eWillow.com's Paper Clips

Can't Blame the Guy for Trying

2013-05-14T17:10:29Z

I was so touched on Mother's Day when I saw my husband's card on the kitchen table. He made it! Take a look at his talent...

1) He grabbed a piece of cardstock (luckily, he chose Pumpkin Pie, which is a color that will be retiring. he used a FULL sheet of cardstock to make ONE card...yikes!)

2) He folded it in half (well, sort of. i am trying not to break out into hives by the crooked, un-scored fold.)

3) He grabbed a permanent marker and wrote a fabulous sentiment. (greeting on the front, and beautiful words on the inside.)

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Cute, huh?

Chalkboard Re-Do

2013-05-03T23:35:00Z

It's been awhile since I posted a DIY tutorial. I have been so swamped with making cards that I had to force myself to stop for a sort time and tend to some important household duties. My daughter recently redecorated her bedroom. She went from Lily Pulitzer hot pink and lime green to a more mature color scheme of gray and dark purple. The transformation was amazing! The best and most fun part for her was taking all of the loose change that she found while she was cleaning her room and exchanging it for cold, hard cash. She was amazed when two coffee mugs full of coins garnished her nearly $60.00. She used the money to buy new decor for her room. (More on that later.)

I was excited to get my hands on the hot-pink chalkboard that she had hanging on her wall. It was just begging for some TLC. It somehow gained some gross (hard-to-cover) ink stains over the years, but they didn't stop me.

I had been wanting to use some chalkboard paint for awhile. I just so happened to have gray chalkboard paint on hand from another project that I never got around to making. It was so EASY to use the paint and so fun to up-cycle this nasty-looking pink board. Here are before and after pics:

I used Mod Podge and decorative paper to cover up the ink stains that weren't hidden by the chalkboard paint. The decorative paper also gives the chalkboard a more mature look. The photos below show how easy this project was to create.

1) Start off with the nasty-looking board. It didn't require any prep other than dusting.

2) Use chalkboard paint and a brush large enough to make wide strokes. Make sure the brush doesn't leave behind any bristles.

3) Apply a few coats of paint, waiting about an hour between coats.

4) Allow all of the coats to completely dry.

5) Cut and glue strips of decorative paper using Mod Podge.

Yes, it really was THAT easy.

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More room projects coming up next week, including up-cycling a bulletin board and making a hanging decoration for the ceiling fan chain. Stay tuned.

Custom Orders: A French Invitation

2013-04-29T19:16:04Z

My daughter asked me to create an invitation for her French National Honor Society club. The club members wanted a nice invitation to give to their school's principal for the club's upcoming induction ceremony for next year.

I am always open to creating new cards for special events. Just send an email to info@ewillow.com if you have a need for a special card or cards. You can see some examples of custom work HERE (First Holy Communion Invitations,) HERE (baby shower invitations,) and HERE (save the date cards.)