Showing posts with label Home Decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Decor. Show all posts

DIY Lampshade Cover {Brainstorming Session}

May 2, 2012

Okay ladies, I need your help.

I have a seriously outdated chandelier in my dining room.  It is bringing me down!


I found a nice big, white drum shade at Cost Plus World Market on clearance for $15.  It was exactly what I had been looking everywhere for - and on sale!


Now that I am done planning Maia's birthday {HERE} I can focus on my coat closet revamp {HERE} and making this plain shade not so plain.

My thought is to stencil something on some plain white fabric {maybe linen?} and wrap this guy in it.  The colors I plan on using for the stenciling are peacock blue and a light, fresh green.

I will be painting the chandelier white and removing the frosted glass light covers and putting my pretty new shade up there around the whole shabang.

My dilemma lies in the stencil choice.

I was perusing Cutting Edge Stencils and narrowed it down to these two:





I haven't seen the paisley stencil anywhere before and it is darling.

The zinnia is a big hit a lot of places and sometimes tried and true is the way to go.

I need your thoughts!  I won't keep them... just want to borrow them for a moment.
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April Showers Bring May Flowers {Tongue Depressor Spring Pallet Art}

April 1, 2012


Here in Seattle our "April Showers" start in... well, actually, some would say our "April Showers" don't start in April because they still haven't stopped.

I would disagree.

Yes, it does rain here in the gorgeous Northwest more than it rains in many other places, but does it rain all the time?  Absolutely not.  We have amazing summers here.  Not too hot.  Not too cold.  Perfection.  But that is neither here, nor there.

Maia wanted to craft something up last week and there was a project I had been dying to try.

U-Create made adorable mini pallets using craft sticks and canvas.  Love them!  They've got a super easy tutorial {HERE}.

I knew I had a box of tongue depressors that my mother had brought over {she works in a doctor's office} many, many moons ago and those are basically craft sticks, right?

I have a few canvases in stock, but I wasn't sure how well this project was going turn out, so for this first go round we used a piece of cardboard.  Next time I will probably use a canvas or several layers of cardboard to get a thicker base.  I would also go with smaller dimensions in the future.

Cutting the depressors was an interesting task.  Pieces of those babies were flying everywhere.  Every time I cut one I told Maia to close her eyes.  My husband almost got it a few times, and he was in the other room.  Hey, I had warned him.

Crafting can be a dangerous business.

After I cut the depressors, I hot glued them onto the cardboard and then let Maia do her thing. 

I asked her to paint a person holding an umbrella.  

She decided on her own to add a few rain drops.  They were so cute and tiny and she was being so careful.

I walked away for a minute.  A minute folks.  When I came back I discovered that there had been a monsoon.  The drops were no longer teeny weeny, she was forcefully pounding the paintbrush here and then there and then there again.  All I could do was stare {mouth agape}.


Can you spot the little drops amongst the madness?

Oh, Maia, I love you.

You probably recognize the bouquet of coffee filter flowers I made for the mantel {HERE}.

I do adore the little splashing drops, don't you?


I haven't found the perfect place for this yet.  It was on the mantel.  Then hanging by the door.  Now it is back on the mantel.  Maybe hang it on the inside of the entry door?


Yeesh.  The decisions I am forced to make each day.  

Being a craftateer is not for the weak.


Linking up to these fabulous parties:
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My Mantel is Finally in Full Spring

March 29, 2012

Spring mantels have been popping up all over the place in the last month.  So bright.  So cheery.  So fresh.

I love them.

Despite seeing all of the creative displays I wasn't feeling motivated to transform my drab mantel.

And then it happened.  

Sunshine.

It is amazing what a little peek at the big, bright guy can do to a person.  I was suddenly inspired and moving full spring ahead!

I got rid of the deep, chocolatey brown wall above my mantel, painting it a less "light sucking" color, Simply Beige by Sherwin Williams {same color as the rest of the living room walls}.


Oh the things a girl can accomplish when the little one is napping...


I haven't gotten around to painting the brick and mantel, they are still the yucky, dated brown color.  Thanks to the magic of photo editing I was able to take a peek at what a little white paint might do... I am in love.  I can hear the fireplace whispering "paint me" from every corner of the house.

I love my refreshingly simple Spring mantel.


The gorgeous bouquet was inspired by Little Birdie Secrets.  The flowers are made using coffee filters!  Beautiful.  Want to make some yourself?  Check out the quick, easy tutorial {HERE}.  I did not have floral wire or tape.  I used some wire out of the closet.  You can't see the sticks in this vase anyway, so no biggie.

I made the "Spring." bunting from paper doilies I found at Dollar Tree and letters cut from scrapbook paper on my Silhouette.

I ran a piece of twine through the doilies and tied them to two dowels I found in the closet.  To pretty up the dowels I gave them a quick coat of white paint and then wrapped them in yellow and white twine from The Twinery.

To keep with my yellow, white and blue theme I snatched up two baby blue buttons and attached the bunting to the dowels with those to cover up the knot.

To hold the dowels I dug out two small terra cotta pots and painted them white, yellow and blue.  I wasn't worried about terra cotta showing through so I just did one coat.  To keep the dowels in place I stuck a little square of floral foam in the bottom, jabbed the dowel in it and then filled the pot with river rocks to keep them from shifting.





The frame was a Goodwill find from long ago that I spray painted white.  The simple, elegant vase was a fellow Goodwill pickup.  I love Goodwill!

Lastly, the bunny was cut from scrapbook paper on the ol' Silhouette that I hung on the frame's wire using a mini clothespin.

Ta-da!


How pumped was I that I didn't have to run out to buy a single thing to do this??


Linking up to these fabulous parties:
Visit thecsiproject.com
Sunday: Homemaker on a Dime, DIY Show Off

**My entry into Strut Your Stuff sponsored by Appliances Online and the Bosch Washing Machines
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Embroidery Hoop Name Art {In Less Than 60 Minutes}

March 12, 2012

I have been wanting to take a stab at needlepoint for the longest time and what better day than today?

During Ella's afternoon nap I sat down with some bright, happy about life, bring on the sunshine, raspberry fabric, a natural wood embroidery hoop, yellow cheer and baby's breath white embroidery floss and just did it {it always helps when you just happen to have everything you need lying around - lucky me!}.

It took me less than an hour to create this melt my heart piece of art for my tiniest Ella Irene.


Each detail is hand embroidered with my own freehand design.  No stencils.  No tracing.  Just creating as my crafty fingers saw fit.  


I love the contrast between the two writing styles.  I feel like the combination places the perfect emphasis on each part of my girl's precious tiny little name.



This would make an amazing gift for pretty much any occasion.  So thrilled to add this to my bag of tricks for the next baby shower or birthday!

My Maia Rachelle has already put in a request for one of her own.

I think I like this needlepoint business!

This simple elegant piece of awesome made the top 10 in the CSI Project challenge this week!
Look at all the places she's been featured!  Be still my heart!








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The ArtsyGirl Connection









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Positively Splendid
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A girl and a glue gun

This project has been entered at:







Entering this tantalizing challenge:
Visit thecsiproject.com
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A List for Everything and for Everything a List

February 8, 2012

I started a family command center after Christmas... now it is February and it still sitting in my kitchen partially completed.

I hate looking at incomplete projects...

This morning, as I sat watching paint dry {literally - the pantry shelves are in progress}, it dawned on me:  My time would be better spent doing something.

I could not decide on a weekly calendar format, grocery list design and daily to-do list layout.  I couldn't find any printables that matched my needs to the T so I thought maybe for the time being I would just use plain printer paper {I wanted SOMETHING done}.

I went to grab my paper cutter and saw a stack of kraft paper sheets.  A-HA!

I cut a few sheets, pulled out some white and yellow baker's twine from The Twinery, found a couple buttons and borrowed some stamps and ink from Maia's craft center.

I came up with these super simple tablets.


Simple and useful doesn't have to be plain.

These are super easy!


I cut each 8.5 x 11 sheet into 4 equal pieces.









I also designed my weekly calendar, but my wireless is on the fritz {I am borrowing a neighbors at the moment...} and our printer is, of course, wireless.

Maybe tomorrow?

Tonight I will be able to finish painting my pantry shelves and tomorrow I may attempt a trip to Ikea with my little Ella {may}.

Linking up to these fabulous parties:
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Button Magnets and Thumb Tacks {and an inside smile}

January 11, 2012

This has been a rough week for me {and when I say rough what I mean is that I have been a rolling dumpster fire - yes - that serious}.  I am physically {we started working out with a trainer and I think he is trying to kill me} and mentally {when don't children and spouses try to push every last button?} beaten down.  I have had zero patience {probably closer to a negative 5} so little things that I can normally tolerate are quite literally, intolerable.  And then, to top the week off with a big ol' cherry...

THE INTERNET STOPPED WORKING!

That right there pushed this on edge, ready to start swinging, about to start shrieking at the top of her lungs, eyes just about bulging out of her head, jaw so tense she can't smile mama... right... off... the cliff.

This is a new day.  This is a better day.  This is a day where the internet connection is at full capacity {hallelujah}.  The next 7 days are going to be better than the last because, quite frankly, they have to be or someone is going to get it.

I am - of course - already off schedule on my blogging calendar, but that is okay {Let it go Jennifer.  Let it go.}.

I am working on a magnetic spice board for my husband.  I bought the board and the tins at Ikea and gave them to my handsome for Christmas and now I am just sprucing it up a bit and labeling those suckers.  Realistically this should be posted next week.

I am also working on a family life organization board.  This will also, realistically, be posted next week.  Today I am going to share the precious little magnets and tacks I made for the family board.


We have made a habit of tossing bottle caps and wine corks into a glass vase on our windowsill.  While my intention was not to create an artistic piece, it actually does look kind of cool.  Too bad I didn't think to take a picture during the bit o' sunshine we had earlier {Again, I am letting it go}.  This is the first time I have actually used any of the bottle caps.



I thought about painting the caps first, but then I decided that (1) it looked fine without paint, and (2) I just didn't want to do the work.


The sweet smell of accomplishment. Simple. Quick. Cheap.


Love this staged picture, but wouldn't ya know I didn't take a picture of what they looked like when they were done {*cringe* letting... it... go}.  Close your eyes and imagine a little button glued to a thumb tack {I know it sounds complicated} and that is exactly what they look like.  Adorable.  I know.

So in my dreams I get the spice board finished tomorrow and the family board done Saturday.  We'll see how I sleep {so to speak}.  I will say that even posting this itty bitty accomplishment makes me feel a little smiley inside.

Phew.  

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...anyone can start today and make a new ending.

December 31, 2011

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."
Maria Robinson

New day, new year, new start!

I have never been big on the whole New Year's resolutions thing.  I cannot recall having ever come up with a real resolution.  I think I usually just say something silly and go about my business.

This year - I am taking this seriously!

I assigned each family member {except Ella, she still won't talk!} the task of coming up with 5 goals for 2012.

Many people work really hard at their resolutions for about a month and then toss them aside and go back to their old ways.  This is not as easy to do if you broadcast your goals in some manner.  So to keep us honest I created this goal display.




Step 1.  I scrounged up an old frame in the basement and gave it 3 coats of acrylic, white paint.

Step 2.  I cut a scrap of fabric and covered the cardboard backing of the frame with it.  I used glue dots around the back of the cardboard to secure the fabric.

Step 3.  I wrote our goals with Maia's window markers.

Step 4.  I took a nap... yawn.

This isn't a game.  There are no rules, no prize.  I simply want my family to take a moment to examine our lives and come up with some ideas on how to move forward in a positive way that best suits each of us.

Here is how we are moving forward:

Daddy - Lose 3% body fat, read 6 books, take one business class per quarter, lead a one-day sport's camp, improve upon our fruit/veggie garden setup

Mommy - Workout 3 times per week, open an Etsy shop, acquire 200 blog followers {hint hint}, design my craft room and complete it, improve upon our flower garden

Maia - Learn to tie her own shoes, ride her bike without training wheels, swim without a lifejacket, clean her room everyday, complete her morning and bedtime skincare routine on her own {she gets "itchies" (psoriasis = lame) so the routine involves oil and vaseline application - she hates it!}. 
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