Blogger Challenge: Week 250

This week’s blogger challenge theme is “to die for,” meaning projects created with dies and/or diecutting machines. I've been noticing lots of chalkboard labels around lately, so I used some dies from Clear and Simple Stamps to make my own version of these trendy labels.

I started by using a label die to cut a fun, decorative shape from a piece of thin balsa wood. I purchased a long piece of wood at the craft store and used a pair of scissors to cut a piece just larger than the die, then ran the wood and die through my diecutting machine. The wood cut very easily and without splitting or cracking.

To create the chalkboard part of the label, I made a reverse mask using one of the circle dies from the Shapes: Circles stamp and die set. After setting the mask in place, I filled in the circle opening with chalkboard paint, also from the craft store. I let the paint dry for a while, then added a second coat. Once the paint was completely dry, I flipped the piece over and added a small clothespin to the back so that I can clip the label to a basket or container. I wrote on the chalkboard part with a chalk pen, but a regular piece of chalk would have worked fine as well. It's nice to be able to erase the writing so that the label can be used again for something else as needed.

Here's what one of my labels looks like in action. I clipped it to a pail that holds some of my Copic markers.

For more projects that are “to die for,” check out the link list below (list will be added in the morning). And, if you’d like to join the challenge, add a direct link to your new project below.




Materials Used:
Labels 9 and Shapes: Circles dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); black chalkboard paint (Martha Stewart); wooden clothespin; balsa wood