Solar System Communication Board

Hi there! Today I will be showing you this really cool project made by my coworker Claudia.  It's a solar system communication board! This is such a great project for astronomy and science lovers.





















You will need the following supplies:

- Sculpey Clay (white)
- Reeves Acrylic Paint, 12 pack
- 12"x12" SPC Black frame
- 12"x12" aluminum sheet
- .5" and .75" magnets
- 2oz Chalkboard Paint
- Paint brushes
- Foam brush or sponge
- E6000
- 1 piece of white chalk

First, paint the aluminum sheet with chalkboard paint.  It will take 2 to 3 coats to cover it well.  Once the paint is dry, make stars using the white chalk.  Place the aluminum sheet inside the frame, behind the glass so that the chalk doesn't get wiped off. 

Next, mold the Sculpey into 5 spheres, the smallest about .75" in diameter and gradually increase size until the largest is about 1.5".  Carefully cut each sphere in half.  Bake them in an oven for 30 minutes at 130F. Remove and let cool for at least 20 minutes.

Once the clay is cooled you can start to paint!  You might want to reference an actual picture of the solar system to know what colors and what size to use for each planet.  Start with the sun, it'll be one of the largest spheres.  Paint the undercoat orange and use the foam brush or sponge to dab red paint over it to give it a textured look.  Paint the rest of the spheres and use different brush strokes and colors to create the different surfaces of the planets.

Once the planets are all painted and dry, use E6000 to glue your magnets to the flat side of the spheres.  Use the .5" magnets for the smaller planets and the .75" magnets for the larger ones.  Once those are dry you are ready to use your new communication board!

There you have it! Hope you enjoyed this project and until next time, happy crafting!

Rachel @ Māpunapuna

Clever Christmas Countdown

Yes, I know that many of you think it's too soon to be thinking about Christmas. I mean, we haven't even gotten to Halloween yet, right? But, if you want to be on top of your homemade Christmas, now is the time to start.

On that note, today's blog topic is this fast and easy "Days Til Christmas" counter. For the project you need either a plastic plate or a ready-to-decorate wood frame, chalkboard paint, multi-surface paint or acrylic paint, ribbon, scrap paper, Bistro chalk markers, chalk, double-stick tape, and a hot-glue gun.

This version has a spot for your favorite picture at the top. I painted the edges of the frame with Americana multi-surface paints, and the part with the counter, with the chalkboard paint. Around the picture is a frame of printed scrap paper and under it a quick bow. Use Bistro markers to write a more permanent "Days til Christmas" at the bottom of your chalk board, and the chalk to write in your daily count down. As of today, we have 80 days til Christmas.

Our second counter is on a plastic charger plate that we have in specifically for Christmas this year. Paint the chalkboard paint on the flat, center part of the plate. The cute bow at the top is simply hot-glued on. A note on the chalkboard paint: follow the directions closely. The paint will take 24 hours to cure before you can write on it with the chalk. The "Days til Christmas" saying is again written with the more permanent Bistro marker, and the countdown is in chalk.

80 days left til Christmas. Are you ready?

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Crankin’ Out Crafts: Episode 143 - Chalked Notebook

We slated JFlo in today to demonstrate her newest chalkboard paint project, a chalked up notebook.

This chalkboard design makes it easy to label or personalize a notebook!

Catch the segment on YouTube: Crankin’ Out Crafts: Episode 143 - Chalked Notebook

Supplies:

Notebook

Chalkboard spray paint

Painter’s tape

Box cutter or Xacto knife

Chalk or Bistro Marker

Button

Rope elastic

This project is great for back-to-school because you could write notes, memos, or homework assignments right on the cover of your notebook then erase and use it again.

Chalk it Up

We've been going chalk crazy lately! Here's a little peek at all the neat things we've thought up while playing with our chalkboard paints.

Spray wooden plaques with chalkboard paint and attach ribbons for quick and cute wall hanging note centers. We made these especially for a wedding party table to distinguish the bride and groom's special spots.

Speaking of saving spots, these reused wine bottles make great centerpieces or as table number markers. We used our Bistro chalk markers on most of our samples, but you could use regular or colored chalk also. A note of warning regarding the Bistro chalk markers - test your surface in a small area first, sometimes they can stain the surface of your piece.

We've got a lot more ideas waiting for you at our store too. Make sure to come and check them out.

See you soon!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. If you scroll down to today's previous post, you can learn how to make a beachy-keen wreath. It's really easy and a lot of fun.