Craf-TEA Earth Day 40th Anniversary

We're getting closer to Earth Day and all my projects leading up to it show ways you can recycle, upcycle, repurpose, reuse, renew objects destined for the trash. I'm sure (if you've been around my blog at all) you are aware of my love/hate relationship with plastic. You've heard me rant about it before. However, until the packaging industry catches up to the consumer's needs and pollution free wrapping, we will have plastic. So, I have decided to add a little plastic to my Tea today.

Plastic I love to hate includes plastic lids. But I'm going to make a stencil, so I'm hoping I'll love the outcome. My plan is to glue an image to the plastic, then cut the stencil out using my image as the guide, rather than having to redraw the image onto the plastic lid. I'm not sure this will work since I'm craft knife challenged, but it's the only way I know of to cut the plastic, since scissors could stretch the plastic and ruin the stencil.


All plastic lids have a raised circle in the center. Doesn't matter the brand or quality, they all have them. We'll have to contend with it when making our stencil if we want our stencil to actually lay flat. So take that raised hump, caused by the injection molding process, into account when you plan your design.


I spent the entire afternoon yesterday drawing this simple cup to honor Tuesday Tea, hosted by Kimmie at Art In Red Wagons. Be sure to check her blog for other players. I know my design has a lot of problems, because I simply don't know how to draw, but it's mine, so I have to live with it. Please note that anything BLACK in this image will be removed from the plastic to make the stencil. What you see in black will be what you get when you use the stencil.


I cut the outer ring. You need some pretty nasty sharp scissors to cut that ring. If they are even the slightest bit dull, they will tear and stretch the plastic. If you don't believe me, check the upper part of the "circle" above.


I put a black dot in the center hump and got out the Whacky Tac, given to my by a friend who shops on QVC, the only place I know you can buy this repositionable glue made specifically for scrapbooking projects. The plan is to cover the "hump" anywhere in the tea area. It has the most material that can be cut away from the lid.


Next I totally saturated the back side of the drawing


and prepared to wait at least four hours for the glue to dry.


Meanwhile, I'll celebrate Earth Day's 40th Anniversary a couple of days early by having a cup of green tea. Happy 40th, Earth Day!!

One of the wonderful participants of Tea Tuesday is Chriss of The Paper Girls. She was the one responsible for my blog pick last Wednesday and I mentioned her blog briefly then. Chriss is no stranger to collaborations, because she is part of that group from the UK whose art I was recently exposed to and love. If you are not familiar with her art, you are in for a treat. Just scrolling her blog shows how many projects she is involved in. Add to it, the color, the fun stories, the color, the rubber stamping, the color, and some really great paper crafting. Please take a look and tell her Elizabeth sent you.