Nursery Rhyme Wall Art

Hello, Crafty Friends!!

Today marks midway through our week!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!

I am so tickled to get to share with you today's project! Did you know that there's a National Library Week?? Yup, a whole week in observance to libraries!! It's always great to promote and show your support for your local library!  And today, I will help support my local library and repurpose old books.

 Limited space makes it hard for some libraries to accommodate their ever growing number of books. So, from time to time our local library (I'm sure others do this a s well), clear out and sell their old books. Most of which are tattered or outdated, to make room for new ones. Sales raised from these books go right back into the library system to fund new books or to help with other financial needs... internet may be free for the public to use,  but that doesn't mean that its free to the library. And certainly, any renovations made, also come along with a few dollar signs attached.

So whenever possible, my children and I go to our local library and check out the sales. I know what you're thinking craft with old books? Don't I love books? Why would I take apart and butcher books to craft with?? Simple... remember when I said most of these books are tattered and outdated?? Well, the books that are not sold get dumped into the recycle bins. Which is good that they are recycling, but the library doesn't receive any money for just tossing them... and I would be creating, crafting, and repurposing something  that already has been used and giving it new life as ART. Or in this case, WALL ART. 

These are super quick and easy to make too!!

Supplies Needed

Old Books (Hardback or paperback)

Xyron Creative Station w/ Permanent Adhesive Refill Cartridge

Xyron Mega Runner

1- 12"x12" sheet of Black Cardstock (DCWV- Double Sided Cardstock Stack)

4 - 5"x7" Shadowbox Frames

Cricut Explore Air

Cricut Nursery Rhymes Cartridge

Craft knife (Fiskars)

Scissors (EK Success- CutterBee)

These books don't appear to be in bad shape but were really really outdate... put it this way one of these books was called the "No Cooking Cookbook"... it has a copyright date of 1962. That was several years before the first reasonably priced and sized microwave became available (1967). Yeah, I think it's safe to say, no one will miss that one! LOL

And, I got these from my local dollar store! Yuppers, $1!! Who knew they carried shadowbox picture frames (with mats included too)??!! SCORE!!

Ok, now this was probably the hardest part of the whole project... which really wasn't very hard at all.

Removing the pages from the cover. Seriously it took two slices. One in the front of the book and one in the back, running down the first page to the spine... and then again along the back of the book.

 I will be saving this hard cover to make another project with later.

 I used the chipboard insert as a template for my book pages, added adhesive to them with my Xyron Mega Runner, and adhered my pages directly onto them. Then trimmed off the excess with a scissors.

So super easy, right? Wow... 1, 2, 3, and 4 done in less than 2 minutes!!

Then I used my Cricut Explore Air and Cricut's Nursery Rhyme Cartridge to cut out silhouettes of some of my favorite childhood nursery rhymes... " Hey Diddle Diddle", " Little Jack Horner", "Little Boy Blue",  and "Mary Had a Little Lamb". 

I cut them all from one 12"x12" sheet of black cardstock. Sizing each image to fit into the 5"7" mat/ frame.

Since these will be hanging on the wall, I wanted them to stay put. So, I ran them all through my Xyron Creative Station using the 9" permanent adhesive refill cartridge. And placed them all back into their frames.

And, here are my finished pieces.

I love how these came out. The layout is simple but the old book print makes them distinctive and unique!! This was a great start to  many more "print" crafts! 

I hope you enjoyed this project!

And don't forget to go support your local public library!!

HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY HAPPY LIBRARY WEEK!!

December Challenge and Photo Inspiration

Hello, my  crafty friends!! More holiday inspiration coming your way! And it's time for another Challenge!!

Come on by the Die-Namites Blog for our monthly challenges. Each month we'll have a challenge with a photo as our inspiration. This month's photo is:

Use this as inspiration and just create!

You can enter your projects for your chance of winning a $25 Die-Namites Gift Card. 

To find out more about our monthly challenge or to link your challenge project, see the original post here.

I like the organic feel of the inspiration photo. All the natural textures and colors. It gave me a very woodsy/ rustic vibe.

I didn't go the rustic route... but kept the neutral color palette.

Here is my challenge project:

I started off using my Cricut electric cutting machine to cut my card base.

I found an awesome cut file in the Cricut library for a trifold card... You can find the same file in the subscription area of Cricut Design Space.

It's a trifold card complete with score lines and a frame.

I used my Xyron Mega Runner to adhere my panels to the outer right-hand flap and onto the inside middle panel...

And because it had a 1/4" refill in it, I even used the Mega Runner on my frame!

For my focal point, I used Die-Namites' Pinecone die.

And, guess what, you can get 15% off your next purchase... that's right not just off this die but your ENTIRE purchase!! How awesome is that??!! Just use my special code mitsyana15 during checkout!!

I used my manual die cut machine to cut two die cut pinecones out of craft cardstock. This die is just GORGEOUS!! And these dies just slide out of the die!!The die has poke holes but never had to use them or a poke tool to get my pieces out!! And that is just AWESOME!

Then I ebrushed my pinecones using brown and green Sharpie Markers.

Supplies Used

Pinecone Die (Die-Namites)

Xyron Mega Runner

Cricut Explore Air

Trifold Card File (Cricut DS Subscription)

Patterned Paper (Craft Smith)

Craft Cardstock

Hemp Twine

3D Lacquer

Green and Brown Sharpie Markers

eBrush (Craftwell)

All I Want For Christmas Stamp Set (Oak Tree Stamps)

VersaFine Onyx Black Ink Pad (Tsukineko)

Then I used my liquid adhesive (3D Lacquer) to attach my pinecones to the flap of my card.

I tied a quadruple loop bow out of hemp twin and also attached with liquid adhesive.

And, last but not least I stamped my sentiment from the "All I want for Christmas" stamp set with VersaFine onyx black ink.

And here is my finished card: 

I love how elegant this card turned out!

This inside panel I left blank for writing or if I wanted to attach a gift card.

Hope you enjoyed this card and are inspired to join us in our challenge fun!!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING FRIENDS!!

~Mitsy