Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful ~ Creative Embellishments

 Hello, Creative Embellishments friends! 

Sandi Clarkson here with you today sharing my newest project as part of the Design Team. 

I'm kind of excited about this one because I'll be gifting it to one of the granddaughters. 

Hope she likes it! 

My paper selections are from 13 Arts Home Sweet Home collections. It's such a versatile and neutral collection. Definitely a fave of mine. Since the photo was actually taken last Thanksgiving, the firewood paper seemed a great choice. 

I prepped my background as usual and then applied texture with 13 Arts modeling paste and the new CE Tile Stencil 2. Color was added using the transfer technique. Later I did add more color around the focal area using a paintbrush and water. 

While that was drying, I got busy staining my chipboard with walnut stain. It seemed the best color for these papers and the theme. I did apply some custom wax made with Decoupage wax and 13 Arts Amber Color Glow.  To frame my photo, I've used the Grapevine Frame. 

I chose some 49 and Market florals to add to my project. Fortunately, I had just ordered some new ones! I have soooo many flowers but am always adding to my collection! Am I the only one? 

I'm loving all the CE chipboard titles but fell for this newish one called Be Your Own Kind...

As a matter of fact, I decided on the title placement as one of my first steps so that I wouldn't be trying to squeeze it in later. 

To anchor the title a bit more and draw the eye that direction, I placed the new Vintage Border 2 underneath the title. Actually, it was placed before the title. For these types of things, I love having my laser leveler. It's wonderful for making sure everything is straight. 

I finished with die cuts, a cabochon and sticker, sisal, art stones and a splattering of white gesso. 

Here are a few more close-ups: 

I'm very pleased with the final project! 

And I hope you are inspired to do some creating!!!

See you next time ... 

Sandi

Creative Embellishments products used:

Chipboard: 

Grapevine Frame

Be Your Own Kind...

Vintage Border 2

Stencil: 

Tile Stencil 2

Altered A/C transceiver ~ Creative Embellishments

Hello, Creative Embellishments friends! 

Sandi Clarkson here with you today sharing my newest Design Team project for Creative Embellishments. 

Today I've altered an old part off of my A/C compressor from last year's replacement.  I kept it intentionally to alter and pair up with a similar part from my Heating unit that I altered a few years ago. Yes, first our Central Heat went out and then the A/C! Yay, me. 

I started by giving the unit several good coats of 13 Arts white gesso. You could still visualize some of the writing on the part but I didn't worry about that and fortunately, it doesn't show. My thinking was that if anything, it would give dimension much like stamping would do. 

Once that was dry I used the Fairy Dust Stencil and 13 Arts modeling paste to create more texture and dimension. Along with using the stencil, I added additional modeling paste just with my spatula and it created a  nice, random textural design. 

Then I added a rainbow of colors similarly to the other device I altered. For this piece, I've mainly used my 13 Arts inks and sprays, the exception being Tim Holtz Wild Honey as my yellow. I had planned to let each color dry before moving on but got impatient and decided that it was fine if I got some muddy color. After all, it represents a not so happy few hours of sweating! Right? 

Picking out my chipboard pieces is always fun but also always quite the dilemma given that we have over 4000 designs in the CE store. My inspiration, however, stemmed from the new Funky Floral Set that I had recently received.  For the background, I opted to use one of the Flourish Set 10. And of course, I've been dying to use the bees from the newish Bees Set. 

All of my chipboard pieces were coated with 13 Arts white gesso to give them tooth. After that the inks were sprayed or painted on. The flourish was altered with my favorite13 Arts Olive Green, the flowers with Tim Holtz Wild Honey and the bees with a combination of Walnut and Wild Honey. Then I allowed  everything to dry overnight. 

The following morning, I pulled everything together starting with the Flourish Set 10 serving as a base layer over the colorized metal unit. Then I added the Funky flower and the bees from the Bees Set. 

The Funky Floral Set is not really designed for stacking but more to be used as singles or however you would like them. I opted to use them to create a 3 dimensional flower. Love it! I topped it with a pearl in the center and later added a couple of paper leaves underneath. It got dressed with a pretty little bumble bee from the Bees Set which was popped with foam squares. 

The left side of the composition needed a little something to balance my design, so I added a floral, a metal clock, my title and one of the Bees. 

I finished my design with a few small pearls and some random splattering of white gesso. 

I had thought about adding some gold microspheres but decided against them. 

Occasionally, less really is more, haha! 

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today! 

Below are some links to the CE products used. 

See you next time! 

Sandi

Creative Embellishments products used: 

Chipboard:

Bees Set

Flourish Set 10

Funky Floral Set

Stencil: 

Fairy Dust Stencil

Chipboard makes for Cardmaking Fun!

Hello, Creative Embellishments fans!  

Sandi Clarkson here with you today sharing two more Clean and Simple cards using my CE chipboard and some lovely papers from 13 Arts. The past few months have been busy, busy for me which makes working on a smaller project both fun and attainable. Hopefully, you will be inspired to create during busy times as well. 

It's been a while since I've had a play with my ATC Coins, so I pulled those out along with my newer ATC frames. There are so many great designs to choose from in the CE store. Just browse this Link and choose a few! 

For my first card, I went with my fave Family ATC Coin and paired them with the sold Artist Trading Coins to back them. My papers are 13 Arts' Queen of the Night along with some Industrial Zone. 

I altered my Family ATC Coins with 13 Arts Golden Calcite Color Glow. While that was drying, I covered my actual Artist Trading Coins with the Industrial Zone papers. 

Then I layered the more open coins on top of the solid coins, then colorized the edges before adhering to my cards. 

The right hand coin is elevated with foam squares. 

For a finishing touch, I added some sisal, Queen of the Night ephemera, a couple of florals and flat backed pearls. 

Don't you love the little heart used as dot?

I went lighter with my second card and used papers form the 13 Arts Magnolia Dreams collection. The black and white strip is from the Prima Pumpkin and Spice collection. 

For this card I chose the two frames included in the Shine ATC Frames set and painted both of them with more Color Glow using the new Labradorite color. After they were dry, I layered one on top of the other. 

The Shine frame is on the bottom while the frame with the stars is layered on top. 

To finish it up, I added sisal, florals and mire pearls. Because the chipboard design was a bit intricate, I opted not to add epehemera although you certainly could. 

There are SO many great ways to use these little coins: cards, memorydex filecards, layouts and canvas projects, even altered items. The possibilities are endless. 

Thanks for dropping by the blog today! 

See you next time! 

Sandi

Creative Embellishments products used: 

Family ATC Coin

Artist Trading Coins

Shine ATC Frames