Thanksmass Crafting!

 Thanksmass is ALMOST upon us readers! The idea for this project came from a viewing of "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" (No I wont be cutting down my own squirrel trimmed tree, and Aunt Bethany wont be wrapping up the cat!) During the scene where Clark Griswold is trapped up in the attic, he stumbles across some old home movies of Christmas in the 1950's. While nostalgically looking back on these happy Christmas gatherings there is an outside shot with someone holding a glittered poster that says "X-Mas 1955".

 (Sign from the movie National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.)

I loved the lettering of the sign, and the 1950's craftiness detail of the added glitter! it inspired me to make a sign that we could hold up in our group photos. However penmanship has changed in the last 60 years, (do they even teach it in schools anymore?) which is why I turned to some vintage stencils for the job.

(We picked these window wax stencils up in Missouri last summer.)

Using the period stencils as a template, I traced out the letters and shapes I wanted onto some plain white card board and then base colored everything with varying permanent markers.

I then used a small paint brush and rubber cement to coat the letters two at a time, then applied the glitter. To keep my colored glitter from mixing I did the red first, then the red tops of the bells, the little green stripe, the bottom red stripe, and finally the gold bottom of the bells and "1959".

  (Glitter, glitter, everywhere... and NEVER where you want it!)

(Ta-Da!)

To help keep the glitter on the cardboard and not everywhere else, after the rubber cement dried I used a clear sealer spray paint (with a flat finish) BUT before you spray seal it, make sure all the access glitter is removed. I used a small clean paint brush to get the loose glitter in between the letters.

I can hardly stand the wait, please Thanksmass don't be late!

-Mick-