Design team member of Alpha Stamps, lover of ephemera and junk.

Welcome! Grab a cold one, kick off your shoes, and have a look around.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Bathing Beauties Beach Cabana


I made this beach cabana for Alpha Stamps, and thought I’d post about it here with a bit of information about how it was made.
I started with some chipboard houses from 7Gypsies. Each set comes with three houses: a solid one, one with 4 small windows, and one with a large cutout. I used two sets, because I wanted to have the large cutout in both the front and back of the cabana. I covered all the sides with scrapbook paper (Graphic45), and inked around the edges. On the front, I used a Travel Adhesive Border to create the waves, and images from the Bathing Beauties #3 collage sheet. I added a metal frame, a seashell, a drink umbrella, and a Cream Resin Sparrow, among other things. 

To create the opening between the front and back, I used matchboxes. I simply stacked four matchboxes like so, and covered the top and bottom with the same striped paper as the front and back.
 Glue the matchboxes between the two sides of the cabana at the bottom. I also added one to the very top near the point of the roof, to make the structure stable. Because it sits under the roof, it will not be seen.

Using an ink pad and a color duster brush (similar to an old fashioned shaving brush), I gave those stark white matchbox drawers a bit of color. For drawer pulls, I used hitch fasteners, but you could always use something like these banded end caps for handles.  Simply glue them on with E6000. I painted the inside of the matchboxes blue, and then decorated them with images and type from the Beachy Postage and Words collage sheet and some seashells. 

Next, I cut some images from some G45 Bathing Beauties Scrapbook paper, and using some foam adhesive, stacked them within the windows of the structure. I know it’s not comfortable for the girls, but I bent their legs back like tabs so I could glue down onto the matchbox base. Sorry, ladies!

Once those were in place, I chose two images from the same Bathing Beauties paper and glued them to the sides of the cabana. The chipboard houses are thick enough that you can put a thin line of glue down and the images will adhere. I cut each image a little wider than necessary so that once they were glued them in place, I could trim them to fit with my X-acto knife. Use a little ink on the sides to get rid of white edges. 
 The roof is cut out of shirt cardboard. Of course, I inked those edges as well; I always ink my edges! I like the finished look it gives. I drew the flag onto some scrapbook paper, and used a black colored pencil to give it some shading to help make it look 3D. 
The flagpole is a bamboo skewer, cut so it can rest on that matchbox near the top of the cabana. Placing and attaching the flag was a little tricky: I figured out where it should sit on the roof, and punched a little hole in the roof’s fold. I fed the flagpole through that hole, and then glued the it down along the side of the cabana while the roof was still loose. Since it won’t be seen, I also used some tape to secure it. Once I was sure the flag was placed correctly, I glued the roof to the top of the cabana using a thin line of glue.

I stacked up some of the foam adhesive under the roof in the front so that the Travel Adhesive Border I used for trim would have some support. Simply peel and stick to the edge of the roof, and rest it on the foam tape. At the apex of the roof, I added a shell I found on the beach in Florida. It was the perfect size and color. 

 I wanted light to show through the cabana, so I glued a thin sheet of blue tissue paper over the opening on the back, and then used BlueDresden Shell Border strips to cover the edges of the paper. A seashell cut from a Travel Adhesive Border and an image from Travel Stamps Varnished Paper complete the look. For the feet, I used some wooden beads from an old necklace.

 And there you have it. All ready for some fun in the sun!
 
 Bonus: I still have four chipboard houses left. I'll have to figure out something exciting to do with them.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Meet The Alpha Stamps Design Team Blog Hop!



I have been an Alpha Stamps design team member for several years. (They just can’t get rid of me!) I love all the wonderful supplies they carry, and having the chance to work with new materials before they are available on the site. Getting sneak previews of up-and-coming collage sheets, rubber stamps, and embellishments is the greatest! Plus, working with other design team members is so inspiring. I hope you enjoy this design team blog hop. This year’s team is so talented, so be sure to visit all the blogs. It’s always so fun to see how, even though we were all given the same supplies to work with, everyone’s creations are so unique. Plus, if you comment on the blogs, you could win some fabulous artwork!
 The artwork I've highlighted in this post was created using new Collage Sheets made for the "Birds in Hats" Swap at Alpha Stamps! (Click on the graphic above for more information on the swap.)

I love using birds in my art. I used 4” by 4” coasters and some fun birdhouse shapes for these projects, plus some fabulous bird themed collage sheets. I couldn’t resist adding some mini pom pom fringe to the edge of this one. I love that stuff!

 Back:

Here’s a little bird ready for a party. She’s donned her best pearl necklace and a fancy hat that’s actually an embellished nest. I added some vintage sequins, some rhinestonres, and some orange Stickles to give this coaster a little sparkle.

 Back: 

 Here’s what you can win from me if you leave a comment here:
Look how fun these bird house shapes are! I set these birdy neighbors up on a little grassy knoll, which is actually a Scrabble tile holder. I painted it green and added some of my favorite fibers and paper flowers to make it look a little more organic. I think it’s a sweet little decoration for spring.

Be sure and leave a comment on my blog to be entered to win. Leave your name and email address so that I can notify you if you are a winner. If you'd rather not leave your email address, please check back on Monday, June 11 to see if you've won. And don’t forget to hop on over to the next Alpha Stamps Design Team Member Blog for more chances to win some fabulous artwork!
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