Potter's Hours

My mom is an amazingly talented artist. Her passion? Pottery. Over the past few months, she and my stepdad have been building a pottery studio on their property where a wood "shed" once stood. It has been an amazing transformation! The studio opening was held on December 18, 2011. I knew I wanted to make something for the studio for my mom's gift this year. But what should it be? Then, I was inspired. An "Hours" sign! Perfect!

SAVI Clayworks

As with my other projects, once I have an inspiration, I put my imagination to work to implement. Here's the story of "Potter's Hours."

Inspiration:
"Potter's Hours: When Creativity Strikes"

Imagination:
Getting my imagination going needed little more than a walk around the craft store. I knew what I wanted to make, a sign or plaque with a saying. Ideally, it would hang underneath the porch light....outside. Could I make that happen?

Implementation:
Wandering through the craft store, thinking and looking, I'm hit with it! A piece of wood, nice paper, an embellishment or two, paint and sealer. I perused the wood pieces and found a great size and shape. Next up was looking at paint. I found a set of 16 outdoor paints. In the scrapbook section, I found a set of 3 adorable key embellishments that I just "had" to use and a beautiful decorative paper. So, with my arms loaded up I headed to the check-out.

Once I got home, it was time to prep the board. A little bit of sanding the rough spots, wiping clean, primer, spray paint and a few hours, this was what I was looking at.

Ready!

Remember that set of outdoor paints I bought? Well, they turned out to be a great return item! I ended up using an antique bronze color spray paint I had left over from another project. The color is just perfect...you'll see. :)


So, I have this great start...what next?! Yikes!! While I let my imagination work, I set to cutting out the saying using my Cricut.

The letters turned out just like I pictured. 

That was enough time for my brain to work its magic and I knew what to do next. I wanted to add the beautiful decorative paper to the plaque but didn't know if I wanted the entire surface covered. So, where better to start than covering the entire piece right? I didn't want any straight finished edges on the paper though but I knew just tearing the paper would run the risk of damaging the paper. Okay, maybe it has less control than I like, who knows. ;) To get the effect I wanted, I placed the decorative paper over top the plaque. Then, I smoothed down the edges around the entire thing, just like in the picture but with the deco paper.

I later use this paper for another purpose.

Then, I made sure to crease the edges of the plaque shape really well. Very carefully, I ran the creased edges under a small stream of water to moisten the crease just enough. I used the crease and water to help make a "controlled" tear of the paper. Here is the result.

The deco paper fits perfectly and so easy to make happen!

See the tattered, yet controlled, edges? ;)

Okay, so now I have this piece of paper...do I want to cover the entire surface? It'll cover up the amazing paint color if I do and I'm not sure how well all that paper will hold up outside. So I started experimenting. Remember those little key embellishments? They are perfect when paired with the deco paper. So, what if the deco paper is an accent.....like an edge. Hmmm.....let me start playing with that idea. This is where the piece of plain, printer paper came in handy. I creased it in the same way and then tried laying out the design to see if it would work. (The more crafting I do, the more I realize how valuable taking your time, planning, measuring and thinking really do help!)

We're getting there...

Using a scrap of the deco paper...not liking the angles at the top and bottom....

The keys are just perfect!

Checking that the letters do in fact fit on the plaque and experimenting with placement.

The experimenting paid off. I knew right away that I did not like the angles at the top and bottom of the deco paper so they would have to go. It looks too "new" so some distressing will be needed (on the letters too). 

A little distressing and adjusting and we're ready!

Before I glue the paper and hang the keys, I sanded the edges to distress the plaque just a bit.

Sanding

Just the right effect

I wanted to ensure the deco paper would stay put so I enlisted the help of my trusted, super sticky tape. You know, the"red" stuff? I lined the edges and put a strip down the center then on the plaque it went.

The "red" stuff

Perfect!

Mod Podge was the next step. I like the ease of adjusting placement it allowed when placing the saying on the plaque. After it dried, I applied ump-teen-million more coats and used a spray paint sealer as the final layer.

Dry faster! :)

So...it appears I've done it again....wrapped it up and given the gift without taking final pictures. "Shoot!" I'll be back......

Christmas Gift Tags

To say I've been bitten by the creative bug this holiday season might be an understatement. I blame it on my amazing neighbor who encourages me to use my creative side. The fire was reignited with a card making workshop we went to together. At the workshop, we made a set of 6 gift tags. Well, 6 gift tags just isn't enough, we all know that! So, I had to make more...as soon as I got home, of course! For this project, I enlisted the help of my Cricut Expression and my daughters.

While I cut lots of ovals in two different sizes and colors, they used the Christmas stamps we have and colored the images with Zig markers. Once the ovals were cut, I glued them together and used distress ink in Walnut on the edges. I also stamped "To: From:" on the tags. The girls finished coloring the images and cut them out, leaving a small white border. We used 3D-adhesive dots to make the images "pop" and add dimension to the tags.

Aren't they cute?!

We saved as many as we could for next year too! 

And lastly, I tied a piece of red raffia through the hole on each tag. I LOVE these and LOVE that my girls made them with me.

Graduation Announcements

In August 2011, I earned my Masters degree, yay! Commencement was held December 17, 2011. As commencement approached, I started to receive advertisements for graduation announcements. Of course, they cost an arm and a leg so I decided I would make my own. I have to confess, making these took me a long time. Not because it was difficult but what they represent...accomplishing a goal. Implementation!? Following through!? Doing what you set out to do?! At times, those things can be daunting even though it is all wonderful and fulfilling.

Back to the invitations...I found an inspiration, a black and white color palette and adapted it from there.

Inspiration

I love the simplicity of this inspiration piece. However, I wanted to add some flair and integrate University colors. I began with purchasing a premade set of blank, black cards with white envelopes. You can make the cards and envelopes yourself but I wanted to save a little time.

Pockets:
I cut a 1" piece from one side of the black card, rounded the corners and adhered the two sides to create the pocket for the insert. I was able to find the exact "Congratulations" paper at the craft store. It took less than 2-12 X 12 sheets for 10 cards. I cut the paper into 2" pieces. I wrapped the Congratulations paper around the pocket making sure the ends overlapped in the back before I glued anything down. If you gently crease the sides as the paper wraps, it makes lining up the adhesive on the front section easier. Next, I put adhesive on the section of congratulations paper that would go across the front of the pocket, lined it up and put it in place. After wrapping the sides around the back, I glued down one end and then glued the overlapping piece in place.

Graduation Caps:
I already had a graduation cap stamp on hand and was happy to finally have a use for it.  I started by stamping the cap on a piece of white cardstock, which I cut down to the size I wanted (making sure to round the corners). Next, I measured the piece of cardstock and cut the amount I needed. At this time I also measured and cut black cardstock for the background of the caps. Stamping the caps was fun and easy....little bit of ink, stamp and repeat. (Cut a few extra pieces just in case.) I found some great ribbon that sported my University colors but didn't want it to fold as it went through a hole so I devised a new plan. Using a small rectangular punch, I punched two overlapping holes to string the ribbon through. The ribbon was able to lay flat and looked great! After stamping the caps, gluing together the white and black cardstock pieces, I strung the ribbon being sure to have enough to overlap on the back of the pocket just like the congratulations paper. I glued the two ends, one to the pocket and then the overlapping piece. It looked great but the cap was sliding the length of the ribbon on the front so I glued the top and bottom edges to the pocket on the rest of the pockets before gluing the ribbon on the back side. This made lining up the caps very easy!

Inserts:
I cut white cardstock 1" smaller than the black pocket so the card would slid in and out easily (rounding corners again). For the ribbon pull, I used silver brads I had on hand. I love the look it gives and it's an easy alternative to a tie as in the inspiration piece. It took some time to decide what I wanted to have written on the insert but once I figured it out, I typed, printed, and cut it to the right size. All of a sudden, I was faced with a problem. White on white....bland, boring. My neighbor came to the rescue. She gave me some silver cardstock, PERFECT! So, I glued the message onto the silver cardstock and glued that to the white insert page. There was still some "dead space" at the bottom of the insert. What to do? What to do? I know! Cuttlebug! I used a border embossing folder to add texture and make the dead space purposeful.

Pocket and Insert

Finally Done!

In the end, I love the results and these really were fun to make. I wish the pictures showed the embossing better but that's what I get for taking pictures, stuffing envelopes and mailing before checking how the pictures turned out. Live and learn!

Glass Block

This year, I just wasn't feeling the consumer side of Christmas so I decided to go in the homemade, handmade direction. I truly hope those who received the products of my "rebellion" enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. Making gifts is great but waiting to share the projects until after the recipient got the gift was hard!

Here goes!

I've fallen in love with glass block projects. Last year (2010), I made my first one for a family friend of my parents, who would be taking the gift back to Finland. For his project, I had to circumvent some challenges like weight, fragility and not knowing a ton about his personal interests.  The local craft store had smaller size glass blocks...4 inches if I remember correctly. So, I started in with a small project. The friend is a pastor so I chose a simple sentiment "Faith" with a small flourish. To color the glass block, I used alcohol ink. It was my first time using it and I loved the result! A little definitely goes a long way! (...It appears I do not have a picture of this particular glass block. If I find one, I'll add it.)

This year, I decided to make a religious themed glass block for my Mother-in-Law. One of my favorite things to do is think ahead and purchase seasonal items at the end of the season, on clearance, for the next year. That's exactly what I did. At the end of the holiday season 2010, I purchased 2 vinyl transfer decals just for this project at a fraction of their retail price. Then, I waited for the other items to go on sale and finally got to put it all together around Thanksgiving time this year.

Front

I didn't take pictures throughout the process, just at the end. So, I'll do my best to recount the steps I took.  I LOVE how it turned out! First, I cleaned the glass block. Then, I used Adirondack Alcohol Ink in Gold and applied it in a circular, overlapping motion. It took two coats to get the desired hue. The ink dries quickly so work in small areas then move on. I made sure to ink the sides too as they are partially visible under the ribbon.

Next, I applied the vinyl transfer images. One to the front and one on the back. Once that was done, I added the bling embellishments. The bottom of the block has an opening with a plastic plug. This is where I inserted the string of 20 white lights and iridescent "Easter grass" to fill the interior of the block. Finally, I glued a length of ribbon that went from about 1/4 of the way from the left to a 1/4 of the way to the right side of the block. This allows the entire glass block side to be covered in ribbon even under the bow where the ribbon squishes together. The last step was to wrap the entire block with the ribbon and tie an elegant bow.

Back

I love how it turned out but best of all, my Mother-in-Law loves it!

Cabinet Finish Facelift

13 years of daily use have taken a toll on our cabinetry! They are an eye sore and not exactly the look I am going for in my home. Eventually, we want to remodel both bathrooms but until then, I had to come up with another option. Every time I look at the cabinets I swear I hear them crying,  "Why don't you love us anymore?" I couldn't stand looking at them in their sad, sad state. Being a teacher, I often time projects to align with breaks from school. Over Thanksgiving break, while my mom and I were shopping one day, we came across a product that turned out to be the saving grace for these cabinets. Howard Restor-A-Finish in Golden Oak and Feed-N-Wax. For about $15, my cabinets went from "blah" to "AHH!"

Now that winter break is here, it was time to implement (the hardest part remember?) I was able to Restor the finish on all the cabinets in our house in about an hour! First, I cleaned the cabinets. Then, I picked a starting place for each pass. Since the Restor-A-Finish has to rest for about 30 minutes before wiping off the excess and waxing, I knew it would be ready about the time I was done putting it on all the cabinets. This is definitely a time saving tip! The kitchen has the most cabinets so I decided to start there. My daughters' bathroom was next and the master bathroom last. I was impressed with how great the cabinets looked with the initial swipe of the cloth.  

Look at the door on the right compared to the rest of the cabinet! It's looking great with very little effort! That's my kind of DIY. 


After all the cabinets had been given a coat of Restor-A-Finish, I went over them with a clean cloth to wipe off any extra. Right after that, I grabbed a clean cloth and began applying the Feed-N-Wax. I am pleased to say that the Feed-N-Wax has a much better odor than the Restor-A-Finish. We opened our sliding glass door and ran the fans in the bathroom and the odors cleared out quickly. Applying the Feed-N-Wax was very easy! It comes in a squeeze bottle. Squeeze it on a clean cloth, rub on, let rest 20 minutes, wipe off excess and "voila!" Freshly restored cabinetry! 

 

The cabinets no longer cry at me to help them. They are showing their shiny side in thanks for giving them a little TLC.