How to create crepe paper flowers with Kirsty Vittetoe! :)

Today's guest is the lovely Kirsty Vittetoe of Handmade Little Things. I "met" Kirsty when she invited me to guest for City Crafter Challenge blog. Kirsty has a sweet, romantic style and loves to play with mediums to achieve great textured effects. She works the pastels really well and I'm especially enamoured by the beautiful handmade flowers on her creations. Today, she shares a tutorial on how to make crepe flowers. :) She is also hosting a crepe paper challenge with an awesome prize for the winner! 

But first, let's have a look at all the handmade flower goodness...

Hi, I’m Kirsty Vittetoe, born and raised in Sunny Island Singapore but now a resident in United States. I began scrapbooking way back in 1992, I could not find any scrapbooking store in those days, I got all my supplies when I visited Australia, New Zealand or United States.

It all started with the love for paper, from a mom trying to preserved the precious memory for her kids, to card-making, and now, I am the owner of a kit club, a full time designer, “playing” with paper is my job, as well as my joy.

You never know where you will find inspiration, for me, it can be from a cover page of Martha Stewart magazine to the basket of clothespin in my laundry room.

My favorite embellishment is flower, and I made tons of them, showing you here in my project is my latest new love, crepe paper flower, hope you’d like it!

You can see more of my work here - http://www.handmade-little-things.blogspot.com

Last but not least. A very big thank you to Yvonne for this amazing opportunity to be featured here.

Step 1 - cut about 9 inches out of the crepe paper, I love using white as you can mist it with any color you want.

Step 2 - fold it in half.

Step 3 - trim down a bit on both ends.

Step 4 - Gather the crepe paper using needle and thread. (I usually use white thread but here I am showing you with a darker one so that it is visible in the photo.)

Step 5 - I round up the end by pulling the thread tight at the bottom of the bloom.

There you have it...crepe paper flower! You can mist it with any color to match your project.

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Looks really pretty on her card right? So are you ready to play along? Post your newly-created crepe paper inspired creations (card/layout/off-the-wall projects) using Inlinkz (located at the end of the post) by Friday June 17, (11.59pm GMT +8). Kirsty is sponsoring a $15 gift certificate to Pixie Dust Paperie for the winner! :)

 For those of you who can't wait to get your hands on a Pixie Dust Paperie kit, she's offering all of my readers a 30% discount on all Pixie Main kits (November to May) from now till Friday June 17. Yay! The code is "Pixie-Garden".

If you've enjoyed the tutorial by Kirsty, please leave her a little love friends! :)

An upcycled tin box.

Happy Monday! :) I upcycled this tin box for the latest challenge at the Bows and Berries blog (come play along) which is to use turqoise, bright pink, yellow, black and white. The digi was coloured with copics and I used the bits of crepe paper I had in my stash to "decorate" her outfit. All I did was apply some liquid glue and scrunched the crepe paper onto the area...a great way to add a bit of texture! :) 

Some ribbon and washi tape for the sides in matching colours.

Supplies: Patterned paper: Pink Paislee, Bows and Berries digi, Copics, crepe paper, ribbon, washi tape, SRM sticker and stickles.

Speaking of crepe paper, tomorrow's guest blogger will be sharing an awesome tutorial featuring the use of crepe paper! :)

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And a big "thank you" to those who played along with my guest Alice's stitching challenge....Alice picked Ujjwal as the winner for her awesome stiching around her layout...

Congratulation Ujjwal! :)

P/s: You still have time to play with my guest Elizaveta's vintage-inspired challenge! It ends on Friday! :)

How to make bottle cap embellishments.

Bonjour! Today I'm sharing how to make bottle cap embellishments! :)

Feel free to post any questions in the comments section OR if you are on Facebook, post them on Do more with less's Facebook Page [I just started this page and would love some support! Come "like" my blog!]

Step 1: Cut around the circumference of a twist-and-turn bottlecap to create "petals".

Step 2: Apply adhesive to bottle cap and glue baker's twine around the bottle cap. Add wrinkle ribbon around the outer circumference.

Step 3: Add embellishment to your card.

Supplies: Kraft cardstock, Pink Cat Studio digital image, stickles, wrinkle ribbon, SRM sticker, Gauche Alchemy embellishments, bottle cap, baker's twine.

Step 1: Cut scrap paper to fit bottle cap. Arrange the embellishments in the bottle cap and adhere with glossy accents.

Step 2 : Add stickers and adhere to layout.

And that's how you make fun bottle cap embellishments! :)

Supplies: Patterned paper - Dream Street Papers, SRM, Cosmo Cricket and E.A.D designs stickers, Gauche Alchemy embellishments, ribbon, buttons and American Crafts thickers.

Phew! I survived one week of upcycled projects..yay me! :) Did you enjoy the projects?

In case you missed any of my week-long upcycled projects...here are the links to them..

1. How to make your own tiered stand.

2. How to make your own cardboard album.

3. How to make a mini album using packaging materials. 

4. How to use up your paper strips.

I'm planning some fun activities next on the Do more with less Facebook Page...just as soon as I learn how to navigate...*LOL*

P/s: Don't forget about my guest Elizaveta's vintage-inspired challenge! And have the most amazing weekend friends! :)

How to use up your paper strips.

Hola! Today I'm sharing two layouts using strips of paper we tend to accumulate while crafting.

Feel free to post any questions in the comments section OR join the discussion over at Do more with less's Facebook Page [I just started this page and would love some support! Come "like" my blog!]

Step 1: Arrange strips of paper on white cardstock. Spray various colours of mist.

Step 2: Remove paper strips for this fun background.

Step 3: Scrap away! :) I upcycled a bottlecap and an ice-cream stick! :)

 

Supplies: American Crafts & Pink Paislee patterned papers, Maya mists, crepe paper, bottle cap, ice-cream stick, Technique Tuesdays stamp, twine, foam tags, paper doilies, ribbon, rub-on and Gauche Alchemy embellishments.

Step 4: Weave the misted strips (that were used for masking the background for the first layout).

Step 5: Scrap your photo! I upcycled some backing paper and a tab pull! And used loads of scraps! :)

Supplies: My Little Shoebox, Echo Park Paper, Prima, Sassafras and Cosmo Cricket patterned papers, packaging, tab pull, Imaginisce rub-on, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters, Sharpies, thread and Gauche Alchemy embellishments.

Totally do-able right? I would love to see what you do with your paper scraps! :)

In case you missed any of my week-long upcycled projects...here are the links to them..

1. How to make your own tiered stand.

2. How to make your own cardboard album.

3. How to make a mini album using packaging materials.

How to make a mini album using packaging materials.

Hello friends! Today's project is a mini album using packaging materials. 

Feel free to post any questions in the comments section OR join the discussion over at Do more with less's Facebook Page [I just started this page and need some friends...perhaps I should do a "secret" giveaway? Oops...did I say that out aloud?]

Step 1: This used to house brads. Open up packaging and cut out the portion you want to use.

Step 2:  Gather the embellishments you want to use in each "compartment" and adhere with glossy accents. Set it aside to dry (I let mine dry overnight.)

Step 3: Cut acrylic pieces to desired size. Ink edges of Stazon.

Step 4: Glue bubble wrap to the acrylic pieces. These will form the "back" of each page...covers up all the glue marks and fits into the bath bubbles theme..*winks*

Step 5: Sand edges of photos. Adhere. Add border strip and sticker.

Step 6: Cut corrugated cardboard to size. Add photos, border strip and sticker. 

Repeat for pages...I alternated between corrugated cardboard and acrylic.

Step 7: Embellish the cover of the mini album with ribbon, brads, bits of scrap paper, bubble wrap and stickers. Punch holes, bind the pages with ring, add ribbon and it's all done! :)

Another simple project using stuff you already have. What do you think?

Supplies: Packaging materials, acrylic, Stazon, glossy accents, 7 Gypsies stickers and Gauche Alchemy embellishments.

This is the third upcycled project this week. In case you missed them, check out the how to make your own tiered stand and how to make your own cardboard album posts. :)

P/s: Don't forget about my guest Elizaveta's vintage-inspired challenge!

How to make your own cardboard album.

So I bought a new fan last week and it came in a box...which was perfect to create an album! :) Today's project is a cardboard album! Albums are really expensive where I live...this makes a great alternative for specific vacation photos or events. And it takes up a lot less space on the shelf! :)

Feel free to post any questions in the comments section OR join the discussion over at Do more with less's Facebook Page [I just started this page and it's lonely over there! *LOL*]

Step 1: Cut 2 pieces of cardboard to desired size of album. Peel edges to reveal the corrugation along the edges.

Step 2: Gather crepe paper and adhere to cardboard using masking tape.

Step 3: Cut a soda can. Emboss and ink with alcohol inks.

Step 4: I used my Sassafras scraps to create a layout. I upcycled an old knitted belt (part of a sweater set) and attached with brown brads.

Step 5: Colour white chipboard with Sharpies.

Step 6: Adhere chipboard letters.

Step 7: Add some stitching.

Step 8: Embellish! I added some cute Gauche Alchemy embellishments and stickers! :) I kept my layout relatively flat and wet-glued down so that it fits nicely on a shelf and bits of it doesn't drop off when viewing.

Step 9: Adhere to cardboard cover. Punch holes on both front and back panels [you can decorate the back too]. Assemble the album [include inner pages]. Secure with ribbon.

Easy peasy right? I'm happy too...the layouts of my sister's trip finally have a home. :)

Supplies: 2 pieces of cardboard, crepe paper, patterned paper, embellishments, soda can, alcohol inks, Sharpies, Gauche Alchemy embellishments, old knitted belt, Heidi Swapp chipboard, ribbon.

P/s: I would love for you to play along with my guest Elizaveta's vintage-inspired challenge! :)