the
blobs of paint with a gold color paint, which is how I achieved the bumpy
texture. I added a chipboard key, a clock
part from my stash, and then metal gears.
To the face, I added a bronze anchor.
To
the image of the submarine, chipboard and metal gears and a steampunk sea
creature attaches themselves to the front of the sub.
Below
you’ll find the “Welcome to Atlantis” sign I used on the front cover.
FREE IMAGE
Feel free to download the image below and use it in your artwork.
Click here to jump to the complete supply list for the Faux Book at AlphaStamps.
DETAIL SUPPLY LIST – WELCOME TO ATLANTIC
FAUX BOOK
Welcome
to Atlantis #1 Collage Sheet
Welcome
to Atlantis #2 Collage Sheet
Colorful
Fish Collage Sheet
Seashells
Collage Sheet
Coral
& Seaweed Collage Sheet
Mermaid
Gardens Download Set
Sea
World 8x8 Paper Pad
Chipboard Shorter Seaweed Silhouettes
Chipboard Tall Seaweed Silhouettes
Deep
Sea Shape Set
Steampunk
Gears Chipboard Set
Flourish Sea Turtles
Anchor, Starfish & Fishnet Medley
Coral Chipboard Set – 4 Pieces
Metal Gear Mix
Wooden Gear Mix
Bronze Anchor Charm
Clump
Foliage – Fall Mix
Teal
Glitter
Large
Patina Starfish Charm