My Paper Heart Runneth Over

 Well Valentine's Day is coming and that brings us to our Love Tree ornaments.  OK so maybe I just made that up, but I made one anyway.

I got the idea when I saw this year's Christmas Ornaments at Pottery Barn.  I thought OOoooo, I bet I could do that!  And way cheaper than the $8.50 they wanted for one.

Well as usual the Christmas season had way more crammed into it than I had time for so the next available holiday came along and I made one.

I used eyelets, because I knew they would hold the stiff cardstock weight paper and not give way.  You could use glue, but you have to hold it til it dries and it had better be a pretty strong glue.  Besides, I had tons of eyelets not getting used.  Also helpful would be a die to cut the hearts, all 16 of them, as they have to be exactly the same size.  I used a cropadile to punch the holes and close the eyelets.  It worked for all but the last bottom eyelet.

 

 The whole thing got finished off with some mica flakes and a ribbon looped, pulled through the center and glued at a knot on the bottom of the hearts.

Now to find a pink tree!!

I Have Fallen Head Over Heels for Catherine Moore's Art Doll Stamps

I've had a couple of Catherine's stamps for awhile now, but haven't really used them as paper dolls so far.  Well recently I saw some of Laura Haviland's paper dolls and well let's just say I now have a new addiction.

 

 Here's my finished doll.  She uses a combination of Catherine's stamp sets.  Mannequin Cafe sets 6 and 8, Bel Epoch 3 and She Sells Sea Shells 2 were combined.  I thought the proportions didn't work with the dress as stamped, so I took some linen textured writing paper and brushed it with some Distress Ink and stamped it with Wendy Veah's Botanical Art stamp.  I then pleat folded it, really, really small.  I cut the original pleats out, and glued the longer pleats in.  Voila, the proportions all fit now, not that they have to, it's just a me thing.

















I also used an inkadinkado flourish stamp, copics, rocky candy stickles and some rhinestones.  Cutting out the octopus umbrella was a challenge, but I cut the inner bits out before cutting the umbrella out of the page.

Oh she is so much fun.  I can't wait to make another.