Heartfelt Creations Floral Frame

It is time for the January Heartfelt Creations Alumni Design Team Blog Hop.  There are eight alumni designers participating this month.  If you came from Emilia van den Heuvel's blog, then you are probably going in order.  The next blog to visit from here is Sarah Miller.  We hope to give you a lot of inspiration using your Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies.    Be sure to visit all eight blogs in this hop, leaving a comment on each, for a chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate from Heartfelt Creations.

I always love to work with my stamps and dies from Heartfelt Creations.  This month I decided to create a home decorating piece.  I used a wood frame I purchased from Michael's and one of the new Heartfelt Creations "Decorative Blossom Corners" to decorate the top the of this frame.  I did not paint the frame because it has a nice ivory color finish to it.  To create the "raised" corners, I die cut two of the Decorative Blossom Corners, out of card stock,  and just laid them on the upper corners,  then using a small spatula spread "Liquitex Light Modeling Paste" over the die cuts, being careful not lift the die cut or to get any of it below the die. I scraped it off evenly across the top of the die cut.  I did this to both corners, letting them sit for a short time before pulling the die cut off.  This created the pretty raised design on the corners.   The frame was set aside for about an hour to allow the Modeling Paste to dry.  Meantime I worked on the flowers.   I read about this technique on Sherry Cheever's blog. 

To decorate the frame I chose to use the Heartfelt Creations "Botanical Florals" stamps and matching dies.  I clear embossed the flowers on watercolor paper then colored each flower with the Tim Holtz "Spun Sugar" Distress Stain.  The reason I stamped in VersaMark and clear embossed was because I wanted the outline and lines in the Botanical Florals stamp to stay white for a variation of color in the petals of the flowers - it worked as a "resist".  I think it made it look more realistic than stamping the flower in black.  Both sides of the flowers were stained then shaped.  I used all the flowers in both sets of the Botanical Florals to create the different size flowers.  Once they were colored on the front, I was able to see where to place the die to die cut them with the matching dies then the back was stained.  The leaves and Flourish were created the same way, using Peeled Paint Distress Stain.  

The swirls behind the flowers is the Heartfelt Creations "Bella Rose Flourish".  I use this stamp, and matching die, for a background for many of my floral pieces.  It always make an arrangement very elegant. All the flowers and leaves were attached with dimensional glue dots or regular glue dots.  

For the opening in the frame, I stamped the bird from the Heartfelt Creations "Melodious Songbird PreCut Set" on watercolor paper and colored it with Distress Inks.  The background behind the stamped image was sponged with "Weathered Wood" Distress Ink".  The bird was stamped again, colored and attached with dimensional glue dots.

Be sure to visit all eight blogs and leave a comment on each blog because one of you will be chosen, in a random drawing,  to win a $25 Gift Certificate to shop at Heartfelt Creations.  This blog hop closes Fri. Feb. 1st at midnight and the winner will be announced at noon Sat, Feb 2. 

I am entering this frame in the challenge at the Papercraft Star blog.

Heartfelt Creations Botanical Floral 1 PreCut Set HCPC 3406

Heartfelt Creations Botanical Floral 2 Pre Cut Set HCPC 3407

Heartfelt Creations  Botanical Floral matching Dies

Heartfelt Creations Decorative Blossom Corner HCD729

Heartfelt Creations  Bella Rose Flourish HCD712

Heartfelt Creations  Melodious Songbird PreCut Set HCPC 3511

Liquitex Light Modeling Paste

Distress Inks "Peeled Paint" and "Spun Sugar"

Ranger Blending Tool

Ranger Detail Clear Embossing Powder

VersaMark

Watercolor paper

Distress Markers to color bird

Weathered Wood Distress Ink Pad for background behind bird

Pop Dots

856746