MDS Monday: Blog Hop Follow up

I hope you enjoyed the Stampin' Addict's MDS Blog Hop this weekend.  I loved some of the out-of-box ways to use My Digital Studio.  If you missed it, all the sites are deep linked together so you can still see the five sites, just start here.  And if you've come back because I promised a GIVEAWAY, stay tuned!

My blog hop projects showcased the custom-size feature.  I showed how to do this on an MDS Monday in August with screen shots so I'm not going to go into detail about that today.  But I will tell you a little more about each project.

12"x16" Custom Size Project.  Digital Stamp Brushes: You're a Gem, Creative Elements and Pedaling Past.

The only thing that I did a little different on this one was the flourish around the "Key to my Heart" title.  I used the frame from Creative Elements and used the crop stamp feature to select just the left flourishy end of  frame.  Then I copied, pasted and mirrored it to give me the other end (three clicks was easier for me than inserting the stamp and cropping it again to get the right side, but you could do that as an alternative as well.  The rest of the project is fairly self explanatory.  I just uploaded it to the photo center at my local warehouse store and in 5-7 business days, I went and picked up the canvas.

 7"x10" Custom Size project.  Digital Stamp Brushes: Creative Elements, Frames with a Flourish and Elements of Style.  Non Digital Stampin' Up!: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Antique Brads, Rhinestones. Other: Glossy Decopage Medium, Black Paint and Wood Block.

But my second project does have a story.  I actually first saw pictures of Temples adhered to wood block on pinterest.  I liked the idea and thought it would be fun to make some for Christmas gifts this year.  So when I was at the wood shop buying the owls and witches hat, I also picked up three 5"x7" wood blocks.  But there, they also had family pictures on the wood blocks and the ideas starting churning.  So the big DUH question is: WHY THE HECK DID I NOT BUY MORE BLOCKS? And not just 5"x7" but 8"x10" and 4"x6" too.

I kept thinking I'd get back to the store to buy more of these but with the store being about 30 miles away and gas being $3.80 for my SUV, I just couldn't justify the trip down there for a $3 piece of wood. In the mean time, I designed this 8"x10" to go on the wood and had it printed at a photo center:

Then I had the idea to go to my local hardware/lumber store to buy a wood board. I heard they would cut the wood for me if I asked nicely and paid for it of course.  I found one marked 2"x8" by 8 feet.  So I had it cut into 10" pieces and brought it home.  But this is where I probably should have asked for advice from my wood-working-hobbiest Father.  I had no idea that a 2"x8" is not even close to 8".  It is actually 7". The print I made did not fit the wood and I couldn't just cut an inch off because I didn't leave any wiggle room to trim it.  So I did have to recreate a print that was 7"x10" at the last minute to make this all work. (I might have been able to print at home, but I was a little concerned about applying anything over the top of a home-printed photo.)

To finish the block, I sanded it (and since you know I hate sanding, I cheated and broke out my finishing sander.  It might have been a bit of an over kill, but it worked and it saved my carpal tunnel).   I painted it black with regular acrylic craft paint and then used Glossy Mod Podge to adhere the photo to the wood.  I then applied two layers of Mod Podge to the top (allowing it to dry in between): one with the brush strokes running horizontally and the other with them running vertically.  This gave it a bit more of a "canvas" texture.  Next, I sprayed it with a sealer so that it would lose that "tacky" feeling you some times get with Mod Podge.  Finally, I added the ribbon and brads.  I thought about some other things, but they were all retired and I didn't want to feature anything on the blog hop that wasn't current.

I actually made three more of these featuring another photo for another Christmas present but I can't show you those yet since I want it to be a surprise.  But I will show them after they are received.

Now the reward for coming back today and sticking with me through this rambling post: THE GIVEAWAY!  I have a  One Big Sale-a-bration MDS Content CD to give away to one lucky blog reader.  Here is how to enter.  First of all, you must have a United States mailing address and be a google follower of my blog OR my facebook page.  So if you aren't already, click on the links on the left and become one.  Second, leave a comment here in the comment section.  (My blog allows for anonymous comments, but you have to leave an email or someway for me to get hold of you if you win).  Everyone who does that will get an entry.  To get additional entries, visit my online store and download the free downloads available for Digital Scrapbook Week, and/or your 30-day free trial of MDS2.  But hurry, because today is the last day for the free downloads.  (The 30-day trial offer is ongoing). Remember, you can use these downloads and the CD of content in other digital scrapbooking programs (even PhotoShop).  I will announce the winner on Friday this week so come back then.

One more note, I am going to discontinue MDS Monday as a regular weekly-feature on my blog.  I will continue to do the occasional MDS Monday post, but I am so far behind on my regular stamping projects to share, I want to focus on those as I prepare for my upcoming Christmas Stampin' Buffet and other holiday crafting.