My 100th Post on this blog!! A game day banner for you Razorback fans!!

I just noticed that this is my 100th post on my Altered To Perfection blog.  Yay!
Today, I am sharing a banner with you.  GO*HOGS*GO! for a dedicated Arkansas Razorback fan.

Thanks for reading along!  I love all of my friends here at Altered To Perfection!

A few vintage-inspired items made for a vintage-inspired wedding ...

Now, I must say that none of the original ideas were my own.  My friend Mandy, the Bride, told or showed me what she wanted and I went to work.  She, along with her mother, father, sisters, friends, etc. also did a lot of amazing work to make this wedding amazing and full of personal touches.

 Instead of handing out programs at the ceremony, there was a large frame that had a chalkboard painted cardboard background.  I used the Chalkboard Markers mentioned in my previous post and got to work on this.  I must say that I loved how it turned out! 

 This gift table was eventually moved into the ballroom/reception area.  Coca-cola crates, different sized mason jars and vintage suitcases made this a perfect touch for the theme.

 Here, you can see more vintage Coca-Cola crates, mason jars, mason jar cupcakes and even a tray like the one I previously featured (chalkboard paint tray)  in the left hand corner. =) 

 

CARDS banner for the card box on the gift table.
This was how I set it up at the wedding.  I believe she bought these luggage pieces at a vintage shop in Colorado.  The skeleton key was a vintage-inspired key.

Mandy and her parents did all of the work on these mason jars and place cards.  Great idea right??  I just wanted to show off another little tray in the upper corner there.  They painted these and I used those fabulous markers on it. =)  Lots of different shapes and sizes at the Dollar Tree!

This banner made by me was hand-lettered and used as a photo prop.  I used heavy-duty scrapbook cardstock, white chalkboard paint marker, black Sharpie marker and twine.

There's inspiration everywhere!  For purchasing information, you can email me or find me here on facebook or here at Etsy.

Pinned and Tried: Chalkboard Painted Trays

You've got to be careful these days to not leave anything sitting in my path that my get painted with chalkboard paint.  I just can't help it!  It's so easy and fun.   I saw this idea on pinterest - several sources, but I also used to do it with plain old cookie sheets.   

So, I thought I'd show you the process I took to make this super cheap and fun project.

I picked up a metal tray at the Dollar Tree.  I already had the Krylon Chalkboard paint from previous projects.  I bought it at Michael's and I'm pretty positive I used a 40% off coupon.

I placed the tray in a box that I previously used for painting and I took it OUTSIDE.
You want to make sure that you are in a well ventilated area.

I made sure the paint can got a really good shaking and then I just sprayed an even coat all over the tray.  I did one side, let it dry in the box and then painted the other side.  This tray was one I did really quick and didn't bother to get the 'gummy' stuff off completely from the price tag.  However, I recommend that you do in order to have a completely smooth surface.  After making sure the paint fully covered the tray, I let it sit several hours to make sure it was really set before I wrote on it.

I took a piece of chalk and laid it on it's side and gently colored in the flat surface to 'season' the board before using it.  This step seems to be pretty crucial to being able to write smoothly on your new board.  This is with regular white chalk.

You may notice that the writing in this picture looks more 'smooth'.  That's because I've discovered a new fun item!! Chalkboard markers.  I needed to do a huge project for a wedding and knew that chalk would be almost impossible to do the job the way I wanted.  I looked around the www and guess what?  Found some great tips on how to get that perfect look on the chalkboards.  

Writes smooth, comes in several colors and wipes clean with a damp cloth. 

I am in love!!  

This pack of 4 chalkboard markers was a little over $12 at Michael's and of course, I used a coupon!

The other great thing about these trays are that they are magnetic.  So you can write a note or you can stick a note!  Whatever you like best.
This pinned and tried was a winner.  I loved this easy project and hope you'll try it too!