frog dog studio: Repurposed Discount Frame : Highlighting Amazing Crafting Products and FD March Kit

Here's what I used from our kit:

Lindy's Stamp Gang Moon Shadow Mist - Silhouette Silver

Lindy's Stamp Gang Moon Shadow Mist - Golden Doubloons

Dusty Attic Rusting Powder

Dusty Attic Gear Chipboard Set

Adirondack Paint Dabber - Pebble

metal clip

AND...for the focal point of the frame...

A special piece "Re-created" with Amazing Crafting Products!

My first decision was to use a favorite "trinket" I purchased at a local design store.

(It was the only cool thing I could afford at the time!)

Above is a photo of the purchased item, and next to it, the reproduction made with

Amazing Crafting Products!

To make the mold...Mix equal parts of A and B Mold Putty

TIP: to decide how much putty to use, start by using just one part (either A or B)

Press it onto your piece to see how much it takes to cover, using enough to have a solid bottom...if it's too thin on the bottom it won't be sturdy. If I can almost thinly cover with one "side" (a or b) I then add the equal amount of the other side...mixing until incorporated.

(1 min to mix, 1 min to mold)

Hope that makes sense to you:)

Using equal parts A & B of Amazing Mold Putty, I pressed the putty over the top of the piece, then flipped it over to build up the sides.

Leave the mold to set for about 10-15 min.

To create an aged copper appearance, I used a dry brush to brush on Alumilite Copper Metallic Powder right onto the mold.

Next, I mixed equal parts A & B of Amazing Casting Resin, adding a few drops of Brown Alumilite Dye. It doesn't take much!

Once the Resin is poured into the mold, it is set in just 10-15 minutes!

(without the dye, the cast would be white)

The right is the cast, left the original. I made several casts of this piece (once you make a mold you can use it over and over!) Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the one that had the Copper Metallic Powder added...but you can see how it came out in the finished frame piece.

The cast is thin enough, that I was able to trim some of the rough edges with scissors.

I made gear molds with the same steps as above using the Dusty Attic Gear Chipboard.

When the gear casts were finished, I used a wet brush to brush on

Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals in "Steampunk Sepia "

(The Magicals achieve the same color as the Starburst Spray in our March Limited Edition Kit.)

Next, I created the background for my photo using the Adirondack Dabber in "Pebble"

from our kit on my Gelli Plate.

I dabbed the paint onto the Gelli Plate, misted a few spritz of water over the paint and then rolled the paint with a brayer.

Once the paint was spread on the gelli, I pressed the Tim Holtz stencil (burlap) onto the gelli plate, lifted it up and pressed a blank piece of white card stock on top.

For this project, I used Magicals instead of the sprays in our March Limited Edition Kit, because I had them on hand before I received my sprays in the mail.

The Industrial Chic Magicals produce the same colors as the Industrial Chic Starburst Sprays,

but they allow you to create a specific "concentration" of color as you go, because you can mix small portions, varying the amount of intensity by the ratio of powder to water.

The Sprays offer the advantage of having the color already mixed and ready to spray.

When using the magicals as a spray, you must mix with warm water in a separate spray bottle.

I often "grab" a bit of the Magical powder with a dry brush, placing it in the lid of the container.

Then, I add a little warm water to my brush and stir, until I get the color I want.

This is the technique I used to add color to my photo's background page.

Brushing the mixed powder onto a wedge foam, I applied the color over the gear stencil.

I highlighted parts of the stencil image using other Lindy colors.

(Time Travel Teal and Steampunk Sepia)
I applied the color with a small round paint brush.

I also used a sponge brush with a more diluted (more water than powder) Time Travel Teal

to add more color and interest.

Above you can see the gold I added by dipping a dry brush into the Lindy's Stamp Gang Moon Shadow Mist -Golden Doubloons from our March kit.

The darker Teal was achieved by using a heavier concentration of Time Travel Teal powder to water.

The Lindy's colors are so vibrant and rich.

On to the frame...

I purchased this for half off the clearance price of $5.10...about $2.50!

I knew I would be covering up the writing, and I did this with Liquitex Super Heavy Gesso

from our January Limited Edition Kit.

Do you have any old frames you'd like to re-invent?!! Grab that Gesso!

(MANY of our kit products last for months!!)

Once the Gesso was dry, I applied color using the Lindy's Magical in Time Travel Teal, using the same techniques from above.

Next, I applied "patches" of Matte Medium (you could use any liquid glue/adhesive)

randomly to the frame.

Then, sprinkled Dusty Attic's Rusting Powder on top, tapping off the excess onto a sheet of card stock so I could put what was not needed back in the jar.

To activate the rust powder, spray with white vinegar and allow it to dry. It will take 15-30 min to see the rust appear... the rust color will deepen a bit after more time.

I found that I could go back and spritz with a little more vinegar to deepen the rust color even further.

To rust the metal clip from our kit, I applied Glossy Accents (for a little thicker coat) and sprinkled with Rusting Powder...then activated it with white vinegar.

I added some chain that I had in my "stash" along with the sentiment tag from our March kit and the gears I molded and cast with Amazing Crafting Products.

Below, you can see that I added a hint of Tim Holtz Distress Ink in walnut to the center of the heart.