Mixed Media Plaque

Hello there!  It's Amy from Mod Podge Rocks.  I've been in the small project mood lately.  Sometimes you just need instant gratification!  I've also been thinking a lot about gifts lately - I think because so many of my pals have summer birthdays.  I love making gifts and I love personalizing, so this was a natural fit.  It's sort of a mixed media plaque, sort of an experiment, because I think my friend would like it.  I encourage you to play, too.  Here's how I made this.

Nature Frames

Those small rocks at the bottom of a fish tank suddenly popped into my mind while I was driving home from work over the weekend.  Not the bright colored blue and aqua green rocks, but the natural brown, black, and white ones. 

I imagined them in my mind...framing a photo of myself on a beach in Monaco.  The beaches there have pebbles instead of sand.  The idea seemed to make the picture 3-dimensional in my imagination...with the tiny rocks popping off the glossy paper and landing on the frame.  Before I arrived home, I found myself scouring the aisles of a dollar store.  I found a bag of rocks, larger than I'd hoped for, but in the price range I required...$1.  Nearby, 2-for-1 wooden frames, and some floral moss called my name.  I suddenly had plans for two nature frames for a total of just over $3.  Now, I had to make this image in my mind come to life...the beauty of creating!!

For the rock frame I would suggest a strong gel adhesive like a glue gun.  You need a gel because it helps you ease the rocks into position...just make sure it will dry clear.  This project is as easy as placing the rocks on the frame one at a time, letting some slip over the edge to cover the wood and make it interesting.  Just make sure your bottom is even if you are placing the frame on a flat surface.  Nothing to it.  For the moss frame, I bought a room temperature gel adhesive so I could press down on the moss until it held, without burning my fingers.  Then, I sprayed it with hair spray to try to keep the pieces connected in place.  You can certainly add embellishments...the moss frame calls for a little bird in the corner...whatever fits your style.  The nature frames gave my pictures more character and they look lovely on my shelf.  Of course, the fact that I planned to share this project on my blog resulted in the immediate elimination of my bikini photo.  I'm crafty, not crazy.