Miss Fancy Pants

Fancy This: Butterfly Nightlight

Today's project is a whimsical nightlight from our talented designer, Amy Peterman. Amy took a simple, inexpensive nightlight and decorated it so beautifully! I love how Amy cut around the wings and lifted them slightly away from the paper. It looks as if the butterfly is about to fly away! Did you notice when the nightlight is on you can see the clouds that are on the reverse side of the patterned paper? Beautiful!

Supplies:
On A Whimsy Flutter patterned paper
Summer Soiree Strips patterned paper
All Fall Ric-Rack ribbon
Botanical Ric-Rack
Nightlight (Amy used a Dollar Store nightlight and decorated it. You could also use a nightlight kit found at some craft stores.)

Instructions:
1. Use lampshade as a template to cut out background from Flutter paper.
2. Trim Strips paper with decorative scissors, mimicking the same curve from the lampshade.
3. Adhere Strips paper to Flutter paper and punch holes along bottom edge. Using a craft knife cut around edges of butterfly and gently lift for a 3-dimensional look.
4. Adhere ric-rack trims to top and bottom edges.

Product Spotlight: Delight Bubbles

This week's spotlight is on our Bubbles patterned paper from the Delight collection. I love the bright, colorful circles on the front and if that weren't enough, there is a lovely blue pattern on the other side!

Because by Allison Davis
Allison beautifully used the blue side of the paper for this cool vertical layout. Notice how she has really worked the patterned paper just by simply adding buttons to the printed circles.

Ma by Anne Jo Lexander
Anne used the bright pattern as the background for her lovely page.

Baby Sign by Staci Taylor
I love that Staci cut circles from the paper and added them to her layout. Notice how she curled the edges of the circles so they don't lay flat on her layout. A very nice detail that adds so much dimension!

Fancy This: Altered Box

This week's project is a lovely, altered wooden box from our talented designer, Vicki Chrisman! I love the colors and patterns that Vicki used for this project, and wouldn't this little box make a sweet gift?

Supplies:
Celebrate: Play patterned paper
Celebrate: Jubilate patterned paper
Celebrate: Confetti patterned paper
Celebrate: Ribbon
Summer Soiree: Red Ball Trim
Felt Shapes: Playhouse
Felt Shapes: Sweet and Pretty
Buttons: Sweet and Pretty
Small wooden box from Hobby Lobby
4 wooden beads (for legs on box)
Acrylic paint

 

Instructions:
1. Paint the inside of your wood box and 4 wooden beads.
2. Cut papers to fit on all sides, top of outside, and top and bottom of inside. You can use scalloped scissors along the bottom half of the lid on the outside if you wish. Adhere and smooth edges with a small piece of sand paper or an emery board.
3. For butterfly (inside lid), add colored paper behind butterfly and trim around edges. Adhere to paper on inside of lid. Cut two small pieces of trim for the antennas on the butterfly.
4. Add red trim around the top edge of the bottom part of the box. Thin double sided tape works well.
5. To make the flower for the top, start by gluing the red flower down (only in the very center of the flower) and add it to the top of the box. Adhere the yellow flower to the red and then top with the button. Then cut 6 (1 ½ inch) pieces of the red striped ribbon. One at a time, fold in half and adhere under the red felt flower, continuing all the way around.
6. Using a hot glue gun, attach beads for feet on the bottom four corners of the box.

Product Spotlight: Daily Grind Printed Chipboard Shapes

I'm in love with this week's spotlight product! The Daily Grind Printed Chipboard Shapes. Are these the coolest? I love all of the fun shapes for journaling on, the flourishes, pretty flowers, wings, hearts and there's even a cute little frog ... all of which make this chipboard set super versatile. AND they're self adhesive!

Check out they ways our designers used this great product.

Start Everyday by Ronda Palazzari
Lots of goodness to look at on Ronda's layout. She used the "everyday" and some flowers and hearts from the set to create this page about her everyday goals.

This Life by Staci Taylor
Here's Staci again using one of the journaling spots on her layout to highlight her title in which she used the Daily Grind Printed Chipboard Alphas. What a fun and funky look.

Designer Spotlight: Anne Jo Lexander

Come and get to know our next designer in the spotlight ... Anne Jo Lexander.

Q: What is your favorite Fancy Pants product?
A: Gawd. The papers play such a big role obviously, and I love the felt and the new mixed media books! And if I am allowed to play favorite I have to say I truly truly adore everything Michelle Coleman touches. Her colors and designs never fails to make my heart flutter! lol *blush*

Q: What is your favorite technique?
A: I love to crumple paper - and to get more texture and dimension by doing this or other things. Definitely a fan of 3-d and mixing up textures! Oh and using my sewing machine whenever I'm stuck usually works so well...

Q: How long have you been scrapbooking?
A: I started fall 05, which would make it approx three years plus by now.

Q: What kind of scrapper would you consider yourself to  be?
A: A jack of all trades - master of none ;p
I love to play with papers and play with various styles and just go down the road my current mood is telling me to go - don't we all?
Oh, and can I add messy? :p And laid back. Very laid back. Am definitely not one for rulers and stuff....

Q: What are some goals you have for yourself, scrap-related  or personal?
A: Just to have fun and enjoy the process.

Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: It's never one thing - it's a collaboration of so many things together- product, the photos, the stories.. sometimes more of one over the other - but usually it's a little bit of everything that I am working with for the moment being.

Q: If someone was to walk into your scrap room/area right  now, what would they find?
A: One word. Mess. Everywhere. Ok. That was two.

Q: What do you listen to or watch while  scrapbooking?
A: When I am alone I love listening to music - a little bit of this and that depending on my mood. Right now I totally adore Lenka :)  (and the graphics are sooo inspiring and cute too!)

Q: What time of day do you usually scrapbook and  where?
A: Either when I am alone or with my scrapbooking friends. Rarely when the family is at home.

Q: What type of camera do you use?
A: Nikon d700. Totally makes me happy. Also have an older body - d70s

Q: What are some other hobbies you enjoy?
A: Photography - don't most scrapbookers do this? :) Have always been into mmorpgs and currently enjoy playing World of Warcraft. I love reading as well - with Neil Gaiman, Amalie Skram and Virginia Woolf as some of my all-time favorites.

Q: Share something quirky about yourself.
A: When I see scenes in movies where people are under water I tend to hold my breath too for as long as they are underwater (or I'm outta breath ;p).

Thanks Anne Jo!!! We're glad to get to know you better.

 

Fancy This: Spring Critters and Candy Jars

Ahh Spring! After a long, grey winter, I feel renewed again when the first signs of spring arrive. The fresh colors of tulips, the sound of birds singing and the warm sun on my skin—these things make me so happy. So, I was excited to see these projects by Vicki Chrisman. She has totally captured the essence of spring in these sweet, simple-to-make creations.

Look at these cute little guys! My daughter saw me posting the photo below and she asked if she could have them. I guess I'm going to have to decorate a couple little critters too. Maybe I'll put them in her Easter basket.

And look at these! Is your mouth watering? Mine is.

Vicki used patterned papers and rub-ons from the On A Whimsy collection.

Thanks Vicki for these great project ideas! Now I'm off to write "Peeps" on my grocery list.

Product Spotlight: Say It Simple

This week we are spotlighting one of my favorite "must have" Fancy Pants products, the Say It Simple chipboard alphabet. I love the versatility of these raw chipboard letters. You can dress them up or leave them bare for a nice neutral tone. Plus they are a simple bold font that works well with most themes!

Beach Play by Greta Hammond
Greta added some white paint to the letters, allowing some of the chipboard color to show through. The perfect look for this fun beach layout!

*Note: layout removed for publication.

Love Life by Brenda Hurd
For Brenda's title she painted the letters and then added a fun outline to each letter with a marker.

They Love U by Denine Zielinski
Denine chose to leave her letters "as is" for the perfect addition to her layout.

*Note: layout removed for publication.

You could also try covering our Say It Simple alphas with glitter, microbeads, ink, patterned paper, rub-ons, embossing powder or fine art mediums.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back Monday for our Fancy This project!

Fancy This: Happy March On Display Art

Happy Monday! Happy March! And ... Happy Spring! Here's a project from the lovely, Cindy Tobey. Cindy used one of our new On Display frames to create this beautiful art to help her celebrate the season. These frames have thick, clear, acrylic inserts, that can be sewn on, painted on ... you name it. Cindy plans to create art for each of the months/seasons. How cool is this?

 

Supplies:
On Display: 8 x 8 White Frame
On A Whimsy: Happy patterned paper
On A Whimsy: Strips patterned paper
On A Whimsy: Twirl patterned paper
On A Whimsy: Rainbow patterned paper
On A Whimsy: Rubons
On A Whimsy: Buttons
Summer Soiree: Buttons
Lotsa Letters 12 x 12 Chipboard
Happy Holidays: Embellishment Kit (metal label holder, brads)
Rub ons: Double Alpha
Bag-O-Tags
Create-a-Calendar 12 x 12 Stamps
Felt Shapes: Harvest
Felt Shapes: Playhouse
Chipboard hearts from various Fancy Pants collections
Ribbon from various Fancy Pants collections
Heart punch or die
Sewing Machine
Thread
Paint (greens, gold)
Mini brads
Tiny alpha stickers

Instructions:
1. Stitch a 9 square, 2 1/2 inch grid onto the 8 x 8 acrylic page. Tip: To get straight lines, draw your gridlines on a piece of thin tracing paper. Place your acrylic page over the top and stitch through both the tracing paper and acrylic following your gridlines. Once the stitching is finished gently tear away the tracing paper.
2. Use a punch or die to cut hearts from On A Whimsy patterned papers. Ink and gently curl the edges of the hearts.
3. Paint chipboard hearts and alphas with a variety of green paints.
4. Create your own clovers for 6 of the squares using the paper, chipboard and felt hearts.
5. Add ribbons, trim and rub on swirls for the clover stems.
6. Use clover stamp from Create-a-Calendar set to stamp green clover. Layer over the top of clover made with chipboard hearts.
7. Add "spring" to bottom right square using small alphas. Add label holder to frame the word.
8. Add "march" to a white tag with Double Alpha rub ons and add to page.
9. Add "happy," placing some letters on foam adhesive to pop them up.
10. Cut 3 squares of patterned paper slightly smaller than your stitched squares. Ink the edges and machine stitch a border of white thread onto each. Add these to the back of your acrylic page. Make sure the adhesive is hidden behind the clover in each square.
11. Paint onto the back of the page behind the clover in the bottom left corner.
12. Add buttons and brads to three of the clovers.
13. Place page in the frame and it is ready to hang on your wall!

Product Spotlight: Girl Phrases Rub Ons

I'm a big fan of this week's product spotlight, Girl Phases Rub-ons. Having two little girls of my own, this is a sheet of rub-ons that will get LOTS of use. So many cute phases in such pretty, girlie fonts.

 

Check out how Ronda, Brenda and Anne Jo used these rub-ons that are "everything nice".

Princess by Ronda Palazzari

Baby Doll by Brenda Hurd

What Time Is It? by Anne Jo Lexander

Designer Spotlight: Amy Peterman

It's time for another Designer Spotlight, and this week we have the very talented...

Amy Peterman

Q: What is your favorite Fancy Pants product?
A: If I had to pick one, I’d have to say I am in love with the new Mixed Media books. I love how versatile they are.

Q: How long have you been scrapbooking?
A: 12 + years

Q: What are some goals you have for yourself, scrap-related or personal?
A: I’d love to author a scrapbook idea book some day and possibly design product. I also think it’d be cool to run a marathon someday and maybe teach art history.



Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: My kids, my home, online, magazines, other scrapbookers, and other crafts.

Q: If someone was to walk into your scrap room/area right now, what would they find?
A: A ten-foot work space (that my hubby built for me), covered with leftovers from my latest creation that I finished last night. I plan on cleaning it up today. I always like to have a clean surface when I’m ready to start the next project.

Q: What do you listen to or watch while scrapbooking?
A: I actually have a play list on my iPod called “scrapbooking mix”. On the list is “I’m Letting Go” by Francesca Battistelli, “One Step At A Time” by Jordan Sparks, and “Upside Down” by Trevor Morgan, to name a few...

Q: What time of day do you usually scrapbook and where?
A: Usually after my girlies go to bed, but sometimes I can squeeze in a little time during the day if Josie is napping and Hattie is in school, although, that’s a rare occasion.

Q: What type of camera do you use?
A: Canon Rebel XT

Q: What are some other hobbies you enjoy?
A: Knitting, quilting, and sewing

Q: Share something quirky about yourself.
A: It drives me nuts if my bed doesn’t get made every day. If it doesn’t get made because I’m the first one up and have been away from home all day, I will make the bed right before I go to bed.

Thanks Amy for letting us get to know you a little better!