Showing posts with label Expressions Vinyl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Expressions Vinyl. Show all posts

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Altered Mailbox Christmas Card Holder

Santas Mailbox Believe

I had so much fun with this project that I hope you’ll bear with me because it involves all kinds of things that I love. The star of this is the glitter vinyl that I received from Expressions Vinyl in support of this idea!

I decided I wanted a new place to hold Christmas cards this year and what better place than a mail box? If you’re going to alter a mailbox, why not use a real mailbox? I’d seen some old ones in antique stores but they came with antique store prices. I looked online and found I could get a reasonably priced one at Lowes. Even better, when I got to the store, they had one that was missing parts and was half of what I expected to pay ($12) so I got mine for $6!

Altered Mailbox

The Lowes people were very concerned that I didn’t understand it was incomplete. I didn’t even attempt to explain why I didn’t care.

For this project you will need:
  • Mailbox  to alter
  • Acrylic craft paint (I used black , cream and glitter red)
  • Vinyl (As mentioned Expressions Vinly provided me with the vinyl used in this project.)
  • Embellishments
To start, paint the mailbox black. It helps that the flag was one of the thing missing parts so I didn’t need to remove it:

Altered Mailbox Base Coat

Once dry, dry brush and/or crackle with cream paint. To crackle, paint a coat of white glue ( I just used generic office store glue) and when almost dry, paint over with cream. Let dry.

Altered Mailbox Dry Brush

While your paint is drying, cut your vinyl.

Altered Mailbox Believe Vinyl

I found this “Believe” design in the Silhouette online store and cut it using my Cameo from red glitter vinyl.

Expressions Vinyl Glitter

I used the black and silver glitter vinyl to cut out the initials SC ( Santa Clause) and North Pole for the other side of the mailbox.

Expressions VInyl Silhouette

Santas Mailbox North Pole

To finish off my mailbox, I added a large glitter bow ( Dollar Tree) and had fun embellishing the flag for the mailbox with coordinating scrapbook paper from DCWV’s Candy Cane Lane stack :

DCWV Candy Cane Stack

This section from a page of tags in the stack was a perfect match. I added some sequins and snowflakes to complete. I used a couple more tags from the stack on the top of the mailbox. To cover the holes where you'd normally attach the mailbox to a post, I used self adhesive rhinestones and superglued the flag onto the box.

The completed mailbox now sits next to my altered coffee can Snowman Hat!

Santas Mailbox 1

Santas Mailbox 2


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Monday, February 4, 2013

Valentine's Decor: Easy Vinyl Embellished Charger

Love You and Me

Still in stash busting mode and sharing a project I made last month for the Expressions Vinyl blog.  After Christmas 2011 (yes, that’s right 2011) I picked up a couple of vinyl chargers for next to nothing on clearance at Michaels. I thought I might use them this Christmas. Didn’t. But I did use one to make a quick Valentine’s project.

 I downloaded a few Valentine’s themed images and phrases from the Silhouette online store. I have had my Cameo for a year now and am still learning everything you can do with it. For this project I used the group function to well, group, all the images I used together enabling me to then re-size one thing vs multiple.

Grouping Instructions

It’s the same principle as any graphics or digital scrapbooking software. I positioned and sized each image individually then did “Edit, Select All” and then “Object, Group” from the menu in the Silhouette software.
I sometimes use transfer paper and sometimes don’t. This time I did because I was trying to make sure it was centered. I cut my grouped image using a brushed metallic silver vinyl ( Expressions ) and even added the little center heart cutout.

Love You and Me Closeup

I don’t do a lot of decorating for Valentine’s but this was a quick and easy way to add a little.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Chalkboard and Vinyl Bar Sign

Chalkboard and Washi Canvas

You might remember the upscaled Dollar Store barware project I posted earlier this month. This project is another piece for Mr. Chocolate's bar corner. He decided at Christmas that he’d turn a corner table in our dining room into a place to store his boutique bourbons. His favorite cocktail is a Manhattan so I decided I’d make him a cocktail themed sign based on that  for his “bar”.

I debated about keeping it for a Valentine’s present but here’s how that would go:
I’d make it, we’d be out somewhere, guarantee he’d see something and buy it , then what? How do I know? Almost 22 years of marriage. I know. And first thing he said when I showed it to him was “ I was thinking it needed a sign”.

So for this super easy project you will need :
  • A canvas ( this one is 10x10)
  • Paint in your choice of color
  • Chalkboard paper or you can paint a square or you could use chalkboard vinyl. I found self adhesive chalkboard paper in the kids crafts section at Michaels
  • Vinyl
  • Vinyl cutter or stencils and Xacto knife

Bar Sign Painted Canvas

I painted the edges of my canvas in my usual shabby style…I love imperfect.

Cut my chalkboard paper to 8x8 and even though it’s self adhesive. slapped some Mod Podge on the back to make it extra secure.

Primed Chalkboard

On the off chance I’m not  the last person in the crafterverse who’s made a chalkboard project, you should “prime” your chalkboard surface by covering it with chalk then wiping off.

Chalkboard and Washi Bar Sign 

I cut the words from white vinyl on my Silhouette and then applied them to my chalk paper. Finished with a couple of strips of washi tape that matched the color scheme.

Chalkboard and Washi Canvas

Yes, you can see I kind of goofed up the “U”…..reminding myself I love imperfect.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Fall Vinyl Embellished Candles


Sharing a project I did for the Expressions Vinyl blog last week.

I’m having a long overdue lunch with some girlfriends and I always like to take them a little gift. I love embellishing these tall glass candles . I downloaded the image for the vinyl from the Silhouette online store and cut from gold metallic vinyl on my Silhouette Cameo.


Gold Vinyl Maple Leaf Border

Here are my images after peeling away the extra vinyl. For images with lots of detail, like these swirls, I like to use transfer paper to get my images cleanly off the backing and onto my project.

PA256685

This made it easy to center the image and place it on the candle.  I used a Canvas Corp damask print paper ( white on kraft) and Mod Podged the paper to the candle, then applied the vinyl image.

Leaf Vinyl Candle

Then I just poked around in my stash and embellished with some complementary rhinestones, plain old twine, beads, and paper flowers.

Fall Vinyl Embellished Candle

PA256700

What's a gift without a gift tag? Since I have an abundance of paper scraps, I found a coordinating scrap from another project, covered a plain white tag and finished with a K&Co fall leaf scrapbook border, a giant eyelet, and coordinating baker's twine. 





Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Mod Podge and Vinyl H-OWL-oween Sign

Vinyl Owl

Sharing a post I did for the Expressions Vinyl blog last month. This was a very fast project. The longest part was the Mod Podge dry time. 

I wanted to add some more sophistication to my Halloween décor, and also love metallics. The Silver Leaf  Expressions vinyl fit both of these requirements.

Scrapbook and Vinyl Owl

I started with a plain wood owl and a piece of scrapbook paper. I traced the owl on the paper, cut it out, adhered it to the owl with Mod Podge and let it dry.

While it was drying, I loaded my Cricut Expression with a sheet of Silver Leaf Expressions Vinyl and cut out the numbers “31” using the Plantin Schoolbook cart.

Once my owl was dry, I added my numbers. I also added some bling by using an oversized rhinestone swirl I had in my stash. I told you this was easy!

Silver Leaf Vinyl

Craft fail save! When I traced my owl on paper I managed to get the border strip that isn’t really part of the paper. Rather than re-cut it I covered over those spots on the owl’s feet with vinyl scraps. Just cut them freehand and done.

I love the texture of the Silver Leaf vinyl. It really catches the light.

Vinyl Owl

P9186413

I hope you enjoyed this easy project ! Happy Howloween.

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Monday, August 27, 2012

Green Craft: Turn A Cheese Box Into A Gift Box




I recently shared this project over at the Expressions Vinyl blog but wanted to share it here with all of my readers.

I know I'm not the only one who looks at something for its crafty possibilities before recycling or putting it in the trash. I've seen some other crafty peeps use these cheese boxes and had been saving one to play with. 


Laughing Cow Box

I used my box to trace two circles onto the scrapbook paper you see in the background, cut them out and then applied them to the box using Mod Podge. 

While that was drying, I went to work on what would be the focal point of my box. I alternate between my Silhouette Cameo and my Cricut Expression, both of which I love to use to cut vinyl. I used the Cricut for this.

Damask Decor

I used the Damask Décor cartridge and a taupe vinyl scrap and cut out my image ( #30).

Damask 30 Cricut

Here’s the vinyl all cut out and placed on the top of the box. I liked it well enough at that point but never being one to leave anything alone, I went to my embellishment stash and decided on a paper flower and some chocolate colored self adhesive pearls.

Vinyl Embellished Gift Box

The whole thing took maybe an hour and most of that was drying time for the Mod Podge.  Simple, inexpensive, uses what you might already have on hand. Now I just have to finish the gift that is going inside the gift box!

Damask Vinyl Box

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