Hooo Loves Kiwi Lane?

It is time again to have a Weekend Whimsy project on Kiwi Lane's blog.  You wouldn't know that I really hadn't done any of this type of project before starting on the Kiwi Lane design team (shhhh, don't tell Kristy Lee).  Now I've gone through half a big bottle of Modge Podge and don't see myself stopping anytime soon!  ;-)

For my project featuring Quick Quotes papers, I knew I wanted to do a covered wooden piece.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to do some Spring letters to put on my mantle or the letters of my daughter’s name.  But while shopping in Spring project aisle at my Michael's, I found some fun bare wood shapes and KNEW this was what I had to do.  Actually, I should probably call this my daughter’s Weekend Whimsy project because she picked out the owl.  And the Quick Quotes (QQ) papers were perfect to make a pretty little girl owl for her room.

Here is a peek of the bare and finished owl.

In looking at the templates featured for the month, I thought Mini Paisley would make good feathers on this little owl’s belly.  But before I could get to that point, I needed to prep the owl.

 

This was quick and simple to do.  I traced the owl on a piece of QQ Stowaway 200 paper. (I’m so happy that it fit exactly!)  After cutting out the owl, I used Modge Podge to attach the paper to the wood and laid out my templates on the form.  I ended up using Mini Paisley Place 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, Rings 4, Tiny Wildflower 1T, and Tiny Shapes 1T (not seen on my layout above) to make the owl.

 

To make it easier to lay out the “feathers” of the belly, I took an 8x8 paper and laid out all my cut Mini Paisley strips, varying the placement of the 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B cuts within the square.  I used QQ Summer Breeze 100, 300 and 400 to make the layers.  (And yes, I did erase the pencil lines before I inked and Modge Podge’d the feathers).  Rings 4 was a perfect size to use a template to cut the circle of feathers and make a “highlight” ring for her belly.  The final step before attaching the ring to the owl was to paint it with Glossy Modge Podge, and sprinkle with a little glitter I had left over from another project.  (My daughter LOVED that touch when she saw the final project!)

All that was left was to use some QQ Stowaway 400 paper with my Tiny Wildflower 1T template to make some sassy eyelashes and Tiny Shapes 1T for a beak (after both kids asked where her nose was).  I covered everything with another layer of matte Modge Podge (except the belly feathers, which I tried not to touch).

 

Now it is just a matter of hanging her up in my daughter’s room – and I will have one very happy girl!  This really was a quick project.  The longest part was waiting for the Modge Podge to dry. 

I hope you enjoyed!

Don't forget - I have a giveaway going on here.

See you Monday with a new Paper Girls Challenge.  Have a Happy Easter!

Cheers!
Kristy

Kiwi Lane Tip Time Tuesday

Today was my turn to do a Tip Time Tuesday project on Kiwi Lane Designs' blog, featuring paper from Quick Quotes.  We were given paper from Stowaway, Crackled Rose and Summer Breeze to work with.  For today's project, I worked mainly with Stowaway...though I have plans for the other papers as well!

If you follow this blog, you know how I love Kiwi Lane templates for how easy and quickly they make putting together a layout.  They really help to see what it is going to look like before you make your first cut of paper.  Did you also know you can use them as a guide for stitching and embellishments?  Here are a couple quick tips for you on achieving this.

As I was laying out all the templates, I loved how Floral 3 became a focal point, and a perfect spot to add a little bling.  I mean, a girl has to have a little bling, right?!?  In the end, I changed up my layout from the framing stage, but Floral 3 stayed right where it was!

Tip 1: Using the Templates as a Guide for Embellishments:

 

 

We usually trace our templates on paper and proceed to cut them out.  In this case, I grabbed my silver pen and traced the template directly on to the background paper.  Using different shades of orange gems, I highlighted the flower shape.  It becomes a focal point, without overwhelming the page. 

Here are a few other layouts I've made using the templates as embellishment guides:

For this one, I used Cascade Trails 3A to add the jewels for just that little spot of sparkle.

I traced Rings 3 to make the circle on the side and then added Martha Stewart Candy Dots to pull all the colors together.

Tip 2: Using the Templates as a Stitching Guide:

 

Cascade Trails is probably one of my favorite border sets.  I love the beach and love taking pictures while we are there, including the picture I am working with on this project (from a cruise I was on in 2006).  The curves in Cascade Trails become easy wave templates for these pictures.  I love the movement in the Stowaway paper, but I wanted to highlight the water feel a little more.  So I decided to use Cascade Trails 3A as a stitching guide.  As you can see in the middle picture, I traced the template, and followed with pencil line with my paper piercer – and away I went with the stitching.  An hour later, I had an extra layer of waves added to my page.

And this is the final layout! 

 

What I used:
Paper:

Quick Quotes Stowaway 100, 300, 400
Quick Quotes Summer Breeze 300

Kiwi Lane Design Templates:

Accents 2
Floral 3
Cascade Trails 2A, 2B, and 3A
Paisley Place Mini 1A and 1B
Tiny Wildflower: 4T and 6T

Please note, this will probably be the ONLY time you will see me pointing to my belly on a layout.  I was 5 months pregnant with my first at the time this picture was taken, which was actually part of the point of this layout.

I hope I’ve inspired you to grab your templates and use them as not just a guide to cut paper, but as a guide for adding some embellishments (and stitching) to your page. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a little "Celebration" giveaway.  If you aren't a follower, today might be a good day to become one!  ;-)

Cheers!
Kristy