Hi all. Seth Apter back on the blog, sharing a recent piece that I have created. One of my mottos when it comes to mixed media is
more is more. There is always room for one more layer or a little more texture. But I also have another motto and that is
it is all in the details. I have learned that even the smallest detail, perhaps not even noticed at first glance, can elevate your artwork. Put those two mottos together and I bet you can guess that I like a lot of detail.
This piece includes the usual suspects in much of my art: hand painted paper, die cuts, stamping, layering, and text. But as I create, I always ask myself if I can take it to a more interesting place by adding a detail. Remember, more is more.
The surface for this artwork is a piece of handpainted paper. The extra detail here is texture, which was added by running the paper through the
Spellbinders® Platinum Die Cutting and Embossing Machine in my
Gridiron embossing folder. The raised surface was then sponged with ink from an ink pad to add emphasis.
Anytime there are holes or spaces within a die cut, I adhere paper in a contrasting color on the backside rather than just gluing the die cut directly to the background. This adds more depth and interest to the piece. In this case, the circular die cut with the word FLY from my
Take Flight die set was backed with a rich burgundy color.
Look again and you will see a second detail. I adhered a metal ring around the same die cut to give the element a more finished look.
Zooming out allows you to see the larger die cut that is from my
Shield die set. Three small holes around the perimeter of the circle are part of the die design. Rather than simply leave them as is, I added an eyelet to each one. I love the addition of industrial metal and dimension that this brings. And notice that both the larger die cut as well as the three eyelets are also backed with contrasting paper.
While the top and side edges of this piece are cut smoothly, I decided to tear the bottom edge of the artwork. This detail adds an unexpected contrast and this difference guides the eye from the top of the artwork all the way to the bottom.
Look closely and you will notice another detail. All the elements that are adhered to the surface have been outlined using either a black or a white journal pen. Outlining connects all the pieces to the background while at the same time makes them pop off the surface.
The element at the top of the artwork is the smallest die cut from my
Shield die set. It has been cut up and adhered to the top edge of the piece. Rather than adding the die cut as is, I added the additional detail of a designed, stamped using one of the two stamps in my
Turnarounds 1 stamp set. Many of my stamps and dies were designed to work together to be better able to add the extra detail.
I would love to know if you have any of your own go-to details that you find yourself adding to your work over and over. Share in the comments and thank you for spending this time with me.
Spellbinders® Supplies:
Spellbinders® Platinum Die Cutting and Embossing Machine
SEL-002 Gridiron Embossing Folder
S4-745 Shield Etched Dies Set
S4-620 Take Flight Etched Dies Set
SBS-032 Turnarounds 1 Stamp Set
Other Supplies:
Watercolor Paper (Hand Painted), Scissors, Adhesive, Ink Pads, Eyelets and Eyelet Setting Tools, metal Embellishment, Gel Pens, Craft Sponge, Rub On Letters
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Start by printing out your free 4th of July printable (
Next cut 
Next, line your printable up to cut with the 
Using the big and little stars from 
Using square adhesives, attach the printable to the blue tag. I like using the square adhesives to give it some extra dimension. I also offset the tags so you can see the blue peeking through.
Once you have the tags attached, you can glue the stars in place. I used a tiny square adhesive to make the gold stars pop. And finally, using the twine, attach the tag to the bottle and add your straws!
Although I used these tags to dress up the drinks, they'd also be perfect for party favors! For more ideas and inspiration, visit: