Melt Pot Flower Frame

This frame encompassed my first real go with my Melt Pot! I bought a very cheap plain wood frame from a budget store and put a picture of my 3 rascals in it for a grandmother present. I then used Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord Distress Inks applied with Cut and Dry foam directly on top. The sparkly swirls have been done using a Stamposaurus Swirly stencil and some Imagination Crafts Sparkle Medium in Royal Purple. The effect with the medium is a sturdy, raised, glittery swirl which looks fab in real life! The flowers have been made using different shades of purple cardstock, all cut out into petal and stamen shapes using the Cricut Flower Shoppe cartridge. Once the flowers were assembled I then dipped and coated them in some clear UTEE in the Ranger Melt Pot. This gives them a shiny and plastic appearance. The foliage pieces have been left as plain green cut out using Tattered Lace Ornate Foilage dies.

Something Just for You

 

This is another 8x8 card, again using 2 colours to matt and layer (I think I have a repetitive theme going on here...) Both card stocks are matt, with the pink being very 'dusky'. The centre panel has been embossed using the Crafts Too Lattice folder and the main border along the bottom is the Tattered Lace Chantilly Rose die. I have used three Spellbinders layers to set off the main sentiment.
The one right at the back is a Decorative Labels One plain die cut, the next is a Labels One shape (stamped with a pattern) for the middle and the top is a sentiment from the Just Rite Winged Vintage Labels Two & Three set, cut with the matching die. I have also found some matching plain seam binding style ribbon and a pink dazzler to hold the bow together. The swirls are from Creative Expressions.

A Bit Purpley, Pearly, Turquoisy Extravagant?

Now, I have to be honest, I like this less and less the more I look at it! I decided that I wanted to use a purple and turquoise theme and went with that. I chose the two colours and then matted them with a main feature centre panel (it is an 8x8 card). With the main section I have first placed a swirly Stamposaurus stencil over the card and spritzed some Cosmic Shimmer Misting Ink sprays in Blue Cotton and Clover over the top to get the multi-coloured swirl effect. I also darkened the corners with Distress Inks and then ran the paper through the Crafts Too Lattice embossing folder. The flowers are made using the Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur stamps and cut out with the matching die set. The flowers have then been coloured with Distress Inks and highlighted with some dazzlers, pearly pins and pearly swirls. The sentiment is from Just Rite Grateful Heart set cut with the matching Vintage Labels Two die. A bit OTT I think: but I was trying to be a bit brighter!!!

 

Altered Art 'Bay Leaf' Frame

This piece of altered art was made during a craft class with Lisa Baker. There are a few techniques here, perhaps more than you realise when you first look at it! The paper mache frame has been covered all over in white emulsion. The edges have been highlighted with some Distress Ink. Once dry the Imagination Crafts Bay Leaf stencil has been placed over the sides and the bottom, with the image 'coloured' using Distress Inks and a small piece of cut and dry foam for added accuracy. I have tried to 'shade' the flowers and stalks, but this is quite tricky! As the inks are going on top of the emulsion you get a lovely matt effect which is effective when compared to the middle square. The middle panel has been layered onto purple card and the same stencil placed and coloured with the same inks again. This time, on paper, they are more vibrant. Once dry, the petal edges have been highlighted using a tiny sweep of Flitterglu and some silver flake rubbed over them. The sentiment is from Lavina Stamps and has been stamped with the same colours in a graduated way.