Itty Bitty Pretties

It had been quite some time since I had offered my Itty Bitty Pretties class, but last Thursday I had the privilege to teach it at Stampin' Cat Studio in Salem. This particular class involves schlepping a lot of supplies because we use lots and lots of bits and pieces to embellish the little 1.5 x 1.5 chipboard squares. Here's the work space all set up and ready to receive the eager students.


Let the fun begin!





A sampling of the completed Itty Bitty Pretties:









In case you are interested in making your own Itty Bitty Pretties, here are the basic instructions:

Itty Bitty Pretties are little pieces of art created on 1.5 x 1.5 chipboard squares. I like them because they are small, not very intimidating, and each little square is a finished piece of art. It is also a fun way to practice new techniques and supplies in a safe little space. In order to have consistency, I use repetition in the basic procedure:

Cover the chipboard square with paper; this can be a section of words from a book, a picture from a magazine, or just a bit of pretty paper.

Cut out a head from a photocopied photograph (I make my copies at a place like Kinko’s so I’m getting copies made from a toner copier). I have been making my chips using black and white photos of relatives, again to give some repetition and continuity. Decide on a placement and glue the photo onto the paper.

Add a word from the dictionary that represents the person, i.e., “uncle” or “sweet” or “daughter.” You get the idea.

Cover the entire chipboard square with a coating of matte medium (or gloss if you want them shiny!).

Paint the edges and back with coordinating acrylic paints.

Embellish away with any and all sorts of cutouts, flower petals, whatever . . . this part is unlimited. I like to think about the person I am “working on” add little bits that remind me of that person’s life.

If you need a small, safe project and want instant results, Itty Bitties are a great way to break through and create some miniature pieces of art. Why are you still reading this? Go get your scissors and get started!