Work Out Wednesday :: Pattern Blocks

A little delayed, but we are definitely working out this week!  (Note to self: cleaning the house should not mean putting the camera lead 'away' in a place you will not remember until 4am.)

This time we are working with Pattern Blocks, a set I once looked at in confusion but have since come to love for its sixties appeal and its easy pattern construction.  The set includes six different patterns that can be duplicated to create borders and backgrounds in a flash.

Tags up first as we get warmed up, and these will be done in seconds.  The pattern blocks fit right along the bottom of the tag, leaving the top for writing a to & from or another short message.  And for anyone out there who bought a sewing machine for their papercrafting -- is it gathering dust?  If so, let's give that machine a workout too!  Choose straight, zig-zag or fancy stitches to go across the tag at the top of the pattern.

Moving on to a retro card as we get in the groove!  These two pattern blocks look great together, one solid and one framed.  Just stamp one corner then look through the clear block to line up each block from there -- clear stamps mean no fancy gadgets, spirit levels or corner squares.  Just look to line it up.  Add some zig zags or cross-stitches to keep it in place and create a frame, then pin your message over the top.  Embellish in the empty space if it suits the recipient of the card!

And we need a layout before we call our workout complete!  I love this block -- so very Mary Quant.  These two girls have a very sixties vibe about them and I'm sure they would wear Mary Quant dresses if they ever have the chance -- they're on the right track with alice bands and beads.  Anyway!  Stamp the Mary Quant block over and over until you've finished a twelve inch border, then add it to your page and stitch it into place.  See if you have anything in your stash that fits in the circles of the pattern -- these little epoxies were just the right size.

If you've got Pattern Blocks at home, get stamping with them this week and let us see what you make!  (And if you don't have it at home, you can get it here!)

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*