More Pop Top Tab Bracelets

Yesterday I made bracelets with my 15 year old Grand Daughter. She loves these bracelets so I was thinking that maybe we could try putting some beads on one. I have a variety of colors in the pony beads which I thought would work with the larger holes that they have. Purple is one of her favorite colors so this is what we made.
To make these bracelets with the beads, simply follow the instructions given in the links of my previous post.
http://craftythisandthat.blogspot.com/2009/07/another-pop-tab-bracelet.html
The only change in the instructions would be to add the bead as in the third photo below. Easy!!
We were also thinking that different colors of elastic cording would be pretty to use on these....but where can we find the colored elastic cording? I really would love to find it in black and colors.
Anyone know?

Another Pop Top Tab Bracelet

I made this bracelet from a tutorial that I watched on a YouTube Video. You can watch it HERE.
I also found the written instructions with photos HERE on this page of the wonderful Creative Origins blog.
I found these instructions to be very easy to understand.
Thank you Creative Origins for these easy instructions!
I used silver colored wrapped elastic cording and it looks nice with the tabs. I pulled the elastic so that I didn't leave any slack between the links. When I finished and tied it all together, there is just enough stretch so that the bracelet slides over my hand. I used 26 tabs and the bracelet is 8 inches.

Click on photos for a larger view.

Pop Top Tab Jewelry

Thank you for all the comments and suggestion on the pop top tabs! I decided to try my hand at a little jewelry. The below photos are the result of my first try. With a little practice they can be made very quickly. These pieces took me about two hours to make. The bracelet contains tabs back to back so there is no rough side touching the wrist. I used a total of 18 tabs for the bracelet. It is 8 inches long.
I will definitely be playing around with more of these tabs and I do have a plan for donation of any that I may not use. Thank you again for all the suggestions.

Click on photos to enlarge the view.

Pop Top Tabs

You probably have read or thought about all the germs and dirty things that might be on the soft drink tops. I always make an effort to really clean the top before drinking, or pouring the drink, from the can.
I also have a habit of bending that little tab back and forth 3 or 4 times and it will pop right off. I keep a little container close by and just drop it in. One, after one, I've been saving these little tabs for months.
How many soft drink tabs does it take to fill this quart size jar? I have no idea. I haven't counted them! I just like to save little things that I think can be recycled. Maybe I can think of a way recycle these tabs into something useful or something cute. If not, they will go to the county recycling center. Right now, I am thinking I will try to make something from these little tabs and post it later, so stay tuned.



....more tabs that I've thrown into this bowl one, by one. Most are soda (soft drink) can tabs and a few pop top tabs from miscellaneous type cans.

CD Photo Album

I've been wanting to make one of these albums for a long time. I don't know why it took me so long because they are so easy and fun to do!
First I prepared my cd's by scuffing them up a bit with sandpaper and/or a metal file.
The shiny side of the cd has a raised ridge about a half inch out from the center opening so I used the metal file from my tool box to file that down. You can easily tell when it it smooth by running your finger across the surface of the cd. I wanted this smooth because I planned on covering both sides.
After scuffing the cd's, I opened my pictures in my digital image editing program and started with a 4.75 inch circle. I then added and cropped my photos and added text until I got the look that I liked. With these photos I chose words that I think are suitable for the three young family members in the photos. I think they were just playing with the camera and having fun taking these photos.
Next, I printed out my circles on card stock, laminated the front side only, sprayed adhesive on the backs and stuck them to the cd's.
Next I measured and cut out circles from scrap paper that was suitable for writing on for the back sides of each photo cd. I did not laminate the scrap paper because they will be used for personal journaling.
I also used the spray adhesive for these.
The last step was to punch the holes with my crop-a-dile and add a 1 inch notebook binder ring and embellishments.

Another Altered Vinyl Record

This is a 45 RPM record. I got the idea of making this with the owl saying from browsing the internet several days ago. I can't remember where I saw it but I decided to make my own graphics in my Digital Image program. It took me awhile to give it this look since I am not a graphic artist! As far as I know, there is not a copyright on the saying as it is a very old saying and I found several versions of it with a word or two changed here and there.
I printed this on white cardstock, laminated it, sprayed adhesive on the back and stuck it to one side of the old 45 record. I also used the Crop-a-dile to punch a hole and an eyelet for hanging it.

Front view of the 45 record.

Back side of the 45 record.


After making this one, I decided to add some shadows to the graphics and I think they look even better.
I'm giving away a copy this the cover for free download if anyone would like to have it. Please use it for "Personal Use Only". Do not claim this graphic as your own or use it in any way to make a profit.

My download includes 2 sizes. I made one for a 45 record and one for a CD. Download here.

Altered Keys!

I have many old house keys, padlock keys, automobile keys and other types of keys that I have thrown in a box and saved over the years.

I decided it was time I did something with some of them so I found an idea from another website to alter some of them.

I've been working on these keys for a couple of weeks, just doing a little here and there. I finally finished these twenty using mainly what I already had in my craft stash to embellish them.

I've never done any real beading so this took quite an effort on my part. I'll have to say that beading is not my favorite craft. I may, however tackle some more at another time.

Here is where I found this idea.

Click on each of the images for a larger view:

Altered Vintage Christmas Graphic 4

As I said before, I like changing the looks of these old vintage images.  Here is another with a little different look.
The before



and after.

Altered Vintage Christmas Graphic 3

Before Editing



After Editing

Another Altered Vintage Christmas Graphic

I've decided I like doing this. I like a challenge and this definitely is challenging.  Here is the before and after my editing of this copyright free vintage Christmas art.

Vintage Christmas Card

I love all vintage graphics. I have a collection of copyright free vintage graphics and many are Christmas themed. I decided to see just how good I could clean some of them up and make some vintage cards and maybe some other paper crafts from them. Here I'm showing 3 stages of this pretty card. I believe it to be from a post card but I'm not positive.

I use Microsoft's Digital Image Suite 2006 graphic software for my graphic editing.

As always, Click on the pictures to enlarge and get a better view.

The first picture is the original stage, before any changes.



This second one is cleaned up down to the columns in the background.



I decided to go a little further and remove the columns, cleaned it up a bit more. After all that, I decided to cut the graphic away from the background, and add another background using a filter for texture. I chose the burlap filter. I also added a thin border filling it in with a gold gradient color. I added new text and the result is a beautiful card front!
Feel free to grab a copy if you can use it.

More Altered Tobacco Tins

I think this is an easy and quick way to turn an ordinary tin into something pretty instead of it ending up in the garbage and then in landfields.

The first tobacco tin that I altered and, and also the original tin before I altered it be seen on a previous post at the following link.
http://craftythisandthat.blogspot.com/search/label/Altered%20Tobacco%20Tin
The directions are also on that page.







I lined the inside bottom and lid with stick on black felt



This is a view of the inside lid - a close up of the felt lining .

Christmas In July

Make a Christmas gift bag from a plain brown bag. You can decorate the bag anyway you want. Glue on, paint on, or tie on what ever you have on hand to give your bag a Christmas look. This is a quick and easy idea to use if you need to give a gift and don't have wrapping paper or purchased gift bags on hand.
Don't stop at Christmas gifts, you can also use this idea for other gift occasions.
You can buy a package of fifty of these little brown bags in the supermarket food wrap section for less than two dollars or at one of the Dollar Stores for one dollar. You can also re-use some of those little white "pharmacy" bags. Recycling paper is always good. Regardless of the occasion, you can make a bag for that little gift. Bear graphics are from pcCrafters
©JP2008

Altered Tin

Who would have thought this tobacco tin could be so pretty. This is one of the few brands that have a metal can. Most are plastic. It has a plastic liner around the bottom inside edge, but the remainder of the can is metal.
Of course I don't chew or dip or whatever you call it! I personally think it is a bad, nasty addiction. I know someone who does use this, and that is where my tin came from.
Below are the steps to show how I altered this tin.

Be sure to click on the photos for a closer view.

The first two photos show what the can looked like before it was altered.





To start altering it, I added a big "glob" of glitter glue to the top. I used the inexpensive kind you find around Christmas at the Dollar Tree or the 99 cent stores.
You can find it almost anywhere you buy craft supplies.



I applied a generous amount of glue to work with.



Then I picked out a few pretty elements from my button and bead collection and placed them around on the glitter glue. I used the very small pearls and seed beads to fill in.





After the glue dried for a day or so I brushed on gold leaf paint around the edges. This step can be done before the glue and elements are added to the top.
Either way works fine.



The edges could be further embellished with trim of my choice but I prefer my tin without more trim. This is my finished tin and it was so quick and easy!

More Cans

A little can to drop my spare change in, then another just because I like that saying.
Money graphic from GrandStand Graphics.
©jp2008_______Click on photos to enlarge

Recycled and Altered Can

I made this from a plain old empty vegetable can.
These are the steps I took to make this little can. First wash and dry the can thoroughly. Tap a small hole in the top on opposite sides for the wire handle. Paint the can with a base or matte paint. After that is dry spray with whatever color spray paint you like. Choose your graphic print and cut out or use a premade graphic. I like to spray my ink jet printed graphic with clear Krylon Fixatif to set the ink and keep it from bleeding. You can use a graphic from a magazine or where ever you find one you like. I like to print them on sticker paper so they are easy to attach to the can. Stick or glue the graphic to the can. You can use the sticker paper, glue, or mod podge to attach it to the can. I then coat several light coats of mod podge over this or you can use a clear spray varnish to finish it. After this is thoroughly dry, attach the handle and any other embellishments you like. This makes a cute little holder for different items.
You can turn it into a gift can, candy container, candle holder or a variety of other uses.

©jp2008_________click photo to enlarge

CD Canister

I covered this CD canister with some pretty graphics by Carolee Jones
front:

Back: