Valentine Gift

I wanted to create a valentine for someone special but I didn’t have much time today so it needed to be something quick and easy...and as always, made from what I already have on hand.  This is where a good stash comes in handy! I think I always say that, don't I?
I chose a 7gypsies Ruban book cover for the base (you only need the front cover).  This one is embossed so it adds a bit of dimension.  I cut the book cover so that it is about 5” wide but you can leave as is, if you like.  I used the Binderie Punch to quickly make two holes at the top of the book cover.  Set aside for now.

At CHA last week, our friend Tim gave Deb and I a set of the new Distress Stains which are fluid, water-based dyes for paper and other porous surfaces, FABULOUS STUFF I might say.  In fact, we love them so much will be using them in at least one of the classes we will be teaching this year.

 

I decided to use Spun Sugar (you might notice the color names match up with Distress Inks), since it's for Valentines Day, to dye some vintage crepe paper.  I cut about 20” of crepe paper and laid it out on a craft mat.  A word of caution here...these WILL stain your fingers so I just made sure not to touch the crepe paper too much when I was working with it.  Pink is an easy color to start with, it’s when you move on to blue and green that your finger tips start changing colors.  Good stuff!

The nylon dabber top has a built-in spring valve. This allows for controlling the release of Distress Stains from the bottle.  By pressing the dabber top down onto surface, the valve opens and fluid releases.  Lift dabber away from surface to stop fluid flow.  It's that easy.  So, since I am working on stretchy surface I kinda 'pounced' my way down the crepe paper.

I moved the bottle down the center of the crepe paper strip so I could leave the edges natural.   The crepe paper will stretch and bubble when it becomes wet from the stain but not to worry, it will all work out in the end.

Dry with a heat gun to save time.  Love this one from Ranger.

This is what it looks like when it's dry

 

Once dry, cut the edges with some kind of decorative scissor.

Now move to the sewing machine to run a basting stitch for gathering.

Gathered crepe paper (can’t tell it ever bubbled up, can you?).  Tie a knot at one end to stop the paper from unraveling.  Set aside for a moment.

Now back to the book cover.  Add a strip of ThermOweb Super Tape across the front.

Add gathered crepe paper starting with the edge you tied the knot.  When you get to the other end, cut 1/4 longer than the cover and tuck end under.

Use an X-Acto knife to cut a notch in the book cover (I cut all the way through).  It does not have to be perfect (mine's not) because it will be covered up in the next step.

I added a rubbing to an optical lens.

Then wedged the rings on the lens into the hole I just cut.  No glue needed!

I just want to say here that I can find more ways to use optical lenses in projects than I ever thought possible.  Now, I just can't get enough of them! 

 I added some grey seam binding (because I can't make something without it) and a brass charm that I found in my junk drawer.  The letter M is from an old 7gypsies rubbing and is the initial of the person I am making this for.

 Add some Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive along the crepe paper for a piece of vintage crocheted lace.

 Now to add some ribbon for hanging...cut about 18" of seam binding.  I used the grey again but you could change it up and use another color.  Thread the ribbon through one hole so that it is even.  Then thread both ribbons through the second hole and tie a knot.  Trim ends.  Easy!

 Almost done...but I think she needs just a little something more.  Maybe a bit of vintage flowers and my "go to"clear stamp, Avignon.  If you don't own this one, you should.   So, one large stamp at the bottom and one small stamp at the top above the optical lens.

Done.
I love it.

I admit took me longer to write this blog post than to make the project!

Some of our blogger friends have been sharing their Valentine ideas with us this week.

When Shawna K. saw the post we did on this, she changed it up a bit to make these for Valentines day. Darling!   Shawna, we hope these hearts are keeping you warm up there in Canada...burrr!!

photo frame from Jessica Sprague

And from our friend Bobbie W...She decided to transform her Advent Calendar burlap board into one she could use for Valentines day...just look at all the tags! Great use of the board after December (mine is just sitting behind a desk).

 

How about some easy cards?  

They don't have to look just like these that Debbie made, but we thought you might need some inspiration to get you started.  My personal favorite is 'Pitter Patter' with the double photo holder.

"smitten"

1.  To make this card start by sewing a piece of patterned paper to the front of the pre-folded card.

2.  Find a fun old photo or even better use one of your own. Tape photo to card with small strips of gaffer tape.  

3.  Attach small arrow pointing to "smitten" person and cut tiny heart from red gaffer tape and place above other person in photo.

4.  Type and print tiny word (I used smitten) and place inside Mini Label Sticker and apply to card.

5.  To line envelope, use the top half of the envelope with flap open as your pattern.  Trace around edge, cut out just inside your tracing line so it fits inside envelope and adhere.

6.  Print another word to be attached to the inside of your card and stitch a frame around it.

"Pitter Patter"

1.  Start by stitching around the front of a pre-folded card.

2.  Use a sturdy wire (about 20 gauge) to make wire piece.  Cut an 8" piece of wire.  Leave about 2 1/4" straight section in the center and wrap ends around a 1/2" dowel a couple of times.  Make sure the wire loops on end are "tight" to each other so it will hold the items inserted in place.  Trim excess on ends with wire cutters.

3.  Attach wire piece to card by making two small holes on each side of the wire and tying it on with ribbon.

4.  Copy old photo onto cardstock, cut out and distress edge.

5.  Cut mini heart out of red gaffer tape and place on photo.

6.  Stamp word onto a jewelry tag and tie to wire.

7.  Print sentiment on cardstock.  Leave a space for a paper(or gaffer tape) heart to be applied.

 8.  Place picture and sentiment in between wire loops on each end of wire piece.

9.  Line envelope as described in previous card.

"Amore"

This is actually a little book with a box inside.  I found a small book at a thrift store that was only about a half inch deep.  

1.  Take out all the pages in the book, just leaving the cover.

2.  Cover the outside of the book with paper, layering paper and embellishing with metal pieces and ribbon.

 3.  Cover the inside of the book cover with a piece of paper slightly smaller than the book cover.

4.  Out of book board, create a box that is slightly smaller than the books dimensions.  Allow space for the bulk of several layers of paper.  Score folds into the chipboard and reinforce corners.  Cover box with printed paper and glue to inside back cover.  Add your own special "love notes".

You might also like these past projects...
Love Jar and  Love Book
See you on Friday with more!

Lille Configuration

Thought we would show you the Lille paper wall up close today with a little explanation of how we put it together so you could recreate it at home.
You can make whatever configuration you like.  Debbie laid the trays/drawers out on her studio floor to find the right shape for our wall.  The real key was that Deb took a picture of each configuration so we both see (via email) all choices at the same time and then be able to recreate the one we liked later.

The winner...the only thing we changed is removing the brown Letterblock tray and adding a black one in its place.

 We used -

2 Library drawers

1 Artist PrintersTray

1 Letterblock tray

1 4 x 6 Photo tray

1 Shadowbox tray

Now the trays move to my house in California (the configuration is much too big to be mailed or fit in a suitcase from Debs) where my husband sanded the edges of the trays for gluing.  We made a pencil mark where the trays meet so he only had to sand the joining edges.

He started with the two center trays, which were the brown large Shadowbox tray and the black 4 x 6 photo tray...he just used plain old wood glue between the trays and then clamped them together for about 30 minutes before adding more trays to the configuration.  NOTE: Remember to cover your work surface with some plastic or newspaper.  My husband was gluing on the kitchen island so the granite need to be protected with some old newspaper.

Once the clamps are on, use a wet paper towel to clean up any glue that squeezes out along the edges. Remember to clean up both the front and the back of the piece.  My husband had a little helper so he could hold the piece up and she could wipe away the glue.

 

If you have enough clamps you could add more trays, as shown below, before the first set is dry.

So once it was glued together I started to fill all the spaces with all the pieces of paper Deb had cut and then added items she had sent.   I let it sit for a few days while I gathered things here at the house and changed some things and added others to get it to it final state that was used in the show.  Here are some pictures that show the highlights of the piece.

Deb had the metal letters in her stash as well as the red thread and string.  She made the padded backing by covering foam core with burlap.

Backing - Lille paper, old frame, vintage book and American flag.  "Life is Good" is part of the new Family ATC kit... I just rounded the corners of the card and clamped the whole thing right to the drawer with a big bulldog clip.

Using a piece of a screen over the opening let me add loose buttons to the tray.  I just nailed it right to the wood with random size nails.

paper from the Lille collection and again, a card from the ATC Family kit.

Some old rubber stamp that are part of a collection I keep in a bowl on the coffee table.

Wood type numbers and a large ephemera card from this set.

All the empty spots were filled with our new glass bottles at the show.

Well, we hope you liked the Lille display...a lot of work but well worth it.  I would venture to guess there were more photographs taken of this wall piece than anything else in the booth (with Debs rain of tickets taking a close second). 

We'll be back on Wed with some Valentine Fun.  

Meet you here.

Oops, I almost forgot...you can read about what I got to do after CHA here.
Just fabulous.
I mean, who gets a private class with her? and then brings along her good friend Jenny?
lucky girl.

Back From CHA

We're home from a very full week at CHA.  It is a wonder to me the amount of work it takes to get everything ready to set up the booth and then two days of set up only to have it come down in a few hours.  We thought you might like to see a few "before" shots of setting up the booth along with the after shots.

BEFORE:

Our good friends Jorge and Hector from the factory bring 4 very large crates that contain all the basic items to make the booth.  You can see the first couple of walls going up.  

 Jorge has the walls and pillars all organized so he knows exactly which parts go together.  Notice some walls have product that has been wrapped in plastic that we put up when we did the pre-set at the factory a couple of weeks ago. 

A lot of thought and care has been taken to build this booth.  The different wall papers, columns, ledges lighting and many other details.  With that said, you would think that someone could have come up with something better than this to label the crates.

 Walls are up, lights on, umbrella/sign in place....but check out the mess!

Notice the large black suitcases, that is what Paula and I fill and lug to the shows.  They carry all the items for the ledges, signage and a hundred other details.  We are VERY good at packing them to the limit of 50lbs.

 More mess....we can make a mess faster than most!

AFTER:

Just a few highlights of the booth. 

Disclaimer - The lighting at the show is horrible to take pictures.  

The overhead lighting or lack of it along with the booth lights make is tough.  

It is so much better in real life.....really!!

Ticket holder display

We sewed multiple strands of the new tickets together (along with some generic tickets for filler) to make this display.  Everyone thought that the sewing would have been the hard part.  Actually the hard part was that the tickets were prototype which meant I had to cut them all apart and punch the little half circle on both ends of each ticket before I could sew them together.

ticket holder - by Paula

Petit Carnet and Stationery Section

If you aren't familiar with 7gypsies Petit Carnet (little books) and Stationery, you are missing out.  They are fabulous and I think sometimes overlooked.  Check them out here.

Notice the cute awning.  When we first made the booth, we asked Jorge if he could make the frame work that attaches to the top of the wall.  Paula made the cute fabric ticking awning that we tie to the frame.

Collage tissue

The first time we were able to get our hands on the new tissue was Friday night before the show.  Paula and I stayed up late in our hotel room making these flowers to put on the wall and additional smaller flower for all the girls in the booth to wear.  We also decoupaged book board with the tissue....it is fabulous, goes on like a dream and looks like the images were printed directly to the board...you're gonna love it!

Camden Collection Wall

Most of this display came from Paula's house.  The vintage sewing cabinet she got for Christmas from Mr. Jay (our infamous guest blogger) who knows how to pick up on a good hint (I think the hint went like this....Paula, "Hey Jay, someone you know might like that for Christmas").  Bonus for us, cause then we can use it in the booth!  The laundry bench is her coffee table, luggage from luggage stack.  Also note the wire cage lights, we each had one and thought they would look cute hanging together.

Notice Paula in photo below....I think she is singing!...or most likely just doing a lot of talking...you do a lot of that at the shows!

Lille Collection Wall

This is my favorite of the two new collections....so much detail.  It is really hard to see what we have done here, but we attached 2 Library Drawers, an Artist Printers Tray, a Letterblock Tray, a 4x6 Photo Tray and a Letterpress tray together for this display.  This photo does not do it justice.  The details and all the little things in each section are so good!  We will do another post later telling you more about it and how you can recreate your own....so be watching.

Notice the frames on the column, they are random frames filled with the 7gypsies ATC Kit Cards.

Up close....sorry, bad picture, but you get the idea!

Other overall pictures of booth 

So glad to be home, now onto the next thing!