PitterAndGlink

{My "Meh" Bowl Makeover}

2013-04-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Today I have a post to share with you that I actually started to just write off as a craft "meh." That's Pitter and Glink speak for a not-so-amazingly-cute project. I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I only want the best projects on my blog or at least only projects that I love. At the same time, I never want y'all to think I'm perfect because I'm nowhere near perfect. So after talking to some other bloggers, I decided to go ahead and post it since I put in all the work anyway. So here goes...

Several weeks ago I found the cutest little white ceramic bowl in the thrift store.

As you can see, it was only fifty cents. I knew that I could use some paint to make it something spectacular...well, at least I thought I could. So I started by painting the inside of the bowl pink and then hand painting a ikat-like design.

When I finished, I just wasn't digging it. Since I didn't heat set the paint, I was able to wash the paint off the bowl. So the tutorial that follows is attempt number two, which I started by painting the inside of the bowl blue using Martha Stewart's pearl paint.

I did two coats of paint, and then I decided I would do a sort of tribal design in the bowl using a sponge and more Martha paint.

I cut some different size squares and a triangle out of a kitchen sponge and used them to create my design.

At this point in the process, I should have heat set the paint in the oven using the same directions as I used with my Dollar Store Stenciled Mugs. There's one problem, though: I was not in love with the final piece, and I'm still not.

It's not hideous, but I think it could be better. I almost like my first attempt better than the second one. What would you do? Would you move on to attempt number three, or would you leave the bowl as is?

Maybe I'm just being hard on myself and the bowl is cute and I should go ahead and heat set the paint. It's definitely never going to be a feature piece in a room or anything because it's very tiny. Nonetheless, I just don't love it, and I really want to. Help me out, creative ladies! :)

I'm linking to...

{Leather & Stone Bracelet}

2013-04-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Today I have a little bracelet tutorial to share with you. Nothing fancy, but something you might like to wear with jeans and a t-shirt or maybe a boho-chic sundress. :)

You only need two materials for this bracelet.

Yes, I know the picture has three things in it, but you only need two. (I think I've already told y'all before that I craft by the seat of my pants, and I don't always use everything I start with or either I add something.) You need round leather lace and beads--I chose the dark brown leather lace and the square stone beads pictured above. Start by cutting a length of the cord. My wrist is 6", and I ended up using a 27" length of cord. (I *think* you can use the measurement of your wrist, add eight, and then double that measurement to get the length you'll need, but I can't promise that will work.)

Take the length of cord, fold it in half, and knot the end to create a loop. This will become part of the closure to your bracelet.

Then create a knot a few inched from the first one. I held the closure where I planned to wear it on my wrist and wrapped the cord around the top of my wrist. I tied the knot where I wanted my beads to start.

Follow the steps in this next photo to secure your bead.

After you've completed the steps above, pull the cord tight.

At this point your bracelet will look like the one in the photo above. Next, just thread another bead on the piece of cord that wasn't threaded through the last bead and repeat the above steps. When you have as many beads as you want on the bracelet, tie a regular knot after the last bead.

Then tie a knot at the end of your bracelet. You may need to tie a knot and then a knot over that to make the end large enough so that it won't slip out of the loop when you wear it. All that's left then is the wearin'!

I used neutral colors on this, which is really not like me, but I can see me wearing this during the summer with jeans and a T-shirt (Not to self: don't make a fist next time you're "modeling" a bracelet because you will scare people with your Hulk-like veins...)

I think there are a lot of possibilities with this, though. Black leather cord and pearls or iridescent beads would be really pretty.

Or the brown leather cord with blue and white beads would be cute. What do you think? Would you wear this? Do you have any bead and leather combos you think would look good together?

I'm linking to...

{Inexpensive, Personalized Stationery}

2013-04-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Last week I had the privilege of hanging out with Through the Eyes of the Mrs. followers and sharing my tutorial for personalized stationery. (Cards and envelopes and such are stationEry. If you're not moving, you're stationAry. ) Today I want to share the tutorial with you.

Creating personalized stationery is very simple and inexpensive. (Remember my embellished stationery?) Start with plain notecards from the craft store, an ink pad, and a large stamp.

Ink your stamp and then press it on the front flap of your notecard.

If your stamp doesn't cover the entire notecard, repeat the steps above. It's okay if you aren't able to exactly match up the pattern if you plan to add something to the middle of the card. Then add washi tape.

You can place as many strips of washi tape on your notecard as you'd like. Then it's time to add the personalization.

I added an adhesive-backed card stock diamond shape to the center of the washi tape, and I used double sided tape to stick a card stock initial in the center of the diamond.

I rubbed the surface and edges of the notecard with ink to give it a bit of a worn look, but you don't have to do that, of course, if it's not your style.

All that's left is to write a sweet note inside the card and mail it to someone special! You can read all about who I sent mine to {HERE}. Whoever you choose to send it to, your card is sure to brighten a day. :)

I'm linking to...

{Three Tables Get a Fresh Look}

2013-04-11T06:30:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Today I have a great furniture makeover to share with you.

My aunt recently redecorated her living room. She had three perfectly good end tables that she didn't want to get rid of, but they needed a new look. She brought them to me to work some magic.

This is the before of one of the tables. The broken drawer on top belongs to the "sister" table. (I don't know if that's what people call tables--sister tables--but we're going with that so I don't have to keep saying the other table and you not know which one I'm talking about.)

And she had this table. All the tables were in dire need of a new finish for their tops. We decided on a two-toned finish--wood and paint--for the sister tables and a paint finish for the other table.

I started by sanding the tops down as you can see here.

I roughed up the legs of these tables too just to help ensure the paint would stick to them. Then I stained the tops of the sister tables.

I was a little worried at this point because I realized that the edge of the table tops was just MDF, but luckily the stain made the edge look like it had a wood grain. Then I primed the pieces.

I primed this whole table. I covered up the tops of the sister tables with trash bags and tape, and I primed the bottoms of them. I lightly sanded the primer with 220 grit sandpaper to make sure my final paint finish wasn't gritty. I then painted them all with some leftover green paint my aunt had. Then I sealed everything with Polycrylic. Oh, and I fixed the broken drawer too! And here they are...

I have to say that I like the way they turned out. I think the dark wood and the green paint looks nice together. Next time you redecorate, don't throw away your worn, "loved" pieces. Make them over with elbow grease and paint! :)

I'm linking to...

{Extra! Extra! Announcing Summer Fun Camp 2013}

2013-04-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! I have an exciting announcement today! My bloggy BFF Kirsten from One Tough Mother is hosting a Summer Fun Camp!

As a mother, Kirsten realizes that all parents can't send their children to summer camp for different reasons, so she came up with the idea of a super inexpensive, online summer fun camp for kids: Summer Fun Camp 2013. She invited ten bloggers, including me, to join her as camp counselors. There will be four weeks of online camp beginning June 3rd. Each week has a different theme, and altogether there will be twenty projects and twenty activities for your children during those four weeks. You can register your child for one week or all four weeks. The registration fee is only $6 per week! Want more information? Click {HERE} for all the exciting details!

{My Karing Card}

2013-04-07T18:04:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! I'm still alive even though I haven't been very present on this blog the past week or so. I have been on spring break, and even though I had all these plans to blog and do a bajillion projects, I really just ended up relaxing. And that's okay because I needed to do that. :) I did get a few things done over break that I will post about later, but today I just wanted to share the card I received in the mail as part of the Karing Card Club.

The Karing Card Club is a simple, fun "club" that the lovely ladies above are kind enough to host every month. You sign up to be part of the club, and you're paired with another blogger. You send a card to that person based on the month's theme--March's was encouragement--and she sends you one in return. I was paired with Emily from Eco-Friendly Emily. I sent her this card. (The tutorial for the card will be at Through the Eyes of the Mrs. later this month.)

In return, Emily sent me this beautiful card.

I love the image of the little girl and the bubbles on the front! Inside she included a very sweet, encouraging little note. It was so nice to get an encouraging piece of mail rather than a bill or an advertisement! If you're interested in joining the club this month, you can sign up {HERE}. I'll be back later this week with an exciting announcement and a furniture revamp. I can't wait because I've missed y'all! <3

{Smile Brilliant Review & Giveaway}

2013-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! I was recently given a LED teeth whitening kit by Smile Brilliant to review. (See my disclaimer policy on the side of my blog for more info on advertising and sponsorship.) Today I want to tell you about it, and I have a giveaway for you!

I am pretty sure I'm not the only girl who wants pretty, white teeth, right? And I'm also pretty sure that I'm not the only girl who doesn't want to spend a lot of money getting those pretty, white teeth. Enter Smile Brilliant's LED Teeth Whitening System.

Smile Brilliant was nice enough to send me one of their LED teeth whitening kits to try out, and I like it! Everything you need for a whiter smile is in the kit. You simply brush the whitening gel on your teeth, insert the protective tray, and place the LED light in your mouth. The only complaint I have about the product is that wearing the LED light in my mouth for the maximum time felt a bit awkward, but the directions say that you don't have to wear the light the entire time unless you want to. I noticed results after the very first time using the product, and I plan on continuing to use it. And guess what? Smile Brilliant is giving a LED Teeth Whitening System--a $39.95 value--to one lucky reader. Enter below. a Rafflecopter giveaway And as an added bonus, Smile Brilliant is sharing a coupon code with y'all.

The giveaway is open until April 9th. Good luck!

Disclaimer: While I was given an LED Teeth Whitening System from Smile Brilliant to review, the opinions in this post are 100% mine. For more on my disclaimer policy, see the side of my blog.

{Free Easter Hip Hop Printable}

2013-03-25T06:30:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Today I have a fun little treat for you.

I have been itching to create a new printable with some of PicMonkey's new overlays, so I came up with this. The chevron background is courtesy of The Latest Find. (You can find the pink chevron HERE.) It's a silly little print you can add to your Easter mantle or maybe even to your Easter party decor.

Feel free to download the printable for your own personal use--you may not claim the image as your own, resell, or redistribute it. To download the printable, simply click on the arrow with the line under it. I created the printable to be an 8x10, but, as always, you should do a print preview before printing out any printables to ensure the entire image fits in the size you want to print.

I know that Easter is not all about the Easter bunny, and I could have created a serious printable. Since there are so many great serious ones (like these from Nest of Posies), I decided to create one a little less serious. Nonetheless, I do hope that we all remember the real meaning of Easter this weekend.

{End Table Makeover}

2013-03-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Today I have a little table makeover to share with you.

A coworker of mine bought a small table from a yard sale a while back, and she recently asked me to transform it. She picked out a spray paint color and brought the table to school for me to take home and makeover. Here it is before...

I started the makeover by filling in a few dings and dints with wood filler.

With the drawer front, I did two layers of wood filler to make sure the groove caused by the old handle was no longer visible. Then it was time for priming.

When I started to prime the table, I didn't have a new back piece to replace the torn one. If I would have, I would have attached it before priming, but since I didn't, I went ahead and sprayed the piece with Kilz spray primer. After giving the primer time to dry, I sanded it with 220 grit sand paper and gave it a few coats of the blue my coworker picked out: Valspar's Tropical Oasis. My dad cut a new back for the table from thin plywood. After priming and spraying it, I attached it to the piece with small nails. I then distressed the edges of the piece with sandpaper and gave the entire table a coat of Polycrylic to seal it. After that, the makeover was complete!

I added a knob I bought at Michaels as the crowning jewel of this little table.

The blue was the perfect transformative color.

This little table looks so much better than before! My coworker loves it, and I love how spray paint can transform an ordinary piece of furniture into something special. What have you used spray paint to transform lately?

{My Fabulous eShakti Dress}

2013-03-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

I think by now y'all know I'm Southern. As a true Southern belle, I really love dresses--especially ones with a retro look. Recently, I was given the amazing opportunity to choose a dress from eShakti to review. For those of you who haven't heard of them before, their tagline is "We design. You customize."

I was intrigued by this "customization thing," so I visited their website and was immediately smitten with their dresses and a bit surprised at how affordable their prices are! There were so many dresses I loved I had a hard time choosing one, but I finally settled on a dress that was the perfect "retro-modern" dress for me. When ordering my dress, I opted for the customization option. My husband helped me measure for the dress, and it was really easy. I input all my measurements and decided I wanted the dress a little shorter than the one listed. I'm a short girl--only 5'2"--so dresses that hit me mid-calf make me look not only short but also "stubby." The cool thing about eShakti is that with their customization option, I was able to easily change the length of the dress. (I could have changed the neckline and sleeve type if I'd have wanted also.) I waited patiently for my dress to come in the mail, and when I received it last week and tried it on, I was in LOVE!

This is the Her Fifties Colorblock Dress. It fits me like a glove. Normally, dresses like this do not fit my body type. If I find a dress that fits my hips and...ummm...posterior, then the top of the dress is too big. If a find a dress that fits me up top, the bottom of the dress is too tight. Since this dress was made specifically for my measurements, it fits all around.

I love the sweetheart neckline! Since the top of the dress fits perfectly, I don't feel overexposed, which is really important to me. I try to dress stylishly but modestly as well.

The navy and white combo looks great paired with a red lip and red heels.

I honestly couldn't be happier with this dress! I totally agree with eShakti when they say their dresses are "Real fashion for real people." If you haven't checked out eShakti yet, I encourage you to head over and see all the outfit eye candy! You can also find eShakti on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Disclaimer: While eShakti gave me this dress to review, all opinions in this post are 100% mine. For more info on my disclosure policy, see the side of my blog.

{Embellished Stationery}

2013-03-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, y'all! Recently I shared a fun post on The Hair Bow Company's blog. I showed their readers how to easily embellish plain stationery, and today I want to show y'all the how-to.

With minimum supplies and a few simple steps, you can have a beautiful card to send a special person.

One: Gather your supplies. You will need blank notecards, scrapbook paper, washi tape, an ink pad, glue and a flower embellishment. (I used a shabby flower from The Hair Bow Company.) Two: Trace the top flap of your notecard on the back of your scrapbook paper. Cut it out and use a glue stick to adhere it to your notecard. (I cut my scrapbook paper to only cover the bottom half of the notecard.) Three: Add washi tape strips to the top of the note card. Four: Lightly rub an ink pad around the edges and top of the card. Five: Hot glue a fabric flower to the top of the card as your finishing touch.

With minimum effort, you have a lovely card to send to brighten someone's day.

In the age of email and text messages, there's something really special about finding a beautiful, handwritten note in the mail. Disclaimer: While I was given flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in my crafting, all opinions in this post are completely mine! For further info on my disclaimer policy, see the side of my blog.

I'm linking to...

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{Chair Makeover}

2013-03-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! I love finding treasures at the thrift store. During the summer, I found two chairs for $5. Chairs are so much fun to revamp because the paint and fabric combinations are endless, so I had to snatch them up before someone else did.

When I found the chairs, they looked like this.

With thrift store chairs, you have to look past the condition of the fabric or the finish of the wood and focus on the lines and little details of the pieces. I knew these could become something gorgeous.

I began by removing the cushions from the chairs. I then wiped them down and primed them with Kilz spray primer. I let the primer dry for the required time and then lightly sanded the chairs with 220 grit sandpaper. (Sometimes Kilz primer can leave a bit of a gritty feel, so the sandpaper will get rid of that and give you a smooth surface for your final coat.) I wiped off the primer dust and sprayed the chair with a few coats of a gray Krylon spray paint, and, of course, I distressed the chairs when the paint was dry. My last step for the painted part of the chairs was giving them a coat of Polycrylic. Then I had to revamp the cushions.

I removed the old fabric from the cushions and replaced it with a new chevron fabric I found at Hobby Lobby. (Often when reupholstering, I will either replace the foam or at least cover with a layer of batting. I did both on this bench; however, I didn't have a big enough piece of batting when I was redoing these. The foam was in pretty good shape, though.) I sprayed the recovered cushions with Scotch-gard, and my chairs were complete!

I love how the chairs turned out!

These would look so great paired with turquoise or yellow or coral...I could go on and on! Now I just have to find somewhere to put them. :)

{Simple Shamrock Art}

2013-03-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! Recently, I shared this shamrock art at Through the Eyes of the Mrs. Today I want to share it with y'all.

To make this art, you will need a frame, scrapbook paper, a heart paper punch, and double stick tape.

Start by punching four hearts from your scrapbook paper. Cut a stem shape from the paper as well.

Use the paper that comes in your frame as a pattern to cut a background piece of scrapbook paper for your frame.

Arrange your hearts and stem in a shamrock shape on your background paper. Then use double stick tape to adhere the pieces.

You may want to leave the shamrock like this, but I wanted to add a little banner to it.

I cut a banner shape out of a coordinating scrapbook paper and stamped the word lucky on it. I used double stick tape to adhere it to the middle of the shamrock. Then it's time to put the shamrock in your frame.

When I got the shamrock in the frame, I decided I wanted to make the detail on the frame pop, so I applied some Rub 'n Buff with my finger to the raised pieces. And then I decided I liked the finished product.

This is a fun little piece of St. Patrick's Day decor.

And the best part? It was really easy AND inexpensive to make! If you can make a project that is both, you're pretty LUCKY. ;) Do you decorate for every holiday or just the big ones?

{Trash-to-Chalkboard Transformation}

2013-02-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! If you've followed along here for a while now, you know that I am not above getting "treasures" out of my neighbors' trash to transform. (Remember the bench I saved from the trash?) My husband will actually tell me now if he sees something I might want instead of trying to divert my attention. We've come a long way... Recently, I saw a pile of wood that was some type of cabinet doors or a wooden screen. I saw some potential in the junk and got my husband to bring it home. I was able to totally transform one of the pieces.

I started with this whatchamacallit.

I wiped it down with a cloth, sanded it, and wiped it down again.

I used Martha Stewart chalkboard paint on the center of the piece. I taped off the edges with painter's tape and applied several coats following the directions on the paint bottle. When that was thoroughly dry, I taped off the inside and sealed the outside edges with a coat of Polycrylic. Then I had to condition the chalkboard paint.

The chalkboard paint bottle directs you to rub a layer of chalk over the entire painted surface before writing on it. After that, my trash transformation was complete.

I love the wood grain paired with the black chalkboard.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this makeover! It feels good to save something from the trash. :)

{Princess Inspired Nails}

2013-02-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! I have a fun post for you today. Every Monday, Maria-Isabel and Andrea have a fun link party called Makeup Monday.

This week, readers were challenged to come up with princess inspired beauty posts. I thought it would be really fun to participate, so I came up with a Sleeping Beauty inspired manicure.

I used some inexpensive nail polishes, along with rhinestone nail stickers, to get my Sleeping Beauty look.

I painted all my nails--excluding my ring fingers--with the Wet n Wild Lavender Creme polish. (I'm not really sure why it's called lavender creme...) I painted my ring fingernails with the Wet n Wild Gold Album first and then the China Glaze Blonde Bombshell. I stuck small rhinestones on my pink nails and painted over all my nails with a clear coat.

I love the gold paired with the pink. It reminds me of Sleeping Beauty's pink dress paired with her gold crown. And, of course, I had to wear a huge cocktail ring with this manicure for one of the pictures since I was being all princess-like.

I tried several different ways to paint my princess inspired nails, but I just don't have any luck using tape strips or painting intricate designs freehanded. Do you do your own nail art? What are your secrets for creating fun patterns?

{DIY Name Necklace}

2013-02-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! Last week, I shared this DIY Name Necklace at Through the Eyes of the Mrs. Today, I want to share it with y'all.

Have you ever seen those acrylic name necklaces? They can be a bit pricey, and they have to be custom made. You can make one inexpensively yourself with just a few supplies. The main supplies you need are Shrinky Dink plastic, paint, and necklace making supplies. (Shrinky Dink plastic sheets are about the thickness of a transparency. When the sheets are baked, they shrink and harden.) The other supplies you probably already have on hand. Start by printing out the name for the necklace.

You need to be aware of a couple of things, though. First of all, Shrinky Dink plastic will shrink down 1/3 it's original size in the oven. Whatever size you want your name to be, you need to print the name three times larger. Also, you need all the letters in the name to touch. I created the name I used with my Silhouette program. I chose a cursive font (That's Font Folks), ungrouped the letters, scooted any letters not touching together, and then welded the shapes together. Then I simply printed out the image. After the image is printed, you need to trace your name on a sheet of Shrinky Dink plastic (follow the directions on the package) and cut out the traced image. Use a craft knife for those impossible-to-cut spots.

Then paint the rough side of the plastic with acrylic paint. (Other mediums can be used. Those are listed on the package.) Punch a hole on each side of the name where you plan to attach the necklace chain. You MUST do this before baking the piece. Then it's time to bake.

Bake the name according to the Shrinky Dink plastic directions. Please do not rob yourself of the joy of watching the name curl up like the Wicked Witch of the West's feet in The Wizard of Oz! You need to watch the name shrink anyway because sometimes when the piece shrinks, you need to quickly manipulate it with a toothpick to straighten up a piece that shrinks crookedly.

In the image above, you can see the printed name I traced and the baked name. The baked name will be a hard plastic now. To keep the paint from coming off the back of the name, you need to seal it some way. I simply coated mine with Mod Podge. Then it's time to add glitter because, let's face it, everything is better with glitter!

Coat the top of the name with Mod Podge and sprinkle with glitter. To keep the glitter from coming off the necklace, I covered the top with a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. The only step left after the piece dries is attaching the necklace.

Thread jump rings attached to lengths of chain through the name holes. Attach a clasp to the chain, and you're done!

I think this necklace looks a lot like the acrylic versions. The name is not as hard as acrylic would be, and if you jerk it around, it could definitely break. But with that being said, it's so inexpensive, easy to make, and beautiful! Plus, everyone should use Shrinky Dink plastic once in her life because it's so fun to watch shrink in the oven!!!

{Three Must Have Lipsticks}

2013-02-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! I don't think I've ever told you about how much I love makeup. When I am feeling a little frumpy, I always feel so much better about myself if I put on some makeup--especially lipstick. So today I want to share my three favorite lipsticks with y'all.

Some are a little more expensive than others, but they all are very affordable. Here they are!

I have a big smile, and I like red lipstick. That could be a scary combination. (Think of the Joker, and you can easily understand how red lipstick can go horribly wrong on someone with a big smile.) I love this shade of red lipstick because it isn't clown red, and the actual lipstick itself is very creamy and has staying power. Find it {HERE}. (I don't see Red Hot listed on the color chart, but if you go to a local Merle Norman, I'm sure they can show you a color that's almost exactly the same as this one.)

Sometimes I want to wear a pretty bright pink lipstick, and this lipgloss fits that need. It is bright enough for people to know you have on bright pink lip color, but it's not so bright that it's obnoxious. It's also a nice texture and stays on well. Find it {HERE}, but it's probably cheaper at your local Walmart or drugstore.

This is my ultimate, all-time-favorite number one lipstick! This lipstick--or lip pencil--has a lipliner on one side and a lip color on the other. You can line just the outside of your lips and then use the lip color if you want a lighter pink, or you can line your entire lip and then use the lip color if you want a darker pink. This is what I wear on my lips almost every day, and, especially if I use the lipliner, it stays on for a long time! Find it {HERE}. I've shared my three must have lipsticks with you. What is your go-to lipstick? Please share it with me because I'd love to find some new favorites! :)

{Love Bird Art}

2013-02-11T21:55:00.001-05:00

Hey, y'all! I have a really fun piece of art to share today just in time for Valentine's Day. The great thing about this is that it's not just for the Day of Love.

I have had a piece of thin plywood in my craft room for months just begging to become something beautiful. Recently, I found the cutest little phone cover on one of those daily deal sites. (The deal is over, so, unfortunately, I can't link to it.) It had a tree with initials carved in it, and there were two birds in the tree. Immediately, I knew I had to create a piece of art based on the phone case design.

I have had a wood burning tool since before I got married because I used it to burn the edges of the wedding invitations I made. I haven't used it since. I thought it would be neat to use it to recreate the phone cover design on my piece of plywood. I started by sketching a tree on the wood.

The great thing about sketching a tree for this project is that getting the tree shape somewhat decent is the hardest part. The "bark" of the tree is just lines as you can see. After the tree is all sketched out, it's time to use the wood-burning tool.

Let the tool heat up, then simply trace your pencil lines with it. Of course, you must be very careful not to touch any of the metal pieces at the bottom of the tool. Also, do this in a well-ventilated area because you will definitely be a bit overwhelmed with the burning wood smell when the tool is at its hottest. After I traced all the lines with the tool, I used a flat tip to lightly burn some of the natural places on the tree to give it more of a realistic look. After I finished wood burning the tree, I painted the surrounding area white to make the tree pop.

I sanded down the white paint a little to give it a worn look. Then I cut out two little birdies from scrapbook paper and used Mod Podge to attach them to the art. I used my distress ink pad on the edges and on some of the white paint. I also painted three little red hearts above the birds and then sealed the entire piece of art with a coat of Mod Podge.

I LOVE my love bird art!

I made sure to use colors that I regularly decorate with in my home so that I can display the art year round.

I'm not sure if I like the birdies or the heart with mine and my husband's initials more! This was such a fun project to do because I used a technique I've never used before. Now I can't wait to think of more ways to use my wood burning tool! If you don't have time to create your own love bird art before Valentine's Day and you're looking for something that involves zero work, you can always download the Valentine's Day printable I shared this weekend {HERE}. Enjoy!

{Valentine Printable}

2013-02-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! Whenever Valentine's Day rolls around, I always, of course, think of romance, my husband, and our relationship. Last week, I was thinking about our wedding day and our first dance.

I'm not much of a dancer unless you count the Chicken Dance and an embarrassing version of the Cupid Shuffle, but I can slow dance okay. I mean, all you do is move around in a circle, right? Anyway, the song we danced to was Norah Jones's version of "Love Me Tender."

Her voice is so beautiful, and the lyrics to the song are so sweet. I have to say that the lyrics completely describe how I feel about my husband. On the day I married him, all my dreams were fulfilled, and he made my life complete. So in honor of all that, I made a Valentine's Day printable for y'all.

You can download the printable here.

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{Flower Embellished Frame}

2013-02-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! I'm excited to be sharing the frame I created that was featured on The Hair Bow Company's blog last week.

For this project, you will need a wooden frame, scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, paint, and flowers from The Hair Bow Company. (I'm notorious for starting out with a plan and changing it. That's why I ended up switching out two of the flowers I initially selected for two others.)

Begin by painting the back and sides of your frame in a color that coordinates with your flowers and paper.

When the paint is dry, trace your frame on the back of your scrapbook paper and cut out your traced shape.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the top of your frame and adhere the paper to the frame. (It's helpful to use an old gift card or credit card to smooth out any bubbles.)

I love to rub an ink pad over the edges and corners of projects like this to add character. When the Mod Podge and ink has had adequate time to dry, coat the entire piece with Mod Podge to seal it. Then it's embellishment time, which is always my favorite part!

I took one of The Hair Bow Company's Silk Rose Flowers and separated the bottom petals from the middle. I hot glued the bottom petals to the frame and added a scrapbook embellishment to the center. I also glued a yellow Pettie Flower and a navy and white polka dotted Shabby Flower to the frame as well.

I created a small print with PicMonkey to fit in my frame. I stuck the image in the frame, and my embellished frame was complete.

I love the colors of the scrapbook paper.

And I love the dimension the flowers add.

This is such a cheerful piece of decor to add to your house to help chase away the winter blues. And it would be a lovely housewarming gift for a friend. If you would like to purchase some flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in your crafting, don't forget that I have a coupon code for you!

Use it before it expires! :) Disclaimer: While I was given flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in my crafting, all opinions in this post are completely mine! For further info on my disclaimer policy, see the side of my blog. I'm linking to...