Thankful .....

for so many things.

One thing i love about the States, is their festival of Thanksgiving.

What an awesome concept.

I wish, that here in Australia, we too could celebrate and take time to get together to acknowledge the people that we love, and the many blessings we are so priviledged to embrace in our lives.

Day to day passes to quickly, and too many things are taken for granted.

Over at Webster's Pages, sweet Courtney thought of this idea to share with the Webster's readers at Thanksgiving time.  

How beautiful is that hey ??

It got me thinking about all the things I am thankful for.

My sweet sweet husband, who puts up with my erratic creative temperment, forgetfulness, and need to be constantly loved.

My darling little angels (well most of the time) who teach me every day how beautiful life is.

Mum and Dad, beautiful mature age people, healthy and happy.

The freedom to create on a daily basis.  

A roof over our heads, and no matter where we go we will always be together.

For the girlfriends I have met from every part of the globe, friendships with like minds.

Thankful for a God who loves me unconditionally, who continually blow me away with his blessings.  Like seriously......

****************************************************************

And so onto scrappy happenings .......

.... a tutorial on how to make a paper plate angel.  I first spied these over at Martha Stewart Craft, and was totally blown away by them.  Of course I put my own spin on it ..... and they are just so easy to make.

So let's break it down so you can easily see how to create this gorgeous paper plate angel place card. 

What you need:

• 1 Paper Plate (Dinner Size)
• 1 Craft Knife
• Scissors
• Double Sided Tape
• Decorative Punch
• Webster's Pages Digital Motifs
• Photoediting Software

I have used Photoshop V5, but you could use Photoshop Elements or any other photo editing software to achieve the same results.  

In Photoshop, open a new file (default A4 size/ or 8.5 x 11").  

For PS it is File - Open - (Adjust width and height) and press OK.

Next, pick out a color that for the Hybrid component of the project. I chose a vivid cobalt blue to complement my blue & silver Christmas decor, but the beauty of digital is you can make it whatever color you want!

Simple double click on the color palette in your tool box on the left hand side of this diagram below. (See the two little squares (they would more than likely be black and white default colors), that is what you want to double click.)

A new dialogue box appears called a color picker.  Select your color and press OK.  

Next, select a brush to easily create the beautiful bird at the center of the design. If you've never used a digital brush, before, it's very simple. Select the paintbrush icon from the tool box (as shown below). Once your cursor becomes a paintbrush, take it up to the left hand corner and click on the brush menu. Select your brush. 

I chose to use the Christmas Bird from our Botanical Christmas line, but feel free to change it up...we have so many cute brushes to choose from! When you go into the document to use your brush, it will automatically be the color you selected (in this case, blue). 

Tip: A shortcut for making your brush bigger or smaller is using the parenthesis brackets on your keyboard.  Right key for a larger size, and left key to go smaller.

Now that you know how to create using a digital brush, you can create the second part of this beautiful image: the frame. Once again, I used a frame brush from our Life's Portrait collection. Cut the bird out separately and layer it on top of the frame using foam squares for added dimension. 

 

Next, the paper plate angel. Talk about great repurposing! 

Start by tracing a paper angel shape onto a plate with a fluted edge, and cut out. You can use scissors or a craft knife depending on how much detail you have and remember to increase or decrease the size of the template depending on what size plate you are using. (I have used pen for this step for purposes of this tutorial, but use a pencil...easier to erase!

Use a decorative punch to adorn your angel and have fun decorating the wings.

Next, cut around the pencil outline on your paper plate. This is where your craft knife will come in handy, giving you a little more precision on the curves and angles. The two cuts you'll make for the wings are different, one made from inside out, the other from outside in.

Next, assemble the angel. Stand the plate up and with the angel facing you, and then shape her skirt into a circle.  Next you will need to slide the outside cut over the inside one to make wings. You can use double sided tape at the back to reinforce the wings, and if you want to bring them down a little lower, use glue dots.

And don't panic if she's not stable the first time. Keep playing with the shape and eventually it'll all balance out...

 

 

Don't forget to upload your Webster's Pages projects to InspireMe! We can't wait to see what you're creating this holiday season!

And one last project using Winter Fairy Tales Line.....

Until next time. Thanks so much for visiting again.

Comments

[Kelly Rodgers]

You are so clever Miss Steph xxx

[Courtney Walsh]

aw, Steph, I love that you shared the thank you post!! It was one of my faves! :) And of course, I loved your Cmas angel so so much!!

:) Have a great weekend!

[Nadia Cannizzo]

Awesome work! Hope you are well.

[Chantal Vandenberg]

Steph, your work is so lovely! :D

[Patty O'Malley]

What lovely sentiments! Such a sweet angel! And a fantastic layout! Love your hanging decorations and the banner.

[Romy]

Wow oh wow, this layout is pure girl magic! So gorgeous! I love how you used these fabulous, brigt colours and the pretty banner! And that angel is such a beauty too! You're simply amazing when it comes to hybrid designing:)