Hittin’ the Hardware Store!
Laura Williams, Paper Crafts Go-to Gals
Recently, I was extended a challenge. A crafty challenge. I tend to look at craft challenges with equal parts panic and excitement. So when the divine Susan R. Opel said the words Designer Challenge, I took a breath, I attempted not to panic, and I started brainstorming.
The challenge? Use a white card base that incorporates the use of three items from the hardware store, either as tools or embellishments, but the use of each item must be obvious rather than subtle.
My 9-year-old son and I ambled through the hardware store and he made helpful suggestions like, “How about this Men’s Bathroom sign?” and “What about a toilet seat?” We narrowed down his quite helpful suggestions and made a mental list of items that could actually be usable on a card, like: sandpaper, paint chips, twine, fishing line, metal washers, and paint.
In the end, I settled on fishing line, paint, and paint chips as my three items. Here’s the finished product.
Hardware Thanks card by Laura Williams
Thankfully, I was allowed to use dies, stamps, patterned paper, and other items to finish off my design. This made a huge difference. First, I adhered a green paint chip to the card base, and splattered some aqua paint across the card. (Recognize that paint from my project a few weeks ago???) I die-cut the sentiment and heart from a pink paint chip and adhered it on top of a wound-up length of fishing line. I added a thin strip of patterned paper and black cardstock, plus one rhinestone gem to finish it off.
This made me wonder what other kinds of three-item challenges we could come up with. I bet we could create a project, substituting the office supply store, the post office, or even our own garage for the hardware store. Are you up for the challenge? Pick a location, and then find three tools or embellishments to base your design from. Feeling extra bold and brave? Choose three items from your purse. How’s that for a panic-inducing crafty challenge?
Thanks for stopping by, my friends!
Laura Williams
