Hey!

Ever think you may not have exactly what you want in your stash?  Well - maybe you do but you don't realize it!
I will show you how to 'alter' a pre-finished Alphabet Letter - watch as it goes from plain fuzzy yellow to crazy, treasure glitter!

OK - this morning while having coffee, I looked around to see what I want to work on in my craft studio.....when I spot this book, a project that is a work-in-progress. You may have seen my earlier post when I altered a children's book into this.....here is the cover:

Labels: ACCENTS-Chipboard, Altered Art

Beautiful day!   Hi stamper girlz!

Here's a glimpse into my world today as we took the dog out for a stroll - gorgeous blossoming trees in our nearby park!  My camera just can not do them justice....so pretty.



So my next pic is something inspired by the rich clusters of blossoms - and I will reveal it once its completed soon!  Stay tuned - I think it will be something I can use for Mother's Day!!



Happy crafting out there!

crafty hugs,
Beverly

Happy Birthday hunny!  Whooo-hooo!  Another grand year ahead - and you've your whole life in front of you in which to have all your fabulous plans! Well, hope you had a lovely time - even though you had your last final exam on a Saturday which was also your birthday, lol - - and training for your new job for 5 hours the night before!!! Now relax - enjoy! oxox

 I can't believe it but my daughter has turned 22! Yikes where does the time go! I could say a million things about our life together but I won't in the interest of time and blogging, lol! Suffice to say that I am just happy to have a healthy, 22 yr old adult child - oh my, that sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it! Ha ha

Well, what I can say for sure is look how CUTE my card is standing among the giants beside it on the tv!


Next, I made two creases 1/4 inch on either side of the center fold of the new shape, for the OWL to stand up......and not happy with just that, I made the STAND.  Just a length of paper folded at 2 spots, about 1 inch apart.  Here is the side view...

Hello-hello!

LOOK - another project around the home....this time, I re-dressed a milk carton!  I love it now!  In its "former" life, it was packaging for a set of scented home products from William Sonoma. And I loved it for awhile, but when I was finished with it (it had Christmas all over it!!) ...I thought it was too good to toss.  So I tucked it away for a rainy day.

Then in the first days of the weather turning warmer, I found it and decided it would be a nice addition to my kitchen or hallway. But in a new suit, so to speak.





TRACE THE ORIGINAL - CUT OUT A PATTERN
If you find something similar, in order to re-dress the surface, it's best to 'pick apart' the original.
a) Make a template.
And if you would like a template to make another, then this is the time to trace the whole thing - which I did - onto a large piece of poster card ($1 store!). Then I cut the template pattern out with scissors, and a hobby knife for interior slots.
b) Cut your new Cardstock /Paper
Using your new template, trace the outline onto the back side of the 12x12 in. cardstock/paper.  Do all sections.  Gently trace any interior sections that need to be cut out with a hobby knife - careful, to not tear your paper!
Now - you have your traced outline transferred to your cardstock/papers....cut away!
[ I always take my time on this step because I don't want my scissors to cut away too much....now its time to glue!]

RE-ASSEMBLE your original - because now its time to re-cover it.

ALTERING THE SURFACE
c) Re-cover the object

I use plain old white glue! (gasp!)  It's true, but you could use your own method - like adhesive spray - or even tape the entire outline [be careful to get all areas that might buckle if they are not secured down].
Anyways, I apply lines of white glue and then scrape it down (like washing the windows!) ...so I only leave a thin film of glue ...

...then line up the cardstock/paper to the old milk crate (your project) ...and working from the middle of each section, press and slide your hand to smooth out the cardstock/paper to the object's surface outward in all directions.  Starting in the middle assures that you will not slide the paper to one side, and helps to prevent buckles.   [Depending on your method, check to see how everything is working out in the first 5 mins. Sometimes, a piece is buckled up, so you should smooth it down ---a little coaxing! ]

d) Embellish
I used some lovely ribbon sent to me by a friend - such a nice green! Love the embroidered flowers!  And to really add a 'punch' - I used one of Stampin' Up!'s fabric flowers and a nifty silver brad!
VOILA!!!

Now by recycling, I have a nice beautiful, FRESH looking addition to my hallway. I used it to hold flowers for Easter.  I am waiting to recycle some frappachino bottles - the ones shaped like little milk bottles? They may hold some small embellishments - more storage! Won't that look great!

I am also working on matching coasters!  :)

Labels: 3D, Altered Art

Butterflies are always beautiful on cards - well, everything really.  So its no wonder I love our Big Shot's Bigz die Beautiful Butterflies.

This past week I have been working on a card where I received my inspiration from 2 places....a) a paint chip which had the colours burgandy, a gold, a peachy tone and a vanilla. I dug around my papers and came up with some Bravo Burgandy, Apricot Appeal and Very Vanilla. The peachy colour was also my second source for my inspiration .....b) a floral pick with butterflies.


So armed with that - I began to put my card together, with the Bravo Burgandy being the card base, and the Apricot Appeal (in  patterned prints) lending itself to becoming butterflies. A little embellishment went into the butterfly die cuts - I used matching Apricot Appeal chalk to darken the butterfly centers, and glittered the largest butterfly.

To add tactile interest, I crimped one of the smaller butterflies, and wrapped green ribbon around the card base to suggest the greenery of the butterflies's surroundings. Finally, I added an actual strip from the floral pick because I didn't have anything else that would be as nice!

Once I had the butterflies & ribbon attached - I had to move on to the important task of the greeting!

Since there was a large span of bare cardstock - I used tone-on-tone inking to create a 'word-scape' and chose these basic words that together suggest to the recipient that true values in life are still the basic ones: friends, nature, gratitude. To wrap it all together, my greeting says: "Count your Blessings". 

So there it is, a simple paint chip peeking at me from a corner pile of papers started it all - and a glance around my home to capture more ideas all brought me to this card's creation. You just never know where you're next inspiration will come!

Labels: DIE-CUTTING BIG SHOT, MOTIF-Butterfly, Stampin Up MAKES

Basically, the same card in Lavender Lace. But I chose to

Labels: ACCENT-Flower, CARDS - Summer, DIE-CUTTING Punch Art, MOTIF - Garden, Window Cards

If you happened to see the post below about sponging up embossed paper with ink - swiping the ink away to reveal the embossed pattern again, then you will recognize that I used this idea once more on my box lid!

In fact, that is how this box came to be!  I started inking and created 2 small squares of our Bridal Paper in white, re-inked to a pinky-red and a yellow.

Then I tripped over a small lid in my drawer. It has been there about a year!  It was made using our mini-scallop envelope, and I guess I got distracted and left it - or maybe I ran out of inspiration.

However - armed with the two pieces of scrap paper and a box lid - I had inspiration at last! The squares fit perfectly inside the box lid - and this all culminated in my creating this box. What I also think is nifty is the flower I stuck on top. That's an idea my daughter pointed out to me in a gift store - a small photo album had a fake flower on its cover. I was on a roll!  I decided to add beads - so with soft bead wire, I created the little beaded corners (this requires patience! but its not all that hard).

So with a few tweaks and a few twists, I finished my box and it is sitting in my china cabinet, now I just need an occasion to use it for - it would make a really nice gift box don't you think?

Thanks for dropping by!

Cheers!

Labels: 3D, ACCENT-Flower, DIE-CUTTING BIG SHOT, POPULAR PROJECTS - Boxes, Stampin Up MAKES

STAMPIN' UP! has announced changes to its colour line-up, with the previous Color Families being replaced with: BRIGHTS, SUBTLES, REGALS and NEUTRAL COLLECTIONS. 

 25 colours which will remain - 5 BRAND NEW colours are being added, and the IN COLORS will remain for a 2 year stay from this current lineup onwards, but will have a new line-up of In Colors every year as before. Therefore by 2012 there will be 10 In Colours present at any one time from that point forward.

So with the 40 CORE COLOR COLLECTION + 10 IN COLORs = 50 COLORS by 2011-2012.

The Core Collection has absorbed some of this year's In Colors to its line-up: Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry. And  returning previous In Color favourites: Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, River Rock, Red Riding Hood and Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi.

That I personally am in love with - I use my River Rock, Wild Wasabi and Baja Breeze all the time! My Pink Pirouette and Pacific Point were lovingly being coddled in my collection - I was afraid to use the last of them up, lol! Now I can order more and whup it up!

YES - this means there will be adjustments made to all product containing colours such as Stampin Pastels, our Crayons, etc. I will post on those a bit later.

Confused?  I hope not - it will all make sense by the time the catalogues have made their way to you, and you see the new line-up of In Colors and we get craftin' like crazy with all the new stuff!  It's always a lovefest when the new cattys arrive, this year it will just be a bit more crazy!


SAY GOODBYE!

However, many colours are not coming back....and you will need to look at your collection to see if those going make up a major part of your current craft projects - because YOU MAY WANT TO ORDER THEM BEFORE THEY ARE GONE!


Please contact me if you wish to order before the new changes arrive in summer.

Salute and Fond Farewell, in alphabetical order:
Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Bordering Blue, Brilliant Blue, Brocade Blue, Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Gable Green, Glorious Green, Going Gray, Green Galore, Handsome Hunter, Lavender Lace, Lovely Lilac, Mellow Moss, Only Orange, Orchid Opulence, Pale Plum, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Sage Shadow, Summer Sun, Taken with Teal, YoYo Yellow.

Happy Easter.

Has every one been enjoying their week-end?  It has been beautiful weather-wise which has made for a gorgeous backdrop to our enjoyment. Up early for Sunrise Service down by the lake - and then a breakfast of Hot Cross buns and jam, coffee and fruit. Simply nice start to the day here in our home. I hope it has been a lovely week-end for everyone!

And look what arrived in my mailbox!

A gracious friend, Sofia has sent along this adorable bunny card.  Thank you Sofia!