Monsters and Taylor Swift (Revisited).

 Part 1.

The ghost of tutorials past.

So, remember in one of my earlier posts I was all like, "I totally want hair like Taylor Swift, but can't use a curling iron?"  And then I gave you a tutorial about how to use these little "pillow curlers" that kind of looked like tampons?  And then I kind of just kind of looked like Shirley Temple, and not like Taylor Swift at all?

Well, guess what?  I tried a method using different curlers that is less Shirley Temple and way more Tay-Tay.  I know!  Awesome, right?

So, I'm going to be lazy (since this is a revisitation, after all) and give you the video tutorial that I used to get these curls.  I might have included it in the original no-heat curls post, but here it is again.

And, I sincerely want to apologize for the teenage-ness of this video.  The creator is the quintessential bubbly teenage girl, and I found myself being a total hater while I was watching the video.  Shame on me, especially since I found it really helpful.  BUT, if you find yourself rolling your eyes in the first ten seconds (like I did), skip to 2:54 for the less annoying tutorial.

See?  This is so much better than my crazy Shirley Temple curls.  

Part 2.

Moving On.

So, you know that awkward moment when you run out of bookmarks because you're reading, like, 5 different books, so you start using receipts and bobby pins as bookmarks?  No?  Just me.  Huh.

Well, I'm out of bookmarks, and I ran across this cute little tutorial on... (drumroll, please)... Pinterest.  I know - weird.  There are a ton of other bookmark ideas that involve stealing paint sample cards from places like Home Depot and Menards and such.  But, that would require me to leave the house today, which I'm not really inclined to do.  So I'll use the oodles of cardstock I have instead.

materials.

Plain cardstock and left over scrapbooking paper from my coasters project.

1.  Cardstock or scrapbooking paper
2.  Scissors
3.  Glue
4.  Pencil
5.  Coffee (optional)













procedure.

Starting with a 6x6 piece of paper, fold your paper in half.

Next, take each bottom point of the triangle, and fold it to the top point.

Unfold your triangle.

Fold the top point of your triangle down.

Refold the "wings" of your triangle up to the center point.

Tuck in the point of one wing into the pocket that you've created.

Tuck the other wing into the pocket.

Now it's time to decorate!  If you make a monster, make sure the teeth have
 angled edges so they will fit properly.

Awww, it's a monster...a really dopey monster.

Monsters a bit on the childish side?  Here's a grown up version
 using the scrapbooking paper.

Voila!  It is finished!

Now, get rid of those bobby pins and receipts.  Unfold those dog-ears holding your place.  You now have something better!

Coasters.

So, I have no coffee table.

Wait, no.

I have a coffee table, but it's been commandeered as an entertainment center, currently housing basically every electronic gizmo we have in the house.  Honestly, it was rickety at best when we bought it (but CHEAP), and I'm not really sure if it will be able to withstand its current workload much longer.  The poor thing is sagging sadly in the middle, and we've glued a popsicle stick to the bottom of one of the shelf supports because it snapped in half five minutes after we bought it. (Aaron had the audacity to rest his feet on the bottom shelf).  We really should just put it out of its misery, but I mean, it's doing such an admirable job and I don't want it to feel like Curly's dog from Of Mice and Men.  And who's to say a piece of furniture doesn't have feelings?

Yeah, so, anyway.  I have no coffee table.  So what on God's green earth possessed me to make coasters when I have no functional coffee table?  Because I could.  That's why.

And I have to say, they're pretty cool.

Mod Podge Coasters

To clarify, it is "mod podge," NOT "modge podge," which I may or may not have said all the time until I actually went to buy mod podge today and read the label.  Oops.

Materials:

Sprecher root beer and Chairman Bob
drop cloth are highly recommended, but not required.

1. Ceramic tiles:  I got mine from Menards for $.11 a piece.  This made Aaron very happy - Menards and a cheap craft to keep me happy.  If you are not blessed from above with a Menards, try Home Depot or the like.
2. Mod podge:  There are a variety of finishes available.  I chose the glossy finish.  You can find this in any craft store.
3. Sponge brush or mod podge brush from Michaels.
4. Scrapbooking paper:  I used s.e.i. brand "Field Notes" 6x6 paper pad which I purchased from Hobby Lobby.  Seriously, there are so many paper options out there.  You should not have trouble finding patterns you love.  I really loved the mix of this particular paper pad.
5. Felt with an adhesive back:   Purchased at Michaels (you could also just hot glue felt to the back of the coasters).  If I had been thinking more clearly, I would have used cork instead of felt, but I guess waste not...and also felt was cheaper.
6. Acrylic clear coat spray:  Again, these are available in many finishes - I chose glossy.  Available at craft stores or probably Home Depot and Menards.  In any case, look for it in the paint aisle.
7. Scissors
8. Pencil
9. Ruler or any straight edge

The Process:

I knew nothing - NOTHING, not even the correct pronunciation - about mod podge before this project, other than it existed.  I don't think it involves much in the way of fancy technique, and the Pinterest post that this idea came from made it seem pretty simple, which, for the most part it is.

step 1.  Take one of your tiles and trace it onto the back of one of your pieces of paper so you have a rough estimate of the size of your tile.  You are going to use this first piece as a template for tracing your other paper pieces.

This is important:  You want your piece of paper to be SMALLER than the actual tile.  You should have a little bit of tile showing on each side of your coaster (how much you want showing is up to you, but you shouldn't have paper right to the edge of your tile).  This allows for a seamless mod podge application and prevents your paper from peeling off later.

step 2.  After you trace, take a ruler (or any straight edge - I just used a piece of paper) and trace a few millimeters INSIDE your original trace line.  Remember: you'll be using this as a template, so make sure leave just a little bit extra space to allow for the extra width of trace lines.

step 3.  Trace your template onto the rest of your scrapbook paper, cut them out, and set them aside.

step 4.  Take two or three of your tiles and apply an even, thin-ish layer of mod podge onto the tile.  I recommend doing two or three tiles at a time  

Side Note:  In my ignorance, I somehow thought that if I just brushed mod podge on top of a piece of paper sitting on a tile, it would magically adhere.  After I did that, I sat there looking stupidly at the tile thinking, Is that it? Why doesn't that look right?  I did some research and figured out you need to apply mod podge first.  Derp deh derp.

step 5.  After you've applied your thin-ish layer of mod podge to the tile, apply your scrapbook paper, squaring it with the tile and pressing around the paper (edges especially) to assure adherence.

step 6.  Once your paper is set, apply a thin-ish coat of mod podge on top of the paper.  Make sure the coat application is even and goes all the way to the edges of the tile.

step 7.  Now, you just need to apply more coats of mod podge.  The bottle directions said apply five coats, letting each coat completely dry (takes about 20 minutes) before applying the next.  I just followed the directions.

However,  the bottle directions also said something about wet sanding in between each coat.  I didn't know what that meant, soooo I just didn't do it.

step 8.  After you've applied all five coats and let them dry, you are now ready to apply the acrylic sealer.  Make sure you follow the direction on the can, and do this in a well-ventilated area.  I wore a bandana around my face because I am a total gangsta.

I moved my operation outside to avoid inhaling sealant.
Also, it was GORGEOUS out today.

After sealant was applied.  Not much of a difference other than being
slightly shinier and stinkier.

 step 9.  Make sure to let your coasters dry in a cooler place than outside in the direct sunlight.  While they are drying, cut out the felt that you will be sticking to the bottom of your coasters.

Note:  If you're smarter than me, you'll see that using circles for felt pads is a ridiculous idea.  They were tedious to trace and tedious to cut out.  Not to mention, it wasted felt.  Be brilliant - cut out squares.

step 10.  Stick your felt pads in each corner of your coaster, as close to the edges as you can without the felt pad being seen.

step 11.  Enjoy your beautiful new coasters!  Or, in case of the utter lack of a coffee table, give them as a gift to friends who are cooler than you because they actually own a coffee table.

If you have read any of my other posts, sometimes I don't think of something brilliant (or obvious) about what I'm making until after the fact.  If you were reading this and at some point thought, "Oh, honey, you're doing that the hardest way possible," please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, and tips!  I'm always looking to improve my crafty adventures.

So, until next time...!

Summer.  I don't think I have ever been more thankful for summer.  E.V.E.R.

"Why?" you might ask.  "What's so amazing about summer?"  

Besides that being the stupidest question in the world (because there is such a thing as a stupid question), summer is a teacher's sacred time to piece back together their sanity after having spent 9 months being a mentor, a counselor, a parent, an advocate, a professional - a teacher.

As I entered teaching, I keenly felt an enormous responsibility for my students.  My job was (and is) to prepare them to be successful in "the real world."  What I taught in class, how I interacted with them, counseled them, could potentially impact them forever.  I'm not trying to be melodramatic.  Take a minute - really think about what teachers are charged with doing.  It's mind blowing.

And terrifying.

And thrilling.

And I am so stoked to be a teacher.

Now, I did not have a magical first year.  I survived my first year.  But, somewhere between agonizing self-doubt, drinking eight cups of coffee a day to stay functional, and smiling and nodding while feeling occasionally (okay, more than occasionally) clueless, I fell hopelessly in love with teaching.  Maybe it was my students (they're AWESOME), maybe it was the little victories, or maybe it's just the fact that the summer haze casts a golden glow on my memories from this past year.  I'm not so naive to think that everything will be easy from here on out.  But it will be worth it, because I am going to be an awesome teacher.

So, how does one become the world's greatest teacher?

Pinterest.  Obviously.

Seriously, though - Pinterest is an awesome resource for teachers.  There are many practical (and impractical) ideas for projects, classroom set-up, common core resources, and, of course, teacher humor.  I've used Pinterest to print classroom posters, find fun graphics for hand-outs, and to brainstorm new, exciting ways to present topics.

So, today, I give you:  The Sharpie Mug.  Every teacher (also, everyONE) needs a fun, personalized caffeine vessel.  Enjoy the tutorial!

Heheh.  Get it?

Sharpie Mug Tutorial

A glossy mug.  Exactly what I tell
you NOT to use.  However, bold
colored Sharpies are a must.

So, here we go!

Materials:

1.  White mug:  This is tricky.  If you use a mug that has a high-gloss finish, regular Sharpies, ceramic paint, and oil-based Sharpies will. not. work.  At least, not well.  The high gloss pretty much acts like a whiteboard.  For optimal results, you need a mug that has a matte glaze.  My theory?  The matte finish is more porous, so will absorb the Sharpie/paint more effectively.

2.  Sharpies (or ceramic paint pen or oil-based Sharpies).

Oil-based Sharpie; Elmer's Painters

3.  Oven.

Procedure/Results:

1.  Make sure you wash your mug to rinse off dirt, oils, etc.  The ink/paint won't adhere well to a dirty or oily surface.

2.  Choose your drawing utensil (regular Sharpie, oil-based Sharpie, ceramic paint pen) and draw your lovely, witty, awe-inspiring design.  Since words are more my thing, I stuck to some of my favorite sayings.

3.  Let your mug sit for 24 hours.  This will help the ink dry and "settle" into your mug.

4.  After drawing on your design and letting your mug sit for 24 hours, put your mug in your oven at 400 F (I upped the temp from other tutorials) for 40 minutes (I also upped the time).  DO NOT
PREHEAT YOUR OVEN.  I'm not sure why I capitalized that, but apparently it's important, mainly because it's what I did.

5.  After baking for 40 minutes, turn off the heat and let the mugs cool down in the oven.

6.  After the mugs sufficiently cooled, I did a "water" test, to see if it worked.  Mainly, I just ran water over the decorated area and then rubbed the mug vigorously to make sure that the design would stay.  For science's sake, I also scratched several of my designs with my fingernails to test the durability of the design.  The only mug that withstood THAT test was the regular Sharpie mug with the matte finish.

Conclusion:
Okay, since this was a science experiment (kind of), here are my conclusions:

• Glossy mugs aren't awesome for this project.  The only thing that kind of worked on the glossy mug was the ceramic paint, and it still scratched off.  I would like to further this experiment by using some food-safe clear-coat sealer...I know it has to exist somewhere.
• Matte-finish mugs are ideal and seem to hold the Sharpie ink better.  I would use regular Sharpie markers, as they are odor-free while "cooking," have more color options, and are less cumbersome to use.  Oil-based Sharpies and ceramic paint pens are pretty much the same thing.  They don't seem to work quite as well,  and they smell AWFUL while your mug bakes.
• After you have decorated a mug, don't expect everything to be peachy when you throw it in your dishwasher. Treat it like you would any other hand-decorated finery - gently hand wash!

Awesome Dr. Who poem:  "In bed above we lie asleep/ While greater love lies further deep/ This dream must end/ This world must know/ We all depend on the beast below."

Thanks for playing!  If you have any suggestions for me to try (because I'm going to continue to work out the kinks in this), let me know!  Happy decorating!