emerald creek love

Hi everyone, I'm thrilled to be part of the Emerald Creek team this year. I am a huge fan of their products and, as you may have noticed, have been using them in projects for a very long time. I look forward to this new adventure.

Today I am on the Emerald Creek Dares Challenge Blog, sharing a panel that incorporates embossing powders from Seth Apter's BakedTexture line. These powders are really unique and create the most amazing finishes. I also use a long time favorite powder from the Allure line, Charred Gold.

When I listen to "hello you beautiful thing" I realize how sometimes, as creative people, we are our own harshest critics. I want this panel to be a reminder that it's so important to love your "self". This can make a world of difference every day.

I begin with a square piece of Bristol board. The focal point of the piece is a heart that rests atop the background. The square is divided into eight sections to accentuate the heart shaped piece that will be added later.
In the upper left corner I die cut the letters LOVE and remove them. These letters are set aside for later. I also use a script stamp to randomly stamp the background. I then select powders that I will use in each section.
Starting with the most translucent powders, I begin to coat one section at a time. I mask off the edges, fill the wedge with embossing ink, and cover with the selected powder. The masking is removed and the section is heat set before moving onto the next wedge.

One of my favorite things about Vintage Beeswax BakedTexture is the way the "color" builds with the addition of layers. In order to capture some of this color range, I embossed one of the sections with many layers of powder while the other section only uses two layers. It really is beautiful either way you choose to use it.

I proceed to fill in sections around the square with Ancient Amber, Deep Sea, Dirty Sand, Chunky Rust, and Patina Oxide. When complete, I emboss the LOVE letters with Rocky Road BakedTexture. 

 
The heart at the center of the panel has been painted and coated with a crazing medium. A strip of thin chipboard surrounds the shape. After the adhesive has dried and the edge piece is secure, I emboss this rim with Charred Gold. I have found the easiest way to do this is to use a paint bush to coat a small section with embossing ink, and then sprinkle the powder onto that section, heat set and move along, keeping to small sections at a time. This way you have more control over the powder and it's less likely to end up in the middle area. Two big chat stickers are coated with a layer of Vintage Beeswax and attached in the bottom right quadrant.

The square is then adhered to a piece of heavy weight chipboard that has been cut to fit exactly. This gives the panel stability and allows a thicker edge to attach the surrounding rim. I use the same method of embossing for this edge as I do for the heart surround. I love the way the Charred Gold exterior rim unifies the panel and gives a nice finished appearance.

I hope that you have enjoyed my tutorial and perhaps you are inspired to try your own. If you do, I would love for you to tag me and Emerald Creek so that we will be sure to see it.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I truly appreciate it.
~Ann
   xxx