Blog Hop - A Tribute to my Dad

It's Here! The second, of what I can only hope is many, Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!
You can read all about it HERE.

This month, Nichole provided us with a pdf file of her fabulous "Father Knows Best" Pattern Paper Blocks. We could do whatever we want....with these blocks. Leave in tact, cut them up, whatever.

At first I was a little lost, not really sure what direction I wanted to go. After one great conversation with my BF (Hi Sarah) I had some direction and have now officially adopted her as my Muse. While we were talking I started to combine the thoughts of "Father" paper and stained glass. The ideas started flowing and there I was printing off some great papers, searching for a stained glass pattern and a great Dad poem. I found the pattern and printed it off and went to work.

I really encourage you to click on the picture for enlargement, The tiny blogger photos do not so it justice. Even then the picture does not to justice to it and the GREAT papers that Nichole Designed.

I will try and walk you through what I did to achieve the stained glass technique, but don't shoot me if I don't explain it well....LOL and I warn you it will be a long read. I started by finding the pattern online and printing it off. If you google "free stained glass patterns" you will have a bunch pop up to select from. Some of the images were really incredible.

Normally I would print the pattern on the back of several different pattern papers and then you start cutting. First cut the center piece and fix it to your base paper. NOTE: when cutting you need to cut on the inside of the black lines. This creates the gap in between the patterns. Then you start on the next row until all the way done.


Because these papers are in the form of the small blocks, I started by cutting all the blocks away from the white borders and stacked the like papers together. I cut the center out of Very Vanilla. Then when I started the next round I put a tiny bit of tape runner glue on my grid paper. I took the pattern paper that I wanted to use and stuck it down. Then I layered the pattern over top and started cutting with my craft knife (a tiny bit easier then it sounds) Once I had the first point pieces cut out I just used them as a template holding it over the next piece of paper I just trimmed around them and glued them all down. I also made a couple of the triangles to use as a guide for the layers. See the picture.

This is what it looked like after a few layers around. I also finished the posts as a guide. I was finding that even sometimes I would cut them out perfectly and they were still too big so I would glue it down and then using my craft knife I would trim a tad more off to fit.

Here we are almost done. I still some rounds and filler to do. I wanted to also say...if you try this project know this. My lines are NOT perfect. That is the beauty of stained glass, some of the inconsistencies really make it a beautiful piece of art work. I urge you to do a google image search of stained glass and you will see what I mean. The overall beauty of the art...whose looking at the lines?

This is the completed circle, cut out from the 12 x 12 chocolate chip base that I started on. Now it is time to make it into something even more beautiful.

I wanted to do a Tribute to My Dad, truly my Best Friend. I was always a Daddy's Girl and I am so thankful for all the years of love, friendship, fun and overall GREAT memories that I have with him. Even while he is not here I will always have those. I miss my Buddy, so Dad, this is for you!

This is a close up of my ribbon award. So cute! All I did was stitch through the edge of the ribbon with thread and then pulled it tight to gather it. Then I stamped the award from the “June” month Hero Arts Clear Stamps Set and then cut it out. I attached the ribbon to the center stamped piece and then to the paper with a dimensional sticker. Also in this picture you can see the mini brads that accent each tip of the star.

These are the corner close ups. The sentiments I stamped are from the Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages Set. I appreciated my Dad he was my Father, but so much more. We were “Friends to the end” and I miss him. On a crafty note: Look how well the Making Memories brads match the Summer Sunrise part of color in the paper.

This poem was found by My Muse, Sarah…she was helping me surf through all the great poems out there but this one I really liked. So sweet. My Dad was all of these things.

***Note: I did not write this poem but it suits my Dad perfectly***

"For My Dad"

You've always been the kind of Dad,
Who had a quiet way,
And yet I knew exactly where you stood
I knew that you'd be there for me,
From one day to the next,
And also, that you'd help me if you could
I knew that you'd be honest,
If I asked for some advice,
And offer praise when it was truly due
And if, per chance, it happened,
That I messed things up a bit,.
I also knew that I would hear from you.
Yet I knew you'd be forgiving,
As I stumbled on through life,
And that you'd help me see the good from bad,
And I'm grateful beyond measure for the person that you are,.
And proud as I can be to call you "Dad."

< June 19, 1951 - June 20, 2007

So that is my Blog Hop and tribute to my Dad. I am overjoyed with the outcome 9.5 Hours later..lol Thanks so much to Nichole from Papertrey ink for hosting yet another wonderful challenge. Thank you also for such wonderful paper. The masculinity of it makes it so easy to create beautiful art with a manly feel to it.

Thank you all for reading, Now it’s my turn to get blog hopping!!! See you in the forums.