Heart Board Book

Warning: Long Post Ahead

Yes . . . this is going to be one llllloooonnnggg post! The supply list is a mile long, the how-to -- not so bad . . .and rather than torture you with all 14 pages, I'm only going to show three. :D And there are a few tips at the end. Ready? Here we go!

This is the front cover of my Heart Board Book:
What I used:

Heart Blank Board Book
Basic Grey Infuse 6x6 pad
Grungeboard: Alphas and Elements
Distress Ink: Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters
Distress Crackle Paint: Peeled Paint
Adirondack Paint Dabbers: Salmon, Mountain Rose, Willow, Lettuce
VersaMagic Ink: Jumbo Java
Prism Cardstock: Intense Kiwi, Blush Red Light
Flowers & Buttons: Noteworthy Embellishment Jars & from my stash
Variety of Ribbon from my stash
Variety of Brads from my stash
Small tags from Office Depot
Sentiment Stamp on the tag on the front cover from American Art Stamp
Zip Dry Glue*
Glue Dots: Mini and Craft
Revolution: Library Card/Pocket Die
Sizzix: Scalloped Tag Pocket, Scalloped Tag Combo, File Folder and a few others
Ink Blending Tool
Non-Stick Craft Sheet**
Craft Knife
Cutting Mat

How to:

Adhere patterned paper to the front and back covers using Zip-Dry Glue. I found it easier to adhere the whole 6x6 sheet and then use the craft knife to trim off the excess paper. Ink edges with Peeled Paint Distress Ink using the ink blending tool.

Paint the "right-side" pages using the Adirondack Dabbers. I alternated the pages . . pink, green, pink, green. See pics below:
Allow paint to dry thoroughly. (~sigh~ I've not mastered the use of acrylic paints yet . . .to see some fabu work, jump over to the Land of Lost Luggage.)

While the paint is drying, place the Grungeboard letters*** on the non-stick craft sheet and ink them up with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink. I applied the ink direct and then used the blending tool to work the color into the texture. I then used the blending tool to add a smidge of Walnut Stain Distress ink to the edges.

Paint is still drying on the pages . . .so, paint up the Grungeboard Flourish**** using the Crackle Paint (again, do this on the non-stick craft sheet) and set aside to dry.

While waiting for even more paint to dry, use your die cut machine(s) to cut out pockets and folders and tags . . . whatever else you might want to add to your book.

Okay . . .the pages are dry. Now on the "left-side" pages adhere patterned paper using Zip-Dry glue. By the time you finish the last page, the glue on the first page will be dry (hence the name "Zip-Dry") and you can begin cutting off excess paper with your craft knife.

Time to start embellishing your pages! I used Glue Dots for the Grungeboard, flowers, and buttons. I used Zip-Dry for the pockets on the inside pages. Be sure to do all your "inking" before adhereing the "stuff" to the pages. (yep . . .speaking from experience here!)

Leave space to do some journaling . . .add pictures . . .add more buttons or flowers or hinges or brads . . .whatever you want! Soooooooo fun to add the "stuff" and tidbits to really personalize the book.

Ta-Da! A nice Heart Shaped Board Book for your loved one!

On to the tips:

*Zip Dry Glue: It has become one of my favorite adhesives for a few reasons . . it dries very fast (and I'm not too patient when it comes to waiting for things to dry) . . .it is a super bond! There's no taking something off once the glue is dry without damaging your project. Keep that in mind (yep . . . talking from experience again). BUT, please note: this glue is kindy smelly . . .so use it in a well ventilated area. If you have respiratory problems or asthma, use this glue with caution.

**Non-Stick Craft Sheet: Yes, Mr. Holtz is correct! . . . you do need one . . .everybody needs one. I'll go into even more detail about that in a future post.

***Grungeboard Letters: I didn't have a pack of the Digits and Punctuation, so for the "+" sign on the front, I improvised and cut one of the "T's" to look like a plus sign.

****Grungeboard Flourish: Well . . .I wasn't planning on using this particular flourish for this project, so it had been previously sprayed with Radiant Rain, which by the way looks lovely on Grungeboard! When I decided to use this particular flourish on this book (which was purple . . .or some shade thereof), I thought, "Oh great . . . now what??" As you can see . . . I just painted right over the Radiant Rain. Can't even tell, can ya? Gotta love this Grungeboard stuff. . .

Okay . . off to the craft room . . .got lots of new stuff in, which means I've got lots of samples to make!

Thanks for visiting!