Cards, Cards and more Cards!
After taking a few days off from all things crafty, I’m back to work again. I took the last few days to get my house back under control as I posted previously. We’ll see how long it lasts with three kids stuck indoors because of the freezing cold winter weather!
The only crafty diversion I took was on Tuesday when it was Papercrafting Day on QVC. Some of my friends came over and we embellished a few mailboxes and had QVC on in the background. I warned them not to leave me alone with QVC, Lisa Bearnson, Anna Griffin and a running computer, but no one listened – so I can blame all my purchases on them! I’m not even sure of everything I bought – but my big purchase of the day was a Cricut machine! It won’t ship until March, but I can’t wait to play!
Sidebar – the reason I don’t feel horribly guilty for buying a horribly expensive Cricut begins with the story of the Christmas shoes. Not that sappy country music holiday song that is played just to make us cry – I have my own Christmas shoe story.
My dear husband Mike decided to surprise me with a pair of really nice Born sandals for Christmas (now – why he would buy me summer shoes in the middle of winter, I have yet to determine). Unfortunately, he bought the wrong size. Did he bother to go through my current shoes and see what size I currently wear? No – he ordered shoes a half-size too small. So he returned them and…NEVER GOT ME ANYTHING ELSE IN RETURN! That’s right – I was without a Christmas gift.
Anyway, I recently called this to his attention and as a result – he had nothing to say about me buying myself a Cricut machine!
So enough about that – let’s get to the cards! I was asked to make a prize basket for a silent auction for my daughter’s preschool fundraiser this weekend. So I decided to embellish a paint can and fill it with stamping goodies:
In the can I put an unmounted “So Very” stamp set, a Cool Caribbean ink pad and ink refill, and 6 stamped cards using that stamp set and color. I also covered the can with “Loves Me” paper and added a silk flower, Prima flowers and LOTS of ribbon – here’s a better shot of the can (the color look much nicer in person – they came out kind of weird in the picture):
I have a really easy way to cover paint cans – I use 3 patterns of 12X12 coordinating paper (the thicker, the better) and cut them to the following sizes:
- 2 strips at 4 1/2 X 12″
- 2 strips at 1 1/4 X 12″
- 2 strips at 2 X 12″
Then I use a circle punch (1 inch or larger) to cut out a hole in the middle of the 2 inch strips – doesn’t matter if it’s exact – I just let the strips overlap (I’m not that much of a perfectionist – I just want a quick and easy way to do a project). Punch the hole toward the bottom of the strip and leave the bottom of the hole open so that it will slip over the top of the handle knobs.
Use a thin layer of ModPodge on the back of the paper and adhere the largest strips right around the middle of the can, butting up against the handles. Then put the smallest strips around the bottom and the 2 inch strips around the top, slipping the holes over the handles. Apply another thin coat of ModPodge over the entire surface of the paper and then embellish as you’d like.
I also cut a circle at about 5 1/2 inches in diameter and attach it to the top of the lid as well.
Here are the 6 cards I included:
I thought this is a good way to show what can be done with that stamp set and those colors (I also used a lot of the ‘Loves Me’ paper to make it easier on myself).
I also included the current Idea Book & Catalog and mini catalogs (just in case I get them hooked on stamping….).
I hope the can gets lots of bids!
Tonight I’m off to Basket Bingo night to support my son’s elementary school. I never win anything, but at least I’ll have a good time hanging out with my craftin’ buddies…