January's Pinterest Challenge & Packing Tape Transfers!

Guess what time it is?

It's the first Monday (well, Tuesday over here) of the month, so, it's time to show off your latest Pinterest inspired creation with us!! 

Here's what us Pinheads have been up to:

Kara from Happy Go Lucky

Allison from A Glimpse Inside

Ashlee from I'm Topsy Turvy

Cheryl from Sew Can Do

Amanda from Ninthstreetnotions

For my Pinterest Challenge this month I had one of those "almost a fail" projects, so I thought I'd share what I learned by really doing out a pinned idea:

I tried out a how-to for packing tape transfers from This Bountiful Backyard (who had originally found the idea, via Pinterest, from Little Blue Boo).  The concept is neat - using some images from a magazine or photo and packing tape, you can make your own transfers.  You just stick the tape over the image, stick it in some water for a minute or less, rub the paper away and the image is supposed to remain on the tape.  Cool, right?

The thing is, it's a little hit & miss.  Not all magazines work very well - they have to have heat transfered ink.  And the only way to find out seems to be trial & error.  Like this one - the paper just slid off without leaving much on the tape:

Several others did the same thing.  Or they started off looking ok, but while rubbing the paper away, I also rubbed away bits of the image.  Not so good.  Finally I had luck with a nice seed catalog and simply peeling back the paper instead of rubbing it off:



Darker or brightly colored images worked the best, but there were always a few bits that didn't come off the paper so you either have to have a few of an image to keep trying, cut around the bits that didn't transfer or just expect a "distressed" look.  The transfers are then like window clings and can be used with adhesive like stickers on paper or to dress up smooth surfaces like glass or ceramic:

All in all, a fun project I'd do again, but definitely glad I gave it a whirl to get the hang of it before planning it on something specific.

Ready to share any Pinterest-inspired projects you've worked on recently?  

Let's get this party started!

  <a href="http://www.happygoluckyblog.com"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6618418539_818e3645db_o.jpg" alt="I'm Topsy Turvy" width="125"/></a>

Party Rules: 

1. Enter the URL of your project post, NOT your homepage. 

2. All projects should be Pinterest-inspired and include a link to the original source or pin. 

3. You can enter up to three completed projects, as long as they haven't been linked up before. 

4. Include a link back to this blog post OR post the Pinterest Challenge button below, so others can join the fun! 

Link up, have fun, and be inspired! Don't forget to visit other links and leave a few comments. We all love comments:)