Festive Paper House Decor... 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments Bloghop

 

  

Hello creative friends! Welcome to DAY FOUR of the 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments Bloghop. Pop over to Try-It, Like It for the details on all each days ornament tutorial. 

 

 

Today I am sharing how to create this adorable festive birdhouse ornament. This is a fun stash-busting project and can be done using what you have on hand. All you need is a few paper scraps, buttons or metal findings and ribbons & trims, this sweet house is ready to adorn the tree!

I was inspired by the red & white checks on this 1 1/2" wide wired burlap trim - it's perfect for the rooftop of my whimsical little bird house.

PLEASE NOTE: This was put together in a free-form fashion... like one of those recipes that you throw together using a handful of pantry staples. This project came together with ease and the size was determined by the size of my paper scraps & width of ribbon trim that I selected for the roof. No precise measuring! 

Let's get started!

To begin: from my stash I found and cut two matching strips of patterned paper. My paper has a distressed painted texture on both sides and I made width match the wired burlap trim I am using for the roof which is approximately 1 1/2" wide

Overlap the two strips together like a "plus sign", then glue together with white craft glue. Next cut a matching triangular peak to support roof from top and bottom of one strip. This overlapped section will be the base of house. When glue is dry, fold up the sides at edges of the base section. Punch a series of equally spaced holes along each edge. I used six – this may vary depending on your size paper. Keep in mind that an even number of holes are needed to complete stitched X shapes along each side.

 

Using a contrasting yarn, embroidery floss or baker's/burlap twine, stitch house walls together using a cross stitch "X" pattern and and knot off on the inside.

Completed house with all sides stitched – no glue necessary. 

I cut a section of a decorative wired burlap trim, folded in half, then folded edges over twice to add extra dimension. Any kind of ribbon or even decorative paper could be used. Cut a matching size section of patterned cardstock and fold in half. 

For extra stability, adhere the piece of scrap patterned cardstock using double-sided tape. For this step, I opt for a dry adhesive method as some glues may seep into and discolor ribbon. Please use your choice of adhesive based on your materials.

Create a hanger by tying a knot to form a loop with green burlap thread. Poke a small hole in center of roof with a pushpin and feed through keeping knot on the inside. To add extra detail, I strung on a bead cap. 

 

 

 

To create a base, I mount a red cardstock rectangle on the bottom that is slightly larger and added a thin natural burlap twine around the base. I nipped the tips off the corner edges with scissors.

To add a roof overhang, I cut and adhere a piece of red cardstock below that is slightly wider on each size under burlap roof piece. To finish: I glue the roof assembly onto the house structure using white craft glue and set aside to dry.

 

 

 

The finishing touches are a keyhole brad embellishment glued to the front of the house and a beautiful tied bow made of burlap ribbon adhered with a heavy-duty glue-dot. This ornament is so adorable! As you can see it can fit in my hand. Fully embellished this house is about 3 1/2" tall and 2 1/2" wide.

This ornament comes together easily using a minimal amount of supplies. Grab up all the little bits and bobs and make a whole bunch in different colors and sizes! These will be my handmade ornament gifts for family this year.

 

I invite you to join me and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I will share a video process of this ornament in a different color and pattern range on December 8th! While you are there you can view a video on a mixed-media Junque Fairy ornament.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and your contact information spelled out {ie: youremail at service dot com} and I will be happy to respond. 

 

Thank you for stopping by. Check back for more fun projects!  :) Sb

Trim the Tree with Handmade Holiday Ornaments...

Hello creative friends! Handmade holiday gifts are my jam – especially ornaments. It's a tradition that I share with my Grandmother which has spread to other family members too. I am also into all sorts of art & crafts, sewing and of course, I just can't resist making ALL THE THINGS! 

That being said, I am excited that my creative friend Janet invited me to be a part of a special handmade event where each day brings a new craft tutorial to follow along and make some new handmade holiday ornaments... the 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments!

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To visit all the stops for the 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments visit Janet at https://tryit-likeit.com/12-days-of-christmas-ornaments/

Here's the list of all the Ornament Makers in this bloghop:

Day 1 – Janet Trieschman: Fabric Ball Ornament
Day 2 – Donna Wirthlin: Santa Fabric Star
Day 3 – Natalie Shaw: Waterslide Decal Ornaments
** Day 4 – Susan M. Brown {sbartist}: Festive Paper House Ornament ** YOU ARE HERE
Day 5 – Michelle James: Old World Santa Ornaments
Day 6 – Julie Nyanyo: Felt and Button Stars
Day 7 – Christie Troxell: Pinecone Flowers Wood Slice
Day 8 – Gail Griffin: Bejeweled Decorative Ornament
Day 9 – Katie Adams: 3D Laser Cut Reindeer Ornament
Day 10 – Janet Trieschman: Alcohol ink Ornament
Day 11 – Terry Ricioli: Rustic Wood Slice Ornament
Day 12 – Janet Trieschman: Christmas Tree

Thanks for stopping by – I hope you enjoy creating along. Merry Christmas and Happy Making. I'd love to hear about what type of ornaments you like to make. :) Sb

And all of a sudden… it’s December

Hello creative friends! Blogging is like riding a bike, right?! Don't know where the time has gone and I can't believe its December! It's been a whirlwind of a year... and a doozie of a hurr-i-cane season. The past week was eventful, jam packed and I got ALL the things accomplished (work included). 

 

I have lots of exciting things coming up to share! November concluded with my delivery of 14 pieces to an exhibition which is on display December 1 through January 3 at the Plunge Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

 

If you look close you can see some of my 16" x 20" framed photos lined up along the bar. A fun-fact... I cut ALL my own mats! I got myself a tool to do it back in the day when I had a studio. Cutting mats is a labor of love – yet so rewarding to have everything fit to size with a pretty beveled edge. PUH-lease don't get me started on the warped mat board I got from M-store that made this process so much more challenging to cut. I soldiered on and muscled the curved board into the frames. Everything looks beautiful!! I am especially excited to debut a NEW SERIES of photographic works using Cyanotype process. No sneak peeks yet, but I promise I will share soon.

 

 

 

Plunge is a low-key, laid-back seaside retreat for chic bohemians and beach lovers alike. It has a modern, open industrial style lobby that is ALL about the LOCAL artists. Every month has a new exhibition and works are for sale - at any time! The exhibitions rotate every 3-4 weeks throughout the year. I was part of a group exhibition last November with the Weston Art Guild, where I had two photos displayed. I try to get over to see each one and treat myself to lunch or dinner at their beach bar. 

 

 

 

If you are LOCAL to me in SoFL – all are invited to the free open house reception on Wednesday, December 18th. Two artists (Tammy and Maria) are friends from the Gold Coast Watercolor Society (yes I am painting again), and I look forward to meeting and seeing the work of the other two artists.

Looking forward to the event! And if you are following me on IG { @sassyeyedsusan } I will post some pix there and if connectivity allows, I'll try to go live.

 

Oh... I almost forgot. It is now COOKIE SEASON! I am part of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Bloghop. Pop over to Try-It, Like It for the details. My recipe is on Day 9!

Happy December! :) Sb

 

Shine... StencilGirl® Self Portrait Collaborative

Hello friends! 2022 is underway and today I am excited to share a new StencilGirl® collaborative project -- the "StencilGirl® Self Portrait Collaboration"... a project in which we were challenged to draw/stencil/paint a self portrait using StencilGirl® Stencils.

https://www.stencilgirltalk.com/2022/01/stencilgirl-self-portrait-collaboration.html

I am inspired by so many artists and art journal styles. I recently celebrated a milestone birthday -- a perfect reason for a new spread in my Ranger art journal. I opened the book to this spread that had blue paint rubbed all over from a previous art adventure.

For my thirtieth birthday, my hubs and I traveled to NYC for a bucket list road trip. We saved up all year to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Along with the parade we squeezed in as much of NYC as we could in the weekend, ending with our last night staying at the Plaza Hotel. In seeing the sights walking around Central Park, we came across an artist who was set up drawing portraits in pencil and chalk right on the sidewalk. I watched him work in amazement and sat with him to have my portrait done to document my milestone birthday.

Portraits have always been a challenge for me, and self-portraits just turn up the stress level. This project was certainly a challenge, and I am happy to have used this challenge to document this time in my life. Out of all the collab projects I have joined, this one is by far my favorite!!

Nestled in my book is this hand-cut self portrait stencil that I made many moons ago at my LSS for a "Creative Jumpstart Meetup" where we created these inspired by Natalie Kalbach's CJS episode that featured this technique.

Even in this simplified format, this was a challenge. I have never used this stencil. I find it interesting how serendipitous artful opportunities present themselves.

Follow along as I share how I built up the layers.

I get out my big bin of Grumbacher Academy Acrylic paints and apply Yellow Ochre and Thalo® Yellow Green using a recycled key card.

Then added some Turquoise Green. I love how buttery

and creamy the Grumbacher Acrylics paints are.

With a base of color, I begin stenciling. Using a triangle sponge applicator, I pounce Payne's Gray through StencilGirl® L517 Shaw -- Triangle Transitions 2 Stencil.

I continue covering the entire right side page.

On the bottom left side page I apply the Payne's Gray through my handmade self-portrait...

Then continue the Triangle Transitions stencil background around the face.

I applied StencilGirl® M058 Apter -- Stencil Square Urban Insiders Stencil over the right eye.

Now its time for adding flowing locks of hair in Dioxazine Purple pounced through the StencilGirl® S321 Stegmiller -- Whimsical Waves Stencil.

I applied some Thalo® Gold across the top of the pages to shape around the hair then pounced over a mixture of Unbleached Titanium White and Titanium White through the StencilGirl® S681 Walker -- Gaol Doorways Stencil making a repeating pattern.

Using markers and Stabilo pencils, I added some detail

to shape the edge of the curls and waves in the hair.

It's really coming along. Now to add detail and color to finish off the face.

Using pencils and some washes of paint and Stabilo pencils, I drew in the features on the left side of face, nose and lips. I drew in the word SHINE with marker within the right eye and added color with markers to bring out the rays.

"SHINE"

Completed spread.

Detail of face.

Detail of hair and hand-drawn waves.

Sprinkling of layered stars using StencilGirl® S497 Kerr -- Starlight Starbright Stencil.

I added jewels to neck using StencilGirl® S735 Walker -- Stone Statue Small Stencil with Alizarin Crimson.

I love how the background is full of texture. It brings together my favorite colors and the stenciled patterns resemble how I see things through my mind's eye.

StencilGirl® Stencils Used : 

M058 Apter -- Stencil Square Urban Insiders

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-square-urban-insiders-seth-apter-p/m058.htm

S321 Stegmiller -- Whimsical Waves Stencil

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-whimsical-waves-terri-stegmiller-p/s321.htm

S681 Walker -- Gaol Doorways Stencil

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Gaol-Doorways-Tina-Walker-p/s681.htm

S497 Kerr -- Starlight Starbright Stencil

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-starlight-starbright-cat-kerr-p/s497.htm

S735 Walker -- Stone Statue Small

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-Stone-Statue-Small-Tina-Walker-p/s735.htm

L517 Shaw -- Triangle Transitions 2 Stencil

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencil-triangle-transitions-2-mary-beth-shaw-p/l517.htm

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I hope you enjoyed this project. How would you use stencils to create your self portrait? CLICK HERE to jump over to see the other portraits made for the "StencilGirl® Self Portrait Collaboration".

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Have you heard?! I'm teaching at Collage-Lab's SPRING FLING Virtual Retreat! Join myself and 14 artists from across the globe, for 20 hours of instruction, Zoom gatherings, and an assortment of collage projects and techniques. Get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday and focus on mixed media collage techniques from the comfort of your home studio! The fun begins March 1st, 2022. For all the details visit: bit.ly/SpringFling_withSB.

Thanks for dropping by!  :) Sb

Ready for a Weekend Getaway... DIY Bloghop with Expo International Trims

 

Hello Friends! Are you ready for a weekend getaway?! I know I am! Today I am proud and grateful to be participating in a special DIY Spring Bloghop with Expo International Trims. I have a couple makes using Expo International trims: a pencil case turned Chic clutch and a wintery felt phone holder.

With some scissors, double-sided adhesive and Fabri-Tac ~
making a seasonal quick change is quick and EASY.

Expo International sent me this selection of items to create with. Keep an eye out here on Cinco de Mayo as to what becomes of the festive fringe and red trims. TRIMS USED in this project: Shell Beaded Denim Trim - Black Multi; AnnaLie Jute Trim {natural burlap background with cotton lace overlay}; Evelyn Black Lace; and striking Flower Brooch.



I shopped my closet and gathered some canvas, white, black and khaki - my travel go-tos and grabbed some items that need some travel ready flair.

 

First up - my not so girly yet functional fishing hat. I removed the leather straps and measured a section of the lacy jute trim and lined with double-sided adhesive. Remove the backing, wrap around and VOILA ~ instant transformation!



My canvas tote has a stain that won't wash out. What's a girl to do?! Camouflage it by adding some Expo International Trims of course!



Adding lace trim is quick and easy with Fabric-Tac.


 
I love to double layer contrasting trims... 
and it makes the trim look like it's all-in-one.

How did I get these great boho roses?!

 
 
I made them out of Expo International Trims!



I had a small section leftover of the lacey jute trim. It's not going to waste. I gently peeled back the lace to expose the threads and gently cut apart.



Now I have two separate pieces! I wrapped these wonkily into a rose shape, added a pearl to the center, and secured with Fabri-Tac.



I cut the burlap into strips, added a strip of double-sided adhesive tape, then backed onto this beautiful distressed denim trim with shells and wound it up into another boho rose.



Again - secured with strategically placed dollops of Fabri-Tac.



I added a broken clip-on earring to the center of this one.
A little more Fabri-Tac adheres them to the jute trim band.



An easy-peasy transformation from stuff I had around the house. AND I can easily remove and re-attach my leather strap for the pop-up fishing excursion.

But there's one more....

This natural woven purse is beautiful as it is... but it needs a little something.

After the addition of Expo International Black Lace trim and this gorgeous Adornments Clip-on Brooch!!! 

Instant STYLE!

What would you transform
for your travel getaway with
Expo International Trims?

CLICK HERE to POP over to the Expo International BLOG for other projects in this special Spring Bloghop with Expo International! For more information on Expo International and products to dress up anything please visit website HERE.

Visit Expo International on FB www.facebook.com/expointl to enter for this great giveaway of trims.

For more inspiration on creating with Expo International please visit www.expointl.com/blog/. Share your creations #expotrims #diyhomedecor #embellishwithexpo 

Thanks so much for visiting! Sb :)

** This is a paid sponsored post. Expo International has provided trims for use in this project in exchange for my creative ideas, views and opinions. My ideas and opinions are my own.