Bee-lieve

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2016

A dear friend is having some health issues. I wanted to send her a small gift to cheer her up but know she is limited on space. This 4 x 6” mixed media piece will be perfect and will bring a smile to her face.

Supplies:

·       Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits

·       A sunny window

·       Blender, strainer, cello sponges and soft towels

·       Scraps of white or off white (think junk mail, etc.)

·       Scraps of chip board to die cut (I used cereal boxes)

·       Die: Tonic Studios™ #172E Believe/Love Frames Topper set

·       Embossing folder: Swirl design

·       Tonic Studios™ Tangerine™ die cutting machine

·       Stencil: die cut from Tonic™ Honeycomb Simply Screens #1048E

·       Antiquing ink pads in blue, rusts and light brown

·       ColorBox™ Stylus handle & white tips

·       Tonic Studios™ Nuvo™ Crystal Drops Wedgewood Blue #660N (or match ink color)

·       1 ½ x 3”scrap of mat board

·       Large Bee jewelry finding

·       Amazing™ Mold Putty™

·       Air dry polymer clay: gold color

·       Beacon ZipDry^TM and Beacon QuickGrip^TM adhesive, double sided foam tape     

·       Substrate: 4 x 6” box insert from clear acrylic frame (or make your own)

·       Iron, old credit card

Instructions:

1.     Follow the instructions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create a half sheet of light weight handmade paper. 

2.     Allow the paper to dry.

3.     Iron the paper to make it smooth.

4.     Apply the ZipDry™ adhesive to the substrate with the old cc.

5.     Carefully smooth out the handmade paper, covering the top and sides of the box.

6.     Allow adhesive to dry.

7.     Use the Stylus™ and tip to apply various ink colors through the stencil around the edge and front of the box, adding interest to the surface.

8.     Use the Amazing Mold Putty™ to create a mold from the large Bee jewelry finding.

9.     When the mold is dry, create a polymer clay Bee.

10.  Allow the clay to dry.

11.  Die cut 4 each of the word “Believe” from the scraps of chipboard.

12.  Layer and glue the word to create thickness.

13.  Place the piece of mat board inside the embossing folder, run through the machine to emboss the swirl design. (Note: if you first lightly mist the mat board it will emboss deeper.)

14.  Apply the same colors of inks to the embossed mat board.

15.  Attach the mat board to the left side of the front of the box with double sided foam tape.

16.  Attach the clay Bee on an angle to the middle of the mat board with QuickGrip™ adhesive.

17.  Add a blue Crystal Drop “bead’ to the top right of the embossed and inked mat board piece.

18.  Attach the layered saying to the middle right with ZipDry™ adhesive.

19.  Set the finished art piece on a small easel for display.