Making Shrink Plastic Embellishments with Josefine

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Viva Las VegaStamps! blog. 

I am in a creative low. I only have little time to create and when I find a few minutes I seem to be overwhelmed and don't know where to start. That happens all the time though, so I prepared a few tricks to get my mind going. One of them is to pick something from my "new supplies" pile (how big is yours? ;) ). This time, the item I picked was shrink plastic. Yikes... I've never used it and it totally intimidates me.

So, I thought that I'd start with something simple. Just a stamped image. Maybe a few more, so I don't do one and then have to stamp another image. If I have a few ready, I might get into it.

I stamped the images using my Misti and StazOn ink. 

Then I cut all the pieces. I didn't even try to cut right at the edges. That plastic is rather thick and starts breaking when the scissor is at a too tight angle. Also, something that I learned during the process, the more intricate the piece, the more difficult it is to shrink it.

In addition to shrinking just a simple stamped image, I decided to color two of them using Copic markers.

And guess what... IT WORKED :D

I thought the sheep would end as a black blob, but you can actually still see the shape. One more tip: punch the holes for the embellishment before you shrink them. Much easier (guess how I know that....).

Now I got a bit creative. I dusted off an old jewelry making kit that had some earrings left. I think the sheep work great as earrings.

I have not done much with the colored images yet, but am sure that at least the silly reindeer will end up on a Christmas art journal.

This turned out amazingly crisp. I'm so excited about it.

And finally, the Ethos Door is now an embellishment for my zine art journal that I created for one of the last VLVS blog posts. 

What do you think? Fun project or not worth the time? ;)

Stamps used:

- Ethos Door

- Ethos 3 Sheep

- Super Pug

- Cross-Eyed Reindeer

- Weeping Statue of Liberty

Thanks for stopping by!

Shrink.

Hello!  Mary here with a fun and wearable stamping project for you.

First, I grabbed my all time favorite stamp Butterfly Gossamer/Large, my StazOn ink pad and a sheet of clear shrink plastic.

After I stamped my image onto the rough side of the plastic, I then cut it out to and preheated my oven to 350 degrees.  

And if you plan to use this embellie as a charm, don't forget to punch your holes!!

I baked it for about 2 minutes, rough side up.  When done, it had shrunk to roughly one fourth of its original size.  I then  painted the back with a couple coats of acrylic paint.

After adding some chain and a closure, I was ready to rock my new necklace!

In fact, I loved my new accessory so much, I decided to make a few more in a variety of colors.  Maybe I'll share with a friend or two??  Or not.

I hope I've given you a little inspiration today.  Now, go grab your favorite stamp and get crafty!!

xx Mary

From Mary Vogel Lozinak Stamp to Super Chic Circus Rat Earrings

Happy MONDAY!!! Susan here today with my first official post since returning to the VLVS Design Team. YAY!!! My fingers are inky and I have a fun project to share today.

Did you participate in the Mary Vogel Lozinak Link Up last weekend??? It was so much fun and I haven't been able to put my three plates of MVL stamps away!

The inspiration for this project is the Mary Vogel Lozinak "Rat Face #18522" stamp. This stamp just makes me laugh out loud!!! I was rummaging through my craft stash and I came across some shrink plastic...and this stamp SCREAMED "earrings"!!!

Per the instructions of the shrink plastic, you need to gently sand the plastic to rough up the edges. I wiped away the dust with a cloth and then stamped the rat face with Black StazOn ink.

Then I colored the image with my Ranger Distress Markers.

After punching a 1/16" hole in plastic, I placed them on a piece of chipboard in the toaster oven and watched carefully not to let plastic burn. It's magical to watch it shrink right before your eyes!

Here are my shrunken rats in comparison to original stamped size. 

The size is 45% of original size...perfect for earrings.

**A NOTE** The distress markers were not heat set after baking. I lightened the color by gently dabbing with a damp cloth. I also sprayed with a polyurethane to seal afterward.

I used some poly-coated wire to string the rat heads with some beads and closed the wire with a crimp bead. I finished off by wiring these to a pair of standard earring hoops. Voila! Custom earrings : )

Presenting my stamped Circus Rat Earrings!!!

Thanks so much for dropping by and welcoming me back to the Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team. This is a new month and you will want to subscribe to the VLVS Blog if you haven't already. The Viva Las Vegastamps! players will be bringing you posts every day! Don't forget to check out the Viva Las Vegastamps! store.

Thanks so much for visiting! If you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE. Have an inky day! Sb