Then the idea of a mobile just struck me as the perfect thing to do. The more I thought about it, the more I fell in love with the idea. I wanted something that would catch bits of light to sparkle while it fluttered on a soft breeze; something that would echo the exciting colors of summer and add a giggle to a bit of conversation.
Artistically, I also wanted something that would make me stretch a little bit once I had chosen a theme. After choosing my little girlfriend’s perfect photo, I decided that my focal design would entail a piece of floral designer scrapbooking paper. It’s from a collection of papers that I have loved for a long time because of its varied motifs and rich summer color. My challenge was to use at least one design element of that particular paper as an embellishment on each of the mobile’s ‘petals’. At the time it seemed to be an easy enough concept, but the actual execution really made me reach for my own design ideas. Consequently, this project turned out to be not just something fun to decorate with, but a great learning experience as well.
I have included the most basic instructions for putting any type of mobile together, but should you elect the same type of challenge that I did, I think you will find how rewarding it is to search through and break down other designs to make something your own. Just start out by choosing a piece of designed paper that you love and begin cutting out all the elements that speak to you. You can then place those elements on different backgrounds with simple embellishments and enhance with gel pens, colored pencils or whatever suits you at the time, and before you know it, you have turned those elements into your own design.
It really is just a matter of play. That’s what summer is supposed to be about, so don’t forget to have fun and I’ll see you on the porch.
Basic Instructions:
1. Using a sharp craft knife carefully slit through the binding between each board page to separate.
2. Trace the shape of each page side to the back of decorative scrapbooking paper, then, cut out just on the outside of your pencil line so your shape does not come out short.
TIP: If using a shaped book such as the sample here, it is important that you flip each page to assure a custom fit. I found the best way to do this is to label each side (1A, 1B, 2A etc) then after tracing onto the paper, pencil the coordinating label onto the paper so you don’t wind up with only one side of the shape cut out when it comes to assembling.
3. Run each cut shape through a Xyron machine or use an adhesive of your choice and attach to page. To clean up edges, lay the covered page onto a cutting mat and carefully trim around the edges with a sharp craft knife. Use a new blade if necessary to ensure that your knife is very sharp as it will make this part of the process much easier. Ink edges with coordinating ink pads or markers, but don’t worry if it is not perfect.
4. Embellish as desired. Punch holes at top of shape for hanging, set eyelets if desired and add safety pin or jump ring, then, thread with fiber, knot and put a dab of glue on knot to secure. Punch hole at bottom of shape, set eyelet if desired, then, thread marking tag.
5. Mark dowels ½” from each end and at the center point. For ease of handling, use a bench vise to hold the dowel while drilling marked holes with a hand drill or a low speed on a Dremel Tool so as not to shatter the soft wood. TIP: To make it really easy to drill a straight hole, use an awl or a nail to tap a puncture on your pencil mark as a starting place for your drill bit to sit on.
6. Paint the dowels (Key Lime green), let dry, and then, swipe with an ink pad (Azure blue) to tone.
7. Cross dowels lining up center holes, insert beading needle, then, thread to center point with a length of waxed linen. Wrap both ends crisscrossing snugly around centers leaving tails. Knot tails to wood, then, form a loop with ends and knot again. Insert fiber from center page into beading needle, pull through and wrap in the same manner as you did with the waxed linen.
8. Thread fibers, one for each page, through end holes, wrap, knot and dab with glue to secure.
9. Insert S hook into waxed linen loop to hang.
Sample Petal Instructions:
All Petals:
1. Swipe one side of each tag with the Azure ink pad and the other side with the Lime Pastel, then, add a flower gem to each side. Punch a hole between the bottom two petals to thread tag.
2. Cover each chipboard shape with assorted patterned papers before embellishing except where a brad is used to hold an element.
3. Punch a hole on either side of the top petal, then, add colored safety pins. Thread beads between safety pins, make loop, tie knot and then, add a glass leaf to knot area.
4. Coat a wood bead with glue followed by antique glitter, then, thread through main petal’s end tail next to waxed linen loop and knot.
Main:
1. Front: Print sized photo onto white cardstock, cut into oval and ink edges, then, cut swirl components from floral paper. Glue to foundation as shown and embellish with three clear gems.
2. Back: Color in white spaces of blue rose paper using colored pencils, markers and metallic gel pens. Attach large Glitz gem and a row of smaller gems to either side in an arc adding one to the center of the rose.
3. Attach a floral gem to the center of a glass heart tag and thread through bottom hole. Add two extra leaves to upper loop, then, string glass and Czech crystal beads from hanging thread.
First Petal:
1. Front: Ink large white flower with Lime Pastel ink pad, then, layer with flocked flower and attach with green brad to paper shape before attaching to chipboard shape. Add large clear gem to center of brad.
2. Back: Using Imperial Purple ink pad stamp paisley stamp slightly off-center. Using glue dots, attach three violet paper flowers and leaves as indicated. Add small clear gems to center of flowers.
Second Petal:
1. Front: Split shape between two pieces of patterned paper. Attach lime green velvet ribbon to either side of center piece. Cut tulip from floral patterned paper and attach to central area. Add a curve of five clear gems over and one large to the center of the tulip.
2. Back: Fill in the swirl area of a stencil with a green marker and the dotted area with a blue marker. With the stencil still in place, trace around the perimeter of the swirl with a green metallic pen and the dots with a blue metallic pen. Stamp each flower with Peony permanent ink, then, add a clear gem to the center.
Third Petal:
1. Front: Follow glue around central design of large floral, then, add lime green seed beads.
2. Back: Use a violet marker to fill in the swirls and dots from stencil. Add glittered flower and three violet gems as shown.
Fourth Petal:
1. Front: Cut a flower from floral patterned paper, then, edge with silver leafing pen and add a smoked gem to the stamen area. Attach a bow made from satin edge sheer ribbon to the upper portion of the flower. Add cut flower to the center.
2. Back: Cut leafy blossom bunch from floral paper. Swipe a medium white fabric flower with the Azure inkpad and a small white fabric flower with the Lime Pastel. Stack the small blossom over the medium flower and attach to blossom cutout using a violet mini brad; add a small clear gem to the brad. Glue embellished cutout to background.
Supplies:
• Adhesives: 900 Creative Station (Xyron); Fabric Fusion (Aileen’s); The Ultimate Crafter’s Pick (API); Glue Dots, Glue stick (UHU)
• Artpens: Gelly Roll Metallic and Stardust (Sakura)
• Beading needle: Large eye, bendable
• Beads: glass beads and various (Blue Moon); Czech Crystal silver lined and Emerald Mix Rocailles (Beader’s Paradise); wood bead
• Blank Board Book (or prepped commercial board book): Ready-To-Go, Create and Treasure (C & T Publishing)
• Brads: assorted Mini Brads (Making Memories); Green Envy (Bazzill Basics Paper)
• Colored pencils: Polycolor (Lyra)
• Craft knife with new blades
• Drill: hand drill (Fiskers) or Dremel
• Eyelets: lime green squares (Making Memories)
• Fibers: variegated Emerald Perle cotton (DMC); Ecru waxed linen
• Flowers: white fabric (Hot Off the Press); blue flocked paper and small violet (Pebbles); glittered chipboard embellishment (MAMBI)
• Gems: self-adhesive Brenda Walton (K & Co.), Icons (MAMBI) and Glitz Frosting (Glitz Designs)
• Glitter: Antique Silver Glass Glitter (Barbara Trombey)
• Hole Punch: Japanese Screw Punch
• Inkpads: Azure and Lime Pastel Fluid Chalk (Colorbox); Peony Permanent (Colorbox Cats Eye); Imperial Purple Versafine Permanent (Tsukineko)
• Leafing pen: silver (Krylon)
• Markers: various Fabrico (Tsukineko)
• Paint: Key Lime Scrapbook Colors (Making Memories)
• Pencil
• Photo
• Ribbon: lime green velvet Spring Fling (Making Memories); raspberry sheer satin edged
• Rubber Stamps: Paisley Harlequin (Catslife Press); Japanese Flower Crests, Kamon (Komodo, Inc.)
• Ruler
• S Hook
• Safety pins: lime green, cerulean blue and raspberry (Making Memories)
• Scissors
• Scrapbooking paper: Girlfriend Collection (Daisy D’s)
• Stencils: wide and narrow Scrolls (Crafter’s Warehouse)
• Tags: 4 white paper marking; 1 pale green Glass Heart Tag
• Toothpick
• Wax Paper
• Wood Dowel: 2 @ 3/8” x 15”
• Optional: Table Vise; Awl or Nail
To find the products mentioned in this article and shown in these layouts, check with your local scrapbook retailer. Browse our Premier Retail Stores for coupons to a store near you.
I am a self-taught artist. When folk art, decorative art and t-shirt painting were all the rage, I owned a folk art supply/teaching shop. When I became obsessed with collage and the paper arts, I began working exclusively in this genre until I started designing my own fabric creations and art quilts. I have taught workshops both locally and on the national level and have exhibited my collage artwork in various galleries, including a show in Dallas, Texas. My publications include projects and articles for many Somerset Studio publications. I was also a featured artist in Making Wreaths in Minutes for Sterling’s Red Lips for Courage book line and have been published in smaller venues, which include other local arts, stamping and scrapbook publications, including the fabulous Pasticcio Quartz ‘Zine. Check out my etsy store to view more of my work http://artboxstudio.etsy.com.
