Progress on Challenge Doll

I spent all day yesterday making the base. I wanted it to look like cobblestones. My first approach was to embossed cardstock, color it with inks and then attach it to the wooden plaque base but I decided to try something new for me. I covered the top of the base with a thick coat of modeling paste and let it dry slightly then I carved it to look like small squares though I wish I made the lines more uneven, sanded it and let it dry until it was hard (went shopping and took my Mother to get her hair done while I waited). I then gave it a coat of a very watered down acryllic (a mix of white, brown and black from Ranger paint dabbers). Once it was dry, I rubbed on Soot, Tea Dye, Bundled Sage, Vintage Photo and Pumice Stone Distress inks to give the stones color and depth. I added highlights with Inca Gold, Foundry Bronze, and Silver Guilder's Paste which has mica in it. Once the top was done, I painted the sides with the same paints only thicker and coated it with crackle medium. Once that was dry, I gave it another coat of the paints using a sponge and dabbing it on. After it dried and crackled, I added the DIs and Guilder's Paste. There are some shiny spots on the top which were an accident but I like them! I got a little sloppy with the crackle medium but it didn't crackle and dried shiny. Now to mount the "perch" for the doll. If I don't like the doll on it, back to idea one!