customizing with distress...

today I thought I'd share several ways to customize 

my Blossom Bucket embellishments...

using my favorite distress products...

here's what the antiqued cream flower

 looks like ...

lots of detail...

which I love...

and it's perfect to use right from the package...

but what if your project really needs a blue flower?

just follow these simple steps...

shake the distress paint color of your choice & 

apply a small amount to your craft sheet...

I used broken china, but choose any of the beautiful colors...

pick up the paint with a piece of Cut N Dry foam...

or use a blending tool with foam...

tap off the excess paint...

then tap onto the flower...

& dry...

here's the result...

to add some metallic highlights to the petal edges...

shake the paint & apply a small amount to your craft sheet...

I like to use my finger to pick up a bit of the tarnished brass & rub that over the selected areas...

I did just the raised petal edges...

make sure to dry...

next step is to accent the center...

I used the peeled paint & walnut stain markers...

my flower now looks like this...

I originally quit there as I really liked it...

but then I saw the tumbled glass marker & decided to add some more shading to the petals...

and here's a better look at the finished flower...

with a total transformation...

from cream to broken china!

next up...

same Blossom Bucket flower...

but this time I wanted to change it to a darker color...

 after I shook the rusty hinge paint, 

I added the paint to the flower with the detailer water brush...

dried it, then used the tea dye marker to color the center...

just swipe the excess paint onto your craft sheet to clean the brush...

do that until it's back to clear water...

looking good...

I wanted darker petal edges this time, 

so added coffee archival with a piece of Cut N Dry foam...

pick up the ink & tap it on the flower petal edges...

& dry...

and a close up...

this time I used antique bronze to accent the petal edges...

and the finished custom flower...

***remember...***

the distress paints can be removed with water while they are wet...

so if the color you chose isn't what you really wanted, run it under the faucet...the color is GONE & you can start again...

the distress paint is permanent when it's dry...

the distress paints work on many surfaces...

these Blossom Bucket's are made with resin...

you can change any of the distress colors to pastel by mixing in a bit of the antique linen or picket fence distress paints with any of the colors before applying the paint to your surface...

archivals are permanent when dry...

archivals = AWESOME!

if you're working on smaller pieces, it helps to add a glue dot or a tiny piece of wonder tape to the back of your piece & then pop it onto your craft sheet...

that holds the piece still,

 so you can attack it with the paint...

or markers...

that's what I did with this white flower...

a tiny piece of wonder tape holds it securely to the craft sheet...

so I could add black soot distress paint...

I wiped off some of the paint before it dried completely...

I did that to the silver center too...

just what I like...

very worn & vintage...

I can use this alone or I might add it to the center 

of a larger art parts flower...

decisions...

decisions...

there are LOTS of other fun 

Blossom Bucket pieces 

that are easy to customize with the distress paints...

some are...

THE bird...

shut the front door!...

these shutters...

they fit the door...

and...

these hearts...

ok...

now it's 

time for YOU to...

have a GREAT weekend and

make art!

wendy