As I sit here at the table looking out my window, I am consumed by an incredible sadness. Even the Twins have felt my sorrow.
Muffy: What’s wrong, Momma? Why are you so sad?
Me: I don’t know, Muffy. Maybe it is the fact that trees are losing the last of their beautiful leaves, and I know that winter will soon be here.
Muffy: Are the trees crying, Momma? Are their leaves their tears?
Me: I think they are, Muffy. And in their tears, we can learn many lessons. Beauty does not last forever, but will change in form. After the last leaf falls, we will see that the beauty of the tree lies not in its external glory, but in the strength of its trunk and branches…strong enough to uphold the snow and ice of winter and resilient enough to leaf again in the spring.
Muffy: Is there any way we can capture the leaves and preserve their memories, Momma?
Me: Maybe we can, Twin. Maybe we can capture not only their beauty, but share it with others as well. Thank you, sweet Muffin, for helping me to see how I can turn my sadness into a gift…
And so you have the background as to how today’s From Me to You transpired. Today’s creation is not a card, but something that you can create in a few minutes to give as a gift from the heart…
The size of this completed coaster is: 4″ x 4″. The tiles which I used were on clearance at a home improvement store for thirteen cents each, making the cost of this project minimal.
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Select a tile which is relatively smooth, and make certain it is dust free. If you rinse the tile, it must be completely dry before proceeding.
2. Randomly stamp the leaves from French Foliage with CRAFT inks. I used Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, and Always Artichoke. The Waterspot image was inked with Soft Suede Craft ink. If you are not confident in your random stamping skills, draw out a 4″ x 4″ square on scrap paper and practice! I did!
3. Bake for 30 minutes to set the ink. Allow to cool completely. (Some people bake at 300 degrees, but I have not experienced any problems with 250 degrees.)
4. Add felt or cork circles to the bottom of the coaster. I happened to have cork on hand, so I adhered a little square of Sticky Sheet to a small square of Cork, and zipped it through the Big Shot with the Circles #2 die. But if you don’t have this die, don’t despair. Just cut out a little squares of felt and adhere them with Tombow Adhesive or Sticky Strip.
5. As a final optional step, you can spray your coasters with a matte finish. All that is left now is to bundle them up with a fabulous bow and add a tag. They truly are a gift from the heart.
I hope that you enjoyed this break from a card. Not only are coasters a quick gift to create, they are economical, too. If you do not have a variety of Craft Inks, there are many, many images that would look equally lovely stamped in Jet Black StazOn.
Brody: Are you feeling happier now, Mom?
Me: A little, Brody. I always feel better when I am able to share what I love…like stamping!
Brody: Good, because I had a little accident in the back yard.
Me: What did you do Brody?
Brody: Well, you know that stuffed buffalo you bought me? I killed it while you and Muffy were making coasters!
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| All the blurry white you see is “buffalo stuffing”! |
I hope that you enjoyed today’s From Me to You. I know I was scared to try to make coasters, but on a retired teacher’s budget, I knew I needed to create some inexpensive gifts. I hope that you will try them, too. As always, your kind comments mean so very much to me, so won’t you please let me know what you think of today’s project? And as always, if you ever have any questions about the projects I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away. Now I have to go out to the back yard and clean up Buffalo stuffing. Until next time…
Stamp Set: French Foliage (W 120845, C 121166); Inks: Regal Craft Stampin’ Spots (119717), Neutral Craft Stampin’ Spots (119719); Optional: Big Shot (113439), Sticky Sheets (114300), Cork Sheets (119819), Circles #2 Originals Die (114526); Other: 4″ x 4″ tiles, scraps of felt, Tombow Adhesive
What a fabulous post! I love your gorgeous coasters and your thoughts on beauty and strength. And I’m glad I’m not the only one having deep conversations with my dogs! ๐
Your coasters are beautiful and what an awesome gift. Plus such a special memory of the gorgeous Fall foliage. Thanks for sharing the know-how!
Haha, you gotta love these poochy friends! ๐ I love these coasters, I made some a few years ago with the Medallion stamp/brown StazOn and they were such a big hit with my friends! These French Foliage ones turned out just beautifully! What a pretty addition yo your home decor ๐
Oh wow, I absolutely adore your coasters! I love the color versatility with the craft inks… using stazon ink seems like such a limiting color palette. Thank you so much for inspiring me!
Ann
I love your coasters and now i am going to make some. I don’t have that stamp set but I have a couple of others to try.
How did you make the watermarks?
Tracy
Ann, your post makes me smile! I love that you shared your little conversation with Muffy, too. What a fantastic idea to make coasters. They have always been on my “must do” crafting list…you know that one that is REALLY long? But after seeing this post it was just elevated to the tip-top of the list. What a great gift idea for the holiday season! Once again, thank you for the continued inspiration! hugs! ๐
Your twins are so darling, Ann! I love the coasters….thanks for the tips! XOXO
What a fantastic project, Ann! I love what you did and your thoughts on fall. I’m going to have to look for tiles and order craft ink now (you’re a huge enabler!!). Seriously, the tiles are beautiful and will make for lovely gifts. I love the idea of customizing them for different people. I may have to try some soon with StazOn.
And love Brody’s destruction of the buffalo – he looks so pleased with himself!
These are fabulous! A terrific idea! I just might have to make a trip to the home improvement store and see what they have ๐
Thanks for the great ideas!
I love your beautiful coasters. Thanks for the tutorial. I think I may even be able to make these with the great step-by-step instructions you gave us. I am so glad that Muffy talked to you with her concern and the outcome was this beautiful coaster set.
OMG, buffalo stuffing! That phrase is going to stick in my head for days!! The coasters are wonderful too : )
Thanks Ann for sharing your pretty coaster! Nature is truley amazing as well as beautiful. You have captured this on the coaster!!!
Really lovely, Ann! And a great gift idea. Thanks for sharing it early enough to give us a chance to make them before Christmas. Hope your blues fade away soon….you can always visit NC in the midst of the deep winter….Hugs!
the coasters are a great gift idea Ann-and you have done an outstanding job on them-I really like the leaf images- now you are going to have me making a visit to our local home improvement store to see what they might have on sale
OMG! The look on Brody’s face is so funny! He really gave that buffalo what for! I wish I could have seen that. The twins are so gorgeous that when the leaves fall, you can enjoy their beauty every day. The tile is lovely, a nice way to keep fall with you as long as you want. Thanks for always sharing your great ideas.
I’m thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day! Hearts all over the place. I love the cost of these, too!!
Live the coasters. Please don’t be too mad with Brody. He is too cute.
Boy it was hard to decide if I should laugh or cry! We still have a few gorgeous trees remaining and I was thinking about that on our walk yesterday.
What a great project! I am not sure if I can get tiles here in Pella but I know I can in Des Moines if all else. I gotta try this! Thanks for the steps! I am thinking snowflakes or snowmen for a friend for Christmas if they turn out.
I was wondering why Muffy was doing all the talking – now we know why! What a priceless look on Brody’s face!
Hugs to all!
Chris R. from Iowa
I’ve seen these coasters before, but have never tried them. Thanks for renewed inspiration. I think seeing yours is the perfect motivation I need.
I was nearly crying at your sadness! I guess that is what friends do…and as I read, I felt a bit of a reprieve that you have jumped into something new. Ann they are lovely. Really lovely. Way to go to get out of the box and try the coasters and believe me, whoever you give them to will love you and them for it much more than that bought present that anyone could pick up that sat beside 20 just like it! I’m very happy for your accomplishment. And those puppies need a spanking on the tooshies! lol. Your friend. xox
Beautiful AND inexpensive too! What type of tile? Does it need to have any particular attributes?? Thanks!
What a great project! And so simple. Yes , this can be a hard time of year. The short days do not help. But the twins are a lot of fun, aren’t they? Thanks for posting a great idea.
Love the coasters with the fall colors. Great gift idea. TFS
Those coasters are a super idea! Love the falling leaves on them …. and your directions are great! Meanwhile I am feeling kinda sad about that poor buffalo ๐
Ann,
Your site is one of the three that I visit every day! I always enjoy your cards, information, and creative ideas! Thank you so much for sharing ideas with all of us. I am also a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, but am not a part of a “demo community” so I look to you for fresh ideas and details on how you do things. I am always so impressed and grateful for the inspiration you have given me. Since I found your site, my business has picked up considerably. I am really looking forward to seeing what you do with all the new products coming out in January.
Thanks for spending all the time you do to “Share what you love.”
Beautiful Ann and what a lovely story to go with your coasters. Yes, fall always has its drawbacks but I love the time of the year with its crisp sunny days and the beautiful leaves. My down time is winter when the days are so short. Maybe I will give those coasters a try then to bring the beauty of winter to life.
Beautiful story and beautiful coasters! I have often thought of making a set of coasters, but haven’t done so yet. I’m sure it will happen some day! Thanks for the tutorial.
Your coasters are great Ann. I also bought some from a home improvement store but mine are still in the bag! And, our leaves are in the bag too. It is WINTER here in Montana.
Thank you Ann & Muffy for sharing your pictures, conversation, and coasters. Fall is such a beautiful time of year and it is sad to see the pretty leaves drop away. But, we always know they will be back again next year. As for Brody–that picture is priceline. Harry decimates just about every toy he gets his mouth around.
Your coaster is beautiful. I haven’t made these in a while. Thanks for the reminder. Love your puppy talk! Give them both a hug for me! You should write a book!
Beautiful fall colored leaves on your trees. thank U 4 sharing the photos with us.
Also, thank U 4 the tutorial on making of the coasters. Yours are very lovely.
Oh, Muffy and Brody, go out and play in the leaves and on your way, bring in a few and press them in a phone book and you will always have the beautiful colorful leaves to look at whenever. Once pressed, you can even frame them beutiful fall leaves but you best have mommy help you with the framing part so that you don’t get cut with the glass.
ColleenB.
What a great idea! I love using stamps for different projects. Looks like I’m going to have to get some craft ink!
Ann, when our Yahoo group of ladies got together this last June, one of the ladies gave each one of us a coaster she had done like this. On of my daughters works at school and wants to make some for Christmas gifts. I need to remind her about that. ๐ Yours is very pretty!!!!
The coaster idea is something I have been wanting to try. And now that I have seen your gorgeous results, I will give it a go! Thanks for the steps, Ann! That will be a comfort to know that this is tried and true.
And I love the twins’ conversation with you… it even had a moral. Are you sure about the children’s story books… ๐
L-O-V-E !!! This project!
Susan B.
Ann! These coasters are FABULOUS!! Thank you for reminding me how quick and easy these are to do. I have but one shade of craft ink – ACK! – but it’s Old Olive and I see some Lovely as a Tree coasters in my future…
BEAUTIFUL coasters!! I’ve seen these type of “discolored” coasters at Home Depot, but wasn’t sure what I could do with them since they weren’t “perfectly” colored….thanks for this idea!! I can now use those coasters, AND preserve the beauty of the fall leaves!! Unfortunately, most of the GORGEOUS leaves on our trees were blown off recently because of the horrendous wind we get here in Colorado Springs during November….so I LOVE this idea of “keeping them around” all year long!!
P.S. Thanks for talking to me earlier today. I feel better and am keeping my mind busy with card-making for poeple with long-term illnesses!! :O)
Ann I just love your ideas. The coasters are a terrific way to give a personal gift without costing too much. I’ve had a rough year and wasn’t going to be able to give gifts this Christmas, however, the tiles will be something I can afford to make and give. Thank you.
I made some of these years ago using Stazon and sharpies to color. I didn’t bake or spray and they still look great, but probably need to be updated. Yours are just lovely. Just curious, what grades did you teach? I taught 1st but my real love was being a school librarian. D
How creative and clever! Love the twin talk too! Yes, ’tis the season. Most of the trees are bare here in Northern Indiana! Thanks for sharing! Look forward to your blog!
Very nice! I haven’t made the large ones, but I love making the coasters! Circle Circus w/ black Staz-on is gorgeous on them. ๐ I miss the changing of the leaves so much! With the drought we’ve had this year, it has been so brown all year long; not much change for winter!
Wow Ann, you have a fertile brain. These are great and so easy to do. TFS the how-to’s. Beautiful pictures of the twins. That face of Brody’s is perfection even with the look of “was I supposed to PLAY with this?” look.
Very pretty! I haven’t tried making coasters either, but yours would be a fabulous edition to any fall decor! I personally love the beauty of fall and am always amazed at mother nature ho she creates a beautiful show before the trees hibernate for winter. It’s amazing what she can do! You’ve inspired me to try coasters! I will have to pick up some tiles next time I’m at home depot! Thank you for sharing your beautiful creation and how it came about! Love your blog!
Amanda
http://www.kraftingkreations.blogspot.com