Hello everyone! Today I am part of a special Cre8time bloghop at Designer Crafts Connection featuring products from Rebekah Meier Designs {Mixed Media} for Therm O Web. If you like to all things mixed media... then you are in for a treat. Last Summer we were introduced to Rebekah Meier with the "Rebekah Meier Fabric Elements™" bloghop {CLICK HERE to visit}, and I am excited to be giving these new products a try.
For this challenge, Rebekah Meier Designs {Mixed Media} for Therm O Web provided each of the Designer Craft Connection designers with an assortment of products. I received these products which is one of each of all her products with Therm O Web, which consists of mediums, surfaces, and transfer foils. I am a like a kid in a candy store with a new way to adhere, layer and bling things up!
Where to begin... there are so many projects in which I can use these products. I decided to make some new colorful bangles to match a blouse I have. I grabbed a couple recycled packing tape spools, some monoprinted book pages, black gesso, an emory board, a black marker, scissors, a paper trimmer, a cosmetic sponge, a plastic palette knife and a paintbrush from my stash. The Rebekah Meier Designs {Mixed Media} for Therm O Web products will transform these cardboard spools into something blissfully blingy and beautiful!
First a little prep work. I left one spool completely round and the other I removed about a half an inch and rounded the corners with scissors. Using a emory board, I lightly sanded any rough edges.
Using a cosmetic sponge, I applied a light layer of black gesso to the inside of each spool and up and around the edges; covering up the text and a seal off the edges.
Now the fun begins! I opened up the Rebekah Meier Designs Mixed Media Medium and stirred with a palette knife. It has a nice consistency, like pudding. I'm going to apply this medium to the inside of each spool differently and see how things go.
This is a bit messy... but FUN! I spread the medium to the inside of one bangle with the palette knife like spreading cake icing. I put it on very painterly and some areas were thicker and more textured than others.
The other bangle I brushed the medium on with a cosmetic sponge - giving it a lighter coat, but giving it some texture in the strokes.
I set them both aside to dry. On top of the black gesso, the medium glowed a beautiful blue, but dries completely clear and tacky. The sponged on bangle was dry in about a half hour, but the other that I used a thicker slathering with a palette knife, took quite a while longer to completely dry {which was to be expected}.
With the one dry, I trimmed a square of Rebekah Meier Designs Transfer Foil in Patina in a couple strips so that it was easier to adhere to the inside of the bangle.
I burnished the foil down onto the tacky surface and used a paintbrush to help rub it into the texture. This was fun and EASY! Look at the texture... it's like a faux leather with a beautiful smoky silver color.
WOW!!! I loved how it looked so much I went back and painted the outside with gesso and repeated the process so that one bangle was completely covered in this gorgeous Patina silver.
Now back to finish the other bangle... I repeated the process applying the Patina foil to the inside. I am so impressed how the texture was transferred to the foil. I just need to add some paper to the outside first.
I trimmed the monoprint book paper to size and also a matching section of Rebekah Meier Designs Mixed Media Adhesive Sheet, then rounded corners to match the edges of the bangle.
I removed the backing and pressed the adhesive sheet in place around the bangle. I burnished this down real good before applying painted paper.
I rubbed edge of cut paper with a black marker to get rid of the white edge so I don't have to go back and fix that later {you can skip this part, but white edges drive me a little bonkers}. Then I peeled off the adhesive backing and pressed the painted paper in place.
OK here's a close-up of the inside texture. This is really awesome!!! I can't believe how easy this was to make... and there's NO MESS {no foil bits floating all over the place}.
Last thing I pressed the foil all around the edges to finish off any sticky parts that may have seeped around the sides. This is what is left of the two sheets of foil I used. Look at all the delicious texture that remains and I can use this to accent something else later.
I am so impressed at this transformation!
These babies are ready to wear!!
Blissful Blingy Bangles!
What would you transform
with decorative foils?
CLICK HERE to jump over to the beginning of the Rebekah Meier Designs and Therm O Web Bloghop at the Designer Crafts Connection blog.
To learn more about Rebekah Meier Designs {Mixed Media} for Therm O Web visit http://www.thermowebonline.com or visit Rebekah's Etsy store (RebekahMeierDesigns).
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Thanks so much for visiting! For more mixed-media inspiration visit the Designer Crafts Connection "Rebekah Meier Designs and Therm O Web Bloghop" bloghop HERE. Sb :)