Poinsettia Easel....

Hi folks... A little bit of an "OTT" project for today’s Creative Expressions Design Team post. But, whilst the creative juices are flowing I'm ganna ride the wave...

I think I've put to good use some of the Design Team stamps I was sent, and if you fancy giving this, or something similar a go, then here’s a little step by step.

To start off with I took a piece of Black card stock and applied my Anti Static Bag to it. This is because I planned to add some Mica Powder and the Anti Static Bag will dry out the card stock and hopefully prevent the Mica Powder from sticking to areas you don't want it to, I.E sticky finger prints etc... You can also use the Anti Static Bag if you are using Embossing Powders.

Next, Ink Up your chosen Stamp with either Perfect Medium or VersaMark and stamp the image onto the Black card stock.

If you weren't going to apply any Mica Powder or Embossing Powder then this image will always stay there. It will of course dry, but not disappear, so would make a good "subtle" background technique with any of your Stamps.
Anyhoo, as I said, my plan was to use Mica Powder, and seeing as Phill Martins new "Frosty" colours (Aqua, Blossom, Jade, Mink, Sky, & Heather) have now arrived I thought I's put them through their paces...

Starting off with Frosty Jade..

Unfortunately my photography skills don't show off the subtle Green tinge to the image, but I'm sure you get the jist?!

Don't forget to seal your image with Spray and Shine or a generic Hairspray to stop the Mica from rubbing off.. One coat is sufficient to protect the Mica,

but I like to give it 3 coats to not only protect it but to give it a nice shine too.. "Personal preference really"!!

Repeat the process with all of your chosen images..

Once dry, matt and layer the images with your choice of card stock, again I have chosen to round the edges using an "Inverted" Corner Rounder Punch..

Adding the images to an Easel Card I had prepared.
Obviously it was going to need a little bit of "tarting" up,

so I prepared a few Poinsettia bunches using the Sue Wilson Classic Poinsettia and Holly Sprays Dies. The Poinsettias have been sprayed with some Crafter's Companion Spray and Sparkle, just to give them some of that good old Christmas Sparkle. The Holly Sprays which were cut out on Black Card Stock and have had a little Autumn Bronze, Chic Pumpkin and Enchanted Gold Gilding Wax applied to them before adding some Cosmic Shimmer Berry Sparkle Glue for the Berries..

And there you go.. Yes, very OTT but for those "Special" Christmas card this year I think it's well worth it.. Well, I guess the fact that a family member has already laid claim to it for their card this year, a job "jobbed" me thinks!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Sentimentally Yours Stamp - SYCHHB Christmas Holly Background
Creative Expressions Stamp - UMS635 T'was The Night, UMS637 Florentine Background

A friend for all seasons

Hi folks.. A rather quick project for this weeks Creative Expressions Design Team post.
I usually like to take my time thinking about what I'm going to do (and then changing my mind and going in a completely different direction) but with quite a few time constraints this week I've had to stick with the original plan which was to incorporate the "Seasons" sentiment into the project the best way that I could..

So, here we go! Each panel represents a different season, and has been coloured with Mica Powder, Lilac for Spring, Pink for Summer, Moss for Autumn and Blue for Winter..
Way outside my colour comfort zone, but sometimes you have to give these things a go!
Hope you like the idea and concept behind this project if not the actual project its self.. I'm still sitting on the fence with this one!
Thanks for checking us out, see you soon.
Andy.

The perfect "Pear"!

Hi everyone. This week’s Creative Expressions Design Team post is another slightly different one! Again, just to give you an idea of how to get the most out of all of your goodies....

The concept for this unusual Wedding Card is quite quirky, but I hope you "get" the play on words!?

I started off with a shape I cut using the Cricut Machine,

taking one of the darker, more highly pigmented colours of Mica Powder (Chic Magenta)

and "stroked" colour in form one side using a sponge. As the colour dissipates in the centre of the image, it starts to create the shading..

turning the image and colouring from the other side will enhance the shading giving the image slightly more dimension.

Adding a little Decadent Bamboo Mica Powder for the leaf and Decadent Oak for the stem.

Spraying the Pears with generic hairspray to seal the Mica and then applying a couple of layers of Perfect Medium and Clear Embossing Powder to "glaze" the images.

These were then added to my prepared base card to which I had cut 4 images using the Sue Wilson Configuration Collection Die - CED6302 Lattice Arched Adornment, joining each of the sections with a Dazzler form the Silver Collection...

Finishing the project off with my own printed sentiment...

I think this project will certainly make your card stand out from all of the rest if you're off to a Wedding this summer.
Thanks for checking us out, see you soon.
Andy.

Decadent Oak Mica Powder
Decadent Bamboo Mica Powder
Chic Magenta Mica Powder
Sue Wilson Configurations Collection Die - CED6302 Lattice Arched Adornment
Dazzlers - Silver Collection 8mm & 12mm

Mica Powder Background...

Hi folks, today’s post for the Creative Expressions Design Team features yet again more Mica Powder, but this time in a slightly different way!!

As many of the darker colours are very highly pigmented, it allows you to create some wonderful background effects.

Masking off areas before applying the mica

will allow you to create light and dark areas,

or hills or mountains,

they erase out too allowing you to create shadow and highlights..

Something a little different to try with your Mica Powders!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Terrific Teal...

Hi folks.. Creative Expressions Design Team time again.

Today’s offering is using Decadent Teal Mica Powder...

The last time I used Teal was on White card stock, and you can really see the "Greenness" of the Mica show through on the White.

This time however I have used it on Black card stock, this tends to show up more of the "Blue" pigment in the Mica and makes for a total contrast.. 2 colours for the price of one? Well, depending on which colour of card stock you use it on, then maybe!!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

The hurrier I go....

... the behinder I get!!! Seems a pretty apt phrase at the moment!!

Well, they say there's no rest for the wicked!
Not had an enormous amount of time to get this week’s Creative Expressions Design Team project completed, thank goodness I had some samples left over from the weekends Creative Expression Demonstration day..

This is just a little play on a project and technique I have already shared with you. This time though using some of Phill Martin's Stamps and Decadent Oak Mica Powder... Yes, I know it looks Green (even though it is Oak (Brown)) and even to the naked eye it still appears Green, but as this has been done on Black card it has interfered with the pigment in the Mica, making it appear Green. "Double Whammy" I say, although if you were expecting Brown on Black card, you're kinda out of luck I'm afraid!
Thinking cap on for next week’s project!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Decadent Oak Mica Powder
SYDBIC - Damask Borders & Icons Collection
SYBS2c - Baroque Sentiments 2 Collection
Perfect Medium
Spray & Shine

Sending you roses....

Hi folks... A little take on last week’s Creative Expressions Design Team project for this week’s post!! Still using the Damask Stencil, but this time with Texture Paste..

You'll hopefully have noticed the addition of some Roses? Which, you may be interested to know were also made from Texture Paste?!!
So, if you fancy giving it a go, here's a step by step to help you on your way!!

As I generally do these days when using Masks, I started off the project by embossing the image..

Place the Mask back over the area which has been embossed

and apply your Texture Paste (Decadent Denim)

Remove the Mask and put to one side to dry, this could be anything up to an hour depending on how heavy handed you have been with the Texture Paste.

Once dry, matt and layered with some complimentary card stock.
If like me you sometimes struggle to find the right colour of embellishment to go with your project then I guess the best thing you could try and use is the same product, but in a different way?!
This is how the Roses came into being...
Now, I grant you, Texture Paste is a gloopy "liquid", but not when it's dry!!

Spread some of the Paste onto a non stick mat and allow it to dry overnight...

Once dry, it will simply peel off of the non stick sheet, this is the back

once turned over you have a nice smooth surface to play with.

I know this material will die cut quite well but I decided to make my Roses free hand, so I cut a "rough" spiral circle

and "Quilled" it into a flower.

Applying a few to my project

before attaching my sentiment which was stamped in Perfect Medium and "dusted" with Decadent Denim Mica Powder to tie the project together.

finishing off the centre of the flowers with some Decadent Denim Twinkles...
I must admit I'm quite in awe as to how the Texture Paste has developed into a secondary material which can be used in a different way than it may have been intended.

I've got a couple of other colours and mixtures on the go at the moment.
Looking forward to seeing how they pan out!!!
Thanks for checking us out, see you soon.
Andy...

Ingredients Used:
Creative Expressions Damask Mask
Decadent Denim Texture Paste
Decadent Denim Mica Powder
Decadent Denim Twinkles
Perfect Medium
CEC712 Scribble Rose Elements