DCC Blog Hop: Colorique and U-Paint Metal Crafts

Today, I am blog hopping with the Designer Crafts Connection, ColorBox Colorique by Lisa Marie Jimenez, and U-Paint Metal Crafts!

U-Paint Metal Crafts are the perfect addition to any of your holiday decor projects. I took this plain wire basket from drab to fab with the Holiday Horn metal piece and ColoriQue ink. ColoriQue is amazing -- it's so easy to create a verdigris patina effect in just a couple of steps!

I started by washing the metal piece with soap and water. This removes any grease or metal dust that may be on the piece from the manufacturing process. After drying, I painted the piece with a light coat of white acrylic paint to serve as a primer as well as a base color for my patina effect.

Once the primer coat was dry, I then applied Clearsnap ColorBox ColoriQue by Lisa Marie Jimenez in Verdigris using a foam sponge paint brush. I applied it lightly using a tapping technique so that some of the white paint can still be seen.

Lastly, I applied Clearsnap ColorBox ColoriQue by Lisa Marie Jimenez in Black Diamond using the same sponging technique. This really helped to give the piece an antiqued look!

I finished the piece by sealing the color with a heat tool. Just make sure to protect your fingers -- this piece is metal so it will be hot! I then took a wire basket that I picked up at my local big box store and attached a velvet Christmas bow. Using hot glue, I attached the Holiday Horn to the bow.

Imagine how pretty this would be in your bathroom holding hand towels for guests or as a beautiful gift basket filled with kitchen items!

Now go check out all of the other beautiful holiday pieces from U-Paint Metal Crafts and ColoriQue over at the Designer Crafts Connection blog -- you are sure to find something that will inspire you to make something beautiful!

"Love is Love" Metal Bookmark

Love is such a powerful subject matter because it comes in so many different shapes and sizes. It's about timing, fate, failure, redemption. -- Jim Sturgess

To honor those lost last year in the Pulse nightclub massacre, I decided to create a "love is love" bookmark using the Linked Hearts Bookmark by U‐Paint® Metal Crafts. I used some amazing acrylic paints from DecoArt and beautiful glitter from Tonic Studios. This bookmark celebrates love in all of its forms and reminds me that we are all in this together!

Patriotic Metal Star Wreath

Disclosure: As a member of the U‐Paint® Metal Crafts Creative Team, I received products for free in exchange for my designs. 

This mini wreath might be small but it packs a large patriotic punch!

I used a star from U‐Paint® Metal Crafts and painted it using Americana® Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint™ by DecoArt® to give it a distressed, rustic look. 

"Maine Squeeze" Scrapbook Page featuring U-Paint Metal Crafts

Disclosure: I am a member of the U-Paint Metal Crafts design team. I received free products in exchange for my designs. This post also contains affiliate links; I receive a small percentage of sales through those links.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am now a member of the U-Paint Metal Crafts Creative Team! I am so excited to show y'all just how cool and versatile these metal embellishments are. For my first project, I decided to go back to my first crafting love -- scrapbooking!

Exciting news -- New DT's

It's been a busy time over here at Forty11 Designs, and it's just getting busier... and better. I have been named as a brand ambassador for U-Paint Metal Crafts and Buttons Galore!

U-Paint Metal Crafts is an arm of the Frank Morrow Company, designed expressly for DIY craft market. After eleven months of effort, the all-new crafts division features three unique lines for the craft industry and individual DIY crafters.  

I am part of their very first design team and I can't wait to show y'all all the cool uses for these awesome products.

I am also a new member of the brand-new Buttons Galore team! Buttons Galore was established in 1998 primarily as a wholesale distributor of craft supplies. Since inception, the company has evolved into a designer and manufacturer of novelty buttons and other embellishments. 

So be sure to check back here often to see all of the new things that I will be sharing with y'all. Lots of fun and exciting crafts are just around the corner!