Catching #Cre8time Fireflies... the Amazing Mold Putty Scavenger Hunt with Designer Crafts Connection

Hello everyone! Today the Designer Crafts Connection takes on a new challenge featuring one of my favorite things... Amazing Mold Putty. Amazing Casting Products has sponsored our challenge this month with the Amazing Mold Putty Scavenger Hunt.

For this challenge, Amazing Casting Products provided each of the Designer Craft Connection designers with Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Clear Cast Resin. You want to pop over to the beginning of the hop HERE because you can win what you see in the photo above... an artist's dream PRIZE!!! An Amazing Clear Cast Resin and a 3lb. kit of Amazing Mold Putty {which is 1 1/2 lbs of each part of this magical goodness}.

How do I begin... what to mold? E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!! Amazing Mold Putty is hands down my favorite tool in my crafty stash. It's quite addictive and over the years, I have used it in most every creation... cards, jewelry, food projects and dimensional whimsies! I have so many objects to mold I have a dedicated box to hold all the items. This is just what I molded with a handful of each part of the AMAZING yellow stuff! 13 molds!!! 

Paired with resin and the coloring of my choice... my imagination comes to life in 3D. Just like the wonderful pre-packaged, ready-to-alter resin pieces you can buy -- BUT -- even BETTER because it's totally custom and unique to me!

I have loads of things in a box of things to mold for arting and I never know what they will evolve into... I let them take on a life of their own. This project captured a rare specimen – the 'genuine angel firefly'.

This mini assemblage combines painty goodness with monoprints {created on my Gel Press® Printing Plate from last month's challenge}, and dimension combining a wooden canvas frame, a wooden spool, some bits and baubles and also a couple hand cast resin pieces.

Curiouser and curiouser... my muse came to play with an assortment of strips of words and phrases found in a paper art kit... that spell out 'genuine boy', 'angel' and 'firefly'. This interesting combination of words sent me off on a mission to create a 3D imaginary specimen inspired by some beetle and bug stamps.

Last month for the Gel Press Challenge, I made a bunch of monoprinted papers on book pages using my fabulous favorite punchinella from Gauche Alchemy. This paper is Cracked Pistachio and Blue Lagoon Ranger Distress Paint - just two pulls and this one is good enough for me!!! I love this color combination and how the text peeks through. It's the perfect base for my metallic resin assemblage.

Now onto the good stuff! Using Amazing Mold Putty, I made a mold of a gold leaf pendant in my jewelry box to serve as wings for this cool vintage handle I purchased online that looks like a bug body to me. I prepared my Amazing Clear Cast Resin mixed with some Alumilite Metallic Gold powder. Before pouring I brushed the molds with the same gold and also Alumilite Silver Metallic powder. When cured, the pieces look like real metal... but so lightweight and ready for use in any creative project. It's so AMAZING!!!

Before trimming my paper to wrap mini canvas, I traced around my resin piece with a pencil to lightly mark where I want to stamp the top and bottom of a beetle. I stamped with black pigment ink just the head and antennae of the beetle, then embossed with some black glittery embossing powder. TA-DA!!

You don't have to use the entire stamp the way it comes... you can just use a portion. I'm so happy I was able to work this out in my crazy mind without having to fussy cut this beetle. Now with the beetle parts in place, I can trim and mount this beauty to the mini canvas and glue inside the backwards facing frame. It looked more interesting that way.

I gave the resin pieces a rubbing with some dark pewter and silver Rub 'n Buff® and also some layers of black pigment pen brushed into crevices to bring out the details, then glue them in place forming my creature. 

I finished off the corners with some metal spider charms with loops clipped off, my word phrase assembled on a torn scrap of book page, and a wooden spool spritzed black wrapped with a scrap of silver thread and monoprinted book paper. 

I've caught my Cre8time firefly!

This may be small - only about 4" x 5", but this just makes me smile so big! I'm so happy to be able to bring a couple of hoarded vintage pieces to life in a creative way.

CLICK HERE to jump over to the beginning of the Amazing Casting Products Bloghop at the Designer Crafts Connection blog and find more AMAZING inspiration and projects using Amazing Casting Products!

To learn more about
Amazing Casting Products

visit www.moldputty.com/

For even more ideas follow @AmazingCasting Instagram Page!

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Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you are inspired to mold something for your arting! Sb :)

** This is a sponsored post. Alumilite Corp. has provided products for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.

#Steampunk Owly's #Cre8time Secret... Starting from the Same Place #artistcollab

Hello Friends! Thanks for popping over today as you have arrived at a very special web art event... an ARTIST COLLABORATIVE project hosted by Tina Walker with over 60 artists participating from around the world. PLEASE CLICK HERE to jump over to Tina Walker's blog who is our hostess and organizer of this Cre8time adventure and see her two AMAZING creations... and also give her some love for dreaming up these fun events!

This is the contents of my bubble envy of crafty goodness from Tina. Everyone got the same assortment to use with the only stipulation that we use it all.

Amazing Casting Products provided supplies needed to produce hundreds of molded resin cast pieces to be made for each player {all handmade} and Beacon Adhesives supplied Fabric Tac adhesive.

This collaboration project took lots time and Cre8time love donated by countless volunteers who gathered, prepared and sent in goodies to Tina who undertook the effort of dividing up and shipping care packages to each artist... and don't forget all of the technical coordination for getting everyone linked up for viewing today.

In the effort of full honesty... this collaborative has been months in the making and my piece just began in the last 12 hours as I wasn't sure what my muse wanted to make and for the past several days I have been lending my techy-ness to the group in helping everyone sync up online today. 

So you can say this project is "freshly hatched" LOL!

I grabbed 3 bottles of acrylic that were within reach one this purple distress paint. The other two were Paper Artsy - and aged gold and an espresso brown color. So I set off painting items purple.

Using the Stencil Girl Stencil... I started out applying purple with the dauber top, then I ended up smudging it out with a dry paintbrush. The purple "POPPED" so nicely on the swatch of green upholstery fabric.

I layered purple, gold and espresso brown paints on a flower accent and the resin and chipboard pieces building up a purple metallic patina finish. At this point there's more paint on my hands than the items I'm painting... it's a GOOD THING! 

I also stenciled another painted scrap of material and a word flash card that had "decorate". I think I decorated it proper.

I use the Beacon Fabri-Tac to start assembling my critter's wonky eyes. I love these little tubes with a precision application tip... it made getting precise application easy without having to use toothpicks to apply from the larger bottle.

Here's the final layered eyes. Love them!! I included a circle of fabric to help the flower accent pop in the center of the smaller gear.

Now with all the pieces painted and assembled... I freehand cut shapes to make the body and features. No pattern and NO SEWING today. And I'm about an hour into project creation.

I don't know what this fabric is but it's a thick and felt like. I especially love the coloring. I folded in half and cut into two pieces. Then I shaped them to have pointy ears making a front and back.

I used these electronic bits to act as stitching for my bird's belly by pressing ends through the layers of fabric and folded over on the inside. I did glue fabric to body also for added stability. I love the interesting detail these create!!!

After gluing the ears and top of head, I folded ends over and used remaining stenciled fabric to close in the bottom and act as a base. I didn't even trim this - it just happened to fit!

I added other pieces to accent ears and glued on the eyes. I love how fast the Fabri-Tac sets up. I have an OWL!!

On the backside, my owl has a backpack from his mountain climbing journey to Pike's Peak... see his ropes. I couldn't bring myself to cut this little piece of history so I made some kitschy accessories layering the remaining electronic bits and my painted word strip. I have used everything and the only a few trimmed scraps of felt and green fabric remain along with the resin dragonfly. OH YEAH... I just remembered, I was going to cut the wings off and use them for feet. Well, since it didn't get painted that will have to wait until my next play day. 

I'm totally in LOVE with my wonky steampunk owl... and from start to complete in under two hours. 

So what is OWLy's Cre8time Secret??!

He's now the official secret hiding place to stash my flask - LOL!! How fun is that! I was going to fill with polyfill beads, though I can't remember where I stashed it. I think this was serendipitous that the flask happened to be a perfect fit nestled inside my quirky birds belly.

To visit all the other stops of

"Artist Weaving Collaborative"...

check out the squares below.

Make sure to stop at Amazing Casting Products... 
there's a giveaway for some of their amazing stuff!!!

Thanks for dropping by! I hope you are inspired to go grab some random bits and see what you can create! Have a creative day :) Sb

An InLinkz Link-up

#PumpkinSpice and Everything Nice... fun DIY #Cre8time Thanksgiving Treats!

Happy October friends!! It's another first Monday and myself along with the Designer Crafts Connection are sharing fabulous Fall Crafts. Today I'm sharing some fun DIY treats for your Thanksgiving table settings. I admit I'm crazy for pumpkins... especially those adorable mini pumpkins!! I made a couple molds for molding chocolates and other sweet treats using Amazing Remelt, and Amazing Mold Putty {both are food safe}.  

Amazing Remelt and Wilton Candy Melts both melt down in minutes in the microwave making custom sweet treats like a pro quick and easy.

First I selected a tapered glass bowl deep enough to fully cover my pumpkin, then melted down a container of Amazing Remelt using the lowest setting on my microwave in thirty second increments until it was completely liquified.

Please click here if you have trouble viewing video.

**A TIP** I poured a small amount into my bowl and let cool a bit before placing pumpkin in it. ALSO, I dipped the top of the pumpkin into the liquid remelt to coat the stem and let any air bubbles release before fully covering with Amazing Remelt.

After cooling in the refrigerator for a while {I left it all day since I had to go to work}, I removed the mold from the bowl. I gently cut the mold in half using a sharp Xacto knife and released the pumpkin. Now I'm ready to make some chocolate mini pumpkins.

First a solid chocolate pumpkin...

I melt down the Wilton Candy Melts following the directions for microwave in a pourable pyrex measuring cup. I scooped the melted chocolate with a small spatula into both sides of the Amazing Mold Putty mini pumpkin, filling completely.

I placed the top half of the mold onto the bottom, aligned to my marks and placed in refrigerator to chill and harden. Any edges are easily touched up with a light scraping with a spoon or backside of a butter knife.

Now I'll make a chocolate pumpkin box...

I repeated by filling the Amazing Remelt mold with the Wilton Chocolate Melts - spreading chocolate to evenly coat edges and leaving center open. When hardened this pumpkin will be hollow... perfect for desserts or party favors!

The chocolate hardens very quickly – then I gently remove from mold, set aside on a tray in the fridge and make another set. I fill the chocolate box with an assortment of roasted seeds/nuts and mini dark chocolate chips. These lovely white mini pumpkins make a perfect edible favor for the Thanksgiving Day the table settings. These are fun to make and can make well in advance of the event... can you imagine how fun they would be in colored chocolate too??! 

What will you like to

transform into edible art??

If you are pumpkin crazy like me... stay tuned!! This pumpkin baby has more projects in the works. Thanks for visiting! For more Fall and Halloween inspiration pop on over to the Designer Crafts Connection Fall Crafts roundup HERE. :) Sb