As promised in the fall issue, today Kerry is sharing the instructions for the adorable ABC board (found on page 9).
Here is what she did:
1. Paint a 16x20 canvas with brown acrylic paint. Incorporate 2 different shades of brown by dipping 2/3 of the brush in one shade, and 1/3 of the brush in a lighter shade (I used a foam brush to avoid brush marks). Then, apply paint to canvas in different directions to achieve variations in colour. Let dry.
2. Cut 30 2.75x2.75 squares from cream textured cardstock.
3. Note: there are 26 letters in the alphabet, but I needed 30 squares, so I added in 4 “other” squares. I chose words associated with school (grow, learn, play, share) and incorporated them randomly on the board.
4. Choose a variety of stamps, die-cuts, punches, felt and/or chipboard shapes, etc. to generate a picture for each letter of the alphabet.
5. Note: for consistency and continuity, I chose coordinating patterned papers, letter stickers, and embellishments. I also planned the board ahead of time in my head and on paper so that squares with lots of blue (for example) were not beside each other. I also varied the positioning of the alphabet stickers (if it was on the top left on one square, it would go on the bottom right of the square beside it, etc.).
6. Incorporate pop dots, brown ink, micro beads, glossy accents, embossing powder, and the occasional piece of felt and/or chipboard to add dimension (again, this should be spread out).
7. To make the “n is for nest” square: I took some brown “Easter” grass and formed it into a rough nest shape with my fingers. Spray it with a clear varnish to help it hold its shape and to give it a bit of shine. Let it dry. For the egg, I found an egg-shaped gum ball (leftover from my children’s Easter stash) and sprayed it with a clear varnish. Let it dry and repeat. Adhere it inside the nest with double-sided, super-strength adhesive.
8. When you are finished all of the squares, lay them on the canvas—horizontally there will be 5 squares in each row (spaced approximately .25” apart). Vertically, there will be 6 squares in each row (spaced approximately .50” apart).
9. Adhere each square to the canvas using several strips of double-sided, super-strength adhesive.
10. Take a deep breath because you are done!
If you have any unanswered questions and are sitting down to make a similar project, please feel free to email me at editor@scrapbookandcards.com. I’d love to help!
Kerry
