Expanding Your Options - December 2013

Happy December to you, my crafty friends!

For this month's edition of Expanding Your Options, let's take a peek into my layering process for this holiday canvas, using products from every previous and current Frog Dog kit!



I know that for many, this time of year can be chaotic and busy, but hopefully you find a way to squeeze in some Creative Time in one form or another.  Happy Crafting!

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Spooky Texture with the October Kit

This month's main project was such a joy to create...lots of spooky texture & color!

When I first received my kit, I began laying products out in a general idea of what I wanted to create:

The little details of this kit are so unique & fun, I couldn't wait to start altering the house:

I began with the stencil + embossing paste, then sprinkled the embossing powder on top:

After heat-embossing, I sprayed the house with Screamin' Banshee mist:

 

Then I sprayed Freaky Franken Lime over the top, letting the mist pool on top of the embossed sections:

 

I love the dark teal that was created by the combo of Screamin' Banshee + Freaky Franken Lime. To keep the spooky green as a highlight, I left the lime droplets to dry overnight, without blotting.

 I created a midnight-sky background with black paint and the embossing powder.  Then I distressed the moon with some ink, white spray mist, and my trusty Crackle Accents.

I love how the project came together.  I can't wait to frame it and hang it up for Halloween!

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Mini Envelope Album Cover : "A Trip to the Sea"

A Trip to the sea

I haven’t completed my photo book yet, it still needs images from our trip to sorrento italy and our boat trip to the isle of capri.

Faraglioni rocks located in Campania, Italia...on the way to Capri

 Isle of Capri

 Blue Grotto

The whole Family in Italy:)

I hope you will be inspired to try an envelope album of your own or find a technique to use with our wonderful august kit! 

 If you have any questions about how I put the book together, please ask.  My focus today is the cover.

I love hanging out with you!

creatively yours,

sue

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July Kit Journal Page

Hi everyone:)  If you haven't yet discovered our July Kit, I hope this page will inspire you to!! I just love having a kit to work with...no need for going on a "hunt" in my "stash" to find all my page elements because Tina does such a FABULOUS job of pulling products that work so well together!

I have to admit, that for 3 dimensional projects I usually have some sort of "plan"... 

I can't say that about my Journal pages...

I'm never quite sure what will come out on the page, as I explore color, texture, and layers.  Although I did have a direction for color, based on the adorable Ephemera sheet from ARTChixStudio

For the page background, I started with some acrylic paint from a previous project in a light teal along with a shade of mustard.

You can see in the picture above, that I "squirted" out the mustard color before I shook the bottle...am I the only one who does this???

I then used a Brayer, to lay down these colors. 

Next, I sprayed a bit of water on this scrap of burlap and pressed it into the still wet background paint.

*Notice my beautiful bright blue nails:)  My 2 yr. old granddaughter insisted we both have BLUE

When it was dry, I smeared a bit of the Distress Paint (peeled paint) onto the page with my fingers.

Before I got started on my Journal page, I made several background pages on my Gelli plate, using the Distress Paints (found in the kit)

1.) I "poured" out a bit of paint from both bottles of DISTRESS PAINT, found in the July Kit.

2.) I spread the paint on the gelli plate with my brayer.

3.)  I placed an alphabet stencil on top of the spread paint, and then placed a piece of white card stock on top of the stencil, and pressed with my hands.

BELOW are some of these gelli plate backgrounds.  I tore them into pieces and then added them to my page using my NEW FAVORITE gel medium...Claudine Hellmuth Studio Multi Matte Medium.

( I did a few with the same mustard color I used for the page background)

I used the Antique Linen Distress Paint to add these "dots" on top of the ripped paper.

Once they were dry, I put a little of the Antique Linen on a scrap piece of paper, added a few spritz of water, and then rubbed the watered down paint onto my page. (making sure to go around the edges of the torn pieces I had adhered to the page)

Next, I decided to distress the Tim Holtz hinges ( I ended up using 1 not 2) with the Peeled Paint Distress Paint.  I also added it to some string I had in my "stash."  (Just looking for more textural elements & love finding ways to utilize the great products in our kits!)

I decided to add a bit more of the mustard color to the page, but this time I used another one of my favorite products...

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Artists' Crayons

These crayons can be used "dry" or you can spread out their color using water.

I first "drew" on my page with the crayon, and then went over it with a wet brush, spreading out the color.

I chose not to add water to the above lines on top of the distress paint "dot."

Another technique I like to use with these crayons is pulling color directly onto my brush from the crayon.  Wet your brush, and then "grab" the color from the tip.

I used this method to add color around the torn edges of the paper pieces I had added to the page.

Waiting in the wings (pun intended:) )  were some of the images from our kit's Ephemera sheet from ARTChix Studio. 

I cut out this cute card and added the Crackle Accents to the bird and some of the flowers.  I next added the word FLY from the same ARTChix sheet.  After all were dry, I stitched the card to a piece of textured brown card stock and distressed the edges with the Antique Linen Distress Paint. 

I began to add some of the last layers by adding a few "doodles" and by writing the sentiment using my Scarlet Lime Pen along with a Crimson Red Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Artists' Crayon. (I added the white on top of the red letters to make them "pop")

I also scribbled some of the red crayon on a piece of scrap paper, spritzed it with a little water, and then "dipped" this chevron stamp in it to add a little more red to the page.

(Michaels has a $1 bin with sets of 3 stamps on a page that this chevron was on...I LOVE a bargain!!)

The Sentiment reads..."In Our Dreams We Are Able to FLY and That is a Remembering of How We Were Meant to BE."  -Heleine L\'Engle

The little flower detail above is from the ARTChix sheet, with Crackle Accents added to it...I LOVE that stuff!!

I added a bit more detail using the below ink and stamp along with my Washi tape roll dipped in Antique Linen Distress Paint and then stamped on the page:) 

 As always, we would ALL LOVE to see your projects on our Facebook page!!!  

See you there!

Creatively yours,

Sue

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How to Create a Quick, Easy, Mixed Media Charm

Good morning! Melissa here with a tutorial on how you can create a really cute mixed media charm. You will be amazed at how easily you can make a cool piece of jewelry with minimal supplies or jewelry making skills :)

I love fun, funky, interesting pieces of jewelry. To do this project, all you need is your June Frog Dog kit and a few inexpensive pieces of premade jewelry. If you're really good at making your own jewelry, you can totally DIY this entire project. I will confess that I'm not very experienced at jewelry making (although I am trying to learn) so I cheated a bit here :)

I started out with a bracelet that I bought at Michael's that was already constructed. With my 50% off coupon I picked it up for about five bucks. I also purchased a plain bezel. I had a circle punch that was the same size as the bezel and punched out one of the images from the Archix clip art.

Then I cut out the small letters from the sheet to spell ART. I glued those to the circle piece.

Next, I covered the paper piece with the crackle accents and let it dry.

I glued the piece into the bezel and let it dry. Once it was dry, I covered with glossy accents to create a high gloss protective finish.

The last thing I did was attach the charm to the bracelet. I also added a few more little funky charms that I found. I would have added more from the kit, but I used all of the birds--there was nothing left of that sheet when I was done with it! :)

I hope you enjoyed this project, thanks for stopping by!

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Vacation Memory Box

Hello fellow mixed media artists, I am super excited to share my first ever post on the Fabulous Frog Dog Blog!  I don't know about you, but I get so excited when I see the "brown truck" coming my way...hoping it's my new FD Kit ...AND, I LOVE seeing everyone's creative projects on our blog...so inspiring:)

I received my July kit the day before I left on a family vacation to Glacier National Park in Montana. It was hard to wait to play with so many fun products, but my trip gave me great purpose for my project...a vacation memory box:)

So, here goes...

As we were literally walking out of the last hotel we stayed in, a toilet paper roll wrapper caught my eye.  I liked the color and the word River printed on it and swiftly stuffed it in my bag.  My husband just shook his head.  

I tore it into small pieces and used the Studio multi matte medium to adhere it to the box found in the kit.  I used to use a lot of Mod Podge, but I like this product so much better!  It's not as sticky on your fingers, has no odor, and works great!  It dries fast too.

Both inside and outside covered with just one toilet paper wrapper...Yay! And to think, someone was just going to throw it away:)

Next I utilized the Distress Paint in "peeled paint" & "Antique Linen"

by adding some color to both the box and the Tim Holtz hinges. 

To put the hinges on, I pulled out my paper piercer to make holes 

through the box in order to push the brads through the hinges and box. 

I used some of the cool red letters from the ARTChix studio Ephemera sheet

to spell out Montana for the front of the box.

I couldn't resist coating them with the Crackle Accents.  I  just LOVE the effect this product brings to a flat piece of paper! Be patient though...it's best to let it dry 1-4 hours, depending on the surface area and thickness of the coating.

I inked up a pine tree stamp (the forests of Montana were breathtaking) with one of my favorite inks (moonlight white) to add some texture and color.

The metal embellishment on the front was something I grabbed out of my "stash."

I altered it's color with the "peeled paint" distress paint.  (I sealed the whole project with a clear acrylic sealer, which will prevent the paint from chipping off the metal piece & hinges)

Next came my treasures for the inside:)  

One of the Maps from Glacier National Park had "little squares" of places to see and stay on the back.  They were the perfect size to add to the "coasters" in the kit.

I first painted gesso on each of the coasters.  Next, I added the map squares, and both distress paints.

I printed off some of my favorite snap shots (in miniature size : 1.65 -almost a 2 inch square) using my home printer on card stock and then added them to the "coasters"

 using the Studio multi matte medium.

I added some sentiments using both the Washi tape (found in the kit of course) and 2 of my favorite pens...Faber Castell's Pitt Multi liner (xs) & Scarlett Lime in black.

Below is a picture of the inside lid.  I tore off the title of one of our trail maps (after I altered the color using my Gelli Plate: more on that below), burned the edges, and added the Crackle accents.

Oh, and all the butterflies were "punched" out of the same map that I had altered using both distress paints on my Gelli Plate. I know you'll be learning more about the Gelli Plate in months to come! Hope you're intrigued:)

I added to the box a few maps and a rock I found by the River in the park.  I drew on the rock with another one of my favorite pens...Uni-ball Signo pen in white.  *If you use this pen on a rock you must seal it in some way or it may smear,  I sprayed the rock with a clear acrylic spray.

The WG on the top stands for West Glacier...

this was the location of the beautiful house we stayed in.

I dipped the ends of the twine in craft glue to keep it from fraying. 

I think I'll make memory boxes for all of our trips and display them on a shelf.  It's so much fun for friends and family to pull out the tiny treasures and reminisce.  

I drive my husband crazy, cause I collect rocks when we travel to remember each special trip.  They are all over the house:)  I think he's happy this one has it's own little box.

I Would love to hear from you about your creative memory keeping!  Hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I did making it!  Happy Crafting!  

Love, Sue

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