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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Valentine Clings on Vases and Things

I love Clings so much. Have you ever wondered where the idea of Clings came from? Well, here's the "skinny". One afternoon my daughter, Renee, noticed that a cured shape of Gallery Glass paint and leading would peel off a smooth surface and re-adhere to another smooth surface. I had a finished project laying on my work table and somehow (?), it got knocked off and the glass broke. She realized that the painted design did not break. She peeled it off the glass and pressed it against the Patio Door. Days, even months later, it was still there. And, voila, Clings were born. Since then, I have made about a million different designs and continue to use this technique--especially for temporary or seasonal decorating. It's the least expensive use for Gallery Glass because there is no cost for the surface. Clings can add color and fun to a wide variety of objects without the adhesion becoming permanent, which allows maximum versatility. An appropriate  surface can be used over and over again for other holidays. You probably remember the Autumn leaves that we had on them in the Fall Project Section. Now look how different they look full of hearts. 
Okay, so you don't have any pretty clear vases just sitting around? No problem. Drop in to your neighborhood dollar or discount store and you can usually load up with inexpensive vessels.


I also do a lot of personalizing for this holiday--putting names in the hearts and using them as picture frames for loved ones.  Meet Samantha (9) and Sydney (6), my special Valentines.

My friend Lynn has a glass panel in the front door of her office. She loves to decorate it with seasonal motifs and this is where Clings really shine.  At Christmas time, she covered it with Gallery Glass ornanents. Then after New Year's, she removed them and put up some different versions of the hearts we used on the vases above. First, she leaded and painted enough to cover the whole door. Then she peeled them off and positioned them on the door for maximum good looks. She gets so much good feedgack from her customers. They all want to know where to ge the product and how you do it, which she is glad to answer.


In case you want to create a sweet scenario of your own, here are the patterns for the hearts. The vases you see at the top were done with these same motifs. It will take two Gallery Glass Blanks to make them all.
The Gallery Glass Supplies are:
16015 Ruby Red, 16423 Hot Pink, 16021 White Pearl, 16014, Amethyst, 16442 Hologram Glitter, 16076 Liquid Leading, 16051 Leading Blanks. 

And now, here's my final heartfelt suggestion for you to be thinking about this next week. How about making a dozen hearts, or so, on the Gallery Glass reusable blanks. Cut the blank small enough to fit inside the Valentine cards that you send through the mail. Be sure to put the heart (still on the plastic) inside a clear plastic sleeve (or bag), because you don't want it to stick to the paper card. The recipient of that special Valentine may throw away the card, but you can bet the Cling will be on their window for months to come. Gallery Glass is such a good way to enhance the perceived value of the printed sentiment.
That's it. I'm done. All this sharing has made me hungry. I wonder if any of my co-workers have chocolate Valentine candy on their desk. Hmmmm...... 







2 comments:

  1. Miss Carol I have a question that is not GG related believe it or not LOL but since you are a crafting queen I figured you could give me an answer...you know those resin/plastic type garden gnomes that the stores begin to sale at this time of year...well I have several of them that I"ve had for years and their paint has faded bad....I want to repaint them and put them back in my yard...do you think of the "plaid" craft paints would work on them? and would I need to seal them with say polyurethane afterwards? many thanks...I got a few more GG pics to upload if I can find them LOL

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  2. Yes, Plaid's FolkArt Outdoor Paint is weather resistant and most important UV resistant (prevents fading). First clean them with glass cleaner or a vinegar/water solution and sand off the cracked and peeling areas. No need to remove all the color, just the damaged part. Now apply the Outdoor paints liberally. They have a sealer in them, so that spraying on a sealer is not necessary, but it can't hurt. Be sure the colors are cured before you spray--at least 72 hours after the last application. (Plaid is having a sale during February. You might save a bundle on the Outdoor colors. Check the message board for details.)

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