Stamp Tag Mirror Recon (pic overload!)

[jmesdiylounge]

My bestie has had this mirror since she was a little girl and it wasn't working in our crazy collection apartment.
She was going to pitch it, but I said NO! I will turn it into something awesome.



Since I have started working at my 'real job' as a receptionist (yippee! all those years to get my BA and now I answer phones!) any way I have been collecting the cancelled postage stamps from the mail.

I have a lot of them saved up. I am also a huge ModgePodge Freak! SO *Lightbulb* I will decopauge the mirror frame with stamps and turn it on its side to make it look like a tag.

So here are some of the WIP pics.






And here is the final project, which we love! I glued one a felt ring and some chunky red yarn using Tacky Glue.



http://flickr.com/photos/idomusic2/tags/tagstampmirror/

[Gnome]

That is brilliant!

[ambrienza]

Love it!

[LetterGhost]

wow, that turned out so cool! I guess she's glad now that you didn't let her pitch it!

[zatanna]

Very clever! I bet it took a lot of patience to get it all lined up right on the frame (and save stamps!), so nice work! Waybetter to make a really one-of-a-kind item than to toss something into the trash.

[nofury]

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of mod-podging frames and stuff, but I have to be honest. I LOVE IT! Incredibly clever, and I'm a HUGE fan of finding a use for things that were about to be tossed.

Very clever. I'm impressed. You should be proud!!!

[yeaaahtoast]

Yeah, i'm totally nominating this. I'm speechless, you deserve a medal!

[shezcrafty]

very cool! this must've taken you some time to make, but it looks like it's so worth it.  my kids have been collecting stamps for several years and we've been waiting for a good reason to use them.  I think we have a family project right here! thanks for sharing!

[cathiphop]

I'm a big fan of this. One question-was the mirror that shape to begin with? From the WIP pic, it didn't look like it was...How the heck did you go from collecting stamps at work to "oh, I'm gonna turn that old mirror and home into a big tag, and oh yeah, I'll put those stamps to work(??) Ah, the creative process. this rocks for sure.

[jmesdiylounge]

Thanks for all the comments. I love to re-craft things. It is better for the earth and easier on my wallet!

The mirror before I started looked like the hideous paint illustration. So there was no change to the mirror or the frame shape.

I had the foresight to remove the stamps from the backing. (You just soak them in warm water and let them sit. The backing comes right off! Then I laid them out to dry on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.)

It took a lot of time to line up the stamps up but I applied modge podge on the area of the frame I was working on and also to the stamp. Then I stuck the stamps on. Since the frame and the stamp both had the glue I could reposition them if needed.

The corners were kind of tricky. I worked from the middle of the sides, then out the the edges. So I just cut little stamp patches to fill the holes in!

The idea started with my love of postage stamps. Growing up, my dad collected stamps and I joined a stamp club at school (Nerd Alert!). I always though of postage stamps like tiny works of art. Perfect for a doll house. Being the hoarder that I am, I couldn't bare to waste these pretty stamps. So I saved them. I didn't know what I would do with them.  Maybe make some cool collage of stamps that from far way looks like a heart (like a photomosaic).

I don't remember how I connected all my thoughts together, but I did and I am very proud of the results.

Thank you all for all you comments! I am feeling the Craftster Love!!