Santa's Chair by Jennifer Hodge

Hi Twiddley Fans,

Jennifer Hodge is with you today.

I think these chairs from Twiddleybitz are super cute and have loved all the soft feminine chairs that people have created with them but I wanted to do something a bit different!  Christmas gave me the perfect opportunity to make Santa's Chair!!

I started by painting the poppy colourspray onto the MDF - spraying doesn't work so well as it beads on the wood.

Then I glued all the pieces together with pva - this was super easy as they slot together perfectly!

Embellishing the chair was again extremely easy as I used a Christmas embellishment pack from my2angels.net!  I didn't have to make any pins, rosettes, tags or do any embossing!!

Here's the gorgeous rosette on the front of the backrest and the two 'star cushions'!

I did however sew the pincushion!!! yay me!  dusted off the sewing machine - it's been a while BUT I cheated with the Santa Sack and put cushion stuffing in a pre-made organza bag :-P.  I added the green sparkly ribbon from the pack and the gorgeous charming chain too.

And a side view too :-)

Products:

Twiddleybitz - MDF Chairs, 2pk (MDF02)

My2Angels - Christmas Embellishment Kit (Brisbane Show Purchase)

My2Angels - Merry Christmas Charming Chain with Glass Abacus

My2Angels - Charming Pins 

My2Angels - Felt Shapes

My2Angels - Green Glitter Ribbon

Colorful Thoughts Sprays - Poppy

Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist, Scarlet

Red Material

Red Organza Bag

Cushion stuffing

PVA Glue

Stay tuned for my next Christmas Twiddleybitz Off the Page Project!  It's so exciting!!

Easy Leaf Tutorial with Janice Nicholls

Hi Twiddley Fans,

DT Member JANICE NICHOLLS has a fabulous way of altering our chipboard leaves.

Janice shares her creative process:

Step 1

    Ink chipboard, you may need to do this a few times to get the colour your need or prime your piece of chipboard with gesso first.

Step 2
    Use a stitch marker and roll it through the centre of each leaf

Step 3
    Using a zig pen or a fine black pen to outline the edge of each leaf.

Step 4
    Attach to layout, add pop up dots to give the leaves some dimension.

Country Style Mailbox with Rachel Walsh

Hi Twiddley Fans,

Today DT Member RACHEL WALSH shares the creative process for recreating a country style mailbox.

Country Style Mailbox

Created by Rachel Walsh for Twiddleybitz

Materials:

Twiddleybitz:

Mailbox

Twiddley Groove Alpha (ALPHA001)

Vine 

Butterfly BUT006

Rusting Powder TWBTZRUST

Other materials:

Corrugated A4 card

Scrap of plain card

Basic Grey patterned paper

Paint – grey (or mix white with a tiny bit of black)

Black Gesso

Glimmermist

Tim Holtz Distress Stain – Rusty Hinge

Flowers

Florist tape & wire

Bird

Vinegar

Glue – Helmars 450

Embossing powders

Heat Gun

  

Step 1 (Optional): 

Cover or paint the inside of the walls, base & flap of the mailbox.  

Step 2: 

Cover the sides, ends & flap with corrugated board (I bought A4 sheets as it is thinner & more flexible than an old box – and less messy – but you can recycle a box if you prefer).  Paint or mist the bottom of the base piece, and the three pieces that hold the flap in place. 

Step 3:  

Using a strong glue, attach the flap pieces, making sure you insert the flap through the holes before gluing the last piece in place. Glue the four sides together, and attach to base piece.  Use lackey bands to hold it together while it dries.

Step 4: 

Gently bend the roof along the score lines (a light mist of water can assist).  Using strong glue, attach to the box and use lackey bands to hold it while it dries. 

Step 5:  

Cover the roof with corrugated card, trimming to fit after you have secured it.  Neaten any rough edges with sandpaper.

Step 6:

  Cut ¾” strips of card, score along the centre, and attach to the corners of the box to neaten the joins.  

Step 7:  

Roughly paint the assembled mailbox with grey paint and leave to dry.  Paint the stand with a thick layer of black gesso & use a heat gun to dry – the paint should bubble & create lots of texture.

Step 8:  

Using Tim Holtz “Rusty Hinge” Distress Stain, liberally apply it over the painted mailbox to give an aged “rusty” look.  Apply glue to random parts of the mail box and the stand and sprinkle with Twiddleybitz Rusting Powder.  Leave to dry.  Spray the rust with vinegar to start the rusting process.

Step 9: 

Glue the stand together and attach to the base of the mailbox.  Decorate the mailbox as desired.  I’ve used a leafy flourish that I’ve painted green & sprayed with Glimmermist, to which I’ve added a flower vine (I’ve wired together individual flowers, with the aid of florist tape & wire).  To age the Twiddley Alphas, I’ve embossed them with thick gold embossing powder and kept the heat on them at close range until they started to “burn”.  The butterfly has been embossed with a couple of different colours of embossing powder.

Add embellishments and you are done!

Charlene's Altered Bird Cage

Hi Twiddley Fans,

Today Design Team Member CHARLENE CAMILLERI shares some of her home decorating ideas.  Charlene takes a metal bird cage and shows us how to add pizzazz and a touch of whimsical to it.

How adorable is this!

To recreate Charlene's altered bird cage you will require

Twiddleybitz Product

BOR021 Oriental Border

WBF002 Whimsy Bird Friends

BUT006 Butterflies

Other Product

Ranger Distress Ink- Peacock Feathers

Lumiere Paint- Halo Blue Gold, Pearl Turquoise, Burnt Orange

Lindy's Stamp Gang Sprays- Tibetan Poppy Teal

Ranger Dylusions Spray- Vibrant Turquoise, Squeezed Orange

Ranger Stickles- Aqua, Orange Peel

Stampendous Embossing Enamel- Aged Spice

Dew Drops Brilliance Galaxy Gold

Flowers- Prima, Dom's Little shop resins

Beaded Trim

Bird Cage

Instructions:

Step 1

Apply distress ink to the Oriental Border using a blending tool or sponge.

Step2

 Use a sponge to randomly dab the Halo Blue Gold Lumiere paint over the border. You don't want to completely cover it as you still want to expose some of the distress ink.

 Step3 Stamp the embossing pad over the entire border.

Step 4 Randomly sprinkle  the spiced marmalade distress embossing powder.

Step 5

Randomly sprinkle the Aged Spice Embossing Enamel. 

 Step 6 

Use a heat gun to activate the powders. Notice the change in texture, the powders will “melt”.

 Step 7 
Use the sprays to colour your whimsy birds and butterfly. .

 Step 8 
Decorate with stickles and edge with Galaxy Gold Ink.

 Step 9
Pour a little burnt orange and pearl turquoise Lumiere paint unto your craft mat-paint tray and use a sponge to pick up the colour (don't be tempted to mix the colours as you want the two tone effect). Dab onto the bird cage.   

Cut the border into segments and glue around the cage. 

 Step 10

 Embellish your birdcage with flowers, tuille, beaded trim...enjoy!

Whimsy birdy name plate with Leeann Pearce

Hello Twiddley Fans,

Today our Design Team Member LEEANN PEARCE has a super fun whimsical project for you to create.

“Whimsy birdy name plate”

by LEEANN PEARCE

 Step 1

 Use a glimmer mist which is the same colour as desired glitter.  Mist the chipboard piece. 

 Step 2

  Coat the chipboard piece with a liquid glue.

 Step 3

 Pour the glitter all over the chipboard. Allow to completely dry.

Shake  excess off after drying time.

 Step 4

 Cover chipboard insert with pattern paper. Sand the edges and glue name on. Use a paper piercer and pierce a small hole on the scallop frame. Use a couple of small chain links and attach a charm.

 Step 5

 Use some blu-tac and place on Child's room door. 

 Tips:

- Allow correct drying time for each stage for the best result!

- Use broken bangles, necklace charms and links.

Double Embossed Chipboard with Rachel Walsh

Hi Twiddley Fans,

Today our Design Team Member RACHEL WALSH shares her tips for double embossed chipboard.

Here we go!

Supplies you’ll need:

Chipboard pieces - I used Twiddley ALPHA001 Groove Alphabet

Embossing folder & Big Shot or Cuttlebug (or similar)

Embossing pen

Versamark ink pad

Stazon Ink Pad

Fine embossing powder

Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE)

Heat gun 

*****

Instructions:

Step 1  

If you want to emboss your chipboard (so the pattern is raised), ink your pieces with stazon ink and dry it off with your heat gun for a moment.  Insert it into your chosen embossing folder & move it around until you’re happy with the way the pattern appears.  Emboss or de-boss (so the pattern is sunk) your chipboard as desired – I de-bossed mine.  If you’ve de-bossed, ink with your stazon ink after running it through your Big Shot or other suitable embossing machine.  

Step Two

When your stazon ink is dry, use your embossing pen to highlight the pattern, and sprinkle with your fine embossing powder.  Heat with your heat gun to set.  If you’ve missed a few spots, wait until it cools, and then use your pen to fill in the gaps before sprinkling with powder & heating again. 

 Step Three

Using your Versamark ink pad, cover the entire piece of chipboard with ink, then cover with clear UTEE.  Heat, allow to cool, re-ink with the Versamark, and cover with UTEE again, finishing with heating to melt the powder.  I used three layers of UTEE to make it nice & thick and shiny.  If you’re quick, you can sprinkle a second/third layer of UTEE on while it’s still hot from heating the first time, but I find I get better results if I allow it to cool & re-ink between layers. 

When you’re happy, use your chipboard pieces on your desired project – I have used mine to make this very simple card for my parents-in-law, who celebrate their 52^nd Wedding Anniversary this week. 

*****

Thanks so much Rachel and happy creating!