Guest Designing for Emerald Creek!

I am so excited to be a guest at Emerald Creek again this month. Emerald Creek is an online store specializing in custom embossing powders, art stamps, and a wide range of Ranger products. I don't often have a chance to play with my messy stuff, so this was time to try out some techniques from my mixed media files! 

I decided to create a 4th of July card for the Nations Celebrated Dare! For me, summer does not really begin until we have our 4th of July barbecue! I created a vintage, mixed media card, which is a whopping 6 1/2" x 6 1/2". I love how it turned out! It was fun to experiment with the Emerald Creek custom embossing powders and some Distress inks!

The dimension is amazing, plus it's all vintage and grungy! I think I am having so much fun doing mixed media mess stuff that I may switch my style! {giggle}

If you want to make your own background paper, follow these steps:

Cut a piece of heavy weight ivory cardstock to 6" x 6". Use a sponge dauber to add Candied Apple and Blueprint Sketch Distress Inks to the paper spray with water to create an interesting pattern. Allow some water drops to fall in a few areas. 

Use black archival ink to stamp the Eagle image onto the lower right corner of the paper. Create a mask from a bit of sticky note paper. Place the mask over the eagle image. Choose the Bubble Stencil and Picket Fence Distress Paint to create a background.

Allow the paint to dry completely. With the mask still in place over the stamped image, sponge watermark ink over the Traveler Stencil. Remove the stencil and heat emboss the paper with Burnt Copper Leaves Embossing Powder.

Allow the powder to cool. Remove the mask from the eagle image and over stamp with waermark ink. Heat emboss with 4th of July Mix Embossing Powder.

Sponge the edges of the paper with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

Using black archival ink to stamp a word onto the lower right corner of the panel (America) and also a postage cancellation image onto the left center of the panel. 

Create a 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" card from kraft cardstock. Add a layer of Tim Holtz Destinations paper, cut to 6 3/8" x 6 3/8". Using strong adhesive, attach the mixed media panel to the card front. Staple some images cut from the Destinations paper to the bottom left corner of the card.

Create a focal image with a bit of honeycomb chipboard, colored with metallic daubers. Add images with a patriotic theme and red, white, and blue flowers. I tucked a bit of cheese cloth and string under my chipboard for added texture. 

Glue metal gears onto the project for more dimension.

Once you have all of the embellishments glued down, use a dry brush to add some gesso to the flowers. Use a sticky note to cover the focal images, and then spatter the project with more gesso. Allow the project to dry.

Decorate the inside if desired.

Thanks for joining me today! Make sure you check out the Emerald Creek Store and the Dare Challenges! Happy Canada Day (a bit late) to my Canadian Readers! A blessed Independence Day to my fellow Americans! 

Emerald Creek:

Eagle stamp

4th of July Embossing Powder

Burnt Copper Leaves Embossing Powder

Stencils by Tim Holtz - Traveler, Bubble, Eyechart

Distress Inks - Blueprint Sketch, Candied Apple, Gathered Twigs

Distress Paint - Picket Fence

Glossy Accents

Other:

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Top Boss Watermark, ColorArte Radiant Rain Daubers (Nutmeg, Copper)

Stamps: Graphic 45 Cityscapes, Tim Holtz Blueprints, Stamper's Best My Country

Gesso: Liquitex

Cardstock: Kraft, Ivory

Paper: Tim Holtz Destinations 

Stickers: Authentique

Gears: Tim Holtz

Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Cheese cloth: fabric supply

Flowers: Petaloo, Wild Orchid Crafts

Photos: Tim Holtz Photobooth

Die: Papertrey Ink Honeycomb

Tools: Tim Holtz Splatter Brush, Tiny Attatcher; Sizzix Big Shot; Martha Stewart score board, heat tool

Adhesive: ATG tape, Scor-tape, white glue, hot glue