So many posts this month I feel famous!! I got super lucky and got a spot in the Nikki Sivils Swap — I was sent the “Exit Here” collection to work with.

To make my little “containers” (which happen to be full of vintage ribbon.. perfect for a mantle or kitchen table center piece!) I cut three of the patterned papers to 7.25 x 4 inches. Roll the paper to overlap about 1/4 inch and glue. Then flatten one edge, glue and cut with decorative scissors! If you’re thinking of using an edge punch I suggest punching BEFORE you glue

This baby uses the patterned paper, and die cuts from the sheet in the collection pack. It also uses A large chipboard pennant piece from the Basic Embellies Large Pennant pack which was covered in other pieces of patterned paper from Nikki’s collection pack. It has a double layer cut slightly smaller on top.

This one uses 2 more of the die cuts, some May Arts ribbon and a canvas heart from the Basically Embellies Heart Set 2. I dabbed some Pumice Stone distress stain and Spun Sugar distress stain on my teflon mat, spritzed with water and then dipped the heart into it.

And the third one utilizes LOTS of the die cuts, some pop dots and the perfectly round tree top from the Basically Embellies Happy Little Trees set. I used a crop-o-dile to punch holes in the felt and ran a Zig Yellow Painty FX pen through the holes to give them a bit of color.. I thought the yellow might be TOO yellow, so I went over it with a White Painty FX pen after it was dry

Here you can see the layering and “popping”

Enjoy!! -DeeDee

Get on over to Nikki Sivil’s blog and check out their team’s great projects for our hop!

Hello Fans!! DeeDee here, this time with swap partner Clearsnap!! Take the feel of mother’s day and combine it with the feeling of being a still new mama and you sort of come to my piece for today.

It feels very feminine . My form is up on a pedestal and held very high.. regal like.  She’s bold, beautiful and colorful but very strong.

I always find that the saying “If ain’t broke don’t fix it” is seriously appropriate, and I don’t know how you cover your chipboard with paper.. but here’s how I’ve always done mine:

I grabbed my Basically Bare Dress From and the glitz designs paper I wanted to use.. made sure both the chipboard and the paper were “Wrong side” up.. and traced the piece onto the paper. I didn’t mind about being exactly perfect, as long as I was drawing a little bit big instead of small! Then I cut out the paper and rubbed my chipboard down with a nice clear wet glue. Adhere paper and allow to dry! … now here’s the really good part..

I sand the edges with a green washing pad!! They’re rough enough to be similar to sand paper, but aren’t too rough as to tear the paper. My favorite crafty tip!!

Here are some close ups of the project:

I used the Basically Bare Wings in stiff felt, the yellow is a Clearsnap Cat’s Eye ink pad in Sunflower, and the glitter is Clearsnap Fool’s Gold.
The base of my sculpture is from the Basically Bare Gears set, and is piled with wooden spools, baker’s twine, vintage buttons, tulle and a rose made out of Glitz Designs paper.
The apron for my dress from is actually from the Basically Bare Small Pennants embellishment set. It’s covered in Glitz Designs paper with the same method shown above.. look at that sanded edge!!

Thanks so much for stopping by. -DeeDee

Be sure to check out what’s going on over at the Clearsnap blog as well!

Hello everyone!! DeeDee here, and I’m so excited to be here, so excited and so HONORED that Basically Bare chose me as a 2012 Design Team Member — this team is full of the most amazingly talented people and run by the most generous individuals.. The whole team is full of inspiration and creativity! There’s nothing more I could ask for when it comes to being part of a team — and today I have for you my first post as “An Art Assembler” !!

I decided it was time I create a rainbow road for my mantle.. and so I pulled out my Happy Little House Set and set to work!

I grabbed some distress ink in Broken China, Festive Berries, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord, and Mustard Seed. I also used Distress Stain in Wild Honey, Broken China, and Spun Sugar. After all my distressing was done.. spritzing of the water included.. I grabbed a Viva Las Vegastamps! stamp and gave the yellow house a bit of oomph with a chicken wire background. Then I glued on all doors and grabbed my Kuretake ZIG Writer in Brown — because it was a little compared to the other browns on the houses I went over it a couple of times. Using the marker I added sketch lines to certain parts of the doors giving them a little extra life.

Then.. decorate each house.. The green got buttons and twine. The yellow got old book butterflies cut using the martha stewart punch. The orange house got a giant ribbon dyed in the same colors and tied through a giant vintage button. Red got a vintage tape measure and a dymo label “HOME”. Purple got a handmade flower, and blue got a Tim Holtz idealogy clock configuration with lots of Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze in Waterfall.

You may also notice that two of my houses have their fires going.. Green’s smoke was made from a Qtip, and the blue house’s was made from some beautiful mini aqua colored tinsel.

Here is an up close shot of the stamped chipboard and of the ZIG sketching.

Here you can really see how wonderful the distress ink acts on chipboard.. those splotches are made from spritzed water after the ink has dried.

And here are all my pretty little houses in a pretty little row! If you were going to move in.. which would you choose?

–DeeDee