A Place to Store my Markers!

Hey folks! I'm back. I've been a bit absent lately. My husband and I both had the stomach bug this weekend. Ugh! No fun. I'm finally feeling better and decided to do something crafty. I bought some more Bic Mark Its at Big Lots this weekend I already had most of the colors in the box, but there were a few I didn't have and for just $4.00, it was a good buy. Well I decided to create a cute little container to put them all in. So I dug out this empty Quaker Oats container that I'd been holding on to. I knew I would use it one day! It was just perfect for storing all those markers! I covered it in this cute polka dot paper from My Mind's Eye. Then in my Publisher program, I created this color palatte with all the names of the colors. After printing, I colored each circle the correct color. That way it would save me time deciding which colors to use in the future! I'll probably decorate the top sometime in the future, but I just wasn't up to it today. Here is a clipboard I did last week and just haven't had time to blog about it. I love these papers. Reminds me so much of elementary school. It would be a great gift for an elementary teacher! I just modge podge to adhere the paper to the clipboard, then reattached the clip and added some ribbon! I'll be putting it in my craft booth for sale.

A Rockin' Teacher's Gift~ Kid's Crafty Project

Hey all! This week I decided to step outside the box. I've been doing a lot of cards, but not many other projects. So I decided to drag out my decoupage! I love decoupage. I learned how to do it just last year and it can be very addicting. I think my husband was glad when my first bottle ran out, otherwise the whole house would have been covered. LOL.

This is a pic of the backside of the clipboard. I used a digital stamp from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. Don't forget that Lindsay has a special this month if you buy $10 worth in her store, you get a free card kit!
I created this clipboard for a teacher friend of mine who teaches 2nd grade. This did not take long to create. It could easily be done by a child with some supervision. For younger children, I'd have all the pieces precut to fit the clipboard for them before starting the project. However older children could probably do this on their own. I would say that this would be a great project for a kid to create as a gift for their teacher. What teacher couldn't use a clipboard? This could even be done as a back to school project. Kids could cut things from magazines or old coloring books (and color them). The sky is the limit! I first printed the stamp, colored it with my Bic Mark Its, then I hit it with the blow dryer to set the inks so the glue wouldn't smudge them. I cut my patterned paper to fit the clipboard, then I took a 2" paint brush and swiped a thin layer of glue over one side of the clipboard. Once it was evenly covered, I placed my first sheet of paper on it. I made sure it covered all sides and then smoothed it out (make sure there are no bubbles). I also cut a 2" piece of fushia paper to go acoss the bottom. I wanted the letters to stand out more. I should also mention that I let each layer of glue dry before moving on to the next layer. I also put an extra layer of glue across the letters at the bottom, just in case they try to peel over time. I put decoupage over all surfaces of the paper to make it waterproof, however this is not necessary. If you prefer to be able to feel the texture of the paper, you can skip this step. But it will probably last longer and be more durable if coated in a layer of glue.

These letters were cut with my Cricut on black cardstock using a free font called Mandingo. The paper is called Celebration by American Paper Crafts.
*********Hidden Freebie Alert************
Once again, Lindsay has designed a special stamp for one of us on the design team. On Thursdays, one lucky DT member will have her special stamp available to download free for a whole week. Click on the links below to check out the cool Design Team Blogs and see who has the free stamp this week!
Melissa
Janet
Mitzi
Kim
Lisa
Margie
Katt
Michelle
Row
Olena
Tracey

Last, but not least, your freebie Thursday! Here is a file to cut out the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and title. I created it to work on my MIL's scrapbook of her trip there. Enjoy!

Golden Gate Bridge SVG