A couple of weeks ago it was so grey and dreary here I thought I should do something to cheer the place up and I decided to make some suncatchers!
I've always got loads of sparkly stuff lying around. I'm DRAWN to it and somehow it makes it's way into my basket because you never know, ONE day I might just have a use for it!
So I had a rummage around my drawers (no sniggering Parsnip!) and found some pretty glass gems, some table decoration thingies for when you get married (because, well, you NEVER know do you??) and some sequins.
Then I googled 'How to make suncatchers' because I like to do these things properly don'tcha know ...
They all talked about Elmers glue ...
Elmers glue is apparently the like the holy grail to suncatcher - it's like the new Mod Podge of crafting.
Like Mod Podge unfortunately it also seems to be unavailable in the UK! I wanted some Mod Podge when I decided I was going to make my own coloured glass which you do by mixing a little ink stolen from your daughters art supplies and swirl it around the inside of a glass vase or jam jar or something.
Well, I couldn't get any (although I've since found it in The Range - I LOVE The Range!!! I's my new favourite place!) But before that I read that Mod Podge was only normal PVA glue mixed with water so I made my own.
They LIED!!! It didn't stick to the glass AT ALL. I left it for several days, emptied the jar and it all poured out staining my enamel sink and leaving the jar completely clear!
I don't want to make coloured glass any more ...
So, Elmers Glue, well, I READ that it's just like normal PVA glue ... You see where I'm going with this?
So I bought some clear PVA - stole the lid from SD's family sized pot of natural yogurt, tipped a load in. Got my sparkly stuff and made a pretty pattern in the glue with them. Shoved a bit more glue on top and left it on he window sill to dry.
Two days later when they said it would be dry I suck my finger into still tacky glue - those things took more than a week to kind of dry!!!
On day eight I'd had enough, I was peeling those sucker out of those lids and sticking them in my window!
I completely trashed two trying to get them out and the two that I DID get out in one piece were really rubbery and kind of ... FLACCID. The gems had floated around in the glue too and my pretty sequins that I'd arranged like flowers had sunk and also moved around but I was UNDETERRED!!
After all, only I knew they were supposed to look like flowers right?
The flaccidity (which may or may not be a real word) bothered me a little so I left them for another couple of days on the window sill. They stayed flaccid ...
And half the gems fell out so it they ended up looking like a bit of flaccid, lacy glue ...
I took loads of photos to add to my post though because you can't SEE flaccidity can you? Then my phone DIED - I mean PROPER died and I had to get a new one (which actually I was pretty happy about because it meant that I could upgrade to one with a 13 mega pixel camera and laser focus). But anyway, not all of my photos were on the SD card, I must have somehow saved some to the phone so they are LOST forever!
All of which means I can't give you a proper snippets post although, to be honest, it's not like it was a great success anyway was it?
I did take one photo after sticking this one to every window in the house trying to find some sun to shine through it just to prove that I did actually make the bloody thing.
Anyway, I don't really want to make suncatchers any more ...
But I DID take a lovely photo of a cow feeding her calf at the farm at the weekend with my new phone so all is not lost.
Hopefully my next snippet will be slightly more successful and slightly less stressful!
16 comments:
I think we have Elmers in a billion stores. I could send you some if you could send back some proper plum pudding
I cannot WAIT to see what you next snippet make will be! This has all been highly entertaining . . . and at least you got some kind of sun catcher at the end of it . . . albeit a flaccid one! Snigger!
Come find me round the back of the bike sheds with the other rebels . . . and I'll find you some grog to cheer you up.
Hugs, Sarn xxx
I can do that Joe! In fact, I still have tow in my cupboard (because I'm scared of running out at Christmas and they keep FOREVER) - sounds like a fair swap to me.
Could be anything to be honest Sarn and I can't promise it will look anything like it's supposed to be - I just jump on in there with no idea what I'm doing half the time. My flaccid suncatcher has now started curling up, it really is a HUGE disappointment to me! A bit of grog might help ;-) xx
That flaccid thing looks all right to me. Don't know about how I would feel if I saw it curled up, though!
Elmer's Glue? It's all over the place here! I had a bunch of it in my classroom that I left for the next teacher taking my room. It dries FAST in a thin layer. My sister the future ex-mayor's wife used to coat her fingers with it and peel it off for fun! Like a burn victim shedding her skin! Not that such a thing would be fun for a burn victim, of course. I hope you can get your hands on some. If Joe H can't be your supplier, I will try to fill his shoes.
Thank you Val, it looks better than it feels! I'm very envious of those with free access to Elmers, I don't know what it is that makes it different to the stuff we buy here but clearly it is superior in the suncatcher world. The stuff I used dried on my fingers too (I am NOT a tidy crafter!) and it is fun peeling it off. Mind you, we used to sew our finger tips together with a fine needle and thread in sewing classes at school - might have had something to do with growing up in the country and there not being much else to do for fun ... I will let you know about the Elmers but I suspect I will soon have moved on to the next crafting masterpiece :-)
Oh Sarah, ten out of ten for entertainment value! I was giggling away when reading about this escapade - glad you linked it to the Playground! So funny :) And the result at least isn't in the bin yet - or is it?
Hugs
Di xx
Thanks Di, it is not in the bin - it's stuck to my bedroom window (I did offer it to Miss Mac but for some reason she didn't want it ...) xx
Fabulous post, Sarah. I'm still chuckling over your flaccid sun catcher :) Looking forward to seeing your next snippet make and reading the post. I'm a fairly regular snippeteer so that should be soon. Elizabeth xx
Congratulations great auntie, what a little darling, she looks gorgeous. Not too long to wait. Shame about the suncatchers, but at least you had a go and that one does look sparkly. Love the cow and calf. I love the way you “steal things”. I “collect” things, usually stuff I have legally borrowed from my daughter and then forgotten to give back. I tell her I am keeping her things safe for her so they won’t get lost! She gives me her signature look which involves the raising of one eyebrow and says “Don’t give me that load of old b******s. Daughters eh :-)
Super post, the adventurous life of crafters in a nutshell!
Thank you so much Elizabeth, I've usually got something on the go crafting wise so I'll be seeing you in the playground again very soon! xx
She it totally gorgeous Polly :) - Miss Mac refers to any of my clothes she likes as 'communal property' so I think I'm justified in 'borrowing' her stuff too x
Thanks Maarit - crafting is 90% trial and error around here - so many ideas, some work, some not so much but it's all good fun :-)
20 out of 10 for entertainment value - I am still laughing!
Oh this post is absolutely brilliant - it captures all the frustration we crafters have when we come up with a "great idea" that doesn't work AND all the frustration we British crafters have when we see American blogging friends talking about delicious stuff we can't get hold of. You managed to catch a beautiful photo of your sun catcher with the sun glinting through it, and you know, sometimes given the right treatment, flaccid things can become stiff again....
Jane
Oh wow what a tale! Glad you got a make eventually.
well done for having a go, and sharing the entertaining tale! xxx
Thank you Glennis :-)
Thanks Jane - I know, how frustrating is it not to be able to buy all that lovely stuff! It's slightly less flaccid after a few weeks in the sun but it's still not as hard as I'd like it to be ;-)
Me too Linby - ME TOO!
Always a tryer LesleyG :-)
Post a Comment