Tuesday 23 July 2013

Bird Nests Galore

I love love incorporating birds nests into my projects.  This blog post shares images of some of the projects I created as gifts for the awesome ladies in my swap group.

Hope you like them...
I created the above project using the red toothpaste box as shown. The die cuts was a gift from my awesome friend Swati. If you look closely behind the window on the left hand side you will see a couple.  I fussy cut the couple and the car from A Ladies Diary by Graphic 45.  The weathered look I created with white acrylic paint and Martha Stewart crackle effect. All artificial flowers and greenery are available at Daiso. Lace and birds from my stash.
I created the above canvas using a Daiso kitchen strainer. The artificial flowers, canvas and foam bow strip on the edge of the canvas are all available at Daiso too.  The window and lamp are shabby chic embellishments by Prima.  Butterfly and bird from my stash  I used various masks, glimmer mists, perfect pearls, distress inks and dabbers to create the canvas background.
 I created the above kitchen wall hanging using a Daiso kitchen ladle. I chose the blue colour to compliment the colour scheme in my friends kitchen.  The blue/white butterfly is by K&Co, the wooden bird branch by Prima and all artificial sunflowers and greenery is by Daiso.  The vintage looking lace, crochet doily I used to cover the back of the ladle and the blue checkered ribbon are all available at Daiso too!

 I created the above using a Daiso tea pot. All artificial flowers and greenery are from Daiso too.  Laces and bird from my stash.
I created the above wall hanging featuring a Daiso glove. The chipboard base was a left over part of a Paper Lane pre-cut mini album and the skewer was in my stash because I throw nothing away.  I covered the chipboard using a sheet of paper from the romance novel collection by Marion Smith. The eggs are beads from a cheap necklace I bought on sale, the wooden bird and shabby birdhouse is by Prima and all the crochet looking bits and creme lace are by Daiso.  Artificial flowers and greenery too; in fact the brown lacey flowers peeking out from the green leaves is from a tray cloth I cut apart also bought at Daiso. Laces and "create" from my stash.
  I created the above using a very small Daiso wooden spoon; the awesome birds nest is by Websters Pages. Lace, pearl and blue sprays are from my stash while the blue petite roses are by Melissa Francis. Greenery by Daiso.  Ribbons and flower at the back of the spoon from my stash.

I had so much fun making these gifts.  With the exception of a few items everything I used to make these gifts was bought at Daiso at an average price of 7dhs or just under 2dollars.  Point is you do not need to spend a fortune to create something unique and pretty.  

I do hope that via these simple projects I inspire you to do something similar and please do send me a message or a comment so that I can come and visit your blog to take a look.

Thanks for stopping by..

Sunday 21 July 2013

Life Time Mini Album


Everybody knows I love making albums ... could not resist to make a quick one with the awesome Life Time Papers. The album I made is perfect for a family album.  Lets take a look..


This album is so quick to make anyone can make it within a few hours...it is based on the tutorial of Steff with a grin".  The covers are chipboard and uses two 12x12 sheets inside.  What I love about this album is you can "grow" it.  I could take another two sheets, use bigger ring binders and I could add so much more photographs. See the width..how slim.  You could create as many pages as you wish...


The inside pages are also fun to make!  I added more texture and colour on some of the pages


It was difficult for me not to add lace everywhere but I managed "smile".  I adhered either a whole or half a doily to most of the pages. On this mini I used mod podge as my adhesive.  The burlap under the flower also matches well with the Life Time collection.  


The pages of this collection is absolutely amazing.  If you are uncomfortable working with mixed media this collection has already done it for you - all you have to do is cut and embellish.  Most of the embellishments in this mini album are from the Life Time collection but all of them are Prima!


Play around with some Prima masks and stencils...add some glimmer mists, distress inks, Prima flowers and Life Time stickers and cutouts and you have a awesome page. I have cropped the right hand bottom corner - see image below to provide a few more details 


I used half a doily and half of a Starbucks coffee sleeve to act as a pocket.  The flowers are all Prima (various collections).  The typewriter wooden piece and the wooden X are all part of the Life Time Collection. I used Victorian velvet distress ink to colour the X and white washed the typewriter with white acrylic paint. See ladies, the possibilities are endless... 


The back of the album has a strip of lace down the center (can't help myself "grin") and a lightly stamped pattern - the beautiful papers from this collection do not need much help!!

Because this album is so easy to make I am thinking of creating a kit (any collection) and PDF instructions.  All you have to do is purchase it!  Let Paper Lane know if you are interested...it is easy ladies...you will be glad you made one for yourself!

Take care and happy crafting...Janine