Tuesday Technique: Doily Dresses!

Thanks for stopping by!  Here's a post that I have on the BOAF Blog today....

Hey there, everyone!! It's Tuesday and here at BOAF, that means it's time for a tutorial!

One of my favorite elements of this kit is the sweet little doilys! They are so dainty and cute! I wanted to make one of those little doily dress cards that I've seen on Pinterest, so I decided to figure it out.

First, start with your doily face down and fold it almost in half:

Now fold one third of the doily over:

Fold the third on the other side over and adhere it down.

 

 

Fold the point down and adhere it:

 

Now, make the top of your dress. Adhere a doily to a piece of cardstock. I used white, but a color might look cool, too. You need to do this because the doily won't punch well without it. Once it's adhered to the cardstock, cut it with a heart punch.

Now, use a little adhesive to stick the bottom of the dress over the bottom of the heart as shown.

Now, add a color "belt" to hide where the two pieces together. Most of them I've seen done with ribbon, but I wanted red and didn't have a thin enough ribbon, so I used some patterned paper from the kit and a sweet little red flower that's from the kit, as well.

Now, your dress is done, just add it to your project! I wanted to keep my card really simple so that the focus stays on the sweet little dress. I used some of the little wooden pieces from the kit extras for the sentiment. I dabbed a little white paint on them so they would match a bit better. The gold pieces in each corner are from the gold thickers that are available as kit extra, as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by tonight! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and that you're inspired to try one for yourself! If you don't have your February kit yet, there's only ONE left! Hurry if you want to make it yours!

Loving the BOAF February Kit!

Hey there, everyone!! Here's the post I have up on the BOAF Blog today!

 I'm so excited to finally share my first projects with the incredible February kit! It's so full of incredibly beautiful papers and embellishments! I wouldn't call it a Valentine theme... I'd call it a LOVE theme! I've really enjoyed cutting into it and playing!

Usually I share my layout first, but today I want to share my card first! I knew that I really wanted to feature one of the awesome doilies, so I started with one of those as my center. Then, I added a few layers and used one of the sweet wood pieces from the extra embellishments as my sentiment. I dabbed a little pink ink on it to make it match the card a bit better. I love that the card has so much dimension and that it can be used for a number of different occasions (wedding shower, valentine, baby girl...).

And now for my layout. I wanted to create a layout with another of the photos of my grandparents. We estimate that this photo was taken around 1959 or 1960. I love how the black and white photo works with the pinks and reds of the papers. Oh, and I used the sketch that is part of one of the challenges of our crop that's going on right now!

Here's a closeup of the center portion of the layout. The flower is from last year's February kit, I believe! I love how the blingy swirls work with it. I acutally cut the swirl in half and added a space in the middle of it (under the flower) so that it would work better with the size of the flower. You can see that I also used another fabulous doily!

I am loving this kit so far! I can't wait to dig back in and keep on playing! Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to check out our crop! There's still time to play along. You can find all of the details HERE.

Looks like there's only ONE kit left in stock! Just click HERE if you want to make it yours! Don't miss out!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!

An Oldie But A Goodie!

Hey, there everyone!!  Here's a challenge and project that are up on the BOAF blog today!
I have a Sunday Scrappy Challenge for you! You are welcome to use this as a BONUS challenge for our Winterfest Crop going on now! If you get this challenge posted in the BOAF Gallery and linked to THIS thread by the end of the day on Wednesday, you'll go into a drawing for a RAK along with those who complete my other crop challenges!

So, what is this challenge you ask?! Well, the challenge is simple: Use a photo that is at least 10 years old.
I used the gorgeous January Kit and another photo that my aunt and uncle gave me last year after my grandmother passed away. It's from their wedding. Since this uncle is my father's brother and this aunt is my mother's sister, the parents in the photo are also both sets of my grandparents! So, this is a very special photo to me. There are not a lot of photos that have all four of my grandparents in it! (Not 100% sure that the date is correct, but I'll double check... ;)  )

Here's a close- up of the gorgeous flower and the banner pieces that I used. There's also a piece of chipboard from the kit extras that worked perfectly here!

 

And, finally a close-up of the photo. From left to right it's my Grampy (my mom's dad), Grammy (my mom's mom), Aunt Sharon (my mom's sister), Uncle Nelson (my dad's brother), Memere (my dad's mom) and Pepere (my dad's dad). Can you see where E's red hair came from in Grammy's big poufy hair?!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed my layout and that you'll participate in the challenge!

The whole family....

Hey, there everyone! Here's a post I'm sharing on the BOAF Blog today!

 I've so enjoyed this kit! There's plenty of awesomeness no matter what you're trying to scrap! There's plenty papers that would work with boy themes, girl themes, heritage, black and white or color, winter-- you name it, this kit can do it! The kit also works perfectly for cards!

I am finally feeling the urge to scrap a pile of photos that my aunt and uncle gave me over a year ago. When my grandmother passed last December, my aunts and uncles put together a collection of photos for a dislpay at the funeral. I saw many photos I knew and loved, and several I'd never seen before. My aunt and uncle were so sweet to make copies of many of the photos and gave them to me last Christmas. They have sat on my table, just waiting for the right inspiration. My inspiration arrived in my January kit!

This photo was taken around 1959 and features my dad with his four siblings and his parents. In the photo, my dad is the tallest and has the most hair. Now, it's the exact opposite!!

Here's a closeup of the photo. I was able to get the names of everyone in the photo written underneath.

And, the butterflies-- I fussy cut a bunch of the butterflies from one of the Echo Park papers in the kit to add dimension, color and balance to the layout.

I also created a card to share with you today! I love the chalkboard look to the paper and it looks so cool when using white heat embossing powder with your stamps! And, isn't the color of the flower just GORGEOUS?!?!

Thanks so much for stopping by the BOAF blog! I hope you enjoyed my projects. There are only TWO January kits left, so be sure to grab yours NOW!  Check it out HERE!

Jumping for January Joy!

Hey, scrappy friends!  Sorry I've been a slacker on updating by blog lately.  I had surgery on BOTH of my feet back in December and the road to recovery has been a bit longer than I anticipated.  But, I'm getting my energy and my mobility back slowly but surely.  Thanks for sticking with me!  Here's a post I shared on the Birds of a Feather blog today!

What do you get when you cross rich, beautiful jewel tones with sweet patterns and incredible embellishments? The January 2014 BOAF kit, of course!!! Seriously, this is an amazing kit that is chock full of amazing colors and easy to use embellishments that are perfectly coordinated. The add-ons make it even better!

I have a simple, but pretty layout to share with you today. It features a photo of my daughter taken on her 10th birthday. She's so full of beauty, energy and big dreams.

Here's a close-up of the title and some of the embellishments that I used. Aren't the colors faulous?

I also made a card to share with you today! These flowers (available in the extra embellishments) come grouped together in sweet little bouquets. They made me think of sending someone flowers, so that's exactly what I wanted to do with my card. The patterned paper you see here is part of the extra patterned paper add-on. See the extras are SO worth it!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed my projects and that you are inspired to order your BOAF kit TODAY!

Accoridon Star Tutorial

Hey, there everyone! Here's my post that just went up on the BOAF Blog today! Thanks for visiting!

Today I want to share a fun accordion star that would be great for the front of a card (Christmas, birthday... you name it!) or to add dimension to a layout or other project!  This is a Pinterest Inspired project from this blog.
First, make a template using a piece of thick cardstock or thin cardboard. Cut a strip 1 3/4" by 6". Then, draw a horizontal line 1" from the top of the strip. Then, mark at 1 3/16", 2 3/8", 3 9/16" and 4 3/4" as shown below.

Now, connect the marks as shown:

And, cut along the lines so that it looks like this:

Now, to make the star, start with a piece of patterned paper cut 1 3/4" by 12". Fold the strip in half (so that it's now 6" long. Place the template on the strip and trace. be sure that the fold of the paper is to the RIGHT side of the template. It should look like this.

Now, cut along the line and unfold your strip.

Then, using a score board and scoring tool, score at every 1/4" the entire length of the strip and accoridon fold it.

Now, adhere the ends of the strip together and punch a circle from scrap paper to use for gluing the star down.

And, now for the big moment.... gather the straight edge of the strip together and push down toward the center. Glue it down with a strong ahesive (I reccommend hot glue). Adjust quickly so that the small circle in the center of your star is even and that the points are as even as possible.

Now, simply add the star to your project!

I bet you hadn't thought of the November kit working great for Christmas cards, did you?! I love how the gold and blue of the kit extras work so beautifully together for this card! There's still a few kits and plenty of extras left! Be sure to check out the BOAF Botique to get yours today!

I hope you liked the tutorial today! I can't wait to see what you do with it! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

November Kit from Birds of a Feather!

Here's my reveal that was just shared on the BOAF Blog!

I know, I know... I say it with every kit, but really-- it's TRUE!! The colors, textures and patterns are just gorgeous! Amy has such a fantastic sense of how to put together the papers and embellishments!

When I first looked at the kit, I thought it was pretty feminine and started thinking of photos of my daughter that I could use. But, then I decided to challenge myself to make a masculine layout. I took a cute photo of my son in the leaves just yesterday. Since he was wearing a bright green shirt, I flipped it to black and white so that it would work with the colors.

The background paper, the banner pieces, the date stamp, the glittery stickers and the word "ten" (cut from a 12X12 sheet) are all from the November Extras. Amy has fantastic kits but incredible add-ons as well. I can never resist getting all of them!

I knew that I wanted to add a pop of color in there and by layering two banner pieces together, I was able to get the pop of color I wanted as well as some fun dimension. You can also see the fun date stamp here!

I had fun creating the title, but I also used the journaling spots from the kit to make a scalloped border along the top of the page for some added interest. Each journal spot is actually a small stack of papers that you peel off one at a time! So, I just cut a few in half and slid them under the paper. I also cut the star out of one of the patterned papers and adhered it with foam tape.

I also made a simple card to share with you today! The "HELLO" was cut from one of the patterned papers with the kit. I added some fun black bling from my stash to make it a little more flashy. I love the way the black and pink really pop!

I hope you enjoyed my reveal today and that you'll be sure to check out the November 2013 BOAF Kit AND all of the Extras! You will not regret it... ever! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

So Thankful for the October Kit!

I know I say this about every BOAF kit, but seriously.... I LOVE this kit! It's so beautiful....even more beautiful in person and it's more beautiful every time I play with it! The papers work so beautifully for so many projects-- not just fall ones!

Today I want to share a layout that I made about our trip to Plimoth Plantation this summer. If you've never been there, it's a living history museum where you get to tour a working Pilgrim settlement where there are people who are completely in character as though you just stepped back into the 17th Century! We had so much fun chatting with everyone and seeing everything!

 

 

Here's a close-up of the journaling:

And here, you can see all of the photos I used! Since I am usually a "one photo" scrapper, it was a challenge for me to use so many photos, but I really like how this "film strip" idea worked!

I also have a card to share today. This kit is perfect for making gorgeous Thank-you cards!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you are inspired to dig into your October kit! And, if you don't have one, there's ONE left in the store! Don't miss it!

BOAF & Blue Fern Blog Hop!

Hopefully, you have been directed here from Janet's Blog.  If you haven't, please head back to the Birds of a Feather Blog and start hopping from there.  Remember, in order to qualify for the prize, you MUST hop to and comment on each Scrap Chick's blog.
Here's my project using the awesome Blue Fern Studio's chipboard and the BOAF October Kit!

 

This chipboard is FANTASTIC!  Not only is the design beautiful, but it's sturdy enough to work with it without fear that it's going to fall apart  Even though I didn't ink this one, I have used ink on other Blue Fern chipboard, and it takes ink beautifully!  Here's a close-up of the title I used!  Isn't it gorgeous?

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Now you need to hop over to Shawna's blog for the next project! 

Before you go, since this weekend is the Birds of a Feather Bird-day Crop, and since we are celebrating three amazing years, Amy has a special gift to offer you:
All hoppers can receive 10% off your Blue Fern order if you order through BOAF by the crop deadline, Wednesday the 16th. All you need to do is send Amy a private message via the message board OR the gallery, or send an email to birdsofafeatherkits@gmail.com .

Thanks again for stopping by my blog today and for playing along in our blog hop!  I hope you'll come back soon!

Technique Tuesday: Super Easy Oval Bows

Here's my post that I shared today on the Birds of a Feather Kit Club Blog!

First of all, I just need to tell you how amazing the October Kit is! Every kit is my favorite... until the next one comes out! The papers, the embellishments, the alphas, the extras.... everything! **sigh** It's just amazing!

A few weeks ago, I shared a card with a super easy bow and had a few people ask me to share how to make it. Well.... here it is! It's so easy! Not only are these bows great for cards, but I can see them used on layouts, gifts and even wreaths!

First cut four ovals-- two slightly smaller than the others. I used my oval die set, but you can always make a template with your word processing program, or cut them on your die cutting machine. The bigger the ovals, the bigger your bow will be.

Now, using a strong adhesive, bend (don't fold) the larger ovals in half and stick the ends together. I used some super sticky glue squares, but hot glue would also work. You could use wet glue if you're more patient than I am.

Now, cut matching notches in the ends of the two smaller ovals.

 

 

Stick your two folded ovals together and wrap a coordinating paper around them.

Next, simply add your two smaller oval to the back side of your bow and that's IT!!

You can leave it as is, or add a jewel like I did!

Now, add your bow to your project and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial today and that you'll try it on an upcoming project! And, of course, don't forget to check out the October Kit! The word GORGEOUS doesn't even come close....

Have a great day, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by!

September Kit Sweetness!

Here is my post that is on the Birds of a Feather Blog today!

The September kit is SO worth the wait! The colors, the patterns, the embellishments-- everything-- is so fantastically put together! I love that I use things I wouldn't normally choose for myself!

Today I have two projects to share with you!! First a layout. Not just any layout-- a back to school layout! I really enjoyed cutting into the gorgeous papers and using the fun embellishments like the stitched elements in the top right hand corner and the die-cut arrow from the kit extras!

Here's a closeup of the tite. I used some chiboard from my stash that I colored with a Copic Marker. Then I added some alphas that I had kicking around and a heart from the package of super fun wood embellishments from the kit extras.

The kit has some beautiful flowers that have lots of great ways to layer them together. For my flower center, I used the flower from the one of the clips in the kit. I think it worked perfectly together!

I also made a card that is made mostly from the paper in the kit extras. I couldn't resist this amazingly gorgeous Authentique patterned paper and the die-cut was perfect for stamping on my sentiment. The bow was made using oval dies! Maybe I'll have to share a tutorial on how to do it!

I hope that you enjoyed my projets today. If you don't have your September kit yet, DON'T WAIT! There's only a few left in the store! If you have your kit, but not the extras yet be sure to check them out HERE. They are so much fun!

Be sure to check the BOAF Blog often to see more reveals using this fantastic kit from our uber talented design team