Eileen Hull

Three dimensional art... with heart

Featured Fan: Bonnie McLain

Bonnie McLain consistently blows us away with her amazing projects and often enters our monthly Art With Heart Challenge here on the blog.

BTW- a new challenge just started- join us here and show us what you are working on- this month’s theme is “Go Green”!

So I got to chatting with Bonnie on line and asked her if she would agree to do a guest post over here on the blog. She graciously said yes. Take a look at what she has created and I’m sure you will agree- Bonnie is one amazing designer!

There was a glitch on my part- I must confess… 🙁 I was going to post this in January and somehow Bonnie’s last email to me wound up in a strange file on my phone which I never found until yesterday.  I am so glad I did. I love every. single. thing. that Bonnie has created. I also love her fun approach to crafting and agree that you never know where the creative muse will take you… but it sure is a fun ride!

Thanks so much Bonnie for sharing your projects with us- they are so inspiring! Baby wipe flowers??? Love this idea… Read on friends…

A Little Loaf Pan

In life, one thing leads to the next to the next to the next… LOL… it happens to most of us… and that is what this is all about…I love die cuts…  Punches, inks, oh… okay.. I love it all… but I do love my dies…  of all kinds…  so one day I was checking out the Sizzix web site… and then it took me to Eileen Hull’s  Art with Heart Challenge…  and oh my goodness a challenge…Well I had to do it… as I love die’s, love challenges and love all the pretties I can make with different challenges…  so I was in…In December I decided to also do Frilly and Funkie challenge of the 12 days of Christmas…  and I had so very much fun doing it…  it was a real challenge… as my time was so very limiting at that time… but it was fun… and also entered some of the tags and projects into Eileen’s challenge for the month of December…  Oh … I won… I won the little loaf pan die… yippppeeee yeay…Eileen sent me a very special one… one that went on the road trip with her… and it is even signed… love it Eileen… I will cherish it…

Okay… now the fun started… to make things with this new little die… which by the way.. is not so little…  biggest one I own… I love it… made quite a few…  made some into baskets and some into a little loaf pan with some cookies as a gift… but I wanted to create something a little bit different… back to the drawing board…

This is what I created…

I cut two of the loaf pans… and then I made some really specials papers with textured stencils and stamping…  and covered the loaf pans… then I glued the two together… one being upside down…  to create a wonderful little table arrangement…
A couple of little knobs for either side… for a very finished look…  and some flowers…
The flowers are made from my favorite media… baby wipes…  LOL… best thing going… clean up, let dry and then cut for your flowers…
The largest flower is made with a Sizzix heart die… that has to be at least 100 years old… LOL.. one of the first ones I bought…  about 11 years ago…  a little red die… only about 2.5 x 1.5 in size… an oldie…
I tied some ribbon that I died to match the flowers and tied that in the middle of the two loaf pans… and had a wonderful table arrangement…  a couple of candles and it is perfect…
BUT… I never stop at one thing…  I wanted something else to balance this … so I made this little bird house, drawer and BIRD…  I love this little bird… it is also an Eileen Hull die cut…  it has wings on both sides and so it can fly… really fly… LOL…  how do you think it landed on the house and another one is one the loaf pans…  ???
More baby wipe flowers…  more fun… more ribbons and bows… and other than the bird… all graphic 45 papers…
the bird is made from paper that I created with dyes…
So there you have my little spring in January… a beginning of spring that will soon be here… our chickens are starting to breed which means we will have little ones before we know it… and the seeds have been ordered and we will be planting soon too…
Hope you have gotten your loaf pan die… I also have a few other things I am going to try with it… and will share when they are done…
thanks EILEEN for the Special die of this loaf pan…
and I have enjoyed playing with it…
Hope you all have a very special day, week-end and the first month of the year is almost gone…  yikes… where ever does the time go…
Bonnie

EDIT

Bonnie had so many comments about her amazing BABY WIPE FLOWERS, she has graciously shared her tips on making them- read on…
Thank You all so very much for all the kind and loving comments… I do have fun creating… and baby wipe flowers is just so very much fun… I throw out very little… in fact that is what I am trying to do now… CLEAN MY STUDIO UP… LOL truth… piles of stuff going to all kinds of places for reuse… stacks of paper, etc… anyway… to make the baby wipe flowers… you will need of course a baby wipe… and the colors on it will always sort of come out uniquely pretty… don’t allow the colors to persuade your from not using it… try it… you never know… Now I fold the baby wipe all up and make it the size of the die cut I am going to use… and then I pull the flowers all apart… okay… hardest part… find a skewer …. LOL… that is the hardest part right now in my studio… and put some white glue on a small piece of paper… and you are ready to start to make this pretty flower… take one of the flowers and put the center over the top of the skewer… and push it all down and around the skewer… then add some white glue to the end of the skewer… (over the baby wipe flower) then pick up another flower where the glue is… and do the same by pushing the flower all down and around the skewer… do that a few more times and then put aside… You flower is made… let it dry… THEN when it is dry… put a whole in the center… and put some stamen and pretties in the center and add a floral wire and your flower is finished… really easy and so very pretty… love making them… and they are uniquely different and pretty in so many ways… I use baby wipes that have glitter, glue, you name it on them… and they always are pretty… of course you can use these to make embellishments of all kinds… but also to make a wreath, decorate boxes of all kinds and even make a pretty corsage for someone… for an act of kindness… just to show them you LOVE them… Have a fun time making flowers and enjoy… Love, Light and Peace…Bonnie

Comments

  1. Ingrid kristina v says

    Hi! I’m enjoying your posts, Eileen! I’m so glad you are featuring Bonnie! She makes the most wonderful things, her art is awesome. This one is no exception! Beautiful!
    Hugs,
    Ingrid xx

    • eileen says

      Thanks for writing Ingrid! We are happy to have you stopping by. I agree- Bonnie is so talented plus she just enjoys the creative process and you can tell.

  3. Paper Profusion says

    WOW!!!!! I absolutely love Bonnie’s first creation – it is the sweetest thing – and then to find that there is a second equally delightful piece….. well you sure have me smiling Bonnie. Both are soooo beautiful, they ooze the care and love that they have been made with. Very well done and congrats on featuring here. Enjoy your weekend! Nicola x

    • eileen says

      Nicola- thanks so much for stopping by. I agree- Bonnie is super-talented and I can’t decide which is my favorite… Bonnie thinks so creatively and I think that comes out in the way she writes. 🙂

  5. Anne R says

    Bonnie always does the most amazing projects and she had really showcased your dies beautifully in these two fantastic projects…. baby wipes – who would have thought! Hugs, Anne x

  6. Michelle says

    Beautifully done, Bonnie! I love them both and could never pick “just one” favorite. I’m so glad Eileen posted them both. It’s always a pleasure to see your work.

  8. Lisa H says

    oh, these are the best projects! I think I shall have to borrow her genius idea of stacking the 2 loaf pans to make a planter. This is the perfect solution to a project I’ve had rolling around in my brain! 😉 Thanks Bonnie!

  10. Lisa M says

    Eeeek….she made me squeal out loud! These are incredibly tantalizing projects that absorbed ALL my attention. Incredible details, textures and colors and the warmth that radiated off of them made the harsh winter a memory. Absolutely LOVED these pieces and OMG….baby wipes, seriously??? LOL…love that!!

    • eileen says

      Lisa thanks for your kind comments! Yes, Bonnie definitely has a gift. I know- baby wipes. Now I have a big pile of dryer sheets and baby wipes. My family thinks I am crazy 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and letting us know you loved Bonnie’s work!

  11. bonnie McLain says

    Thank You all so very much for all the kind and loving comments… I do have fun creating… and baby wipe flowers is just so very much fun… I throw out very little… in fact that is what I am trying to do now… CLEAN MY STUDIO UP… LOL truth… piles of stuff going to all kinds of places for reuse… stacks of paper, etc… anyway… to make the baby wipe flowers… you will need of course a baby wipe… and the colors on it will always sort of come out uniquely pretty… don’t allow the colors to persuade your from not using it… try it… you never know… Now I fold the baby wipe all up and make it the size of the die cut I am going to use… and then I pull the flowers all apart… okay… hardest part… find a skewer …. LOL… that is the hardest part right now in my studio… and put some white glue on a small piece of paper… and you are ready to start to make this pretty flower… take one of the flowers and put the center over the top of the skewer… and push it all down and around the skewer… then add some white glue to the end of the skewer… (over the baby wipe flower) then pick up another flower where the glue is… and do the same by pushing the flower all down and around the skewer… do that a few more times and then put aside… You flower is made… let it dry… THEN when it is dry… put a whole in the center… and put some stamen and pretties in the center and add a floral wire and your flower is finished… really easy and so very pretty… love making them… and they are uniquely different and pretty in so many ways… I use baby wipes that have glitter, glue, you name it on them… and they always are pretty… of course you can use these to make embellishments of all kinds… but also to make a wreath, decorate boxes of all kinds and even make a pretty corsage for someone… for an act of kindness… just to show them you LOVE them… Have a fun time making flowers and enjoy… Love, Light and Peace…Bonnie

    • eileen says

      Bonnie- that is fantastic- thanks for the tips on creating baby wipe flowers! I know where my skewers are and you can be sure I am off to make some! If you don’t mind- I am going to add this to your post so that people can see in case they don’t scroll through the comments! Thanks again for coming by to share your love of crafting with us 🙂

      • bonnie McLain says

        I have LOVED sharing my art for a very long time… over 58 years… LOL… don’t know how that can be, since I am only 29… LOL… anyway… I certainly have enjoyed sharing.. and my art and life does continue on that path… LOVE IT ALL… thanks for inviting me Eileen… you are a very sincere and loving person. enjoy the day and experience love in all ways… Love, Light and Peace…Bonnie