Shrink Plastic

I saw this pretty blouse at Macy's and it was pricey.  Dare me to try it from shrunk plastic?

Queen of the Day

Here she is...not only the Queen of the Day but she's the Queen of Crafts.  We gathered to celebrate the 90th birthday of this amazing lady, ALEENE!  

Aleene's Family

Here's the fam minus daughter Candace.  

The Aleene's Crew

It was awesome catching up with old friends!

Joan Martin Fee and Pattie Wilkinson

Got in some Pattie hugs and yes, my necklace was made from shrink plastic!

Julianna Hudgins and Pattie Wilkinson

The ladies enjoying the party.

Butterfly Tiara

I love, love, love butterflies!!!

I created this tiara from a photo I took on a recent outing.  I printed it on hard plastic so it will become a cherished heirloom for many, many years.  It's now available on my butterfly etsy shop. www.etsy.com/shop/ButterflyGiftShop?ref=si_shop

Gift Basket

Neighborhood Gift Basket

My neighbor has an amazing lemon tree and every couple of months I am gifted a bag of lemons.  I too give them away, bake with them, slice and freeze them, etc.  Before Christmas I taught a Gifts from the Garden class and created Limoncello using my neighbor's lemons. 
 When the last bag arrived about Christmas time I made my neighbor and his wife a batch.  There are many recipes on the internet so for my class, I made a quick version (5 days) and then a longer version (about a month).  The ladies in the class said the quick version was stronger and the longer batch more mellow.  I let this batch ferment for almost two months. 

Being the crafter that I am and getting back into my love of shrink plastic, I created a quick label using some clip art I found on the internet, added their names, printed it off and shrunk it.  If you're not familiar with shrink plastic, it starts out very thin and when you place it in the oven it shrinks in about five minutes to the thickness of a nickel and very hard.  Perfect for jewelry, gift tags, cupcake picks, etc., etc.  I LOVE it!

 The tag turned out great!  Follow the instructions on the shrink plastic package and you'll get good results.

 In addition to the Limoncello, I made this a 'Harry & David and Neighborhood' basket.  I was given a box of Harry and David pears so I added in some of those, I included some pickled green beans from my garden, an avocado from a neighbor's tree, an amaryllis from my yard and some Rosemary and Lemon Cookies made from my neighbor's lemons and rosemary from another neighbor's yard.

My neighbor was so surprised when I took over the basket last night. Random acts of kindness make my heart sing...

Family Reunion Favor

We have a family reunion coming up and I ran across this picture of my mom with her sisters.  I printed it on shrink plastic (be sure to read all the instructions before you print on it), then shrunk it in the oven and now they're ready to have a magnet glued on the back.

If you haven't played with shrink plastic, it starts out thin enough to run through your printer, cuts with regular scissors and when you place it in a warm oven it shrinks 50% and to the thickness of a nickel.  It's great for jewelry, Christmas ornaments, cupcake decorations and on and on...

Feeling Special

Feeling extra special.  I received a box of Harry and David pears today!  Yummy!

Valentine's Day Ideas

I had such a fun time making all of these projects using the EZScreenPrint product.  You start by creating just the design you want - yes, you use your own design - that's what makes this product so neat - you can totally customize whatever you want! 



Greet your guests with a cute hanging decoration.  I put cup hooks under the handrail on my stairs so I can decorate for all of the holidays.  A few of these would also look great hanging from your light fixture.

Use fabric paint and stencil on cloth or paper napkins.

 I love this centerpiece.  I stenciled the hearts onto heavy cardstock and while still wet, I sprinkled on glitter.  Let the paint dry. Cut them out, glue a skewer to the back and when they're dry, add them to your floral arrangement.

 Cupcakes are all the rage.  I stenciled on shrink plastic that's for use with ink jet printers.  Right after I applied the paint, I placed a paper towel over the paint and gently blotted it.  If you don't, your paint will get kind of furry looking and we can't have that!  Follow the instructions on your shrink plastic to shrink.  Oh!  For those who have never used shrink plastic (I have adored shrink plastic since I was a kid) you do your image on the plastic, put it in the oven and it shrinks about 60%, gets the thickness of a nickle and hard.  Great for making cupcake picks and tons of other projects.  Another, oh!  As you're cutting out each cupcake pick, leave about a 2" long x 1" wide piece at the bottom to insert into the cupcake.

 Come on over, I have cupcakes!



You'll want to make your gifts extra special too.  Stencil right on the wrapping paper, gift bag or card.  Sprinkle on some glitter if you'd like and be ready for a special evening.

This t-shirt adds a great touch to tie your entire Valentine's Day celebration together.  Add some iron-on crystals in a coordinating color and you're ready for the perfect party!

Ready to try screen printing?  Get started with a 15% off discount - just use joan15 when you're checking out and there's no minimum order.  Screen printing is as addicting as chocolate!  www.EZScreenPrint.org  Check it out!

Do It Yourself Screen Printing

I'm having a fun play day getting ready for Valentine's Day using the EZScreenPrint.  I was amazed that in less than an hour I could make my own custom silk screen stencils and be ready to make awesome creations.

Once you print your artwork, it only takes 1 minute exposure to the sun to 'develop' and a little bath time. Love, love, love EZScreenPrint!!!  For those who are having less than sunny days at the moment, they also sell a light kit so you can make screens 24 / 7. (Since I live where we sometimes have dense fog, I know I'm going to be using my light a lot.) Check out the Customer Showcase for year round inspiration.  www.ezscreenprint.com 

Want to create your own custom designs for an upcoming family reunion, sports team, birthday party, craft ideas, etc., etc., etc.? Get 15% off when you use coupon code JOAN15 at checkout - no minimum!!!

I'm outta here and back to making Valentine's Day projects with the beautiful hearts.  Check back because I'll post my finished projects very soon!