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Showing posts with label rubber stamp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rubber stamp. Show all posts

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Make Your Own Take-Out Boxes for Thanksgiving Leftovers


Do you host Thanksgiving at your house?  Every other year, we host my husband's family...about 30-35 people!  It's always a lot of fun and there's always a lot of food.  There's plenty of food left at the end of the meal too.  That's why I decided to make some great take-out boxes this year.  Everyone can take home some of the leftovers and enjoy them all over again on Friday.  


I found these great containers at The Dollar Tree.  I spent $5 total, purchasing 4 packages (3 pans in each) of the metal pans with lids and 1 package of 10 foam food containers.  (I had no idea you could buy the foam containers at The Dollar Tree! Love these!)



Next, I made labels to add to the boxes.  A quick visit to The Graphic Fairy and I found a great retro picture for my label.  Using Photoshop, I added the message "We're thankful for you!" and "The Fortes" to the picture and they were ready to print.  I picked up a large package of page-size labels at the thrift store many years ago and I'm still using that package!


Of course, my guests will need a nice sturdy bag to carry their boxes home in.  I picked up 2 packages of gold gift bags and a package of to go coffee cups at Big Lots.  It was less than $10 for everything.  Gotta love The Dollar Tree with a Big Lots right next door!  


I didn't add anything to the bag except for the ribbon and the small envelope.  I thought the guests could reuse the bags during the upcoming holidays!  

Our closest relative lives about an hour away.  So, it's important that guests have the food packaged for traveling as well as having a to-go cup to take some coffee or hot apple cider for that long ride home.


Do you recognize the feather stamp from this DIY post!  Decorating a little coin envelope with my feather stamp, I stuffed a couple of wintergreen mints inside and then tied it to the bag using black gingham ribbon.  


Did you know mint helps settle a full stomach?  Yep, all those tummies will probably be feeling full about time to go so I thought a little mint may help ;)

Are you hosting Thanksgiving?  How do you handle the leftovers?



Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS
HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY
STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING


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Friday, October 10, 2014

Make Your Own Rubberstamps with 3 Things You (probably) Already Have


I've been making my own rubberstamps for years now.  I didn't realize how easy it was until, one day while homeschooling, we came across a hobby called letterboxing.  (Think geocaching without the techy-ness!)

I'm going to show you how you can make your own rubberstamps with 3 common items you probably already have around the house...pink (or white) eraser, a pencil, and a craft knife.

Ready?  Let's go!


Here are few of the erasers I happen to have right now.  The big blue one and the owl are from the Dollar Tree and you can make several stamps from each.  The pink and white erasers are your common school erasers.  I pick these up at the back-to-school sales for very little money.

For this project, I'm going to use what's left of the big blue eraser.


So begin by deciding on your stamp design.  I'm making a feather design today.  Draw out (or trace) your design onto a piece of paper so that you can get the right size to fit your eraser.


Next, copy your design by tracing it onto your eraser.  Then, so that you don't make some of the mistakes I have in the past, write "cut" on the areas that will be cut away.




Now, before you begin cutting away the outside, take the craft knife and cut around the outside of your design.  This will help give you a cleaner edge to your finished stamp.



Begin cutting away the outside area.  Since mine is so large, I've cut it into smaller areas.  This will help keep you from removing more than you intend to.  It's easiest to insert the craft knife into the side and slice out little pieces at a time.  




Messy, isn't it?  It's okay.  That part doesn't matter.  Just make sure that the area you cut away is lower than your design area or it will pick up the ink and it will show once you stamp it.


Grab the 3rd item on our list...the pencil.  Pull out the eraser (the eraser of newer pencils are easier to remove).  This is going to be our carving tool.



Pinch one side to a point to use for carving.


Use your pencil tool to gently carve out the lines of your design's details.  It takes very little to make an impression so hold the pencil almost parallel to the stamp...don't try to dig deep into it.


Got all the details carved!  Gently wipe away any crumbs and we're ready to test this baby.


Not bad!  But...


I decided it needed a few more detail lines to look more feather-like.  Now!  I like it ;)


Here are some of the other rubberstamps I've made from erasers over the years.  

Wanna see some ways to use your stamps?


I used the Ball mason jar stamp to embellish my business card holders for a convention.  The little envelope contained a small treat.


Label for camping snacks! (My family camps every fall...maiden name is Rule, so named it 
Camp Rule!)  One tip, if you do text on your stamp...it must be mirror image.  I've learned that by making way too many mistakes. 


Stamp your design onto webbing and wrap a candle for a cute look!


Or, use your stamp to embellish a coffee cup!  Use an alcohol based ink like those by Tim Holtz or others that are made for stamping on metal, glass, or glazed surfaces.  These will, of course, be handwash only...but they sure are cute!

I hope I've inspired you to make your own rubberstamps.  I'd love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Angie


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Monday, July 21, 2014

DIY Business Cards


I told you that I recently attended my first blogging conference, Haven.  What I didn't share were my business cards that I made prior to Haven.

I didn't make the actual business card.  I ordered those but what I did make were the business card holders and swag that I attached to each card.  So here's how I did it:


Ordered some snazzy business cards with all my perts.


Dug through my stashes of old handwritten recipe cards


Located one awesome Martha Stewart paper punch.


This paper punch doesn't punch all the way through.  Some of the flower image is still attached, allowing it to make a 3D effect.  See? Awesome.


I punched the card in opposite corners which made the perfect slot to hold my business card.  But, just to be sure my card didn't slip out, I added a piece of washi tape :)


Now, the card was looking great but I needed to add a little something to hold some swag.  I found this!  A small manila coin envelope.  Perfect size to add to the card.


However, the little envelope was just a (yawn) plain...cute but plain.  So, I pulled out my rubber stamps and found just the right one.  I carved this bee stamp a few years ago and have become somewhat addicted to carving rubber stamps.  (I'll be creating a video soon so that you can carve you very own too!)

Under the bee, I wrote "yourself"...get it "bee yourself!"  

  
Time to finish it off and add a little goody to the envelope.  I hole punched the envelope after enclosing a small individually wrapped mint that I picked up from the wedding section of Michaels.  Threaded some twine through the opening in the top flower punch on the card and the hole in the envelope to tie everything together.  Now, they're ready to start handing out!  Oh, wait...


Because we DIYers are never satisfied, I had to create another stamp with another saying.  In this one, I carved a Ball mason jar because don't all home/lifestyle bloggers love mason jars?!  The message here was "Have a Ball" at the conference, at home, at life...whatever you do.  


I hope this sparked some ideas for you.  I enjoyed sharing these cards at Haven...all 50+ of them.  The greatest part was that in exchange, I received 50+ cards from all the great bloggers that I met.

Now, I have to interrupt our post to mention this.  The first Ball jar stamp that I carved was totally awesome.  That is until I inked it up and stamped my first envelope.  Do you know the first rule in stamping words or lettering??  Yep, it has to be mirror image.  It actually took me a third try to get the lettering and a jar shape that I was happy with.  See, we all have those less than perfect attempts at doing things.  Kind of like Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat.  Did you know he was also once known as the King of Strikeouts?  Yep.  Michelangelo said, "If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all."  No one gets it right the first time, everytime.  It does take work but it also takes allowing yourself to fail in the attempt.  So, even though I love sharing beautiful projects, I also want you to see that they don't just happen.  There are a lot of "fails" beforehand.  Beginning this Friday, I am going to begin a regular post entitled "Reality Check".  Believe me when I say, I have lots to share in this area.


Thanks for stopping by and God bless!!

Angie

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS
HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY
STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING
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