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7.06.2021
Sweet Sweater Scoops!
6.28.2021
sunny paint palette wall art
i know, we're barely into summer vacay. but i know kids!
if you're looking for simple, cheap, 'trash to treasure' craft projects to keep 'em busy,
6.21.2021
sunny garden plant markers
this 'sunny' summer project is the third in a series...
designed to bring a fun, colorful vibe to my garden this season
and hopefully to inspire you to try something similar in your home!
every gardener loves to ID the plants they grow,
and this cute plant marker project is an easy way to use stuff around the house
to make an artful impact in the yard!
continue reading to see what i used and how easily these are made...
6.14.2021
sunny yard art
6.07.2021
sunshine door decor
decided it looked a bit like something from a place i love,
*** as a matter of fact, it's SO EASY that i just RE-DID this project
with a *bit* more of the original inspiration included! ***
4.26.2021
send a message with stamped dishes!
4.22.2021
diy placemat bookmarks
( i returned to a once-weekly posting schedule in April )
in true 'trash to treasure' fashion,
i completed the tray project shared in my last post
and then looked at the scraps of vinyl placemat on the table and thought
the answer was YES!
indestructible vinyl bookmarks! it's so easy, i just had to share it with you.
if you're in the habit of giving books as gifts,
adding a bookmark is a nice touch -
continue reading for the EASY how-to...
3.22.2021
the daffodil queen
and if there's ever a day that a girl deserves to wear a crown,
it's on her birthday / week / month. no matter her age!
a tiny wire crown (that i made over a decade ago)
has been embellished with tiny faux daffodils... my favorite flower...
and though i am not nor have ever been a bona fide 'daffodil queen',
continue reading for the simple transformation...
3.19.2021
pop art paper posies!
a recent creative challenge i am part of called for participants to share
how we've invoked the spirit of spring in our art.
then i thought of another idea, and wanted to play with it...
since i love making somethin' outta' nuthin', i chose to use plain cardstock paper!
the result of my afternoon 'playtime with paper, paste and scissors' is something
that reminds me for all the world of pop art, like Andy Warhol's famous pixilated works.
it also makes me think of the art of Sina Trixx, an inventive design firm
(view their astounding pop art architectural creations on Instagram)
can black + white evoke springtime? yes!
continue reading to see how...
3.15.2021
flower embellished lampshade
and i don't just mean in vases and pots...
adding spring-fresh style with little effort.
3.12.2021
miniature wire nest charm
that's been in hiding for years...
when i saw it, i was inspired to make a larger nest using wire,
and i love how that turned out.
these miniature wire nest charms were an item i previously made and sold at vintage shows,
and this one is the original!
you can make one of your own, or as the perfect springtime gift!
continue reading for an easy tutorial...
3.08.2021
spring forward with a wire nest
recently, i played with a new material to see if it would work as well as i thought it would
to create a new kind of bird nest for spring decorating.
(the fact that it literally LOOKS like a spring evaded me until i was typing this post!)
i have to say, i LOVE the result!
can't you just see this nest as a decor accent in rustic, farmhouse, and boho style rooms?!
it's an easy project that i think you'll want to try...
3.05.2021
yes, you can make a bird nest!
over the years, i've been lucky enough to have found a few real ones,
incorporating them into my home decor in spring. and fall. and on my Christmas trees!
i've also made quite a few -
from elaborate to simple, from small seasonal versions sold via an enchanting online boutique
to an enormous one made for a client to hold a precious gold-embellished ostrich egg,
making them always connects me to nature.
this year i've made one with the slightest hits of gray and yellow elements
unearthed in my bins and boxes of saved materials,
and i thought i'd share the easy process of making them with you.
if you're sitting there thinking 'whaaaaa? MAKE a bird nest?!', continue reading!
2.19.2021
painting the globe...
Ultimate Gray.
(since most of my recent projects have been all contained Illuminating Yellow,
i thought it was time to give the second color some attention!)
i finally came up with a way to restyle an item that i've had tucked away for years...
it was a banged-up, scratched, faded (but not in a good way) paper world globe,
and using gray and white paint to transform it was the perfect solution to update the look.
note: this is a globe from the 1990's. not vintage or antique. not valuable.
now it fits into my decor, and is a sweet reminder of special people each time i look at it.
isn't that better than keeping something stashed in a closet
because although it means something to you, you don't know where to PUT it?
2.15.2021
snowbuddies!
2.08.2021
bee mine scrap wood sign
in this third of three related projects...
a small piece of scrap wood found in my garage became this cute sign,
which could hang on a wall or sit on a tiered tray or mantel.
paired with my last two projects, it forms a sweet vignette on my mantel.
2.05.2021
diy decorative honey pot
those were created as part of an entire 'story' for my mantel...
in this post i'm sharing the second element, a honey pot -
and the easy, clever way i made that honey look SO realistic!
1.29.2021
'house of love' salvaged sign
[if you're not old like me, you may not remember that song from the 90's,
recorded by friends (who later married) Amy Grant and Vince Gill.
it's an earworm, so if you want to hear it, there's a link after the post!]
this project is a re-use of something i first created last January -
i've just changed it a bit and added to it. i love re-making old projects!
continue reading to see the before/after...
1.25.2021
diy paper hearts wall art + garland
the freebie hearts cut from magazine pages and other scrap paper in my studio
have also become wall art and a mantel garland.
this is a really easy way to add a fun seasonal touch to your home
using what you have on hand already
(that's really been my Modus Operandi through this whole pandemic)
1.22.2021
scrap paper heart wreath
(i almost broke a drawer in my studio because it was overloaded with heavy magazines.)
so when my brain comes up with an idea for using said scrap paper
(usually at 3 in the morning)
i have a stash on hand that i can dig into, and it costs me nuthin'.
and you all know how i love making art & decor with everyday stuff!
in December, i shared a wreath like this made from old Christmas cards cut into circles.
this time, i cut paper into heart shapes - you could certainly make a heart-shaped wreath, too!
i even brought out a piece of paper that is one of the most valuable i have:
vintage. Disney. and i CUT IT UP. yeah, call me crazy.
but it's my fave part of this wreath!