Guest Designer for The Wood Connection

This week, I'm the guest designer for The Wood Connection. How ExCiTiNG!!! I LOVE The Wood Connection! I teach classes for them. I absolutely LOVE to craft and I have a BLAST teaching their classes!!! With many changes at the beginning of this year, I'm getting a late start on classes. But it's time to get very EXCITED! We'll be announcing our April & May classes in the next couples of weeks. If your interested in joining us, keep checking the blog for more information on sign ups. We always have a great time crafting!!! It's a great way to learn new techniques or just to come for a Girlz Night Out!

I must have the birthday bug because lately, I've had birthday decor and crafting on my mind. I've so many cute decorations for each holiday except for birthdays. I thought it would be very special to put birthday decor up for a spouse or kids on their birthday. When they wake up or get home from school or work, the house is decorated just for them! It's sounds really fun & cheesy! I can't wait to try it myself! 

So Let's Get Started....

Step 1: Trace Block Letters

• Tools: a sharp pencil to trace your balloons and your decorative paper

• Use the backside of the paper you want to display when tracing. 

• Press and hold the wood with one hand so that your image doesn’t shift while tracing. With the other hand, trace around the image. Before moving the wood look to make sure that your trace has not shifted, otherwise when you cut it out, it will not fit correctly. Great Job! Tracing is one of the trickiest parts. You can relax a little and have some FUN now! 
• Note: Always trace before painting! If you forget (like I did with the picture shown above), you'll have tracing marks around the wood. I had to touch up after tracing which added extra time and an extra step. :/

Step 2: Paint Wood

• Tools: paint & sponge brush 

• Paint ½ inch border around the front of the balloons

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• Paint complete sides and backs of balloons

 Step 3: Cut Paper

• Tools: a pair of scissors to cut your balloons and to do any trimming. I find it easier to cut detailed areas, etc. with a smaller pair of scissors. Paper cutter or trimmer to cut rectangles for bases.

• Cut letters right on the line that you traced. Don’t worry if when you lay down your image on the wood if it is a little smaller or larger than the block. I'll teach you in a later step how to disguise your imperfections.

• Cut rectangles for bases. You'll need 4 rectangles per base. The dimensions are 3 1/2" wide X 1 1/4" tall. 

Step 4: Distress Paper

• Tools: Everyone has there own technique and tools for distressing. I prefer to use what I call a cat eye.  It is a small inkpad that is in the shape of a cat eye. Color Box is the company that makes them. I usually recommend chalk only ink, pigment inks are a little too harsh when distressing. The only exceptions I make with this is if you really want the Black or Dark Brown to really be solid and pop, then use a pigment ink. We carrying these in The Wood Connection. If you need to distress with a color you don't have, you can use a technique called dry brushing. 

Distressing with ink pad

•  Take your cat eye or distress tool and flick around all the edges of the paper. Start very light and if you want more, you can add. It’s always better to have too little than too much.

Dry Brush Distressing

• Wood Connection has an awesome tutorial on how to do this. For more information, you can click on this link... Dry Brush Distressing.

Step 5: Glue Paper to Wood

• Tools: you’ll need Darice Wood Glue and sponge brush for this portion of the project.  

• Sponge wood glue on the front of one piece of wood at a time. ***Try to use it sparingly, a thin layer, not too much. It will cause your paper to bubble after you adhere it, if you put too much on. *** 

• Once you put the glue on the wood, line up starting on one side and add your paper. Be sure to press firmly all along the surface to prevent bubbling. Repeat same steps on all of your wood.

• As you’re adhering your paper to each piece of wood, continue to go back and put pressure on areas that may be starting to bubble on past wood. With pressure you can, in most cases, work out bubbles that seem to form. I have found that with less glue, fewer bubbles form.

 Step 6: Create Banner

• Tools: Petite Pennant Punch, Smooth cardstock, Stamps, Embossing Powder, Embossing Gun, Mini Hole Punch, Distressors, Ribbons, 3 Dimensional Adhesives, etc.

• Note: If you have more questions about the banner portion of this project, or are interested in Petite Pennant Punch, I do sell them for $16.95. You can email me at theartsyaddict@live.com.

 Unitl next time... Happy Crafting!