Monday, March 31, 2014

Shot Through the Heart: An easy arrow technique


I thought a little Jon Bon might put some get-up-and-go into your Monday morning. Sing it with me now!

"Shot through the heart, and you're to blame..."



Okay, okay, the real reason we're talking Mr. Jovi is because I'm talking arrows today on the Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine (SCT) blog.

Arrows are a big trend in crafting at the moment. And, when you read the SCT post, you'll see they're also a trend in all walks of life (fashion, home decor, art, etc.).

So, getting in on the arrow action, I thought I'd share a little layout I created for my Geek of Technique CKU class last year.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper: Webster's Pages; Washi tape: Queen & Co. and Webster's Pages; Micro beads and letter stickers: American Crafts; Paper straw: Queen & Co.; Dots: BasicGrey; Spray Ink: Tattered Angels; Heart punch: Fiskars; Sewing machine: Brother; Staple: Advantus; Pen: Sakura; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. 


Here's how I made the beaded heart that shoots through the heart on this page.

Flatten 2" of straw on both ends.

Apply tape that has been cut to a point to one end of straw, wrapping around front and back of straw. Layer second, thinner strip of tape to first strip (front side of straw only). Cut dovetail in outside end of straw and finish "feather" but cutting fringe into tape.

Sandwich opposite end of straw between two foam hearts, making sure the heart's point is facing out. Remove adhesive backing from one side of heart only, and dip in micro beads until fully covered. Note: Really push the beads into the adhesive.
 Cut patterned paper at an angle.

Spray mist a heart onto white cardstock using a heart mask. I used the inside of a large heart doily to create my mask.

Tip! To make a mask you can use again and again, first cover the inside of doily in ModPodge and let it dry. This makes it so the spray ink won't soak in, allowing the doily mask to be used multiple times. (Note: ModPodge doesn't have to be glittery; that's just what I had out.)


Place mask on white cardstock and apply light green spray ink. 

Position your straw arrow parallel to the angled paper you cut (which should now be adhered to the upper left corner of the heart page), and mark where heart meets straw, approximately 1" above heart. Cut and adhere heart to page. Repeat at the feather end. Finish by cutting a small piece of straw (approx 1") and adhering it to the heart's center. Fill heart in with photos.

Finish by adding pleated washi tape around heart and sewing over tape and straw pieces using sewing machine. (Sewing optional.)

And there you have it—a DIY heart accent! (Sorry about the blur.)



I adore the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam hearts! And they also come in spots of clear glue for a flat heart. *swoon!*



And, of course, my heart wouldn't have been complete without the lovely POP micro beads from American Crafts and the cute paper straws from Queen & Co.




Now, point your creative arrow in the direction of the SCT blog for many more arrow ideas. Thanks so much for making a point of stopping by here today!

Cheers!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Lucky You: Tracing-paper St. Patrick's Day surprises

Image design elements added using the Rhonna Designs smartphone app. 

Remember my tracing paper ghosts? Yeah, I kind of have a thing for tracing paper right now and have been using it on many things, including this lucky number.

It's a rainbow-filled clover!

And it's a quick way to spread a little St. Patrick's Day love this week. Here's how it's done.

Do It To It

1. Sketch (or print) a clover shape that's at least 5" wide at the widest point. Clovers were more challenging to sketch at this scale than I was prepared for. Took a bit of practice, but I finally came up with my template. You may want to save yourself the trouble and just do a quick "clover template" search on Pinterest or something.



2. Layer two pieces of tracing paper, each slightly larger than your clover, over your clover and trace with a permanent pen or marker. I used a green Sharpie.




3. Go over your traced lines with a thicker marker. I opted for a Faber-Castell Pitt Pen (love these!), because of its nice brush tip.



4. Turn your sheets of tracing paper over (you should still have two sheets stacked together) and trace the back of the clover.


5. Write "Lucky You" on one clover.


6. Cut your clovers out.



This will leave you with two mirror images. Don't worry if they aren't exact matches.They'll puff up a bit anyway when you fill 'em with candy.


7. Stitch the your two clovers together, front to back, leaving a small opening where you can slide Skittles inside. Then stitch the rest of the clover closed for a vibrant bit o' luck.



Bonus! Try these awesome Mint M&Ms instead, which are green and tasty.



8. Leave your little bit of luck where someone special will find it. Surprise!



Like the look of a filled clover? Me too! So I decided to fill another one with sequins for a card.



Do It To It

1. You only need one clover for this one. Partially stitch it to your card base.



2. Squeeze your card a bit, creating an opening between the card and the clover, and fill the clover with sequins. I opted for shades of green, gold and orange.



3. Once satisfied with your sequin selection, stitch the rest of the clover.




4. Add a little sparkle to complement the softness of the tracing paper. I went with these bright gold stars from Studio Calico. I then added a few strips of washi tape down the side.


5. For the inside of the card, I added a small treat bag, which I will fill with a gift card to express gratitude to my parents for all they do to help us with Maggie.


Feeling lucky? Or maybe you're feeling blessed. St. Patrick's Day is a great time to express gratitude you're feeling. Hope you enjoy this idea for sending a little Luck O' the Irish to someone you care about.

Cheers!
Megan

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Into the Woods: Projects created using woodland critters.



You don't need a red riding hood to enjoy the woodland critters on the scene right now. These nesting friends are new from Target. I picked them up in the Easter section of the store.



I must admit, I was stuck (or "ducks," as Maggie says) at first when thinking about what to make with these cute critters. I was thinking Christmas and Thanksgiving with the sweet deer and squirrely-whirlies. But I soon discovered these cuties can be used year-round.

Here are a few of the ideas I put together for today's Studio 5 segment. (Watch here.)

Baby Designs
This look screams beautiful baby. From nursery designs to welcome-baby cards to lovely "little one" scrapbook pages, these furry friends are just right for the wee ones.


I created this embroidery hoop display for my own little fox. This is her Halloween costume.


It was a bit masculine, so I made a fabric-strip tutu for it. I simply tore a bunch of fabric strips in various shades of orange and cream.


I then attached those strips to a stretchy waistband strip, which I had sewed to fit Maggie's waist. 


To finish the costume up, I created a bitty matching tutu from the scraps for Mags' foxy friend.


Inspired by the song, What Does a Fox Say?, I then painted this wood talk bubble from the adorable Say Hello Shop (*lovesomuch!*) with chalkboard paint...



...and added all of the words she was saying at that time (16 months).



With the costume, the foxy friend, and the talk bubble in place, we took this cute pic, which I knew I wanted to display somewhere in our home.



When I saw the sweetest line even, Hello World, by Allison Kreft for Webster's Pages, I knew it was a match made in heaven for my picture. (See the complete line of paper and embellishments here—you won't want to miss it.) :)





Plus, Allison also created the most delightful fabric, available through Spoonflower.com, which perfectly complements the line. See it and the rest of her sweet designs here.



I couldn't get enough of the Hello World line, so I also framed some of the paper to add to Maggie's room. It was time to switch out a few of the framed papes in there anyway, and this one makes me so happy.





Lovely Looks
One of my fav stamps of all time, Woodgrain Backdrops by Lawn Fawn, made a perfect love note for my handsome hubs.






I wanted to do something whimsical for the leaves of this love-filled tree, so I decided to stitch sequins. This striking green group from Hazel & Ruby was included in that leaf laying. Aren't these shades beautiful?



This card idea would make a nice anniversary, birthday, or everyday love greeting when you want to show that special someone how much you care. M + C TLA

Tick Tock Woodsie Clock
You won't see any mice running up this clock. Instead, it's the home of a deer, a squirrel, a bunny, and a fox. All members of the Carpe Diem line from Glitz Design. Love this assortment so much!


I simply attached the stickers to a slice of wood I purchased at Jo-Ann. Then I added the clock kit. Okay, okay, Cory added it. He's so supportive and quite the clock maker! How awesome is this? The Puffy Stickers stick right to the wood. No extra glue needed. Wow!


Thanks to my incredibly talented friend, Wendy Smedley, for suggesting I make a clock. Lunch is on me. How does, say... o-squirrel-thirty sound?

Spring Fling
Looking for a few spring home decor pieces, I was more than happy to put the amazing Woodland Park collection from October Afternoon to work. I made a bitty wreath, which I can't wait to add to my mama's Easter basket or some other springtime goodie.







Along with a coordinating bottle of soap, also adorned with the Oct. Afternoon line.



Antlers Away
Wanting to add a bit of the masculine to my mix, I was inspired by the deer-head look that's all over right now.



To create this sparkly fella, I used this template, which is completely free. Hooray for $free.99! I think I'll make more of these using different styles of paper for different looks.

Bonus Tip: In case you're curious, the backdrop that the head is mounted to is actually a thick doily that I picked up a local kitchen-supply store. It was just the ticket for keeping the deer upright.


And I found this mug at IKEA for next to nothing. I filled it with a little bag of gummie bears for a little pun fun—"Thanks, deer, for bearing with me."




BTW, isn't the triangle tag amazing? It's chalkboard wood veneer, and it's part of the BasicGrey Highline collection, which I adore.


Wow! Loved taking this trip over the river and through the woods. For more on this adventure, watch my Studio 5 television segment here.



I've also created a Pinterest Board just for the occasion, where you can find more wood wonders.



I hope you've found something that inspires you to create. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to leave me a note. I always enjoy hearing from you. Thanks, deer friends!

Cheers!