For Sweet, Sweet Anabelle

Our friends Wayne and Janet are now very proud grandparents. Their first grandchild, Anabelle, was born today to son Adam and daughter-in-love Amy.

Those of you who know me well, know that I am the world's worst procrastinator. Well, maybe not the worst, but close. I had planned to have this ready and ship it a month ago. I shipped it off today, so at least it will arrive before her first birthday!

This project is designed to hold all of those precious baby firsts: First booties, first pacifier, first bib, etc. Anything that won't fit in a scrapbook can fit in here.

Janet told me a very sweet story about how they chose the name for the new little girl. When Amy was a child, her parents divorced. She had a rag doll similar to Raggedy Ann, but this one had blond hair and her name was Anabelle. Anabelle got Amy through some really tough times, so I wanted to add an image of what I thought Anabelle would look like.

Here's how I made this.




Supplies
• Patterned scrapbook paper,12 x 12, 2 matching sheets
• Patterned scrapbook paper,12 x 12, 1 sheet to blend with the others
• Colored card stock, 8 1/2" x 11", 3 sheets to match patterned paper
• White card stock, 1 sheet 8 1/2" x 11"
• Paper Scraps to piece doll and cut flowers
• Sizzix Tattered Flowers Die and Big Shot machine
• Assorted flower punches
• 1" circle punch
• 1 roll ribbon, 2 1/2" wide
• Cut-out letters (I used Moxie by Quickutz)
• Circle cutter or saucer to use as a pattern to fit paint can lid
• Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive
• Colorbox Chalk Ink



Directions
1. Cut patterned paper to fit paint can. Punch circles to surround handle attachment.
2. Adhere ribbon all the way around the can.
3. Sketch rag doll on scrap paper, then cut apart and use as pattern to cut doll from scraps. Add yarn around doll's head.
4. Punch name from white card stock and edge with Colorbox Chalk Ink in a color to match. Adhere along ribbon. Fill remainder of ribbon with flowers.
5. Punch a variety of flowers and use to decorate remainder of can.
6. Punch lacy pattern from white card stock and adhere around can top.
7. Tie ribbon bow on one side of handle.
8. Use colored cardstock to line inside and inside bottom of can.

Lid
1. Cut circle to fit lid. Adhere flowers in a random pattern. (Note: I took the photos before I added the flowers to the lid. I didn't realize I had not taken a final photo until after it was in the mail.)


I also made a sweet little card using a great Sizzix die, Brenda Pinnick's Card, A2 w/Decorative Edge. This great little die was so easy to use! I cut one full piece of pink card stock for the base, then cut just the wavy edged front from white and a patterned cardstock. I first tied my organdy ribbon around the top layer, then layered them on the pink card, offsetting each one about 3/8 of an inch and trimming off the excess from the two top layers at the fold. I cut a little binder edge from a different patterned paper, edged it with decorative scissors and folded it along the fold edge, wrapping it to the back. All I added at this point was a little sentiment, set with the Duetica Lettering Arts Studio software, my favorite new tool.

My prayer for Adam and Amy is that they take the time to relish this period of their lives. I would give anything to go back and do it all again.

If you have any questions about the construction of this project, just leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

Now, go hug someone you love, especially your children.