Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Halloween cards

I can’t believe it is only two months to Halloween.  I’ve always liked making Halloween cards and this year is no exception.   I already made quite a few and listed some in my Etsy store and I thought I’d share a few with you today.100_8567

Paper, ribbons and twine, oh my…….

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What’s Halloween without a few black glittered bats?

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I used this stamp last fall at a rubber stamping show and quickly fell in love with it.  I was glad to find it after Halloween last year in the clearance section and quickly grabbed it.

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I even found some of the matching papers from this line.100_8573

I also found a sheet of paper that I could cut up into little label like embellishments.

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Luckily many of Halloween products I have can easily be used together.  On this one I used paper, a chipboard accent and epoxy stickers from three different lines.

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Have you started thinking about Halloween?

June

I usually link to these fabulous parties:

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Canvas to notebook page

A few weeks ago I saw a great canvas notebook idea over on Artsy Va Va.  I knew immediately that I would want to make one.

It just so happened that my favorite godchild that is in college had a birthday this week and I thought it would be a fun gift for her.  Maybe my favorite godchild that is in middle school will get one of these for her birthday….Shh, don’t tell her. :)

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I started with a cheap inexpensive canvas I found at Big Lots.

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I think it was 16 X 22 or somewhere around that size.  Perfect for my project.

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I gathered a couple pens and a ruler and started making……

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This.  Probably the largest notebook page I’ve ever seen.

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I grabbed some grey paint and added faux holes to my page.

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I started my letter but wasn’t sure what to write.

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I didn’t really want to write happy birthday as I think this might be something that she will keep up long past her birthday.

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In the end I thought a reminder to work hard, study often and have fun was just the right thing.  I even got my teen daughter to write a note and let me tell you that really is a big deal.  She rarely will take a second look at any craft I make much less participate in making it, well in this case writing a note on it.  In the end she wrote a note about an inside joke that will probably have Liberty’s friends and roommates wondering just what they don’t know about her.

I think this is a craft that my daughter might even like for herself one day, she and her friends like to leave notes on their walls.  For now however she said she really have any room on her walls for this.  I’m hoping one day I can make a craft that she might just hang on her wall and enjoy.

A mother can dream, right?

June

I usually link to these fabulous parties:

Thursday, August 25, 2011

$3 Thursday – mirror makeover

I wasn’t sure what $3 craft project to share until I decided to paint a mirror that I recently found.  For once my before isn’t 70’s gold, it is 70’s driftwood for lack of a better term.

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This is a larger mirror, about 2 feet.  It was this sort of nondescript grey color.

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Really it had a lot more fruit than I’d usually pick but it was a price I couldn’t resist.

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No, not this $9.99 price, I resisted it at that.

I resisted when it went to half off, $4.99 was still too much money.

But when it went to $1.49 I had to rescue bring it home from Goodwill.

My very own fruit salad mirror.

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I knew it was heavy but was surprised to find a 1/4” mirror once I took the backing off.

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I wonder the reason for marking the date on mirrors?  I’ve seen it a few  times on some of the mirrors I’ve found.

Where were you May 19th of 1976?

Me, I was finishing up kindergarten.

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When I started washing the mirror I thought this brown was the finish, turns out it was 35 years of grime.  Eww.

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I decided to use some more of the champagne colored metallic paint I had.    100_8619

I tried to get a pretty good coverage but didn’t get it into all the cracks and curves.  I did what you might call a heavy dry brushing.  Not a solid coat but a fair amount of paint.

100_8620  Outside and at certain angles it looks almost silver then in other lights it is more of a gold color.

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I’m not sold on this color for this mirror but I do like the gilded look of the fruit.

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I found myself wishing for some white paint but the only white paint I had was spray paint and I really think I want to brush on the paint.

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This is how it looks inside against my slightly off white walls.

I am loving the champagne paint but I just not sure it was the right choice for this mirror.

What do you think?  Leave it as it is or paint it another color?

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Do you see beauty in a gilded fruit mirror or did I over pay for it?

 

Supplies:

Thrift store mirror                        $1.49

Metallic Champagne paint             $5 -but used less than 1/4 of my sample pot.

Total cost:    about $2.75

 

June

I usually link to these fabulous parties:

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Cookies for school….

It’s almost school time here in Minnesota.   In two weeks my daughter will start her first year of high school.  She actually has a 9th grade orientation day two weeks from yesterday.  Let’s just say I’m a bit more excited about school starting than she is. :)

In honor of school and college starting I decided to make and decorate some school themed cookies.

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Everyone needs a few notebooks for school.

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A few pencils to write with.

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And it might not hurt to take an apple to the teacher.   100_8514

Or maybe a fresh bouquet of flowers would be a better gift.

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Since this was my first attempt at all but the flowers I’m pretty happy with my decorating.  I’m sure I’ll try something a bit different with the pencils if I make them again but it was a great first attempt.

A few of these cookies are on their way as part of a birthday present for my niece and godchild.  Shh, don’t tell her, they probably won’t arrive until tomorrow.

Once she gets her packages I’ll show another more personalized gift that I made for her.  It was such a great project that I mailed it…twice!

Are you looking forward to school starting or has it started already in your area?

June

I usually link to these fabulous parties:

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Missy and Fifi

As I mentioned yesterday I wanted to introduce you to Missy and her dog Fifi.

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Isn’t she adorable?  She is in a cute little frame that was made in Italy.  I wonder who she really is.  I think Missy suits her just fine so that is what I’m calling her.100_8516

Missy and Fifi (don’t those names just fit them?) are pictured on what I think is a satin fabric.  The whole frame was just so cute with two little cherubs looking over them.

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Since this is a smaller frame, less than 8” tall, I decided I needed to bring attention to it by framing it in a larger metal frame I had.

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Missy and Fifi are so special that they needed a second frame outlining them as well.

100_8518 Did you notice that the largest frame has cherubs on it too?

100_8525 The largest frame is from a Goodwill mirror in all of it’s 70’s gold glory.  Usually it is a bit too much for my taste but I love the attention that it brings to Missy and her dog Fifi.  The darker metal frame seems to tone down the gold from the small and large frames.

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This is some of my latest additions to my gallery wall that has transformed into this.

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I even framed one of my owls from my owl love post.

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There is lots of color on the wall.

100_8521 A few pieces are waiting to be transformed but I sort of like the mixture of painted and not painted items.  As I makeover items and sell them it has become a sort of revolving gallery wall of thriftiness.  It still makes me smile when I look at it.

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    Thanks for coming over to meet Missy.

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Is it just me or have you named a person or animal in a picture that you have?

June

I usually link to these fabulous parties:

Monday, August 22, 2011

Owl love….

I few weeks ago I found this pair of beauties.

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Can you say 70’s?

I knew they had potential as I found some very similar ones a few months back and they were quick to sell in my Etsy store.

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Doesn’t a coating of heirloom white make them look great?

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I thought about distressing and glazing them to give them a slightly shabby look but I like the clean, almost porcelain look.

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I’m not sure what they are made of, some sort of lightweight but dense foam material.

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It is nice that they are lightweight and have hangers on the back.

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They are listed in my Etsy store but for now they are a great addition to my gallery wall which had gone through a few changes as I get new items and ship items out.

Maybe tomorrow if I remember when the lighting is good I can get some updated pictures of my gallery wall.  I have a new friend on there that I’d like to introduce to my readers.

Her name is Missy and she is so special that I framed her…… twice!

What have you been painting lately?

June

I usually link to these fabulous parties: