Have I mentioned how much I love E-6000 adhesive?

{Is that weird?}

This stuff rocks! I've used it for everything from making jewelry to repairing shoes.

I pulled out my tube today to fix a broken figurine and a trophy... then things got crazy. Crazy creative, that is.

I made Dylan some pins for his backpack out of old wooden nickels...

The bacon and egg artwork is not my own.

I made a pretty little ring for myself out of scrapbook paper, a glass stone, and a ring blank...

Read my tutorial here.

And, finally, I worked up these adorable rings from bows that Kellie and I made from Shrinky Dinks when she was here. We used the same techniques as our enameled pinwheel pendants.

I used the bow template that Jessica provided on her blog, How About Orange.

After cutting out the pieces, we shrunk them in the oven...

Painted with nail polish...

Assembled with E-6000...

Added a coat of glitter polish and a rhinestone...

Affixed to a ring blank...

And, voila!

I have to admit, now that this ring complete, I don't think it really fits my own fashion sense. However, it might feel different with another paint treatment. I think this would be a fun mother-daughter project.

Just as an aside, do you know how hard it is to photograph a ring on your own hand? Harder than you'd think!

I'm following up this post with another project that I tackled this weekend.

Stay tuned!

I just dropped Kellie off at the airport.

**tear and sniff**

We had such a great weekend... sightseeing, shopping, eating, and... crafting.

Yes, I suckered her into a crafting session. I've missed having creative company! A visit from my bestie was the perfect crafting jumpstart that I needed.

I've had this idea floating in my head for a while and was waiting for the right time to give it a try - "enameled" Shrinky Dink pinwheel charms.

Isn't it adorable?

I love pinwheels. I "pin" them as often as I see them. They are such happy little things!

Look at these beauties.

And, do you remember my March Winds wreath?

 

It's still hanging in my boys' playroom. Such a happy sight!

But I digress... back to the tutorial.

We would both label this project a challenge and a success (and I have the burns to prove it!).

Here's how we made our charms.

Start with a 2" x 2" square of Shrinky Dink material. Cut four slits from the exterior corners to the near-middle of the square.

Punch a hole in one corner.

Heat your oven and shrink per product directions.

Here's where it gets tricky... and dangerous...

Right as your plastic lays flat, open the oven and begin to fold in the edges towards the center as shown below. You have to work very quickly or the plastic will become to hard to fold into shape.

I burned myself several times during our various trials - so, trust me, it's dangerous work!

We made several attempts before figuring out the proper technique for working with the plastic.

 

File the tips of the pinwheel just a bit because the edges are very sharp.

Paint your piece with nail polish just as you would a manicure - several thin coats and a top coat. Allow each to dry thoroughly.

We inserted toothpicks into our punched hole to make painting all sides easier.

Add a jump ring and you're done!

Now that we've worked through this project, I can think of 1,000 ways to make it even more creative with painting techniques. I'm thinking polka dots... glitter... stripes... ahhhhhh!!!! There is so much fun to be had!

I'm tempted to try more 3D Shrinky Dink projects after our success with this one. Any ideas? Send them my way, please!

So, after I completed my magnetic storage tins, I realized that I needed some way to know what was inside - at a glance, rather than by opening each to find what I am looking for.

I knew that I didn't want something permanent, as I'm constantly repurposing!

My solution? Little magnetic markers utilizing scrap ribbon, buttons, and... SHRINKY DINKS!!!

If you're familiar with my blog, you know how I love a Shrinky Dink project.

I opted for the regular frosted sheets, rather than the inkjet version, because my printer is out of ink.

{Note to self: Must buy printer ink!}

I used my Martha Stewart 1 1/2" circle craft cutter to punch my tags and wrote on the slick side of the punched circle with a permanent ink pen typically used for scrapbooking.

You can see that I tested one first to ensure that my ink would adhere properly. It did!

I watched the magic unfold in my toaster oven...

By the way, I keep a toaster oven in my studio. It has become just as important as my sewing machine! This is an older one that we own, but it works great for my crafting purposes!

I cut little flags from a piece of scrap ribbon...

Layered my buttons and Shrinky Dinks using E6000 adhesive...

Cut small strips of magnetic vinyl to add to the back...

And, that was it! A perfect, non-permanent, fun solution for labeling my magnetic storage tins.

I can change my mind about the tin's contents and have no problem swapping the labels to reflect what's inside!

I just love the effect, too.

In my previous post, I mentioned that I am revamping my studio space. As part of that, I covered an Ikea magnetic board with burlap and mounted it to the side of my bookshelf with 3-M picture hanging strips.

Here's the finished product.

Click here for instructions about how to personalize an Ikea magnetic board with fabric.

I made a few other magnets with glass tile project fails. They are perfect for adding personality to this magnetic board!

I'll be working on my creative space this week and hope to share the results with you. Now that my classes are over (for a month), I'm doing what I can to usher in peace and calm to my surroundings!

I hope you have a great week ahead! As always, I'd love to hear about what you are working on!

I'm still in the process of organizing and decorating my studio space. The layout is a little odd because the ceilings slope with the shape of the roof. There is plenty of room, but I've had to get creative with my shelving units.

But we're getting there!

I purchased 2 of these from IKEA and they fit perfectly, laid on their sides under the slopes - with room to place baskets, tools, or sewing machines on top.

During my last trip, I picked up these great green storage boxes to hide my messy stacks of fabric. {Immediate improvement!!!}

So, these handy boxes have a space for labels, but that would be too easy. Not only that, I'm terrible with labels. Want proof?

These drawers don't even contain the materials as labeled.

So, I decided to have a little fun dressing up these boxes, in a way that is beautiful and functional.

I used the label holder {?} as a frame for a lovely piece of artistic paper and created a "charm" out of Shrinky Dinks.

{I still LOVE to play with Shrinky Dinks. They are magical.}

I created my artwork using a free download I found on the beautiful blog, Webster's Pages, as the background for my charms.

Here are my files for your own Shrinky Dink creations. They are already formatted for printing. Just add your text, select "Transparency" as your paper setting, and print away!

The artwork will look washed out, but don't worry! The color will saturate during the baking process.

Cut out and don't forget to punch a hole to accommodate your jump ring before you move on to the next step. {I forgot to do this during my first try! Yeah... I did this project 3 times.}

Bake according to the instructions included in your Shrinky Dink package.

{Learn From My Mistakes}
Instead of baking on top of a paper bag, I use wax paper. I have had a lot of trouble with my Shrinky Dink projects losing their shape in the oven. I contacted the company and they recommended wax paper. It has worked brilliantly!

Spray your Shrinky Dinks with sealant/varnish and let dry for 24 hours.

Cut several lengths of ribbon.

Add your jump rings to create your charms and tie to your boxes. I created a simple addition with a bead and jump ring.

I think little things like this help to make a creative space really special. I really love the idea of using the label holder as a frame.

I mentioned that I did this project 3 times. Remember? Well, I have several tags that I printed, but didn't cut out. I'd be happy to send them your way so you can have some Shrinky Dink fun. Just leave a comment below and I'll select someone at random on Friday to send a set to.

I hope you've had a lovely weekend! I have been wildly unproductive and lazy. I guess we all need those every once and a while!

Here's to a productive week ahead!