I’m up on the Creative Embellishments Blog today, sharing a project I created to hopefully motivate my children to do their chores! Getting them to help around the house or complete a single chore each has been nearly impossible, so I decided to create an encouragement/incentive board. Each day, they will find their tag on their dresser to remind them to get their single chore done. Once completed, they can add their tag to the their clip under the board. Then each night, I can give them a marble for completing their task and return the tag to their dressers. They can then save up their marbles for a prize that’s redeemable once they’ve collected 10 marbles. 🙂
The start out, I took an 8×10 canvas board and coated it with a spray adhesive and layered 2 different laces over it, covering it completely to create the background texture. I secured the excess material around the back. I then coated the whole surface with gesso. As that was drying, I cut a piece of cardstock for the back. Its purpose is to hold the 3 clips at the bottom of the canvas board so the tags can slip into place. I just attached the paperclips to the cardstock using 3 larger brads. Then glued the cardstock to the back of my project. It also gives the back a nice smooth finished look rather than having loose material ends showing there. 🙂
I then used 2 masks and misted the background for the main piece. To alter my chippies, I used Lindy’s Stamp Gang mists on the Falling Star Border piece and the Star title piece, along with the butterflies. I tried to create more dimension and detail by edging the flourishes and fern pieces with Pan Pastels. Here’s how it turned out:
Close up of the left cluster:
Close up of the right cluster:
I then created the 3 tags simultaneously. One for each of my 3 youngest children. I started out by lightly gessoing each tag. I then selected 3 shades of Lindy’s mist for each tag. I misted with the 2 lightest shades, then splattered with the 3rd, applying the heat gun after each layer. When splattering, to create drippies, I just hold the tag upright after sprinkling it with color and tap it on a solid, protected surface to encourage the droplets to move down my project, then use the heat gun to set it. Once dry, I then stamped each tag with a different CE background stamp. I love how fun and versatile they are! There are quite a few that are a staple in my craft room. 😀
I then selected a different panel piece for 2 of the tags and a Chicken Wire Border pieces that I pieced together for the 3rd, and snipped off the pieces I wanted to use. I love using just bits and pieces of the panels on different projects. They’re a great way to add interest and dimension and 1 piece can be used on several projects when you cut them apart on primarily use on visible areas of your project. 🙂 For Madison’s and Christian’s tags, I had left a good bit of the base showing through gaps in the panel so you could still see those details, but on Matthew’s I’d opted to cover the bulk of it with the Retro Square Panel. So after I painted each of the panel pieces, I stamped again on top of the panel piece on Matthew’s tag, mirroring the background stamping. I selected CE chippies that go with their personalities and interests and incorporated them into their tags, keeping their favorite colors in mind. For Christian’s and Madison’s tags, I misted the pieces. For Matthew’s I used acrylic paints and PITT markers. Here’s how they turned out:
Close up of Madison’s tag:
Close up of Christian’s tag:
Close up of Matthew’s tag:
Here’s how it all looks assembled:
I’m really hoping that them wanting to have their tag on display like this will encourage them to get their chores done early (without being reminded), rather than waiting until bedtime. 😀 Wish me luck!!!
CE products used:
For the canvas:
For Madison’s Tag:
For Christian’s Tag:
Distressed Chicken Wire Border
Mini Steampunk Hot Air Balloon
Matthew’s Tag:
Distressed Scrapper 