Wedding Guest Book

Inspired by Sizzix and Jonathan Fong, I made a wedding guest book for my niece's upcoming wedding. I printed all the papers using digital scrapbooking files, onto a slightly textured light sketching paper which I trimmed down to 8-1/2x11 and ran through a laser printer.  The papers were then trimmed to 8x8.  The cover papers were printed on sticky-backed label paper which I adhered to a recycled cereal box also sized to 8x8.  All the matte board used was saved from a framer's garbage bin.

For the bride and groom's names on he cover, I matched the colours of the cover and printed brown lettering onto a light blue background.  The font for the names is Scriptina, a free font from the internet.  The frame was cut using a maroon matte board .  I first used the Tim Holtz Ornamental die, then cut out the inside using the Mini Tickets Set.  I then embossed the frame with a Cuttlebug flourish folder.

For the front inside page I printed black text onto a tourquise background onto card stock.  The frame was cut using the Sizzix Frame die.  I embossed the frame with the same Cuttlebug embossing folder and added some distress ink to the raised areas.  I added a die cut of the Tim Holtz Bird Branch behind the frame which I coloured with various colours of distress ink.

For some of the pages I wanted to have photos of the happy couple. 
For this page I started by printing a photo of the happy couple onto card and on the reverse printed a mustard colour similar to one of the colours on the background paper.  I carefully cut the photo using the Sizzix Bag with Scallop die, but instread of folding on the creases to make a bag I folded in half.  I trimmed the bottom edge using a corner round punch.  I then embossed the front and added a light bit of distress ink to the raised areas.  The little leaf that keeps the "card" closed is cut from brown card using the Tim Holtz Autumn Gatherings Sizzlet die.  I used a brad to attach it to the paper with a cardboard "washer" in between to allow the leaf to turn.  The flowers are cut from the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die.  The maroon larger flower was cut from card that I printed to match the leaves on the background paper.  The top white flower was embossed with a Sizzix dot embossing folder.  The flowers were attached using foam dots to add some dimension.

Some of the fancier pages. 

For this page I used the Sizzix Flourish die and the Tim Holtz Mini Hearts Set to cut matte board and tried to echo the feel of the background paper.   The hearts were again embossed.  The frame for the photograph was cut using the Tim Holtz Tag and Bookplate die and coloured with distress ink.

The background paper for this page had green birds and branches, so I die cut birds using the Tim Holtz Caged Bird die and embossed.  The birds were cut from card that I printed to match the green in the background paper.  The frame for the photograph was cut using the Tim Holtz Alterations Tag and Bookplate die and coloured with distress ink.

The frame for this photo started with the remaining cut out piece from the cover (Tim Holtz Mini Ticket Set) with an added cut out using the Tim Holtz Mini Hearts Set.  The flowers were cut from card left over from pervious pages and uses the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die. The top flower was embossed using a Sizzix dot folder.  The flower was attached using foam dots to add some dimension.

I created about 10 signing pages which were not as embellished as much as the other pages. 

The flowers on the this page were cut using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers.  Again I used card that I had printed for previous pages.  The flower was attached using foam dots to add some dimension.

The flowers on this page were cut using the Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Garland Sizzlet die.  The little white flowers were embossed with a Sizzix dot folder. The little green backing for the flowers was the remaining cut out piece from one of the previous photo frames.

Once all the pages were assembled, I bound the 8x8 book with my Rubicoil binder with a white spiral binding.

October 29 update: This post has been so popular, I made another guest book for a nephew.  You can view it in a later post.

Wedding Shower Card

I made a wedding card for my neice's shower.  I die cut the bottom front edge with the Tim Holtz Art on The Edge Scallops die.  Then I embossed the card front with a Sizzix embossing folder.  I die cut a dress form using the Tim Holtz Alterations Movers and Shapers Mini Sewing Room set.  To make the dress itself I first added a boddice using a piece from a paper doily.  White tulle and lace was glued to the dress form to make the dress.

Singing Bird

I'm loving die-cutting, it's the complete opposite from doing digital graphics, so much more hands one.  This little singing bird sitting on my fireplace mantle is made from recycled matte board and card, a shadow box I had hidden in a closet, a frame corner sample, acrylic paint and stamping ink.  The dies used include the Sizzix Bird Branch, Tattered Florals, Word Play and Flourish.

First I cut some matte board to fit into the shadow box and a trangle piece of matte board to fit into the frame sample.  I gessoed the matte board and pressed a Sizzix embossing folder into the wet gesso to add some texture. I painted both with acrylic paint.  I added a portion of a stamp that had a music score in the upper right corner with some permanent ink.

I added distressed inks to colour the bird and branch.  I trimmed the branch so it would fit flush with the frame but fall below the matte board down over the shadow box frame.

I embossed the flowers with some dots to give some texture and painted them with acrylic paint.  I added a small punched red circle to the centre of each.
The letters were cut from maroon matte board.  I over-painted with white crackle paint and added some red distressed ink after it dried.
The flourish was cut from the same maroon matte board which I left as is.