Birthday Blog Bash....Home Is Where The Heart Is.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rebekah!!!! And welcome to my little corner of blogdom for this Birthday Blog Bash celebration :-)

A little home decor project for you to make!!!

You will need:

• ikea malma mirror or small square canvas or canvas board
• gesso (if using the mirror) to prime
• paint colours for the background of your choice (I've used a pale sky blue for the whole background,red for the heart and also some pearlescent lime green to add some shimmer to the grass)
• glimmer mists (these are optional but I've used Electric Blue for the sky, Lime Twist for the grass and Scarlet for the little heart) 
• chipboard letters for the HOME title (mine are Scenic Route... a very old pack that I found in my stash and they just happened to be red!!! You can paint yours red to match the heart)
• Prima felt branch (again I found it in my stash! Try making a branch or tree from brown cardstock)
• scraps of brightly coloured pattered paper and also some creamy white larger pieces for the clouds and insert background
• butterfly punch or chipboard butterflies
• heart punch (or draw a freehand heart for a more folky feel!)
• some tiny flowers in co-ordinating colours or use a small flower punch
• small clear crystals
• length of brown narrow rick rack
• fine doodling pen (mine is brown)
• you usual scrapping tools

How to!

If you are using the untreated pine mirror the first thing you need to do is prime it with gesso. Most woods are pretty porous which means if left untreated they will soak up paint like a sponge! Now if you haven't got gesso fret not! Just use some white paint and cover with a couple of coats to form a base for your background colour. Most canvasses come already primed and ready to be painted on.

Next step is to cover the frame or canvas with your background colour. I've mixed up a pale sky blue colour. Note I've primed and painted straight over the mirror! Oh and don't forget to paint the sides too!!! If you are using paint only and not glimmer mist you will need to paint the bottom panel, underneath the mirror, in your green colour and gently blend upwards into the blue sky.

To add more depth I had a play with some glimmer mists! I lightly sprayed over the sky with blue and then added the grass using the lime green colour. This took a few layers (5 in total!!!) and I dried each layer with a heat gun before spraying the next. Make sure you protect the surrounding area with newspaper or plastic first!!!

I added some pearlescent paint to the green to give more texture and set to one side to dry. A WORD OF CAUTION!!!! Glimmer Mists are water soluble. Which means in layman's terms.... if you get them wet they may streak. I was very careful when adding paint over them and dabbed gently with the paint brush rather than applying the paint with brush strokes.

While your frame is drying you can make the insert or, if you are working on a canvas, a square for the middle. I measured the recess and cut out a square to fit from the creamy white paper. The little house is made up of scraps of paper. I drew a little house shape onto scrap card and cut it into sections to make a template which I cut out of paper scraps and adhered to the background. Be careful to leave enough room for your text underneath! Next I punched out a heart and sprayed with scarlet glimmer mist. Alternatively you can paint it with red paint. Add some doodling if desired around the edges, the text and your insert is complete!

Draw some cloud shapes onto the same background as the insert and cut out. I've done 3 clouds in different sizes.

Now add them to your frame and doodle a border around them. I've used a wet glue but took care not to overload the back of the clouds with glue so that the glimmer mist didn't smudge.

The next step is to add your branch. I found these Prima felt branches in a box of stash. I had forgotten that I had bought them!!! If you haven't got anything similar have a go at making your own. There are heaps of clipart sites that have images of trees and branches. Find a one you like...print it out and make a template. Alternatively you could always be brave and paint a tree directly onto your project. Remember this does have to be perfect and true to life.

Now adhere your insert and add a doodled frame around it.

Onto the final stretch now! Add some butterflies with small crystals to their bodies, some small flowers also with crystal centres and attach your chipboard letters. I finished by adding a little owl cut from a patterned paper scrap!

Have fun creating!!!

Next in line.... the lovely Stephanie Parsloe... you can find her project here!

Maria x

Comments

[Rebekah]

Absolutely stunning! No home should be complete without one of these I say :) Thanks for joining in x

[Toni]

What a great project - thanks for sharing a super idea.

Toni :o)

[ifa]

Hi Maria, long time no see! This is gorgeous Maria, love the clouds, the tree, the misting...

[sheena rowlands]

love it Maria x

[Helena]

this is lovely. thanks for sharing.

[jayne]

I'm off to Ikea !!!!
love this x

[Vicki A]

Love this, and your blog. I'll be back later for a better look around!

[ScrappyDandyDoo]

This is so cute :D
Julie xx

[nic]

Gorgeous frame - love it!

[Jimjams]

What a fun project - love the paper you've used for the clouds and those cute flowers TFS

[Terri]

This project is absolutely gorgeous! I feel a trip to ikea coming on for a bulk buy of frames and mirrors! Thanks for you inspiration!

[Tracie]

absolutely stunning Maria! Can't wait to try this for myself!

[Amarilys]

this is awesome! I need to try it!

[Claire]

Beautiful! what a lovely idea, i have a whole box of bits to alter in some way at some time!!! must go dig it out now, thanks for the insipration xx

[tracy-lihanne]

gorgeous,will definatley try this :0)

[cannycrafter]

Great idea! Love it!

[Maria McPherson]

Ok ladies have just got home after a very long day at work! Thanks for your lovely comments :-) I can't wait to see your interpretations of my project!!! xox

[Natalie]

Oooooh. i've got one of these mirrors waiting to be scrapped....thank for the idea :)

Love love love it!!!
Nat xx

[Rosie]

Oh, wow! This is gorgeous!

Rosie
x

[Kelley]

Perfect idea for a frame for my granddaughter's picture! She loves being outside and now that spring is here, she will be spending much more time out than in.

[Yvonne]

love it sooooooooooooo cute

[cause and effect essay]

Thanks for sharing. Now I can start blogging and begin with my writings!

[technical writing jobs]

happy birthday rebekah!