May 31, 2010

Summer Coaster project

Time for a lovely summer project!





With the arrival of June & warmer temps. it can only mean one thing.... hours spent poolside. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to make something useful and pretty of course! I've seen lots of tile coasters, but one layer of paper could never be enough for me!! So, I've made a quick (hopefully) tutorial on making your very own set of Summer Tile Coasters.



** If you don't have access to tile stones, I've made an alternative project, at the end of the tutorial.**

Supplies

an assortment of paper scraps
1 sheet cardstock
stickers
3.5 x 3.5 stone tiles (available at home improvement stores, I'm using travertine stone tiles, there are also ceramic tiles, for about $ .16 each.)
Mod-Podge (I used a Satin finish)
paint brush
double stick tape (I used Scotch tape)
Terrifically Tacky Tape or Glue Dots Glue Lines
felt pads



Directions

1. Place tiles on cardstock, and using a pencil draw an outline of the tiles and cut just slightly inside the pencil lines.

2. Working with one square at a time, cover a cardstock square with Scotch double stick tape.

3. Time to cut paper into little pieces! I cut a bunch of small strips of paper from cardstock, vintage ledger paper and security envelopes, used punched butterflies, stickers and even some hole-reinforcement stickers. (If it can be cut into little pieces.. I'll use it!)
Arrange the paper, randomly, over the tape on your cardstock squares. Once all of the paper is in place, flip the square over and trim off the excess.




4. If you're using a sewing machine, sew all of your layers to the cardstock. If you're not using a sewing machine, just make sure all of your paper layers are tacked down with tape.




5. Cover the back of the cardstock square with Terrifackly Tacky Tape or with Glue Dots - Glue Lines. Peel off the sticky back and stick the square to the tile stone. (You can also use Mod-Podge for this step. Just paint on Mod-Podge to the back of the paper square and stick on tile stone. Wait until this layer is dry, about an hour, before going on to the next step.)



6. Time for Mod-Podge!! Grab your paint brush and paint a very thin 1st layer across the top of your paper. I let this layer dry, and then added about 3-4 more layers of Mod-Podge, letting each layer dry before moving onto the next layer. When the Mod-Podge is dry enough to touch, press and rub out any little ripples or air bubbles in the paper.



7. After the Mod-Podge has dried completely, turn the coaster over and place 4 of the sticky felt pads onto each corner. This will keep the stone tiles from scratching the surface of your table.



and viola, all finished! I made a set of 4 coasters, for my patio table. Try matching your the colors or patterns of your coasters to your outside table settings and dishes. My place settings are simple and white, so I thought a mix of light colored papers was a perfect contrast.





If you're unable to find stone tiles or you just cannot bring yourself to use Mod-Podge, like my mom for instance, here's an alternative coaster that you can make by changing just a few steps and the use of some clear contact paper!



Follow the previous directions 1-4. Cover the back of the cardstock square (just like step 5.) and instead of sticking the paper to a tile, stick the paper square to another cardstock square, of the same size. This will give your coaster a little extra weight. Next, use 2 pieces of contact paper cut into large squares. Peel the sticky side of the contact paper, and lay down on a flat surface. Carefully set the back of the paper coaster onto the sticky contact paper. Once in place, peel the sticky side off of the 2nd sheet of contact paper, and carefully lay over the top of the coaster. Gently smooth the contact out, rubbing any ripples or little air pockets from the coaster. Trim the edges around the coaster, but don't trim the contact paper all the way off. I left about an 1/8 inch of contact paper, so the contact paper seals itself, and insures that no water will find it's way in.



Have any questions or comments? Let me know and I'll answer & add them to the bottom of this post. Thanks and Happy creating!!

May 30, 2010

weekend paint colors

I had this spectacular idea last week, to start doing a weekly post on just color combinations. It could be fun.... I'll call it the "Saturday color combo." (I know, it's Sunday, but let's pretend it's Saturday. I ended up being much busier yesterday than I had planned.)

So, this weeks color combo is:



Barbie Pink - Water Melon - White - Black



I've been noticing this combo in magazines lately especially mixed with 80's-ish floral prints. Pretty and bold! It was the inspiration I needed to make this little notebook from a large photo transparency.



I read the comments from lasts weeks post, and I have to say Marigold and anything light colored mixed together, is one of my favorites! I find myself trying add a little burnt yellow/Marigold to all of my projects. It's one of my go-to colors!

I'm writing a summer-project tutorial at the moment, check back soon for that and happy Memorial weekend!

May 22, 2010

it's Saturday,

and I wish I was doing something interesting today, like making anything with that bottle of gesso that keeps calling my name.... but I'm not. I'm cleaning and preparing the house for the next group of house guests that arrive tomorrow. May is certainly proving to be a very busy month!! So, while I take a break from the seemingly endless piles of laundry this afternoon, I thought a little post about color combos would be fun!

I seem to come up with various color combos while I'm straightening up the house. Take for instance this photo of a little yellow urn filled with Alaina's jewelry and sunglasses.



These colors (yellow-pink-white-black) gave me the color inspiration to create this notebook:



and this card:



I'm easily distracted by possible color combos!! I even started to jot down a couple ideas for new projects, this morning, based on combining certain colors. Maybe a new Color Book is in order? Here's some of my favs at the moment;

pink-brown-cream
yellow-green-white
pink-red-teal
teal-yellow-fuchsia
fuchsia-light pink-white

What are your favorite color combinations and do they inspire what you create?

May 17, 2010

the happenings

photos were taken, paper was layered and sewn, smores were made, thrifting was accomplished, ukulele's were played and we stayed up entirely too late, chatting and laughing. Jessica and I got to spend some times crafting!! because really, what else would 2 crafty souls do? I made her a book cover for her travel journal. (thank goodess for saving leftover scrap paper, you can whip something cute up in no time.) She had one color request for yellow+teal+orange, which lead to our many discussions throughout the weekend, about my disdain for orange at the moment, but for Jessica, I couldn't say no.



Prior to their arrival, I made them a little welcome basket for their room. I love the idea of creating a B&B type atmosphere, and it's just something simple to make your guests feel comfortable while they stay in your home.





Jessica and Jeff are truly talented and wonderful people. Jeff was fantastic with the kids, (he may or may not want this shared) but... Alaina talked him into playing Barbies more than once throughout the weekend. It was cute, she was so smitten with him.




So, my new travel/crafty friends departed yesterday. I'll miss them both, Jessica's company and Jeff's awesome ukulele playing!!

May 11, 2010

it's a countdown

My friend Jessica will be Arizona bound this Friday!! You probably recognize Jessica as jek in the box on Flickr. That's where I discovered her about 3 years ago. I think Jessica is most known for her awesome collection of vintage linens, and a knack for taking fun & colorful photos of everyday moments. She's also an amazing crafter and writer!!



You can visit Jessica's blog, scrumdillydilly, it's an wonderful overdose of color and tutorials. Jessica, and her husband Jeff, will be updating their Travel blog,
where you can see and read all about their big adventures across the country.

I already have a basket of paint and paint brushes ready as Alaina eagerly awaits for the Queen of Crafts to arrive. We're just a little excited!!

May 10, 2010

a bit nutty? or just prepared?

I'm a list maker. I have at least 2 notebooks with me at all times, to write things down, notes, ideas, schedules, daily agenda's..... you know, important stuff. Lists make me feel organized and more in control of situations. Which is always a good thing, because with 2 little people and work, you need to have some sense of control. Right?

I also make weekly menu plans. Surely I'm not the only one that does this. I have friends coming to stay with us this weekend, and I sent over my menu outline for what would be served during their stay with us, and her husband said that I was nutty. (Hopefully he was just joking.)

So this leads me to ask, how many people make a menu for what they cook throughout the week?

want to see the menu in question?

Friday Dinner:
Chicken Enchiladas in a tomatillo sauce
fresh guacamole and salsa
cantaloupe

Saturday:

Breakfast:
Belgium Waffles w/ apple butter & strawberry jam
fresh fruit
orange juice

Lunch:
Basil & Mozzarella pizzas

Dinner:
Petite steaks
garden salads
watermelon
baked potato's

Sunday


Breakfast:
eggs
maple sausage
country potato's
sourdough toasts w/ apple butter & strawberry jam

Lunch:
in or out? (if in grilled eggplant on baguettes or BLTA)

Dinner:
Italian grilled Chicken
garden salad
fruit salad
baguette with garlic butter
sautéed mushrooms

May 8, 2010

copy & paste blog

I wanted to share a website today, that I was so honored to be interviewed as a guest artist for. I'm a huge fan of theirs and it's their very first blog party this weekend! the copy and paste blog. If you ever need new project inspiration, it's the place to go!!!



thank you so much for the well wishes. It's not often that I have bad days, but I certainly make them count when I do.

May 7, 2010

some Friday Inspo.

I'm having one of those overwhelming days. You know, the type of day where you call your mom and cry, and then try and get something productive done. ugh.... So, I'm sitting here, trying to get my mind off of the current issues, and to think of something positive. Time to take a deep breathe and remind myself that's it's Friday. That's when I decided that nice photos are always good. You can't go wrong with pretty photos.



I found my baskets at Crate and Barrel that I wanted!! I have them filled with my vintage fabric and doille collection. and while Alaina and I were out thirfting awhile back, I came across 3 bolts of vintage fridge. how divine!! but this teal/green combo is my absolute fav!



I made these Mother's Day cards for our mommy employees at the salon. The amazing part is, I made them entirely from stuff I already had! Those are the best projects, the ones where all of the "shopping" takes place in your craft room. :)


Happy Mother's Day to all of my blog friends!!

eta: The white butterflies are all hand cut from textured cardstock. I made a stencil for the large butterflies on this page from last year. Which is why I insist on saving everything.... you never know when you'll be able to use something again!!