Saving Those Wine Labels.....

As you can see, graduate school has made me a huge WINE-"O". This coupled with my craft conscious spirit has gotten me to save my wine labels for something important someday. For now I have absolutely no clue what that is, but some ideas the are coming to mind are an eclectic artsy board, notebook covers, book markers, and whatever else might spark my interest. With these eye-catching pieces of the paper, your creativity is at your finger tips!!


To begin, start your collection. Though this isn't probably recommended for you wine connoisseurs, sometimes I'll just buy wine just for the LABEL. Warning: You might get some interesting wine. :) Once you have gotten a little collection (or even if you just want to do one at a time) you can begin.  

I first began with filling my stink with HOT water. As HOT as you can get it.  With my apartment begin extremely old, I am able to run boiling hot water straight from my tap, but I have in the past boiled water from the stove, then added it to the sink. 

You then need to fill your wine bottles with water as well, or they will obnoxiously float.

Once you have all your water set up in your stink, and in your bottles spray the label you wish to remove GENEROUSLY with Goof Off. I've never tried anything else, but this stuff works great.

After you have applied it GENEROUSLY, submerged your bottles into your steaming hot water. Please make sure not to burn yourself, as I have done on numerous occasions. This should be fun not painful. :)

Let them sit in the water for at least 10 minutes.

One time has lapsed, take a SHARP razor blade, like the one I have below (it has a safe nifty little holder for it),

and begin peeling off your label.

GO SLOWLY. Some will be super easy to remove, and other might take more time. If you rip the label, do not fret, it can easily be put back together, just keep removing as carefully as possible without ripping further.

Once you label is off the bottle place it on a white piece of paper. 

When they are all on your paper, place another on top, and then add something heavy to the top. (Like obnoxiously large textbooks. The paper will soak up the remaining glue and water, and the heavy object will allow your label to flatten nicely. (The is the point where, if you have a tear, can fix it to the best of your ability.) 

After a day or so you can remove you heavy object and store your labels for another time. Please note: some labels will not come off your piece of paper. If this is the case just careful cut around the label with scissors. I do not even remove the label from the paper anymore. It gives them a clean/sturdy backing for whatever I decide to use them for. 

I would love to see some of the things you use your labels for. Please feel free to send me pictures or post comments. 

P.S. Happy Independence Day! Hope everyone has the opportunity to EAT, DRINK (save your bottles for labels), and BE MERRY!!!!

Anthropologie Art Piece Replica

To My Fellow Crafters,


Its been awhile since I've made a post, and I apologize. My absence has been due to a big move I just made. For those of you who don't know me, I have just moved from the outskirts of Baltimore, into the city. The move was fantastic, and I can confidently say that I am officially all settled in....

BUT....

Because of the move, my lack of decor was prominent due to the massive amount of space I now had to work with. I wanted to purchase an antique, focal piece for my bedroom, but the one I found (of course) was out of my price range.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-wall/960036.jsp

I found this gorgeous piece at anthropologie, but it sadly had a $700 price tag. So naturally being, ME I decided to make my own version. Since I wanted to make this frame on my college student budget.....

#:1:  I begin at my local thrift stores, looking for inexpensive frames. Some of these frames had awful pictures that I just removed, but when looking I made sure to find a variety of designs, as well as sizes to make my art piece more eclectic.

#2: Once I had gathered all of my frames (I had bought extra just in case) I moved them around numerous ways, until I found the perfect arrangement. Here is the rough layout I had....as you can see...they pics weren't very great, but it was the frames I was keeping an eye out for. Once you have a layout TAKE A PIC OF IT, so you won't forget the way you have arranged it later....

#3: After I found the perfect arrangement, I bought five different colors of spray paint. (Dark purple, Lavender, Black, White, and Silver) All of the colors that matched the scheme going on in my bedroom. 

NOW..

When spray painting, if you want the paint to stick well you might want to lightly sand each frame, and the wipe it down thoroughly. I on the other hand, wanted to get the "antique" look to my frames, so I just spray painted each one right off the bat....

#4: After the paint has dried, if you too want the "antique" look as well, you could take some rough elements to your pieces. I personally used sand paper, and even took a couple outside and banged them against the wall to chip the paint as well as ding the frame. I thought it gave my pieces character. :)

#5: I then placed my pieces back together, based off of the previous photo I took, and glued them together. I used the epoxy glue below....

I did have to purchase two bottles, and epoxy glue isn't the cheapest. If you'd like to use epoxy glue, I'd recommend using a coupon or waiting until its on sale. If you want to use another type of glue, make sure it first off dries clear, and second off is compatible with adhereing to not only wood, but metal and plastic (whatever kind of frames you buy). 

#6: Apply and let dry. FYI-Some of your pieces might be too heavy for glue. With these, I discreetly nailed them together. Fishing wire could also work if your having trouble attaching your larger pieces together.

THE FINAL PRODUCT

#7: As you can see, I kept two of the photos that came with the frames. I even spray painted one background white, and added a wall decor type of rose on the frame, as well as on the wall for a little something extra. 

I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out, and saved myself about $650. The total cost of everything came to under $50.

If you have any questions on any of the steps I made please don't hesitate to ask. Also, if there is something you'd like to see me make, I'll gladly accept any ideas. 

ENJOY CREATING! 

Selling Decorated iPhone 4 Cases

To My Readers and Fellow Crafters:


I have received such a positive response from my posted cell phone covers, that I have decided to sell them! If you don't have the time to make your own, I will make you the real deal myself. You can choose ANY themed color that you like and I will be creative with it. (For example, mine case was pink and gold) For right now I am making only iPhone 4 covers, but if there is a special request, I will see what I can do. I will be selling them for $45 a piece, and this will include shipping. If you are interested, send me an e-mail to laurel.a.powers@gmail.com with your address and color choice. Once payment is received through PayPal I will send you your completed case. There will be no returns or exchanges. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Spread the word to your friends and family! :)

Sincerely,


Laurel 


P.S. Because I am a struggling student, and have a special place in my heart for other struggling students, when you place your order through e-mail if you attach a picture of a valid student ID I will give you 20% off the TOTAL price! :) 

Juicy Couture Cell Phone Case: College Girl Version

Once I had invested in my new iPhone 4, I was looking for a cute cell phone case that not only covered my phone, but one that would distinctly match my personality. My first thought was to look at Juicy Couture. Their fun and unique ideas that they bring to each of their pieces has always caught my attention. So when I stumbled upon this case I knew it was the one I wanted......

But....it had an $80 price tag attached......

Since I am now a self-supporting graduate student, I knew that this awesome cell phone just wasn't in my budget so I decided to make use of my creativity and assemble my own! These are the steps and materials I took and used if you would like to create your own budget friendly cell phone case.

Step #1: I first made an order for a super cheap pink glittery cell phone case. I actually found a 4 pack of glittery cell phone cases for only $4.00, just in case I made a mistake. Amazon Pink Sparkle Case. 

Step #2: Obtained the rest of materials needed. I wanted use beads so I waited until beading was 40% off at Michaels. I took a picture of the Juicy Couture cell phone case into the store so I could find some of the knick-knacks needed to make the case fun....

If you can't tell from the pictures, I purchased some gold beads, pearl beads, black beads, rhinestones, fluorescent beads, and pink heart beads. I also found some knick-knacks such as cameos, rose buds, fluer de lis, and gold and silver statement pieces. 

*Before you begin, also ensure you have....

Paintbrush

Crafting Glue (that dries clear)

Clear Spray Paint

Here is the kind I used......

Step #3: I took my pieces, and practiced laying them out the way I wished.....

Step #4: For assembly, I got my crafting glue, and spread a VERY THICK layer onto the back on my cell phone case with my paint brush. I then just began adding the beading. I first began with covering the back of the case with the gold beads, and then added touches of silver, pearl, black, and rhinestone beads sporadicly. Once the cell was covered with a good layer of beads, I added my statement pieces that I had practiced laying out before hand. To attach these well, I used extra glue to ensure they were secure. Once the cell phone cover looked the exact way I wanted.....

Step #5: .....I took it outside and sprayed a thick layer of the clear spray paint on it. Since the glue nor the  spray paint were dry, I let the case sit for 24 hours, to ensure everything was dry. You may want to add another THIN layer of glue, or THIN layer of spray paint to make sure your beading is strongly secure and won't fall off. This was my end result.....

....and I absolutely LOVE IT!

If you have any questions, or need any help creating your own feel free to send any questions my way. 

Sincerely,

Laurel 

New Years Resolution

       The intention of creating a site where individuals could come to get ideas on crafting, and ideas that bring inspirations to their lives has been a goal of mine for some time now.  Though Pinterest has taken over as a source for creative inspiration, it can at times be a bit overwhelming, and full of ideas that I would like to use and do, but will never have the time or money too. Since this is a new year, and I have put off this blog long enough....I will being by posting items every few weeks or so. These posting will be added in the hopes of making one's day, or if you enjoy crafting as much as I do, these will be projects you can do quickly at home while being budget conscious. I put off this blog due to the time constraints of working full time and going to graduate school. Though I have been spread pretty thin, I have realized that now more than ever, that expressing my creativity through producing something fun and unique is what makes me happy. Through my interests and perceived talents, I hope I can be a different source to make others as happy as I am, by helping them tap into their creative talents. If there is something a reader would like to know how to make, or how to make something for less than the purchase price, I welcome any suggestions. 

Your Friend,

Laurel