Creating Embellishments with Silicone Moulds

Hello fellow Doodlebugs! For my final blog discussion for this design team term I want to talk about how you can create your own embellishments using silicone moulds. As a crafter, embellishments for projects can become expensive and are usually project specific with a specific color or theme. Using silicone moulds, you can create your own project specific embellishments for every project. 

Mediums that can be used include paper clay for a vintage look,or hot glue or quick resin for a time sensitive and durable embellishment. Also, silicone moulds are food safe and can be used for making sweet treats.

Paper clay takes the longest to dry, at least 24 hours. Quick resin is usually 10-15 minutes and hot glue is quickest within 5 minutes-just time to cool. Hot glue creations will need a coat of gesso and then can be painted any color. If you have a round object (ornament or vase) hot glue can easily be attached to the project. Quick resin dries white and you can use embossing powder, paint, wax, Tonic mousse, etc.  Below you will find examples of each type:

Quick Resin

Quick Resin

Paper Clay

Hot Glue

You can check out The doodlebug's selection here:
Moulds
Clay
Resin
Hot Glue

Have fun creating!

Hello Paper Crafters…Today, I'm going to share a fun home decor project I made with alcohol inks. 

Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks by Ranger are acid free, fade resistant, fast drying, transparent inks specially formulated to create a colorful polished stone effect. They come in a variety of colors that can be mixed to form beautiful color combinations.  They are designed to be used on slick, non porous surfaces.  Ranger also has several surface options.  For this project, I used the Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Hard-Core 5" x 7" ArtPanels by Ranger.  These art panels are also available in different sizes including two packs that contain multiple size choices.

It's very important to use a craft sheet like the Ranger Craft Sheet 15X18  when working with alcohol inks.

Then, I added Mermaid and Raspberry Alcohol Inks to the hard-core panel.  To help blend the inks, I used the Tim Holtz Alcohol BlendingSolution which is specially formulated to blend and lighten Alcohol Inks.

To further blend the colors together, I used an Alcohol Ink Mini Applicator Tool by Ranger.  It includes round pieces of felt, that when applied to the inked surface, move the ink around.

The following design is using the applicator tool with felt and swirling the ink.

The cool polished stone effect starts to happen when I use the Alcohol Ink Mini Applicator Tool with felt and pounce it on the art panel (left side of panel).

If you are not happy with the color, additional alcohol ink can be added directly to the hard core or add to the foam on the applicator tool and apply.  Also, the Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution can once again be used to blend or lighten the colors. 

Then the magic begins to happen, and a beautiful color combination appears...

To complete my home decor panel, I took the American CraftsPocket Frames - Laser Cut Word piece (Home) and painted it with Prima Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint in Metallique Silver Spoon.

Once the "Home" laser cut word and the hard-core panel were dry, I added the word to the panel and topped it with a large flower from the 49 And Market Wildflowers 8/Pkg-Sky...

The completed project...

Visit The Doodlebug, Inc., in Jasper, IN, to see more of the fun alcohol ink products and the other products shown in this blog; or, shop online at The Doodlebug! 

Thanks for checking out my alcohol ink project.  Until next time, happy crafting with The Doodlebug!

Melody

Products used on this project:

Hard Core Art Panels

Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink by Ranger

Ranger Craft Sheet

Blending Solution

Mini Applicator Tool

Pocket Frames Home

49 & Market Wildflowers

Art Alchemy Paint

Beach Theme Canvas by Leigh Ann Frick

Hi there my crafty friends!  Leigh Ann on the blog today with another mixed media project.  Recently my family took a trip to Myrtle Beach and I wanted to use some of the shells and sand we collected to make an art piece to remember the trip.  Check out this shabby chic beach piece below, and keep reading for a tutorial on what mixed media products I used and how I used them!

I started by giving my blank canvas a coat of gesso to prime it, and then adhered my distressed pieces of paper to the canvas with soft matte gel.  I used Prima's Heavy Body White Gesso and Prima's Soft Matte Gel. 

Gel medium does take a long time to dry, even in a thin coat like what is used here, but in the long run it will give better results than mod podge.  Gel medium will not turn yellow or crack over time.  While it was drying I cut a few wood planks from cardstock.  This can be cut on a Silhouette or Cricut, or there is a Tim Holtz Bigz Die that The Doodlebug can order for you.  I lightly sprayed the planks with water and ran them through a wood grain embossing folder. Then I sprayed them with Distress Oxide Spray in Vintage Photo. Once the gel dried I whitewashed the canvas, my die cut wood pieces, and the net, with gesso.

I dried the canvas with my embossing gun to speed up the process. I used the Life Changing Brushes by Picket Fence to apply Chipped Sapphire Distress Oxide to the sides and the edges of the front of the canvas

I went back and dry brushed the edges with white gesso after applying the ink to give it more of a weathered shabby chic look.

After the gesso dried I applied Light and Fluffy Modeling Paste by The Crafter's Workshop through a Tim Holtz stencil for more texture.  The key to building a good base for a mixed media project is the layering of textures and colors.

Side note, if you don't have a glass media mat, you are seriously missing out!  See all that gesso and mess on my mat?  It wiped right up with a baby wipe!  I personally have the black Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat, but you can find a few different options at The Doodlebug to suit your specific needs. 

While my canvas was drying I altered the chipboard pieces that I used in the canvas.  I applied Prima Stone Effect Paste in Pumice to the shells.  I would suggest giving the chipboard a coat of gesso before using these pastes. This is a great set of pastes that come in pumice, limestone, and concrete.  If you would like to order a set, just send a message to The Doodlebug!

For the foliage chipboard, I pressed them into an embossing pad, then randomly added gold and a brown earthy tone embossing powders to give the pieces a two-tone look.  For the seahorse, I embossed the entire piece with the earthy brown powder. 

Next I assembled all of the main pieces.  I like to keep chipboard trash and use it to give pieces dimension in my mixed media projects (just ask Hannah about my "dumpster diving" habits lol.)  I have plain chipboard glued under the wood planks, the large shell, and the seahorse to lift them off of the canvas.  One option to attach the items is to use gel medium like I used on the paper, but I am personally too impatient for the dry time.  I prefer to use Beacon 3 in 1 or 450 Quick Dry Glue.  These are heavy duty clear thick liquid adhesives that dry quickly, but still give you time to work with your pieces. 

Once I had my main elements in place and glued down I added the rest of my embellishments.  I also added art stones and glass glitter into the "cracks and crevices" using gel medium. 

Once all of my pieces were in place and glue was dried, I used Prima Waxes in Vintage Gold and Copper to highlight raised areas over the entire piece.  I went back over that and dry brushed gesso lightly to take the edge off of the wax color and bring it back to a weathered looked.  Here is the finished product and a couple of close ups.   I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial, and of course if you have any questions about the process to recreate this for yourself, just leave them in the comments!!

Products used in this piece (click the pictures for more information or to purchase):

White Gesso

Gel Medium

Woodgrain Embossing Folder

Distress Oxide Spray

Life Changing Blender Brushes

Distress Oxide

Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste

Tim Holtz Glass Media Mat

Embossing Pad

450 Quick Dry

Art Stones

Prima Wax

Liquid Watercolor

Do you like the watercolor look on a background as much as I do?  I have had so much fun working with Taylored Expressions liquid watercolors.  The colors are very vibrant, so if you want a softer color you just have to add water until you have the look you like. For my samples I used the Ranger Watercolor cardstock.  It worked great and held up no matter how much water I applied. 

I also tried the watercolor as ink for some of my rubber stamps.  To do that I put a drop or 2 of color on my mat and spritzed with water.  Then I just dipped some rubber stamps first in the watercolor mixture and then onto my watercolor paper. I loved that outcome, as well.  I can see myself using that technique as a background or just as some interesting embellishments on scrapbook pages.

I made some of my dry backgrounds into cards, die cut some into frames and embellishments, and I fussy cut the flower and leaf I stamped.  You may notice that some of my card sentiments are on black cardstock and shaped like little banners.  I used Taylored Expressions sentiments background stamp and die to make those.  They were so easy to make and with very little effort, you have several sentiments ready for any card you may need.  I took some photos showing my process of lining up the little squares on the stamp with the holes on the die.  Then I ran it through my die cutter and ended up with that pile of sentiments!   I plan on also using this die to cut flags and banners for my scrapbook pages. 

I still have a lot to learn about watercolor, but these are so easy to use and easy to cleanup. I just used a spray bottle of water and a paper towel to clean up.  I encourage you to try these watercolors and the other great Taylored Expressions products you will find at The Doodlebug, Inc.

Thank you for joining me today!

~Tina~

Products used:

Taylored Expressions Liquid Watercolor

Taylored Expressions Sentiments Background Stamp

Taylored Expressions Sentiments Die

Ranger Watercolor Paper

Paint Brushes