a few pretty things

Projects for the kids

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:22:00 +0000

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Hello, let's start this week with two ideas for things we can make by recycling things we already have. Both are for kids.
I found the first one here.
Shoe boxes, toilet paper rolls, pill boxes, some felt and paint were turned into this fairy tale castle. I 'm sure those children enjoyed very much making it.

The second one I found here is a hanging lampshade. If you look more carefully you will realize that it is a part of those hanging storage units. A trim with crystal beads was added and a fairy - though not visible- is hanging inside. Such a lovey idea!

Have a great week!

A ray of light

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:25:00 +0000

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Today I found this quote on The Design Shop and thought I should post it here because it made me feel good . Of course it will take much more than the sunshine to fix this mess but it's a start. Besides the sun is a symbol of so many positive things, hope, power, inspiration, life itself.

(For those who don't understand what this is about, it refers to what is going on in Greece right now.)

Nursery painting

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:36:00 +0000

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Last summer one of my best friends gave birth to twin boys. Before that, she had asked me to paint their room. And so I did. We decided for a theme that wouldn't be just for babies, but one that, we hope, will look interesting to the boys until they go to school. Unfortunately the pictures are not good, but you will get an idea. The sure thing is I enjoyed it very much and hope the babies will live their first years in this room very happily.

What you probably won't see in the above pictures is that the blue clouds, the three little houses, the helicopter, and the three trees are made of thick cardboard covered with fabric, trims and fabric hardener for protection, which gives a slight three dimensional effect. As soon as I get the chance to take more detailed pictures, I will post them here, together with other kids rooms I have painted in the past.

Happy new year!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:01:00 +0000

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Hello everyone and Happy 2012!

I know many of you (if there is anyone still around) have lost hope to see me here again, but as you know life is full of surprises. I won't analyze why I was away from this blog for so long nor make promises for how long I 'll stay, I just want to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
Everybody is fed up with the bad news we hear all the time, day in, day out, here in Greece. It's not easy to keep your spirits high when everything around seems to only get worse but I will try to not panic until the catastrophe really comes. Until then I will hope it won't come eventually and try to distract my mind by trying to find little bits of beauty around me. I always did but now it seems a more important job than ever.

So let's start with some beautiful pictures.

I discovered Jane Heller on flickr when I was looking for a new picture for my Facebook profile. She very kindly gave me permission to use this one:

Many many thanks to Jane!

Take some time to visit her flickr and website. Jane Heller's work is for sale on etsy.

P.S. In my last post many had asked where did I find the papers to make the birds. I couldn't find the the etsy shop because I had a problem with my account. If there is anyone still interested I bought them here.

How to make patterned birdies to decorate your wall.

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:54:00 +0000

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My wall in the dining room needed some color, so I decided to make some patterned birdies to decorate it.

I started by drawing on paper the bird parts, a branch and two leaves.

I chose some colorful papers with various patterns.

I cut the colorful papers using the bird drawings as patterns. I used different paper for every part of the birds, the branch and the leaves.

I also cut the bird patterns on cardboard, the kind architects use to make models. It comes in various thicnesses and you can choose the one you like.

I glued the patterned papers on the right place on the cardboard. Ideally if you want to hang your birds in a wall colored other than white, before glueing the patterned papers on the cardboard, you should paint the edge of the cardboard birds with the color you used for your wall, or at least a similar color, they will look better.

I used buttons as eyes and I glued the birds on the wall using blue tack.

DIY pockets for storage

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:35:00 +0000

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Here are some good ideas for stylish pockets you can make yourself, which will help you store small objects and keep your space tidy.

Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:48:00 +0000

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Mondays are Mondays, nobody likes them. And rainy ones are even worse. Some beautiful sunshiny photos to say goodnight to a rainy Monday.

Light of some kind

Kim Reiss Photography

Hey Harriet

Jenn DiGuglielmo

via Piccsy

Chesire Smile

Weekend, time for crafting

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:12:00 +0000

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Another week is ending, and I guess I am not the only one who hopes to squeeze a bit of crafting among all the other things left to be done during the weekend. So here are a few crafting ideas I hope you find interesting:

A book bag

found on Country Living. You will need a book, a bit of fabric, a button, some ribbon, a set of handles and the instructions.

The second crafting project is for those who sew, I still haven't learn how to sew (I can add this to the to-do-list for 2011, it's still January). It doesn't seem too hard, though I have decided never to say that anymore. Nothing seems hard until you start making it.

A scarf

made of knit fabric found on Make it and Love it.

Happy weekend everyone, even if you don't make what I suggested, make something!

The finely handcrafted jewelry of Angela Gerhard

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:27:00 +0000

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Do you feel like looking at some beautiful handcrafted jewelry today? I always do!
I found by chance the website of American jewelry artist Angela Gerhard, and her colorful, vibrant jewelry. I can't resist to beautiful colors so I share them with you. I read in her "about" page that her work is created through the fusing of vitreous enamel directly onto metal, either with a torch or in a furnace, at temperatures up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit and that various metalworking techniques - both ancient and modern - are incorporated to create the base forms to which the vibrant glass color is fused.

Angela Gerhard has also an Etsy shop.

Vintage Paris images

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:04:00 +0000

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A few days ago, looking for something in my parents' bookcase, oh joy, I stumbled upon this beautiful old book, featuring pictures of the most known Paris sites and attractions.

It must be older than a hundred years, only a few cars appear in the streets of Paris and in some pictures you only see horses and carriages. The pictures are so beautiful, black and white originally, colored by hand afterwards (no photo editing tools at the time!).

Looking at them makes you feel that life in Paris more than a century ago was perfect. I know that the world had always its problems, but seeing those elegant ladies and gentlemen strolling in the streets of this beautiful city, enjoying the sunshine, makes you want to join them immediately.

They are little works of art, I 'd love to see some of them framed on my wall, but I wouldn't dare destroy the book. My mom refuses to give it to me -how inpolite of her, don't you think?- which will bring me to the position to extremely delay to return it. I can't help it, I love this book!

Giveaway still running and a useful link

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:47:00 +0000

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I would like to remind you that there's still time to win an elegant Coup de Coeur necklace. The giveaway is running on Heavenly Savings and ends tomorrow.

If you are a crafter, hobbyist or professional, I believe you will find Unanimous Craft a very interesting site.

photo via Crafting in Color Street Team

Here you will find hundreds of links for inspiration and information. It was made to offer indie creative businesses the resources they need in an organised way. You can also submit your own lists of things you think would be helpful for the creative community.

Learn to crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:56:00 +0000

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I want to tempt you.

Wouldn't be great if you could make some crochet works as beautiful as the above?
Time to learn how to crochet!

My friend Eve will teach some crochet lessons on Wednesday afternoons. The courses will be held in Psarokokalo's and Evridiki's shop-gallery La.trap, Trivonianou 56, Mets, Athens. Call them or email them for the details.

For more crochet and knitting inspiration visit Eve's blog.

Organizing made a little more fun

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:19:00 +0000

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I bet that for many of you "getting more organized" was in the new year's resolution list maybe next to "read more books" or "loose weight". I promise to better organize my space and time every year. I have my good moments but most of the times it's a disaster. Once more I decided to be more organised through 2011. If you, like me, need some inspiration to do the job, keep reading.

Natalie Jost painted some old baking pans to use as containers for very small things.

Martha Stewart's Crafts dpt. suggestion is to use origami boxes to make the most of your drawers' space and to better organize all the tiny things that usually are randomly thrown in there. You can follow the instructions here.

Some pretty labels will make it easier for you to organize your belongings. You can download some for free on Skip to my Lou for a simple, clean look

or use those on Worldlabel if you are prefer a more romantic, vintage style.

To do lists are very helpful if you forget half of the things you should do during the day, they way I usually do and are even better when they are as cute as those found on A Little Hut

or those by Stephanie Fizer found on Modish

You may also put your recipes in order with these cards found on Tie that Binds via What about Orange.

I hope I opened your apetite for some organizing.

Happy New Year and a giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:42:00 +0000

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Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great time during the holiday season. May 2011 bring you good health, joy and creativity! Especially to us Greeks I wish that this year will prove better than the signs show and that we will manage to keep our optimism and courage in the middle of all that's happening.

What would you say about beginning the new year with a new necklace around your neck? Follow all the steps on Heavenly Savings and win this beautiful Coup de Coeur necklace in three color options.

Good luck!

Easy holiday garland

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:07:00 +0000

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I have to admit that this year I haven't made anything for Christmas yet. Luckily I had made some things last year so I have something to post. There's still time to make this garland, it's easy and quick.

I had three vintage cards reproductions with wishes for the new year. I wanted to make something with them without destroying them.

So I took 3 red wood pegs and some red faux suede cord.

I cut four hearts from red gingham paper. To tell you the truth I didn't have any gingham paper but I had some fabric which I scanned and printed.

I punched the hearts and attached a ring to each of them.

I tied the hearts and hang the cards with the pegs alternately on the cord

and voilà!

Holiday crafting with sweaters

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:51:00 +0000

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What did I tell you the other time about the weather? It was a false alarm. The cold didn't last and despite the weather forecast for the upcoming very low temperatures, I took the decision to get reed of most of my woolen sweaters and knits which take up so much place in my closet. I wear them so rarely so I 'd rather make a wreath like this one on ReadyMade

οr maybe these lovely thrifted holiday trees

found on The long thread

If I have a couple of sleeves left afterwards I may dress one or two candles the way Sweet Paul shows:

All three crafts give a warm, cosy feeling which are what we seek these days and are easy to make.

Decorate with snowflakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:33:00 +0000

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Finally some cold! After a warm and humid autumn and the first days of December hiting temperatures of 20 to 25˚C, for the first time yesterday I felt the need to wear warmer clothes. As far as it concerns the weather in Greece (I suppose elsewhere too) things are not exactly normal. Our winters used to be mild, but now we tend to have no winter at all. Snow was never a regular visitor to Athens, but once in a few years it snowed and those times are some of my most pleasant memories. Sometimes I fear that my children will never know what the snow is.
I want some snow please!

I strongly doubt that my wish will be heard so I will have to be satisfied with some paper snowflakes I will make. At least I will have a lovely, cheap and relatively easy to make decoration for Christmas.
I have a few options after some searching on the web.

Wouldn't this beautiful paper snowflake look lovely hanging from the chandelier?

Cut out + keep has all the info you need to make it.

Martha Stewart also has a step by step tutorial on how to make paper snowflakes which would look lovely on your window.

Are you looking for some inexpensive table decor? Use the paper snowflakes you made as a table runner, the way shelterpop shows:

Another idea is to make with them a delicate, airy curtain like the one on Ohdeedoh

If you want to try another material, apart from paper, you could use craft sticks the way Craftynest shows:

or make snowflakes with the tones of buttons you have collected so far following the steps on Shanty2Chic:

Have you ever made any snowflakes using some of the above methods or another one? Feel free to share a link in the comments.

A very quick and easy project

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:47:00 +0000

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This is a spot in my living room. I love the combination of brown and acqua but I had the feeling it needed a drop of a warm, cheerful color to add some life to it.

So I took a branch from the garden and colorwashed it with white acrylic without covering completely its surface with color.

I bought some orange pom poms from a sewing supplies store. You can make your own if you have some wool, read how here.

With a few drops of fabric glue I glued the pom poms on the branch. I have a blooming branch in my vintage coffee pot now and I like this shelf more.

To blog or not to blog

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:00:00 +0000

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This blog has been sleeping since July. That's too long! And I know a blog is not a blog unless it is frequently updated but unfortunately blogging is the first in my to do list to go when everyday life starts pressing hard. I was tempted to say "it's over" but to be honest I miss a lot the way this blog keeps me connected to the things I love so much, the wonderful world of handmade things and the amazing people who create them. So I say "to blog" for now and see how it goes.

Brooches

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:33:00 +0000

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I saw these gorgeous brooches in Daily Art Muse and want to share them with you. Linnie Mclarty, the designer, has a background in fine arts and draws inspiration from aquatic life, fossils and plants.

These brooches are pinless, the fabric is squeezed through the central hole. There is a range of different sizes, with the "bigger pleasures" series being quite large to be worn by the bold ones but all of them are very special pieces of jewelry, don't you think?

Is quitting a bad thing?

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:16:00 +0000

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picture by Phuong Possible

It's the first post of this kind in my blog but I couldn't resist the call of Scoutie Girl, one of my favorite daily reads to talk about quitting.

I dropped out University when I realised that what I had chosen to study had nothing to do with who I am, what I wanted to do, what made me feel good. Until now I never regretted that I haven't made it to my degree. I know that I would never use it professionally anyway, simply because I would be unsuccesful, the way you are when you don't have the least interest for what you do. Moreover I am really convinced that if I continued those studies I would end up with depression. Of course the whole process was not bloodless, people were hurt and frustrated, and I received some negative criticism, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

The minute that process was completed and I had left my studies behind, I had also quitted something else: that self who wanted to be the good girl, the one who wanted to please everyone, who would never say no, who was deaf to her inner voice and couldn't really tell if a decision was hers or imposed by others-even in a not so obvious way.

After that quitting got easier. In the following years I quit quite a few jobs. Of course the circumstances helped too, as I had only me to support, it was easier to get a job then as a young person and my parents were there in case I needed them. I saw no point, when a job became boring, unsatisfying, or made me sick (there were a couple like this), why I had to go on torturing myself. Some people thought I was unable to adjust, commit or was crazy, o.k. I thought the same for them, young people, qualified, full of energy, stuck with jobs they hated just because in their minds, and only in their minds, quitting was not an option. As for commitment, I proved later that I can do this too. When I want.

I also quit on some people. I don't want this to be misunderstood. My best friends are still the ones from school, plus a couple more life brought in my way later. I am very loyal to my relationships. But yes, I quit on some people that proved not to be what I needed them to be: nice, supportive, understanding, listening, fun, sharing, bringing good energy in my life or just when we stopped having anything in common and anything to say. It saved so much time for me and them.

I still quit when I have to. My energy and time are priceless to spend on things and situations that are dead end.Quitting liberates you and makes space for a fresh start. Quitting on pointless things is as much important as committing to the ones that matter. And you always know which are the ones that matter.

Even a tiny balcony deserves to be pretty

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:16:00 +0000

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It 's been a hot day. You worked for many hours in the city but now, late in the afternoon you are back at home sweaty and exhausted by the high temperatures. You make yourself a drink and head to the garden where you collapse in a comfortable chair in the shadow of a tree. Time to relax, you think. The blue reflections of the swimming pool are tickling your eyes....and then you wake up in your small apartment with your miserable tiny balcony. Don't get despaired, with the right moves you can have your little corner of paradise too. Maybe you won't be able to have a party with many guests but at least you 'll have a cool spot to drink your coffee or read a book. Think about the positive aspect of the situation, since your balcony is so small you can make it on a very tight budget.
First you 'll need plants. Unfortunately you won't find gardening advice in this blog because all I know about plants is that they need watering. Anyway, suppose you get some plants. Now you have to place them somewhere. Υour balcony may be of minimum surface, but there are some walls and railings normally. So you have one solution: go vertical! Mount your flower pots on the walls or hang them on the railings, so that they leave the floor free. Hanging baskets, shelves and vertical flower pot racks make space for your plants without taking up much surface of your balcony. Small side tables and stools in the corners can do the job as well.

via Apartment Therapy

picture by pimpelwit-styling

picture by EDWW day dae

Here's a great idea that will save you space and allow you to have your own herb garden in a small balcony.

via sprig

Cans painted in striking colors is something you can make yourself and will add a mediterranean look to your balcony.

picture by Happy Sleepy

A new trend in gardening is vertical gardens, a wooden frame with soil and vegetation which can be hang on a wall.

picture by Jill Clardy

and more examples

on Flora's Blog

A ladder leaned against the wall could provide you with some additional space to put flower pots and some decorative accessories.

found on Viva Terra

Here you can find a tutorial to make easily a vertical stand for flower pots which will allow you to have flowers in you balcony but also save you space.

Now that you have plants but still some space left you will need furniture so you can sit and enjoy the results of your labor. Choose a table and chairs that don't take up much space, folding furniture is ideal. Don't use your balcony to store away broken or mismatched furniture unless you are sure the mix is pretty.

via Home Guide

via Flourish

picture by ambrayasmin

What your balcony lacks in surface must gain it in style. Add color by using colorful flower pots, accessories and fabrics.

via Better Homes and Gardens

Έτσι απλά (Etsi apla) magazine

picture by de zus

Then you have to add some things that will make your balcony a special place to spend some time in.

Some ethnic additions like a Buddha statuette

picture by designerscall

or moroccan pottery

found on E-Mosaic

will give an exotic style to your balcony.

It doesn't have to cost you much, it could be as simple as a collection of food tin cans to use as planters or vases,

via Mary You Me

or pebbles you collected last summer

picture by robep

But your work won't be finished until you light up your candles and lanterns

via Craftynest

picture by Tarkeena

because the point here is to create the right mood that will carry you away, no matter how many square meters are available.

Have you tried it yet, to make the most out of a tiny balcony? I'd love to see some pictures.

Lights please!

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:58:00 +0000

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The lights I am showing you today have not so much in common but I like all of them!
The first case is a -literally- bright idea, lights made of vintage crystal decanters, after their bottom has been removed. They look beautiful in a cluster, the light sparkles as it passes through the crystal, adding luxury and elegance to the room.

Made by interior designer Lee Broomer, via Apartment Therapy.

Here's a lamp that looks like a book, designed by My-Seung Kim and Myung-Seo Kang, found on HomeDosh. The light can be adjusted by opening the book more or less.

The last one is a pair of lights made of wooden shoe trees, steel pipe and sphere lamps by Junction Products, a company that makes amazing things from stuff that people consider to be junk. I have a similar pair of shoe trees, I could try to make something like this.

I think all three ideas are very special and the addition of one of them in a room would immediately add character to it.

Crochet a plastic bag

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:33:00 +0000

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Do you want to make something good for this planet and be creative at the same time? Recycle plastic bags to crochet a bag for the beach or for shopping. Click the following links to see how you can make them:

on plasticbagbag

and on cocoknits

Need some color inspiration?

noreply@blogger.com (Tina) — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:11:00 +0000

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Whether you are ready to start your next crafting project, or you are building a new website, or you are renovating a room or even planning your wedding reception, it's sure you will have to decide about colors. Do you feel you came out of ideas or the ones you have proved to be rather unsuccessful? Don't panic, tones of inspiration are waiting for you on some sites.

Kuler is a free web hosted application you can use to generate color themes for your project, whatever that is. You can explore thousands of color themes, make and try your own themes, create color themes from a picture.

Do you have a favorite color but have not a clue about how you should combine it? Visit Color Hunter,
write the name of the color you love and tens of color palettes including this color will appear. For example if you put turquoise, you will get these

and many more.You can also make palettes from images you can upload from your computer or from the web.

COLOURlovers is a site loaded with everything you would like to know about color. Thousands of palettes and patterns, tools, color trends regarding handmade creations, home interiors, fashion, and a very inspirational blog for those who need something more than plain palettes to get inspired.

If looking at color palettes is not enough to sparkle your inspiration, it is very likely that a visit to the following blogs will do.
On the famous decor8 under the tag color me pretty you will discover pictures bursting with colors that will make your heart beat.

Modish on the other hand uses the title color me happy for the colorboards he puts together where clothes, accessories and home decor objects in one or two colors, for example peaches and cream

are combined to give you tones of color inspiration

100 Layer Cake is a blog about weddings, nevertheless it can give you lots of ideas about color combinations. Color is color whether it's about your sofa and curtains, or the wool for the next scarf you want to knit. I love the colorboards on this blog.

And if you still haven't found what you are looking for, try the inspiration boards

of The Craft Begins

and The Picture Boards Blog

Don't forget to check Ali Edward's post . She is a scrapbooker and she gives an A to Z list of color inspiration sources. From art and candy to quilts and the zoo, it seems that thousand of color combination ideas are around us.