Sticks and Stones and Animal Homes (Cuttlebug Challenge!)

(It was hard to get good pics of this, sorry. Don't forget
you can click the photos to see close-up, if you like...) :O)

Forgive the pun, but this project was really a "hoot!" I can't remember the last time I had this much fun making something! It was for my first Cuttlebug Challenge Blog project & for their wicked Wednesday Inspiration Challenge:

(A) Create with a woodland theme; and/or
(B) use these colours: orange, green & turquoise; and/or
(C) use some natural elements (that are not usually used)

So...this wacky high-backed box ended up with all kinds of things scrounged from our patio on it: Curry plant fuzz and sticks and some stones too.

Maggie & the team are making a big effort to make the challenges accessible to everyone. There are SO many ways to play in this Wednesday Inspiration challenge, so I hope you'll play along with us!

1...Cuttlebug Challenge
2...How to...build an angled high back box
3...Templates (trees & shrubs-to shape it like a diorama of the woods)
4...Cheap tricks... for embellishing it (sticks & stones & animal homes)

-1-

You can find the Cuttlebug Wednesday Inspiration Challenge
and see the gorgeous work of the design team
as well as read about the prize and other details here:

click to visit the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog

-2-

...build a high back box & shape it like shrubs

• 1 & 1/2 pieces of standard (8.5 x 11") cardstock
• Template
  
• Double-sided tape
• Sharp scissors
• Scoring tool
• Ruler or straight edge
• Pencil & eraser

This makes a high-backed box:

• When finished it measures 4.5 inches high in back...
  
• 3 inches high in the front...
• and 3.5 inches deep (mid-section)
  

However, if you embellish with a section for the sky, it can be however tall you like in the back. There's lots of space for a gift or cards in it.

For now, there are just written instructions for scoring the box (to keep this insane tutorial relatively short, BWAhahaha.) If you're way visual, like me, rest assured that I'm working on a sketch of instructions for this box (I wanna make a different version, so you may see it soon.)

Edited to Add:
The pictorial & Instruction
sheet are in this post

(a cloud version of the box)

Step 1} Start with a standard piece of cardstock

Step 2} With the cardstock on the horizontal (so it looks short) score at 4.5 inches and at 8 inches

Step 3} Turn the cardstock & mark the top at 1 and 1/4 as well as 7 and 1/4--with the cardstock on the vertical (so it looks tall) score at those marks

Step 4} Cut 4 slits to make the side flaps

Step 5} To get a box this size from standard cardstock it requires side panels. (These instuctions make 4 panels to line the box for extra strength or appearances sake):

For shrub-shaped side panels

A) Cut 2 pieces of cardstock to measure 3 and 1/2 inches wide & 4 and 1/2 inches tall
B) Print the shrub template. Line up the edges & trace the curvy part of each side panel onto the pieces above (please note: there are 2 different shapes)
C) Emboss the sides if you like.

Step 6} Fold the box (creasing the folds with a bone folder)

When you assemble the box the highest part of the side panel should be towards the back of the box; it should meet up with the high back of it, but if you'd like to shape the box, then don't assemble just yet, first...

Step 7} Make the rest of the shrub panels to line & decorate the box:
(Granted, that is extra work, but boy does it make for a sturdy box!)

A) Trace the template for the shrub line on green paper.
B) Cut it out.
C) Dry Fit the shrub line & trim the box: Place the shrubs along the box to trim away any areas of the original box that stick above the curvy shrub line.

To line the box inside: trace it to make a mirror version & cut it out. No need to erase the pencil lines if you're sticking it on.

Step 8} Embellish the shrubs: if you'd like an embossed layer just repeat this step on a second piece of matching paper, cut it out & emboss it. I added berries by piercing & stitching beads onto the shrubs.

and Finally, Step 9} Assemble the box & adhere the shrub line. Embellish however it strikes your fancy! :O)

-3-

for tree & shrubs...

Click to Download the templates
(or click the photos below for the JPG versions)

Please note: (I used the trees at 75% of this size) :O)

-4-

(for embellishing woodsy projects)

Here are some very cheap (free) tricks for using sticks & stones to
make animal homes! ;O) This made me feel like a kid again. Too fun!


create leaf-embossed TREE TOPS
(and other strange woodsy things. Literally!)

Basically, it boils down to this: cut trees shapes, use any folder you like to emboss them, & stick rocks and twigs on. :o) I did it all a little backwards (cutting after embossing) since I wanted the shape to conform to the leaf embossing (plus me likey backwardsness!)

• Embossing folder of your choice (coming soon: how-to make this leafy one)
  
• 2 or more standard sheets of cardstock
• Pencil
  
• Scissors
  
• Optional ink & crystal lacquer
• Certain Celery ink & make-up sponge
  
• Copic marker & Colourless blender (tree shading)
• Crystal Lacquer (leafy shine)
  

Step 1} Emboss a piece of green cardstock (or 2) depending on the size of your folder....I used this leaf embossing plate that i made from cereal box cardboard to Cuttlebug emboss some leafy tree paper, then...

Step 2} Draw a guideline for cutting the tree tops (on the backside of the embossed cardstock.)



Step 3} Cut the tree tops out



Step 4} Embellish....

Print tree trunk templates & cut the trees out. I used the trees at 75% of this size.

Cutting-wise, I found that there's no need to cut on the lines, since it gets hidden when you adhere the trunks. That way you can make improvements to the trunk shape however you see fit. I cut the top branches longer for ease of placement.

Tree branches with STICKS: Since the challenge was to use things from nature that are not normally used in scrapbooking/cardmaking, I also added branches with twigs (disguising the end with leaves) I cut pieces of my curry plant (such a lovely scented herb) :O) to make the twigs.

E.T.A.This pic shows you the inside & the bottom of the trees:



To make the BIRDS' NESTS I used dried bits off the curry plant stems, but you could use spanish moss from any craft store, if you like the look.



Step 5} Assemble your scene.

The SKY: To fit all this critter action, the top of the box had to be extended (which was okay since the sky panel can be a completely different cardstock that way.) It measured 4 1/2 inches wide. I made a cloud folder to embossed the text paper, coloured it turquoise & painted the raised clouds with gesso.

Optional finishing touch for the tree-tops: You can add ink to bring out the embossing. I added Certain Celery ink with a make-up sponge & then some Copic marker shading at the bottoms of the trees. A bit of leafy shine is fun too... just paint some Crystal Lacquer on trees for texture and then you have a home for bird critters.

...script embossed POND with pebbles

• Vintage Dictionary definition with "tree" (text)
• Pond template
• Scissors
• Watercolour wonder Crayon (Tempting Turquoise & Taken with Teal) and Copic markers
• Cuttlebug embossing folder (Script)
  

Step 1} Print tree dictionary text (or use whatever paper you like to print it on....)

Step 2} Draw a pond shape on the backside of the text & cut it out.

Step 3} Colour the pond [I used Watercolour wonder Crayon (Tempting Turquoise & Taken with Teal) and Copic markers: BG72 Ice Ocean, BG45 Nile Blue, B00 Frost Blue, & a colourless blender.]

Step 4} Stick it onto Cardstock & trim around (this is on Tempting Turquoise S.U. cardstock)

Step 5} Emboss the pond. If you use Watercolour Wonder Crayons first, the colour will get on your embossing folder but it cleans off with dish soap. :O)

the Script embossing looks like ripples in water:

then....

Step 6} Glue stones to bottom of pond (I just used a bead of Crystal Lacquer to hold them on)

The waterlilies were fun to make too (cut from cardstock that was stamped with a text stamp & painted in gesso. It's the same gesso cardstock that I used to emboss the owl after I printed him. The waterlilies were coloured with Copics & then covered in Crystal Lacquer & glitter.

And an embossed owl...You can see on the owl {if you click that photo above} how really deep of a heat embossing that you can get with gesso cardstock in the printer (I use the standard printer setting, clear embossing powder, then heatgun it.)

and that's it...




freebie images

(birdies, and birdies & owls, oh my!)

The birdies & owl used here are doodles I made that were inspired by the style of the Basic Grey set "Gone Fishing." I thought I'd share them in case anyone might like to use 'em.

Click the picture to Download
the flying critters on SCS
(JPG & PDF are both there):

Thank You for visiting me (and all the other crazy critters!) ;o)

P.S. whew....I may just take tomorrow off--all this jazz wore me out! LOL

P.P.S.Here's the pictorial for how to make the leaf embossing folder & other versions

You can also use a digital image to print & cut (vines),
or use layered die-cut/punched shapes (flowers)
or stamp & cut one :o)