#Cre8time Adventures with a Bird and Mod Podge... by Brenda Burfeind

Hello crafters! Brenda here again to show you what happens

when you experiment while playing with a few products... 

I started out with some Creative Paperclay® and a wood tile. 

Cutting around the wooden tile, I carfefully cut the Creative Paperclay® into a tile shape. Although it's an air dry clay, I baked it for about half and hour – turning it every 7 minutes of so to get a nice even bake. I use a small toaster oven to bake all my clay and never use it for anything else. 

I still had a little bit of this gorgeous Decopatch paper left over from my April Frog Dog Studio Kit and decided to "muddy" it up a bit using some alcohol inks. 

I also used some Alumilte Silver Metallic Powder and

Alumidust in Orange and created a spray mist.

Here is what the tile looks like after Mod-Podging the paper to it. 

You can still see some of the original paper, but I did want just a hint of the details. Once I got the color I wanted I Mod-Podged the paper to the tile and sanded around the edges. Then I took my orange ink pad and ran that around the edges to give it almost a burnt look.

Now, I mixed up the Amazing Clear Cast Resin and painted it over my tile. Then I mixed a bit of the Alumilite Blue Dye into the remaining clear cast resin and puddled it around the top of my tile and "blew" it with my heat gun. It gave it some interesting detail. I sprinkled some orange glitter in the blue area just for bling. 

I used up the rest of the Amazing Clear Cast Resin with the Alumilite Blue Dye to cast my bird of paradise {also from the April Frog Dog Studio kit}, that I created a mold of using my Amazing Mold Putty. Actually, if you missed that post, you can see it here.

After she was set up, I demolded her and glued her to my tile.

I added a pop tab to the back of my tile as my hanger and now I have a very unique tile to hand in my bathroom just because that color palette will work there very well. 

I just love experimenting; sometimes it's a fail, but most mostly I have success. Now I love my tile and the uniqueness it holds. I doubt I'll ever be able to recreate this, but it was fun making it. Thank you for stopping by today and I hope I've inspired you to do some experimenting.

 I hope you will join me over at my blog and until next time, happy experimenting!

~ Brenda at Creativity is a State of Mind

 • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCrafting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

The World According to a Gnome... by our AMAZING Featured Artist Tina Walker

Hi and Hello Amazing Crafting Products friends! Did you know today is International Faerie Day??! Well, it just happens to be and this project is perfect for today!

I have a small confession to make. I'm a little bit obsessed with Gnomes right now. The other day we were talking about our next crafty project at work {I work in a location where it is primarily men, so us women stick together by crafting – I can't think of a better way to spend 'work time'  ;) }.

The subject of terrariums came up as our next craft project, and we start talking about the cute little fairy and gnome gardens that many people create. One thought led to another, one idea to the next, all leading up to my project today, a Gnome Home. I thought it would be fun to create my very own Gnome Home and Gnome person. 

I wanted to create a house that looked like it would be hidden under a large tree, only visible to those lucky enough to spy a Gnome.

After searching Pinterest for Gnome Home inspiration, I decided to create a stone house, full of depth, texture, and age, but creating a house from actual stone would be heavy and filling in the space between stones difficult.

But what about a resin house? Yes!!!

I cut a piece of scrap cardboard in approximately

a 3"x3" square and glued small stones to the surface.

   

I mixed up a batch of Amazing Mold Putty and gently shaped the mold putty to my rock square. Once it had cured, this is what I created! Please CLICK HERE for mixing/preparation.

Now for the wall construction...

Using Amazing Casting Resin and a mixture of black, brown, and white Alumilite Dyes – I mixed up some resin and created 4 separate 'walls' {CLICK HERE for mixing/preparation}. For the 4th wall, I cut the resin into smaller pieces so I could add my front door. In hindsight, I should have kept the 4th wall intact and simply glued the door to the wall.

The resin walls were a flat color, so I painted them with several shades of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints to mimic how stone would actually look. I also added a few sprays of spray mist to blend the colors together and to create 'color' in the cracks between my resin stones.

Don't the resin walls look like real stone?

I was super pleased with how they turned out.

To assemble the walls to create the house, I initially added a bit of glue to the corners for some stability. I realized that this wasn't going to be enough to keep the walls together, so I thought it would help by adding some resin to the corners of the house, creating a strong. solid base.

**A TIP** I applied some artist tape to the inside of the walls to keep the resin from seeping through. Worked perfectly.

   

I added a bit more paint to blend in the new resin to the old.

Here's a close-ups of the walls.

Now on to the door...

To create the door, I cut another piece of scrap cardboard into a door shape and glued small popsicle type sticks to the cardboard. Once the glue had dried, I cut the sticks into the door shape.

I painted the door with the same PaperArtsy Fresco Finish paints and some rusting powder. I wanted a rustic looking door, full of wear and tear.

I added a large, oversized door knob, and aged it with alcohol ink.

Once the door was dry, I glued it to the wall front. 

To finish my Gnome Home, I painted a large piece of corrugated chipboard with more Fresco Finish Paint and lots of Rusting Powder. I wanted the roof to look like a metal tin roof. I think it turned out fantastic.

But what's a Gnome Home without a Gnome??

I couldn't find the perfect gnome, so I bought an old vintage one from Etsy and made my own with Amazing Mold Rubber and Amazing Casting Resin. Please CLICK HERE for mixing/preparation.

Here's my original gnome getting ready for a dip

in some Amazing Mold Rubber. What a lonely little guy.

Side Share: Here's my little Gnome army. Remember I told you we were creating little Gnome Terrariums at work? Here's some of the gnomes right after they were cast. I still need to add some Alumidust to them to liven them up a bit.

And an entire army of Molded Gnomes!

I 'painted' my casted gnomes with Alumidust - that's it! No paint, just Alumidust. Love the look it gave to my Little Gnomies.

One final piece I wanted to add my my Gnome Scene, was a cobblestone path. I used my wall mold for casting. Once the resin was set, I cut it into smaller, path sized pieces and applied the same painting technique.

 

To finish my Gnome Wonderland scene, I added moss and painted bottle trees. I also added some gold Alumidust to the inside of 2 small glass vials with a drop or two of alcohol ink for aging. 

Thank you Susan and all of the Amazing Crafting Products friends for allowing me to share my creations with y'all this month! I've enjoyed being here and I hope to see you all around Cyberland! :)

Thank you again! Have a wonderful day! ~ Tina

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

You can see more of Tina's scrapbook, Home Décor, and mixed media projects on her blog, "A Dog's Life" at http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com.

A TRIO of ‪#‎Cre8time‬ ATCs... by our AMAZING Featured Artist Tina Walker

Hello Amazing Crafters! Today we continue our "Featured Artist" series here at the Amazing Crafting Products blog. Each month we feature one artist who joins us to share a special project and some inspiration using Amazing Crafting Products. Today Tina Walker is joining with another project utilizing Amazing Crafting Products... a trio of chunky mixed-media ATCs {artist trading cards}. CLICK HERE to head on over to Tina's Blog "A Dog's Life" to see more of her fabulous work. Enjoy! 

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

Frozen Charlottes and Stamped Resin ATCs

Today, I am sharing a video tutorial on how I created these super fun ATC cards, using Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin. I've created a mold from a stamp** and I take you through the process {**please see annotations below regarding molding stamps}.

Now for the tutorial... 

Now that you've seen the video – here's some of close-ups of my ATC cards!

What items would you mold for creating
embellishments in your altered creations?

I'd love to see them - please comment below with a link. ~ Tina

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

You can see more of Tina's scrapbook, Home Décor, and mixed media projects on her blog, "A Dog's Life" at http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

**A NOTE** You can make a mold using rubber stamps, but there needs to be some preparation. There is a chemical reaction when contact between a rubber stamp and Amazing Mold Putty happens, so you need to generously apply a protective layer of petroleum jelly to the stamp before pressing into the mold putty to create a mold. You can also warm up each part of the mold putty by working it in your hands prior to mixing to help accelerate the curing process once mixed – so that you can remove the stamp as quickly as possible. ALSO, please follow each stamp companys' Angel Policy when molding stamps for use in your creations.

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

Thanks so much for dropping by! Check next Tuesday, June 24th for some more inspiration from our AMAZING Featured Artist Tina Walker! Have a wonderful day! :) Sb

Tina Walker... An AMAZING Featured Artist Spotlight

Greetings AMAZING Crafters! Today we have a fun questionnaire that we posed to our Featured Artist Tina Walker! Have fun getting to know her a little better! For more information about Tina's project above... please CLICK HERE. :) Sb

A little bit about Tina...

I am a working mom, working outside the home. My children are grown, so much of my inspiration comes from my two French bulldogs, Moose & Flikka. They have quite the reputation in the scrapbook world. I currently live in Salt Lake City, Utah, but am a Mid West girl by heart. (Go Buckeyes!)

I dabbled in scrapbooking approximately 15 years ago and would create in bursts of artistic energy, but it wasn't until 4 years ago when I really started to be 'obsessed' with Scrapbooking. I have been blessed to have been published in Somerset Memories, Artful Blogging, Scrapbook Trends, and Creating Keepsakes.

My current obsession and love is getting my hands messy with all sorts of mediums: paints, inks, sprays – you name it!  The more mixed, the better.  But, you can frequently see me ‘jump’ from project type to project type.  As they say, variety is the spice of life!

You can see more of my scrapbook, Home Décor, and mixed media projects on my blog, "A Dog's Life" at http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com.

• • • • •

Some fun questions for the inquiring minds...

What did you want to be when you grew up?

As early as I can remember, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I have always loved all types of animals and the thought of helping them makes me happy. I made it through elementary, middle school, high school and 2 years of college before I changed my mind. After 2 years of Pre-Vet college education, my ‘dream’ shifted from Vet to Fashion Apparel Buyer.

Yeah, big change! My degree changed to Marketing, which is what I graduated with, but my career took me down yet another path – International Trade/Export & Import. I am a licensed Customs-house Broker, which is the equivalent of a CPA for accountants. I’ve ‘done this’ for almost 30 years. It pays for my obsession – CREATING ART! Creating is a passion and something that I must do to keep my sanity and my head clear.

Coke or Pepsi???

Is this even a question?? COKE 100% all the way!

What inspires you?

Hmmm…this is a good question. I ‘absorb’ inspiration from my surroundings. From a colorful truck going by, to a walk through a local hardware store. To a magazine ad, to searching the internet for ideas. To a song on the radio, or a new product or technique.  There isn’t one source that I tend to gravitate towards.

What is the TOP thing to do on your "Bucket LIST"?


Visit New Zealand and/or Italy.

Milford Sound, one of New Zealand's most famous tourist destinations {photo via Wikipedia}.

If you could print any phrase

on a T-shirt, what would it say?

I would probably design a t-shirt with a saying that really drives my kids nuts.  

‘Woot-Woot’ 

Yes, they will understand it, but the rest of the world will not.

If you could mold ANYTHING with

Amazing Mold Putty, what would it be?

My dog????  Is that even possible???  Moose & Flikka better watch out.

{Hmmm - sort of Tina... have you seen this project by Tanya Ruffin???}

What style of music gets your creative juices going?

I am a country girl by heart… so I am usually listening to country.

But I ‘go back’ to my roots from time to time and rock out to the 80’s station.  ;)

• • • • •

Thanks for stopping by today! We hope you enjoyed this fun visit Tina Walker. Tina will be joining us with another project next Tuesday... please be sure to SAVE-the-Date! You can see more of Tina's scrapbook, Home Décor, and mixed media projects on her blog, "A Dog's Life" at http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

Have a wonderfully creative Friday!

Amazing Mold Rubber Inspires #Cre8time Improvisation... by Featured Artist Tina Walker

Hello Amazing Crafters! Today we continue our "Featured Artist" series here at the Amazing Crafting Products blog. Each month we feature one artist who joins us to share a special project and some inspiration using Amazing Crafting Products. Today Tina Walker is joining us for Mold Rubber Monday and sharing a bright and colorful mixed media canvas utilizing Amazing Clear Cast Resin and her Amazing No-Gelatin Printing Plate. CLICK HERE to head on over to Tina's Blog "A Dog's Life" to see more of her fabulous work. Enjoy! 

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

An AMAZING Resin Canvas...

In January, while at CHA, I was hanging out at the Amazing Crafting Products booth with Susan Brown. She had created a 'Mold Rubber Printing Plate' and I was intrigued by the process and creative possibilities. Susan was a super sweetheart and made me my very own Rubber Plate. I carefully carried home with me and couldn't wait to create something with it.

At the show, Susan had added paint to the top of the rubber and let it dry. She then covered it with a thin layer of Amazing Casting Resin {CLICK HERE to view the CHA demo}. I loved this idea, but what if you used Amazing Clear Cast Resin? Then you could see the color/pattern underneath the resin. So I went to work.....

Here's my rubber plate with acrylic paint.

And when the paint was dry. I made a batch of Amazing Mold Putty and applied

it around the mold rubber slab to make a 'border' to contain the resin.

Okay - this is where I need to confess. I had NEVER used the Amazing Clear Cast Resin before this project, so I wasn't quite sure what I was doing. Soooooo, when I poured the resin into the mold, it was thicker than I wanted. Here's the clear resin casting.

My original intent with the resin, was to cut it into small (1"x1") pieces, but because it was thicker than I expected, I had a hard time cutting it. So while it was still 'soft' and curing, I cut it into pieces I could manage. The pieces were not 'perfect' squares, so I accepted them the way they were. :)

I did love how the paint was embedded into the resin, and the great texture that was created, but because my original plan wasn't working, I wasn't sure what to do with my pieces. 

How about a canvas?

You can never go wrong with a canvas.

So I took a raw canvas and painted it with watercolors. I thought this would create an interesting background behind the resin pieces.

But, I wasn't getting the effect I was looking for. On to idea #2.

How about doodles? I love doodles!

So I drew randomly shaped flowers (with Montana Markers) on each square.

I really liked how this was looking.

Now what?

I placed the painted resin pieces on my canvas in a pleasing design. I drew around each rectangle and painted it in with white paint. I then outlined each square with black.

  

  

I threw in some floral doodles around the squares and outside edge!

  

I really LOVE how this turned out.

A project 'failure' into a piece of art that I really love.

So what project failure have you created

that was turned into a piece of art?

I'd love to see them - please comment below with a link. ~ Tina

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

You can see more of Tina's scrapbook, Home Décor, and mixed media projects on her blog, "A Dog's Life" at http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

Thanks so much for dropping by! Check back Friday when we pose our fun Questionnaire to our Featured Artist Tina Walker... you don't want to miss it! Hope you are having a wonderful day! :) Sb