Quaratine Project #3 - Large Paper Quilt

So here is my big accomplishment during my self quarantine.  I've had this idea on my project list for over a year.  It started with a Ohio Stars quilt that I saw on Pinterest that I really loved.  I don't sew, but wondered if I could piece together something similar using scrapbook paper.  I've used quilts as inspiration for paper collages before.

 I drew out the pattern on a 24 x 24 inch stretched canvas, using the quilt on Pinterest as my guide.

Then I came up with a plan:  I'd start my quilt with a map piece at the center.  Then I'd use light color pieces for the center star.  Once I got a combination of pieces together that I liked, I glued them down using acrylic medium.

Next, I started laying down pieces to create my brighter square (see finished photo above), using mainly reds, pinks, and greens.

Then I completed the outer large star with dark pieces of blue and purple paper.

I finished the corners using light paper again.  This went pretty quickly as I was able to cut multiple pieces of paper at the same time to complete these areas.

As I often do with these quilts, I added some stamping using household items like pen caps and pencil ends to add additional color.  I dipped these items in acrylic paint, then stamped them around my canvas where I wanted some more color or texture.

This has been the silver lining of our stay at home orders - I've had this project in the works for a long while and this quiet time has given me the opportunity to see it through.  I'm working on framing this large quilt collage, as I did with this collage.  I'm really happy with how this project turned out. 

Quarantine Project #2 - Children's Scrap Yarn Rainbow

And here's another project that I've been working on during our stay at home orders - a children's weaving project to make a rainbow using scrap yarn.

This craft begins uses half of a paper or foam plate with a raised rim.  The plate needs to be strung with some cord or string before beginning the weaving process.  Adults should do the initial preparation for setting up the plate loom, but kids will enjoy watching their rainbow appear before their eyes.

This is a "make and make do" project, using materials that are basic and handy. You can use any weight of scrap yarn for this project. For each color of the rainbow, you only need about 3 feet of yarn. If you don't have one color, you can just substitute two shades of another.  I have all the directions with photos on Hubpages for you to follow.

Once you rainbow is completed, you can finish it by adding some fluffy cotton ball clouds!  Check out the full tutorial here.

Quarantine Project #1 - Hearts and Flower Mother's Day Card

Although I haven't been posting, I've managed to complete a few projects during my self-quarantine that I'm excited to share.  The first is a scrapbook paper Mother's Day card that I made for my Mom.  I didn't plan on posting this project, so I didn't take any process photos.  But yesterday I went to the store and noticed there was very little stock in the card aisle.  So I thought others might be looking for a homemade card idea.

It started with a sketch and a simple idea to make a flower using hearts as the petals.  Then when I drew in the background, I thought to add another heart detail to the back.

I traced a number of hearts on to some coordinating scrapbook paper.  I had a small heart sticker that I used as my template for tracing.

I used a pre-made store bought blank cards with an envelope to begin.  I glued down a piece of sky blue paper for my background and added my green landscape.  To create the flower, I layered seven hearts in a circle, alternating the pattern of the paper.  I was going to use a button for the center, but used a gem stone instead.

I wanted my image to have a cute patchwork look to it, so I pulled out a jelly roll opaque white pen I had in my supplies.  I tested this pen on some scrap to see if it would show up on my paper.  It worked perfectly.

I used the pen to draw a dotted line around most of the large images on my card.  I'm pleasantly pleased with the finished look.

For the inside of the card, I searched for a Mother's Day greeting online and printed this out on another piece of paper.  I then trimmed this paper to size and glued it into my card using glue stick.

Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day and find some time for crafting too! 

New Paper Quilt

It's been a long time since I've posted here.  I'm going to pass over the excuses and just talk about my latest paper quilt.  This paper collage was loosely inspired by the amazing quilts of Melody Johnson.  I was inspired by some of her mini quilts which feature a small cabin-like building in the center of them.  These buildings some times have an image inside them that seems symbolic. 

I used a similar idea to make this collage.  I was trying to go for a color palette like the cool tones that Melody often uses, but my colors kind of moved away from that.

In my excitement for create this paper quilt, I forgot to take any process photos, but you can see a tutorial for one of my previous quilt-inspired collages here. 

My next step is to frame this collage.  I have a simple way of framing most of my artwork and I'm excited for this finishing step.  Check out my easy framing tutorial on my blog.

Easy Handmade Christmas Card Tutorials

I like playing around with scrapbook paper to make collages and cards, but I don't do enough of it (yet) to invest in a die cut or other special equipment that a lot of scrapbook tutorials require.  So this year when I decided to make my own Christmas cards, I thought up some easy designs that I could make with just a pair of scissors and some glue sticks.

I created four different designs, each with multiple variations.  So far, I've made 16 cards.  If you're interested in seeing more, I have photos and links to the tutorials below.  Each tutorial includes any templates or stencils that you might need to make your own cards.

First, my Reindeer with holiday branches and berries card.

Next, one of my favorites - my Poinsettia card.  I made a bunch of these cards by changing up the colors that I used for the flower.

My Patchwork Dove card - this is made with strips of scrapbook paper and washi tape.

And my Quilt-Inspired Christmas Tree.  I hope these cards inspired you to try making your own cards this year!

Easy Journal Makeover Project

Hi all!  I know I've not been posting for a while, but honestly - I didn't have much to share.  But this is a quick, easy project that I thought might be of some interest.

I've done journal transformations before, but for this book I wanted to do something quick and super easy.  My mom found this unused notebook/journal (above) at a book sale and asked if I wanted it.  I didn't love the cover, but the book was in good shape and seemed like an empty canvas.  I decided to do a simple acrylic paint design of transform the cover (Unfortunately, I picked a rainy day to do it.  So my photos are a little dark).

1.  The first thing I did was put a piece of wax paper between the front cover and the pages of the notebook.  This would keep the pages clean if I spilt any paint.

2.  Next, I used a broad brush to paint the front cover a light blue that was similar to the actual cover.  I used acrylic paint for this.

3.  Once my paint was dried, I divided the cover into 9 equal squares.  My cover is not exactly square, so each box is slightly rectangular, but I didn't care.

4.  Then I painted the interior of each square with a light cream color.

5.  When my cream paint was dry, I used a thin brush and a dark blue-purple paint color to sketch a circle into each box.  These circles were not perfect and each was slightly different.

6.  Next, I switched to a slightly wider brush and added more color to each circle.  I built up the color using purple, green, and blue with loose brush strokes to create a different painterly circle in each box.  I worked quickly so in some places, my colors were able to blend together before the paint dried.

7.  Then I started to add some lighter, brighter colors to each circle.

8.  When I was happy with the overall look of my circles, I let my paint dry completely.

9.  As a last step, I added a few sweeps of metallic gold paint to each circle.  The metallic gold is hard to photograph but I like how it lightens up my design.

I'm excited to fill my new journal with some new project ideas!

Holiday Project: Cute Cat with Wreath Christmas Ornament

I can't believe that the holiday season is upon us, but I'm getting ready for Christmas with a new round of holiday projects.  My latest is this Cute Cat with Wreath Ornament!  I've made this for my knitting group's annual ornament exchange.  To keep with our group's theme, I've added a little green ball of yarn to my kitty's accessories and knitted the wreath around his neck.  However, this ornament is easy to personalize with other details and accessories.  And I've included a template for a fabric wreath if you don't want to knit your own.

All the directions with more photos are on my Hubpages site.  I'm posting the template for the cat's body pieces here for easy access.  The template below is one image so the pieces should be sized to fit together.  You should be able to click on the image below, then right click on it to save it.  Once it is saved, you can resize it as you wish, and print it out for making your ornament.

I hope you have fun making this ornament for your holiday decorating.  He's a cutie!