Textured brick sheets in hearth-when to install?

[Amber Celeste]

Hi! Newbie question!

I want to use brick pattern sheets (http://www.dickblick.com/products/plastruct-patterned-sheets/) to line my fireplace hearth and I'm not sure the best way to go about it.  Should they be installed before or after I put it into the fireplace opening?

I also would like to use the same brick to around the chimney.  Would this product work for that?  I'm not sure how it would work on the corners?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Edited October 31, 2016 by Amber Celeste

[havanaholly]

I use sandpaper for bricks and for the fireplaces I glued them in before adding the chimneybreast:

They were actually leftovers from building my 1:12 scale pub:

[Amber Celeste]

I can't believe that is sandpaper!  It looks so realistic!

Not sure I have the skill (or the patience) to pull that off though! ;) 

Cool deer painting on the mantle too! 

[havanaholly]

I described in excruciating detail about making sandpaper bricks in my Team Glencroft building blog entry for 22 August 2005.

51 minutes ago, Amber Celeste said:

...Cool deer painting on the mantle too! 

That's a piece of a wine label; mini art is where you find it.