Holiday Project #1: Bottlecaps
So I know we have not even hit Halloween yet, but I got a little excited and started playing with my holiday stuff. When I was in Edmonton a few weeks back I got to hang out with Caroline - one of the master creatives behind Maya Road. One of her classes used their Mega Bottlecaps. She had taken a bunch of elements, poured in some Glossy Accents, and created these very cool bottlecap embellishments. I saw them and immediately thought of holiday stuff.
Now these are not small bottle caps. They are about 2 inches across. And this is such a simple project! Here's what I did:
1. Collect up all your holiday stuff and get it into one spot (this is obviously a really general step one...but it will help you be able to create stuff over the next couple months to get ready for the holidays).
2. Pick out some small embellishments that you want to showcase in your bottlecaps.
3. Use a circle punch to cut some holiday patterned paper. I used the new Fiskars circle punch - loving this tool.
4. Layer elements inside each bottlecap.
5. Squeeze Glossy Accents (a clear dimensional medium that will dry hard) into the bottlecap - enough to cover your layered elements.
6. Let it dry. I let mine sit overnight (away from interested little hands). It looks cloudy when you first squeeze all the liquid in there but it dries clear. Mine ended up with a bunch of bubbles - it probably had to do with how I was squeezing but I decided it was cool like that.
7. Attach a magnet to the back. I used the new magnets from Basic Grey. Stick the magnets on your fridge and celebrate the season.
Here are a few places you can find the Mega Bottlecaps online:
Stamp Attic
Scrapologie
Ally Scraps
Lifetime Moments
Have fun. This is another project that could totally be repeated for other holidays/events/celebrations, etc.
And if you are looking for a way to jot down all your cool ideas for the holidays I created a holiday 2006 journal that you can find in my cafe press shop. Always nice to have a blank book on hand. I am hoping to do some sort of Christmas journal again this year...I loved Shimelle's class last year even though I wasn't able to finish mine. Shimelle are you doing one again this year?
Also, look for next week's newsletter to answer additional questions I received today regarding photos/photo philosophy/etc.. If you have a question send me an email (with NEWSLETTER: PHOTOS in the subject line) and I will try to address it next week.
Hi Ali,
Will Diamond Glaze work too?
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Cool idea! Looking forward to more. (hint!) Of course, every one is already out of stock!!
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Just wanted to let you know that I love your blog, look forward to it everyday! And I ordered the Holiday 06 book and the Everyday Stuff book!! Wooooohooooo!
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those are so stinkin cute! I will DEFINATELY be trying those! Thanks for sharing! And I really like the newsletter too! I still need to figure out what day or time is best to be creative around my family, right now its just whenever I can! Thanks for keeping us all inspired!
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Hi Ali- Just wanted to give you and your readers a heads up about using the Glossy Accents and bubbling. Keep a straight pin nearby when you work and pop the bubbles as you work. It is totally possible to have bubbleless items and it looks so much better without the bubbles. Also be careful if you do the Glossy Accents over any inked image, especially any color with red in it (which is a lot of inks) as it will draw the ink from the paper and color the Glossy Accents (not necessarily in a good way unless you like pink clouds). Guess I am just a perfectionist!
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you always make such cute stuff!
I never seem to have the time!
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Guess we'll all be making little bottlecap magnets for Christmas gifts! I think this is what the girls' teachers will receive this year. Ali, you continually inspire me.
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Thanks for all of your great ideas!!! I can't wait to try the bottlecaps!!! I might use them to embellish Christmas cards!!
:D
Em
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Lovin' it!!!! These are what my girls are making for little gifts this year but we had planned to use UTEE and a heatgun. this is so much more kid friendly! thanks for sharing!
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Looks cute Ali! I have some bottlecaps lying around. I wonder if Judikins Diamond Glaze has the same effect as Glossy Accents?
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excited by the "#1".
hoping for a #2 and #3.
cheers.
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I saw some of those bottle caps today while shopping for some other stuff and snatched them right up! I think they're going to be year-around magnets I give as gifts! Thanks for the inspiration!
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Awesome magnets.
I was just looking around for the Happiness blog. Has that one been discontinued?
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thank you so much for what you just shared! you just gave me some cool ideas for our holiday cards this year...and i've come up with blanks for the past few days, so thanks ali!
and how cool are those bottle caps! i'll have to try the circle punch, too.
oh, and i just got some of those 7 gypsies stamps that you mentioned awhile back...very cool!!!
cheers, ali!
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You have such a nice touch Ali. I've made these using regular size bottle caps and Diamond Glaze. I put a pin back on mine and gave as gifts. I saw in a magazine somewhere,I can't remember now, another artist had the same idea but used old canning jar lids. A bit bigger canvas, if you want a bigger magnet.
Therese
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Thanx for the little project idea...my teens would love to make these things. deB
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These are incredibly cute! Can't wait to try something with my stash of bottlecaps! I love that you share all your cool ideas.
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AWESOME!! LOVE those bottlecaps and can be easily adapted to ANY theme. LOVE THEM! Thanks Ali too for listing resources to find them!! Peace and blessings.
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what a fab idea!! thanks Ali! :)
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Great idea and such a fun project. But I guess everyone must also think so since I hit all of the links to try and purchase these and they are all out of stock. Sigh!
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The class was a huge hit at ScrapFest I love what you did with these Ali, great holiday idea for sure.
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Love your big bottle caps. I made smaller ones into magnets last year for teacher gifts. I put them on the outside of small paint cans that I "dressed up." I thought the teachers could use the magnets & then use the cans to store other items or pens, pencils, ...
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love it ali. love it! i wish i would have taken that class that weekend. i bought them, now i need to create with them. thanks for the motivation.
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It kills me to think that I gave away a ton of these very bottlecaps a few months ago during a big purge. Argh!! :p
Now I need to find more- I love what you did with these. :)
melanie
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Those bottlecaps are adorable. I wonder how difficult it would to put a hole in them to thread some ribbon through so that they could be hung on the tree as ornaments...
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