joyfully gifting

I always like to do something a little unexpected for Bridal and Baby Showers...especially since I've acquired my Silhouette machine. As I've said before, walking down the aisles of Walmart, Target, & Hobby Lobby haven't been the same since! My husband even jokes that if the kids stood still long enough, I'd have vinyl labels slapped across their foreheads..ha!

One of my super-crafty friends made some glass block nightlights at Christmas in which she decoupaged some photos onto glass blocks and then installed a light inside.

Oh..how..cool! I still WANT to give this a try but then I thought about how easy it would be to 

do the same with vinyl!

Below are photos of the process...

 Start with these supplies. All of which I picked up at Hobby Lobby..each sold separately.

 

Glass block                                                                   Nightlight insert

Glass block holder w/nightlight holder

Here's how I set it up in my Silhouette program.

Measured the available space & found that it was approx 5"x5", so I created a rounded square & filled it with the design. For this particular project, I plan to use the NEGATIVE space.

 Design has been cut and I remove the vinyl, leaving the NEGATIVE space.

For ALL of my vinyl crafting, I use clear contact paper from the dollar store INSTEAD of the expensive transfer paper -- a neat little trick that a friend shared with me and I'm extremely grateful for that bit of info! It's saved me a TON of money and I even PREFER it to the expensive transfer stuff.

 Clear contact paper lifted it from backing, then applied to the glass block.

 Using my trusty tool (what's the name of that gadget?), I press & press until I can peel away the clear contact paper.

TA-DA!!! Congratulations to my friends Justin & Charli as they begin their journey as a married couple. This couple bought a house this past month and I think this will be a perfect addition to their new home!

** I've been featured **

Hop on over to my good friend, Nicole's, awesome new blog

Doodles&Stitches where she features a recipe, furniture, or crafting idea each week.