Machine Power with Jess Larios

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the Zuri blog. Today I have something on a much larger scale to share. A 16×20 inch canvas to be exact. I don’t typically create pieces quite this large, but I quite liked it. I’m always looking for a challenge plus I wanted to use the Machines mould so I decided to go BIG. I am always amazed at the level of detail on each and every one of these moulds. Using the creamy Zuri waxes allows those details to stand out even more! I hope you are inspired to use the mould and we look forward to seeing your creations.
1. Begin by making your background
*Hint: I used rice papers
2. Once the papers dry, put down a little bit of crackle paste randomly
*Hint: I used a copper-colored crackle
3. Seeing those crackles makes my eyeballs so happy! It’s setting the theme up just right for these beautiful castings.
4. Alter your castings using black gesso and waxes
5. Dry brush on some bright yellow acrylic paint to the castings
6. Once the crackle is dry, splatter some black paint and distress the edges of the canvas using black acrylic paint
7. After the black frame is dry, dry brush on some of that bright yellow along the edges
*Hint: This gives it a frame and, in my opinion, provides an overall finished and complete look
8. Lay down your castings and MDF pieces
9. For finishing touches, add various waxes to make them stand alone
**Here are some close-ups for you to enjoy*
**I hope you enjoyed your time here today!**

Cracks in Time with Jess Larios

Hello, Zuri fans! Welcome to the blog! I am so very honored and grateful to be here and I hope to inspire you in the coming months. For now, I’d like to take you to a warm place. If you can’t tell, I am going for an Egyptian vibe. I used multiple layers of texture to create a flaking stone wall. The border molds act as pieces of architecture left behind from the great empire for us to admire. The bugs and beetles are remnants of jewels embedded in the wall. I’ve always found purple to be a very royal color. Funny story, when making this piece I couldn’t decide how to color the bugs and beetles. You’d be surprised… I colored these castings twice before finally going with the royal purple. In the end, I found that painting them multiple colors like that really made them unique. What are we waiting for, let’s goooo!

Product List

Zuri, Inc.

Totem Pole

Seamless Borders 1

Seamless Borders 2

Seamless Borders 3

Seamless Borders 4

Steampunk Bug

Steampunk Beetle 1

Steampunk Beetle 2

Venetian Gold Wax

 

**Let’s get to molding, shall we?!**

 

1. You’ll want to begin laying down a nice layer of texture paste

*Hint: I make my own texture paste

2. Once that texture dries, put down a layer of crackle paste

*Hint: I used a copper-colored crackle

3. Seeing those crackles makes my eyeballs so happy! It’s setting the theme up just right for these beautiful castings.

4. Alter your border castings using black gesso and gold wax

5. Alter the bug and beetles using acrylic paint

*Hint: I couldn’t decide how I wanted to color these bugs so you will see three different colors which, in the end, I think turned out really cool.

6. Now that your castings are all painted, begin laying them down using your favorite adhesive

7. Before laying the bug and beetles down, distress the edges of the canvas using black acrylic paint

*Hint: This gives it a frame and, in my opinion, provides an overall finished and complete look

8. Attach your bug and beetle, raising them a bit with cardboard, to your border wall

9. For finishing touches, add a quote casting and some metal bits to the corners

*Hint: The quote casting I altered using black gesso, purple acrylic paint, and gold wax

 

Here is a close-up for you to enjoy!

I hope you had a good time with us today. Until next time stay crafty everyone!!

Meet Our 2022 Design Team!

Introducing our very talented Design Team for 2022!

Hello, Zuri fans!! First of all, we’d like to thank those of you who took the time to apply. Everyone did such beautiful work in giving us so much eye candy! We want to thank YOU for that. Making these choices has got to be one of the hardest jobs. There is so much talent! Without further ado, we want to present to you our new team for 2022!

We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with these beautiful ladies! We are sure that they will inspire you all year long and keep you coming back for more!

We would like to take this time to say give a big THANK YOU to all of you out there for supporting us, playing along with our challenges, and participating in the monthly mood boards. Your enthusiastic comments, social media follows, participation in our videos and live streams warm our hearts and make us so happy! You guys absolutely rock!!!

If you aren’t already following us, here are the Zuri links just in case you missed them…

Instagram

Facebook

Facebook Design with Zuri Group

YouTube

Put your hands together and congratulate these beautiful faces!

 

Nelly Bittle – DT Coordinator

 

Hey! Nelly here, I am a wife and proud mother to 3 amazing grown kids, a full-time mixed media artist, and a teacher for over 15 years.

I started as an acrylic painter and realized the paint was just not enough for me, I started mixing different mediums and items into my paint and projects until one day someone asked me if I was a mixed media artist and it just made sense. I’ve had a love for it ever since!

I also paint murals, teach classes, travel for art shows and conventions. I love to do it all!

When I’m not creating art, for work or pleasure, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, I love to be outside in nature, cooking, gardening, spending time at our summer place on the Chesapeake Bay, reading…I could get lost for days in a good book, as well as going to concerts and music events!!

Please consider following and supporting Nelly on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

TikTok

Website

 

Nelly’s favorite molds:

Graveyard

Ouija Board

Bat King

Nicole Palos – DT Coordinator 

 

Hi, Nicole here! I’m a married stay-at-home momma of 5! I started my art journey as a young child. I always had a passion for crafts or art in some form. drawing, painting, floral arrangements, wreath making, ceramics, just creating! I have painted murals on my bedroom walls. then I learned scrapbooking at 16! Anytime I saw something I liked, I taught myself how to do it. I started working with resin and designing phone cases. Then I found mixed media! That is where I was meant to be! I could take all the things I learned throughout the years and apply them! Altering objects is one of my favorites! Then journaling!

Sometimes I create layouts and sometimes cards! I love that I can take any art medium and use it where ever I want! No rules! When I’m not creating, I enjoy playing outside with my family!

Please consider following and supporting Nicole on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

Blog

Nicole’s favorite molds:

Lover of Darkness

Fairyland Mushrooms

Butterfly Wings

Lee-Anne Hill

 

Hiya I’m Lee-Anne and I am representing the UK Zuri Design team! I’ve been crafting all my life, from crochet, cardmaking, scrapbooking, painting, drawing, etc. etc. and then during start of COVID pandemic I eventually found mixed media which led me to Zuri molds and I was hooked! I love not being restricted the way fine art is and exploring the possibilities of what can be made with the molds, like an assemblage piece or a decorative box or using the mold itself to create something. My style is somewhat eclectic but I lean towards natural colors and I adore nature!

You can see her creations live on display for our special ODS sales live at The Craft Store

Please consider following and supporting Lee-Anne on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

Pinterest

Lee-Anne’s favorite molds…

Fire Breather

Pegasus

 

Courtney Hime

 

Hello everyone! My name is Courtney and I am a wife and proud mother of two wild boys! I also have two fur babies, an Aussie mix, and a Great Dane! My family and I currently live in Ohio, so naturally, I am a born and raised Ohio state buckeye fan! My favorite stress reliever is creating, and I like to ground myself by walking in nature! Crafting is something I use to escape, and it gives my heart so much joy to share my creations with others! I believe that art speaks when words fail…

Please consider following and supporting Courtney on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Etsy Shop

Instagram

Courtney’s favorite molds are…

Ornate Gate

The Alpha

Fairyland Mushrooms

Chaitali Dekhtawala

Hi! I am Chaitali and I am part of the US Zuri Design Team. I am a self-taught Mixed-Media Artist from Buffalo, NY. Started as a hobby 3 years back…today it’s a passion! I love creating layouts, home decor pieces, altering and redesigning. I adore mixed media art and love creating with flowers, chipboards and molds. I simply adore the designs and intricacy of Zuri molds. I am so impressed by the quality of their products and feel it’s a delight to work with them.. I always try to creatively experiment with them and showcase how versatile they really are! They are good for any type of projects and enhance the beauty of the decor. Looking forward to this great journey with Zuri!

Please consider following and supporting Courtney on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube 

Chaitali’s favorite molds are…

White Fangs 

Rising Phoenix

 

Jessica Larios

 

My name is Jess, also known as Matter of Crafts. I’m a versatile mixed media artist, proud mom, and wife. I scrapbook, make canvases, cards, and even alter furniture and home decor pieces. I pride myself on up-cycling whenever possible. I love working with flowers, layering papers, working with mold castings, and creating lots of my own different and interesting textures. I have a unique love and taste for the strange, creepy, and gory arts too.

Please consider following and supporting Jess on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Jess’ favorite molds are…

Lil Bit of Everything

Complete Letters and Monograms Set

 

Iryna Chevychalova

 

Hello creative friends! My name is Ira, I’m from Ukraine, and I’m super excited to be part of Zuri’s team! It was my dream for the last few years and I am incredibly happy that it came true! Hooray!!! A few words about myself I am fond of scrap, I love mixed media projects on magical, otherworldly, supernatural themes. In a word, werewolves, vampires, magicians, mermaids, unicorns, fairies and everything strange is my favorite topic))) Zuri Molds and I are the perfect couple, isn’t it?))) In addition to characters, each of my projects cannot do without a legend or a specially created story for it. I hope I can inspire you these six months!

Please consider following and supporting Iryna on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Iryna’s favorite molds are…

Graveyard

Lil bit of everything

Enchanted Castle

 

Annie Samson

My name is Annie, I live in the French province of Quebec in Canada. I am 44 years old, a mother of a beautiful young woman and a grand mother of 2 beautiful children. I am a very creative person and art have an important place in my life! I like to explore new techniques and have a passion for altering things. I do love to make scrapbooking layout, art journaling and altered objects. One of my passion is to used different medium to alter ornaments and molds. Can’t wait to share all my passion with you!

Please consider following and supporting Annie on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Annie’s favorite molds are…

Machines

Mariners Jewel

Lover of Darkness

 

Catalyst Echo

 

Crystal Lyn Moran, aka Catalyst Echo, is a life-long artist with a variety of specialties and mediums, with a passion for embellishment and color. She primarily uses Zuri Designs, Inc molds to embellish jewelry and keepsake boxes but she is looking forward to sharing a wider variety of mixed media projects as part of her contributions to the Design Team. She is passionate about showing the processes behind her creations and about helping others bring their inspirations to life.

Please consider following and supporting Crystal on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Twitter

TikTok

Pinterest

Etsy

Website

Catalyst Echo’s favorite molds are…

Rising Phoenix

Peacock Splendor

Blossoming Wings

 

Denese Balino

Hi, I’m Denese, better known as Dolphin Delite DesignZ. By day I’m a workaholic executive and by night I’m a mixed media artist married with two grown children and some grandkids. I have been surrounded by art my whole life but somehow it never occurred to me to try. About six years ago I became fascinated with Alcohol Inks as each piece is spontaneous, unique, and beautiful. One day I watched a video by an artist whose style absolutely fascinated me and I fell in love with mixed media. I have discovered a love of using various mediums to create texture, depth, and loads of color with highly pigmented inks, acrylics, metallic waxes, and art sprays. I also love using resin in molds to create focal points and depth. My style is with a heavy emphasis on steampunk, gothic, and grunginess (although I have been known to throw some flowers in there). To this day, I am always caught off guard when someone refers to me as an artist!

Please consider following and supporting Denese on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

Facebook

Etsy

Denese’s favorite molds are…

Graveyard

The Gemini

Machines

 

 

Christine David

 

My name is Christine David, I live in Quebec in Canada. I am a mother of two big boys, 12 and 17 years old. I started scrapbooking 16 years ago and for 6 years it has become a passion!! I really enjoy doing layouts, mixed media canvases, altering objects, and art journals. I love to play with lots of mediums, colors, inks, paints, pastes, castings… I love flowers so much, they are present in large numbers on almost all my creations.

Please consider following and supporting Christine on all her Creative Social Media Platforms…

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Christine’s favorite molds are…

Flower Festival

Lil Bit of everything

Lunar Calendar

 The Beautiful Brain Behind Zuri

Sophie

Founder and CEO of the company, Sophie thinks that everything is possible, and that the impossible only takes a little longer. She juggles between Zuri, crafting, cooking amazing meals and nurturing the family’s home zoo (mostly comprised of reptiles). When she has any time left, she cooks up plans about how to turn dreams into reality… then there she goes, poof! And Zuri, Inc, is born. Witchcraft!

 

Sophie’s favorite molds are…

Swan Dreams

Owl Tales

The Alpha

 

We are sure they will rock the year and bring loads of inspiration to you all!