Spray Paint and Sparkles

Oh boy! Very Vanilla is now back from her (admittedly too long) break. Between the travels and the simultaneous influx of friends and family, things were a little hectic around here. But that doesn't mean I haven't had bloggie ideas swirling around in my head! To get back in the swing of things, here are my holiday cards that I have been dying to share. I held off for obvious reasons being that the recipients happen to be some of my most loyal readers - thanks Mom, Step-Mom, and Dad! I made tags to glam up presents and sent the cards to persons I would not get the chance to see in the near future.


I fell in love with spray paint the second I started on my beloved candelabra, one of my first DIY projects which I completed a few years ago. It's oh-so-satisfying, being even, opaque, and quick drying, unlike some other forms of paint I know. Perfect for impatient folks like myself. Besides the slight inconvenience of having to spray outdoors, I take this route whenever possible, really, I take it always because you can spray paint anything! If you buy your paint at the hardware store, your horizons are even broader, it's so inexpensive. One of my fav uses so far has been on paper. Less mess, no wrinkles, and a new found ability to embellish not-so-exciting store-bought scrapbook paper. It can be a little tricky to exercise control over the paint stream so do some practice rounds first. This also will help determine which color combos look best. As mentioned in the past, I am not much for traditional holiday colors so metallic and white hues were perfect for staying festive plus the white dots look like falling snow! For some added interest, stencils are great but I usually search beyond the designated aisle at the craft store since most are meant for wall designs. Doilies on the other hand are perfect. Yes, those bizarre cloth or paper thingies whose actual purpose alludes me. I stuck gold (no pun intended) when I came across these shiny beauties at the grocery store. Check out this doily project as well, which is pretty rad.


Hope everyone had a great holiday! Happy 2012!