Creative Expressions - Simplicity

Hi all, long time no see, I'm afraid I was poorly after my back injections, but now I'm fine and so loving being pain free, they are truly amazing what doctors can do today.  So it's Monday which means it's time for my creation over at Creative Expressions Blog and this week I decided to do a large tag, just right for spring.  Now the title says simplicity and one of my favourite Creative Expressions stamp set is Whimsical Floral, not just for it's beautiful flowers but for the beautiful quote which I use time and time again - 'The Beauty in Life is it's Simplicity'.  I had originally got to sentiment stamps out at the beginning but worked the tag around the simplicity sentiment, BUT I ended up picking up the wrong one and hence got my second favourite lol, I feel it's ruined it slightly but I'm still happy.  So it's the last day of using this months stamps and I used for this tag the Creative Expressions Flora & Fauna singles, as usual through my step by step I shall highlight all the Creative Expressions products.  Also have you heard, Creative Expressions have opened a new website/shop which stock lots of past and existing products at sale prices, why not pop along and have a
Craft Clearance :-)

The Creative Expressions Botanical Spray

really works well with this technique :-)

As you can see the Simplicity sentiment would have worked

so much better lol.

Some Close Ups

And now for the step by step ...................

To start with I gathered all my materials together.

I stamped Creative Expressions Texture stamp set with Distress Ink Evergreen

Bough onto a Ranger #10 Tag.

Then I stamped Creative Expressions Flora & Fauna Single Stamp

Botanical Spray with Ranger Perfect medium and

then embossed with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Embossing Powder.

Then I used Distress Ink Evergreen Bough and Peacock

Feathers to cover the tag and then splashed loads of water

to give the background some texture.

Even now I still get a thrill to see the water react :-)

Close up :-)

I stamped the Bee and Ladybird from Creative Expressions Flora & Fauna

Single Stamps Botanical Spray and Ivy Corner with Archival Jet Black ink.

I then coloured them in with Distress Markers Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed,

Wild Honey (bee), Festive Berries, Barn Door, Fired Brick (ladybird body),

scattered straw, wild honey (ladybird eyes) then cut them out without the

legs and edged them with Distress Marker Black Soot.

Then for the bees wings and the edge of the ladybird I used

Cosmic Shimmer Sparkle Texture Paste Aurora Sparkle.

Next I lay a thick coat of Cosmic Shimmer Clear Varnish Lacquer

over the bee and ladybird and then left to dry.

I cut lots of petals and leaves from stiff tissue paper (recycled from some

stamps I received through the post) with Spellbinders Rose Creations Dies.

I sprayed them with water then coloured some with Cosmic Shimmer

Vintage Spray Marigold and some with Cosmic Shimmer Ink

Spray Grape Crush and sprayed them both with Cosmic Shimmer Mist Pearl.

The leaves (that I didn't use in the end) was sprayed with Distress Stain 

Peacock Feathers with some Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Mica Pigments

Pearl.

I also sprayed some Creative Expressions Seam Binding White with the sprays.

 I stamped the sentiment from Creative Expressions Stamp Set Button Florals

with Archival jet black ink.  I then stuck the tag on some black

card, then edged it with Creative Expressions Gilding Wax Patina.

I then put the tag together and added Creative Expressions Pearl Gems.

Right I better be off, don't forget to pop on over to the Creative Expressions blog and see the rest of the DT Creations.  Thank you so much for visiting, I really appreciate it :-).
Happy Crafting :-)
Hugs Kezzy xxx

Creative Expressions - Tiled!!!

Hi ya, wow I can't believe it's Monday and time for my creation for the Creative Expressions Blog.  This week I have been playing with Creative Expressions Single Stamp Ivy Corner from the Flora & Fauna Collection, and I made a small canvas and made little square tiles to cover it with.  As usual I will highlight all the products from Creative Expressions :-)

 I have lots of pictures as I can't seem to get all of it in good light

because it reflects lol.

And now for the step by step ......................

I added Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Mica Pigments in Tropic Blue (green on black),

Enchanted Gold (dark gold on black), Lava Red (bright red on black) and

Red Blaze (blue/violet on black) into separate bottles with water added.

The next thing is to start conditioning some Black Fimo, I used a pasta

machine that I use only with clay.

After it was conditioned I rolled it out thinly.

I then sprayed the gold spray and let it dry.

Then I added the other colours in separate corners.

While that was drying I rolled some Fimo slightly thicker and 

used some cutters to cut some charms out.

Before I removed them I stamped the Creative Expressions Single Stamp Ivy Corner,

before I stamped I sprayed a fine mist of water on the stamp then 

wiped it with Grime Boss Wipes to make sure all the fimo residue had gone.

Then I peeled away the charms and picked out my favourites and put the ones

that didn't work back with the rest of the clay.

I then sprayed the charms with the Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Mica Pigments sprays

I had made.

I then used the rest of the clay to make a square and stamped and sprayed like above.

This is the sprayed clay from earlier dried.

I then stamped with the Ivy Corner stamp all over the coloured fimo.

This is all of them cut ready for the oven, or if you only have a few you can

cook them in your Melt Pot.

While they were cooking I prepared my small canvas by painting it with

Eco Green Black Paint.

All cooked with a thin Fimo glaze over them.

I then stuck them around the canvas leaving gaps.

Next is scary, I used Comic Shimmer Texture Paste Copper Kettle and

spread it all over the canvas, yep all over the squares, then

I used a baby wipe with my finger to take the paste off my squares,

I did leave areas around the square with the paste so it blended into the areas rather

then looking like they were sitting on top.

While the paste is wet I used the gorgeous Cosmic Shimmer Vintage Mica Flakes

Tarnished Bronze all over the canvas so the mica would stick onto the paste.

These micas are so gorgeous and really really soft, I thought they would be sharp but

they wasn't :-)

Then I patted lightly to make sure the mica was stuck.

When it had all dried I added Creative Expressions Gilding Wax Deep Red

(the holes is where I added some Creative Expressions Solvent Blending Solution

to make it a bit wetter for the paint brush, I use an old paint brush with the brush cut short) onto

all the tiles especially into the groves, then I wiped over the tile with partially wet baby wipe

to clear the wax from the top, it still gives a tint but the tile colours do come through.

Close up of wax.

Then I gave all the tiles, the centre and heart charm a good covering of

Fimo Glaze, you could use Cosmic Shimmer Varnish, 

but I had not tested it on fimo before so I wasn't sure.

I have tested it now and it does work beautifully and seals the wax as well.

I used it quite thickly, then all was done and I left it to dry for a few hours :-)
Also at the last minute when it was all dry I edged the canvas with black paint
and added the red gilding wax around the edges on top of the black paint.

Right I better be off, I have my injections on my back tomorrow so I won't be back until the end of the week, at least I will be running around pain free next week to get all the half done projects done lol.

Happy Crafting :-)

Hugs Kezzy xxxxx