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Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts

7.05.2022

summer break

this was unplanned, but is necessary:
i'm taking a break from 'content creation' for the rest of the summer.

if you care to know why, continue reading...

5.31.2022

what i did with all of my May flowers!

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,tutorial,art class,creativity,garden art,buttercup,daisy, daffodil, dandelion,frangipani,gerbera,hibiscus,marigold,poppy,rose,sunflower,tulip,yarrow,zinnia,spring flowers,summer flowers,fall flowers,holiday flowers
after creating all of my flowers for the Instagram #flowermonth2022 challenge,
i decided that i wanted to enjoy them a bit longer...
so i combined almost all of them into one big flower arrangement!
but that's not all i included.

continue reading to see some interesting things tucked in with those flowers...

5.30.2022

May flowers: art challenge recap

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,tutorial,art class,creativity,garden art,buttercup,daisy, daffodil, dandelion,frangipani,gerbera,hibiscus,marigold,poppy,rose,sunflower,tulip,yarrow,zinnia,spring flowers, summer flowers,fall flowers,holiday flowers
over the past month, i've been participating in a creative art challenge...
the #flowermonth2022 challenge on Instagram
was sponsored by three artists,
with thousands of creative people around the globe participating.
each interpreted the prompts - an alphabetical listing of flowers - 
in their own style and method.
it has proved to be not just a fun exercise for me,
but also an educational experience,
as i've seen many variations on the themes in many different art mediums.

my own creations for this challenge
were all made from materials & elements that i have here at home - 
all reused, repurposed, recycled, and turned into flowers & foliage:

scrap paper, paint, paint pens, colored pencils, felt pens, fabric, gift wrap, 
wood blocks, vintage crepe paper, tissue paper, wire, sweaters, yarn, 
vintage jewelry, sewing pins, even plastic parts from dollar store flowers.

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,tutorial,art class,creativity,garden art,buttercup,daisy, daffodil, dandelion,frangipani,gerbera,hibiscus,marigold,poppy,rose,sunflower,tulip,yarrow,zinnia,spring flowers, summer flowers,fall flowers,holiday flowers
though my original plan was to make 12 different flowers, as shown here,
it quickly expanded to a plan for 14 blooms - 
and then i added one more at the last minute!

continue reading to see all 15 floral creations from my studio...

5.26.2022

May flowers: yarrow & zinnia

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge, zinnia, yarrrowflowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge, zinnia, yarrrow
it's a two-fer!
i don't have enough time left in the month to add more posts,
so this one is doing double duty.

the two last letters of the floral alphabet challenge - Y and Z -
just finished up on Instagram,
and i made a Yarrow blossom and some Zinnia blooms...

continue reading to see the easy ways i created these flowers
using everyday materials here in my studio...

5.07.2022

May flowers: gerbera

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge
May 7 Day 7: Gerberas

this is another 'trash to treasure' assemblage / collage project
for the May Month of Flowers art challenge on Instagram.
this sunny bloom grew right outta' my recycle bin!

continue reading to see how i turned garbage into art...

5.04.2022

May flowers: daffodil, daisy & dandelion

.flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge

D is for daffodil, daisy, and dandelion!
(and a bunch more, like delphinium and dahlia and daphne)

continuing with the May Month of Flowers art challenge,
i've shared those three on Instagram on May 4 / day 4 / letter D -
and thought i'd share them here, as well!
several are older projects, and a few are brand new - created just for this challenge.

continue reading to see them all and learn how i made them...

5.02.2022

May flowers: buttercup

flowers,art,wreaths,art challenge,diy decorating,up-cycling,spring,trash to treasure,re-purposing,paper crafts,painting,DIY,crafting,Instagram,art class,creativity,garden art,tutorial,diy flowers, arts & crafts, May flowers, May flower challenge
'chin up, buttercup!'
ever heard that one?

in my last post, i shared info about a May art challenge on Instagram.
i'm not posting a new project there every day,
but i did share my first one on May 2,
and i chose 'buttercup' for the letter 'B' prompt.

this was a new project for me, using materials in my existing stash,
and i had to work out the details as i went -
and now i'm sharing it as a tutorial here on the blog.

when i was finished making my buttercup, i added it to a larger art piece
that i had in mind when i chose this specific flower!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

5.01.2022

'month of flowers' May art challenge

flowers,garden art,paper crafts,painting,trash to treasure,up-cycling,re-purposing,crafting,DIY,diy decorating,art,art class,creativity,spring,wreaths,Instagram,art challenge, yellow flowers,yellow.
flowers are always on my mind in springtime...
and they are one of my favorite things to create.
this month, i'm excited to revisit some of the flowers i've made in the past
(and whooooo have there been a lot of them - some shown above)
and create different flowers for something NEW:

the 'May Month of Flowers Instagram Challenge'!

continue reading to find out the details!

12.23.2020

Merry Christmas!


i want to thank you so much for joining me over the past two months
as i have shared a lot of crazy colorful 'merry and bright!' inspiration for the holidays!

see all of my merry and bright! posts here

this simple nativity scene was a last-minute idea,
with a few paint chips quickly glued together in a house shape.
the figures you see are decades old, set up in our home when i was a little Debby.
saved, protected, and passed down, i set them up when my kids were small
and then watched my first grandson play with them when he was two.
they are an enduring reminder of my many memories of Christmas...

i chose a 'merry and bright!' theme this year not just because of the need for merriment,
but as my homage to creativity, to imagination, to childlike wonder.
staying creative this year has helped me more than i can explain,
to stay in a grateful and positive mindset during this pandemic.


my goal has been to use and REuse as much 'stuff' from home as i can,
shop for as little as possible, and just PLAY. it's been a fun creative exercise!

i hope that you are finding ways to express your creativity - 
and everyone is creative, in so many different ways
and that you've discovered how much joy you can create in your own life and home,
even when the world outside those doors is going a bit haywire.

let's carry that attitude into 2021, shall we?!


i wish you all a very merry (and bright!) Christmas
and a new year that holds hope, joy, and faith in your heart.



see you in January!


deb

11.09.2020

merry and bright

art,art class,Christmas,Christmas Decor Themes,Christmas Decor,holiday,color,color palettes,colorful home,paper crafts,creativity,crafting,painting,DIY,diy decorating,ornaments,re-purposing, paper, seasonal home decor,holiday decor,Christmas home decor,Christmas decorating,home decor, roygbiv,rainbow ombre,rainbow aesthetic,rainbow colors,happy home decor,colorful home decor,inspired by Disney,Disneyland Christmas tree ornaments,Disney Christmas decor, colorful creative Chrismtas decor
anyone else agree with me that we really need a MERRY Christmas?!

2020 has been hard. we all know that.
as the holiday season approaches, we all seem to be
looking forward to decorating our homes and trees and front doors
to welcome the joy of the season - even if we can't welcome guests.

while the holidays might look different than usual this year,
we can all certainly make the best of them - and of us.
let's look to our childhood memories to fuel our imaginations,
and create a mood that brings a smile to the faces of those we love.

let's make it merry and bright!

continue reading to see what inspired me...

5.04.2020

painted books?!

art, art class, #MAYkeovers, color, color palettes, creative spaces, creativity, diy decorating, DIY, books, junk makeover, painting, spring, thrifted, up-cycling, trash to treasure, my studio, makeover, spring decorating, colorful decor, roygbiv
oh, yeah, you read that post title right... PAINTED books!
now, before the book-loving librarians, historians, and antiquarians
start ranting at me - lemme' 'splain:

i bought these six large encyclopedias from a thrift store
for ten cents each. three years ago.
miscellaneous volumes circa 1950, with covers that were yellowed, aged, cracked leather.
perfect for the store display i was using them as props in!

but since then, they've languished in a box in the garage. just gettin' older.
my decision was to either recycle them - seriously, the library does NOT want them donated - 
or do something creative with them to make them useful again.

so i turned to my trusty friend, Paint.
turns out a MAYkeover was exactly what they needed! 

continue reading to see where they live now...

4.23.2020

vintage door = inspiration board

art, art class, color, color palettes, creative spaces, creativity, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, fast cheap and easy, gift wrapping, inspiration, junk makeover, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, spring, vintage, up-cycling, old doors, vintage doors, bulletin boards, inspiration boards
while i love Pinterest as much as the next girl, i prefer the old school method...
an actual 3-D 'bulletin board', inspiration board, mood board -
whatever you want to call it. and the bigger, the better!

years ago, i had an old door that i turned into an inspiration board
by filling the window area with a large piece of modular ceiling tile.
(you know the kind that drops into the T-bar in the dropped ceilings of every office building?)
 it worked great - but that material is messy as heck. it's like styrofoam.
  
so when i undertook the same project again recently, i needed a new material to use.
turns out, i had what i needed in the garage!

 continue reading to learn how to create a bulletin/inspiration board, 
using an old door or window frame - or even a new window frame, or picture frame.

3.14.2020

home-making

decorating, DIY, diy decorating, creativity, dollar store crafts, fast cheap and easy, junk makeover, re-purposing, salvaged, seasonal, spring, up-cycling, wall art, gallery wall, salvage art, home decor, spring home decorating
friends, i just want to offer an encouraging note to you today...
i know things are scary in this world right now. i feel it, too.
.
in the midst of all of it, i am purposing to choose to keep my mind in a place of faith not fear, 
a place of peace not panic, a place of still finding things in everyday life to be grateful for. 
to find simple, comforting ways to be creative and content at home. 
to make home a place of respite, refuge, and happiness.

and isn't it good that we can make our homes a retreat from the worlds' chaos?
 

in the midst of the current sense of uncertainty, 
i hope that you can all 
focus your mind and your thoughts on still seeing beauty in the world around you,
extend patience and kindness to others (but not your hands! LOL),
and fill up your homes with a daily celebration of life:
music, cleanliness, and a calmness of spirit built on gratitude for what we DO have.

.
we have a choice, and our choices affect others around us and in our homes...
we can still shine the light of hopefulness and BE the bright side of life right now.
we can still pull together here on social media and encourage & uplift one another.

.as a way of sharing good news and encouraging messages & images,
i invite you to share your social media links in a comment on this post:
facebook page, blog, instagram, pinterest, twitter. you can share someone else's, too!
.
this is a way we can 'visit' some new people, find uplifting content, and let it brighten our days! ðŸ˜˜
____________________________

oh, and that project pictured above?
i've had a few questions about it, so i'll share the details...


continue reading to see more!

10.03.2019

paper pumpkin art

on October 1, i FINALLY succumbed to fall and brought out my pumpkin decor!

yet there was one spot on my gallery wall that was too plain - lemme' 'splain:
a year ago, i covered an old painting with some vintage canvas,
 and have been pinning and tying things on it each season 
to coordinate with my changing decor.
(spring version in a past post here)


i stared at that empty thing for two days and had NO idea what to put on it...
until i saw a pile of scrap craft & wrapping paper in my studio.
orange paper. with polka dots and graphic lines. in varied shades. 
and then i knew what to do!

<<< click 'continue reading' to see the details...

9.06.2019

well, hello, pumpkins!

(i know, it's been a year since i closed this blog! i wasn't going to post anymore!
but a recent project is SO easy and SO worth sharing with you that... well, here i am again!)

a while back, i had an idea for a new decor project.
it was inspired by some scrap wood cacti shared by 'A Crafty Mix'
on Funky Junk Interiors Junk Projects Party #474 ,
only my idea was to use *a particular wood item* as the basis of my repurposed cacti.
then i forgot all about it. (hey, it's summer....)

this past week, for some strange reason, that forgotten idea morphed into a new one.
and it was pumpkins, natch. i mean - this is me, the former pumpkin queen. 
what ELSE am i gonna' be thinking about as fall approaches, right?
...and shared them all with you here on the blog. 

so with my 'pumpkin brain' engaged, i made a stop at the local Savers thrift store,
and they had exactly what i needed. i saw it, i liked it, i wanted it, i got it. (yeah).
and then... i painted it!

<<< click 'continue reading' to see what i did - and what i used!

3.31.2018

Salvaged Cross Wall Art

easter, easter art, easter home decor, religious home decor, christian home decor, wood cross
 as fun as the bunny ear napkins were in my last post, 
i couldn't let Easter go by without sharing much more meaningful content...

the cross in the photo above is a wood planting box, 
handmade by an artisan* who gifted it to me in a parking lot. yes, a parking lot. 
his truck was parked next to me at a local nursery, and he walked out as i was getting out of the car.

i complimented him on the two planters that he had in his hands - the cross and this heart
and he told me his good news, that he had just landed an account for them to sell his planters.
he smiled a mile wide - then he handed the planters to me. 
i was shocked and tried to refuse them, saying he didn't need to 'pay' me for the compliment.

and that young man said something profound to me that will be forever linked to this cross planter:

'hey, good news needs to be shared, and celebrated!'

 yes, yes it does. 
and on Easter weekend, i can think of no Good News better than that of the Cross.

that particular cross is now something i see every day in my home.
when i was creating a gallery wall arrangement, i grabbed the cross planter from the potting bench,
intending to include it in my decor. but it needed something more... and it became a project!

continue reading to see what i did with it!

3.29.2018

Tutorial: 'Bunny Ears' Napkins!

Easter egg hunts, candy, family time, Easter dinner, Easter brunch, Easter decorating, hosting family, Easter table decor, Easter decor , Easter bunny
here's a quick project to add sweet smiles to your Easter tablescape: 
make plain old napkins new: fold them into bunny ear shapes!
so easy the kids can do it - and they're sure to giggle the whole time!

continue reading for my simple tutorial... c'mon, hop to it!

3.21.2018

Create a Vintage Spring Tablescape

 yes, that IS brown on my table - in springtime!!!
everywhere you look, pastels reign supreme for spring + Easter decor, 

but this year i just felt like breaking the mold.

i love neutrals, and it's SO easy to create a neutral setting then add in a pop of color.
i've decorated this way for years and years, and it's never boring or limiting.
using a basic three-color palette (varied hues of brown, yellow, and white)
i've taken my own spring farmhouse style in a new direction with this tablescape...

continue reading to see how!

3.01.2018

forward, march...

the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.... forward, march!
it's my favorite month of the year and i am ready to embrace spring!
to me, spring is all about fresh flowers and green grass, sunshine and rainstorms,
bringing nature's fresh green hue indoors and getting outside to enjoy it.

continue reading for a few of my easy DIY ideas for going green in march...

2.26.2018

Repurpose Test Tubes as Flower Vases

 junk project diy home decor spring flower vases from test tubes
the strangest things show up at thrift shops, and it really pays to keep an open mind....
because you just might find something that gets your creative chemistry going!

continue reading to see what i did with the glass test tubes i found!