So far, we've experimented with a variety of materials in creating our frames including transparency, a die-cut journaling tag, a pre-finished small chipboard frame and my favorite, a bingo card. Today, we're going to work with a material that remains a staple for many scrapbookers - chipboard. To be more specific, naked chipboard. As a contributing designer to GCD, I have a significant stash of their chipboard designs on hand. One of my favorite chipboard designs from them are their "Small Frames".
The Small Frame set includes a nice variety of open window frames that are both large and small in size and of varying shapes and styles. Because this set contains a wonderful assortment of frames, having them available to use is extremely convenient, especially for this particular project. The frame I chose for page four of my album is the rectangle frame with the curvy, label-like opening. It's included in the package. We're going to dress it up with cardstock and give it an aged appearance via Distress Ink & Clear Crackle Paint. If you don't have this exact chipboard frame on hand, feel free to substitute it with a different frame. The frame itself is 2" x 2.75".
I'm going to begin as I always do - establish a background for embellishing. Pre-measure and trim your selected B & W photo and pattern paper (SEI :: Mimosa collection - "Chartreuse") to cover the chipboard page as shown and adhere them down.
What do you think of the golden olivine pattern paper? Isn't it exquisite? It's a color not commonly found on paper, so it was extremely difficult for me to cut into it. I held my breath, closed my eyes and let go of some of it, finally. I'm going to hang on to the rest for future use..
Our frame needs to be outfitted! Trace the frame onto Vanilla cardstock, including the opening of the frame. Carefully (I mean carefully!) trim the tracing from the cardstock - you'll want to trim the tracing a centimeter or two smaller as the tracing itself is slightly larger than the frame. You could also adhere the frame to the cardstock and cut directly around the frame using an exacto knife. Don't forget to cut the center area from the frame also.
To smooth the edges of your paper/chipboard frame, sand them with a nail file - move the nail file in in a downward motion (not up!). When sanded, the cardstock takes to the shape of the chipboard piece beneath it and loses it's noticeable hard edge.
Distress the edges of the frame with Ranger Distress Ink using a sponge dauber - less is more in this case.
Finally, paint the frame with an uneven coat of Crackle Paint (Ranger :: Clear) and set it aside to dry for at least twenty minutes. If you'd like to hasten the drying process, use a heat gun, but sparingly (hold it about 8" away from the surface of your frame). Be warned, if you're working on one of those handy-dandy cutting mats, remove the frame from you mat prior to using your heat gun - it will warp your mat!
This is one of those optional steps, so if your without a thick transparency or acrylic piece, don't panic! I just happened to have it sitting in one of my drawers and because I've yet to create a literal window, I thought I'd experiment with it to find out what kind of effect it would have on the contents beneath it.
If you have a thicker transparency material available to you, trim it to fit just over the opening of the frame and adhere it the frame's backside. I opted to use glue-dots for adhering the two items together.
Locate a "ledger" style pattern paper or die-cut you think would best work with your frame and page. I chose this really cute journaling tag from Elle's Studio. It's brand spanken' new and is one amongst six different tags included in the "Sweet Summer Journaling Circle Tag" set.
When thinking in terms of patterns, you aren't necessarily relegated to only pattern paper. Even though we automatically assume that pattern paper is the best option for locating patterns in which to use on our projects, there are an assortment of other places to find patterns. I often resort to rummaging through my color coordinated die-cut drawers to find unique and fun patterns because they're usually smaller in size and vastly different from what's printed on regular ol' pattern paper. Next time you're looking to spruce up a background or redefine a space, visit your die-cut collection...you'll expand your pattern options tenfold in doing so!
Select an area amongst your ledger paper that best suites the opening of your window. You may want to trace the chosen area on your ledger item so that you know where the window sits because you're going to be adding some items to this area.
Keeping the window simple time around, trim a section of a single color rub-on set (Studio Calico :: Buttons - Gray) to fit within the confines of the window. Apply the rub-ons to the ledger background while paying close attention to their location. Think of both the frame and background as placement is really important here...the same goes for all future steps!! This is a tricky one..I know, why couldn't I just do something simple? Wasn't this suppose to be simple? Laugh. It's not as bad as it looks..promise.
So, I'm going to confuse you some more...just know that there isn't an exact science to this..at least not this page anyway. You're going to have to work on instinct temporarily as we go about setting up this next step.
If you haven't done so already, trace the frame onto your ledger background. We're sizing the ledger area to fit beneath your frame so that it's not noticeable from the front - getting rid of the excess! Trim the tracing from the ledger paper and dispose of the excess.
Trim a small section from a large vintage inspired journaling tag (Sassafras :: Indie Girl - Journaling Tags) as I did above. Add the small section beneath the right edge of your ledger paper. Again, refer to the frame to ensure the placement of the small sticker section is where you want it.
Apply a phrase/word sticker (Little Yellow Bicycle :: Fresh Print Clothesline collection - Fresh Verse) to your work-in-progress as I've done above. This particular sticker should sit beneath the frame's right, lower edge.
Thinking in terms of patterns again, trim a thin 3" strip from The Girl's Paperie "Pink Ruler" border sticker (Paper Girl Collection - Sticker Market). Without this sticker? Find a pink/brown/black striped pattern that might make a great substitute for the sticker. It doesn't have to be the exact same stripe style either - mix it up! Work with what you have!
Layer the bottom edge of the strip with Gray cardstock. Adhere your pretty pink stripe strip in a not-so-perfect fashion to your project as I've done above. So, are you still with me?! Laugh. Honestly, this is where the whole labor of love thing comes into play - once this is done, you'll be set to finish the page!
To further accent our pink stripe strip, trim and add a section of Doodlebug's zig-zag Paper Frills (Lily White) to it's gray border edge (if you look real close, you'll see it!).
We're about ready to adhere the items of our page together. Before doing so though, tuck a Sassafras Indie Girl flower sticker between the actual chipboard page and frame set-up (lower right hand corner).
Adhere the background elements to your chipboard page..**use your frame for placement reference. Add another phrase sticker as shown - accent it with a small circular epoxy sticker (SEI :: Retired).
On top of all of those elements, finally add the frame with strong wet adhesive :)
Build up your flower arrangement. Layer the large flower with a smaller sized flower (Sassafras :: Indie Girl) and a matching epoxy flower (Anna Griffin). Apply an additional tiny flower (Sassafras :: Indie Girl) just beneath the top right corner of the frame.
Because I felt the page needed a lil' something extra..you know me, I can't help but layer some more..apply a small title just above the lower corner flower (American Crafts :: Cindy Lou - Silver).
That's it! We're done with the page! This is by far the most detailed page in the album thus far - if you survived it, you'll more than likely breeze through the rest of the album without issue. Tomorrow's page is much easier..it will take you all of fifteen minutes to finish! Consider it a sort of break from all the craziness here. I'll have it posted for you tomorrow late evening!
If any of you have questions about products, please feel free to email me. I'll do my best to answer your questions! Have a lovely evening everyone! We're off to the State Fair tomorrow..after a round of vaccines..yikes!
