USAQ DT Challenge #4

 

Sometimes, beauty is found in the simplest things.

When I received my kit for the USArtQuest Design Team challenge #4, I found a tin full of fabulous colors, sizes and shapes of mica chips and flakes.  The way the little jars were packaged reminded me of the wide array of bling embellishments available today.  I decided to make a batch of my own and started with some chipboard, die cut a bunch of shapes and then just started playing with them. It is really quite simple to do - brush each piece with a coating of PPA gloss and randomly sprinkle or artfully place flakes on top.  Leaving them to dry overnight, I was quite pleased when I revisited my treasures the next morning.  

For my DT project card, I selected this butterfly and decided the best way to transform it into a thing of beauty was to make a simple yet elegant backdrop.  Taking my inspiration from the colors of the mica flakes, I opted for a grey, blue and turquoise palette.  A little scoring around the edges, highlighted with some lightly dusted turquoise ink gently complements the butterfly without drawing the focus away from it.  And, taking my cue from our last challenge which included handmade papers, I cut a "mat" from a pretty paper bag and mounted the entire piece to a soft blue grey square card.  Can you "shabby chic?" 

Be sure to check out the cool projects created by the rest of the USAQ DT (see links on the right).