Friday, February 13, 2009

Girly Name Frame - Pretty & Pink



The Storybook cartridge is one of my top favorites - I have a lot of cartridges, but I find myself reaching for Storybook again and again. I needed to make a baby gift and this name frame is what I created. I had a lot of fun doing this - I don't often get to do "girly-girl" projects!



I used my scalloped full page for the background - here is a LINK to the post for that file if you missed it (the file is made using Plantin Schoolbook since you need the Expression to cut it). The scallop is actually an 11 x 11 inch square which allows a nice border around the page. The file also has a frame option.

I cut the name from pink glitter cardstock using the Storybook font and then cut the shadows of the letters in white cardstock. The glitter cardstock is very thick so I used Multi Cut 2 times.



In Design Studio you set the multi cut feature using the Preferences menu (shown in the screen shot above). Remember to reset it to "off" after you have cut the thicker material. You should also clean out the blade housing after cutting glitter cardstock since it makes a lot of dust!



I cut the pretty filigree heart from the Storybook cartridge along with the coordinating shadow. I wanted to do some embossing but only in the area that shows through the filigree. The cartridge does not have an inner shadow so I manipulated the heart on the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge - changing the shape to fit within the lines of the filigree heart but not extend beyond the edges.



In the screen shot above you can see the heart, the shadow and the filler heart that I created for this project.



Above you can see the filler heart after I embossed it using the Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder. You can see that the folder did not emboss to the very edge, but it was far enough to cover all of the areas that would show through the filigree.



I adhered the embossed filler heart to the filigree heart and then layered them on top of the shadow cut from the cartridge.



To add some more texture, I layered some Maya Road velvet flowers in the corners. They needed a bit of sparkle, so in the centers I used white brads that I "stickled" with Diamond Stickles glitter glue.



The Stickles take a while to dry, so I stuck the brads into some styrofoam to hold them steady while I applied the Stickles and to keep them upright until they were dry. ( I actually let them dry overnight).



I applied the flowers using glue dots - one on each petal and another in the center.



Since the flowers were rather thick once I added the brads, I wanted the letters of the name to also have some dimension.



I used 1/8 inch foam adhesive squares to attach the letters to the background. Above you can see a little trick that makes it a bit easier to remove the backing from the adhesive - just push down in the center with a fingernail or a pointy tool.



I used my layout ruler to help with aligning and centering the letters in the arch. I added some bits of the offcuts from the filigree heart for swirls coming out from behind the flowers in the lower corners.



Above you can see the final framed piece - it is difficult to photograph after the glass is added so please excuse the reflection!



I made a matching card for the gift - once again I used an offcut from the filigree heart on the card - the "Congrats" is cut from a Cuttlebug die.



I hope that this finds a place on the wall of this little girl's bedroom! These projects are fun to do and they create a very personal and unique gift.

7 comments:

  1. This will be treasured for years to come by mother and child.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a very sweet gift and I'm sure that parents and baby will appreciate it. I like the fact that you used off cuts and that you explained the steps in detail. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is beautiful and what a cherished gift!! Thanks for sharing, I might have scraplift this idea for my darling god-daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my gosh, that's the cutest thing I've seen!! What a wonderful gift for a little girl!! Thank you so much for sharing that and also how you did each step. You have helped me so much in learning how to do things. All your little notes, like the one about removing the backing from the pop dots is so helpful. Happy Valentine's Day to you!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a beautiful gift. I made some Valentine's Day cards with that heart from StoryBook...Thanks so much for sharing your ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just so beautiful! What a beautiful gift!
    Marian

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is JUST BEAUTIFUL!! BEAUTIFUL!!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I love to hear from the people who read my blog. I moderate all comments to keep spam off the blog without making you decode the squiggly letters so your comment may not appear immediately.