JUMPIN' ON THE WAGON

The Valentine's wagon that is...

I was inspired by this subway art at eighteen25.

I have so admired all of the cute Valentine's decorations being shared around blogland.  With so MANY, MANY talented and creative people out there that I just couldn't help but get involved myself.
(The canvas I used for this project is an 18"x18" that I actually used for a plaque for the bazaar back in November.  I had some subway art on it but it didn't sell.  Guess what, you can just peel off the vinyl, repaint the canvas and apply another design and you have a brand new sign or plaque.  This project didn't cost me anything, I just used everything I already had on hand.)







Happy Valentine's Day!

"NEST" INSPIRATION

Nest Sentiment Lumbar Pillow from Pottery Barn.


My daughter found this pillow in the Pottery Barn catalog and suggested I make a wall hanging using this idea. I don't like to copy exactly so I chose different fonts and a different (but similar) definition for the word nest. I really like the brown bow attached to it too.
This is on an 8x10 canvas that I painted a soft beige and then I added the brown vinyl lettering and the ribbon/bow.
{Thanks Maria for the suggestion}


Head on over to Kara's Creations and check out her "Look What I Made" linky party

Touches of Spring and Summer

Having a bad cold and taking care of a two-year old cannot keep me from doing a little craft. I have been looking at one of my shelves and thinking that it needed something Springy on it...so out to the garage to cut some wood blocks I went. (Grandpa was being a good sport and occupying little guy while I took a breather.) After sanding, painting, cutting paper, gluing down the paper and adding the lettering I was pretty happy with how they turned out.
And that's not all... I flipped those blocks around and added "Summer" to the back so now all I have to do is switch them out when summer arrives.

I thought I would throw in a picture of the two-year old tornado. He is a busy little guy, and ever so curious about everything. He is also picking up more words all the time, enough to question everything. He really is a happy little soul, so full of energy and sunshine.

Oops, I Did It Again

I am hooking up with The Shabby Nest for her frugal Friday party.

I can't get away from my black and white 'fascination' (Momza calls her addictions "fascinations" because it doesn't take on such a negative connotation, {i like this too}). I posted earlier {here} about my love of black and white.



I thought I would just stop in at a little thrift store in my VERY small town just to see what I might find and wouldn't you know...Lookie Here, a black and white pitcher. As I walked by I thought I heard a SCREAM. I stopped and sure enough it said "Take me home, I'm worth so much more than just sitting amongst this other unwanted mish mash! PLEASE!!!!" Without so much as a nano-second I had this beauty in my hands.



And then.............................


...this cute door knocker began shouting, "take me, take me", to which I obliged. Well, you just gotta know that the black and white rooster towel sitting next to it wasn't about to stay on the shelf either.

And so the black and white 'FASCINATION' continues.

Canvas Project

I am joining the fun over at Strut Your Stuff. Stop by and check out all of the great bloggers that are sharing fabulous ideas...it is so inspiring.

I came across a blog awhile back (called Treasury of Memories) and found some great ideas usuing painters canvases. I love the idea of using so many different mediums to create ways to display photos. By using canvases, paint, scrapbook paper and embellishment and then adding vinyl lettering the possibilites are endless. There are so many really adorble embellishments that are used in scrapbooking that it only seemed natural to adapt them to other projects.

For this project I started out by paint the canvas an antique white. I then cut a piece of foam core that I painted black, glued down some scrapbook paper and then Mod Podged a photo that I printed off of my computer onto cardstock. I then added some ribbon to the left side of the photo and added a cute little metal flower.

Next I glued the foam core piece to the canvas.

I then cut some vinyl lettering and applied it directly to the canvas. To finish it off I wrapped the same ribbon I used above horizontally around the canvas and added a cute little buckle.

I also have joined the linky party at Life as Lori. Great stuff over there, check it out by clicking on icon below

Black and White Obsession? Do Ya Think?

After scrolling through my pictures of the last 6 months I noted that a pattern was emerging. BLACK AND WHITE ARE TAKING OVER MY COLOR PALETTE.

{I really don't have time to be posting about color obsessions but I just had to take a few minutes away from crafting for my own sanity}

FAMILY RULES CANVAS

It's DIY day over at A Soft Place to Land. I have linked up today with this fun linky party and invite y'all to go check out what some of the great bloggers have shared.

I have been inspired by some very creative people to make a family rules wall hanging. I can't decide if I should keep this or sell it in my upcoming bazaar. Anyway, I am so happy with how this turned out. I would like to give credit to Lisa for inspiring me. This is a picture of her CUTE header from her blog. Can you see why I was inspired to check out her blog? Check out her family rules.
Both of these bloggers have really set my mind to racing with all of the cute things you could include in your own personal family rules chart. Check out We are that family for a wonderful informative tutorial on how she made hers.

For my project I just took an artists canvas (purchased at JoAnn's) and painted it black with craft paint. I then chose some cute scrapbook paper and cut them into squares to frame the edges. Then I cut the vinyl letters from my cutting machine (I use a Roland Stika cutter) and applied them.

Do you ever have a project just 'come together' for you? I feel like this project came together so completely that I might just have to keep it for myself and not sell it in the bazaar. Should I?

Rocking Chair Fall Redo

I am participating in MET MONDAY at Between Naps on the Porch. Head on over and check out the other great blogger makeovers, you won't be disappointed.

This is a rocking chair that belonged to my husband's great-grandmother. We don't usually sit in it, not because it is uncomfortable, but because we don't want to put too much wear on it.
It is fun however, because I can make simple changes with pillows and throws for each season.

Pictured here is how it sits with the every day accessories.

.
.This is how it was transformed for fall. Doesn't all of the warm fall colors make you want to grab a cup of hot chocolate and a good book and relax for an afternoon reading session.

THE ULTIMATE UGLY TRAY TRANSFORMATION

I am participating in a linky party over at Poppies at Play. Come and join the fun.

I came across this sad looking wooden tray at a yard sale a couple of months ago. I'm sure someone spent quite a bit of time hand painting it but it wasn't quite my style.

These colors were really the hot thing about 10 years ago. OK, I'll admit that I decorated with these colors at one time too.

Another angle of this poor thing.
After spray painting the tray and decoupaging the scrapbook paper on it I added some pretty trim to finish off the edges. If this tray could talk it would say "I feel pretty, oh so pretty..."

A close up of some of the paper.
I haven't quite decided what to put on it. I've tried a few options.
I love hydrangeas so I thought I would try them.
I put some under a cloche, but didn't care for it. So I will keep looking for the right vignette for my new little friend.

A Pumpkin Topiary For My Table

It's another DIY linky party over at Kimba's

Check it out, there are so many wonderfully talented people who share their projects, you can't help but be inspired.

Having had such a great response to some fall pumpkin topiary's I made last week I decided to make a smaller version for my table. I found the pumpkin at Ross for $2.99, the candle ring from Michael's at 50% off, the candle holder was a Goodwill find for .99 (it was dark red with gold highlights and quite ugly), and the ribbon was something I already had on hand. The vinyl lettering was something I made with my vinyl cutting machine.

Black spray paint is definitely my friend these days. It has the ability to make things go from frightening to fabulous.
It can't get much easier than this for adding "cuteness" to a project.

Ribbon also adds sweet touch to most projects.

This plain old pumpkin was begging for something to give it personality.

Adding some cute vinyl lettering was just what it needed. I didn't glue this piece together so that I can use the candle holder later for another project I have in mind for Christmas.

something on it to celebrate the fall season. It is there to remind us of our blessings.
Thanks for stopping by. I would love it if you would leave a comment.
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BRING ON THE FALL DECORATIONS

I am joining the Metamorphis Monday party over at Between Naps on the Porch. It will be worth your while because of all of the talented people who participate by sharing their makeovers.

I recently found two planters at Goodwill that sat in the garage waiting for inspiration to hit. They were pretty pathetic, painted red with some white showing through, not very attractive.

Out came the spray paint and the fun began.

.Here are the before pics of the planters.

Kind of sad.

The price was not so bad, I just knew I could make a difference.

Nothing like black spray paint to give new life.

Now this is where the inspiration set in. A few pumpkins, some fall leaves and vinyl lettering were gathered together.
I got the pumpkins at Michaels with my 40% off coupon.

This picture is a little dark but you can see where I am going with this. I turned the planter upside down so that the pumpkin would fit.

This 3M sticky tape is what I used to attach the garland of fall foilage onto the bottom of the planter









I had to turn the planters upside down because the pumpkins were too small. It was a happy accident, I like it better that way.







I needed to cut off the stems of the 2 bottom pumpkins in order to get them to fit.

Vinyl lettering. This shows me peeling the backing paper off and the lettering.

The lettering will be in the mirror image on the tape.

Apply lettering to the pumpking and smooth over with your fingers in order to get the letters adhered. Gently peel off the tape and the letters will stick.

Smooth, Smooth, Smooth.

I hot glued the pumpkins together then the lettering was applied.

I cut a fall garland to size and stuck it to the 3M tape just inside the rim of the planter. You don't want to permanently glue the garland to the planter becuase when you put away the fall decorations you can still use the planters next spring to plant flowers in.

I hot glued leaves from an old fall garland between the two bottom pumpkins. I then clipped some small maroon berries from the garland and glued those in between the top 2 pumpkins. The leaves on the top were actully on this particular pumpkin so no need to add anything there.

Double click on any of the pictures for a close up look.

I also wound grapevine around the bottom.

I hope this post has inspired you to get creative with some fall decorating. Please feel free to leave me a comment.