In the Running...

I used Random.org to choose the LUCKY commentor from Friday's Release Blog Hop who's IN THE RUNNING to win an E2 on Emma's blog! Congratulations #41 - Pat (MeMe)!

41 MeMe said...

This is so cute!! Love it.
Pat

Check Emma's blog on Wednesday to see which one of the 19 'finalists' will receive the coveted E2 (chosen by Random.org)!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Veronica

MCT's November Stamp Release BLOG HOP

Welcome, "Hoppers"! If you've come here from Trell's blog, you're on the right track! If not, I HIGHLY recommend you start from the very beginning at Emma's blog so you can enjoy the FULL experience of today's fantastic hop!

It's release day at My Creative Time and have we got some DELICIOUS goodies for you! Speaking of deliciousness, can you believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner?!?! Oh, I can't wait! My husband and I spend our Turkey Day with his family and they always have a feast! Beef tips, ham, mashed potatoes, turkey... Wait, did someone say, "turkey"?

For today's hop, I'm showcasing MCT's brand spankin' new Stitched Lollipop Holder Die. This die is amazing! It coordinates PERFECTLY with the Scallop and Stitched Circle Dies and also coordinates with MCT's "All Around" stamp sets. When I first saw the idea for this die (I design the MCT packaging, so I'm lucky enough to be one of the FIRST to see new product), I immediately thought:

That would make a perfect turkey!

So please meet Henry. He goes by Hank for short. Hank Skiving. *giggle* This little guy is not only darling, but a hard worker, too! You could give him several jobs: place card, classroom/office treat, table decorations - so many possibilities!

Hank was cut from Create a Critter at 3". I used Peachy Keen's Critter Faces Set A Medium for his adorable face. To get my Copic colors to show up so bright on his Kraft colored face, I first colored in the areas with my white gel pen, let it dry and then colored with my Copics on top.

Hank's snazzy tie and buttons are from the Cottage Cutz Penguin Doll Die. The middle set of red 'feathers' and multi-colored 'feathers' are cut using MCT's Scallop Circle Die. I used Small Talk (MCT) for the sentiment.

Of course, the Stitched Lollipop Holder holds lollipops and suckers. It also holds cello bags filled with candy and cake pops! Really, it'll hold just about anything that fits and can be tied in with a piece of ribbon or in my case, a twist tie. Here, Hank is holding a travel size anti-bacterial gel. This would be PERFECT to give as little treats at the office (we all know how easy it is to pass on a bug at work and clean hands really help to cut down on germs!).

A note from Emma:

***HUGE GIVEWAY ALERT***

For our giveway today, we are  giving ONE LUCKY winner an E2! If you have always wanted an E2, here is your BIG chance to win one! OR if you have one already, just think if you did win, you would make someone SUPER HAPPY by giving it to them as a gift since Christmas is right around the corner!  All you have to do is leave a comment here along with the rest of the design team's blogs AND also leave a way for me to contact you! Each designer will be picking a winner, then Emma will use random.org to pick the lucky winner out of those 19 names! So remember you  have 19 chances to win! All you have to do is leave a comment on ALL blogs in this hop! The deadline is Sunday night at midnight! EASY PEASY!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

Thanks for stopping by to see my latest creation today! I hope you've been inspired. Your next stop is our VERY talented Guest Designer this month, Kelley. And be sure to stop by My Creative Time's shop. I hear there's something very 'SPECIAL' for you early-bird holiday shoppers!!!

-Veronica

MCT November Release Sneak #3

I have another fabulous sneak peek for you today from My Creative Time's November Release. Today I'm featuring two new stamp sets due out this Friday: Keepin' it Classy & Classy & Fabulous (coordinating sentiment set to Keepin' it Classy). These sets are so much fun to play with and offer LOTS of uses. Keepin' it Classy features gorgeous silhouettes of ladies on the go (illustrated by Emma's brother, Mark Villar). And though the fancy silhouettes will drawn you into the set - the accessories will keep you there!

Madison Op Art Maggie in Rose

My best friend, Stephanie, is a Coach fanatic. Her closet beautifully adorned with Coach handbags, clutches, wallets and wristlets. She has so many that her boyfriend had to install shelving to house them all. Who's jealous? *this girl* But my bestie is nothing if not generous and she bought me my first ever Coach bag for my 24th birthday (shown left). It's beautiful, of course and I definitely cherish it.

Another bag, a couple wristlets and clutches later: I'm hooked. Stephanie and I visit our local Coach store often (never buying anything without a coupon!!!) and we chat with our salesgirl, Joy (she knows us by name and even called the week of my wedding to see how everything was going. She's amazing). Last year, we bought each other Coach Christmas presents a month early and exchanged gifts right in the store! Coach is our 'thing'. It's our go-to gift shop for Christmas and birthdays.

This year, we're not buying each other extravagant gifts for Christmas or our birthdays. We're keeping it simple and on a budget! This is a good thing for both of us. *wink* But I had to make sure that Stephanie's birthday (January) was still celebrated in style.

Today's card uses handbags from MCT's new Keepin' it Classy and a sentiment from Classy & Fabulous. After stamping the row of bags in Stampin' Up!'s Going Gray (second generation), I stamped the large bag in SU!'s Elegant Eggplant, popped it up and glittered it with Stickles. I added rhinestones to the buckles for more glamour.

Using my white gel pen, I drew straight lines around the Basic Gray card stock (SU!) and popped it up on Whisper White card stock which was layered on the Elegant Eggplant card base. The rhinestones in the top left corner are set by hand.

I used MCT's XL Label Die for the shape in the middle (Pale Plum card stock - SU!) and embossed the stitched border stamp (XL Label Borders) in white. The white embossed "Coach" piece is directly from the store. You know the little tester strips you get to try out perfume? That's what it is! Coach's tester strips are adorable and I usually grab a couple when I go in. FREEBIES! I matted it with Elegant Eggplant card stock and used my SU! Ticket Corner Punch to match the corners on the tester card.

The big purple organza bow gives this card such a girly flair (as if the purple wasn't girly enough). And I must be honest... I've considered keeping this card (it coordinates so well with the bag she bought me)! But I think I'll admire it for the next couple of months and part with it on Stephanie's birthday. I'm sure she'll love it. It's not as nice as a real Coach, but I'm sure she'll appreciate the idea.

Sneaky Peek Giveaway Time!

Listen up "My Creative Time" friends! We are giving all of you an opportunity to win the BEST PRIZES during Sneak Peek Week with a total of 6 winners to be announced during Friday's Stamp Release! All you have to do is leave a comment HERE along with the rest of the design team members' blogs for a chance! There are some AWESOME prizes with this release!

1. SPREAD THE WORD TO THE WORLD ON FACEBOOK about this release & whatever connections you may have! Let us know on "My Creative Time's" FB page here that you did so! OR you can just tag me in your post!  and.............

2. Just comment on ALL of the designers' blogs EVERY DAY during Sneaky Peek Week!  THAT's ALL you have to do to qualify for the BEST giveaways EVER!;)

All winners will be "randomly" chosen and Emma will announce all six winners on Friday, November 18th @ 12:01am PST in her video during the release of this AMAZING new stamp collection & maybe a new die!

GOOD LUCK! Log onto to your Facebook now & let's start spreading the word!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you've been inspired. Come back again soon for more Sneak Peeks!!!

-Veronica

Harvest Decor: DIY Plaster & Pine Cone Garland

I've been flitting around my home decorating table tops and doors for Fall, but so many areas seem to go untouched. One of these areas: my windows. We have 3 large windows in our living room that let in lots of light (when we actually get light at this time of year) but they're kept pretty simple: white curtains and brown roman shades. This year, I decided to spruce them up for Fall!

I found a great idea on one of my favorite DIY blogs for plastering silk leaves and creating a garland. I'd never used plaster before, but it looked easy enough, so I bought a bucket and got to work. Boy, oh boy. Turns out - I'm not made for plaster. To be quite honest, the process wasn't quite as seamless as I had anticipated and I only completed 8 leaves before the plaster completely dried up on me. I thought the project was a failure and I was ready to throw in the towel. I took a deep breath, walked away from my project and did what any defeated DIY-er would do - I went on Pinterest!

While surfing Pinterest for more amazing ideas I could try, I came across this post. Pine cone garland, eh? I took a look at my 'failed' plaster leaves and decided they didn't look as awful as I originally thought. And maybe adding pine cones between each leaf would help to dress it up and take away from the not-so-perfect looking leaves.

I screwed small eyes screws (from a picture hanging kit I had on hand) into the pine cones (purchased from Michaels, but you could certainly collect your own) and hung them on the dollar store twine I was using for the garland. I tied the stems of each leaf in the garland (eye-balling the spacing) and voila!

The garland looks great hanging on the large windows in the living room and helps bring the decor off the table and into 'the light'.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you were inspired!

-Veronica

MCT November Release Sneak #1

The November Release from My Creative Time is here! This month, Emma is releasing eight (count 'em, EIGHT) new stamps sets (one includes a coordinating die) and one awesome, versatile die. You will LOVE THESE!!

Today I'm showcasing one of the three 'mini' sets: Touchdown. This set has some great stamps in it! It would be perfect for a "Football Mom" or to use for birthday invitations - even a Superbowl Party invitation! I have to admit - I was a bit stumped at first with how this stamp set would work for me. I started to think outside of the box and knew just what to do with it!

Whenever my husband travels for work, I always stick a little card in his suitcase for him to find when he gets to his hotel. It's just a nice way to let him know that I'm thinking of him and can't wait for him to come home. Being a proud graduate of the University of Michigan, he is a die-hard Wolverine's fan (Go Blue!)! I made this card to make sure that he knows that even though Denard Robinson is a great quarterback, HE is my MVP!

I kept the foundation of this card pretty simple to make the white heart really POP. I stamped words from the new sets Touchdown ("Touchdown", "Offense", "Defense") and Sports Sentiments ("Football") in Versamark ink to make the watermarked background.

After stamping the words on the background, I cut the heart out of the center of the card stock using the new die included with another FABULOUS stamp set being released this week (100% Sweetness). I also cut out a white heart using the same die to layer behind the cutout.

The "MVP" sentiment is from MCT's new Sports Sentiments set and I used two separate stamps from You Had Me at Chocolate (just mask the words that you don't want to stamp with a post-it note or printer paper) for the "you are my".

I popped the background paper up from the card base (there's also another layer of blue card stock under the background paper that you can't see in the photos) and 'sunk' the white heart into the card to get the dimension.

Sneaky Peek Giveaway Time!

Listen up "My Creative Time" friends! We are giving all of you an opportunity to win the BEST PRIZES during Sneak Peek Week with a total of 6 winners to be announced during Friday's Stamp Release! All you have to do is leave a comment HERE along with the rest of the design team members' blogs for a chance! There are some AWESOME prizes with this release!

1. SPREAD THE WORD TO THE WORLD ON FACEBOOK about this release & whatever connections you may have! Let us know on "My Creative Time's" FB page here that you did so! OR you can just tag me in your post!  and.............

2. Just comment on ALL of the designers' blogs EVERY DAY during Sneaky Peek Week!  THAT's ALL you have to do to qualify for the BEST giveaways EVER!;)

All winners will be "randomly" chosen and Emma will announce all six winners on Friday, November 18th @ 12:01am PST in her video during the release of this AMAZING new stamp collection & maybe a new die!

GOOD LUCK! Log onto to your Facebook now & let's start spreading the word!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Come back tomorrow for a great DIY Fall Decor project!

I hope you've been inspired!

-Veronica

Harvest Decor: Open Back Clothespin Frame

Original Frame found on Pinterest

Have you checked out Pinterest? It's a fabulous website FULL of awesome, creative ideas shared by people just like you! Not only can you find ideas on there, but you can also 'pin' ideas to your very own pinboard to save for later use. It's like a virtual inspiration board right on your computer! I've been LOVING it since I signed up.

 It's so easy to 'pin' this and that, but sometimes it can be a challenge to actually get around to making something that I've pinned. *giggle* Well... I did it! I actually made something I pinned on Pinterest!

I was so inspired by this open back frame when I saw it. The twine "clotheslines" and clothespins give this frame a cozy, well-loved look without going too far in the rustic direction. I was originally going to make this into a Christmas card holder, but it really doesn't flow well with my other Christmas decor.

My version of the Pinterest Frame

Though I didn't have an exact purpose for the project yet, I purchased a similar frame from (non-other than) the Salvation Army for $4 (what a steal). To get the same look as the original, I drilled some small screws into the sides of the frame and wound some twine (from the Dollar Store) around them. The clothespins I had on hand weren't weathered enough, so I distressed them with some Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

After letting my bare frame sit in my Creative Studio for a couple of weeks, it came to me: This frame would be PERFECT in my foyer with my Harvest Decor! I hot glued some glittery flourishes to the top corner, added a big, floppy Autumn bow and I was almost finished!

I have to admit, it was a bit difficult deciding what to hand from the clothespins. I didn't want the frame to be too cluttered. I printed "...And be thankful" off my computer (font: Nelly Script Flourish) and hung it on the top row. But what could I put on the other rows?

I really love the idea of having a bowl of "I am thankful for ___________" slips of paper in front of the frame and have guests fill them out and hang them up when they come over. But to be honest, we don't get too many visitors. Finally, I decided to keep it simple and hang some Autumn leaves from the clothespins and let them drape around the adorable pumpkin I purchased from Michaels (which sits atop a pedestal I purchased from the Salvation Army with the frame).

This project turned out to be a great 'first impression' when you walk into our home. It's welcoming and festive and is a great reminder for what this season is all about.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today. If you're interested in seeing all the other fun projects I've pinned on Pinterest, you can follow me here. I hope you've been inspired!

-Veronica

Garden of Eden Wedding Card

Ever had trouble finding the perfect sentiment for a card you're making? Sometimes, I can rifle through all of my stamps and find some that will work, but just aren't exactly what I'm looking for. When that happens, look no further than your trusty computer!

I LOVE mixing and matching 'straight' fonts with fancy, cursive fonts. It really gives my sentiments a polished, well-thought-out look. I've found that keeping most of the sentiment in a 'straight' font and picking special words to stand out in a cursive font works best for me. On this wedding card, I used Copperplate Gothic Light (found on most computers) and Blackjack.

There have been MANY times that I just don't know what sentiment to use on a card. On this wedding card I created for a friend in my Bible Study group, a simple "Congratulations" just didn't fit the bill. I often find fabulous verses from the Bible to use as my sentiments. But don't feel like you have to use an entire verse. Sometimes just small snippets of verses will do the trick! For this card, I chose Mark 10:8-9. It's definitely a non-traditional sentiment for a wedding card and I loved that it would stand out from the other "Congratulations on your Special Day" cards. I added the "Mr. & Mrs." from Stampin' Up!'s Tiny Tags embossed on the Jewelry Tag Punch and hung with linen thread. I use that little tag punch on a lot of cards. It really adds a little extra whimsy!

For the image on this card, I used Stampin' Up!'s Lovely as a Tree. I kept the tree simple by stamping it in a dark brown and not coloring it. I gave a "Garden of Eden" feel to it by adding rhinestones to the branches in place of apples. I used layered card stock, pop dots and paper piercing to give the card lots of dimension. The kraft card stock is stamped with Papertrey Ink's Background Basics: Woodgrain stamp set (one of my favorites) and really adds texture to the card.

Next time you're searching your stash for the perfect sentiment and don't find one, consider printing it directly from your computer. You probably already have TONS of fonts to choose from and the color possibilities are ENDLESS! If you're looking for more font choices to add to your collection, I suggest checking out these sites for free fonts (they're my favorite):

1001 Free Fonts

Dafont.com

Kevin and Amanda

Urban Fonts

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you've been inspired!

-Veronica

Perfect for Fall: Cinnamon Apple Pie Muffins

With Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly approaching (eek, I can't wait!), it's time to start thinking about delicious goodies to bring to your family get-togethers! Cupcakes and muffins are quick to bake, easy to frost and fun to eat! I combined three separate (and simple) recipes to create these Cinnamon Apple Pie Muffins - a absolute FAVORITE in my family!

I was originally going to bake the cupcakes found here, but my husband mentioned cinnamon doughnuts and I was on a mission! I found a Cinnamon Doughnut Muffin recipe here and modified it by filling it with the apple pie filling listed in the original recipe. There was no question when it came to the topping! I discovered the perfect buttercream frosting recipe over the summer and haven't turned back!

I've listed the recipes below as I've modified them for you to bake these DELICIOUS muffins at home.

Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins
Makes 1 dozen muffins
Source: Noble Pig

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk

For topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon; whisk to combine.

Combine sugar, oil, egg and milk in another bowl.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.

For topping: Place melted butter into a small bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. As soon as muffins are not too hot to handle, dip the tops in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.


Apple Pie Muffin Filling
Makes enough filling for 1 dozen muffins
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 large Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored and diced

Directions
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add cinnamon and sugar and cook for a minute - until mixture begins to bubble. Lower heat to medium and stir in apples - mix well. Cook until apples are somewhat tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

To fill muffins with apple pie filling, cut out a 'cone' shape from the muffins (same method you'd use to cut the top off of a pumpkin). Make sure to leave a rim around the muffin! Fill holes with cooled apple pie filling. Use a large round decorating tip (or any large decorating tip of your choice) to pipe the vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe below) on top of the apple pie filling.


Easy Vanilla Buttercream
Makes enough frosting for 2 dozen cupcakes (frosted completely - this is way more than you need for just 1 dozen Cinnamon Apple Pie Muffins!!!)
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients
20 tablespoons (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/8 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions
Beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-low speed, scraping down sides of bowl. Add vanilla and heavy cream and beat at medium speed until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high until light and fluffy.

Cinnamon Apple Pie Muffins are always a hit at parties! But you don't have to save them for special occasions! Bake them as mini muffins (leaving out the apple pie filling and frosting) and they make great, on-the-go breakfast muffins!

I hope you've been inspired!

-Veronica

I'm a My Creative Time Designer!!!

I'm so incredibly proud and honored to announce that I am now an Official Design Team Member for My Creative Time!!! I have had so much fun guest designing for MCT and am so excited to be a full-time member!

I hope to bring something new to the team and keep everyone inspired with my projects! If you're new to VK Create - WELCOME - I'm Veronica! I'm a "work-at-home" wife who loves to create! I started crafting when I was a little girl and remember staying up late nights with my Mom at the kitchen table creating. I started scrapbooking when I was in high school and took up card making shortly thereafter. Now that I have my own home (with my husband, of course), I enjoy creating home decor - making old things new again. And I ESPECIALLY love creating for the holidays!

This time of year is my absolute favorite! I enjoyed decorating for Halloween, but as soon as the last Trick-or-Treater left our front porch, I was inside tearing down all of my Halloween decorations in preparation for my Harvest theme!

And even though my Harvest decor has only been up less than 3 days, I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas!  I've purchased lots of new goodies to get ready for Christmas and have started listening to yuletide music (does the new Justin Bieber Christmas album count as "yuletide"? *giggle*).

With today's project, I've crossed a few things off of my checklist:

1. Treasured Keepsake - something we can look back on for years to come
2. Handmade Ornament - to spruce up our 'cookie cutter' tree
3. Wedding Invitation - preserve our invitation and give it honor; not just throw it in a box

Click to enlarge

 I originally saw this idea on Pinterest and knew I'd have to make one of my own. It's a very simple project and would make such a thoughtful gift! You could use this same idea and use an invitation from a shower, birthday party or even use a favorite poem of a lost loved one.

After cutting my wedding invitation into strips (don't worry: I literally have hundreds left over), I wrapped the strips around my finger to coil them. They twisted easily into the clear ornament (purchased at my local craft store). For some added 'flair', I dropped some turquoise iridescent beads into the ornament with the invitation. I popped the ornament 'lid' back in place and was ready to add my tag.

Click to enlarge

Since I just got married in June, I wanted to commemorate our first Christmas as husband and wife. I printed the words "our first christmas as Mr. & Mrs." from my computer (using the same fonts and colors I used on my invitations) and cut it out using MCT's Fancy Frame Die and stamped the coordinating stamp in Encore! Ultimate Metallic Silver ink. I used my Crop-a-dile to punch a hole in the tag and set an eyelet in the hole. The bow ties the tag to the ornament and is made with Papertrey Ink's Hawaiian Shores Fine Ribbon.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you were inspired!

- Veronica

Autism Awareness Puzzle Pieces

Earlier this year, my family learned that my (now) 3-year-old nephew, Joseph, is Autistic. Of course, it's not the news you want  to hear about a child you love, but it was a relief to finally have answers about what he does/doesn't do and be able to start helping him.

We are fortunate to have an Autism Center within driving distance so Joseph can receive the special care and attention that he needs. Early intervention is key when dealing with Autism, so it is imperative he attend this wonderful 'school' at his young age.

Of course, great treatment comes at a great cost. Here in Michigan, insurance companies are not obligated to cover Autism treatment, so the parents of these special kids must foot the bill themselves (to a tune of $4000 per month!!! You read that right - four THOUSAND!). To help cover the cost of this treatment, my sister (Joseph's mom) helped to organize a fundraiser held at the Autism Center last month.

My Mom and Grandma made these fantastic pins for the fundraiser which were then offered to the event's attendees for a small donation. They're really quite simple to make and VERY inexpensive - just the right features for a fundraiser!

Here's what you'll need:

• Puzzle You can usually find these pretty cheap at a thrift store or even in the clearance section of your local big box store. It doesn't matter what design the puzzle has on it, but keep the size of the  pieces in mind when choosing your puzzle.
• Spray Paint Mom opted for the traditional primary colors. You can use whatever colors you want!
• E6000 Adhesive Any super strong adhesive will do. I highly recommend E6000!
• Pin Backs These can be found at your local craft store.
• Accessories (as seen on the 'one-piece' pin) Mom used a rhinestone and puzzle piece ribbon to give the 'one-piece' pin some added flair.

The steps to making these pins are EASY PEASY!

1. Spray paint the puzzle pieces. Let dry.
2. Glue the puzzle pieces together (if making multiple-piece pin). Let dry.
3. Glue on any accessories. Let dry.
4. Glue on pin back. Let dry.

My sister asked me to bake and decorate a cake to serve as a centerpiece for the 'Strolling Dessert' portion of the event. I really enjoy baking, but tend to stick to smaller canvasses (cupcakes, small treats, etc.). I called around to local bake supply shops (I didn't have time to order anything online) for an 'awareness ribbon' cake pan and no one had them in stock. Instead, I opted to make a tiered cake.

I tried printing puzzle piece shapes from my computer (thinking that I could use them as templates), but I just wasn't happy with how that process was going. 

After a little while, I decided to just try free-handing the puzzle pieces. It worked! What a relief! I used a couple different star tips along with my frosting bags to create the pieces on the bottom layer. For the top layer, I used the same tips, but instead of piping the stars, I 'smudged' the frosting onto the cake. Why? 2 reasons:

1. I ran out of my homemade frosting and had to switch to a pre-made frosting I had in my freezer and it wasn't piping the stars very well.
2. I was running out of time.

I was so happy when the cake was finished! And everyone at the benefit seemed to really like the cake. Of course, no one actually cut into the cake. It stayed at the front of the fundraiser - untouched - the whole evening. Oh well! I'm really glad I was able to pitch in to help such a great cause!

DIY Tile Coasters

Coasters are a fun way to play with your home's decor. Just because they're small and practical, doesn't mean they can't be pretty!

This project is super easy - done in only 6 steps! It's a project for all skill levels and doesn't take much time to complete.

I've seen this project done many times over the years and when I saw someone post her coasters on Pinterest, I was inspired to create my own.

Here's how you can create your very own tile coasters:

1. Gather your materials

• Tile - I've seen it done with 4" x 4" tiles. Mine are 4.25" x 4.25" You can find these at your local hardware store. Very cheap!
• Patterned paper cut to size (I used 4" x 4" paper to allow for a 1/4" border. I recommend you don't stamp on your paper or use anything that you printed yourself as it may smudge).
• Mod Podge (glossy or matte - your choice)
• Foam Brush
• Felt or cork circles for bottoms (to protect your tables from the tiles)
• Clear Sealer Spray

2. Cover your tile with a thin (but not skimpy) coat of Mod Podge.

3. Place your paper on the 'podged' coaster. Don't take too long to get it straight! You only have a couple of seconds.

4. After a few minutes, 'podge' your coaster (with the paper on it). Let dry and repeat (I podged mine 3 times).

5. After your Mod Podge is dry, turn your coaster upside down and apply felt or cork circles.

6. Spray your coasters to seal them. Do this in a well-ventilated area!!!

It's that easy! Why not make coasters to match your seasonal decor?

         

Christmas Coasters

Fall Coasters

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you've been inspired!

If you're interested to see what else I've found on Pinterest, click here to follow my pin boards!

- Veronica