Painting a canvas pumpkin

I've always wanted to learn to paint.  That would be the left handed, creative side in me determined to learn all levels of craft, no matter the cost.  But, honestly, I never thought I was all that good at it.  I wanted to be a master without taking the time to work as the apprentice first.  

I surely do appreciate the talents of other bloggers though.  I am ever so grateful to pinterest and the hard work of these men and women for the amount of time they take in teaching me and providing avenues for me in which to learn.

In this quest to learn, I wanted desperately to start out simple so as not to get discouraged in this process.  I also wanted a tutorial that wouldn't take me hours to watch through.  Who has time for that?!? And since we are inching on Fall here, my brain immediately went to pumpkins.  Could I really do it though????  I challenged myself and went on the hunt where I ran into this blog and tutorial:

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Now, I like the look of clean and simple.....yet elegant.  And I didn't want complicated.  Let me tell you!  Jennifer Rizzo has got some talent and she shares it in the most 'newbie friendly' way I have ever seen.  Her instructions and pictorials were so precise and spot on!  She made this look like child's play.  And you know what?  I did it!  I'm pretty proud of how it turned out too.  And I owe it all to her hard work.  So, Jennifer, if you happen to stop by this blog, thank you for sharing your talents with us.  Oh yeah, and here's my completed pumpkin:

Trust me.  You can do this! Here is My 12yr old working on the same project too:

So proud of her!

 

Mantle Makeover

We are very S.L.O.W.L.Y. in the process of doing renovations to our living room.  I'm tired of my walls looking dingy and the room still seeming so dark.  Our living room is in the center of our home and it does not receive much light.  We have put in skylights but it hasn't helped us all that much.  I figured maybe if I could lighten/brighten up our fireplace area, it may help just a teeny tiny bit more.  I do refuse to paint the stone.  We have this same stone pattern on the outside of our house and I think it would destroy some of the character.

The candlesticks have been spray painted.  The lantern and planes have been pulled from other areas in the house.  However,  pay attention to the 'artwork' here:

 

 I want you to know just how inexpensive it is to make your own.  The frame was purchased quite some time ago with a 40% coupon and ran me less than $10.  I used some scrapbooking paper that I already had on hand to fill in the photo areas.  The wooden 'home' was purchased in a $1 bin at the craft store and I made the 'rosette' up in the corner by fan folding paper and adding a button to the middle with some hot glue. 

I think it can get really easy to get so caught up in the decorating portion that we think everything needs to be purchased.  Unless you are an art collector of original pieces, let your own personal creations be what decorates your home.  You live there.  Its your space.  Let it define you and your family, not the mass produced market out there available to everyone.  That is what makes a home a home.....and your home at that.  Happy Crafting/Re-modeling!

Valentine Photo Frame

As my profile says, I have a hubby who travels ALOT for his job.  He misses many a birthday and special occasion because of it.  This year is no exception.  He is overseas right now and will be missing Valentines Day.  I know its not necessarily a major holiday but its still time away from the family.  I try and do what I can to keep our relationship front and center, even with the thousands of miles between us.


I don't know about you, but I always seem to have these little wooden dollar frames from michaels hanging around my house. I wanted to use one to showcase me and my hubby this V-day.  We were very fortunate to go to Jamaica kid free about a year and a half ago.  While there, I convinced my white knuckled man to go zip-lining with me.  My husband hates anything where he is not in control so this was B-I-G, and most certainly memorable (and monumental on his part). I couldn't think of a better picture of what love is than doing something you are afraid of or incredibly uncomfortable with just to please your spouse. (insert the cheesy aww's here, I know) Here is the final Result:

Supplies:  Wooden frame from Michael's
                2 Sheets scrapbook paper plus word art
                Mod Podge
                2 different colored pieces of felt
                Scissors, heart punch or cricut cartridge
             
I wish I could take credit for the tutorial on the flowers, but I can't.  You can find detailed directions for these rolled flowers here.  I used mod podge to glue the paper down onto the frame and also to seal it with a top coat.  Once dry I added the embellishments.  Easy peasy.  One little hint about the frames.  When you buy them, they come with a cardboard piece in the middle with the dimensions on it.  DO NOT throw that piece away.  It is perfect to add stability and backing to whatever picture you decide to frame.  That's about it.  Now go and display your crafted glory!

Rag Quilts Revisited

A couple months ago I published this post on rag quilts and how easy they are to make, even for a non-sewer like myself.  Rag quilts are sooo forgiving and, once I made my first one, I am now addicted to them.  I have since made two more with slightly different patterns/measurements to them.  You really can do whatever you want with them so long as you sew all of your fabrics right side out and to the front.  1/2 inch seems were used for both.  1 inch would work as well.

For this one, I cut 12 inch squares to work with and used fleece for the backing.  One of my daughters was given a quilt kit over a year ago that has just sat around in pieces.  I made good use of the cotton fabrics and really had no pattern with the colors, just random.

For the pink one, I cut 6 inch squares and used solely flannel fabrics.  You really do want to stick with softer fabrics.  This is a blanket/throw after all.  While this was a little more time consuming due to cutting 4 times the amount of squares, the finish is a little more fuller because of the extra frayed seams. 

My next adventure will be for my own bed.  I dont even want to think of how time consuming cutting squares will be for a queen blanket when these two are merely throws.  I may meet in the middle and shoot for 8 inch squares instead.

Being shared with:

Easy Valentine Decor

I have kids.  Big suprise there.  They keep me super busy with all of their extra activities.  Especially when my hubby is overseas.  I still want to do a little decorating, even if it is minor and I'm short on time.

I'm all for quick results in craft making and this project really couldn't get any easier.  We have all seen the pre-cut letters in ever craft store.  For the most part, they aren't that expensive, especially when you get them on sale.  They make for quick and easy decor for any holiday amongst other things.  Combine those letters with some scrapbooking paper, mod podge, and a few embellishments and you are ready to go. 

There is a little trick too if you don't have any mod podge lying around.  Simply take your regular old glue and mix equal parts of glue and water.  Instant mod podge!  If you want a high gloss finish, I wouldn't suggest this method though.  Just my personal opinion. The 'extras' are really what makes these projects pop!  Just use what you have on hand.  Flowers, eyelets, ribbon,buttons, jewels, tags, pins; it all can be coordinated into this project. 

Realistic Craft Organization

I do not have a craft room.  In fact, I am quite jealous of those who do.  I have a wall, aka vertical storage space.  Just a plain old wall on the side of my dining room that looks like a tornado has hit it.  Aside from its dis-organization, its in a room that gets used quite often when we have company.  I am not a fan of the disorderly, but, it seems to be what I have to live with.  I am determined to find some storage ideas that are not unsightly, affordable, and do-able.  If the storage is something that I need to create, I want to be able to put it together in a timely manner.

I am turning to the 'new' old standby for ideas:   Pinterest.  I am posting some of the ideas I have found on that site to aid in my craft problem.  I also want to turn to you for suggestions.  I am open to anything at this point.  I am also going to do some goodwill hunting.  Surely between those three things, I will be able to bring order to my chaos.  I will post progress photos as I go along but am completely open to all suggestions, critiques, etc.......

Now, I do have a buffet server, but no top.  I am hoping to find one at goodwill.  The one below turned out beautifully and definately not unsightly.

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Decorative storage above the cabinet would most definately be possible.  I already have some baskets/boxes that good old spray paint would help them coordinate:

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I am in the process of putting together a budget and gathering ideas.  I will post photos as a I go.  I know this is going to be an ongoing project but I'm looking forward to the journey and the final result.

Gingerbread Lollipop Bucket

I know this is going to come out wrong but here goes:  We are not putting up a tree for Christmas.  It's not that I dont want one, really I do.  But, we are headed up north for the holidays for a few weeks and I will be decorating THAT tree and two is just tooo much.  Especially if I can't really enjoy them both.

So, instead of pulling out all of my holiday decorations that I would normally do, I have been making smaller items to place around the house to continue to keep me in the holiday spirit until we leave. 

I love making anything with these crazy fan folds and this was the perfect opportunity to utilize them.  What's not to love? 

The bells came from the dollar store in a pack of 9.  All of the paper came from the same paper pack (I love getting more bang for my buck.) I stuffed the bucket with polyfil to make it look like snow.  There is no snow in sunny Florida so I will make-shift it any way that I can.

I used shish-ka-bob sticks for these 'lollipops' and kept them their natural color.  I didn't want to take anything away from the gingerbread men as the stars.  And the bucket had enough color on it on its own.

So, there you have it.  Just one of many quick, simple, frugal holiday decorations for the home.

Decorating with Digital Scrapbooking

I am a fan of shutterfly.  I am not paid to say that, I just love the convenience of loading all my images into a printing sight and choosing which size to print for future projects.  I just so happen to have had a free code for an 8 x 8 print and I took advantage of it.  The easiest form of decorating your home with your photos is canvas.  It is so easy to get canvas at a good price with coupons.  You can either purchase Modpodge or you can make your own.  Brush the decoupage on the canvas and back of your print.  Stick together and let it sit until it forms a good seal.  You also want to seal the top of it from all of those little handprints.  I put 3 coats on top of mine but do whatever you feel comfortable.  This is my end result:

I really do love my girls!  :)

Fall Canvas Subway Art

As I make the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving, I am replacing my decorations, SLOWLY I might add, to a more generic fall/autumn theme.  I have started with some subway art.  I found a free printable ala pinterest and cut the dimensions to fit my canvas and to rid the print of its border and used my homemade mod podge to attach and seal it.  I put on 3 coats to seal it as I have many little fingers that love touching things.  :)  I stapled some fall ribbon on the back and hung it on my wall.  You will have to excuse the lighting.  This wall is kind of a small divider wall and it does not get very much light but its in the perfect spot for decorating.
**print source: free printable **

This post linked to:  Today's creative blog
                                 Homestories AtoZ

$20 Kitchen Chair Re-do

I'm almost embarrassed to show just how dirty our kitchen chair cushions have gotten.  Amazing what happens in such a short amount of time when you have kids, huh?  So, here is my before:

 Dirty, dingy, dusty, boring, and in need of an up-do....BAD!








And the after:

 Colors are bright, fresh, and match my kitchen beautifully.

I caught an amazing sale at Joann's for this fabric.  The boldt was being clearanced out and was half off.  Plus, the weekend I picked it up, they offered and additional half off.  That $20 total included the batting for underneath and additional screws/staples needed to re-attach.  A big kudos to my wonderful hubby for helping me tear out all the staples.  That was pure torture!

Autumn Wreath

Ever since I saw this post on pinterest for getting pipe covering at home depot to turn into a wreath, I knew it was calling my name.  I love fall.  One thing I really miss living in Florida is seeing the leaves change colors and the weather cool off.  I wanted to bring a little piece of those colors into my own home to enjoy through Thanksgiving, when Christmas takes over.  Materials used were: multi colored yarn, foam from home depot, my glue gun, and some fake flower stems.  This wreath cost me just over $5 to make (thanks to 60% off sales at Joann's)  and was worth every penny.  Now, every time I open my front door or leave for the day, I've got autumn staring me right in the face!  :-)

This post is linked to Today's creative blog

$1 Frame + Paper = Halloween Wall Decor

I am having soo much fun getting inspired by all of the decorating blogs/pinterest, that I am on such a roll myself.  I spent a good few hours yesterday putting together some wall art with a photo frame I have had lying around for who knows how long.  I didn't really want to put alot of family photos in this one only because I was trying to keep the project focused on color scheme and, well, my family photos just wouldn't cut it.  ( I can be pretty anal sometimes with things being color coordinated).  This frame did come with a little dowel so it could stand upright on its own if you were to choose.  I think, all in all, this project may have run me $5 if I counted costs for the frame and papers individually.  However, I had the materials already.  The paper is from Michael's Midnight Magic paper pack. The drink 'poison' cards were included in it.  That entire pack ran me less than $7 and all of my projects have been done with it.  Talk about getting your moneys worth.  Amazing the things we can do with paper, a paper cutter, and some fancy folding, huh? 

This post linked to today's creative blog

Witch shoes fit you?

With halloween just around the corner, I really wanted to put together a little something to show the teachers just how much they are appreciated.  They deserve to have some fun with this holiday too!  I decided on filling some witch shoes with candy.  This project has been sooo much fun to do (and very difficult to keep my hands off the chocolate).  All you really need is some paper, a little imagination and a shoe template found here.  This link is part of the split coast stampers blog/gallery/template/ FABULOUS place to be.  I have just been dreaming of ways to use this crazy template.......elf shoes, ruby slippers, birthday presents........

After the shoes were assembled, I filled cellophane bags with chocolate and attached a tag to them with some tweed then shoved them (gently, of course) into the shoe and....POOF!  You have yourself new pointy witch shoes.  I'm thinking this project would also be good for "boo-ing" you neighbors front porches!

Halloween decorating

I'm falling waaaay behind in my holiday crafting.  It's amazing how time can just get away from you if you are not careful to monitor it.  My first project is dealing with my mantle.  My living room remains really dark and my mantle most certainly needs a paint job.  Nonetheless, its the focal point of the room so it remains a priority.  I want my home to look neat and coordinated (I can be a freak about it, I know).  I went to my good old dollar store to try to find some inspiration.  I just wanted to GET STARTED......that's half the battle.  I found a basic wooden plaque and a sugar jar.  The numbers were on sale at michaels for another dollar, and the 'dragon eyes' label was a free printable I found here from a pinterest search (love that place!).  Just add some paper, mod podge, a drawer pull, spray paint,and stickers and I am all set as I had these items on hand. Total cost was approx. $5 minus the candy. This project was really simple and fun to do.   Now off to do some more work on that mantle!