aspenglow

This month the theme at Emerald Creek Dares is "aspenglow." We would like to see anything you create with a snowy, wintery feel, perhaps inspired by the John Denver song with this title. As the weather has suddenly turned cold here, and we've even seen a few snowflakes in the air, I thought I would create a piece that could be put out with my winter decorations. Emerald Creek has quite a few embossing powders that could work their magic in the snow department; I have chosen to use blizzard, one of Seth Apter's baked textures, for the snowy accents.

I begin with a mini Etcetera thickboard tag. I first add a coat of white gesso to each side and, when dry, a layer of weathered wood distress paint is sponged onto the surface and allowed to dry. To create the look of falling snow on the tag, I use texture paste through a stencil. When the stencil is lifted, I sprinkle a layer of the blizzard powder onto the wet paste and set aside. (Note: it is important that you allow the texture paste to completely dry before heating the powder. If you heat too soon, the paste becomes puffy.) Once the paste is completely dry, heat set the powder.

With the background complete, it is time to move on to the snowy evergreen trees.
The trees begin as different sized chipboard laser cut shapes. They are painted green with forest moss and peeled paint distress paints. I add the color with a sponge to give the look of texture. Using a foam  sponge, I add Versamark embossing ink on the surface of the trees. This is then coated with a layer of forest foliage textured embossing powder. Since I hope to keep a textured appearance, I rub some of the areas with my finger to give varied coverage. I then heat set the powder.

This process is completed on all three trees.  Now it is time to add the snowy accents. Using my Ranger emboss it dabber ink and a paintbrush, I add embossing ink along the tops of the branches. as if the falling snow has been caught. I also paint some lines of ink within the central tree section to give a dimensional effect. The blizzard embossing powder is poured down from the top and sticks to the areas where the ink has been added. The snowy areas are heat set, then set aside to cool.

The back side of each of the trees is reinforced with a painted skewer stick, this allows them to be attached at varying distances away from the background (tag) white still retaining their rigidity.

Using Etcetera ledges, I create a base for the tag. The base is painted and then covered with texture paste and embossed with the blizzard powder, similar to the snowy background process. I die cut three chipboard deer and create a dimensional animal to stand tall in front of the forest of evergreens.

When everything is secured in place, I add flecks of watered down gesso to the entire piece.
Here are some close ups of the piece:

I hope that maybe you are inspired to create something snowy for the Emerald Creek Dares Challenge this month, after all, it's always better when we can play in the snow without the extra work of shoveling.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by the blog,
I truly appreciate it.
~Ann
 xxx



supplies used:
chipboard
Distress collage medium
Distress Paint:
antique linen, forest moss, ground expresso, peeled paint, picket fence,
vintage photo, walnut stain, weathered wood
Emerald Creek embossing powders:
Blizzard baked texture
Forest Foliage allure
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts: pine tree shape set
Ranger: Media white gesso
Ranger: emboss it dabber
Ranger: texture paste: opaque matte
skewers
Tim Holtz /Sizzix Alterations: prancing deer (660033)
Tim Holtz /Stampers Anonymous Etcetera:
mini tag, trims bat/web set (ledges only)
Tim Holtz /Stampers Anonymous stencil: speckles (THS021)
VersaMark embossing ink
Wagner heat tool

high hopes journal

Hi everyone, this month the theme for the Emerald Creek Dares Challenge is High Hopes.
It is based on the song by Panic! At The Disco, and this month anything goes.
I hope you will be able to join us!
 I really enjoyed listening to the song, it was one I was familiar with, and really left me feeling upbeat. I have created a journal for noting hopes and dreams.

Before I get into my high hopes journal project, I want to share a little backstory. I think it's important to understand that when we are creating, things don't always turn out the way we plan.
Where I live, August tends to be a month that most people are enjoying vacations and cooling off at the beach; therefore, I wanted to create something centered around the ocean. I set out to make a handful of ATC's using a few of the Emerald Creek Stamps, including one from the new Mermaid Tears collection, I really have "high hopes" for these incredible designs, they are funky and richly detailed. These are the Artist Trading Cards I started making...Steampunk Sea Adaline has high hopes to one day find a sunken treasure and move into the sandcastle of her dreams.

Once I began working on the artist trading cards, my creative muse took over and my project for the month completely changed direction. Whenever this happens (this is not the first time, nor will it be the last), I tend to allow my creativity take me wherever it wants to go; thus far I have never been disappointed with the outcome.

So now, on to my project.
I begin with plain mat board die cuts for an Eileen Hull XL Journal. Thinking about the ebb and flow of the oceans, I draw lines across the cover, simulating the currents. I then pull out a few of my favorite embossing powders to use on the cover. Since I am drawing inspiration from the ocean, I select the ones that best fit into that color scheme: deep sea and dirty sand baked textures, aegean sea baked velvet, and fractured ice allure powder. I also grab my all time favorite allure powder, charred gold. I think this combination will be visually appealing.

Next, I pour some of the embossing ink from my dauber into a welled palette. I use a paintbrush to "paint" the ink onto one section at a time. After the area is filled with a light coat of ink, I cover it with a layer of embossing powder and then heat set it. Some of the powders are best if you begin heating them from the underside, once the melting begins, it can be heated from above. This ensures that the powder will stay where you want it to be and reduce the "fly away."

Continue coating one area at a time, varying the colors that you use, so that the bordering sections are distinguishable from one another. On the areas where I use Aegean Sea Baked Velvet, I lightly coat the area initially, then added more powder randomly to give a varying depth of color. I love the way these sections turned out.

Once the cover is complete, I chose a coordinating color heavyweight paper for the inside. The paper is die cut and then put through my Xyron Creative Station Lite to add a layer of adhesive to one side. The papers are then attached to the inside covers. Using a paint marker, I color the edges of the journal. I love the way the spice gold edges accentuate the charred gold sections on the cover.

The two journal covers are attached at the spine and then a piece of leather is used to cover the outside back and spine. I find it easiest to use Distress collage medium to adhere the leather piece. I first coat the spine and attach the leather piece to the spine. I use clamps to hold it in place until the glue has dried completely. I then coat the back cover with collage medium and attach the leather to it. I clamp the leather into place along the edges and allow it to dry completely. Once dry, I trim the edges where the leather is overlapping. (Note: I do not use the die to cut my leather because I will not be utilizing the central hole in the spine. Cutting the leather myself, allows the hole to be concealed.)

I add eyelets to the holes in the spine that will be used for the binding. Sinew will hold the journal's signatures in place. Once strung, I tie the sinew off and slip the two signatures inside, completing the journal.

This will be a wonderful place to note all my hopes and dreams.
Do you have a special journal to jot down your inspirations? Perhaps I have inspired you to create one, or maybe just given you an idea to create something of you own. We would love to have you join the challenge, if you dare...

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit the blog today,
I really appreciate it.
Hope your day is a creative one!
~Ann


I am entering this High Hopes Journal in the following:
 Funkie JunkieBoutique Challenge: Marvellous Metallics 
(metallic embossing powders used on the cover)

Emerald Creek Products used:
Allure Powders: Charred Gold, Fractured Ice
Seth Apter Baked Texture embossing powders: Deep Sea, Dirty Sand
Seth Apter Baked Velvet embossing powder: Aegean Sea
Emerald Creek Stamps used for ATCs: Dream Home, Steampunk Sea Adaline, See Chest, Take 2

other products used:
colored scrapbook paper
Eileen Hull / Sizzix Scoreboards XL Journal die
Ranger Embossing Ink dauber: Emboss It
Real Leather:
Sizzix Mat Board: white
Wagner Studio Precision Heat Gun
Xyron Creative Station Lite
Zig Painty oil based paint marker: gold spice

rainy day blues

Hi everyone, today I am on the Emerald Creek Dares Challenge blog, sharing "rainy day blues."This month's theme for the challenge is Singing In The Rain. Anything you want to create that has to do with music, rain showers, or water would be perfect for the challenge. I love a good rainy day, the gray skies and raindrop sounds can be quite soothing. For this piece, I wanted to play on those feelings and really work with different blue colors, and of course, water. 

I begin with an umbrella man die cut. The umbrella portion is coated with embossing ink and Seth Apter's Baked Velvet Eclipse embossing powder by Emerald Creek. When heated, this powder creates a fairly matte finish, that is such a gorgeous shade of black. I want the man to appear dry under the cover of his umbrella, so he is left un-embossed. When the umbrella has cooled, I draw lines with a glue pen where the water would run down the spines of the opened top, these are covered with Seth Apter's Deep Sea Baked Texture. When the glue has dried securing he embossing powder, I heat set it to a shining watery finish. The umbrella man is complete and is set asides I can work on his setting.

Next I want to create the scene. To do this I use an architectural stamp. I stamp the image with archival ink and then I color it in with distress inks using a water brush.

Once the colored image is dry, I cut a piece of clear acetate to cover the image and its surround. I ink a waterdrops background stamp using VersaMark Ink. I stamp all areas of the clear acetate then sprinkle Agean Sea Baked Velvet (a beautiful translucent powder) over the page. I carefully heat set the powder to create the look of raindrops all over the page. This sheet will overlay the solid architectural image.

The umbrella man is attached to the water droplet sheet using collage medium. Beneath his feet, I use a VersaMark embossing pen to create the look of a puddle (a result of the umbrella shedding its water) and sprinkle more Aged Sea powder, then heat set. At the top left and bottom right corners, I want to add something to ground the composition. To do this, I emboss two decorative chipboard pieces with Oil Rubbed Bronze Allure embossing powder. These add to the architectural feel of the design as well as create a framework to the piece.
  
When the embossing has cooled, the decorative corners are adhered to the acetate sheet with Distress collage medium. A thin piece of Sookwang adhesive along the left edge of the acetate secures it to the stamped page beneath. The entire composition is secured to a card base.

A closer view of the Oil Rubbed Bronze decorative corner;

 
and the Agean Sea puddle beneath his feet.

I hope that you are inspired to participate in the #ECAPRIL2019 challenge, we would love to see your interpretation of the theme Singing In The Rain. Join us if you dare.

Thank you so much for stopping by,

~Ann 

Supplies used:
Acetate, clear
Blank Page Muse Waterdrops Background Rubber Stamp (sc0094-01)
Distress Ink:
antique linen, chipped sapphire, faded jeans, pumice stone, stormy sky, weathered wood
Emerald Creek embossing powders:
Agean Sea Baked Velvet, Deep Sea Baked Texture, Eclipse Baked Velvet, Oil Rubbed Bronze Allure
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts: Wrought Iron Set (D44D)
Tim Holtz/Sizzix: Umbrella Man Bigz die
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Architecture Stamp Set (CMS369)
VersaMark embossing ink: pad and pen