Hi everyone, it's Valerie! Back from North Dakota fetching grandkids!! Boy, I wish they lived closer... it sure is hard to drive up there every time I need pictures to scrapbook!!! You can only imagine how many pictures I've taken in the last month with them!
Anyhoo ... on to these gorgeous papers that are this week's Product Spotlight—Country Boutique! Have you seen them? I'm talking stunning, and there is no end to the possibilities with these! A good friend of mine, Leslie, gave me the idea of turning the long banners into a pen holder, or even a vase, and it went from there!
I made that first, and used chipboard I traced from the banners to make it stronger. A few deckle cut strips and some ribbon finished it off. But I knew the pens would fall through, so I stuck a trimmed down paper towel tube inside and stuffed a little tissue inside so the pens would sit on top and look pretty! I even glued a little cupcake liner to the bottom so the tissue wouldn't fall out!
I set to making the pens... covering them in paper and glue dotting (with some BIG glue dots) them to the rosettes. Everyone likes a fancy pen, so I wanted TWO! Well, one is simple, with the button and ribbon bow, and the other one got a little more detailed! I made a lot of little flowers with my flower punch and foam pad! Can you say F-U-N! I layered them all up and stuck them on the other pens rosette.
Vase/pen holder all done ... the end of it? Nope ... decided I needed more things to play with so it was a quick trip to the local craft store, grabbed a little dollar spiral bound journal, and a dollar clipboard, perfect companions to my pen holder. (of course they aren't the only things that found their way into my shopping cart.. )
Back home now, I set to work adding papers and embellies to my craft store prizes. After covering the journal with paper, I found some black pom pom border and thought, "Wow, that would look awesome stuck in between all the little spirals.." Worth the effort of stringing it through, don't you think! I wanted to continue the rosette theme, so I made a really big one for the cover, and added some of the smaller banners to make a giant ribbon.
On to the clipboard, made it simple ... people keep telling me "less is more"... I usually don't listen, but this time it worked. Covered it with paper, glue dotted a flower on the lever, but hmmmm ... they all lacked something to tie them together. AHA! I remembered some brown gingham ribbon from an older Fancy Pants Designs line, and voila! Ribbons everywhere now! Tied one on the pen holder, tied some on the journal, and tied one around the clipboard! Add a picture of my grandson, Beckett and I, and all done!
I hope you have enjoyed these projects! Have a great day and happy scrappin'!
lovin the muted colors of this line!!! soo soft and pretty!!!!
Posted by: Wendi R | July 11, 2012 at 11:38 AM
These colors are gorgeous! Very subtle, but still striking!
Posted by: Wendy Crowe | July 11, 2012 at 01:14 PM
Love the soft vintagy look!!
Posted by: Kim Otto | July 11, 2012 at 07:06 PM
I really love the Country Boutique! It's subtle colors and designs are SO elegant!
Posted by: Nancy in Thornton | July 12, 2012 at 08:42 AM
I love this collection can't wait to get it my LSS this weekend.
Posted by: Christine Goh | July 12, 2012 at 02:54 PM
These colors are so pretty and subdued. I love the way they look together and give you the opportunity to do something totally different than with some of the bolder collections. Beautiful!!!
Posted by: Jill | July 13, 2012 at 01:26 AM
I love the softness of this line - beautiful.
Posted by: Cassie | July 13, 2012 at 09:14 AM
I just love the muted colors of this line!!! So versatile,
Posted by: Shannon Blinn | July 15, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Such a class line!
Posted by: Heather Hopkins | July 17, 2012 at 10:45 AM
merci beaucoup pour ce poste une grande! j'ai eu beaucoup de réflexions intéressantes en lisant ce que je pourrais simplement mettre en action tout de suite.
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At some point in our lives, we must have asked the question "How much is my house worth?". It could be the tiny flat we first moved into upon turning 21, or the 5-bedroom, 2-story brick house we spent most of our childhood in. Yes, the one with the white picket fence.
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