ABAC Week 38 Repeating Pattern

Good morning friends,

I'm so excited about my current project for Anything But a Card.  Originally when I joined the design team it was because I either make cards or jewelry and I really wanted to do some scrapbooking.  I thought this would be a great way for me to get back into it, but again, I DID NOT make a layout for this weeks challenge...someday soon I will surprise you and have a layout.  Maybe...  I love the digital age, but honestly, I did a lot more when I had film, took it to the print store, had them print my pictures and came home to see how many of the 24 on a roll turned out, usually only half of them turned out, but I used them!  LOL  Now I have so many pictures on my computer and I just don't find the time to go through them, pick the ones I want, upload them to my Walgreens and pick them up.  How do you guys do it?  I'd really like to know if it's just me or if others have that same problem.

Ok, enough of that, let's get on with the project for this weeks challenge.  The new Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #38 - "REPEATING MOTIFS" a.k.a. PATTERNS. Not necessarily Zentangle (or tangling), but that certainly falls under this category. Repeating Motifs, rather than patterns all apply here... you don't have to use Zentangle... so your muse is free to create! 

I've been wanting to do some Zentangle as it's all the rage right now, but honestly, I can't draw.  I know that Zentangle you can pretty much do however you want, but all my lines aren't straight, my patterns aren't uniformed, etc.  But, I did make an attempt and I'm actually ok with the outcome.  So let's get started...

Of course, I have to use my Amazing Crafting Products as I do with MOST of my projects because I so LOVE this stuff.  You can create so many different things and again, I love to experiment with all the different products they have.

I used a mold I created for some Mini Chalkboards a while back and you can view that post HERE.  

First I mixed up my Amazing Casting Resin and added some Bronze Alumidust to the mixture.  If you have never seen this process, you can check out the tutorial on mixing your resin HERE and preparing your Amazing Mold Putty HERE.

Here it is unmolded and ready to be transformed into a hair barrette. 

I took an ordinary Bic Pen and started my design.  I did however heat set the piece after I drew my pattern just to be safe and that also "softens up" your resin piece so that it can be shaped to whichever form you want.  I then punched holes in either side of the piece with my crop-o-dial (which works so slick) and used my fake chop sticks to keep the shape. 

So, what do you think?  Again, I'm not a good drawer, but I am actually very pleased with the outcome. 

Another view of the barrette, this is more 

true to the color that it actually is. 

Now hope on over to ABAC and join in the fun with your patterned creations and link up with us.  I can't wait to see if I've inspired anyone to create some hair jewelry as I call it.

As always, have a great day and God Bless.

Flip Flop Jewelry

Good morning crafters,

Today I am going to show you how you can transform a simple plastic necklace into a one of a kind flip flop adornment.  What am I talking about?  Here follow me to this Amazing transformation.

I started out with these plastic necklaces thanks to Susan, our fearless leader. 

After I cut them apart and made my mold, (you can go here to see how to prepare your Amazing Mold Putty), I dusted them with the Alumidust that you can be purchased off the website.  Click the Alumidust link and it will take you directly to all the different colors they have. 

Then I poured my Amazing Casting Resin tinted with the Black Alumilite Dye directly into the molds (you can click this link to see mixing preparations).  Just before the resin is cured I placed these clip on earrings right into the resin and it works so as a bond.   

Here you can see the finished piece vs the plastic piece. 

Clip them onto your flip flops and you have some Amazing jewelry that you can change out with every outfit. 

I hope you've enjoyed my post today and can't wait to show you another project in the next few days.

As always, have a great day and God Bless.

Personalized Golf Glasses

Good morning crafters,

I am here today to show you how lucky you can be sometimes.  Well, it's really not that big of a deal, but I'm so super excited.

As most of you know we went to Florida this past May on our family vacation.  We stayed at a beautiful resort near St. Augustine and had a wonderful time.  We went to The Players Golf Tournament and had a fantastic time there also.  At our resort I wandered into the Clubhouse and spotted these amazing glasses that had a raised glass golf ball in the inside.  I so wanted to get them for my guys, but my vacation money was running out and at $20 a PIECE, I just couldn't justify it.  I was so bummed, but we can't always have what we want.  Here comes the best part of this story...yesterday I went junking.  I love going to thrift stores and such and mostly I browse, but yesterday I made a fabulous purchase, actually I made several, (ssshhhhh).  I found these

Identical to what they had in the Gift Shop at the clubhouse.  Want to the know the better part of this story?  Both of them together cost my $1.50.  YES, 75 cents a piece...I'm doing a happy dance.

So, of course I scooped them up immediately and went home and did this... 

I knew I wanted to personalize them so I took some of my scrap vinyl and cut their names with my cricut out with Arial Rounded MT Bold, nothing fancy, just nice letters. 

Placing them nicely on the glasses and 

using my Armour Etch, (you can buy this at Hobby Lobby and if you use a 40% off coupon it will cost you about $13 and you can use it over and over and over), LOVE< LOVE> LOVE> this product.  I painted the etching cream onto the glasses.  Depending on what you are making you may have to do this in sections especially if it's a round object because it does run and you DO NOT want to get any etching cream anywhere on your project except where you intend it to be.  Seriously, even a split second of touching the etching cream anywhere on the glass surface will leave a mark.  Also make sure you use some rubbing alcohol to clean your glass before etching to get any oils from your fingers off.

After only about 5 minutes your cream is ready to be wiped off.  I've been etching glasses for at least 5 years now and have never had to wait for more than 5 minutes.  I simply wipe the cream off with my finger and scrap it back into the bottle.  I've had this bottle of etching cream for about 2 years now and it still works as great as it did the day I opened it. Actually the longer you have your etching cream and depending on how much you use it, it get thicker and thicker and you will have less problems with it "running" on your surface.

And here is my finished project.

Now Steve can go have a gin and tonic while Austyn has a Powerade and they can enjoy watching a golf tournament on tv, as there is ALWAYS one on. 

They both love their glasses (I should have waited for Christmas to give them to them, but I couldn't contain my excitement) and I'm thrilled it only cost me $1.50.  YEAH!

I hope you've enjoyed my post today and make sure to come back over the next couple of weeks because I have some more junking finds to share with you.

As always, have a great day and God Bless.