::Tap tap: Is this thing on?

Hi Crafters,
Good gosh! It's been too long.  These past 2 months have been pretty crazy.  We have finally started on our house.  We also moved in with my husband's parents while we build.  I have a fantastic craft space while I am here.

I have managed to get back into the crafting groove.  Here's a few things I've been working on...

This project I've had in my head for months.  We head down to the Outer Banks every summer with our good friends.  This year we happened to be at the beach on what would have been my grandparents' wedding anniversary.  I was very close with my grandmother, and am quite fortunate to wear her wedding band as part of my bridal set.  While I was shell searching and wading in the water I happened to find a whole un-broken sand dollar floating in the surf. Not to get too sentimental but it was a blessing to find it, especially on that day. This is the only perfect one I have ever found.  I managed to keep it safe through the trip home and our move.

I found these frames at Kohl's in a set of 5.  The light house is from Life's a Beach and the font is from Designer's Calendar.  I used the makers on the lettering.  The light is a hot affix crystal.

I am headed to a Bridal Shower tomorrow.  I picked up these glasses at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a whopping .89 apiece! I used the cake cartridge that came with my machine for the frame.  The font is from Opposites Attract.  The only frustrating thing about this purchase is they had HUGE yellow stickers marking the price.  I used my heat gun to help get the sticker off without many issues.

Okay, last project!  I made some adorable barrette's for sweet Penelope!  I'm still trying to find the perfect place to take pictures here so this one is not great.  I used my cuttlebug dies to cut these out of felt.  I found it needed an extra cardboard shim to get a clean cut.  I used "The Best Glue Ever" for the adhesive. 

Well, that's all I have for now!

Happy Crafting,

Wedding Gift

Hi Crafters,

We have a wedding coming up this weekend.  Here is part of the gift we are giving them.

I used Lyrical Letters for the font and Storybook for the embellishment. 

The one disadvantage to these dishes is they are not easy to wrap!  I went with the clear cellophane with some tulle and raffia in the wedding colors.

This is the card I made to stick the giftcard in.  The ring set is from Designer Calendar.  I was quite pleased to find this cut because the bride-to-be has a 3 stone ring.

I've been on break this past week so I've had lots of crafting opportunities.  Pictures and updates to come this week!

Happy Crafting,

Glass Etching

Step 1: Gather supplies: Glassware (baking dish, glasses, or vase), glass etching cream (found at craft stores), contact paper, foam brush, glass cleaner, paper towels, and di-cutter or craft knife.

Step 2: Clean the glassware with the glass cleaner and paper towels. Cut out last name or monogram out of contact paper.  An electric di-cutting machine can be used for this or a craft knife (if your freehand isn’t great trace from a computer printout). 

Step 3: Using the negative as a stencil apply it to the glassware in the desired position.  If it is a larger piece of contact paper use an additional piece of contact paper on top of the negative to help transfer the word more easily. 

Step 4: Take the foam brush and dab the glass etching cream onto the exposed glass in a thick layer.  Let sit for about 30 minutes checking periodically for bare spots and reapplying as necessary.  Rinse and remove contact paper.

Step 5: Wash with soap and water.  This is a great way to save on the sly for wedding and shower gifts if you are strapped for cash. The total project can be less than $20.00 especially if coupons are used to purchase the products.  The etching solution and contact paper will last for many projects.

Happy Crafting,

Let the Summer Festivities Begin

Hi Crafters,

This will be my last weekend crafting with only my create machine.  CricutMachine.com was having a great sale on the holiday blue expression, they had it for $170!  I can't wait to get her in.  She should arrive sometime this week.
Meanwhile we had our last day with the students on Friday which means my summer crafting schedule is officially kicked off!  I started it out with a bang and did a variety of projects.  This included breaking in my bind-it-all that my husband got me for my birthday.

I need to practice more needless to say.  I did learn a lot during this first round as I think one does with everything the first time you try it.  I made this little notebook to keep in my purse.  I always find I need a quick piece of paper.  This will do the trick.  The paisley cut is from Stretch Your Imagination and the scalloped circle is from Mini Monograms.

I made this for my brother in law who will be starting his freshman year of college this fall.  I really wanted to go all out with the vinyl and customize a dry erase board and more containers for him, but was afraid it would be too girly.  I toned it down with this and figured he could keep it in a drawer if he hated it.

I made this card for a friend who I know will have a hard week this week.  It's hard to tell but I used some glitter on the bird.  I ran it through the xyron machine and some of the glue webbed around the delicate swirls so when I applied the glitter it had an interesting effect.

This card is cut from Camp Out.  The inside will say "We hope you have a beary special Father's Day".  This is for my father-in-law.  I can't believe Father's Day is next weekend!

This is my last project for the day (I told you I was busy today)!  I apologize for the poor picture quality but it is difficult photographing glass and this is a round dish which made it an even bigger challenge.  I used contact paper to cut out the name then using the negative of the paper placed it on the glass.  I used the armor etch glass etching cream you can find at your local craft store.  I left the etching solution on for about 30 minutes and it left a great etching.  I did check on it and re-apply it to places that looked thin through out the 30 minutes.

More projects next week!

Happy Crafting,