Personalize Your Wood Grain!

I totally love the look of faux bois! And it's often used in card making and scrapbooking. There are lots of papers and cardstocks out there that have really pretty wood grain pattern:

1. My Little Shoebox's Woodsy paper
2. Art Warehouse's Wood Embossed Great Outdoors paper
3. Karen Foster's Wood Pattern paper
4. Creative Imaginations Real Wood Veneer paper
   

But this past Valentine's I really wanted something personalized for my card. So instead, I decided to draw my own tree and wood grain:

Notice anything within the wood grain? Here's a closer look. Do you see it now? Embedded within the pattern, I wrote 'i love you' in script!

I loved the result so much, I decided to doodle another piece... 'i adore you' with 'you' centered in the heart:

I also decided to put it in a shadow box as the main focal point but I could do so much more to it. (I bought a nice and simple Ribba shadow box from Ikea. Absolutely love these shadow boxes.) I could put a picture to the left of the heart. I could decorate it with more embellishments. The possibilities are endless.

What's great about drawing out your own wood grain pattern is that you can actually write camouflaged words or designs within the wood grain, really making the piece of art your own!

Here's a quick how-to:

I found the EK Success Zig Memory System Writer Dual Tip Pen Writer the most useful in drawing out my lines because of the sharp consistent point, though I also love doodling with Bic's Mark-It Permanent Markers Fine Point. But feel free to use whatever fine point pen you're most comfortable with controlling your lines.

First, start with your designs or words.

Second, draw concentric lines around your designs and words leaving a fair amount of space between your lines. The lines doesn't have to be perfect because that's the beauty of wood grain patterns, they're not perfectly spaced.

Third, continue to draw lines around your words or designs and let the imperfections guide you for a perfect faux bois doodle.

And there you have it, a pretty piece of art personalized with your own message and design!

So whaddaya think? Is it a cute personalized keepsake or what?

Until my next post!
- KRAFTY pearl

My Little Shoebox & Two Peas!

I love My Little Shoebox papers so I was happy to learn that Two Peas is running a MLS challenge and I thought, why not give the challenge a try! The Harmony collection reminded me of my small Momiji doll collection and inspired to create this layout, 'my sweet momiji collection'.

Used in this layout: My Little Shoebox papers, cardstock, tag, and alphabet stickers. Martha Stewart punches and glitter. Fiskars trimmer and fingertip detail knife. Offray ribbon from Michael's.

Here's a closer look: I added glitter to the MLS tag to give it a pop of shimmer and dimension.

By cutting down the height of some of the alphabet stickers, I gave it a less contrived and rigid look. I used Martha Stewart punches (love them) to create border strips and took the heart remnants to create a trail of hearts.

By stamping a polka dot background in a light pigment ink, I subtly lightened and added dimension to the paper. I also hand cut clouds and trimmed with light glitter.

So whaddaya think?

P.S. For too long, I have put off posting and sharing my layouts, so one of my goals for 2011 is just to share some of my work and ideas with the friends, family and other craft lovers like me, starting with this blog and my Two Peas gallery.

- KRAFTY pearl

I Wish You Love... The Feel Good Vintage Kind

I'm not big on Valentine's day because I believe everyday should be Valentine's Day. But I love what it represents... and so I wish you love, the feel good vintage kind of love. Kinda like today's kitschy cute inspiration:

Found this cute mint-colored heart-shaped Etch-A-Sketch with heart-shaped knobs at Target for the cost of a small cup of NY coffee.

How kitschy cute?

Happy Valentine's Day!

- KRAFTY pearl

Yummy Brookies & Perfect Kraft Goodie Boxes

What is a brookie? Well, brookies are the best combination of sweet yummy goodness that has a delicious crisp cookie aroma with a softy and gooey chewy brownie center!

brookie = brownie + cookie!

I had clipped the Clinton Street Baking Company's brookie recipe back in November last year from Daily Candy. I then pulled it out during Christmas weekend and gave it a go with my very special someone...because it just seemed so appropriate to have cookies, or shall I say brookies, out for Santa.

The recipe is quite simple which is why it first made the cut into my recipe clippings pile. (I don't have a lot of time so I like simple!) I've always wanted to bake but it wasn't until that eventful evening that I decided (with much encouragement and support) to give the baking thing a try. Since then, I've been perfecting the recipe as well as making small adjustments to make it just right for my own personal taste.

And so this past weekend, I decided to bake these sweet treats as a big big thank you to a very special someone's very generous sister. I picked up the Martha Stewart Goodie Box Combo kit a few months ago waiting for the perfect occasion to use them! Here's the finished product:

The kit is awesome because it comes with everything you would need to package all your small sweet treats - boxes, label stickers, ribbons, tissue paper, and baker's twine.

I decided to top off the box with a pretty fuschia 1" ribbon to match the colors of the accompanying card I made. I love Kate's Paperie satin ribbons for their selection of vibrant jewel tones and various widths!

I even had enough from the brookie batch to spread the sweet goodness to a friend celebrating her 21st birthday :) and a neighbor 'just because'. I presented them in another box size in the kit and finished it off with baker's twine and a label sticker used here as a seal:

So whaddaya think?

- KRAFTY pearl