Easter Parade at Emerald Creek Dares!

Hi and servus again! This is my second post today, so if you have missed my invitation to my second appearance as  guest designer for Calico Craft Parts find out about it HERE.

But this post sees me designing for Emerald Creek and my lovely boss Kim Evans! This time I am sharing an Easter project that is a little "different".

Over at Emerald Creek Dares today the new challenge showcases the amazing Emerald Creek "Easter Parade" embossing powder (love it!). You all know me - I am not really good at doing cute, I am more the grunge type of crafter - so even if that embossing powder is a pastel yellow with beautiful blue and lilac sparkle and iridiscence in it and I love it for being all of that, I still

didn't succeed in overcoming my darker, grungier side. lol

I call this my ANGEA - my "Absolutely Non-Girly Easter Assemblage" and it originated from looking at this emptied egg container for quite a long time:

And I swear I was thinking (or rather trying to think) of some cute bunnies and/or eggs, grass and chicks being stuffed carefully arranged into this container, have it embellished with bright and lovely spring papers or colours - and make the Easter Parade embossing powder the perfect addition and star to my little Happy Easter project.

About ten minutes later I found myself having ended up with this - a piece of (thoroughly) cut to size foam board and the cut off back and lid of the egg container. 

Then I created an Easter-ly black (!) background by spreading black Gesso all over the foam board with a wide soft brush. So much for my cute, bright Happy Easter project.

After the Gesso had dried I started scraping on various tones of Distress paints with a palette knife, letting each colour dry before I added the next.

The egg container parts were painted in a soft purple and heat embossed using the Easter Parade and St. Paddy's Day Emerald Creek embossing powders.

I also randomly dabbed on some of the Distress paints I had used on the foam board onto the egg container with an old hard bristle brush.

Four of the lovely Emerald Creek "Fleur" brads were customized by dabbing on some "twisted citron" Distress paint with my finger.

To make my egg container blend in with the background panel I also added smudges of Easter Parade embossing powder to the painted foam board. 

Next I assembled my painted pieces and smudged some black soot Distress Crayon around the foam board's edges to create a visual frame. I also stamped some scratches on top of the Distress paints for a more industrial and grunge look.

The Distress Crayons smudge perfectly like this and stick really well to the Distress paints!

The outer edge of the foam board was covered with some washi tape of a matching colour.

The heat embossed label was given some outline smudges of black soot Distress Crayon too. And a happy easter chit chat sticker was stuck to the label for a finish.

I added a small Easter egg and some green faux grass - et voilá! 

Please, hop over to Emerald Creek Dares to check out the projects of the team! I would also love to see you play along of course. ;)

Happy Easter to you! 

Hugs and happy crafting,

Claudia 

xxx

Emerald Creek supplies used: 

EC Easter Parade embossing powder

EC St. Paddy's Day embossing powder

EC Fleur brads

Distress paints

Palette knife

Distress Crayons Set#3