3D` Birdhouse

I came across the cutest little Birdhouse made by the very talented Nichole Heady. By clicking on her name you will be brought to her Birdhouse Project and Template to make your own if you want to. Thank You Nichole!!!

Now on to my version. I used the Colors Indian Corn Blue, Olive, Garden Green, White Daisy, Sunflower, and Chocolate.
 I used stamps from  Felicity , Around the Block and Dainty Thoughts.
It was a fun project and I made it for a particular person. I hope she doesn't figure it out before I get it to her.
Here goes: The roof using the scallop border punch from Fiskars and Olive and Garden Green card stock. Edges inked with Olive.

The second picture shows the "boards" I made for the front and the Baby bird and Mommy bird from the Felicity stamp set.






This last picture has the fence added and the message on the roof. I used scalloped Nestibilities for the message piece along with the message from the Around the Block stamp set. The fence was made using a Martha Stewart punch. The Flowers are from Dainty Thoughts stamp set. This could be made with so many different looks. Give it a try.

Covering How to Books and Catalogs

I came across an idea of using the 9x9 Album Protectors to cover the How To Books from CTMH. It keeps the covers protected and in really good shape.
After covering all my books I got to thinking would this also work for the Idea Book? I am going through that book so many times during the 4 months they are current that the covers get pretty torn and bent and dirty by the end of the 4 months. Since they are still a very valuable book to continue to use and order from even after the next one comes out I thought why not try the same 9x9 Album Protector to cover it. It worked like a charm!! It just needs a little tweaking and you're in business.
For the back cover you cut both of the flaps off. I measured the cover size and trimmed the back cover to that size. You end up with a piece that is closed on 3 sides with the 1 open side the side you cut a straight line removing both flaps and the extra.
The front cover is done a bit differently. You leave the long flap alone and just trim from the other flap with the holes in it. That flap is totally removed along with a bit more.
The first set of pictures are of the Idea Book. With the covers being clear I realize it is a little hard to see. The picture of the back view has the flap from the front cover inserted into the back cover. I have it held in place with a few glue dots. The second set of pictures is showing one of the 5 How To Books from CTMH. This one is one of two card books. It has the same Album Protector on as the Idea Book. With this book and all the other books you have a tighter fit and use more of the protector. Not as much is trimmed off. The Album Protectors are thick and sturdy. Making them ideal for this additional way of using them. I had seen the use for the How To Books from another web site. (I can't think of it right now) After doing them is when I decided to try it on the Idea Book as well.  If you want to protect your Idea Books and/or How To Books this is an inexpensive quick and easy way to do it. Give it a try!!

"Unforgettable" Card

I like to make a card using the same papers and colors as a layout sometimes. This is a 5 1/2 x 4/1/4 card using the Originals How to Book for the basic layout of the card. I used another technique in this card where you see the flower.
Here are the steps to make the 2x2 square embellishment.
1.Cut a piece of card stock 2x2 I used Vanilla White.
2. Take a template of some sort in my case I used another one of the Botanical Flowers and place a small piece of repositionable glue in the center to hold it in place temporarily.
3. Using a sponge and an ink color of your choice sponge around the template onto the 2x2 piece. I used Sorbet for my ink.
4. Now using a paper piercer poke holes around the template. Remove the template.
5. Using 2 strands of Ecru  DMC floss do a backstitch around all the holes for your design.
6. In my case I used a Botanical center that I added dots of Liquid Glass to finish my Flower.
The other techniques used in this card were making the scalloped edge by using a corner rounder that you can remove the "wings" from and make your scallop edge. It is a bit hard to explain so I will try to take pictures of the steps and come back with that to show you.
The other technique I did was sanding the top of the Desert Sand piece of card stock that is 2 x 4 1/4 that is placed under the 2x2 square.
"Wish was stamped with Sorbet ink  and colonial white brads were placed along the scallop edge and three on the ribbon.
You can use a variety of different shapes in place of the flower. Give it a try.

"Unforgettable" Layout

This is the left page of a layout using the paper line called "Unforgettable". I was a bit hesitant to show it here at this time because it is not completely finished. If you notice there is a blank space in the lower right corner. My title belongs there and I am still debating on what it is going to be. Plus I want to try a new product (for me it is new) which I don't have on hand yet. So I will update it when it is completed.
For now I wanted to point out the technique used to make a border on 3 sides of this page. It was done by taking a flower from the Botanical's embellishment set. You place it on the back side of the paper and using a dense mat under the paper and a stylus, trace around your flower. I used 4 petals of the flower, not the whole flower. Then you flip the paper to the right side and using a sanding stick sand over the raised area. This exposes the design because of the white core card stock that CTMH carries. This was then repeated on 3 sides of the right page.

Another technique that was used was machine stitching on the mat around the picture and the scalloped piece was stitched on to the floral paper. On the right page the stitching was used again with the scalloped pieces and the light color strips. Another technique was using Liquid Glass and making the pattern that was on the big flower with the ribbon tied through it. It had a polka dot pattern so dots of Liquid Glass were placed on every dot and set aside to dry. The end result is a shine and a texture to the embellishment.
On the right page I used 3 pictures all 4x4 in size. But by adding a very thin strip of the pink to the sides only and the ribbon around the bottom of the picture it gives the dimension of the middle picture being bigger and raised compared to the other two. Some more Botanical Flowers were used and a flower cut out of the Floral paper. Adding centers with a clear button stitched on gave them a little more dimension. By attaching one with pop dots and the other partially under the picture and part on top also gives more dimension to your page.
I hope you give some of these techniques a try. They are easy to do and give character to your layouts.
UPDATED:
Remember I said I would be back to show the completed version of these two pages? Well here goes. I got the item I was saying that was new to me. I can't believe I hadn't tried this particular product yet but was I ever happy with the results. I made my title by a combination of stamping, using the Dimensional Elements Simple Alpha Uppercase and the Dimensional Elements Monogram Alpha letters. I used Desert Sand ink for the stamping portion and I used Colonial White and sponged all the Dimensional Elements letters. I added 3 Colonial White brads and I was done. So here are updated pictures with  the Title "fun on Easter Day"

My colors didn't come out the same as above but I think you can still get the idea of how the  product "Dimensional Elements"  can really add to the layouts. CTMH has a number of shapes and designs in addition to the letters in this line. They take ink and chalk beautifully. They can also be covered with any of the beautiful papers. Give them a try. I think you will be pleased with the ease of use and the look they give in your projects.

"A Tweet"

 Here is a little 3x3 card using a stamp set  called "A Tweet" 

Isn't it CUTE?? I am working on some other projects and will be posting them as soon as I get them completed.

"FUN" Layout

I made these pages from the Veranda Workshop kit. I used the title "Fun" to go along with the story of my pictures. My Granddaughter Grace is having so much fun jumping in her Johnny Jump Up. Remember those? I had one for my daughter and they are still around for her to get one for her daughter. I also used pictures of Grace finding her toes for the first time and starting to use a spoon. Look at her big smiles in each of the pictures!! Fun right??!!

The supplies are CTMH
Veranda Workshop Kit
Vanilla Cream Card stock and Cocoa card stock
Chocolate E-size alphabet
Just Blooms-Spring Blossom collection
Filigree Charms
Mini Medley Antique Copper
Cocoa, Garden Green, Tulip and Brown Staz On inks
Sponge

Happy Easter!!

I hope you all had a very Happy Easter!!
Here is a little box I made for the "peeps" I added to our Granddaughter's Easter Basket.

Of course it was a hit!! She loved her "peeps" along with all the other fun stuff . She was wearing a dress I had sewn for her so I felt especially happy to see her having so much fun and looking so CUTE!!!

Supplies:
I used papers from Sweet Pea, the Bunny Love stamp set and Holiday Jubliee all CTMH products. I also used Hydrangea ink and Prisma glitter. A little Hollyhock ink to edge the quote oval. Ribbon was a misc. sheer dotted purple ribbon.