Follow Your Heart Mixed Media Bird House Featuring DecoArt

Good morning friends, Kim here today with a fun project for Deco Art! I purchased this wooden bird house at my local dollar store and I really loved the scroll work on the front of it. I knew immediately that it would be altered with lots of amazing products from DecoArt!

I started off with the DecoArt Media gesso and gave the house an all over coat with that. Next, I used the Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Lace over the top of the gesso. 

Now it was time to get out some my my napkins I had in my stash. The DecoArt Decoupage Matte Medium is perfect for this and really worked a treat for sticking down the napkins.  The Matte Medium gives a lovely finish and I don't have to worry about my napkin coming up off the birdhouse either.

Once the napkin was dry, I got out the Americiana Decor Crackle medium. I wanted the roof and the front of the bird house to have an old and weathered look.  I applied a good even coat and left it to dry naturally over night.

Now it is time for the magic to happen! Once the crackle was dry, I used my Americana Paint in Blush Pink to go over the crackle.

Remember to only go in one direction and not to paint over the crackle medium several times. One good swipe with the brush will give you great cracks like you see in the photo above. I love how the roof came out!!

Now it was time to do the front of the bird house. For this I used Americana Paint in Antique White.

The same rules apply as they did for the roof. Don't over paint with your brush, go in one direction and let the crackle work its magic.

I also gave the edges of the roof and the front of the bird house a light sanding when they were dry to add to the distressed look.

I added some wooden embellishments and flowers to the birdhouse for a finishing touch.

A little embossed wooden crown tops off the birdhouse!

I hope you will check out DecoArt.com and get yourself some of these amazing products!

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you have found some inspiration here!

DecoArt Products Used

DecoArt Media Gesso

Americana Paint Blush Pink

Americana Paint Antique White

Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint Lace

Americana Decor Crackle Medium

DecoArt Decoupage Matte Medium

Mixed Media Gift Boxes Featuring DecoArt

Good morning everyone, Kim here, and I am very excited to share my first project featuring DecoArt!

I was absolutely thrilled earlier this month to be accepted into the DecoArt Blogger Outreach program. DecoArt has some amazing products that I am so happy to be working with, and their support of artists is just amazing. So lets get on to my first project!

When I unboxed my package from DecoArt, all my items were packaged so neatly in some cardboard boxes. I immediately decided they needed to be altered!  With the holiday season nearly upon us, I decided to get a headstart and make these two boxes up. 

I started off the box with a coat of white gesso, then used some of the DecoArt Modelling Paste on the top and sides of the box.

The first box I painted with the DecoArt Dazzling Metallic Rose Gold. DecoArt has a huge selection of the Dazzling Metallics, which you can find HERE.

Once the box was painted, I added some clay molds I had previously made. I adhered them on to the box and then dry brushed more the the Dazzling Metallics Rose Gold, but then also used some of the Metallic Lustre as well. The metallic Lustre is great for getting in all the cracks and crevices of the clay molds, it really made them dazzle!

I added some micro beads, pearls and glitter glass for some extra sparkle to the box to finish it off.

My second box is similar, in that I used the paper clay molds but this time, decided to give it a more vintage feel.

I painted the box with the DecoArt Decor Chalky Finish in Linen.  I felt it needed a bit of a shine to it, so I then added a layer of DecoArt Metalllic Pearl Paint, which gave such a gorgeous shimmer to the box. Next, I placed some Tim Holtz tissue paper over the top to add some dimension.

I used the Americana Antique White paint, which I watered down and brushed over the tissue paper.

I then glued on the paper molds to the top of the box and the front.

Once the paper clay molds were in place, I added more of the watered down paint and dried it. The next layer was more of the Metallic Lustre in Rose Gold over the top of the molds to get into each of the grooves.

I kept layering on paint, then Metallic Lustre, and then a final coat of the Pearl Metallic paint over top.

I added some rhinestones for some sparkle as a finishing touch!

I am super happy with the effects of all the DecoArt products!  I am going to be filling these little boxes with some gifts for someone to find under the Christmas tree!

Check out all the DecoArt products at 

http://www.decoart.com

DecoArt Products Used

Americana Paint Antique White

Americana Paint Dazzling Metallics Rose Gold

DecoArt Metallic Pearl 

Metallic Lustre Rose Gold

DecoArt Chalky Finish Linen

DecoArt Modelling Paste

How To Create Faux Tiles With Embossing Folders & Distress Oxides White Rose Crafts LLC DT

Good morning White Rose Crafts fans! Kim here today with my very first Design Team project, and I am so excited to share it.  I have altered a simple wooden frame, and used some fun techniques with lots of WRC goodies!

The first step is to choose your Distress Inks and Oxides which you wish to make your tiles into. You rub your inks directly on the flat side of your embossing folder. I am using an Elizabeth Craft feather embossing folder which you can find in the WRC shop.

Ink up your folder generously, I used Faded Jeans for this, and you may have to re ink it and run it through a second time, but be generous with the ink. I prefer the worn look, but for a more solid look on your paper you can run it through as many times as you wish. I used Cracked Pistachio and Tumbled Glass in the Distress Oxides

The result when it is embossed is that you have the dark space which you inked and when embossed, the white from the card stock will be raised up. Its a really cool effect and has so many applications!

The next step is to prep the frame, which I used some Americana Decor paint, but you can use what ever colour you like. 

Once the paint was dry, I took my paper and cut it up into squares and rectangles to make my faux tiles. I laid them out in a pattern I liked and alternated the size and colour of the tiles.

I glued the tiles down with a strong glue and cut off the excess and then sanded the frame to ensure the tiles looked even and smooth around the edges.

I wanted to make some embellishments that matched the feathers from the embossing folders, and decided to make some paper ones rather than use real ones. I did this by adding some thin wire in between two pieces of paper and then cut them into feather shapes, fringing around the edges. I then used my Distress Oxide in Tumbled Glass to give the feathers a bit of colour.

I added some of the Amercian Crafts Ivory Glitter Ribbon to the top of the feathers, and then

I added some glitter from my stash, and a Doodles Paper Playground Sparkle Blend called Vixen, to the feathers for some fun sparkle.

Next I added some pearls from my stash  and the gorgeous Recollections Flowers from WRC in coordinating colours.

I wanted to keep the centre of the frame simple, so I used a piece of paper from the Winter Moments by Craft O'Clock Paper Collection, and also the Breathe Stamp from the Kelly Creates Quotes 1 Stamp Set.

I felt the tiles needed some "grout", so I used some of my texture paste and a small brush and added it around the frame on each of the tiles.

I think the effect is something fun and different, and it gives you a new way to use up those embossing folders and create a fun home decor item.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I really hope you have found some inspiration here!

White Rose Crafts Products Used

Elizabeth Craft Embossing Folder

Distress Oxides

Tumbled Glass

Cracked Pistachio

Distress Inks

Faded Jeans

Doodles Paper Playground Sparkle Blend - Vixen

Kelly Creates Acrylic Traceable Stamps - Quotes 1

Recollections Flowers- Flower Garden Pack

American Crafts Ivory Glitter Ribbon

Winter Moments by Craft O'Clock Paper

Other Items Used

Wooden Frame

Texture Paste

Paint by Americana Decor - Colour Lace

Pearls