Tips & Techniques Tuesday: Homemade Stickles Embellishments

 Hey there, it's Ann from the All that Stickles Design Team and today I get to share with you how I make some of my own embellishments.  One of the perks of being a mixed media artist and designer is that I have loads of stuff.   However, it does happen that what I have on hand isn't exactly what I need  .

        When that happens I improvise and make what I need.  Yes, I could just run out and grab something from my little local scrapbook store but it might be closed, especially late at night!  Then  

   I am  trying to use what I already have and I can't justify running out, spending money and gas on MORE supplies.  

For example, in the first picture I show you that I have on hand these blue glittery stars and black swirls and flowers.  I wanted those shapes, somewhat, but not those colours.  These embellishments will be needed for another project so I can't just alter them.

So by searching a little in my huge scrap box and recycling bin. I come across some leftover balsa wood stars and a scrap die cut star.

   These are perfect and I just need to paint them and add stickles to make them glittery!

                           

                                                                                                                                                           Same goes for the swirls, I make some die cuts out of recycled food packaging, paint them and decorate with more stickles.  I also did that with a few cardstock scraps to make flowers.

                                        

It's so much fun to take some humble cardboard and scraps of paper and to transform into some pretty embellishments that are original, colour coordinated to my project,  and inexpensive.  A little Stickle goes a long way!

The above is an example of my homemade embellishments enhanced with stickles.  I made this 12 x 12 layout several years ago, and it was pivotal in boosting my confidence to make more of my own original embellishments.  I used some chipboard, paint, a broken necklace chain, a few eyelets, brads and of course Stickles to make the balls and chains for this Pirates theme page.  Look closer and you can see there are more stickles used to enhance the skull's cap.  The swirls were also made from chipboard that I painted, added stickles, glued beads, and touched up with more stickles!

I hope that this inspires you to be brave and build your own embellishments.  For more ideas check out my  blog:  Annmakes. Thanks for looking.