Summer Cottage

I'd love to show you a fun and unique project using the Summer Stories collection from Teresa Collins Designs. 

During Christmas time, I love to see all the charming little handmade villages and houses decorating mantels and table tops. But the holiday season shouldn't get ALL the fun so I thought I'd make a sea side cottage to welcome the lazy days of summer. 

How perfect is the Summer Stories collection for this project?!  Breezy blues, sunshine yellows, and soft pinks. Just makes me want to lie in a hammock with a lemonade and a good book.

I began this project with a cute chipboard house kit from Melissa Frances.  I covered each part of the house pieces with different patterns and colors of the Summer Stories paper. Following the directions on the package of the house kit, I assembled it together.

Using enamel dots, I embellished a bottle brush tree and placed it towards the front of the house. I also used banner die cuts to decorate the windows. I embellished the house with a "Home" chipboard element as well as a little chipboard button on the front gate.

Here's a mini banner I placed across the chimney to the edge of the roof . I added a little pouf of tissue garland inside the chimney and a few more enamel dots. 

                   All that is needed now is a pretty little bicycle with a flower basket parked in the front. :)
                                      Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Supplies used-

Summer Stories pattern paper- Flowers and pink damask sheet from the 6x6 pad.

Summer Stories enamel dots

Summer Stories die cut sheet

Summer Stories chipboard elements 

all from Teresa Collins Designs

House Kit- Melissa Frances

Melissa Frances Treat Cups

For the past week, the ladies from the  Melissa Frances design team have been participating in a fun challenge using these darling treat cups.  It's been so fun to see what everyone has come up with! This mini gift basket I made is a fun and unique way to present a gift for a baby shower. Tucked inside is a gift card for the mother as well as a mini glass bottle that has a sweet message inside for the new baby. 

Be sure to check out the Melissa Frances Blog to see the rest of the beautiful creations the design team has made using the treat cups!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies used-

Scalloped Oval Treat Cup (WB031), Glass Bottles (GN570), Mini Rose Sprig, White Pearls (GN278), Patterned paper - all from Classic Elegance :Adopted Ancestors (PA408), Strictly Business (PA406), At First Blush (PA404))

All  products from Melissa Frances

Mother's Day Card Ideas

Hi there!

Here are a few quick and simple Mother's Day card ideas for you using the new Summer Stories collection. I always make several cards each Mother's Day for my Mom, mother-in-laws, grandmas, friends that are moms and women who have been like mothers to me. The new Summer Stories collection has several soft, feminine floral  and damask papers that are perfect for Mother's Day cards.  As you can see, I used a few die cut doilies from the  Memories collection as well.  I love how you can mix and match different collections and they blend perfectly.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Supplies used-

Summer Stories Die Cut Sheet

Summer Stories Chipboard Buttons

Summer Stories Chipboard Elements

Summer Stories Enamel Dots

Summer Stories Border Strips

Pattern Paper- Summer Stories: Dots, Filigree, Flowers

Nursery Decor Using Summer Stories

Today I'd love to share with you two nursery decor projects using the Summer Stories collection from Teresa Collins. My sister recently had a beautiful baby girl and I wanted to give her some handmade decor pieces for the nursery.  I fell in love with the soft blues, grays and cotton candy pinks in this line; they also happen to match the new baby's nursery perfectly! 

The first project is a wall hang using a chipboard backdrop that I painted  ivory. I  layered different patterns and colors of paper from the Summer Stories collection. I attached a vintage photo of a baby and made a little banner using die cuts, buttons and twine.  Using the "flashcards" sheet of paper, I cut out the word "baby" and adhered it to the bottom of the panel. 

Here's a little pillow I made out of muslin and then embellished with a die cut and button banner.  I also stitched "xox" in the upper corner using light blue thread.  I used fabric glue to adhere the floppy blossom ribbon down the side of the pillow. 

I'm sure you're LOVING this new collection as much as I am!

 Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Supplies used-

Pattern paper- Summer Stories: Flashcards A and B side

Summer Stories buttons and chipboard embellishments

Summer Stories Die Cut Sheet

Summer Stories Enamel Dots

Summer Stories 6x6 pad ( blue flashcard paper)

Teresa Collins Designs- Summer Stories

Other: Floppy blossom ribbon floppy blossom ribbon, chipboard backdrop-  Melissa Frances

And the Winner Is...

                                                    LesApril 29, 2013 at 2:09 PM

                I really am so impressed at what you always make. I'd never think to put that all together!

Les is the random winner! Les, be watching for an email from me! :)

Thank you so much to everyone for your sweet comments!

Have a wonderful day!

French Inspired Shelf and a Giveaway!

 Today I'd love to show you a French inspired shelf using simple supplies from The Wood Connection. Mother's Day will soon be here and I wanted to make something special and unique for my mom. I thought this shelf would make sweet gift and it would also fit perfectly with her bathroom decor.  She's going to love it!

Supplies used:
Two large candlesticks - The Wood Connection
Two small candlesticks- The Wood Connection
Three 5" x 14" boards- The Wood Connection
Wood glue- The Wood Connection
Acrylic paint- light ivory, blue danube and foam paint brushes- The Wood Connection
Weather crackle effect- Martha Stewart
Mod Podge
Tissue paper
French Typography- The Graphics Fairy


Start by sanding the rough spots down on your boards and then painting a couple coats of ivory paint on all three boards and all four candlesticks. Let dry.

When the boards have finished drying, apply a coat of the crackle effect to each board and candlestick and it dry completely.

While the boards are drying, you're going to prep the tissue paper to go into the printer to 

print out your typography.  Start by laying out a single sheet of tissue paper and place a sheet of cardstock on top and trim around it so you have a 2 inch allowance.

Using the tape to secure it, wrap the tissue paper around the cardstock. You don't need a solid line of tape, but do use enough to secure it well.

Then run the tissue covered cardstock through the printer, so it will print directly on the tissue paper.

There is some wonderful vintage French typography at The Graphics Fairy that I used for this project.

Lightly spray the images with hairspray to set the ink. Do this step three times with three different images for each board.

After your boards and candlesticks are dry from the crackle effect, paint a coat of blue paint on all your pieces and let dry. This is what your pieces will look like after the blue paint has dried.

 LOVE that shabby chic look!

Cut out your tissue pieces and place them where you'd like on the boards. For this board, I used two separate images but on the other two boards, I just used one image on each. 

Cover the board with Mod Podge and place the tissue pieces on top, then add another layer of Mod Podge on top.

Once the Mod Podge has dried on your boards, glue the two large candlesticks on top of one board.

Using wood glue, attach the second board on top of the candlesticks. Glue the two small candlesticks on top of the second board and attach the third board on top of the small candlesticks.

This is what the finished shelf will look like! 

 I also printed out a couple vintage french perfume labels and Mod Podged  them to small  painted 4"x6"blocks of wood ( also available at The Wood Connection) for an added decoration. 

I hope you enjoyed this French inspired shelf tutorial as much as I loved making it!

 Thank you so much to The Wood Connection for having me, it's been a pleasure as always! They were generous to give me a $25.00 gift certificate for one lucky reader.  Simply leave a comment below and you'll be entered into the drawing! 

  

Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Melissa Frances House Kits

One of my favorite products Melissa Frances carries are the beautiful  House Kits. They are so much fun to put together and I love adding my own special touch to each house to make it unique. You could make one for every holiday of the year!  The one I made here features the Large Queen Ann house kit and papers from Classic Elegance collection. I also added a brooch to give the house a little sparkle.

Melissa did a series of three videos on the house kits on My Craft Channel last year.  You can check out her three part series on these darling houses over on the Melissa Frances Blog.

Here are some examples of the unfinished house kits.  I love them all! 

Thanks for stopping by!