new toy!

anyone who knows me is aware that i am a sucker for a crafting gadget. i tend to be more textile and yarn oriented, never having developed an interest in scrapbooking, but i i have to admit i am often drawn to materials and tools intended for that particular craft. maybe it's because all of those scrapbooking pages look like delicious vintage textiles, or maybe it's just the cleverness of some of the die cutting devices. in any case, i'll sometimes find myself perusing the clearance section of the craft store and on a recent trip, this little creature caught my eye.

it has a very specific purpose. basically, it's for making paper lanterns and these interesting mobile swirly things (is that the technical term...?). i was primarily interested in the lanterns and had seen this device before, but couldn't justify the price. however, on clearance for about $7, i couldn't resist. i also found a large pack of 12" X 12" scrapbooking card stock for about $6 and was thrilled to see the paper size called for to make the lanterns was 6" X 6". i happily took my purchases home and found an exacto knife, pencil and straightedge.

after cutting my paper into quarters, i opened up the box and check out the instructions. the process is really simple, open the hinged template, fold the paper in half print side up, slide it in place, and use the enclosed safety blade (which i managed to prick my finger with by pressing on the guard that i thought was removable...silly crafter...) to cut straight lines along the indent to the fold. the top half inch or so is protected, so there's no chance to cut too close and lose your top and bottom edge. next, unfold and roll the paper into a tube and staple at the top and bottom to close. voila! fancy paper lantern in about 2 minutes!

last of all, i punched holes on either side and threaded some yarn through, looping around each time to secure it in place. i absolutely love them!!! i may get some cool touch string lights and set them in. how pretty would that be for an outdoor party, or indoor one for that matter! so, despite my best friend threatening to put me in a crafty 12 step program (that she freely admits she should probably enroll in herself), i think this purchase was worth it. now i just have to find more dark corners in my apartment that need a little cheering up.