Fun with Vinyl - Anniversary Art

A few months back I cashed in my Discover Cashback Bonus to buy myself a Silhouette Cameo digital cutting machine.  I have been dying to get one since my addiction to Pinterest!  It's pretty similar to the Cricut machine but after doing some research I decided this was the way to go for me.  I like that you can hook it up to your computer and use the included software to produce your own images, etc.  There is also an extensive online store with many vector graphics for just $.99 and they give you $10 or $25 credit (I got both - ha!) when you buy the machine.

So I commenced to stick vinyl on almost anything I could get my hands on!  It's pretty fun - I love manipulating images and then cutting them out.  Hard to do over nap time so it takes me a few days.

My latest completed project is just in time for my anniversary to my awesome hubster!  Hard to believe it's been 8 years.  And what do you get for your special sweetheart on your 8 year anniversary?   An upright freezer, of course!  Last year I got some rockin' diamond earrings so this year it needed to be a more practical gift.

On to the awesomeness that is my anniversary art.  I found some inspiration on, where else, Pinterest but wanted to do something a little different.  They had some 12x12" frames on sale at Michael's for $8 so I picked one up.  I have tons of scrapbook paper (because some day I really will create beautiful scrapbooks) so I figured I could use the paper for a nice background instead of just seeing the wall like the others on Pinterest.

I wanted a huge ampersand, our names and the date of our wedded bliss.  In fabulous Las Vegas baby!  Seriously, Vegas is the way to go.  Trust me, I was in two weddings this summer...Vegas all the way!

Awww!  There's just something about a man in uniform!

All in all, I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  I cut the ampersand out using a mirror image mode and stuck that on the back of the glass.  Our names and wedding date were applied the front.  It gives some dimension.  The paper in the background is an ocean theme; I could switch out the paper to go with anything really.

 

 

If you like to make stuff, craft, etc then I highly recommend a digital cutting machine.  It cuts paper too!  So maybe I need to get crankin' on that scrapbook!  ::sigh::

Faux Tin Bookcases

Close up of the finished "tin"!

Hello all, so this is my first official blog post - so excited!!  I thought I would start off by sharing a project I just recently completed.  When I started this project I was still kicking around the idea of starting my own blog so I didn't get pics of the before and during - but I have some of the after.  Honestly, there is probably a tutorial floating around Pinterest but I came up with this on my own after seeing a picture of a lovely bookcase with a tin back.  So cute and so expensive (the tin, that is.  This project cost me less than $100 for 2 bookcases)!

I have this formal living room area in the house we are renting and I had no clue what to do with it until I saw that bookcase.  So I visited Walmart.com, purchased some cheap bookcases (like
$35 cheap with free shipping 'cause that's how I roll) and assembled them leaving the cheap backing off.  Then I went to Lowe's, purchased some really thin board (I can't remember what it's called but it was about $8 per sheet and I bought 2) and some paintable wallpaper that looks like tin.

Lay your cheap backing on top of the thin board backing and trace around.  Now it's time for power tools - cut out your new back!

I primed my boards so the wallpaper would stick better.  Once the primer is cured, follow the instructions on your wallpaper for application and let it dry 24 hours.

Now that the wallpaper is dry and trimmed to fit on the board, now you have to start your faux finish.  This is where I wish I had pictures!  I knew I wanted a silver tin look.  So I mixed up some white latex paint with a little black craft paint to get a nice soft gray.  I rolled that over the wallpaper, making sure to get all the nooks.  I let this dry completely, at least 12 hours.

Now, put down a floor covering because the next part gets messy.  Pull back out your black craft paint, a cup or bowl filled with about a 1/2-1 cup of water.  Pour in a generous amount of paint (yes, into the water and mix it up - you want a soupy mix).  I used a big kinda rigid mop brush and scrubbed the watery black paint all over the wallpaper.  Work in sections because you want to apply and then gently wipe it off with an old towel or something.  The goal is to get the black paint in the nooks and wipe away just enough so the soft gray comes through on the raised parts of the wallpaper.  Less is more with this approach...if it's not dark enough, add more and wipe away with less pressure.

When you are satisfied with the look - let it dry completly.  It should resemble old tin!  Pretty cool, huh?  I had some light silver craft paint so I used a dry brush technique and applied a little bit  over the backs so they would have a subtle shimmer.



My "styled" shelves.  I'm glad I am finally able to pull my blue bottles out of storage and display them here.  They were  a gift from my MIL.

 You could do this with bronze and copper colors too.  I actually think any color would look good with this wallpaper - just remember to start with the lighter color as you base and then come back to antique with your darker (watered down) color.  Maybe I'll try again on a shelf I have planned for my daughter's room?  Hmmm...

Now go make yourself a margarita for a job well done and thanks for checking out the first DIY post!



Couch is from the hubster's old "man cave" but still good and pretty comfy.  I have to hang up my HUGE map of Baltimore harbor.  But I think the bookcases frame everything nicely.  I'm thinking about adding some crown molding too!