Make it Merry and Bright!

You may remember that I received a selection of Rinea®, double-sided foil paper a little over a year ago.  I used to craft with this exact, same product when I lived in Germany almost 50 yeas ago and loved it!  I used it for all kinds of decorations throughout the year and this year I thought I'd share some original German designs.  

This snowflake star is SO easy to make.  All you need is:

• Rinea® Double-sided Foil Paper - red/gold, green/gold & silver/gold
• Extra strength stick glue
• Paper trimmer, or a craft knife and ruler
• Small Flower punch
• 1/4" Adhesive acrylic jewel

1.  Cut eight, 1/2" wide strips from the 6" end of the green/gold glossy foil and two, 1" x 1" squares.
 

2.  Fold each square in half. Unfold then fold in half again in the opposite direction, or use an embossing tool to divide the square into 4.  Do not cut.  The lines are for placement.

3.  Fold each of the green strips in half, then unfold.  Using the fold lines as a guide, align the center of the strip with the center of the square. The edge of the strip should be even with the edge of the square. Glue two strips across the gold square.
 

4.  Flip over, then with gold facing up, glue two additional strips across the back of the square at right angles to the first two as shown.

5.  One side will be gold and the other side green.

6.  Take the ends of 2 adjacent strips and pull them toward each other.  Overlap so the corner edges are even, then glue together. 

7.  Repeat on all four corners and it will look like this.

8.  Create a second piece, then glue one on top of the other to make the basic shape. 

 

The corner points can be facing up or down.  This is the same star, but each one looks a little different depending on which side is facing up.

9.  Now you know how to make the basic star/snowflake shape, let's make a smaller star with the red/gold foil.  This star is made in exactly the same way, except you will use 1/4' x 4" strips.  Create two, then glue together at the center. 

10.  With the gold center facing up, glue this smaller star to the center of the larger star.

  

There are two different looks, depending on which side of the large star the small one is glued to and whether the gold center with red points faces up, as shown, or down. 

11.  For a little extra bling I glued a small, silver punched flower at the center.

12.  For a little extra pizzaz, I created another star shape with the silver/gold glossy foil, using 6 x 1/2" strips, then glued it to the back using dimensional foam stickers.

  

 13.  Paper foil is very easy to work with and the "points" can be moved up or down as needed, or even flattened . Of course I had to add an acrylic jewel to the center to finish.  I think it will look fabulous on a Christmas gift with, or without a bow!

    

This is a fun, and easy project for all ages!  Enjoy!   Y'all come back now for more ideas with "Bastelfolie"......    and, in case you missed them, the projects I created last year are here: https://juliemcguffee.blogspot.com/2016/11/paper-foil-blog-hop.html

Yours truly,
Julie  :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Let's Celebrate Christmas!

I really LOVE Christmas - the decorations, the music, the food; even the somewhat corny Christmas movies.  The sad part is, we tend to get so wrapped up (pun intended) in Christmas shopping and all the excitement that surrounds us at every turn, it's easy to forget the reason for the season.  So, this simple project is a little reminder of why we celebrate....  Enjoy!

This is what you'll need:
etchall® etching crème
etchmask stencil and transfer paper
Squeegee
Craft Pik, or craft knife

5" x 7" Frame
Rinea™ Paper foil - blue
Tinsel
Double sided tape
Electronic shape cutting machine (I use a Cricut® Maker, or Cricut Explore)

1.   Drag the images from the "Images for Personal Use" page onto your desktop, then upload to your digital software.  NOTE:  There are two separate images.  One image will be etched on the front of the glass and the other on the back.  Each image should be about 4" x 6" to fit within the edge of the frame.

2.  Cut the designs from a sheet of etchmask.  While your stencil designs are cutting,  remove the glass from the frame then wash and dry thoroughly.

3.  Using the craft pik tool, weed* each design while still on the cutting mat.  *Weed means remove all the elements of the design to create the stencil for etching.

4.  Cover each stencil design with a piece of transfer paper then remove one stencil from the mat.  Remove the waxy backing paper from the etchmask to expose the adhesive, then center the stencil on the glass.

5.  Press firmly in place with the squeegee then carefully remove the transfer paper.  Check underneath the transfer paper as you lift to make sure all the etchmask is still in place on the glass.  Cover any areas of the glass not covered by the stencil with extra pieces of etchmask and/or transfer paper to prevent accidental etching on those areas.

 

6.  Cover the open areas of the stencil liberally with etching crème then leave for 15 mins.  You can find more comprehensive illustrations of this process in an earlier post here: https://juliemcguffee.blogspot.com/2016/12/winter-wonderland-etched-float-frame.html 

7.  After 15 minutes, use the squeegee to scrape the etching crème back into its container.  Remember! etchall crème and etchall dip are REUSABLE.  Rinse away any remaining residue then remove the stencil. Use a scraper if necessary.  Dry, then buff the glass with a soft cloth to reveal the etched design.  NOTE: Do not rinse in a porcelain sink!  The etching crème will etch the glazed surface. Use a plastic bucket, or other large plastic container instead.

8.  Etch the design on the other side of the glass in the same manner, positioning the stencil so the crib on the other side is centered between the two figures. The trunks of the palm trees can also be used as a guide.  I used a Cricut BrightPad™ (a large light box) to aid in placement.

9.  Cut a 5" x 7" piece of blue foil then adhere to the front of the frame backing.  Glue white tinsel to the inside edge of the frame for a "frosty" look if desired.  Place the etched glass in the frame then secure the frame back behind the glass to finish.

The frame also looks wonderful without the backing…  This frame has a square edge so it will stand on a table, or shelf without the backing.

Christmas decorating is just beginning, so y'all come back for more holiday projects!

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Glass Etching with Stencils

It's so exciting when a manufacturer adds something new to their existing product line; especially when it's an amazing product! 

I love etchall® etching crème and etchall dip'n etch for etching designs on glass and more. For the most part, I cut my own designs from etchmask on the Cricut Explore, so it's easy for me to custom etch anything.  Not everyone however, has an electronic cutting machine to use and finding designs to etch can be limited.  This is why I was SO excited when I received etchall's new Reposition/Reuse Stencil Spray to try.  Now everyone has an opportunity to etch designs using mylar stencils.  AND when you etch with a mylar stencil, you can re-use the stencil mutiple times - just like the creme and the dip! 

This is the first sample I tried on a 5" x 7" piece of glass.

The result was amazing so I decided to etch this glass accent frame.

 

I found this accent window frame at a local home store.  It was supposed to be used to display photographs, but I needed something long and horizontal for a large, empty wall in my half bath and this was the perfect size.  First of all, I removed the bulldog clips which were meant to hold the photos then after cleaning the glass, I was ready to etch.

I decided to use alphabet stencils to spell out a 5-letter word on each of the two rows - one letter in each space.

The letters came in sets of 4 or 5 to a sheet, so I separated the ones I needed and set the remainder aside.  Etch as follows:

1. Starting with the top row,  following directions on the back of the can, spray the back of each letter with stencil spray, let dry then center each one on the glass.

2. Press each stencil securely in place then cover the glass around the stencil opening with blue painters tape, making sure that the glass is completely covered.

3. Using the squeegee, cover each letter liberally with etchall crème then leave for 15 minutes.

4. After 15 minutes scrape the crème off the stencil and return to the container. A plastic spoon is also helpful for this process.  Wipe away any remaining residue with damp paper towels, or baby wipes. 

5. When the area is completely clean, remove the tape and stencil.  Clean the glass once more then buff dry with a soft cloth.  Repeat the process with the second row of letters and voilà, I have a cool etched frame with a positive message for everyone!

With so many stencils to choose from, what do you plan to etch?  The stencil spray is on sale thru the end of October, so this is a great time to try!  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now..........

Yours truly,

Julie 

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Mini Halloween Lampshades

I love to decorate with candles, tea lights, votive candles and more, especially around the holidays. With so many types of battery operated LED lights available, it's really easy to make decorative lighting accents yourself with simple items you probably have around the house. 

These wine glass tea lights are perfect for Halloween. The laminated shades are made with napkins, so you can use this idea to make decorative shades for any occasion!

You'll need the following supplies:

Xyron® Creative Station with  5" Laminate cartridge

LED Tea light

Plastic stemware - one glass for each light
One portion plastic cup
Glue dots
Scissors
Napkins

1. To make a pattern for the shade, cut an 8" circle with a 4" diameter hole cut from the center.  Cut  in half.  You can use a circle cutter to make the pattern, or draw around plates, jar lids, etc.

2.  Open up the napkin then lay the pattern on top.  Cut the napkin in half then trim at each end so it's a little longer than the pattern.  Make sure the pattern covers elements of the design you'll want on your shade.

3.  Place the laminate cartridge in your Xyron machine, then laminate the cut piece of napkin. Do not separate the napkin layers.  You can also use the larger laminate cartridge and place the napkin piece horizontally across the width of the cartridge.

4.  Place the pattern on the laminated napkin then cut out.  Option: Use decorative edge scissors along the lower edge.

5.  The napkin layers will separate after cutting. Use the top layer for the shade.  Simply pull the ends together, overlapping about 1/2" then secure with extra strength glue dots. The second layer can be also be used for another shade. 

 

6.  Assemble the plastic wine glass then place the one portion cup inside.  This will suspend the LED tea light above the bottom, so the light will shine thru the shade.  Place the shade on top of the rim.

 

Plastic stemware and the one portion cups can be found at your local grocery, or party store together with a wide range of fun napkins!  Enjoy!

Y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,

Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!