Tea for Two... Designer Crafts Connection Little Birdie Bloghop

Greetings everyone! Today the Designer Crafts Connection is creating using Little Birdie Crafts sharing a variety of projects including scrapbooking, mixed-media and découpage. CLICK HERE to hop on over to learn more about Little Birdie and see all the wonderful creations.

Little Birdie Crafts manufactures Hobby and Craft products for craft enthusiasts from around the world with a mission to spread the joys of crafting. I received this beautifully packaged assortment of Little Birdie Crafts découpage supplies to create with.

To create with are two beautiful designs of Decopage Papers, Deco Magic Decoupage Glues in matte and glossy finish, two MDF 4" Coasters, and Decor Gloss Varnish. Since coaster blanks are included, I will art those up. The designs are colorful and just happen to include imagery that I can make a coaster for in memory of my grandmother and my uncle.

My family being from Chicago... this project would not be complete with a mini découpaged Chicago Cow. On one of my recent trips home I found this plaster cow at the craft store in a clearance bin for 75 cents (it has a horn and part of a hoof broken off). This project will give her a proper artsy makeover! 

One of the decoupage paper packs is  "Post Perfect" which contains two sheets each of two designs. My Grandmother loved to paint flowers so I will découpage one coaster with these beautiful hydrangeas.

The other decoupage paper pack is "Antique Essence" which contains a collage mix of words, florals, butterflies, travel and vintage vehicles. I cut out the VW beetle with scissors and layered to be the focal image on the coaster for my Uncle. He loved his cars and one of his car restoration projects was a VW Beetle. I loved it and when I was young I dreamed it would be mine one day.

Découpage with paper is a simple process, but takes a bit of time and patience. To apply paper to item, you cut or tear papers depending on design, then paint thin, even coats of Decopage Glue to the item and also the back of the paper. Then place glued paper to glued item and use brush to smooth out air bubbles and seal with a layer of more decoupage glue. It's messy fun. For the round coaster, I used scissors to cut segments all the way around so I could fold over and adhere paper to backside making a nice smooth edge. 

I repeated process for the square coaster, but I trimmed the corners away at a 45º angle so the flaps foldover with make a nice finished edge and corners.

  

I finished folding over the other two edges, added more Deco Magic Decoupage Glue and pressed the backside of the coaster onto a piece of grey felt. I set a bottle of water on top to weigh it down while the decoupage glue dries, then back trim to the edges with scissors. 

For the circle coaster, I found a lid to something in the kitchen that was slightly smaller to cut felt shape and glued on. This finishes off the back nicely!

I tore up pieces of the papers into smaller bits and began décopaging the plaster cow. I selected some florals and images to use on the outer layers and I need to tear these out with precision. I dip a fine tip paintbrush in water and paint close to the edge of desired image, let water set for a few seconds, then press gently to tear where desired. I then adhere these selected images to complete the outer layer of this artsy cow. 

I also used this butterfly that I tore out

using same painted water line technique.

I used some Caran D'Ache pastels to add spots of color to unite the collaged pieces and give an impressionist painterly feel to this colorful cow. Now it is truly a work of ART and will be the perfect companion to my Grandmother's coaster and her blue mug.

  

I seal both coasters with three thin layers of Decor Gloss Varnish, letting each coat fully dry between application. The varnish may look a little cloudy when applied, but it dries completely clear. I set aside for a day or two to let everything cure completely and my new coasters are ready to use!

Découpage is a wonderful way to transform and personalize pretty much anything -- trays, vases, frames, coasters, furniture... you name it! With these DIY coasters, I also have preserved some special family memories.

Tea for Two!

What would you create

with Little Birdie Crafts?

CLICK HERE to jump over to the beginning of the Little Birdie Crafts Bloghop at the Designer Crafts Connection blog to view more inspiration and projects using products and kits from Little Birdie Crafts.

You can find more info on

Little Birdie Crafts

at their website HERE

Find lots of creative inspiration on the Little Birdie Crafts BLOG.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Sb :)

** This is a sponsored post. Little Birdie Crafts has provided products for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.

Going back in #Cre8time... Remember When Blog Hop

Hello Friends! Remember when we used to scrapbook with Mrs. Grossman stickers, cut photos into fun shapes, used paper punches and Stickled everything?! How about Basic Grey, Rusty Pickle and Daisy D's... I know these were my favorites. What paper or supplies do you still have stashed for a rainy day?

Today I am part of a fun bloghop dreamt up by my creative friend Betz Golden that you don't want to miss. Join me on a fun trip down Cre8time memory lane... featuring projects in which everyone was challenged to use something in our stash that is at least a decade old. EASY PEASY!!

REMEMBER WHEN chipboard shapes and MINI BOOKS were all the rage... and in all sorts of shapes and sizes! I love making mini-books... they are such a great way for me to squeeze in a little scrapbooking while having some fun creating. Today I'm sharing a greencrafted mini-album made from a repurposed pair of flip-flops using some of my old hoarded summer theme scrapbook papers like SandyLion, American Traditional Designs, Paper Adventures, and BoBunny. 

Back in the day, there wasn't a ready made embellishment for everything under the sun like there is now... we used stickers and punches and stamps to make our own. My album cover is stamped and painted with Making Memories and Creative Imaginations Foam Stamps and painted with Making Memories acrylic paints. I had to do a little maintenance on my paints to my surprise most were not completely dried out and I've had them since 2005.

I happily snap photos at every opportunity... so I have loads of vacation photos needing a proper home. The flip flop shape goes great with the travel theme. This pair I used are standard size, and even with the odd shaped pages, there is plenty of room to place photos, add pockets, tags and pull-outs. I've filled this sun-kissed mini album with my favorite pix from my last trip to Jamaica.

I've broken out my stash of EK Success Paper Shaper punches and my Quickutz Dies that were happy to see the light of day -- and combined them with bright and colorful ribbon, buttons, and topped off with Heidi Swapp silk flowers, "original" Prima Flowers and an assortment of tropical colored shaped brads. I even cut apart a sheet of printed vellum with summer phrases to use for journaling.

Remember that Fiskars tool that makes your paper corrogated??! How about that Dymo label maker, or the Xyron 2 and 4 inch adhesive runners {I don't think I can get refills for these anymore}.

I added dimension/texture on an accordion pull-out nestled amongst punched flowers and Quickutz die-cut embellishments. I love making my own embellishments with my punches and die-cuts -- using up all my leftover scraps and off-cuts. Everything is color coordinated and there's no leftovers to add to my never-ending scrap bin. 

What old goodies in your crafty stash will you use to capture your memories?

I have some blog candy to be won... an assortment of Making Memories "poolside" Jigsaw Alphabets - upper, lower and numbers that brand new in packaging from 2004. I found them stashed in the back of a drawer. To be entered in the drawing, please comment below what is your favorite "OLDER than 10 years" craft supply is and when you last used it?

For more blasts from the past inspiration, please visit the links below to continue on the hop. Please be sure to stop at each post and leave some blog love as there is blog candy to be won!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for visiting! I hope you are inspired to grab something buried in your crafty stash and make something fun ;)  Sb

Raiding the #Cre8time Fridge to Preserve Memories...

Welcome! It's the first Monday of September and it's time for a new Designer Crafts Connection Bloghop. This month's theme is "Preserving Memories"... a scrapbooking blohop... with a bonus challenge of utilizing items found around the house. I love making mini albums with all sorts of fun recycled items such as flip flops, paper bags, empty ribbon/tape spools and with today's project... food packaging!

I don't have to look far for finding something to create with – there is usually plenty of interesting things to use for crafting in my recycling bin... or in my pantry and refrigerator! Do recognize this empty box? This is the packaging that comes full of tasty wedgies of Laughing Cow cheese. I never let these babies hit the recycling bin. They are a perfect for housing a mini album -or- decorated up to present a gift card. I gently peel off the package labeling from the box to give me a blank slate to work with. 

I've also recycled a chipboard box from cookies and also a corrugated shipping envelope that I've cut into circles to make pages for my mini album.

 

I gave a distressed, white-washed beachy feel to the outside of the box and both sides of the pages with an acrylic/gesso mix and also some spray mists.

I also need some matching ribbons/fibers! I distressed some sheer organza ribbon and white cheesecloth with distress stains and spray mists.

Now to assemble my mini book - this will be accordion style. Using double-sided sheet adhesive cut to fit the pages, I sandwiched the ribbon and cheesecloth between the pages – adding some double-sided tape to the top of the ribbon to lock them in place when I adhere the top page.

Between the pages, I added some knotted natural green dyed raffia.

Nothing goes to waste with me - I used a recycled envelope to decorate the base of my box. I distressed/painted in the same fashion as the pages and adhered using double-stick adhesive sheets. I'm normally a glue-stick girl, but after all the painting and distressing, the double-sided adhesive makes assembly quick and easy.

I included some vintage beach stamp images using brown dye ink onto creme cardstock primed with the same acrylic/gesso base as everything else. I tore each image out and distressed edges with chalk inks to complete the vintage weathered feel.

I layered onto the corrogated pages a section of distressed cheesecloth and one image adhered with tacky glue. The backside of each page gives me space to add some of my vacation photos from Jamaica last fall.

I added some antique gold dewdrop ink to the inside of the box and layered a stamp collage image to the base. The gold ink worked nicely blending the hard edge of the envelope and white box with the corrugated border around the sides... WOW this is so lovely!

Now for some finishing touches: a resin cast sand dollar colored with spray mists and antique gold ink; a recycled dry cleaning tag; section of cheesecloth; raffia stands; and some real mini seashells to complete the scene.

The accordion style book nicely folds into a stack to nestle into the box... i's all grungy and weathered, and looks like it's just washed ashore!

From Cheesy to Beachy Chic...

This cheese box has been transformed completely – one would never guess what it was when I began. Keep a lookout in your pantry, the fridge and your recycling bin for amazing and interesting things to upcycle into something beautiful and useful for memory keeping! 

Thanks for visiting. Continue on the Designer Crafts Connection "PRESERVING MEMORIES" Bloghop by selecting hop back/forward on the logo below.

Sb :)

Designer Craft Connection

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