Make The Best of Things

Glass Garden Balls DIY Part 1

2013-05-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

By special and numerous requests, here you are, the first tute for my glass garden balls!

My blog header shows my love of cobalt blue glass and I've added that love of blue glass to my garden art.

Years ago my family got me a big blue gazing ball for my daisy flowerbed and I knew I wanted more, more, more! But hey, those gazing balls are not cheap and they are surprisingly fragile. Basically they are just giant glass Christmas balls. So they break if they fall over.What to do?

My first idea involved a bowling ball and lots of glass half marbles from the Dollar Store. I got this idea from the Garden Junk forum over at Garden Web. I used Silicone II adhesive for half of the ball and E6000 jewelry adhesive for the other half. I prefer the jewelry adhesive. And I LOVE how this came out!!! The bowling ball cost me $4 at a thrift store and I used about 6 bags of glass marbles, more or less. A 40% off coupon from Michael's snagged the E6000 and voila!!! My first blue glass garden ball for about $14. I was hooked!

I snagged this round glass light fixture for 25 cents and knew it would be my next ball project. Dollar Store half marbles and garage sale finds gave me the blue glass I needed. I decided to go with this Amazing Goop silicone adhesive because it was CHEAP. It is basically the same formula as the E 6000 and the Silicone II. The total cost on this pretty ball is less than $10.

This is definitely an OUTSIDE project since all the glues I've mentioned are incredibly smelly. Even outside I have a fan blowing across my work area to avoid the fumes. I settled on my front porch and started gluing. Put a small blob of glue on each individual marble, you do not have to goop it on. Smear a layer on your big ball and put your marble in place. I twist them a bit to make sure they stick together.

IMPORTANT! The adhesive does not set up quickly so you will have to do small areas of your ball and let it dry for several hours then turn it over to do the other sides. Try to skip this step and you'll have glass marbles falling off all over the place! In this project patience will reward you with a beautiful art piece.

And done!!

Here she is (of course she's a lady! LOL!) nestled in a soft bed of creeping Jenny. A hot pink petunia will join her soon. I love the bright blue glass against my blue deck railings and house color.

Oooh ahhh!

I'll be posting another tutorial soon on using Liquid Nails adhesive and glass marbles for a different look. And garden balls made with stones instead of glass marbles. And totally unique birdhouses with stones and roofs of cedar shingles. Stay tuned!

I'll be joining the linky parties in my sidebar. Come visit and enjoy the wonderful creativity bloggers have to offer!

Spring Wreath from a Bath Scrubbie

2013-03-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

I see lots of creative mesh wreaths online and in the craft stores and they are gorgeous! I have a bit of a wreath obsession and I've been studying how to make them without buying the rolls of decor mesh or special wreath forms. So I started with this simple wreath and I am quite pleased with the result.

When I found these bath pouf/scrubbies at The Dollar Store, I knew they'd make a great mesh wreath if I could figure out the logistics. I love the graduated green colors! I already have Dollar Store wreath forms in my studio (wreath obsession, as I said) and I just had to put it all together.

First, I unstrung one scrubbie. Wow, there is alot of poufy fabric in these! They are actually long mesh tubes, who knew? I figured I could utilize the tubes as is around an 8" diameter foam wreath form.

I gathered the mesh tubes on my arm and then made a small cut to divide the form. Careful fitting and fiddling gave me this....

Hey, this might work! I like the simplicity and the fluffiness. A few quilting pins here and there to control the poufs and I'm on my way. I used hot glue and clear tape to close the gap in the wreath form.

Then came the fun part. I crashed my stash for little decor items and kept dithering over an Easter theme or springtime or ???? THIS is when my work table gets covered with lots of stuff. Finally I settled on butterflies since I had some pretty ones in different styles in my stash AND I have these neat butterfly punches and glittery scrapbook paper.

And VOILA!

I could see this pretty wreath for a springtime door or a birthday party or even a baby shower. It is super easy to make and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for supplies. Glittery Easter eggs would look great on this wreath, as would a mini birdhouse and maybe a nest with a few fake eggs. Best of all, the Dollar Store is chock full of little decorative items to use on this wreath project all through the year.

I'll be making another one, and soon!

I'll be sharing this project at the blog parties listed on my sidebar. Come visit and check out all the creative projects!

Red Velvet Chair Cover or Hello, Downton Abbey!

2013-02-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

See the oh-so-dusky pink throne chair hiding under the red throw? I snagged it at the end of a yard sale last summer when the weary yard sale guy sold it to me for $7 instead of the $20 he was asking. Score and I'll take it!

It is sturdy and well made with a label saying it was built in 1965 in Virginia. BUT, as you can see, it was PINK. Pinkish mauve and not a color I have anywhere in my house. Here it was in my living room as I continue trying to style that space.

Yeah. Pink.

I thought originally a denim slip cover would be a neat option to pick up all the shades of blue in my paintings and the shelves.

Yeah, maybe not.

I wasn't real thrilled with the too casual look of the denim tho I may still use it in this room.

Then, as I was indulging my Downton Abbey habit I saw the drawing room furniture....in red velvet! Including a throne chair that was a close cousin to my budget buy.

Inspiration!!!

Oooh aaah! Love it!

Have I mentioned I have a huge fabric stash? Just let me repeat, I have a huge fabric stash. And in that stash I found 4 yards of plush red velvet. The real kind that isn't shiny and doesn't crush and feels like soft brushed suede to your hand and was given to me. Le sigh. I had to start at once even tho it was 10 o'clock at night.

Don't judge. When an idea strikes I have to seize the day, as it were.

Carpe Craftem.

I used a soft touch staple gun for most of the work and if you don't have one for your craft projects you are working too hard! For less than $20 you can save your hand, wrist and arm alot of wear and tear. I borrowed Insanely Creative Christy's stapler and now I have to get one of my own.

I salvaged most of the upholstery tacks and straightened them out and used them, but I'll be replacing them with new ones the more the misalignments get to me and make me itch.

I threw the turquoise pillow on there and like chocolate mint chip ice cream, it's a combo that I love, so it's staying. I'm a looking for some afghan yarn in that turquoise color for my next project.

Basically I'm just sharing this with you since there are oodles of online bloggers who are total furniture recovering experts. Truly masters at their craft and generous in sharing their knowledge. Also, fearless about using expensive imported French linen, yikes.

This project is right up my alley. A freakin' steal of a good buy at a yard sale, an open mind and eye for inspiration, coupled with a no dollar cost except for extra staples.

Ahem. Just a note, be SURE to cut your fabric pieces plenty large for the area you are covering. Don't ask me how I know but let's agree that I'm glad I had so much velvet on hand. Just sayin'.

And I have velvet left over to make a gorgeous red pillow for the couch. My living room isn't lush like Downton Abbey's but it's mine to decorate as I wish. Gotta love that!

I'll be joining some of the parties listed on my sidebar. Come visit and discover some really creative projects.

Paint Fabric to Match Your Decor

2013-02-22T13:30:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had an idea in your head for a decorating project and just could NOT find the right fabric to make it work? Here's a quick and clever solution. Paint your fabric to match your project! Yup, I did it and here's how.

When I redid my master bedroom in turquoise, brown, black and white I already had the comforter and some matching sheets but even with my huge fabric stash I just could not find the right color of turquoise for pretty pillows. Aargh! I wanted to make those pillows NOW! I could have gone shopping but there was no room in the budget for pillows. The REAL budget laughs at the concept of a pillow budget and would give it a wedgie if it came close. But I DID find these fabrics in my craft room......

I love the brown and white print and bought all they had when I found a sale for $1 a yard. I am an absolutely sucker for a fabric bargain! The teal fabric is a standard Walmart flat sheet, and I bought it because for $5 you get several yards of usable fabric. (Here's a hint-at Halloween WM has single flat sheets in BLACK for $5. That's enough for lots of Halloween projects right there!) And the embroidered white on black fabric was a remnant, but a big one, almost a full yard. BUT the two prints were not the right color. Soooooo....

.... I painted my fabric to match my bedroom!

I was so excited how well this worked that I insisted that The Welding Man come look and feign enthusiasm! Hey, don't tell me you've never forced your hubs to "appreciate" your projects, lol!

I experimented a bit with remnants and found a look that I liked and so I went to work. First I chose craft acrylic paint in turquoise and watered it down to a skim milk consistency. Then I sprayed each fabric piece with water to dampen it and with a paintbrush just touched into the paint I then touched the brush to the fabric. The cohesion of the water in the brush to the damp fabric just drew the color into the threads and it was easy and fun to do.

I actually laughed out loud as I was doing it cus it was coming out so cool! Since the paint is so thin, the fabric takes the color without getting stiff. No, I did not add fabric medium.

I LOVE the watercolor look on the white and brown fabric, much better than a solid teal dyed background. I even sprayed it with water before it was dry to increase the pretty watercolor look. On the embroidered pillow I only colored half the embroidery so the pillow is half teal and half white stitching. It looks very much like a custom job. Oh wait, it is a custom job.

Once the fabric was dry I ironed the backside to set the paint. And yes, these covers are washable and the color holds true. Love that!

I made a pretty pin tucked pillow from that Wal Mart sheet following online tutes and I am pleased as punch with the way it turned out. It's a nice textured punch of color to go with my painted pillow covers. Score!

My total cost on this project was minimal but let's break it down...

brown and white fabric @ $1 a yard less than $1

white embroidered black remnant @ $1 less than $1

WalMart flat single sheet for $5 less than $1.00

(I have enough fabric left of all of these for more pillow projects)

Craft paint on hand zero extra cost

old pillows stuffed into new pillow covers zero

So total cost was less than $4

Even the REAL budget condescended enough to give the pillow budget a nod of approval. And now since I saved so much getting the pillows I wanted I can take my teeny tiny budget and hit thrift stores and yard sales for neat accessories!!

Sharing this on the parties in my sidebar. Come check them out and find some truly Pinnable projects!

Painting for my sister

2012-12-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

I've loved painting for years but have never taken a lesson. I painted and tweaked and painted and did what I could to capture my ideas. Finally I began to buy some books that gave me important information and best of all, instructions. THIS is one of my favorite purchases.

Written and lavishly photographed by John Koury (copyright 2002), this book is luscious just to look at but best of all, there are scads of important tips and great instructions for painting the small details in nature.

I knew I wanted to paint something like this for my sister, Nancy, for Christmas. She loves the creeks and rivers of Oregon and the layered beauty you find there. So I jumped in with both feet.

Starting with the dark background, I added layered colors for the rocks both in and out of the water. I am so amazed when nothing becomes something in a painting. I always come to a point where it looks like it isn't working but I've learned to push through. Acrylics are my favorite medium since mistakes can be painted over and fixed. Mistakes? I've made a few. LOL!

It was not very big, but it was full of fun details. I enjoyed painting it!

Here's the finished painting. I eliminated the butterfly but kept the leaf. I thought it's beautiful detail was more than enough against the wet and dry stones. I also added the floating twig. I LOVE how this came out and Nancy did, too!

I painted this is 2009. In 2010 I quit painting because of my cancer treatment. My fine motor skills were iffy when I was deep in chemotherapy so nobody got paintings last Christmas. Instead I used simple freezer paper stencils to make personalized sweatshirts.

But you know, I'm feeling better and better. I've found I can still do fine crochet and hand sewn rosettes and even take on some bigger projects. I did a few paintings for my Etsy shop for Halloween using my most popular designs and I sold a few. That does it. Time to start painting again!

So, ahoy there, family! When you get a painting for Christmas, act surprised. : o )

Blue and White Wreath Redo Fourth Go Round

2012-12-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

I am thrifty (cheap, tightfisted, etc) as all get out and I love it when I can get LOTS of mileage out of my decorations. Here is our Christmas door wreath for 2012....the FOURTH seasonal redo of my favorite twig wreath form and I think it's my favorite version yet.

It fits over the arched window in our front door perfectly, so it's a keeper.

Ooh aah!

I knew all those cobalt, teal and silver ornaments I found at yard sales, thrift stores and clearance sales would look great on this twig wreath. I've been collecting them all year. I especially love all the glittered ornaments I've found.

Last year this wreath started out painted gloss black, with three black roses and lots of eucalyptus and twiggy sticks. I added silk leaves, flowers and real pumpkins for our autumn Thanksgiving door decor. LOVE the contrast and the bright colors!

Then I got out the cheap Walmart spray paint in gloss white and totally changed the look of the whole thing for less than $2! When it comes to redoing this big twig wreath, spray paint and hot glue are my best friends.

I scored some neat teal foil ribbon twist which I glued to wire curls and added a few blue balls. I was super pleased with this pretty wreath on our Christmas door last year.

I found the bronze glittered butterflies at an after Christmas clearance sale and saved them for this springtime wreath. More wire curls got a shot of spring green and every time I ran across silk or plastic ferns and greenery, I snapped them up and stuck them on. By the end of summer this wreath was just LOADED with greenery! I made the nest from twigs and glittered the 3 eggs for a pretty touch and I even scored a green glittered butterfly.

Which brings us back to this year's Christmas wreath. I added beads and that pretty blue glittered butterfly and even a bath scrubby in a gorgeous turquoise shade. The more the merrier is my motto!

I re used the white wire curls from the spring and summer wreath and also re used the blue foil twist curls from last year. I tried out some outdoor Mod Podge to make glittered balls. I'll be keeping a close watch on those to see how that Mod Podge formula holds up to winter storms.

I like it! I like it ALOT!

I took a couple of hours off from my long, long Christmas To Do List and just put this wreath together for some fun. Sometimes you've got to squeeze something relaxing into your schedule. You might be surprised how rejuvenated you will be and ready to jump back into your busy life.

So this next year I'll keep my eyes peeled for even more blue ornaments for this fun door wreath. Who knows, maybe I'll even find another big twig wreath and I can double my fun with more wreath redos!

Have a great holiday season, ladies, and come visit the great blog parties listed on my side bar. You never know what you will find!

Stinkin' Cute Wine Cork Reindeer DIY

2012-11-28T09:58:00.002-08:00

Here is an oldie but a goodie from last year and one of my top Pins on Pinterest this week.

Look! A tiny reindeer made from wine corks and twigs for your Holiday decor!

If you accumulate a lot of wine corks or keep running across them at yard sales and thrift stores, here's a nifty little project for the holidays that is so stinkin' cute and sort of easy, plus cheap. I make these little guys to go with my Santa dolls and while making them today I went ahead and took pictures of the process.

Here he is surrounded by the supplies for his creation. Wine corks, little twigs (some with forks) and round headed pins. You will also need a tool for cutting like a razor craft knife and wire cutters.

Punch four leg holes at a slight outward angle in the bottom of one cork for the twig legs. Use a nail or ice pick or whatever gives you the right size holes. The holes need only be about 1/4" deep. Cut four sorta matching twigs for the legs, about 2" long, using a razor knife or wire cutters like those shown.

Put a bit of hot glue in the hole or on the twigs and insert the twigs into the holes. You can press the sticks in with gentle pressure against your work surface or use a pair of pliers. Stand the body up and if any leg is out of whack trim it JUST A LITTLE with a knife or the wire cutters. If you take off too much you'll have to trim the other legs and then the first leg again and it will only end in tears, trust me on this.

BUT, if this happens you can use a heat gun or blow dryer to soften the glue and remove the sticks so you can start over with 4 new twig legs.

If your chosen head cork is too large, trim one end straight off with a razor knife til the proportion seems right. Do the same same punch-holes-trim-twigs-glue-in-holes for the tiny forked antlers and the neck twig. Notice the neck twig is angled, so punch your holes with that in mind.

Look! Teeny tiny super cute wine cork reindeer!

LOVE these little guys!

But wait, what are the push pins for? This little guy needs a red nose, of course. I snipped the pin off short then painted the ball bright red.

Then I added a bit of tiny green tinsel around his neck. Perfect. You can add more tiny trims like the bow on his brother in the top pic, or a tiny star, or a little bell.

How cute would these be on your mantel or even marching across your desktop at work? And with just a bit of twine or fishing line in a loop and hot glued to his back, you have a cute tree ornament. They are not strong enough to be used as toys but for your Christmas decor, what could be easier or cuter? And now you have a nifty project to use all those wine corks you have in that glass jar!

Try it, you'll like it and be sure to enjoy yourself. Every time I make one of these little guys they make me smile. You will smile, too!

Burlap Acorns from Easter Eggs

2012-11-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Ah Pinterest, you font of ideas and things I MUST MAKE right now! LOL

I love the huge acorns I've been seeing at some online shops but they are hugely expensive, so I was thrilled to find a way to make my own.

Here are my oversize burlap and twine acorns that were inspired by a Pin.

I like how they came out!

Here are the inspiration acorns.....

...posted by Dannyelle over at Life Is a Party.

Cute and clever, right? They are totally up my alley and I had everything I needed to do this on a Friday night. Here's a link to her DIY post for these neat acorns.

http://www.lifeisaparty.ca/2012/acorn-craft/

I spray painted some oversize plastic eggs brown and moved to the next step.

I hot glued the egg halves together, then glued on burlap circles to cover the pointy end. LOTS of pleating and glue makes this work. Then I took apart some pine cones and glued the bits around the top along with a twig stem to finish, just like Dannyelle.

Hmmmm. This resembles her acorns but not in a good way, LOL! She said in her post they were a bit fiddly and I agree. Plus my pine cone pieces did not give a neat look to the topper.

So, tweaking must occur.

I thought they looked a bit too long so I hot glued two of the fat ends together for a rounded shape. Already this looks more acorn-y. Is that a word? It is now. And instead of pine cone pieces I used twine. Lots and lots of twine, plus a shorter bit of stick for a stem.

Here's a shot of both kinds of my finished acorns....

I really like the short, round ones with a twine top. The other just does not look as good as Dannyelle's. Pinterest fail!

I used loads of wrapped twine for a fat top. Love it!

Here are two long acorns and the one fat round acorn.

Ooh aah! It took me a little over an hour to make these, tweaking and all. And they were free since I crashed my stash for supplies. Love that!

I'll be joining the parties in my sidebar, come visit and have some fun.

Wax Paper Frosted Glass Twinkle Lantern

2012-10-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

I named and renamed this post and finally settled on "Wax Paper Frosted Glass Twinkle Lantern," because nothing else was quite descriptive enough or told how easy this project turned out to be. Also, looks awesome!

Oooh aaaah!

I've seen lots of lights on Pinterest using garden lanterns and Christmas lights and they look deceptively simple. My first try was no good, with a snarl of wires and lights stuffed inside my Pier 1 lantern. I didn't like it. Looked messy.

I figured the light string needed some structure, so I wrapped it around a textured plastic water bottle and tried that. Twinkly, yes, but you can totally see the wires and lights and bottle. Me no like this, either!

I thought that crinkled plastic would diffuse the lights but that just looked dumb. Kind of like crinkled plastic stuffed inside a lantern. Nope.

Checking out my stash I found some pretty frosted sea glass and half marbles and my trusty E-6000 jewelry glue, but that would have taken too long to dry and the glue is smelly and the weather is too nasty to do it outside. No go.

Here's what I came up with. Good old Mod Podge and crinkled wax paper.

I did the first lantern pane and held it up to the window light. Score! A soft frosted glass look using stuff I already had in my stash. Plus, a little effort and time. Lickety split the whole lantern was done!

I added florist foam to fill up the bottom of the lantern then added a couple of handfuls of half marbles and sea glass for weight. The water bottle wrapped with Christmas lights went in next. Now for the big unveiling......

I LOVE how this came out! A nice twinkly glow that makes my Autumn baker's rack look pretty in the soft light. I added one of my primitive star garlands and just smiled and smiled.

A quick, easy and CHEAP project that came in almost exactly like I'd envisioned it. That's a win win in my book! And the best part is that I have THREE more lanterns. So I'll be buying some of those cheap $1 strings of Christmas light strings at Wal mart and making more of these twinkly lanterns. I can use these all year long and if I invest in some outdoor Mod Podge, they can light up my front deck. Totally love that.

I'll be linking up to the parties in my side bar. Come visit and check out all the cleverness and creativity. See you there!

Crackle Paint Those Christmas Balls For Halloween!

2012-10-20T10:08:00.001-07:00

Since I discovered the easy peasy way to make a crackle paint effect with Elmer's glue, I've used it on just about everything. Christmas balls redone for Halloween are no exception. There are lots of pics in this post, but it's a fun project so read on...

I buy Christmas balls all year long when they are cheaper than cheap cheap. I'll be watching for more in different colors but my favorites for this project are silver and gold.

Ooh aaah!

Here is how you do it.

Pop the top off the ball and insert a pen or dowel or paint brush handle so that you can hold the ball without touching it. Trust me, this makes everything easier.Go into your stash and grab the Elmer's glue. This technique works with both the school glue and glue all by Elmer's.

Brush a thick coat of glue all over the ball. Not thick enough to run and drip but still, get a good coat of glue on there. Prop it up and let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes until the glue is tacky but not wet. Do NOT let the glue dry completely, but IF you do, just apply a new layer of glue over the top and let that layer get tacky.

Using a soft paintbrush, apply acrylic craft paint in long smooth strokes in one direction. I used gloss black. After I painted all one direction I did a few soft random crosswise strokes just to see what it would look like. Do not go back and forth with your brush, you will drag the glue layer. Prop that ball up and let it dry.

Five minutes layer my paint was starting to crackle. I LOVE this part! See the crosswise crackle? That is from the soft sideways stroke I tried. I like the interesting pattern it made.

Let the ball dry completely. Once it is dry (and gloss craft paint takes a long time to dry, so be patient if you use it) you can use your wonderful crackled ball as is or seal it with acrylic spray.

And here is what this effect looks like on colored balls!

Here are a few orange over gold balls on my Halloween tree.

And a few more in a vintage wire basket.

So now my brain is churning out ideas for Christmas decor. Wouldn't white crackle over silver balls be a beautiful shabby chic look? Gotta try it! Or red paint over silver. Or white over red. Man, I am going to be doing this again and again in the coming weeks just to see what different combos look like.

So try it, you'll like it! It's easy and cheap and oh so fun to do. You'll never have so much fun watching paint dry than with this project, I guarantee it!

Here's a link to my uber popular post on crackle paint with Elmer's glue with LOADS of painted examples on different surfaces....

http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2010/05/crackle-finish-with-elmers-glue.html

I'll be joining the parties on my sidebar. Come visit and check out all the neat ideas!

Autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving Decor Spree

2012-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Does this sound familiar to any of you ladies? I started out doing one thing...in this case, staging some photos of my holiday garlands for my Etsy shop.

I took the mini framed photos off my family tree and strung a banner on it for pictures. Love it!

And then.....

I put it on the top shelf of my baker's rack and took some more photos. Then I started adding more STUFF, because evidently I am out of control that way, lol!

See all the orange pumpkins? I planned to paint them white. I still might after I get done tweaking this display. I added a rosette wreath and my silver button blingy decor ball and a tiny glitter pumpkin with a black crow on top under the glass bell cover....deep breath...and a lace pumpkin and a white pumpkin and some of my Halloween decor balls.

I am having too much fun!

Throw on a few glittery faux silk leaves and more pumpkins on painted candlesticks. And a twig punkin in a black painted sundae glass, and a faceted crystal ball on a glass candlestick, and a white rosette decor ball...

Then I added a casual arrangement in a small gold chest, next to punkins on gloss black candlesticks, including one I made of bright orange satin. Gorgeous! Ahem.

I filled this fat hurricane glass with a collection of my Halloween decor balls, Dollar Store skulls, my painted JOL gourd, twig balls, gloss black painted ferns and even a black crackled decor ball. Whew! Time to pull back and see if I'm done.

Yup, I think I'm done! This was fun and it gave me a much needed break from dealing with the last of the boxes of stuff out of our storage unit that are still cluttering up my kitchen. Even after a 4 day yard sale and a full load of stuff to the thrift store, I've still got too much stuff.

But this makes me smile every time I walk by. And the Welding Man says it's pretty, which means he noticed, lol!

Okay, fun time is over. Back into the "too much stuff" breach, my friends and try to take a fun break for yourself today. It's worth it!

DIY Slipcover...Worth The Hassle? Absolutely!

2012-10-06T10:33:00.002-07:00

I scored this settee at a local yard sale after checking it out thoroughly. The frame is solid and it has good lines tho the very pretty brocade fabric is just shattered. I put it on the back deck and cleaned and sanitized it to a fare thee well.

Slipcover time!

I totally scored a pair of lined canvas drapes at the thrift store. After deconstructing them and laundering I started draping and dinking around with the fabric. I ended up with about 10 yards of canvas plus the same amount of the softer lining fabric. The best part? Total fabric cost $5.00!

I cut rectangles roughly the size of each area and started pin fitting each piece. There are countless tutorials online on the pin fitting technique and I read lots of them before diving into this project. I marked the actual seam lines with pencil then pinned each piece. Then I trimmed the seams leaving a generous seam allowance. This sounds harder than it is, trust me!

Smooth your fabric and pin pin pin along the seams. Clip your curves to make fitting easier and don't stint on the pins.

This is before I trimmed the seams on this side. Start with plenty of fabric, you can always trim it down. If you don't start with enough material your project is screwed! Don't ask me how I know.

Ahem.

Three hours in I knew this cover was going to look AWESOME. So before I even sewed it together, I did this....

Because that is what I do! I get excited as a project comes together and leap ahead to the logical end use...settee as photo prop!! I LOVE how all the textures and pale colors of the pillows from my Etsy shop look against the canvas cover.

LOVE THIS! I'm sewing the seams this morning and adding a pleated flounce to the bottom so my middle daughter can use it in a family photo shoot today.

Here's a link to her site. She does excellent work!

http://mothermack.wix.com/mothermacphotography#!home/mainPage

I still have to add the flounce and sew it together so I'll have about 6 hours into this project. So worth it to me! This does not include the time it took to clean and sanitize the settee and deconstruct the drapes and launder the fabric. Even buying a new drop cloth and using it would still make this an affordable project.

And here she is ready for the photo shoot this afternoon. GORGEOUS!

I'm so enthused that I still have over 6 yards of canvas left. I scored a large throne chair for cheap and it's gorgeous and sturdy and stylish and it's PINK. But my living room is brown, red, turquoise and blue. So guess what gets the next canvas slipcover?

I'll be linking up to parties in my sidebar. Come check them out!

Crocheted Rocks.

2012-10-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yup. I've been seeing crochet covered stones on Pinterest and just had to try it out. So this year on vacation I made three of them as a gift for our hosts.

I LOVE them!

I almost kept them for myself cuz they make me smile and smile. So, like any red blooded American creative sort, I went a little nuts taking photos. Enjoy!!

Note to self-plant more baby tears and irish moss in my garden.

Aren't the teeny tiny blue flowers just adorable? Okay, I'm being too sweet and gushy. But still, tiny blue flowers!!!!

The contrast here just grabs me. Love it!

And....underwater down by the river.

And in a crack in the bedrock with driftwood and greenery. Sigh.

I think I like this photo the best....along with the mossy photos. Wait, I like the underwater pics, too! Okay, definitely making myself some more of these!

Life! Aargh! But I'll take it.

2012-10-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Life has a way of taking you by the scruff of the neck and just shaking the heck out of you. While this year has been NOTHING like my year of surgery, chemo and radiation, it has still been a humdinger.

Like a cute miniature dachshund with her favorite knotted rope, sometimes you are the adorable doxie and other times you are the bedraggled rope. I have NO pics of our family favorite thrashing her toy, so here she is contemplating a leap from her "mama's" arms.

Ahem.

Thanks to my faithful followers who keep checking back for new posts. I'll get back on track, I promise. I'm shoveling out from under!

Cancer checkups, done.

Eulogy for family funeral, check.

Yard and garden redo, continuing.

Our favorite family vacation house burned to the ground a few weeks after we visited and reserved it for next year? Unfortunately, yes.

Start a business cleaning foreclosed homes. Yup..

Increase inventory in my Etsy shop, ongoing.

Son in law and oldest daughter have cancer scares? So DONE. But they're okay!

Octogenarian parents moving closer to the family? We had several family work days to fix up their new place. Their move is in progress, as soon as they sell their house and private airstrip. Anyone interested?

Middle daughter starts successful photography business? Yeah, baby!

http://mothermack.wix.com/mothermacphotography#!home/mainPage

Redoing furniture for photo props? Tomorrow, in fact.

Emptying storage unit and bringing it all into our house? Holy cow, that's alot of stuff and it's all stacked here.

Kids went to Europe and back? Yes and yes!

These last few months have been busy and except for a few instances, a very very positive time. So busy that my blog has suffered.

But I have lots of projects in the works and posts stacking up to tell you about them...including some neat projects and DIYs. And the HOLIDAY season is coming, my favorite time of the year!

Don't worry, I'm still kicking and will soon be back up to snuff. Blog snuff, that is. :o)

If You Have to Give a Eulogy, Make It a Good One Part 1

2012-09-10T11:10:00.008-07:00

I was recently asked to give a eulogy for my sister in law, Lynn, who died after a tough five year fight with cancer. This is the second family eulogy I've given and although it is not easy, I will do it not only for the family but for myself.

If and when you are asked to give a eulogy, give it your best shot. Make it personal, interesting and detailed. This is your very last chance to paint a bright picture of this beloved person you have lost, from their personality to fond memories.

Here is the text, which contains mild profanity, so be warned.

*************************************************************************

I am so glad to see you all here today to remember my high octane sister in law, Lynn. When her kids asked me to speak I knew I wanted to share a few memories and thoughts while I had the chance, since I've never regretted speaking up at a funeral and was always sorry if I didn't take the opportunity to share some memories.

So, how do you describe such a unique woman?

She was a live wire. A spitfire. A high energy bundle of guts and determination. I remember a Charles Schultz poster back in the 70s. It showed Lucy carrying a football and running hell for leather. It said, "Outta my way, I'm going for it!" That sums up Lynn perfectly. Get out of her way or help her move along, but either way, she went for it. You know it's true!

She loved her kids, fiercely. There's a word that fits...fiercely. That's Lynn all the way. We give our kids our genetics then watch to see how the family mix shows up in them. Her children and grandchildren have that stubborn family pride. But you also have your mom's determination and grit. And her zest for life. And her lasting love.

She could be hard headed but with a soft spot for kids, puppies and kittens.

She loved her horses when she had them.

She loved her family and friends and she loved working hard at her job AND she was good at it.

She loved fielding those tricky hops in the outfield and throwing you out.

She loved shooting the moon in pinochle and you were a shitbird if you succeeded in tripping her up. And yes, shitbird was kinda sorta a term of endearment.

She loved reading good books and bad. Even the romance novels she called "smut." And she loved to try, just one more time, to win a jackpot at the casino.

She did not suffer fools gladly.

And, oh, did she love to laugh.

Oh my God, did we have some good times. The four of us went to see Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian and carried on so much during the show we just knew we were going to get kicked out. After the show was over the teenagers behind us said they'd never laughed so hard at any movie. But Lynn started it...when the movie opened with the hunters bringing a deer carcass into the camp, she said out loud in the almost silent theater, "Did they kill Bambi?" And we were off....!

At literally dozens of family gatherings there would always be a moment when the two of us would look at the table loaded with goodies (including holidays when there would sometimes be a whole pie for each person) and we'd ask each other, "Do you think we have enough food?" Then we'd both shake our heads and say, "Nah!!!" And we'd crack up.

One time when she was married to my brother in law, we were at a square dance and it was his birthday. The ladies lined up to give him a smooch. But it was Lynn who grabbed his brother and put him in line, too. The kissing came to an abrupt halt right then and there! And somewhere there is a photo of that event, with his brother kissing him on the cheek and her husband flipping off the camera.

I have to tell you that nobody wore 80's fashions like Lynn. For one thing, she was thin as a whip and had legs that looked five foot long. Picture her in a fitted pant suit with big shoulder pads and high heeled boots and some chunky jewelry. Man! She rocked it. The picture for her obituary? The kids chose it just for that reason.

I have to tell the girls in the family that she looked upon your significant others with a gimlet eye and strong opinions. Which she mostly kept to herself. Mostly. If she was here she'd say, "You be good to our girls, now."

I have to tell the boys in the family that she always knew you were good men at heart and would do the right thing for the ladies and children in your lives. And that you all threw off the prettiest babies! She would say to you, "Cowboy up and do what's right."

I have to tell you that she thought people should do right by their family and friends. You did not want to be on the wrong end of that opinion! She was generous and affectionate and would do just about anything for you but boy, you did not want to take advantage of that generous nature. And more than once I've heard her say, "Enough of that noise," or "Been there, done that. Got the tee shirt. I'm outta here."

I have to tell you that nobody loved her coffee more than Lynn. Am I right? You know I'm right. Tho I know there's a generation of coffee lovers out here that would give her a run for her money.

And I have to tell you this....when I put together my Fantasy Tribe to survive the Zombie Apocalypse, I've got Lynn on my list. Not only could she butcher a deer, build a fire, sharpen a knife and siphon gas, but she was a crack pistol shot. She could jump start a battery and start a rolling car by popping the clutch. She could cook a full meal over a camp fire. She could drive a stick, a 4 x 4, a tractor, a semi, a 4 wheeler and a forklift. She was a helluva horsewoman. She would have had no problem with a sword or a bow and arrow. She was sharp witted and sharp eyed. I want this warrior on my team!

A few days ago I got to hold some fluffy puppies and I thought, "Lynn would have loved you guys!" I see where an author is writing another book in a romance series, and I know Lynn would have devoured that book. I watched the newest Conan movie and even though the new guy is a hunk, I know that she still liked Arnold better. I will remember her in ways I haven't even begun to count and I will miss her more than I can stand.

Do you remember in Lord of the Rings, the scene where Gandalf is falling with the fiery Balrog down thru the darkness and he is fighting hard all the way? That was Lynn.

The Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, wrote, "Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." That was Lynn.

She fought her battles hard until she couldn't outlast this final enemy. She didn't want her greater circle of family and friends to fuss over her. It actually would have pissed her off. But right here and right now we want to say thank you to the ones who took care of her and helped her. Remembering Lynn ties us together today. I'm sure there are stories that some of us haven't heard. Now is the time and the place to share.

*******************************************************************************

I am by no means a professional public speaker. Through the years I took the lessons from Speech class in high school and applied them to teaching Sunday School, leading worship services, Rotary functions, employee training and family reunions.

If you are asked to give a eulogy give it your best and put aside your own nerves for the good of the group. Remember, they are on your side and want to hear the positive things you have to say. And better to share your good memories and say a loving goodbye than keeping silent and wishing you'd said something as a farewell. Too often the eulogy is left to a religious leader or even someone referred by the funeral home, and they may not know your lost one as a real person.

For example, at one of our family funerals the only speaker was a preacher who mispronounced the family name all the way thru his short, impersonal speech.

So, think on these things. You can do this for someone you have loved and lost.

A Pop of Red With Rolled Felt Roses

2012-09-02T19:55:00.001-07:00

I've been seeing rolled felt flowers all over blogland and Pinterest, so I decided to make some for a bit of red in my craft studio.

The Dollar Tree sells these oversize Christmas balls every year and at the clearance sales afterwards you can get these two for a buck! Much cheaper than a similar sized styrofoam ball.

Cut out circles in your felt color choice. Cut each circle into a spiral. Note that neither the circles nor spirals have to be perfect. This is a quick and easy project!

Make LOTS of rolled roses from your spiral cut felt. LOTS. Like, dozens. You can vary the size of the circles and cut some spirals tighter for different sized rosettes. Start hot gluing those babies on your ball. Very quickly you will be grinning and gluing because this decor ball shapes up fast.

Then, and you can hum while you're doing this, go around your house and try it out on different bases. A crystal candlestick, a small glass votive, a shot glass, that odd pottery vase on your bookshelf....just have fun and find the perfect holder. I used an old wooden candle holder. Poifect!

And here is Rosy in her new place of honor, right there near the far corner of my studio. She's a lovely accent to all the white and cream and look how great she looks with the other red accents. Don't you love it when a project comes together? Especially when you don't have to buy anything and just make the whole thing from start to finish out of your stash leftovers, so it is essentially free.

Yeah, I like that, too. :o)

Cocoa "Tin" Redo for Craft Storage

2012-09-02T19:40:00.001-07:00

Readers ask me where I get the ideas for my blog, and I can only say I have my eyes wide open all the time for items I can use for projects. For instance, I am always looking for clever and cheap ways for craft storage to help me tame the Clutter Monster, and if I can make them from what I have on hand that's a win win in my book.

Once a container is empty in my house, I repurpose it for my craft studio. It has to be useful and I try to make it pretty and I admit more than once I have bought groceries in nice jars because I want them for my space, lol!

But what about the odd container, like the plastic cocoa "tins" that Hershey's is using now? They are a nice size, have a good lid and come in a rich shade of brown....plastic. What to do?

I crashed my stash and put together fabric and trims that go nicely with cocoa brown. Here's what I came up with! A strip of white burlap, a nice piece of wide lace, a rose applique and mixed buttons. Using my trusty hot glue gun, it was easy and fun to put together. I even put a bit of lace on the lid.

And here is the back side. I almost like it's simplicity more than the front. But either way, this storage container looks cute! I like it alot.

I would even use this for a gift container. After all, it is pretty and easy to do and I already have another one coming from the new can of cocoa!

So many of my ideas come from looking at ordinary objects in a new way. Some of the most clever ideas I see online are smart and different re uses of totally familiar items. Keep your eyes open, ladies, and your brains engaged. You never know when inspiration will strike!

Zen Stone Stacks

2012-09-02T11:00:00.009-07:00

What do you do when you go on a family vacation? Besides have loads of fun we like to leave a bit of whimsy behind with water smoothed stones put together in zen stacks.

The acts of collecting and carefully balancing the stones are contemplative and patient endeavors. Also, fun!

Here is the private swimming hole we enjoyed all week. This is a photo downriver. Man, I wish I was still there!

And here is a photo upriver. Can you see the trio of stone towers in this picture?

Here's a single stack up on the beach.

A set of three on some bedrock.

Another trio down by the water.

Can you see the stacks in this picture yet?

Here's a closeup in the morning sun. They are in the lower right of the previous picture. We left over a dozen stone towers for the next guests to find down by the river....

...plus this sweet driftwood heart with a tiny stack right in the middle.

When I got home I wanted a nice reminder of those warm sunny days down by the river. With some E-6000 jewelry adhesive and a bunch of collected river rocks, I now have these beautiful and soothing zen stacks for my master bath. Along with loads of houseplants and a sweet terrarium, they remind me to slow down and just enjoy my days.

Front Deck Flower Planters

2012-07-14T23:02:00.009-07:00

Last year, soon after we moved here and while I was still undergoing radiation therapy, my son and grandson built us a new front deck. Here's what it looked like last July.....

Molly Brown, our chocolate lab, started enjoying it right away. I didn't have many flowers last year but I knew I'd hit on a winning color combo with the hot pink petunias and turquoise blue railings. So this year I went all out/completely crazy.

THIS year I've got a few more flowers, lol! Everything is in roomy planters so I can move them around as each pot fills in with colorful blooms.

I've redone that wreath at least 4 times and I really like this fresh green look. The glass marble balls are sitting on a candelabra built by the Welding Man. The corner plant stand is also one of his designs. On the top shelf is another marble covered ball in the perfect turquoise color.

More petunias in box planters, with creeping jenny and sweet potato vines. Needlepoint ivy on trellis towers built by the Welding Man. More planters with petunias, alyssum, dianthus, snapdragons, coreopsis and impatiens. And, of course, more blue glass marbled garden balls!

I love the golden lime green contrast of the creeping jenny against the hot pink flowers. Lavender, petunias, miniature roses, coreopsis, ivy, coleus and succulents are in these pots along with more balls and garden art. The green glass globe in the bottom planter is a "crackled glass" ivy bowl disguising a solar light.

I made the tall pillar for the blue garden globe out of a two foot length of PVC pipe. I glued on the glass marbles and other glass bits with Silicone II adhesive. The smaller blue glass pieces are Christmas ornaments which I've repurposed for the garden. The fleur de lis trellis tower is also the Welding Man's design.

Weed cloth and a layer of gravel keep grass and weeds in check around the groups of planters. I like the contrast of the exuberant plants with the zen look of the pebbles. This photo shows dwarf nandina, alyssum, succulents, "bamboo" grass, creeping jenny, dianthus, salvia, petunias, vinca and ivy on another tower.

I love how the cool cobalt blue glass cools down the hot colors of the pink and purple petunias. Can't have too many blue glass garden accents OR hot pink flowers!

This dining room chair had seen better days, so I dry brushed it white, popped the cushion off and found a planter to fit into the hole. Golden creeping jenny and dark green vinca spill over the sides and a pink snapdragon adds contrast. The Green Man planter is filled with ferns.

This blue ball is made from a bowling ball! The same Silicone II adhesive holds the marbles and sea glass in place. I am always on the lookout for different size balls to use in the garden, with and without glued on marbles. I've used different sized Christmas balls, styrofoam balls, light globes and ivy bowls. Anything spherical will work!

So pretty! Many of the plants I've used will return next year and the petunias are easily replaced each spring. The creeping jenny and ivy are so prolific that I'll be dividing them into even more containers next year. And of course, the blue garden balls will look good all year long.

Between a HUGE amount of family activities, my continuing treatment, my Etsy shop and this front yard project, my time has disappeared in great chunks. But as you can see, I have something to show for the time spent outside.

AND, this year we've planted all our vegetables in big planter pots in another part of the yard. Gardening in planter pots works so well for me, next year I plan to use even more. Because with beautiful plants and flowers, more is better, right? I'll let you know when I reach my limit!

Wind Chime Rescue

2012-07-14T19:58:00.001-07:00

When we moved from our mountain side to our new home a year ago, the Mountain Man saved a few of our many wind chimes and brought them with us. I thought I would buy new wind chimes for our new yard but the prices shocked me! So, you know how I roll; I told him I was ready to take a look at repairing the old ones and he gave me this "wind chime stew" in an old canning kettle. (A wonderfully dented, chippy, rusty and blue enamel canning kettle which would look great holding a big bushy lavender plant and maybe some cascading petunias and alyssum....ahem, I digress. )

Whoa. What is in there? I see parts of four wind chimes! I sort of wondered if I'd really be able to salvage four complete sets out of this smorgasbord.

Here is my wind chime rescue kit...four and six pound clear fishing line, plastic beads, a yarn needle, split rings from 1/4" to 1", plastic rings, scissors, jewelry pliers, wire cutters and needle nose pliers.

Just a note-Light fly fishing line is also excellent for wind chime repair and it is not expensive. It is very similar to the cord used in commercial wind chimes.One roll will give you enough to make/repair LOTS of wind chimes.

For these repairs, though, I used clear fishing line and a 2" long yarn needle with a large eye.

I set up on the front porch on a warm summer morning and got to work.

I had a gorgeous view of my 3 barrel fountain with ivy and flowers cascading around. It's just me and the hummingbirds and the butterflies out here. With a little Pandora on my Kindle and a big cup of coffee, it was a wonderful way to start the day.

So, DON'T do this first thing. Yeah, how pretty the shiny rings look against the porch boards! I couldn't believe I did this. Moving on.....

I untangled a surprisingly intact wind chime that we'd made out of flattened and drilled kitchen ware and some light metal rods. I hung it inside this trellis tower and went to work. The top is a soup ladle that the Welding Man drilled to hold everything in a balanced design. He also drilled a hole in the middle to hang the "clapper," which is a spoon. I added more beading to each peace and triple tied the fishing line back and forth thru the mounting holes. One down!

Here is a light and airy metal wind chime that I am surprised is still around. I reattached all the pagoda pieces and the hanging chimes with fishing line. If you are repairing a wind chime, take a close look at how the chimes are attached. The lines for the chimes should not be rigid and should let the pieces swing freely. When in doubt, tap your hanging chime parts and listen for the best tone. You will soon hear the difference that long or short lines make to the sound of your chimes.

Since both of these wind chimes sounded good but still looked beat up, I hit them each with a coat of silver metallic spray paint.

Ooh aah!

The silvery paint made all the metal look just shiny enough and the colored plastic beads are a perfect blue touch. The flatware by itself is not too "chimey" so the addition of the metal rods gave this a beautiful, tinkly tone. I like this so much I think I'll have to make another!

And here is the "pagoda" wind chime after a shot of that silvery metallic spray paint. Pretty and delicate and perfect for a gentle tone when the wind blows.

Here is the largest wind chime, the parts of which you can see scrambled up in that canning kettle. I put it back together with fishing line and the Welding Man made a new "sail" for the bottom out of a scrap of wood and an eye bolt. The metal and wood were grungy so I primed it with white spray paint followed by a good coat of that same silver metallic spray paint. Now this wind chime looks almost brand new!

Here's what's left after all the other chimes were put back together. The soup ladle is already drilled and we saved two pieces from an old wind chime. I gave the Welding Man three pieces of yard sale flatware to drill so I can get this chime repaired and hung up. Since I don't have any small metal rods left I am thinking of using some old keys and other metal hardware. I hope it comes out as neat as my mental image!

I'll post pics on my blog if it looks good. And if it doesn't it will just quietly go away, never to be mentioned again. :o)

I'll be joining the parties in my sidebar, come visit and link up. You never know what cool, creative and interesting ideas you will find!

Damask Countertop Redo

2012-06-08T21:59:00.002-07:00

I am always looking for ways to improve my craft studio, and last month I decided to cover the long counter in oilcloth. I found the black and white damask remnant for $2.50 and grabbed that baby up, because I knew it was perfect for my space.

Ooh aah!

My room has lots of black and white prints and book page covered storage boxes, plus several covered in black and white damask print tissue paper. With lots of turquoise and red pops of color, this room makes me happy everyday. I'm so lucky to have this space!

The Welding Man and Insanely Creative Christy built the counters and shelves for me. This is a ten foot long counter and perfect for craft storage and projects. I used yardsticks on the edge of one shelf and like it so much I'm going to put them all around the rest of the shelves, too.

And we scored big time when we found this shelving for $2 each at the Habitat store. We bought everything they had in stock! I used double stick carpet tape on the edges to hold the oil cloth in place. This is strong and sticky stuff.

Once the tape was in place I laid the oil cloth down and smoothed it over the edge. This went so fast and was so easy.

It looks good, it goes with my whole design mix in here and it cost less than $3!! That's a win win. The oil cloth wipes clean with a damp cloth and since it is not permanently fixed, I can use it later for a cute black and white tote bag if I want.

I'll be linking up to the parties in my sidebar. Come visit and enjoy the creativity in blog land. You'll be glad you did!

On Sale in my Etsy Shop....

2012-06-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, dear readers, like many of you I have an Etsy shop! I just finished setting up the special sales on my listings this month. If you're a fan of my burlap pillows....or rosette necklaces....or my original vintage style Halloween banners, click on over there!

A set of two shabby chic burlap pillows

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101723779/sale-until-june-30thfree-shipping-when

A vintage brooch centers this pretty rosette necklace!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/83317763/sale-free-shippingteal-blue-and

A pretty red and black necklace with a Steampunk vibe and a teeny tiny skull with red crystal eyes!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/83313808/salesave-free-shippingtiny-skull-w

One of my popular Halloween banners hand painted in a vintage carnival style.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/30684636/free-shipping-painted-just-for-you

Click on over and check out my shop. You never know what you will find!

Clever and Pretty Craft Containers....

2012-05-25T23:03:00.009-07:00

...using Dollar Store adhesive shelf vinyl (or, contact paper).

In my craft studio I use lots of black and white prints along with recycled book pages and the colors red and turquoise. This is my happy, creative place!

A year ago for my ladder shelf I covered one box with Dollar Store contact paper in a neat black and white print. I had enough to do a few boxes but when I went back to the store they didn't have it anymore. Bummer. I kept checking back and finally this week they had it in stock again. Score!

I had been using this unadorned creamer container to corral the scraps on my work table, but with the new contact paper I styled it up, baby!

Oooh aaah!

And of course I didn't stop there. From left to right...the creamer can, a Starbucks bottle, an alfredo sauce jar and a mayonnaise bottle. Don't they look pretty with that contact paper and some lace and rosettes?

These bright red coffee containers were perfect for my studio, except for those ugly, pesky labels. With my Dollar Store contact paper I jazzed them up in a hurry. I have some more jars and bottles and even a vase and possibly a metal coffee can....good thing I bought an extra roll of contact paper.

I love it when I find a design element that works so well for my decor and it makes the already practical containers pretty, too. And it's cheap! Can't beat that.

Gotta link this up to the fun parties in my sidebar. Come visit and link up, too. It's a fun and creative way to spend some time!

Save That Sweatshirt With Paint

2012-05-25T22:21:00.010-07:00

I love my zippered hoody sweatshirts and wear one almost every day. Unfortunately, that means they are going to get stained with paint and sometimes bleach. So what to do? Paint a design on them to hide the mess and style 'em up at the same time!

Yup, this black one had white and blue paint AND bleach spots on it. No problem! I added the script and the dotted design and saved it.

And my grandson gives me his sweatshirts as he outgrows them. This dark grey one had a cool design that was almost worn out. This is what it looks like now that I've rescued it with paint.

And here is what it looked like before I worked on it. The light grey design was almost gone and it just looked worn out and grungy. Tho I understand, grunge is the new black, according to my grandson. Lol!

I used Patio Paint in silver metallic. See where I've started free form painting the cross design? Patio Paint metallics are the absolute shiniest craft paint out there and with a bit of fabric medium work perfectly for this project and others. The metallics come in gold, copper and silver and I love their durable shine!

Here is the front detail repainted. Love this!

On back I added curlicues and a flower, plus I redid some lettering to read "Mom." I didn't go for perfect coverage and kept the paint a bit blotchy as I worked on the design. I really like how it's come out and the silver really picks up the light!

On the black sweatshirt I used this pre cut stencil and chose which phrases and words I wanted. I added fabric medium to the plain white craft paint and pounced it on with a makeup sponge. Easy peasy!

And here is the link to the stencil page at The Crafters Workshop, the company which makes this fun stencil. They have LOTS of cool designs.

http://thecraftersworkshop.com/The_Crafters_Workshop/New_Products.html

This says, "Art is just another way of expressing our innermost thoughts." Down the left sleeve I stenciled "today," "yesterday" and "tomorrow." I hope you can see the blue highlights I added to "Art." Then I added dotted swirls in white and blue plus some free form fireworks type flowers on the front and pockets. I really like how this design came out! Best of all, you can't see the bleach or paint stains on this sweatshirt anymore! :o)

UPDATE...I just washed this black sweatshirt with my regular laundry. I zipped it up and turned it inside out and just let her rip, figuring if it held up to a normal wash it would be okay. It came out of the dryer unscathed and the paint is even a bit softer to the touch after laundering. Gotta love that.

Now I'm thinking of doing this to a new sweatshirt and see just what designs I can come up with. I remember way back when guys used lace to stencil designs on their cars. What if I did that on a sweatshirt using layered laces and appliques? Hmmm, now my brain is working on more ideas.

I'll be linking up to the parties in my sidebar. Come visit and join up. You'll have a fun time!

Tiny Nest HOME Sign

2012-05-12T16:24:00.006-07:00

For this project I was looking for a neat little sign for our guest bathroom and I remembered these tiny wire nests.....

I've been making these nests for my rosette necklaces for a few years now. I've almost sold out in my Etsy shop so I'll have to make more. I love how they look with the sweet ribbon rosettes and beading. Making them isn't hard work since I enjoy them so much!

Here's a close up of the nest done in gold colored wire and the perfect freshwater pearls shaped like eggs.

For this project I turned to my handy dandy pre cut letters. A pizza box is the perfect storage solution.

I used a coupon at Joanne's to get this great selection of chipboard letters for $6.00 a few years back. This was a great buy and I've used them in dozens of projects since. Sometimes I just trace them and save the letters but this time I used letters in different fonts.....

I spray painted a frame from my stash gloss black, and also painted the mismatched letters. I tore card stock diagonally then inked and distressed the edges. I also grunged the corners and random areas for added texture.

A tiny nest of tarnished gold colored wire and three beads nestles at the bottom of the "O".

A wispy branch picked up from the yard adds a final touch of whimsy.

I grunged the edges a bit more and also grunged around the branch to make it stand out a bit. I like it. I like it alot!

Insanely Creative Christy redid this little cabinet with recycled dictionary pages, paint and twine, and the cubby at the bottom is perfect for this HOME sign. It is the perfect spot for it!

I'll be linking up to the parties in my sidebar. Come visit and check out the neat projects in blogland!