LOVE altered book for the Lottery

As I posted last week, I had 2 LOVE Lottery pieces to finish. This is the 2nd!! It is an altered, LOVE 6 panel accordion style brown paper book. You can buy them from Oriental Trading. Each album has six 5" x 5" panels.

I mixed up a custom paint made from Red Metallic Folk ART and Wicker White paint for the base coat, both sides and let it dry.

I took 3 sea sponges, added in some red metallic, silver metallic, and lighter pink and sponged painted a top coat onto the book and again, let dry.

Close-up of the painting:

To embellish the book I cut LOVE phrases from this sheet of scrapbook paper from DCWV, Valentines Words and then layered them and ran them through the Xyron Sticker Maker.

All other images were cut with my WONDERFUL new Cricut Cartridge, "Love Struck." I knew I would like this, but it is WAY better than I imagined!! :) I LOVE everything it can cut!!




Some of the hearts were stamped with a Versamark pad, some were glittered. I used 2 colors of vintage ric-rac. The images were from a friend.
Hope you enjoy the journey through my book of LOVE.

Front Cover

Back Cover

Pages 1 & 2 (click to enlarge)

Pages 3 & 4 (click to enlarge)

Pages 5 & 6 (click to enlarge)

The whole open book.

Wooden Valentine Puzzle Cubes in a Box

One of the monthly lotteries I am in has the theme (chosen by me) of LOVE. What can I say?? I simply ADORE Valentine's Day!! So, since I picked the theme I figured I should make something cool. I have always wanted to make a Puzzle Cube set. I had these little wooden cubes so off I went on my adventure.

For this project you will need:

wooden cubes (I used nine 1" cubes)
1 box to fit your cubes (I used a repurposed coaster box)
printed paper for your puzzles images (I chose to do 4 of the 6 sides)

Basic supplies:

Paint/Brush
Gel Medium
Black Sharpie Marker
Double sided adhesive
Exacto knife
Paper cutter
Ribbon/Lace to tie up your package
Stamps
Versamark ink pad
Rubberband


I painted my cubes metallic black. Cut your puzzle images to size (to fit one entire side of the puzzle). Hold the blocks together with a rubber band. Glue down one puzzle image with gel medium. When dry, cut the image apart on the blocks' lines. Cover with a top coat of gel medium - let dry.

Turn the blocks to another blank side, secure with the rubber band and repeat the steps for each of the 3 remaining sides. When completely dry and trimmed, hit the edges with a black sharpie marker.

I covered the bottom of the box with black paper. I stamped the edges and the bottom with a Versamark Ink Pad and a handful of Valentine Stamps.

I left the lid uncovered as I liked the color and border. I added a framed piece of the puzzle's images to the top. I tied it up with some ribbon and a piece of lace!!