During a recent shopping trip I found the coolest paperweight at the dollar store.  It was backed with a not-so-desirable photograph of a butterfly, but I knew that with a little hybrid magic, I could make it into something spectacular!  For a buck, I was willing to give it a shot!!  So scour your local bargain shops and find yourself a paperweight and play along.  I’ve even seen these at my local craft stores, but your cost would go up, obviously.  Let’s get craftin’, shall we?!

You’re going to need:

• a glass paperweight
• clear glue of your choice (I used Tombow’s Mono Aqua Liquid Glue, what I happened to have on hand)
• digital designs
• felt or cork (optional)

If you want to kick it up a notch (and this tutorial assumes that you do), add to your list of supplies:

• packing tape
• either a laser printer or the ability to make a laser copy of your designs
• popsicle stick or strong nails

I’m using Mari Koegelenberg’s beautiful kit, All Spice.  Be still my beating heart!  I just love the colors in this kit!

1)  The first thing you’ll want to do is prepare your paperweight for crafting.  This may include removing the artwork that’s backing the paperweight using alcohol or Goo Gone to remove any remaining adhesive and washing/drying your paperweight.  I had already removed my butterfly and cleaned my paperweight before writing this tutorial.  I’m so sorry that I’m not able to share that lovely piece of artwork with y’all

2)  Measure your paperweight (approximate is fine).  It’s hard to photograph glass I’ve discovered, but just to give you an idea – - my paperweight is roughly 3 inches tall x 3.5 inches wide.  It is rounded and is beveled so that the back (where the design goes) is slightly smaller than the front.

3)  Begin laying your design out in Photoshop, creating for yourself a shape that is the approximate size of your paperweight.  I created a half-circle that was roughly the size of my paperweight.  Clip all your papers and design elements to this shape.  Once you have your design just as you’d like it, print onto cardstock.  Inkjet or laser prints will work just fine.

4) Any additional elements that will be applied to the front of your paperweight should be chosen, sized appropriately and printed with a laser printer on plain copy paper.   A laser copy will also work.  We’ll be using an image transfer technique for the front pieces and you will need a laser copy/print for this part of the tutorial.

5) Trim all design pieces (paperweight back, design elements for the front).  I didn’t photograph this (sorry!), but I laid my paperweight down on the paperweight back design piece, traced with a pencil and then cut out.

6) We’re going to first apply our art to the back of the paperweight.  Begin with applying a generous amount of clear glue to the back side of your paperweight.  This can be done in several ways, but I prefer to use more glue and clean up any that oozes out rather than not have enough to adhere my image.  Apply your clear glue as shown below.

7)  Place your printed design FACE DOWN onto the glued surface.  Next, flip your paperweight over.  Glue will ooze out somewhat.  It’s okay.  I’ve got damp paper towels on hand.   I like to use the weight of the glass and press and smooth out any bubbles.   By having the paperweight face up, you can see any bubbles quite well (see photo below).  Position the printed design just as you’d like it and then flip the paperweight back over. 

Note:  If you let the paperweight dry face up, the glue could stick to your work surface.

8)  While the first part dries a bit, we’re going to work on the top design.  Trim your pieces, leaving just a bit of white space, and place them face down on a piece of packing tape.  Flip your tape over and with a popsicle stick, burnish the tape so that the design is firmly adhered to the tape.

9)  Trim your pieces again, removing excess tape.  Soak in warm water for 5 minutes.

10)  Remove papers from water and begin gently rubbing the back of the design to remove the paper.  With gentle pressure and rewetting as necessary, the paper fibers should come off entirely and leave behind a clear “rub-on.”  Trim closely leaving just a bit of clear tape around your transparent design.

11)  Apply your rub-on to the front of  your paperweight with a bit of clear glue.  Again, have a damp paper towel on hand to remove any glue oozes.

12)  Let everything dry.  If you would like to back your paperweight with felt or cork, just trim your material of choice to size and apply with adhesive.  I chose not back my paperweight as I plan on displaying it upright at my desk.  Enjoy  your creation!!

Switch plate covers are such a neat, unexpected way to add a bit of personality to your room. Let’s get started, shall we?!

You’re going to need:

• Fleury Kit by Wendy Page (or digital kit of your choice)
• Mod Podge (I used Glossy)
• pencil
• cutting mat & exacto knife (and/or sharp pointed scissors -  I love my CutterBee scissors!)
• paintbrush
• switch plate
• recommended: spray sealer

1. Remove your switch plate from the wall and take a quick measurement of it. It doesn’t have to be exact. Just make sure you’re giving yourself about 1/2 inch larger than your measured size to allow for the paper to fold over onto the back.

2. Create a new document in Photoshop (or other program), create a box that is the size of your switch plate measurements.  Mine was approx. 5×5 inches.  Clip a paper onto your box and adjust as necessary.  You may want to resize your 12×12 paper or move it around on the canvas until you’re happy with the scale and position of your pattern.  Print and cut out.  I used regular copy paper.  You would not want cardstock or a thick paper as it would make it difficult to adhere to the rounded corners.

3. Put your paper face down and center your switch plate face down on top of that. With your pencil, trace around the opening for the switches. I also made little pencil marks on the corners of my paper to indicate about where the corner of the switch plate was. It’s not an exact science, trust me.

4. Now, you’ll want to do some cutting. I do not cut out the space for my switches, I use my pencil lines as a guide and I cut an “X” inside the rectangle (see photo). Then, I cut a little triangle off each corner of my paper. It makes the edges less bulky in a bit.

Note: You may want to lightly sand your switch plate here.  I didn’t do this step, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you were so inclined.

5.  Brush a light coat of Mod Podge on the back side of your paper and on the front side of your switch plate.  After applying Mod Podge to both surfaces, I find it’s easiest for me to leave the paper face down and then place the switch plate face down on top of that (using the switch openings as a guide for placement).  It seems that I have better success with centering things just so this way.

6. Smooth out any bubbles. Fold the “X” in and behind the openings for the switches. I trimmed mine just a bit as you can see in the picture. Lastly, work all the way around the edge of your switch plate to adhere your paper to the edge and corners. I like just a wee bit of paper to fold around to the back side. Do be certain that you’ve glued it well enough.

7. You might notice that I haven’t cut any holes for my screw openings just yet. I actually like to do those last. I prefer to cut them from the paper once it’s already on the switch plate rather than trying to line up those circles when I’m Mod Podging (yes, it’s a verb!). If you gently press with your finger, you’ll see a nice indentation where the screw will go. You can trim that away easily with your exacto knife. The screw will hide any little imperfections later.

8. Now, you’re all set to cover this baby with a couple coats of Mod Podge. I like to use something to elevate my switch plate off my work surface (enter handy plastic cup). Depending on where your switch plate is located and what kind of use you think it’ll see, I would definitely recommend a nice sealer that will protect your work and allow for easy cleaning with a damp rag later.

Enjoy your fun little creation!!  I made a matching outlet cover as well (but that didn’t photograph well), and I’m on the lookout for more rooms to personalize!  The great thing about this project, aside from being quick and easy, is that it’s so budget friendly.  Plain plastic switch plate covers are quite cheap at your local home improvement store.  Swap ‘em out whenever you get the urge!

I have a great alternative and I’m super-excited to share with you a really fun, new way to use digital scrapbooking supplies!  We are going to give ourselves a little hybrid manicure.

To begin with, you will need the following:

• light color nail polish (white, light pink, cream, pale green, light turquoise, you get the idea….)
• rubbing alcohol
• small cup (I used a medicine cup.)
• digital supplies (laser print or copy)
• nail polish topcoat

1) Before getting started, quickly measure your fingernails.  This doesn’t need to be precise, but it’s nice to have a general idea.

2) Open a new Photoshop document and create for yourself 10-15 boxes that are a little larger than your nails.  My boxes were sized at 3/4 inch square.  (In a perfect world, you’ll just need the 10, but make a couple extra just in case.)

3) Find some great papers that you’d like to have on your nails.  I chose a rainbow striped paper from Mari Koegelenberg’s Hello Sunshine kit.

You will likely want to reduce the scale of your paper so that the design will better fit your nails.  Clip your papers to the boxes that you created.

4) Print your page.  (I have only tried this project with a laser print and I do not know if it will work with an ink-jet copy.)  Cut out all squares and set aside.

5) Paint your nails with your light colored nail polish.  You’ll likely need a couple coats.  You want to have a nice opaque canvas.  Let nails dry thoroughly.

6) Pour your alcohol into the small cup.  It should be deep enough that it can cover your finger.

7) Working with one nail at a time:  Dip your finger into the alcohol for 3-5 seconds.  It doesn’t take long; you just want to completely wet the nail.  Immediately press one of the paper squares onto your nail, image side down.  Do not move the paper around.  You can press so that it’s completely adhered.  Leave on for approximately 30 seconds and lift to remove.  If you notice that some paper fibers have been left behind, just gently rub them away with a damp finger.

Repeat for all of your fingers

9) Paint a topcoat on your nails to protect.  I used a glittery nail polish as my topcoat.

10)  Enjoy your fancy new nails!

A few thoughts:

• This is a super-easy project, but it did take me a couple times to get it just right.  Be prepared for that.  You may have to practice a time or two to get the hang of it.
• After doing this several times, I found that I had better results with simpler designs.  My stripes (in this tutorial) turned out better than a red damask pattern that I tried.  The transfer isn’t going to be 100% perfect every time, and the stripes (with a white background) were more forgiving.
• You might notice that my stripes are all going the same way except for on my ring finger.  That was um, intentional.  Yeah.  Cause my ring finger is special   If none of your digits are more special than the others, you might make certain that your pattern is going the same way on all your nails.
• Decals are also really great!  My daughter was so excited about having hearts & flowers on her nails.  Decals are actually much easier than an all-over pattern and can be used for so many different themes and occasions!  You follow the same instructions, just decrease the size of any element you plan on using to fit your nails. 

Here I used a sticker from Mari’s kit as an accent on my thumb nail:

Does it last, you ask?  Absolutely!  I found that my manicure lasted about a week and I didn’t have any trouble with my images fading.

Have fun!!

What you’ll need first is a frame.  Let’s talk about that for a moment, shall we?  Your frame can be old, new, or anywhere in between, but what it must be is flat (i.e.  the frame needs to have a flat front for you to decorate).  My frame is an old one that I had in my stash.  It was covered in a crackle finish and in desperate need of an upgrade.

You’ll want to first prepare your frame.  If you’re dealing with a lovely canvas such as my “distressed” frame here, you’ll want to sand it a bit and perhaps definitely repaint.  If you’re starting with a brand new frame, you may still want to sand the surface just a wee bit so that the Mod Podge adheres easily later on.  If you have raw wood, you’re probably good to go…unless you want it painted.

In short, get a flat frame and get it ready to play.

To continue on this beautiful adventure, you’ll need:

• Mod Podge
• Digi papers that you can’t live without
• Triple Thick (or other gloss sealer)
• small paint brush
• a ruler.  Yep, this is a craft with math.

1)  Measure your frame.  You need the length and width of each side.  Once you have the length for each side, decide how many “tiles” you’ll want on each section of the frame.  I went with three, so I divided the length of each side by 3.  That’s my length for each tile and the width is the width of the frame.  (My tiles were 1.5″ x 2.2″ and 1.5″ x 2.6″.)

2)  Next, create a blank canvas for yourself in Photoshop and use the shape tool to create boxes in the size that your tiles will be.  You can see below that I created my boxes and then arranged them as they would appear on my frame.  This really helped me in the next step.

3) Begin clipping your papers to your boxes.  You’ll likely want to decrease the size of some of your papers.  Some designs have a scale that lend themselves to larger areas.  Play around with your paper choices and their position here where it’s nice & easy to hit Cntrl+z!

Here’s Mari’s awesome kit that I’m using for this project

4) Print your papers & cut out.  (I used Canon Matte Photo Paper.)

5) Lay your tiles down on your frame and make and adjustments necessary before you start to glue.  (I ended up having to trim down a couple pieces.  Stinkin’ math.)

6) Paint a thin coat of Mod Podge on the back side of each tile and adhere it to the frame.  Be certain that there are no air bubbles in your papers.  Let dry, then cover the entire frame with a thin coat of Mod Podge.

7) Paint a coat of Triple Thick (or your choice of gloss sealer) on the frame.  Work slowly, one section at a time.  Triple Thick is just that.  Really thick.  It gives your project a nice glassy finish, but it does take some getting used to.  You can see in the picture here how thick it is.  Just brush it on and smooth as you go.  Other options for finishing this off would be Diamond Glaze, Dimensional Magic, Mod Podge Gloss, or even resin.

8 ) Let dry completely.  I like to put projects like these in the oven to dry, out of the reach of little helping-hands that might ruin my finish.

9) Enjoy your pretty creation!!

For our fun little matching coins travel game, we’ll need the following:

• 20 – 1 inch wooden discs, found at any craft store (please see recommendations about this below)
• 1 inch circle cutter (or cutting system)
• Mod Podge & paintbrush
• small coin purse (I found mine in Target’s Dollar Spot) or some other small bag/container
• digital art (embellishments, rub-ons, etc.)
• (optional, but recommended) Hard Coat Mod Podge or spray sealer
• (optional) paint if you wish to have your discs painted.  You would paint them BEFORE beginning the instructions that follow.

Warning: Choking hazard – this project contains small parts and is not recommended for children under the age of 3. Adult supervision is highly recommended.

A few notes about 1 inch wooden discs and circle cutters.  To put it quite simply, they’re not all created evenly.

I picked up wooden discs from several different craft stores and each brand was a little different.  If you look closely, you can see that they both look about the same size and they are pretty close to 1 inch in size.  The disc on the right has a smooth, flat edge, but the disc on the right has a rounded edge.  What this means is that while they both measure 1 inch, the top of the disc, the part that you’ll be decorating, is a different size.  The disc on the right has a slightly smaller top and will not accept a 1 inch decoration.  Paper cut to 1 inch would hang off the edge and not look pretty!

That brings me to cutters.  I happen to have several “1 inch” circle cutters.  I place this in parenthesis because while they’re called 1 inch, it might not necessarily be so.  To my great fortune, one of my “1 inch” cutters actually cuts circles 7/8 of an inch in size and worked splendidly to prepare the art for my rounded discs.

This rather long-winded rant should suffice to say, get yourself a ruler and figure out what you’re working with before you get started

The next step in our process is to design your coins.  You’ll be making 20 total (2 each of 10 different designs).  I like to use my shape tool and create all the circles that I need.  I use those circles as guides for size & placement of my embellishments, but I then delete the circles before printing, leaving the embellishments on a white background. 

The art that I chose for this project came from Mari Koegelenberg’s newest kit, Hello Sunshine, and Karen Lewis’ Dinky Doodles Rub-ons Vol 1 and Dinky Doodle Rub-ons 2.

After designing your images, print and cut out with your cutter of choice, taking care to center the images when you cut out your circles.

If you chose to leave your wooden discs plain, proceed.  If you wanted to paint them, well, now’s your last chance!  Whatcha waiting for?

Once your discs are ready to go, paint a very thin coat of Mod Podge onto the top of a disc and gently apply one of your image circles.  Be sure it’s completely adhered and you’ve not left any air bubbles.  Paint another thin coat on top of your disc, covering the image and exposed disc.  Let dry.  Repeat on your remaining 19 discs.

To finish these off, you can (and likely should) seal them.  I would recommend using a coat of Hard Coat Mod Podge or spraying with a non-yellowing clear sealer – on both sides.

While you could certainly tote your little game about in a sandwich bag (and I wouldn’t judge you for that), I think cute packaging makes it all the more fun.  I found little coin purses in the Dollar Spot at Target and picked one up.  Measure the ID badge area (both the over-all size and the size of the window), and create a nice “cover” for your game.

These are really so much fun.  My girls adore these sets and I think they’d be so awesome to personalize for gifts.  Best of luck & happy crafting!

Let’s get started, shall we?  We’re going to need a tile, first of all.  I would recommend the tumbled marble tiles that can be found at Home Depot or Lowes.  They have a worn, rough appearance and have a great “tooth” for accepting the transfer.  I actually couldn’t find the right tiles, and so I ended up buying a pack of un-tumbled marble tiles.  I think these worked just fine, and are perhaps better suited for the transfer of text.   Just a tip — work with the back side of the tile; it’s a little more roughed-up and will accept the transfer a little better.

Now, let’s create your design.  My tiles were 6×6, so I created that size canvas in Photoshop. I used several fonts for this design.  “F” is Abigail, “The Fowlers” is Passions Conflict, and “Est 2010″ is Bernhard Modern.  One of the best things that you can do here, in my opinion, is to vary your fonts.  Choose atleast two – one for your fancy pants name and the other for the text — Est. or Established, you decide.

I’ve also used some gorgeous borders for the tile.  These are from Mari Koegelenberg’s Remarks: Volume 3.

After you get your design just like you want it, you’ll need to reverse the image before printing.  I like to create a thin line around my canvas (I’ll show you why later).  If you are printing on a laser printer, you’re ready to get craftin’.  If you’re printing on an inkjet printer, you’ll need to get a copy of your printed image first.  An inkjet copy will not work with this project.

So, now for your supplies.  Gather your tile, your printed image (trimmed), Mod Podge Matte, a paintbrush, a brayer,  an oven set to 150 degrees, and a small dish of water.

1.  Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge on your tile and allow it to dry.

2.  Once that’s dry, paint a thin layer of Mod Podge onto your image.  It’ll get all wrinkle-y and such.  That’s fine.

3.  Now, you’re going to put the two together.  Remember that little box around my canvas that I told you about?  Here’s where it comes in handy.  I put my tile face down on top of the image and use the black lines as a guide for keeping everything straight.  There’s really no room for adjustment once the paper is on the tile, so it’s best to get it right the first time.

4.  Next, I flip the tile right side up (so that the paper is face-down on top).  Geez, clear as mud?  You’ll want to use your brayer (or a credit card, or  your fingers) and make sure that you work any bubbles out.  If you used a thin coat of Mod Podge, this should be pretty easy.

5.  And….into the oven!  Although you could let this baby air-dry overnight, I don’t have that kind of time (or patience, ahem.).   Give it about 15-20 minutes in an 150 degree oven.  Pull it out and let it cool.

6.  Once your tile has cooled, it’s time for the fun part.  With dampened fingers, gently rub the tile to remove the paper.  You’ll want to use a gentle touch here and go slowly.   You could also use a spray bottle filled with water and mist as you go along.

Just a word of caution… Do not think to  yourself that you’ll speed things up and just wet the whole thing under the faucet.  It simply doesn’t work.  Ask me how I know.

7.  You may notice some small paper fibers here and there.  They’re not a problem, and you’ll never even know they’re there after the next step.

8.  Seal your tile with another coat of Mod Podge.   I used Matte, but you may prefer Gloss.  Allow to dry.

9.  I wrap these babies up with a nice plate stand.  They are purely decorative and I wouldn’t suggest using them for trivets.

Let me know if you have any questions & I’d love to see your tile transfer projects if you make one of these

The supplies for this project are quite inexpensive and you’ll find yourself wanting to make tons of these sweet pendants for yourself and others.  They are so addictive!!

The first thing is to search through your digtal supplies and find some lovely art.  I chose a gorgeous paper and  flower from Matahati’s Spring Medley kit.  I opened these in Photoshop and created a canvas for myself the same size as my glass tile (1×1 inch).  After adjusting the sizes of my paper and flower to fit my 1×1 square, I printed and was ready to get crafty!

Let’s  gather our supplies for the pendant.  You’ll need: 

• 1×1 inch glass tile and bail (I purchased mine on etsy – do a supplies search for glass tiles)
• Judikins Diamond Glaze
• exacto knife & self-healing mat
• E-6000 Adhesive or other adhesive
• your printed image

Step 1:  Apply a thin coat of Diamond Glaze to the back side of your glass tile.  The back side is somewhat textured and the front is smooth – - you’ll notice a difference.  Once you’ve applied the Diamond Glaze, place your printed image on the tile FACE DOWN.  Press the paper down well and be certain that there are not any bubbles in your glaze.  I like to flip my tile right side up and smoosh it onto my work surface to be sure that the Diamond Glaze has gotten all the way to the edge of the tile and that there are no air pockets.  Allow to dry (face down – you don’ t want that little sucker drying onto your counter, now do you?).

Step 2:  Once your glue has dried, you’ll want to trim any overhang from the sides of your tile.  Now you could trim that up before you glued your image to the tile, but I like doing it this way   I use an exacto knife and my trusty self-healing mat.  That poor thing has seen better days.

Step 3:  If there was to be a tricky part in this process, this step is it.  It’s not hard, though, so don’t fret.  Next, you want to cover the back side of your tile with Diamond Glaze to seal the image.  I do this by applying a nice bead of glaze all around the tile and then filling that in, working from outside in.  If you get any little bubbles, which is apt to happen, you can use a toothpick to remove them, or just drag them to the edge of the tile with the applicator tip.  A few small bubbles don’t bother me much, but you’ll want to be sure that you get rid of any large ones.

Step 4:  After your Diamond Glaze has been applied, allow the tile to dry overnight.  I usually put mine in the toaster oven so that no dust or little “helping” hands get on my tile.  Some people simply cover the tile with a cup to protect it. 

Step 5:  Once you’re sure that your tile has completely dried, apply the bail to the back side of the tile with a wee bit of E6000.

Step 6:  Admire your handiwork & get ready for the compliments!!