Weekly Design Team Challenge--Altered Pre-Made Embellishments

I have quite a collection of embellishments that are already premade. They are quite good timesavers when you are trying to crank out some layouts! But sometimes you would love to use the embellishment on your layout, except it has a saying that doesn't work with your photos or it has a themed icon, and it doesn't match the rest of your layout. So what's a girl to do?  Make it work for you...and alter the crud out of it!! :) My challenge to you this week is to use those pre-made and themed embellishments you have been hoarding and alter them to fit your projects!


One of my favorite ways to alter sticker type embellishments that have sayings is to cover those words with words that work for my project. Here's a great example...this is the sticker before I started altering it. I wanted to use it on a layout about my daughter, and the "sister" saying wouldn't have worked for this project.

So I started the altering process by sanding the edges with my Heidi Swapp edge distresser tool. If you don't have one of these cool tools, you can also use the edge of a sharp pair of scissors to rough up the edges of your paper or sticker. I also ended up adding some baby powder to the back of the sticker so it was easier to work with and it didn't stick to everything and I was able to alter it. I added some adhesive to it at the end when I was finished.

 

I really liked how the saying was printed onto the sticker itself with strips of inked words, so I did the same thing and printed my saying onto some scrap cream card stock using my printer. Then I cut the words down into smaller strips and inked the edges with my Walnut Stain ink pad and a sponge.

These pictures show a little more detail of how I used my new printed journaling strips to alter my stickers. These first two pictures were taken before I added the ink to the edges. The third picture below was taken after I finished altering the top sticker.

 These pictures show the alteration steps for the bottom sticker following the same basic steps.

Here is the finished layout...I added some lace along the bottom of the layout and also used the same edge distresser tool to rough up the edges of the pattern papers. I used some ribbon along the middle of the strip towards the bottom. Then I added some pearl brads and the coordinating iCandy brads from the same BoBunny collection along with a tiny label sticker for the date.

I love how quickly this layout came together and how it looks like I spent a long time making those embellishments when they were just pre-printed flat stickers. :) I also really like the pop of white along the distressed edges and how it ties in with the white in my photos and the lace.

Supplies used on this layout:
BoBunny Sophie Paper collection (Sophie Silhouette)
BoBunny Jazmyne Cardstock stickers (Pretty Sisters)
BoBunny iCandy Brads (Sophie Line)
K&Co Pearl Brads
Making Memories Funky Vintage Ribbon
Lace
Printer and Curlz Font
Ranger Walnut Stain Ink Pad & Sponge
Scrap cream cardstock
7Gypsies Label Sticker
Brown cardstock
Heidi Swapp Edge Distresser Tool
Foam Tape

Looking forward to seeing your projects for this challenge...be sure to post them over in the Memorable Seasons gallery!