Daily Archives: April 30, 2007

Another frame! I’ve been having so much fun altering frames! You may be wondering why I’m making so many all at once. They were all designed for an article I wrote for Craft Critique, an on-line site developed by Sarah Moore. Craft Critique is a “collective of experienced crafters (some professional, most not) with strong opinions to share on the craft supplies you want to learn more about.” I’m so excited to be part of the Craft Critique team! My first article written for Craft Critique is on Provocraft Frames. It was just posted today and you can check it out on their web-page. If you are looking for instructions for the other frames in the article, two are posted in articles in the past week and the fourth will be tomorrow’s entry.

Follow Your Bliss Frame

I designed this frame around one of my favorite Provocraft frames…a small, inexpensive 5″ square wood frame. I also came across the retired map paper in a 6×6 paper pad while I was cleaning my desk. I set it aside and almost gave it away, when it came to mind the map paper would be perfect with my friend Trudee’s favorite quote and blog name…Follow Your Bliss. This little frame is for Trudee’s birthday…not till July…but with how crazy things have been lately, I thought ahead of the game for once would be a good thing!

I was so excited to find the new Aged Florals Line from Fancy Pants matched the colors in the map paper beautifully. I know that Trudee loves this paper, as do I. I bought my Aged Florals paper from Jacksonbelle. After adhering the paper to the frame with Alene’s Thick and Tacky Glue, I sanded the edges and then sponged Close to Cocoa ink on the edges. I found some beautiful Primas and glued them together with glue dots and added a Making Memories gemstone for the center. I just love the Fushia and Pumpkin color combination. You wouldn’t think that it would work but it looks stunning in person. I tied a dotted green organdy ribbon (also from Jacksonbelle) around the frame before adhering my flower over top.

For the center of the frame, I used the striped paper from the Aged Florals line for a background and then created a square central image on Very Vanilla cardstock. I stamped the Follow your Bliss quote with Mini Formal and Small Formal Snap stamps and highlighted the B by inking it with Pink Passion. For the images, I wanted softer versions of the color combo so I wouldn’t take away from the quote. I inked the compass stamp in Pumpking Pie and then stamped it off once on some scrap paper. I then stamped the second impression onto my design to get a lighter shade. This is called “stamping off”. I also used second impressions for the floral stamp in Pink Passion. I then used my Itty Bitty Backgrounds random dots stamp to add a little texture and to fill in the design and sponged the edges of the layer with Close to Cocoa Ink. To finish it off, I matted the quote layer with Old Olive cardstock and inserted two copper brads before adhering it to the striped background. I’m really excited about this little frame! If it wasn’t specially designed for Trudee….I just might have a hard time giving it away!

Quick Tip – To get lighter variations of the same color without buying extra ink, just ink stamp, stamp once onto scrap paper and then stamp again without reinking. An easy way to get a lighter but coordinating color from the same ink!

Supply List:

Cardstock: Old Olive, Very Vanilla – Stampin Up

Patterned paper: Retired K & Company 6×6 pad, Fancy Pants Aged Florals Line “Lovebird” & “Enchanting”

Rubber Stamps: Small and Mini Formal Snap Stamps – Karen Foster Designs, Carte Postale – Stampin Up,

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, Pink Passion

Other: Velvet ribbon – Flair Designs, Copper Brads – Making Memories, Dotted green ribbon – unknown, Prima Essentials Lucid Collection – Prima Marketing, gemstone – Making Memories