Craft necessities where you least expect them!

I love finding supplies for my crafting stash in places when I'm not really looking for anything. I think Big Lots is my favorite place for that! I've gotten so many things there far cheaper than Michaels or Joanns carries it for. I went there especially today to buy some paper adhesive they're selling for $2 that's normally twice that at the big box craft stores. I heard about it thanks to my Yahoo! groups! Thanks, ladies!

While I was there, I got a pre-cut DCWV vinyl wall saying that was marked down to $3 - half price - on after-Christmas clearance. "WELCOME" in large red lettering, all caps, and "the season of wonder" in a nice green script. I'll figure out something I can put it on for next Christmas...BY next Christmas, hehe. I don't really want to put it up and then remove it after one season...that's kind of wasteful and not green! So I have to think of a surface I can put it on...like one of those ornate metal plaques in the Cricut commercial...now where to find THAT???

They also had a big can of spray adhesive, probably meant for some kinda "manly" thing, near the hardware and adhesives section. This is not for respraying Cricut mats! I use my spray adhesive for adhering very delicate cuts securely. It was only $5 for a very large can. Now for a brief word on safety: Do use it outside, and always wear breathing and eye protection, especially if you are adapting something to use with crafting and it's not normally used in that fashion! And be aware that it's probably not acid safe, if you need to worry about that.

In that same section of BL, I've gotten this beautiful silver metallic tape that I've used for crafts, which is meant for HVAC, but looks and acts like metal, great for embossing. I saw a project once on HGTV where the lady used thick thread underneath heavy-duty aluminum foil in shapes and burnished it down, and then filled it with glass paint. It is called cold cloisonne, and you can see the example I'm talking about here. My heavy duty tape can be used just like that on a plain narrow frame, for instance.

Another great thing to find there are craft books. I have bought several recently for as little as a dollar that have great stamping and cardmaking ideas. I don't know where I put them right now or I'd tell you more! I know one is by Anna Griffin (Griffith?), who used to design a lot of items @ Michaels.

They also had a great treasure trove of Martha Stewart stuff, but most of the good stuff is gone now. :) Probably bought by yours truly! I heard they had Cricut carts over Christmas, but I missed those!

I also got some awesome Christmas cards marked down today, some pretty pop up ones that I figure I can embellish and/or personalize next year. I also purchased one of those As-seen-on-TV Craft Lite cutters there a few months ago, (which they still carry) for $10. It's probably not the most accurate cutter in the world (I prefer the Memory Makers one I got on BF if I need accuracy!) but I like the light feature and the multiple blades...even though all of the wavy ones look alike to me! (Speaking of cutters, anyone seen the Genesis cutters? The cheapest one they make is several hundred dollars!!!! I can't imagine ever getting that, I'm far too cheap! ;) They are no longer on a several year waiting list, though!

Then, @ Target today, I saw in their stationary/invitation section that they're carrying stationary for letterpressing. Lindsey at the Frugal Crafter has a fantastic method for using the Cricut and a Big shot to make your own letterpress stationary, click here to find out more. Here is part two. I would think finding the right paper would be a little difficult, but there it is, right @ Tar-zhay as we call it. (It has to be sort of "fluffy" to take an imprint.)

The coolest thing I saw at Target today was their line of vinyl wall decorations. Some had bling included, like a whole sheet of rhinestones to adorn it after its on the wall, and most were not just one color but screen printed. I loved several of the ones at my local SuperTarget and you can see the clock I loved at the bottom of this page. WOW, take a look at the other 6 pages on that link...you'll see the ones I saw and MANY more...a lot of inspiration there! LOVE that Hip in a Hurry stuff!

Another great source can be your local thrift stores and yard sales! I've recently been told about cassette tape holders...some of them are perfect to hold your ink pads. I don't think you can find those anywhere BUT a yard sale or thrift store, these days! Others told me about using over the door see-through shoe organizers to hold punches....another great idea.

That's all I can think of for now, although I'm always running across ideas like this. Since I got my big bug and SCAL, I'm always looking everywhere for inspiration! I had to restrain myself from taking a quick cameraphone shot of the pretty snowflakes they had hanging around Target over the holiday season to adapt with SCAL, for instance! So what ideas have YOU run across? If you have any to pass along, please feel free to leave a comment!

I was supposed to do a blog post about the glass blocks I made for my friends over Christmas but I got side tracked by my deals today! I'll have to appease by showing a picture of them for now!

The moose is from Mamaw's Legacy, but the lettering is my own idea! Same with the cat, (which I believe is also from that site, although I'm not positive right this second), who wishes he had some bird! LOL, reminds me of the Blues Brothers! Rubbah beeskeet, anyone! :) (I am dating myself here!) The artwork there is wonderful, and there are many free svg's there, so go check it out! I love the parrot and cut that one out for my uncles block, as well!

I have a lot more to say about these blocks, but this post is long enough! I'm stopping here, but not before I tell you how the vinyl is not directly on the block - it's on sheets of vellum, which is interchangeable because it slips in behind clear plastic which is simply taped to BOTH sides of the block, so you can put a different pattern on each side. (The clear plastic is some left over from my previous posts about my laminated faux acrylic angel wings - check out the keywords at the bottom of this page!) It's why they look so shiny in the photo! That way you can place the block in a window and passersby will see a design, too. Okay, I told you, now I'm really stopping! :D

Thanks for reading, now go cut something!