Hey Everyone....well, since I'm not been doing much crafting these days I thought I'd pop in here to share a blog post that I did for the Technique Tuesday blog back in December.   Enjoy!  

{{p.s....I just heard about a thrift store in Calgary that I had no idea existed.  I'm not even sure how that is possible.  A co-worker told me about it and she said it's a good one!  Oh yes, I will be going there this weekend and hopefully I will have a thrifty post for you!!}}

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hi Technique Tuesday Fans.  Charlene here and I have a fun little project to share with you.  I'm going to show you how I made Trivets using chipboard as stencils.  If you love chipboard you are going to have fun playing with these Tile Toppers from TT, I promise!

 

 

Here's the list of materials I used:

Technique Tuesday Tile Toppers ~~ both the Classic set and the Flora & Fauna set

Spray Paint including a clear coat

Ceramic Tiles

{{the previous homeowners left these but tiles are readily available and super cheap}}

Cork

Painters Tape

Glue and Glue Dots (which are not in the pic)

 

 

 

OK let's get started.  After choosing which designs I wanted to use I started to separate the pieces.   

 

 

 

I chose to use the "negative" portion of the Tiles as that is the areas that I wanted to be painted.  I used Glue Dots and 2 sided tape to adhere the image to the centre.   

 

 

 

Once I covered the edges of my ceramic tiles with painters tape I used the frame that I cut apart (see above) to create a border. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then outside we went!  {we as in me and my tiles...ha}  I took my chances and sprayed these on the deck even though it was a bit windy that day.  The painters drop cloth comes in very handy.  As you can see from my test sprays in the bottom right corner I couldn't decide on the Grey or the Orange paint but the grey won out in the end.  I did about 3 light sprays allowing about 10 mins to dry inbetween. 

 

 

 

Who else loves spray paint?!  I may or may not have several more cans in the basement.  I've recently heard that the fine line between collecting and hoarding is "dust".  Judging from the top of that stand I'd say I just crossed over the line.  Yikesa.  But come on people....I can't resist the temptation of picking up a new colour when I'm out and about.  {{Anyone else have these issues?  No?  Just me?}} 

 

 

 

Here are the ceramic tiles after removing the Tile Toppers and the tape.  The chipboard can be used over and over again.  The swirly frame didn't have as clean of lines but you would just use more Glue Dots in more areas to avoid that from happening.  As it is I like that it has a antique-y look.  These Trivets have also been sprayed with 2 coats of a clear sealer spray. 

 

 

 

My very last step was to cut some cork to fit and glue it on the bottom.  The E-6000 worked perfectly and that cork is not going anywhere.  

 

 

 

So there you have it.  My final product just waiting to be used at the dinner table.  While I plan for these to be used as Trivets I think they will look great displayed in the kitchen when they are not in use.  

 

Thanks so much for visiting.  I hope I've inspired you to think of different ways you can use products that might originally be meant for paper crafts.  I'd love to know if you've "stenciled" anything lately.  If you have any questions at all just leave a comment and I'll pop in here to answer ya.  

 

 

 

 

 

Congrats to Janice Aeschliman.  You are lucky #13 and ou won the Sign of the Times stamp set.  I will email you to get your address from you so I can pop it in the mail. 

 

 {{I did enter 25 in the Max section based on the number of entries but when I copy and paste it keeps reverting to 100.  I couldn't get the image to save properly}} 

 

 

Hey everyone....in case you have not heard already Technique Tuesday is having their annual Progressive Sale.  Each week they discount the retiring stamps further and it's up to you if you grab them now or gamble and wait for the next weeks bigger discount.....hoping the stamps you want are still there.

 

Check out this link to see all the stamps that are being retired.  Then scroll to the bottom of that page to read about how to get the discount code (which includes signing up for Newsletter, visiting their Facebook or Blog).  We are entering the final week of the sale tomorrow and it runs January 9th - 15th.  With the discount code you will get an awesome 60% discount on the retiring stamps.  Score!  If you have any questions let me know.   

 

 

 

I just happen to have an extra stamp set called Sign of the Times and while it is being retired I'm hoping one of you would like to give it a new home?  Leave me a comment if you would and I'll make a random draw on Thursday January 12.  I will mail it anywhere.  Be sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you to tell you that you are the winnah!!! 

 

 

 

Have the best day ever! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it's a Christmas card. 

(Don't freak out too much)

 

 

 

I know, I know......we have all de-Christmasfied our houses and put it out of our minds for another 11 months (unless you are my neighbor and still have your tree up and plugged in 24/7 since mid-November.  Seriously, I'm mystified by it).  

 

BUT making a Christmas card falls into my plan for 2012 to SIMPLIFY.  That's the word I chose for myself this year but I want you to know that it's just really a fancy word to allow me to be lazy when I want to be.  I'm all about full disclosure. 

 

I am planning on playing along with the lovely ladies, Stef and Lauren, over at the Jingle Bells blog to make a Christmas card (or 2) every two weeks.  This way when it comes time to mail my cards next year I will potentially have 50 cards ready to go.  You see, when I sat in my craft room for hours late one night to mass produce Christmas cards for my co-workers just days before the 25th, I was kicking myself for not joining in last year.  I do not want that to happen again.  It was not fun. 

 

 

 

 

This weeks prompt over at Jingle Bells was to either make a card with a Christmas present on it or use wrapping paper.  I chose the wrapping paper route and cut out squares which I rounded the corners of and attached them. It was a bit messy because I am a Mono Multi girl and wrapping paper is thin and the paper warped pretty easily.  I did make 2 but the other one ain't pretty. 

 

I heat embossed my front sentiment from Believe by Ali Edwards and also stamped the inside of the card.  Is it ok to say that I'm kinda thrilled I don't have to put away my Christmas stamps anytime soon?

 

 

 

 

I'm linking up to:

 

P.S....I'm going to be back soon with a stamp giveaway.  See you. 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Everyone!! 

Welcome to the All Things Love Technique Tuesday Blog Hop.

Technique Tuesday’s Stamping Techs are blog hopping again, and we are sharing love-themed projects this month.

 

 

 

 

For my card I used the Mon Ami Paris stamp set.   This includes the little key, the sentiment and the large fleur de lis on the heart (heat embossed in red on red) as well as the teeny tiny fleur de lis that I stamped on the patterned paper and heat embossed in white.  This stamp set is so detailed and it's so very easy to make a clean and simple card have some character and interest.  

 

Be sure to check out the blogs of everyone taking part in today’s blog hop.

 

Tanis

Ashley

Char (You're here)

Daniela

Tobi

Laura

Sharyn

Kris

Jaclyn

Teri

 

 

 

We love reading your comments so we will have some random draws for prizes.

From the comments received on all the blogs, we will pick one lucky person to win the Bear Necessities stamp set.

 

We’ll also pick one person to win the Home Tweet Home stamp set.

 

 

You don’t need to comment on all the blogs to be eligible to win. But the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

 

Comments must be posted by midnight on Dec. 28th. The winner will be announced on Dec. 29^th sometime on the Technique Tuesday blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have the best day ever!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas Eve.  Yep, I'm going to share a Thrifty Post today because it's mainly Christmas items and after tomorrow, well, I'm pretty sure I'd get some funny looks if I was posting Christmas decorations.

 

Speaking of funny looks I am going to first tell you how it is I actually have time to do a blog post when I should be freakin' out and getting everything ready for Christmas Day.  Not long ago you might remember I mentioned that we were staying home this year and it was just going to be the 2 of us at home.  {{We thought we would do Fondue.}}  Well, it turns out my bachelor brothers in law are staying in town so they are coming over and I needed to figure out what to do for our dinner.

 

{{cue the angels singing}}.......TURKEY TO GO!  OH. YES. WE. DID!

 

 

We ordered our entire Christmas dinner from a hotel here in Calgary!!  All we have to do it pick it up at our chosen time slot and come home and serve it.  And eat it!  I cannot tell you how happy I am about this decision. I don't even care if it tastes like cardboard....but it won't.  There was no way I was cooking for 4 people.  I know it's not hard to cook a turkey but the dinner overall is ALOT of work whether it's 4 people or 14 people.  My amazing hubby told me about it as a friend of his ordered this last year.  I was literally jumping for joy once we placed our order.  

 

 

Ok, moving on.....here's some of my Thrifty Finds and how I used them in my Christmas decorating this year. 

 

The swinging doors I showed a couple weeks ago are used in a display on a ledge as you come in the front door.  We don't have a mantle on our fireplace and this is the closest place I have to mimic a mantle.  The swinging doors were $3.50 for both.

 

 

 

 

This wreath is HUGE.  I paid $3 for it at a garage sale 2 summers ago.  I bought a couple fake Poinsettias at Michael's and cut them apart to slip into the wreath for Christmas.  In the spring I put in some birds and and a nest.   Yep, that means the wreath just stays there all year round.  I'm too lazy to take it down.  I need to find a piece of furniture for that space. 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought this little green dish at the thrift store on Thursday for $1.00.  It's perfect for the Christmas cards we have received. I normally have them in a basket but I like this better.  Oh and there are my musical bells.  I hung them on my lamp rather than putting them in a window. 

 

 

 

Ok are you ready for this cuteness??  My amazing friend Brenda totally GETS me!  She bought this for me at Value Village for $9.99.  She knew it had to come and live with me.  I swear people I might go all Clark Griswold on you one of these years.  I love him and he is so cool when all lit up!

 

 

 

I have been absolutely obsessed with looking for these vintage ceramic trees.  I found the tiny one for $1.00.  The bigger one below was half price so it was $1.50.  Those were from the Mennonite Thrift store several weeks ago.  Alot of the little "bulbs" are missing.  I need to order some on eBay but don't you love the Lite Brite pieces that someone used?  If that's not thrifty goodness, I don't know what is!  LOL. 

 

 

 

Here is where they are displayed in my living room.  I'm not good at the whole vingette thing.  I just put things out cuz I love to look at them.   The green sleigh is one of my all time favorite vintage finds last year.  I believe I paid about $2.50?  The coloured glass balls are also vintage.

 

 

Here is the "find of the year" in my opinion. How appropriate that the find of the year is at the end of the year!  Again.....let me tell you I am obsessed with these green ceramic trees.  I thought I'd never find one.  On Thursday I went to the Mennonite Thrift Store and immediately spotted this little tree on the floor.  $4.  Oh man.

 

 

Then I turned around and this larger one was lit up sitting by the cash register.  I die.  It said $7.  I asked if I could buy it and they said yeppers!  {{If you are a thrifter you know exactly how I felt that minute when I found the very item I've been dying to find and not only one but two!!}}

 

When I was at the cash register the lady grabbed a shopping basket and was trying to put these in it.  I had no idea what she was doing but apparently there was a Christmas Basket Sale meaning that if an item did NOT fit in the basket it was half price.  She said "that will be $4 dollars".  I literally gasped and loudly said NO!  Total?  I'm still confused how it came to $4.  I feel like I ripped off the charity thrift store.  All I know is that it was like that IKEA commercial where the girl thinks she got such a good deal she runs out yelling "start the car" to her husband.   Yep, that was me, except I was by myself.  

 

 

Here they are displayed in a corner of my kitchen.  I took the photo at night so it's really off colour but you get the idea.  

 

 

I have really enjoyed decorating my house this year but the really BIG question is ......WHO IS GOING TO TAKE IT ALL DOWN????  OMG

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!