Stop the Presses!

Welcome to Day 27!

i had a completely different post ready for today...

then i went to Barnes & Noble yesterday, and spied something SO FABULOUS

that it is just too good NOT to share!

i don't know why they do it, 

but Barnes & Noble offers reprints of the original 

1800's - 1900's Sears, Roebuck & Company catalogs!

yes, the same ones that used to be dropped with a THUMP onto your porch each summer,

just in time to pick out 'back to school' clothes and dream over toys for Christmas. 

i spied that volume on the sales shelf and grabbed my phone to take a shot to share

[while an older gentleman on the same aisle looked at me suspiciously...]

inside the book are hundreds of pages with thousands of vintage images 

and words in antique typography

that would be PERFECT for paper crafts! 

do you create collages? mixed media art? 

are you like me and wrap everything that's boring in paper of the vintage variety?

this is just a fabulous solution that saves you the time and trouble

of rooting through boxes in barns, antique stores and thrift shops 

to find old magazines for your projects.

those paper crafts shown in yesterday's PARTY post? 

you could totally make that stuff with these catalog pages - instead of sheet music.
for any holiday or season!

Paper Swedish Hearts Tutorial

many years ago, a sweet and very excited little artist came home from school

and showed her sisters, brother, and mommy how to make hearts out of paper.

bright construction paper was precisely cut and folded and woven together,

just as she had been taught at school that day by her artistic teacher.

that was the day my third-grade daughter taught ME something!

we had hours of fun making hearts, used them on our Christmas tree,

and then kept the red and white ones up as decor in our home until Valentine's Day.

(i still have those hearts in a box)

ever since, i've used woven paper hearts in my Valentine's Day decorating...

[traditionally known as Swedish Hearts] 

instead of making them from construction paper, 

now i use vintage papers from books and sheet music

 they tuck into flower arrangements, dangle from ribbons, dance across inspiration boards,

and make perfect gift tags or holders for VERY tiny gifts

this is an excellent craft to do with kids of all ages !

 continue reading for my tutorial...

Create a Cake Using Dishes?!

today, i have a 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy' TM Tutorial

showing you how to create some fanciful food decor

using everyday dishes & serving pieces!

the tutorial is at the bottom of this post.

first, the story and some inspiring photos...

many years ago, i saw this delicacy pictured 

in an issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine.

[a moment of silence, please, 

to honor the passing of one of the best creative publications ever]

 i was inspired!

and immediately grabbed some spools of ribbon and some of my white dishes

and created my own version on my dining room buffet. 

[i even topped it with our wedding cake topper!] 

it was darling and it was ridiculously easy!

over the years, i've made many other versions in various sizes and colors.

here are some white delicacies that i whipped up for a photo session:

 you can create this in literally MINUTES!

really, you can. 

here's the tutorial:

 * vintage trims and jewelry make fabulous additions, 

as do mini cookie cutters and candy.

 you can certainly use glue dots or tiny drops of hot glue to hold the dishes together

and double-sided tape to hold the trims on, if you'd like.

* color is limited only by your imagination!

* you can also use vintage tin cans (like cookie tins) for this...

use them with their original patterns & graphics
OR

spray paint them all one color (perfect if they are textured tins)

Creating Vintage Charm

 

Welcome to Day 9! 

 today I'd like to share an inspiring resource with you:

Creating Vintage Charm Magazine

this is an absolutely beautiful publication released bi-monthly

from the creative soul of writer, photographer, stylist, and editor Sonia Crouse.

Sonia has assembled a group of creative regular contributors for her magazine

that embody the many styles and moods of romantic decor with a feminine voice...

* photographer & stylist Janet Coons of Shabbyfufu
* photographer & designer Victoria Hayden of Whimsy by Victoria
* photographer Anne Christian Lorys of Fiona & Twig

* artist & stylist Sonia Crouse of Creating Vintage Charm

* designer & decorator Siobhan Volkanovski of The Vintage Dormer
 * designer & artisan Heather Anderson of Post Road Vintage
 and me,
* designer & stylist Debi Ward Kennedy of HOMEWARDfound Decor

each issue also features lovely guest features by and about women

who are traveling, cooking, creating, building businesses, decorating their homes -

all living with vintage charm...
women like Karen Hillman, who hosts the Queens of Art event

the magazine is available in print via MagCloud,

in single copies or an annual subscription.

BUY the WINTER ISSUE HERE

 these photos are just a petite taste of the content inside each issue...

and NOW,

you can find the same beautiful kinds of inspiring images that appear in the magazine

on a new Pinterest board:"Creative Vintage Contributors"

features images of the original projects, work, creations, homes, and styling

pinned by the contributors to the magazine

 follow by clicking here for sneak peeks of upcoming issues! 
 

Creating Vintage Charm Links
website

blog

facebook page

pinterest

 

 stay tuned for the next post in our daily countdown, coming up tomorrow

here on the blog or on ONE of these social networking sites:

Thank You, Romantic Homes!

Romantic Homes Magazine's February issue [shown above]

JUST hit the stands today, and HOMEWARDfound is IN it!

I'd like to offer my appreciation and thanks to contributing editor Beth Livesay,

who gave HOMEWARDfound a half-page mention in her story

'Blogs That Make You SWOON'

  i am very honored to be included,
along with Pamela of From My Front Porch to Yours
Julie of Idyll Hours
Donna of My Shabby Chateau
and Anita of Cedar Hill Ranch

[and my sweet Texas friend Anne Lorys is featured as one of 'the Romantics'!
i am so very happy that her talent, originality, and all-around NICENESS are being recognized!
i truly enjoyed getting to know her when i wrote about her for FOLK magazine last summer]

since several of my embellished vintage bottles are shown on page 12,

i thought i'd share more about them in today's post
[ i'll be sharing the other items shown in images there VERY SOON!]

the photo in the magazine is this one,

showing a few small and medium sized bottles...

i embellished them by gluing on torn scraps of 

vintage sheet music, piano player music, and vintage book pages,

adding a simple wrap of string over the papers.

because i made these for a Valentine's Day event, i found songs and book chapters

with words like LOVE and HEART and WEDDED in them

[and here's a tip: 

if you can't find what you want in old books, find it in NEW books - then scan the pages, print in draft mode onto tea-dyed or tan-color paper, and tear the edges to make it look old.]

you can see some jewelry on my bottles up there...
those were inexpensive but pretty vintage pieces that i added as part of the embellishment.

here's an idea to try:

embellish a bottle with beautiful papers and ribbons, 
and then hang a beautiful necklace that is a GIFT on it 
or put a pin that is a GIFT on top of a lid using a magnet or ribbon,
and the bottle becomes the 'gift box' for the jewelry gift!

another example of this is shown below, 
where a double-strand pearl necklace circles a large bottle in a figure 8 shape
[the little rosette that you see on the bottle neck is actually the clasp of the necklace]

the bottle in the foreground shows another vintage necklace draped around the neck.
secure necklaces with a pretty ribbon tie,
and pop a beautiful flower (or maybe some sparkly glitter!) into the bottle to make it really special.

a manilla tag or a tag made from French language cards is the perfect finishing touch...

this photo shows a few more embellished bottles,

and these have FUN toppers!

i glued some resin chess pieces right to the cork and screw-tops of some bottles,

and glued two pawn pieces end-to-end to slip into the neck of another!

the soft ivory color looks like bone, and coordinates with creamy papers and silk ribbons.

[i found a BOX filled with these 'cheap' chess pieces at the thrift shop for $1.00!]

by the way, you don't need 'vintage' bottles for a craft like this...

just hit the thrift stores and look for interesting shapes of glass perfume or spice bottles,

save your empty glass condiment and liquor bottles (especially the tiny sizes!),

and you'll have fun making them a beautifully embellished gift for someone you love

or for your own Romantic Home!

Countdown to Valentine's Day!

 for the 30 days leading up to Valentine's Day,
i'll be posting every.single.day!

 

i have SO many creative and easy ideas ready to share with you for this holiday,
and you won't want to miss a single post!

i'll be sharing inspiring content across all of the social media platforms that i use,
so check each site every day to find my daily content

make sure you are following the HOMEWARDfound blog and facebook page,

and following Debi Ward Kennedy on Pinterest and HOMEtalk

you're going to find a heaping helping of heartful

inspiration, ideas, tips & tutorials!

.

 i'm including lots of

'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM

party decor, craft projects, gifts, home decor, and more...

from accessories and tablescapes to gift wrapping, 

crafts using wood spools, vintage sheet music, sweaters, and old boxes,

info on magazine features and possibly even a GIVEAWAY! 

.

on my facebook page, i'll be asking you to share your FAVORITE

events, shops, boutiques, facebook pages and web sites

that offer Valentine's Day fun - all around the world!

look for this image on every post:

click here to see all previous posts & links

Embellished Gift Wraps

add a handmade touch to your gifts this Christmas  

by embellishing them with re-purposed materials!

these gifts were wrapped with paper that has a sweater print 

(from an old line by MODA Home called 'fUnKy MoNkEy'!)

and then embellished with vintage trims...

detail shots below:

 a lace doily evokes snowflakes, 

and a tiny grass nest with vintage flower petals adds a touch of real nature.

 Vintage lace and a sweet carnation pin made from vintage fabric (re-usable!) stand in for a bow

[similar pins available from Rose~Marie Designs]

pinwheel posies are made from the edges of canvas painter's tarps, rolled & glued.

attach to a gift with glue dots, over a piece of Christmas sheet music.

[this makes a great solution for gifts to be mailed - no bows to squash!]

feminine vintage trims make for luxurious wrappings...

wrap a gift IN a sweater!

sew an 'envelope' from the body of a sweater, pop a gift box inside, and safety pin the top closed.

On top, a pouffe of beautiful ribbon or trim, a satin bow, and a bling-y rhinestone clip.

rosettes are made from cashmere sweater arm cuffs. just roll up and stitch to hold.

attach to gift with a drop of hot glue. 

the perfect accent for a sweater is PEARLS... dripping on top of the gift like a tree garland!

sometimes very simple materials get BIG results: 

Sew an envelope from canvas, and tuck in vintage sheet music or a favorite magazine.

Fold closed and tie with vintage trims - like velvet ribbon or seam binding and a canvas flower.

 

for a more rustic masculine look, combine burlap and twine (from the hardware store!). 

a vintage belt buckle on it's original sales card adds more texture.
 

making use of vintage trims not only makes for beautiful packages that save resources

[including your MoNeY]

 but they also offer a 'bonus' re-usable gift to the recipient: a pin, flowers, a nest, ribbon, pearls.... 

take a peek in your junk drawer and craft closet, 

and see what you can find to embellish YOUR gifts this season!

 this post and Monday's post are companions to my article in

the 2012 Holiday issue of Creating Vintage Charm Magazine