Wednesday, July 4, 2012

A Small Public Service Announcement & Tutorial

You all know I worry about you guys in blog land. Like the other day, I posted this layout called Red Solo Cup and a link to Toby Keith's unedited Song. I know for sure this is just a US of A thing. Well, I am pretty sure.

But, I don't think I was clear enough explaining the "Solo" part. I worry that I leave people hanging or wondering. SO, this post will attempt to clear all that up. If you are from here, my apologies, you can skip the lesson and wander right down to the tutorial....

SOLO is a brand. Our local store actually does not carry that brand, but regardless, the Hefty version will still be called "Red Solo Cup" for the purposes of illustration. And, as you can see below, we have several lovely shades to pick from that are not red. I think the blue and the green are quite lovely too. Not so big on the yellow.




Anyhow, today being our 4th of July, I can imagine many of these cups will be used hold beverages across the Nation as we celebrate. Most of them will be red, with some people mixing it up with yellow, blue, green, and goodness knows what other colors they might have. Sometimes your store might be out of the red, so you will have to substituted in another color. And if you are going with a themed party, perhaps choosing a color that matches that theme...So there you have it. We are crazy about Red Solo Cups in the US with a song written expressly about it. Maybe later at some point I'll tell you about the game that gets played here with them called Beer Pong, but I have no photos to illustrate as I'm pretty sure I've NEVER played that game before...not even in college, being a Saint.

And I also promised a tutorial. The other day I posted these canvas red, white and blue flowers. Along with the important knowledge on brands of US Plastic Cups, I thought you might want to know how to make them.

I started with my Tim Holtz tattered floral die and cut out a variety of these flowers out of canvas. 


Used an old cookie sheet and some gesso to get them ready for inking. They will curl a bit when they dry with the gesso. Do not be alarmed but embrace that as being part of the flower shape. 

Once they are dry from the gesso step, take out some ink pads and ink them up with the colors you are wishing for. I assembled mine first with a small brad poked through the canvas because I am lazy.

Here are mine all inked. Then, you spritz them with something to make the ink run. I used alcohol mixed with some glimmermist. Honestly, a nice glimmermist will also do the trick if you are looking for that shimmer.


























And voila! Canvas flowers in a color to match your project!

And, lastly, I leave you with a Happy Hump Day which is even more special here as most of us have this Fabulous Forth of July off!

I am handing these out today to the cousins we have visiting us from North Carolina. Another truly American thing, the amazing M & M Candy which comes in more colors than the Red Solo Cups.


P.S. That thing on the bag that says it's a "sharing size" is a big fat whopper of a lie. I can eat a whole bag in about two minutes no sharing.


12 comments:

  1. Happy Independence Day...hope you get a big fix of additives & colourings & flavourings....if the cups & M+M's are anything to go by, you'll be errr.... sending blue, red & white out the other end!!!
    THANK YOU for the flower tut...FANTASATIC.... once I get the die, I'll be set...hope the kids enjoy watching you eat the share packet of M&M's, too...now that would be funny to do...can imagine their poor faces:):):)

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  2. I have absolutely nooooo idea what beer pong is! (wink wink)

    Happy 4th of July to you as I toast with my Solo. cheers!

    Loved that tutorial!

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  3. Happy 4th of July, Mitra! I can totally identify with your craving...I have a sweet tooth too :)

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  4. You make me laugh, and that's exactly what I need today, after spilling an entire cup of coffee on 2 scrapbooking mags and a library book, not to mention hitting a lamp post with my car yesterday! I always wondered about the "solo" part of the song, I didn't know it was a brand, but I figure we have similar cups up here in the Great White North! They just probably aren't as popular. And we don't have those sharing packs of M&M's (do those come in peanut?) but we do have Smarties, which I didn't realize until Canada day is a strictly Canadian candy. Love your tutorial, by the way - I just got the die not long ago, I should go play with it, but I'm kind of scared to wreck it seeing that bad things happen in 3's, right?

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  5. P.S. - Happy Independence Day!

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  6. Your whole post made me lol...and I love the flower tutorial!

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  7. happy Independence Day Mitra...and I could eat these bags of M&Ms too, without feeling the need to share..especially if they were Peanut butter ones..YUM!
    Alison xx

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  8. Ahh I agree with @alison-- I love the pb ones too! And thanks for clearing up the air about the red solo cups. Now I understand!! :)

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  9. Hope you have a great independence day Mitra, love the posting and thanks for sharing all those photos. Love M&Ms and how cute that they do those themed packs.

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  10. Haha! What a lovely post! Thanks for the clarification!! And how cool that you get red, white and blue M and M's!! Happy Independence Day :-D

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  11. Hope you had a great 4th of July celebration Mitra. Sorry for my lateness with my message. xx

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  12. Hmmm...what is this beer pong that you speak of... My brain cells that held that memory must have died somehow...
    I literally laughed out loud while reading your post today! Sharing packs-as if!! I think you need to be part of the American customs education committee!
    Your tutorial was great and I so love those gorgeous flowers!!!

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