Belle Papier {pretty paper}

Happy Thursday! Today we have another fun ways to use it challenge for you. Think inch by inch. With the popularity of Inchies…today’s challenge is to focus on inch-size squares. Either use the Inchies or make your own or use one inch size fragments or glass pieces. If it is sized an inch…use it! My good friend Lindsey is posting the challenge for me today. It’s one of those life happens days…too many appointments etc. all in one morning! Check out the challenge here!

I’ve created two designs for this challenge. Now I have to tell you… I did cheat a little on the first. I had this idea I just had to try out using my new Hometown Pride Thomas Kinkade image and my new soldering kit. Do you think I could find my 1 inch square glass tiles?! Unfortunately not so this pendant is not the perfect one inch square. It is actually sized one inch by 3/4 of an inch. Hope you’ll forgive me.

Hometown Pride Flag Pendant

While I’m not American, I thought this would be a really fun project. Although I didn’t incorporate this idea…here’s one that I thought of while creating this…. A friend of mine’s husband is serving in Iraq which got me thinking….wouldn’t this make a great gift with the flag on one side and his photo on the other?

This design is my first attempt at soldering. It was a little tricky and I definitely need to practice but I’m loving the results. If you try it out…DO be careful. I ended up with two rather burnt fingers in the process. Ouch! I found that adding on the jump ring at the top was the most difficult part. My 17yo just happened to come home at the right time and gave me a helping hand. Thanks James!

To create this design, I simply stamped out my Thomas Kinkade Hometown Pride image (to be released tomorrow) from Cornish Heritage Farms onto some white cardstock. I colored in a section of the image that I wanted to use with my Copic Markers. The soldering kit is by Simply Swank and includes all you really need to get started. I think you’re going to see lots more soldered projects here and this just may be addicting. If you’re looking for a great tutorial…Ellen Hutson’s really helped me out tremendously!

Petite Bébé

My second project is one I just couldn’t resist making after purchasing some new Making Memories paper & goodies a couple weeks ago. I noticed that they would work perfectly with a Kim Hughes stamp set that she designed months ago and will finally be released at the beginning of June. It’s called Baby Love and oh baby…I’m in love with it! Some of the little sentiments and a baby onesie were perfect for stamping on my inchies. For one of the squares, I simply covered it with patterned paper and adhered a button. Now what I thought was really fun…the epoxy buttons are a perfect one inch square too! I created a fun little grid with them and then clipped on my darling little giraffe. Now I’m all ready for a baby boy arrival. Hmmmm….wonder whether my friend Naomi is having a boy or a girl?

Have a fabulous day!
Julia

Supply List:

Stamps:
Baby Love (Kim Hughes LIne) by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink: Pitch Black Adirondack INk by Ranger

Cardstock:
-Spring Willow Dark by Prism
-Baby Blue Medium by Prism
-white cardstock by Prism

Patterned Paper:
Making Memories

Accessories:
-Copic Markers
-Inchies
-clip, ribbon and epoxy embellishments by Making Memories

I was wandering through Michael’s the other day and came across this darling wood-edged blackboard. I just couldn’t resist pairing it up with one of Kim Hughes’ new stamp sets called Making the Grade by Cornish Heritage Farms. This set is perfect for teacher’s gifts, end of the year projects and layouts and back to school ideas. This blackboard frame is 8.5″ x 12″ and is stamped with Stazon ink. Lots of space to still write messages on, I thought this design might be fun for a classroom. Also released today is Kim’s darling stamp set, The Landing Pad. I know you’re going to love these sets!

Schoolhouse Welcome Blackboard

I started off this design by stamping around the wood frame with the pencil image and my Burnt Umber Palette Ink. Using a couple of Copic Markers, it was super quick to color in the images. I just love pairing this set up with the Lined Paper Backgrounder and I started by stamping it in

White Stazon directly on the blackboard. To add in some color, I stamped my tree and schoolhouse image directly onto some Fleuriste patterened paper by Cosmo Cricket. They were then cut out and adhered to the blackboard. Using a liquid adhesive such as Ranger Glossy Accents works really well for this. To add in some texture, I covered a chipboard star with some Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint. I’m just loving jumbo ric rak lately…you may have noticed ;)…and it is from Creative Impressions.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Julia

Supply List:

Stamps:
-Making the Grade (Kim Hughes line) by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Lined Paper Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
-white Stazon by Tsukineko
-Burnt Umber Palette Ink by Stewart Superior
-Red Adirondack ink by Ranger

Paper:
-Fleuriste 8×8 paper pad by Cosmo Cricket

accessories:
-Copic markers to color in pencils
-chipboard star by Basic Grey
-Old Paper Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint by Ranger
-button by Autumn Leaves
-ric rac by Creative Impressions

Today’s post combines a double challenge. Today’s Ways to Use it Challenge and also, a year long challenge I’m working on each month. This challenge is called the Divine Design Bible Verse Challenge and Lori Craig put out the challenge to anyone who wanted to jump in. I’ve been creating a Maya Road chipboard book. Each chipboard page is covered with patterned paper, has a passage that I’ve memorized and means something to me and I get to have fun embellishing it. I know this project will be one I’ll treasure always. So many times we make cards or projects that we send away. This one I’m making just for me and adding in as many shabby goodies as I like.

Today’s Ways to Use it Challenge is a rerun….finding ways to use chipboard. I had a request for some ideas and as I always love my chipboard… Pull yours out too and have some fun! Play along with the challenge at WT165.

Two Sparrows Page

I’ve been using patterned paper from the Basic Grey Stella Ruby 6×6 paper pad on each page of this album. I love the shabby look and beautiful colors and it all ties together so nicely when you use one line for a project. My verses are from Matthew 10:29-31 and I printed them out onto some Natural Smooth cardstock on my computer. To add subtle interest without taking away from the words, I added in some flowers from the Silhouette Blooms 1 stamp set by Cornish Heritage Farms.

As for chipboard…well, I love my chipboard! This album is a 6×6 Maya Road Chipboard album with a binder clip binding. I love how easy it is to take the pages in and out to alter. To add more chipboard to my design, I added a little chipboard arrow to highlight the verse that really means something to me. Another chipboard element is one you’ve probably seen lots of in my designs….the Maya road chipboard flourish. I LOVE these! This one is painted with Tim Hotlz Distress Crackle Paint in Antique Linen.

Now did you see the sparrow that ties into my verse? This sparrow is from Asela’s Bird Sampler set and I’ve stamped it right on the top left corner on my patterned paper. To tie my design together with the previous page, I used some the same elements and colors to make it flow. All those blue Autumn Leaves buttons carry through perfectly as well as the Prima flowers. While I didn’t use brown circles on this page like the last, I did anchor this side of the design with a layer of K I Memories dark brown die cut paper.

Lastly, a few thoughts on the verse I chose…these verses are precious to me. To know that God knows everything about me, even the number of hairs on my head… incredible! Some times in your life are difficult but how wonderful to know that God knows everything about me and will be with me for everything to come.

Blessings to you today!

Julia

After a couple crazy months, I was determined to find some time to play along with the Dirty Dozen/Alumni challenge this month. I’ve been wanting to create an inspiration journal for a while and this was a great push to just do it. The challenge also have a couple other parts…it had to be inspired by a photo layout in a magazine and could NOT use any form of markers. Being the multi-tasker that I am…the only way to keep up with this busy life! ;)….I also combined it with a Backgrounder Blitz challenge at Cornish Heritage Farms. Today’s Backgrounder challenge is partial stamping and I used my Lined Paper and French Script Backgrounders on this journal, inking only parts of the backgrounders so that they fade in and out. You may actually have a hard time finding them…the French Script backgrounder really blends in well with the patterned paper.

Want to check out the other Dirty Dozen designs? Click here.

Want to play along with today’s Backgrounder Blitz partial stamping challenge? Click here.

Create Beauty Journal

The inspiration part of the challenge comes in the form of the color combo and flowers on the table in the photograph. I just love that cool blue, caramel and white color scheme with touches of warm coral colors. I found this new Webster’s Pages paper in my new bag of goodies I picked up last weekend and went to work. The journal is a chipboard album from 7 Gypsies. After adhering my patterned paper, I went to work making the paper my own by stamping it with some Rummage Bin stamps. The distressed frames from the new Photo Op set were stamped on opposite corners to add interest to the edges. If you look close you’ll also spy some “coffee cup stains” from the Ledger Me set.

The main sentiment panel is a mix of stamps and sets. The Do the Best you can, in the Time you are given stamp is something I’m always trying to remember. I don’t have unlimited time and have to try to get what I can done and not worry about the rest.

Wishing you a beautiful day! I’ll be back to edit in the supply list shortly!

Julia

Supply List;
-lined paper backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms
-French Script Backgrounder
-distress frames, bracket, scallops from Photo Op (The Rummage Bin line)
-clock and sentiment from Time to Stamp (the Rummage Bin line)
-Journal, coffee stain, this belongs to all from Ledger Me stamp set (the Rummage Bin line)
-flower from Silhouette Blooms 1 (Kim Hughes line)

Ink:
-Antique Linen Distress Ink by Ranger
-Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink by Ranger
-Burnt Umber Hybrid ink by Stewart Superior
-Mountain Rose, Cloudy Blue & Cranberry ADirondack ink by Ranger

Cardstock:
Natural smooth by Prism
patterned paper by Webster’’s Pages

Accessories:
-journal from 7 Gypsies
-eyelet from We R Memory Keepers
-flower by Prima
-create tag by Making Memories

Paper Crafts Magazine’s latest special issue has been released...Gifts from the Heart. I just love this theme as so much of paper crafting is like that. Little gifts from the heart. I love creating things to give to my loved ones. One of the designs that I have published in this magazine is a little trinket box. The box is altered with My Mind’s Eye patterned paper and heavy acrylic transparency and embellished with rub-ons and velvet ribbon. My daughter’s room is in these colors and I believe it has been spoken for when it returns. A lot of the projects I design are created with special people in mind.

Floral Trinket Box

This latest magazine is available on craft or bookstore shelves and is also available from Paper Crafts Magazine.

I once again had the best of intentions of having a {C’est Bon} entry for you today. As we were up to midnight both Thursday and Friday working on the tile and yesterday a few of the cupboards arrived, it just didn’t happen. Life IS going to get easier, right?! In the meantime, I have a little peek at my new kitchen. Notice the tightly cropped photo! LOL The window needs trimmed and there is still construction everywhere. Some of the upper cabinets will be arriving Wednesday night and we’re hoping to get the tile grouted soon as well. Slowly but surely…..

Have a wonderful day…

Ok, so……………………………..

Do you remember how LAST Tuesday I was going to post a sweet altered frame for the new Rummage Bin release? At long last…here it is. I have my camera and my battery charged and have finally found some time to photograph and write it up! This idea popped into my head as I was thinking of ways to use these new collage style stamps that Lesley has created. I think they are darling and I especially love the sentiment that is built right into this design.

Cherish every moment, every laugh, every cry. Every day. Cherish the time.

I know all too well how quickly children grow up and how important it is to cherish each moment. I think this frame would look darling hung on the wall of a little girl’s room hanging from a a length of pink gingham ribbon.

Sweet and Shabby Frame

This is a little frame from the dollar store. If using a plastic frame…make sure to sand lightly and spray with a couple coats of primer before painting with crackle paint. The clock and ornamental image from the Time to Stamp set by Cornish Heritage Farms is stamped on the glass in White Opaque Stazon. The main image, Little People Collage is simply stamped directly onto some pink Basic Grey distressed-look patterned paper. Simple stitching on pretty patterned paper (Lily Kate by Basic Grey) and some sweet embellishments finish off the look.

Quick Tip: Stamping on the glass surface adds another layer of interest to your design.

Wishing you a sweet day,

Stamps:
-Little People Collage (the Rummage Bin) by Cornish Heritage Farms
-Time to Stamp (The Rummage Bin) By Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink:
-Burnt Umber Palette Hybrid by Stewart Superior
-Antique Linen Distress inks by Ranger
-White Stazon - Tsukinek

Patterned Paper:
-pink distressed paper - Basic Grey
-pink patterned paper from Lily Kate line by Basic Grey

Tools:
-sewing machine

Accessories:
-frame - dollar store
-Tattered Rose distress crackle paint - Ranger
-buttons by Autumn Leaves
-vintage trim by Melissa Frances
-ribbon from Creative Impressons
-mini safety pin by Creative Impressions

Last month I started an album with a monthly Bible verse design. This project started off as a challenge by Lori Craig and all are welcome to join in. I’m still trying to find some time to catch up on the challenge I missed but I’d like to share with you the scripture and design I worked up for March. This month we have an early Easter and with that in mind…I chose a scripture that celebrated that.

He is Risen!

I incorporated two verses into this design. The new He is not Here stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms and another verse from 1 Peter 1:3 about the great mercy of God and the living hope I have in Jesus. The Rejoice and Lily stamps are also new to Cornish Heritage Farms and you can easily find them by using Easter or Inspirational as a search keyword on their site. To add stitching to my chipboard page I used a darling little rub-on tape by Daisy D’s.

To create this book I’ve been using a Maya Road chipboard album with a binder snap type system. I love how easy it is to take out the pages to work on them. To keep my book cohesive I decided to use a 6×6 Stella Ruby paper pad from Basic Grey and go with a shabby/vintage style look. If you’d like to join in or just check out the challenge…you can find it here.

Supply List:

Stamps: He is Not Here, Rejoice Circle, Modern Lily, Sophisticated Swirl Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink: Brushed Corduroy & Worn Lipstick Distress Inks - Ranger, Burnt Umber and Black Hybrid Palette Inks - Stewart Superior

Cardstock: Natural Smooth - Prism Papers

Patterned Paper: 6×6 paper pad Stella Ruby - Basic Grey

Other: flower - Prima Marketing, buttons - Autumn Leaves, ribbon - Creative Impressions, circle punch - Marvy, computer to generate verse

lol well……. this may not be the height of fashion but it made a fun title. I designed this purse for the Cornish Heritage Farms CHA display. CHA Winter finished yesterday and this year the theme was fashion. While designing and brainstorming for it, there were so many fun ideas came to mind. I thought it would make a really great Ways to Use it Challenge. So there you are. Today’s WT challenge is to use fashion in your design ideas. If you need a jumping off place of ideas… alter a purse or shoes, use fashion themed stamp images, be inspired by an article of clothing, make a baby dress card, create some altered jewelry. I’m sure there is a myriad of other ideas out there too! This challenge is a really wide open one so that everyone can play along. Have fun with it and get stylin’ The Height of Fashion challenge

Silhouette Blooms Altered Purse

I had so much fun creating this design. This purse was an inexpensive wooden purse box picked up at Michael’s. I started off by rubbing Brushed Corduroy Distress ink into the sides of the wood to stain it darker and add a richer look. It actually looks a little darker than this in person…the light reflecting off it makes it look a little lighter. The ink dried really quickly and I was soon off to my next step. I covered the front and back with Prism Intense Pink cardstock that had been stamped with the Large Polka Dots backgrounder in white craft ink. The Prism Prismatics line of cardstock is really neat as it has one smooth side and the other is textured. I love this textured side and stamped on it to add to the design.

To create my stamped panel, I used Raspberry Adirondack ink to stamp the large branch flowers from Silhouette Blooms 1. Over top I stamped other images from the same set in Black. To fill in the back of the design, the Spanish Script Backgrounder was stamped in Sunset Orange. After cutting the panel to size and matting with some cardstock, I stitched a line of brown straight stitch on my machine before adhering to the purse front. A few simple embellishments finished it off… a crochet flower from Imaginesce, a Fashion Pin from Fancy Pants and some luscious trim from Making Memories.

Have a great day! Hope you can join in the challenge!

One challenge I really wanted to take up this year is Lori Craig’s Bible Verse challenge. The challenge was to create a project that would span the year and memorize the Bible verse each month. I’m kind of late to the challenge…it actually started last month but somehow in the business of the new year…I had totally not even heard about the challenge. Jami was so sweet to PM me and ask if I would like to join in. :)I’m jumping in now and I’ll either do two in one month to catch up or just make my challenge project go one month longer. I’m so excited about doing this. I always have good intentions but somehow the days slip away. I think part of getting things done is making a plan and sticking to it. This challenge is now on my calendar, the 8th of each month, and at the end of the year, I’ll have a beautiful book of my favorite verses. Better yet…I’ll have them hidden in my heart, {embracing} God’s Word. If you’d like to join in with the challenge…you can just start now too if you’d like. You can check it out here.

Psalm 139:7-10     (click on pic for closeup)

This whole chapter is one of my favorites. I know it very well to start with as I couldn’t begin to guess how many times I’ve read it. It has brought me so much comfort to know that I am held in the hand of the Almighty. Part of this chapter also talks about God knowing all about me and how he formed me in my mother’s womb. During pregnancies and illness and just through the trials of life, this chapter has been a blessing to me.

As for the design of this project…I decided I’d create a little book of all the verses, something to keep and treasure. I recently purchased this darling little 6×6 Maya Road chipboard album. The pages are so sturdy. A wonderful size and so easy to embellish. The binder clip binding works really well and I’ll be covering the outside in the coming months so stay tuned. I noticed the other day that I had a lot of Basic Grey Stella Ruby paper left and as I love the warm shades and floral look…thought it would be perfect for this project. To keep this project cohesive, I’ll be storing away the rest of my paper in a ziploc bag with other goodies that I might want to incorporate.

Quick Tip: When planning pages on a chipboard album…you’ll want to take into consideration that you’ll be decorating the back as well. If you add things like brads, add them on a layer and insert before adhering the paper to the chipboard.

{Wishing you a day of joy and peace.}

Supply List:

Cardstock: Natural Smooth - Prism

Patterned Paper: 6×6 paper pad Stella Ruby - Basic Grey

Stamps: Beautiful (flourishes) from The Rummage Bin line- Cornish Heritage Farms, Carte Postale (bird) - Stampin Up

Ink: Brushed Corduroy & Tea Dye Distress Inks, Shell Pink Adirondack ink - Ranger

Other: moss velvet ribbon - Flair Designs, ruffled ribbon - Making Memories, flower - Prima Marketing, Loopy Brad - Karen Foster Designs, Designer Brad - We R Memory Keepers

Follow your dreams…a wonderful sentiment. We all have dreams, especially young women. I designed this frame for a romantic but up to date look as a gift for my daughter. She is a very patient girl. I created this in August and she’s still waiting for it. I know it will be arriving any day now as this design is published in the soon to be released in the new Paper Crafting with Photos special publication from Paper Crafts magazine. I just can’t wait to get a peek inside. I for one, do not use my photos enough! This magazine is to be released on February the 5th and is available to preorder from Paper Crafts magazine.

Follow Your Dreams

Wishing you a beautiful day and don’t forget to…… follow your dreams!