3D Floral keychains

April is a month of birthdays in our family and I wanted to make something that would be able to be mailed inside the birthday cards without added too much bulk causing extra postage.

I have had a large ring of formica samples that I had found at a local thrift store years ago - yes, still using them up!
These samples are wood grain and then the usual formica material on the back.  I glued scrapbook paper scraps to the back of these.  I sanded the edge of the scrapbook paper and inked the edges.

This time, I decided to use the colours already mixed in the 3D Crystal Lacquer - Metallic & Pearl Set.
You can go as fine as you want, as its all about how much pressure you press on the tube.  You can tell which is my first flower...lol

They are very easy to work with and I LOVE how they smooth themselves out.  Back on a blog post I had done for my 52 Sparks, I had drawn a rose and I really wanted to try that with these keyrings.
I started with the centre colour, then did the leaves and then used the Metallic Silver to add the look of the petals.

I, also, love to add old book text to my artwork and these words fit on these keyrings (& fit for this week perfectly).  I used clear 3D Crystal Lacquer to glue onto the formica samples and then added a layer over top.

April is a great time to try Crystal Lacquer, because you can save 20% this month, by entering the code Terri04 when you check out at Sakura Hobby Craft.  You will be amazed at how easy it is to use!

Page by Page

Garden Mini Album

This month I really wanted to experiment with my products from Sakura Hobby Crafts. It really didn't matter what I created, this project was going to be all about techniques and that black chipboard album I made years ago. I knew the colours would pop off this chipboard and I was right. Every page is made using only the following products.

3D Crystal Lacquer

Metallic & Pearl Glitter Color Set

Jewel Effects Mica Powder

Metallic Glitter Pens

Rub-Ons

paper flowers

ribbon

On each of the pages I painted a simple base coat of Mica and 

3D Crystal Lacquer. About 1 tablespoon liquid lacquer to a 1/4 teaspoon of mica powder.

 For the front cover I used an old sticker sheet and cut turned it into a template. I applied coloured lacquer to the cut out parts.

 The flower below was made by twisting together dried lacquer. It looks so pretty in person.

To this butterfly page I added my base colour first. Then I added some wax drops to the page and melted them on. I painted over them and then removed the excess wax. This turned out great. I love love love the take away effect.

 This butterfly was made with a rubber stamp. I then outlined the image with my Metallic Glitter Pens. I filled it in with the 3D Crystal Lacquer, don't you just love how it highlighted the colours from underneath?

 You know that extra stuff you can't use and gets left on the table to dry up? Well I reapplied the leftovers to the page above. Then I put a rub-on on top of the leftovers and Crystal Lacquered the hell out of it. Its shiney, it should have attracted a crow instead of the pretty bird I drew, cut out and applied to this page. Giggle!

More rub-ons (above)

 This page and the following page were made using a template that I painted the 3D Crystal lacquer and Mica mixture right over top of.

The butterfly above is actually the plastic backing of sticker that I painted right onto. I should have stamped on it, now that I look at it, LOL. Oh well, next time. I've come up with some fun new techniques and I hope to discover many more over the next few months. 

Don't hesitate to find me on facebook (Lee Brehon) if you'd like to ask me a question about any of the items I make using the SAKURA HOBBY CRAFTS

If you'd like to try the Crystal Lacquer for yourself (I know you do) you can get 20% off of this product for the entire month of April - just use the code Terri04 at checkout.

P.S. I have a couple of HOT TIPS coming this way shortly, so keep an eye on this site - bookmark this page or better yet, sign up for our emails. Its a great way to stay in touch with all of us!

Moulding with 3D Crystal Lacquer

 

 

This was an experiment that worked out so wonderful!!!  Because I live in a humid area, I wasn't sure how long it would take to mould, but I found a way to do this faster!

This collage is done on a board book, with ink, stamps, and collage.  What makes this collage "pop" is the column, I moulded with 3D Crystal Lacquer.  The mould used is a silacone mould, flexible to remove finished piece.

1.  The way I was able to mould this piece is : A) Did not fill the mould all the way up.  B)  Do in layers.
2.  Think of the colors you would like to work with in the mould.  Remember you can do several techniques (Mix TS mixers with lacquer first to create a custom color, add and mix/marble clear lacquer with color lacquer, etc.).
3.  For this project, I used the new Metallic 3D Crystal Lacquer. 

These colors are so yummy!!  I started with the silver color and squeezed it in the very bottom of the mould.  I let this dry.  It is a thin layer, not too thick so it dries within a day or 1/2 day.

Next I added a little clear, added some of the copper and mixed.  I did this right on top of the silver.  After that dried, I added more silver, and a little copper and mixed.

Then when that dried, I added gold.  So I kept doing this until I filled 1/2 the mould.  There is enough shape that I didn't have to fill it more for the piece to show the column. 

4.  Once the whole piece is dried, pop it out and use clear 3D Crystal Lacquer as an adhesive to secure the column to your collage.  This will ensure that an element a bit heavier than paper will stay in place on the collage.

 

In this collage, the torso is done with clear and copper.  It looks old and aged yet shiny!

 

 

 3D Crystal Lacquer is a versatile product for all your crafting needs.  Add TS Mixer's or the pre-colored lacquer sets to enhance any artwork!!!  3D Crystal Lacquer adds depth and dimension and can also become a shiny paint and accents.

 

The DT shows you ideas and tutorials so you can go beyond, dew drops or just covering an image.  The basics are GrEaT but go outside the box and try new ways to create with 3D Crystal Lacquer!!!!

 

 

 

 This code is good ALL April!!!  Stock up and don't forget to get the new Metallic 3D Crystal Lacquer.  Love the colors!

 

Cre8tiveLea Yours - Lea