"Mixing Creativity with Crystal Lacquer" to make a LOVELY Altered Candy Box -

Welcome to my project for the "Mixing Creativity with Crystal Lacquer" Bloghop!!! I am so excited to be part of the Sakura Hobby Craft Design Team - I will have featured posts the first and third Wednesdays beginning in March at the Sakura Hobby Crafts Blog.

You should have arrived here from Leslie Rayhe's page...

To get back to the top of the hop...please click here.

A brief recap of my project: This started out as a recycled paper heart chocolate box...you know the for Russell Stover chocolates. I did a some altering and built up a layer of the Creative Paperclay® around the outer edge of the box to beef it up some - like a ceramic box would be. Then with Amazing Mold Putty, I cast a scrollwork heart frame ornament and also a scrollwork heart pendant. Using the molds I created, I cast both of these in Creative Paperclay®. I painted over the Looney Toon's characters adorning the box and the edging of paperclay with red acrylic paint base layer. Over that, I decopaged a red heart doily using 3-D Crystal Lacquer. Then the magic happens when you add the BRAND NEW Sakura Terri Sproul Mixers that get mixed into 3-D Crystal Lacquer!!

Photo 1: Just the beginning! Detail of box painted with

only three colors of Terri Sproul Mixers.

The detail above {photo 1} is base painted with three of the new Sakura Hobby Craft Terri Sproul Mixers: Red Pearl over the red acrylic painted layer which looks as luscious as lipstick; and Yellow Pearl and Violet Pearl on directly on the white paper clay nested cast hearts. The Yellow is very vibrant so I toned it down a bit with a touch of the violet. THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING...

Now I have more colors and I have continued building up the layers...

Photo 2.

Next I added the Ultra Fine Glitter to Crystal Lacquer and painted in the large heart detail and dotted some on each of the gem detail areas. As this dried - the bright yellow really began to "POP" from the base layer. I didn't add more color, just clear with shimmer glitter. Then I mixed up some of the "Gold Glitz" which is a chunky crushed glass glitter and placed in the negative spaces between the small and large hearts. Wow - this is getting good, but still not done yet!

Photo 3.

This I added a second layer of Gold Glitz and mixed up some Gold Dust and placed in the voids of the center heart. Then I added some Green Pearl dotted to the detailed areas. These did not come out as nice as I was expecting - I need a little practice in applying small details with this new media. I was applying with a toothpick and didn't have as much control as I thought I would. But it still looks great to me! I finished up the box with some tri-colored twisty cord and a green bow - LOVELY!

Thanks for stopping by. Remember, there is blog candy to be won as well. One winner will be chosen and posted on the Sakura Hobby Crafts Blog. Three MAGICAL containers of Terri Sproul Mixers and a bottle of Crystal Lacquer will be given away!!! RULES to enter to win blog candy prize....stop and visit each stop on the hop - THEN return to the Sakura Hobby Crafts Blog and leave comment there telling what your favorite project was on the hop. Easy-peasy!

30 colors of Sakura Terri Sproul's Mixers are now available.

Contact your local SB store owner to get yours!!!

Thanks so much for visiting - the next stop on

the hop is Gini Cagle's "Beadz" CLICK HERE! 

If you are interested in keeping up with what I'm doing, you can subscribe to receive my posts in your inbox at the top right. When I post something new here...you'll receive an email with the new content. I get such a kick out of seeing my posts in my inbox {I'm such a geek}.

: ) Sb

Festive Friday #4 - Repurposed Take Out Bag for Pretty Holiday Gift Giving

Welcome to the fourth installment of Terri Sproul's 2012 Festive Friday Bloghop! You should have arrived here from Amanda's Page. To get back to the beginning of the bloghop CLICK HERE.


Today I am sharing a quick and easy gift bag repurposing project...and you only need a few supplies.

This tote bag was a seasonal gift bag that my husband brought home from work containing a gift of  Columbian coffee {brought back from Columbia}. He has a lot of colleagues that are from Central and South America. Not only was it already sort of pretty - it smelled yummy, too! This decorated bag carried some handcrafted goodies to California for my official meeting with my "Fairy Craftmother" {you know...Terri Sproul} at CHA! This bag has earned frequent flier miles. And I'm happy to report that at CHA, I was standing near a trash receptacle and I noticed a lady preparing to throw away a holiday gift bag and I asked her for it so I could recycle it properly {artfully - wink, wink}. Of course it made the trip back to Florida!

I spritzed the bag with Stewart Superior Memories Mists "Sparkling Silver" and "Iridescent" shimmer sprays. These really brought this bag to life. I cut out and added some images from the T!m Holtz Holiday stack paper embellished with chalk inks. I finished the bag off with burlap trims from May Arts.

* * * * * * * * * * *

As a gift on the First Festive Friday of 2012... I shared a FREE DIGI of my Melted Frosty for personal use to get a jumpstart on your Holiday Cards. Today I announce the winner of entries left via inLinkz. DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

Congratulations Leslie Rayhe!!! Thanks Leslie for this lovely blue card featuring "Melted Frosty". You are the winner and I will be sending you some fun holiday themed goodies. : ) Sb

The next stop on the Festive Friday Bloghop

is Laura at Scrappin' Daphne - CLICK HERE.

Making Sweet Treats using Amazing Mold Putty

Hello everybody - just catching up on posting some crafty projects. This "AMAZING" adventure with Amazing Mold Putty left me little sticky, and having so much fun making some fun Valentine's Day treats. This project was featured over at the Amazing Mold Putty Blog on Jan. 22nd, 2012.

DID YOU KNOW????

Amazing Mold Putty is FOOD SAFE!!! YES - I said food safe. You can use it for candy molds, jello, cupcakes...and more. JUST as long as you don't put any RESIN in it first. When you make an Amazing Mold Putty mold for food purposes...it can only be used for food/edible products. To mix up Amazing Mold Putty, I followed the simple illustrated instructions on the packaging. If you want a more in depth how-to of mixing Amazing Mold Putty please click here.

Today's project I am casting some fun Valentine's shapes in Amazing Mold Putty. I couldn't resist when I found this at my local favorite Dollar Tree! A lollypop with some fun cartoony lips on the front. I must make a candy/food mold for Valentine's Day goodies.

Please see accompanying image number(s) to go along with written instruction/description.

Photo 1: Mix equal parts of part A and Part B of Amazing Mold Putty and blend evenly. Then place plastic lips into putty and let cure. Photo 2: Completed heart shape removed from cured mold. Photo 3:The base of lip mold was a thin in three places {where three red spots are}. This was repaired by creating another small ball of putty and molding it to the bottom of existing cured mold. Photo 4: I had some chocolate mint peppermint bark in my fridge, so I decided to melt this down to pour in my NEW candy molds. I broke up the chocolate into a small pyrex bowl that I placed into a pot of simmering water {a double boiler]. This is a slow melting process. The candy melted fine, but the peppermint candy in the chocolate altered the consistency of the chocolate. Photo 5: Melted chocolate poured into molds. I put these in refrigerator to harden. When hardened, I removed from mold - but they did not look good...they resembled soggy brownies. So now to the Godiva White Chocolate.

Please see accompanying image number(s) to go along with written instruction/description.

Photo 6: I broke up the white Godiva chocolate into small pieces and placed in my makeshift double boiler. I added several drops of red food coloring and stirred into the melted chocolate. Photos 7: Close-up of lip mold filled with tinted white chocolate. Photo 8: I poured melted chocolate into the heart shape mold and into another mold I have prepared for another project - but not yet utilized. Photos 9, 10 and 11: Completed chocolate after hardening in the refrigerator. The result is a little soft and melts to the touch very easily. So I do recommend getting proper melting chocolates from the craft store. I was just using what I had on hand at home.

Amazing Mold Putty will withstand temperatures up to 395 degrees. So this is perfect for cake batter and cookies which bake at 325-350 degrees. So I also tried some ready made sugar cookie dough nuggets {these are pre-measured discs for perfect shape cookies}. I let the dough get to room temperature then pressed into the molds. PLEASE NOTE: these cookies were twice as tall during baking. I removed half of the dough midway through the baking process since they were about a 1/2" out of the molds. I used a knife and gently lifted of the top of each. I will have to experiment more with the cookie dough, so that I won't get an overdone cookie with the crunch of a dog biscuit. But they do look tasty! I topped each with red gel icing....Mmmmmm-mmmmmmm!!!!

The icing on the cake is the J-E-L-L-O lips! I poured cherry gelatin mix prepared following instructions for molding gelatin on package. I did pour into the other heart molds, except that because my fridge underwent a power outage during the day - then reset itself to default settings...all of the gelatin came out frozen. The lips survived - and they are luscious!!!

I hope you enjoyed today's project. I encourage you to visit the Amazing Mold Putty Blog and visit the many AMAZING projects from the other Amazing Mold Putty Design Team members for some great tips and ideas! 

HAVE YOU HEARD???? Did you hear??? There is a call for the next Amazing Mold Putty Design Team! You can apply to be on this awesome team {CLICK HERE for info}.

I hope you all have fun making your own tasty treats! : )

Amazing Jewelry Made with Amazing Mold Putty

Happy Wednesday! I have shared another adventure with Amazing Mold Putty today over at the Amazing Mold Putty Blog. I have been casting many wonderful beads, buttons and other interesting found objects for creating jewelry - my new found favorite hobby.

Now I have a wonderful replica life size "Wish Bone" charm to add to my charm bracelet. I will be making many of these for gifties this year. I used to only make jewelry for gifts... and maybe now I may make them for my craft shows, too. 

This is just a sneek peek. To see the entire how-to please CLICK HERE to visit the Amazing Mold Putty Blog.

Did you hear??? There is a call for the next Amazing Mold Putty Design Team! You can apply to be on this awesome team {CLICK HERE for info}.

Hope you have a wonderfully crafty Wednesday : ) Sb

Today is the BIG DAY!!! Have you heard??? Sakura Hobby Craft Design Team Announced!!!

I have a fantastic announcement to make and I've had to keep this under my apron since I came back from CHA in California...I almost died when I was given the news IN PERSON {thank-you Terri, you are so AMAZING}!!!

I am proud to announce that I am part of the New Sakura Hobby Craft Design Team for the next Six months...starting in March. This Team will post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday's with new projects to AMAZE and INSPIRE you. Please click the name under each photo to visit each of their blogs. Please stop by their blogs and welcome each of them. I encourage you follow each of these talented artists {if you don't already already}. I am so grateful to included in this group of UBER-Talented artists. I will be stretching my creative muscles working with Crystal Lacquer and the endless possibilites that the New Terri Sproul Mixers bring to my palette!

I am very excited about this team and all of us are so excited about starting. So make sure you stay tuned to see what we are up to over at the Sakura Hobby Craft Products blog....

Have a great DAY!!!! I'm off to play with some Crystal Lacquer and the NEW Terri Sproul Mixers!!!

: ) Sb

Terri Sproul - Team Leader 

Amanda Marks 

Barbara Moore 

Leslie Rahye 

Lyneen Jesse 

Susan Brown
{hmmm - she looks familiar}

Gloriann Irizarry