HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday with your friends and family! I can’t believe we’re already nearly halfway through January… I’ll admit, the last few weeks have been a blur. I found myself so tired on Boxing Day. I just wanted to curl up in bed with my boyfriend and watch Netflix. I figured it was just because of the usual hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but soon came to realize I had a bad case of burnout!
The month leading up to Christmas, I was basically glued to my craft desk. I was constantly on the phone and computer advertising, marketing, blogging, taking orders, creating, brainstorming, etc. I was on a creative high! To be honest, I barely remember the month of December. I was so grateful for the opportunities I was creating for myself through my hard work, but I was overworking myself at the same time. Suddenly, I couldn’t think of one craft to put together- not even a simple card. I felt like I had brain fog, with no inspiration and definitely no motivation. It’s important to remember when to slow down, take a breath, express gratitude and rest!
That’s why I’ve been so absent from my social media platforms. I had to take time for myself to relax and recharge to go into 2020 strong! I encourage you to do the same when you feel overwhelmed. Now let’s get crafting!
ETC: 1H
Supplies:
– Cork coasters
– Pink, red and gold paint
– Glitter (optional)
– Adhesive vinyl or stencil
I spotted these cork coasters at my local thrift store for $1! You can purchase the exact same coasters for only $2.99- they were originally from Ikea.
Pink Heart with Gold Background
I used the default heart shape in Cricut Design Space. I think it’s literally the perfect heart shape, especially for round surfaces. I cut the heart out on adhesive vinyl, then painted it onto the cork. Once it was dry (about 10 minutes) I painted gold around the heart. I didn’t want to paint the coaster gold first and then the heart, because the cork is thin. If you brush the paint on too thick, it’ll crack if the coaster is bent. I love the imperfections.
2020 Red Heart
Using the same default heart shape, I layered it with 2020 and centered them together. Once it was cut, I simply stuck the vinyl down and painted over the stencil with red paint.
Gold XO with Red Background
I used the font Halo Handletter by Mario Artuo which you can get here. It’s one of my favourite festive fonts- it goes with every single holiday! The XO was so thin I decided to paint the coaster red first, let it completely dry, then apply the stencil. I also lightly dragged the paintbrush dipped with gold around the edges of these coasters- I adore how they turned out!
Red Love Words
I also used the font Halo Handletter here but in lowercase. I made others that say sweetie, cutie, lovebug, kisses, hugs, etc. You have so many options to personalize these! I also put gold around the edge of these too. I painted some in red paint and some in pink paint.
And that’s it! If I could do these over (which I probably will for other holidays!) I would have added glitter and maybe some hearts or lips on the cork background of the plainer coasters. Which one is your favourite? How would you have designed them differently?
Stay inspired,
Kendra
paxton lane design 