I'm Stuck On You, Valentine!

I have a PRIZED collection of Mary Engelbreit Home Companion Magazines
[EVERY issue!] and turn to them often for seasonal inspiration.

Mary is such a champion for independent artists, small businesses, and creative spirits,
filling the pages of her lovely publication with color, fun, and 'Breit Ideas'...

Like so many others, I miss this magazine - but I do understand why she discontinued it.

Recently, I was thumbing through past winter issues of MEHC,
and saw a really cute and simple craft idea on the pages.
Since it's something I have already done myself, I thought I'd share it with you.

Before I drafted this post, I messaged Miss Mary on facebook,
and asked her permission to show a few pages of her marvelous magazine in my blog post -
and she replied 'That would be great, Deb! Thanks for asking first!'

SO.... with permission from 'The Queen of Everything', I shall proceed!

Here are the pages I saw in the February/March 2005 issue of MEHC Magazine

... when I saw them, I immediately thought of THIS little creation of mine:

I made this tiny 'foofoo faux food'TM ice cream sundae pincushion a long time ago.
I MAY have even been inspired back then by this very article in Mary's magazine!
.
Inspired all over again, I made use of some stuff that I had on hand:
red sweater scraps, leftover trimming, polyfil stuffing, and some miscellaneous containers,
and created a few MORE pincushions:

An errant cupcake wrapper and an ironstone creamer are perfect pincushion bases,
and my Original Sweet Sweater Snowmen are pulling double-duty as happy pincushions!
[PS: I still have a FEW of them left - for sale now in the HWf SHOP ]

I unearthed several of those 'tomato' ('strawberry'????) pincushions, too,
and popped them into other containers just for fun.

How 'Fast, Cheap & EASY'TM is this?!!!

As the article in Mary's magazine suggests,
this would be a simple craft project and great gift idea for Valentine's Day!

My quick collection of pincushions now populates the wall shelves in my office...

Joined by a pair of sweater-covered pillows and a cableknit throw on the sofa,
it's a happy corner with easily changed Seasonal Style!

[oh, and that 'D' on the shelf? It's a lil' something I just whipped up, using
a pressboard letter, some old giftwrap, and two round pieces from a place card kit.]
Does it look like something specific? Like maybe MOUSE EARS? IT IS!
I'm celebrating... because my lifelong dream came true last Friday afternoon...
I now work for the Walt Disney Company!!! 
____________________________________________

I'd like to offer my deepest thanks and gratitude to Mary Engelbreit,
for her permission to show the pages from her treasured MEHC Magazine!
This woman has a heart of gold, and I admire her so...
Connect with Miss Mary on her 
website, blog, and facebook page!

OhMiGosh...have MERCY!
Miss Mary shared my blog post on her own facebook page today!


shared online:
 
Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Valentine's Day Post Roundup

Looking for sweet and love-ly ideas for February decor?
Check out my

Valentines Day post ROUND-UP!

View ALL of my Valentine's Day posts

.

shared online:

2016: yesterday on tuesday | project inspire{d}

Fabric Hearts Tutorial

 Many years ago, I used up some small scraps of fabrics left in my 'stash',

making little stuffed fabric hearts for my winter + Valentine's Day decor.

Created from remnants of a matlasse' bedspread, burlap,
and a chenille bedspread that reminds me of my Grandma,

I've displayed them in many ways over the years...

These hearts were featured in 2014 in my seasonal decor columns
in two lovely home decorating publications,
Creating Vintage Charm Magazine and JOYful Home & Life online.
(Also in the Winter 2012 issue of FOLK Magazine)

 I'm sharing my simple tutorial for making stuffed fabric hearts
for the month of February here on the blog, too...

Enjoy this 'fast, cheap & easy' TM craft project!

continue reading for tutorial...

A 5 Minute Project to Love

 I found a hidden-away stash of miniature metal frames!

I snagged one and did a quick project with it,  just for me.

True to form, I utilized a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'TM method:

I grabbed a white paint pen and scribbled all over the metal!

That changed the frame from silver to white  - in a matter of three minutes.
Now the details of the carving really stand out.

I turned the photo print around, stuck a heart on it, added the word 'love',

then I sat it in the back of my miniature 'Grandpa's Truck' in my office:

This took me all of five minutes to make, my friends...

and it's a really sweet little vignette on my shelf that I see dozens of times a day.
It's not only about Valentine's Day coming soon,
but about that truck and the memories of my Grandpa's truck that I love.

I'm sharing this to remind you that
seasonal decorating doesn't have to be a huge undertaking.
It can be something you do in five minutes

just to brighten up a corner or a shelf, or a gift-wrapped present - and your day!