Reverse Canvas Butterfly "Specimen Box" ~ Creative Embellishments

Hi There! Today, I'm sharing a fun new Mixed Media Reverse Canvas made for Creative Embellishments. I have used Graphic 45's Nature Sketchbook collection to create this Butterfly "Specimen Box".

First, I wrapped the back of the canvas with a sheet of the 12x12 paper and cut out another piece of the patterned paper to fit inside the opening. I added some floral Excelsior around the inside of the canvas' opening and along the bottom edge of the canvas. I used Creative Embellishments chipboard Mini Mushrooms to embellish the lower left corner of the canvas. I embossed the mushrooms using Stampendous Frantage Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel and then added some details to the mushrooms using Croco Crackling Color in Bronze. I used the CE chipboard Flourish 10 to embellish the right side of the canvas - I embossed the flourish using Distress Embossing Powder in Old Paper and then added some Distress Crackle Paint in Peeled Paint to the flourish for extra colour and texture. Once the chipboard pieces were in place, I added the fussy-cuts from the Graphic 45 papers (paper edges inked with Distress Ink in Ground Espresso). Then I added some Prima Art Stones and Mini Art Stones around the bottom of the canvas and the bottom of the opening. I splattered everything with watered-down black gesso. And finally, I did some dry-brushing around the canvas with Art Alchemy Metallique Paint in Ancient Coin.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!

Gilded Lily Envelope Mini-Album ~ Creative Embellishments

Today, I'm sharing a Mini-Album I created using Graphic 45's gorgeous Gilded Lily collection along with some amazing Creative Embellishments Chipboard embellishments! I used the 12 x 12, 8 x 8 and 6 x 6 paper pads from the Gilded Lily collection, as well as the Journaling and Ephemera Cards and the Tags and Pockets. This is a post-bound envelope album that alternates envelope pages (made using the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punchboard) and simple flat pages. I've inked the edges of all the envelopes/papers using Distress Ink in Old Paper. These papers are so beautiful and romantic - so I'm going to use this album for some of my wedding pictures!

The Creative Embellishments Chipboard pieces I used throughout the album include the Filigree Corner Set 2, Photo or Page Corners Set 2 and Small Columns. The cover (above) has two pieces from the Filigree Corner Set 2 around the central image. I painted these pieces with Distress Crackle Paint in Tattered Rose but wanted them to be a bit more pink, so I added a coat of ColourArte Silks Acrylic Glaze in Fuzzy Peach and then a Coat of Viva Decor White Crackling Colour. I used another set of the Filigree Corner Set 2 inside the album - and treated it the same but skipped the Distress Crackle Paint.

For the Photo or Page Corners Set 2 and the Small Columns chipboard pieces, I first painted them with acrylic paint in Light Antique White. I then added a generous coat of the Viva Decor White Crackling Colour to the Photo or Page Corners. For the Small Columns, I wanted to make sure you could still make out some of the detail on these gorgeous chipboard pieces, so I used Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy and then inked the columns with Distress Ink in Old Paper. Here are some close-ups of the different chipboard pieces used throughout the album.

Here is a video walk-through I filmed so you can see all the details in the album:

And here are photos of each of the album's pages.

I made this album to fit inside the Gilded Lily Upcycled Jewelry Box I made last year - here's a photo of the album inside the Jewelry Box!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Happy Crafting!

Grungy, Mixed Media Tags ~ Creative Embellishments January Challenge

Happy New Year! What?! How did that happen? As it is the first of the month, a new challenge is up on the Creative Embellishments blog! Here is this the January 2017 challenge's inspiration picture - and the twist for this month's challenge is to use numbers on your project!

For this month's challenge, I've created a pair of Grungy, Mixed Media Tags - with Inspirational Quotes for the New Year!

I started off with two #8 Size Kraft Tags. For this challenge's twist to use numbers - I've embossed the tags using (1) a December Calendar Embossing Folder (by Tim Holtz/Sizzix) and (2) a Number Collage Embossing Folder (by Cuttlebug). I painted the embossed tags with Prima Art Basics Heavy Black Gesso and then added colour to the background using Inka Gold Metallic Rubs in Cobalt Blue, Emerald Green, Steel Blue, and Champagne. Finally, I used the Creative Embellishments Distressed Text Stamp along with some Brilliance Moonlight White Ink to do some random stamping on the background of the base tag.

I used a Tim Holtz/Sizzix Die to cut the smaller tags from some Core'dinations Graphic 45 Timeless collection paper - I lightly sanded the smaller tags to reveal the embossed design and inked them with Distress Ink in Black Soot and rubbed some of the Champagne Inka Gold Rub on them.  To play up the numbers element even more - the small tags are embellished with Tim Holtz Reinforcers in calendar and number collage patterns! The quotes are cut from the Graphic 45 Kraft Reflections collection paper - the two quotes are also inked with Distress Ink in Black Soot and rubbed with Inka Gold Metallic Rub in Champagne.

I save all my 'remnants' of chipboard from my projects - so for this challenge, I've used bits and pieces of chipboard leftover from previous projects! I used part of a Mini Brick Panel, part of a Large Clock Face, and a couple of Gears and a Clock Hand. All the chipboard pieces were altered using Finnabair's Rust Paste collection by Prima, along with a splatter of Lindy's Stamp Gang Time Travel Teal Starburst mist, a splattering of watered-down white gesso and some of the Champagne Inka Gold Rub.

I added a Prima Finnabair Metal Brad to the hole of the first tag and a Tim Holtz Hitch Fastener to the hole of the second tag. I also added a couple of metal embellishments from my stash that I stained with the Lindy's Stamp Gang Time Travel Teal mist.

Once the tags were completely assembled, I splattered everything with the Lindy's Stamp Gang Time Travel Teal mist and with some watered-down Liquitex Ink in Carbon Black. Here are some close-ups!

I hope these tags have inspired you to play along with this month's Creative Embellishments Challenge!

Challenge Rules:

• Create a NEW project (i.e., layout, mini album, tag, card, canvas, etc…) as of Jan 1st 2017.
• Please no back linking (meaning projects from previous months that may fit the challenge requirements). Please link only NEW projects.
• Combining the CE Challenge with other challenges is permitted.
• Please add your entry to the InLinkz box on the Challenge Post on the Creative Embellishments Blog to be eligible for the prize. You have until the last day of each month 11:55 pm eastern time to enter.
• It is required that you mention in your blog post that you are playing along at Creative Embellishments together with a link back to our blog. Please make sure to reference our challenge. 
• We would love to see you USE AT LEAST 1 OF CE products on your projects but it isn’t required to play along; however, everyone who does use CE product will get and extra chance at winning.
• WINNERS will have 2 weeks to claim their prize. The winner will be announced on the CE blog post the day after the challenge ends.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! 

Happy New Year!