Make your own wall plates!

Bryan and I have been doing  quite a few changed around the house, including an entire kitchen facelift!  One of our more minor things is changing up our light and receptacle plates. Those silly plates get expensive! I want to do the same in my craft area but don't want to spend the money. So, why not decorate my own? I made these to plates using Stampin' Up! fabric (left, Spice Cake) and Designer Series Paper (right).  These are super easy to do.  I placed the blank plate over my fabric/paper and cut around the plate, making sure that when I fold the material over the plate, there is excess for folding behind it.  I then covered my plate in a thin layer of Modge Podge (MP) , and laid my material over the plate.  I then then brushed more MP on the back, adhering the overhanging edges to the back. You can be quite liberal with it, you want the material to stay. I then (from the back) cut the material with my scissors an "I"shape in each switch hole. Then I folded the excess inwards and put lots of MP to keep it down. You don't want to actually cut the hole out, as then you will see the blank plate.  Cover the front with MP as well now. Then poke the holes for the screws with a pen. Do this after putting a layer of MP on the front so that the MP helps stick the material in the hole. After it dries, put at least 1 more layer. If you don't want to see brush or sponge marks in the MP, put another layer or 2 of MP, then use fine sand paper and sand the MP smooth. Make sure you have at least 3 to 4 layers of MP though, or you could sand through to your fabric/paper!


Hope you enjoy!!
Craft on!!
Jean

Back to School for Teachers Too!

 So I love back to school time! I love seeing my kids (my students) after the summer break. I love hearing their stories. Since I am a Special Ed. Teacher that works with intellectual disabilities, in a Life Skills based program, I keep my students year after year, until they age out (22), or graduate. Sometimes up to 7 years! So I truly do miss them over the summer!  But I also miss my coworkers, as we are all often too busy with our own families to do much visiting. So I made everyone some cute back to school presents. First, I made these cute backpacks with matching pens! I love the RSVP pens because you can slide slips of rolled Designer Series Paper (DSP) into them and it changes there whole look. I created my own template for the backpacks, then used the top note die for the lid,  and the mini envelope die for the front pocket. I used velcro to keep the top shut.  The pen even fits inside.  See my previous post on rosettes to learn how to make the rosette!  I used one sheet of 8 1/2 by 11" Pool Party card stock for each backpack. Its all about the measurements! I will post a tutorial if anyone is interested! I need to take some pictures though, as a few things can be tricky to explain without pics! But it really is easy. I just figured out how deep I wanted it and made folds to accommodate them! Then I put a back of mini sticky notes in the front!



The next thing I made everyone was 2 bookmarks. Here is a picture of all of them, and everyone got random picks. I simply used the AtoZ stamp on some Pool Party CS, then used the smaller scallop punch. Then I used a variety of back to school stamps, mostly from the new set, From Your Teacher, but also from a retired set, and stamped them on Whisper White, then using the 1 3/8 circle, I punched them out. I used Calypso Coral, Real Red, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, and Always Artichoke for my inks. I used the thick glue dots to adhere the circle to the scalloped circle with the paperclip in between. This keeps them nice and snug together, while still leaving some pliability to the bookmark.

 I also made a Welcome Back sign using the Perfect Pennants die and the Big Shot. I used the large triangle as well as both the doily shapes. I used a variety of current and retired Stampin' Up! blue colors. Unfortunately I did not have any blue DSP, so I used some leftovers from another set of paper to make my rosettes. Then used Very Vanilla letters overtop!! I used our twine to string them together (after punching 1/8" holes in each corner).

I sure hope you enjoyed checking out my projects!

Craft On!!
Jean

I am going Rosette Crazy!

So, with many other demonstrators out there, I am going simply crazy for Rosettes! When my upline Anne decided to do a large one on its own for a workshop, I knew I had to do it too! So, for my Hostess Club meeting, I pulled out my new Simply Scored and our gorgeous new Spice Cake DSP from the new Holiday Mini!

These larger rosettes are made just like the smaller ones that I gave details about in my last post about the Domestic Goddess DSP wreath, with a few variations.

So first thing, you need to cut two strips of 3 1/2" DSP. Then along the long side, score at 1/2" in. Fold over and tape down. This is how the outer edge of the rosette is a different print, its the backside!  Then you want to have 1/4" folds, so starting at 1/4", score every 1/2" (at 1/4", 3/4", 1 1/4", etc. ) on one side, then flip over and starting at 1/2", score every 1/2" again. Once both strips are scored, fold away! Tape the ends together to form a circle. I then cut a 2 1/2" circle using our punch with Crumb Cake paper, and instead of using hot glue, I used a large 3d glue dot. You know, the goober ones? With a little extra tape and push your rosette down onto it. Works great!  The hard part is now over!! I then punched out of Crumb Cake CS, a large scallop. I then used the new set, Gently Falling, also from the new mini, and used the outline stamps and Early Espresso ink to stamp a leaf, a whirly seed  pod, and an acorn. Then I used Pool Party ink, and stamped over the leave outline with the fill in leaf. I made the tag with Pool Party CS, and Early Espresso ink. I used this Laughter saying from Word Play stamp set, and another whirly seed pod. I cut out the tag by cutting a strip of paper to about 1 3/8 wide, and feeding half of it into my large tag punch. That way the top is still cut like the tag, but it is longer (pull the bottom of the paper up through the punch so that only the top cuts) I used some of our hemp twine with the new Large Buttons, again, from the mini,  and tied the tag to the button. I glued it all together using another goober glue dot!!  Hope you enjoy and have fun with the Simply Scored!!!

Fold On!
Jean

Accordion Rosettes + Domestic Goddess = LOVE!

I am IN LOVE with Stampin' Up's new Domestic Goddess suite, especially the Designer Series Paper. Bryan and his dad recently finished my laundry room (yay!) so it is my task to decorate.

The first thing I did when I was able to preorder from the New Holiday Mini (goes live Sept. 1st), which you all will LOVE, is order the new Simply Scored! I am just beyond happy that Stampin' Up! made their own scoring tool. And it is definitely better then the Martha Stuart or ScorPal ones! Wait until you see it!

I made this wreath using Domestic Goddess DSP, Basic Gray Card Stock (CS), Daffodil Delight CS, Calypso Coral (CS), Pool Party (CS), a variety of buttons, specifically the Brights Collection and Itty Bitty Clear Buttons, our new mini clothes pins, and Paper Daisies. I used varying sizes of circle punches as well. No need to buy anything specific for the base either, I just cut out a cardboard circle! That way it lays flatter against the wall.

To make a rosette, you will cut a strip of paper. To only need 1 strip of 12inches, you don't want to make it any wider then 1 1/2 inches. The wider, or larger you want your rosette, the longer the strip needs to be. All of my larger rosettes are actually 24inches long, I glued two 12inch pieces together.  Then you want to score along the strip. I do score lines every 1/2 inch and every 1/4 inch. The rosettes that seem to have more folds are the 1/4 inch folds, the larger ones have the 1/2 inch folds (***see below for special tip!). Once done folding the strip like an accordion, glue the two ends together, to make a ring. Punch out a circle of paper (doesn't matter the color, since this is the back of it) and put hot clue on the circle. I use hot glue because it makes the rosette very secure and can withstand some pull and tug. Push the center of the accordion ring down, as you do so, the other side should be splaying out a bit, and will look like the above rosettes. You can either push the center down onto the hot glued circle, or push it down, then place the hot glue circle on top. Either way, on the bottom side should be your circle with the glue to hold it all together. Then decorate as you like!! As you see above, I used paper, flowers, and buttons to decorate the front of my rosettes. Then I hot glue'd them all together on my cardboard circle. Then I added a few cutesy mini clothespins. And ta da! My first laundry room decoration!!!

*** scoring tip
If you are using a scoring board, like the Simply Scored, it is easier to fold the strip accordion style if you score on one side of the strip for every other score line, then flip the strip over, and do the other score lines. For example, if scoring every 1/2 inch, then on one side score every inch, flip over, and score the alternating every inch. When you go to fold, the paper will want to fold in the direction of the scoring, making the back and forth accordion style much easier!

Hope you enjoy!
Craft On!!!
Jean