Tuesday, August 19, 2014

chip off the old block

this week at shopping our stash the challenge is called "chipping away" and the assignment is to use some of that long-neglected chipboard that i just know you have sitting around in various boxes and bags! don't worry, i still have quite a bit, too, especially leftover 6x6 sets; and every time i break into it, i remember how much i love it. but let me show the card (which was commissioned by my aunt for her friends' 50th wedding anniversary!) first and explain it afterwards. please excuse the pics, pretty much every single thing on the card is reflective in some way, making it a serious challenge to photograph. in real life the gold is not as shrill and harsh-looking, i promise; it's actually quite elegant!

(naked chipboard frame by fancy pants: i painted it white and adorned it with bits of a vintage gold foil doily, see photo below; patterned paper: mambi, pink paislee, chatterbox, recollections; florals: prima; brads: my mind's eye; rhinestone flourishes: recollections; adhesives: staples brand gluetape runner, 3m foam tape, scotch brand gluestick, scotch tape, sewing machine)

ok, so where's the chipboard? it's the frame, which is approximately 5x5" and was completely unadorned when i started. i painted it white, and glued bits of a vintage gold foil doily on top, to make a sort of filigree effect. it was a bit fussy to do, but i love the way it turned out!


the other "fussy bit" of this card is the heart, for which i hand wove strips of paper into a big enough area from which to trace and cut another chipboard shape. that process looked a bit like this:


not that you need to see it, but by golly it was a production... a fact which is very much not apparent from the finished card (especially to civilians!) so i'm determined to show SOMEONE, lol! :) in case you're wondering, by far the best way to get a finished bit of paper weaving to stay woven is loads of scotch tape on the back before you cut out your shape. of course, the little cut ends will still want to curl up on the front, so after i tacked the woven heart to some ivory cardstock i machine stitched around the edge to hold those babies down. there's also a little bit of lace on the panels beneath the framed heart, which i wrapped around to the back and taped in place. i probably didn't need to sew around the edges, but i think it adds to the overall design, so i did anyway. here's the card again, for reference:


and now i suggest a visit to SOS to view the gorgeous work of my lovely design team mates and start planning your own chipboard-bedecked masterpiece! ciao, darlings! ♥

10 comments:

  1. Hi, Lauren! So I see you are still creating soft, elegant, and simply beautiful designs. This project has wonderful flow and I just love the subtle under tones in your palette! Great work!
    Hugz,
    Chana

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  2. GOR-JUS, as usual. :D

    I LOVE it when you 'splain your process! I thought the heart was a piece of patterned paper, but now I know it was WOVEN by your HANDS and totally in need of a LOOK HOW I DID THIS photo or two.

    So you sewed through chipboard?! I am so impressed by your patience. I might be too impatient to pull off any of this.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go weave something.

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  3. Ermagerd. The doily? Such a genius idea. And gorgeous. And the weaving! Totally worth all the fussy labour because this is just a stunning piece of art, Lauren!!

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  4. Holy Cow! This is one incredibly amazing card, Lauren! The gold doily frame? The woven heart? Just gorgeous!!

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  5. Holy guacamole, even to a seasoned paper crafter this had far more fussy work behind the scenes than I was aware. Brilliant work; the gold filigree look totally worked, the paper weaving is also brilliant, and your photography looks awesome considering all the sheen on this beauty.

    And yeah, I have a Leslie Hanna SABLE amount of chipboard (supplies available beyond life expectancy.) If I am well enough , I will get it out and play along at SOS :)

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  6. WOW - just WOW
    Stunning
    I love seeing how that plain piece of chipboard became such a gorgeous focal point!
    And the heart made out of paper strips...WOW!!

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  7. This is awesome with a capital A!! I don't know what I like more - the woven paper or that fabulous frame you adorned! It's absolutely stunning!

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