eclectic Paperie and Add a Little Dazzle Blog Hop

Welcome to our joint blog hop with Add a Little Dazzle. We are so excited to partner with them and have had so much fun playing with their products.  They have a beautiful collection of metal sheets, in a variety of colors, that are perfect for mixed media projects. Both design teams have combined our products and are ready to share some inspirational projects with you. Join in on the fun and make sure to enter for a chance to win an amazing prize.

Welcome to Day 1 of  the Eclectic Paperie & Add a Little Dazzle joint blog hop! We’re so excited to be sharing some fabulous creations featuring the wonderful products from both companies in today’s hop. We have two amazing days of inspirational projects so make sure to stop by tomorrow.

First we’d like to share a little bit about the two companies…

eclectic Paperie is a different breed of craft store, conceived as more than just a place where you can purchase supplies, we believe in the strength of collaboration, in coming together and sharing with like-minded crafters. Our goal is to offer a mixed media marketplace where a generation of artists can congregate, explore, imagine, and inspire one another.

Add a Little Dazzle specializes in an exclusive line of craft metal sheets that helps you take your crafting to the next level. Whether you are a seasoned or new crafter, our craft metal sheets will help you create unique projects that will make you stand out among the crowd. Are you ready to take your crafting to the next level? Add a Little Dazzle Craft Metal Sheets will help you turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Prize Alert!

Make sure to stop by and visit each of the Design Team Blogs for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packages from eclectic Paperie and Add a Little Dazzle  valued at $25.  You have until Friday, June 27th to enter.  The winners will be announced on both blogs on Saturday, June 28th.  You must leave a comment on all blogs.

   Are You Ready for Some Amazing Inspiration?

I had the opportunity to play with Add a Little Dazzle metal sheets and few months ago and I fell in love with their product!  The sheets are super easy to cut, emboss, and paint (among a million other things!)  And I love how many colors are available.  For my project, I decided to create a canvas and wait until you see the transformation of where I started and where I ended up! And...eP is now carrying a variety of metal sheets, you can find our offering here!

My first step was the cover a canvas board with torn vintage book paper (this paper is from the 1800's!).  I attached the paper using matte medium.  I think added white embossing paste through a stencil (this one is called Echoes).

Then I got all crazy and added some paint and sprays from Art Anthology, which I really liked but...I took one too many steps, adding another stencil design with some Art Anthology paint, and while I loved the beautiful paint colors, I was not happy with the design...too busy! 

So...I applied gesso and acrylic paint over the entire surface (when in doubt, just add gesso!)  The embossing paste AND the Art Anthology paints, which are dimensional when dry, added amazing texture.  I added aqua and grey paint, leaving some of the white gesso showing.

Next, I used more white gesso and another stencil (Tim's Schoolhouse layering stencil) to add some white to the background.  Some watered down Art Anthology paint (in Fairy) was perfect for adding some splats.  (And the Art Anthology paint dries glossy so the matte/glossy contrast is great!)  I added some black Archival Ink, using a blending tool, around the edges.

I then used more of that book text, mounted on chipboard, to create a base for my photo.  A piece of black cardstock, with more of the Schoolhouse stenciling, was my second layer.  Before adding the photo (yes, that's me on the right at about six years of age, with my mom and brother) I added a big 'ol green drip.

Then I got to work with my metal sheets.  I first die cut the flower shape with an older Tim Holtz die and embossed the flowers using an embossing folder.  I used Tim's "flower making method" to create the layered rose.  I used black paint to go over the embossed flower (before assembling) and then used a paper towel and sanding block to remove some of the paint.  I also used a greenery die to cut out all of the leaves from a white metal sheet and covered some of the leaves with Inka Gold (Green/Yellow).  The metal sheets are so easy to work with and adding little bends creates a more realistic flower/leaf.

All that was left was assembly!  I used glue dots to attach all of my metal pieces to the canvas and they seem to be holding beautifully (the metal is very lightweight).  You could also use a hot glue gun.  The sentiment is a portion of a Tim Holtz saying, which I just stamped on a manila tag, cut out and attached with Glossy Accents.

That's it for my project!  Ready for more?  Check out each of the links below, which will take you to members of the eclectic Paperie and Add a Little Dazzle design team blogs. And don't forgot to leave a comment on each blog so you'll be entered into the prize drawing for a $25 gift certificate, given away by each company!!  Enjoy!!