Here is a project I created last night. These easy to make baskets would look adorable on a Sunday Brunch table marking each guests place setting or given as a gift before leaving. I filled mine with glittered eggs and a chenille chick but there are so many other great items to fill it with such as a tiny pot of spring flowers, candy, decorated eggs etc. I think this is a wonderful way to welcome guests as well as Spring.

This tutorial is now for sale if you would like to create some baskets for your Sunday Brunch or hand out to friends and family..

I have my “Sweet Sentiments Box” tutorial listed for those of you that are interested in creating this for a loved one. It is a really pretty project and I am sure it that will be cherished for years to come by its recipient.

Okay on to Sneak Peek #4

I LOVE the new Maya Road Bird Coaster Books… these little darlings have so much creative potential. They are a smaller version of the Bird Coaster Book that was released during this past CHA-S. I loved creating their fancy wings with the new Scrolls from the Scrolls II Collection. The Velvet Sparkle and Jewel Ribbon Blossoms are a wonderful accent as well as their new buttons and Heart and Butterflies Charms.

5 Fanciful birds have been removed for publication.

I can’t believe I only have two more days of sneak peeks until I head off to CHA. Please stop by the Maya Road booth (#1987) so you can see all these great new products in person. They are jaw dropping.

DH Alan uploaded a new Valentine tutorial of the “Secret Sentiment Box” shown below. This new downloadable tutorial includes a complete list of supplies and tools needed as well as step-by-step instructions and color photos.

When the lid is removed by it’s recipient they will discover a sweet Valentine sentiment but as you know that’s a secret. If you do not have the exact items listed in the supply list that’s okay as this project can easily be altered to include the use of supplies you have on hand.

This project does not only have to be given as a gift for Valentine’s Day, it could also be given as a gift for “Mother’s Day”, a “Birthday”, “Just Because” or “Thinking of You”.

Alan and I have been working very hard preparing lots of holiday tutorials to add to my blog. We will be adding three sometime tonight. All you need to do is add your own holiday papers, ribbons, embellishments and of course GLITTER. Once purchased you will be able to download each tutorial, which will include a complete list of the supplies and tools needed as well as step by step instructions and color photos of the project you will be creating. Below are photos of the three tutorials I will be listing. I plan on adding several more later in the week and hopefully into the last week of December. One really cute one I am working on is a Count Down to Christmas Garland. I’m trying hard to get it completed before Dec. 1st. It will be one that will be fun to create with your children.

Lollipop Ornament

Noel Ornament

Holiday Tussey Mussey

5 Quick and Easy Chipboard Embellishments for any Project or Layout
By Lisa M. Pace

1. Crackle Effect. To create the crackled effect on chipboard I like to use Making Memories paint and DecoArt Weathered Wood Crackling Medium. First, paint your chipboard the color you want to peak through. In this example I used MM Lemon, Meadow, Daiquiri and Strawberries and Cream. Once the paint is dry, brush on the crackling medium making sure not to get too thin of a layer and set aside to dry, this will take a while 30 min. to an hour. Once your crackling medium has dried, lightly brush on your top coat of paint. I used MM Spotlight. Do not paint over the crackling medium more than once or you will paint over the cracks. Just lightly paint and move on to the next section. Once the paint has dried you can add Stickles or MM Glitter Glaze for a bit of bling or MM Clear Glaze if you want your letters to be shine.

2. Use chipboard as a stencil. Another thing I like to do is use the negative portion from chipboard as a stencil. Here I used the negative portion from a 12 x 12 sheet of chipboard to create this smoke embellishment. All you do is trace and cut out. This also makes for a great journaling embellishment.

3. Create a vintage look. I also love anything with a vintage feel. This look is so easy to achieve. All I did was paint my Maya Road Scroll Corner with Making Memories Daiquiri paint. While still wet apply Making Memories Silver Glitter on top. Once dry just shake off the excess glitter and adhere to your project. Using any type of ledger paper seems to always give such a nice vintage feel. Here I used ledger paper by Making Memories. I cut out my hearts using Fiskars Pinking deco scissors and stamped the flower images with the new Journey East – Jasmine Clear Stamps by Maya Road and ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inks in Chestnut Roan and Creamy Brown.

4. Use your pens. Krylon pens are really fun to use on chipboard. In my diet coke layout I painted some Maya Road chipboard letters using Making Memories Cranberry paint. Once dry I outlined the letters using a Krylon Silver Leafing pen. Talk about super easy. Krylon pens are so easy to use and really add a great pop of color to any project.

5. Make a layered flower. To recreate this flower you will need a Maya Road Coaster Chipboard Flower and a Blossoms II Chipboard Flower. Apply pattern paper to both chipboard flowers, using sand paper or the BasicGrey File Set (perfect for this project) sand edges of flowers to make the paper flush around the edges. Now trace the Coaster Chipboard Flower onto pattern paper and cut out slightly smaller than actual image. Crumple the cut out flower in your hands and lightly smooth out. Next, attach the crumpled flower to the top of your Maya Road Coaster Chipboard Flower. Now attach the Blossoms II Chipboard Flower on top of the crumpled flower and embellish the center of the Blossoms II Chipboard Flower with a button that has been threaded with fiber. If you want to add a bit of bling you can randomly place some Star Dust Stickles onto your flower or lightly edge the petals with glue and apply glitter.