Farmhouse Style Decor

I love creating something from nothing. Especially when I can use chalk paints and my Cricut. I used a vintage wooden window frame for a command center. My husband helped me make a narrow box to hold chalk and important papers. I created stencils for the days of the week.

I built a board-and-batten shutter from reclaimed wood.  This is perfect for narrow wall spaces or could be nicely paired with a grouping of frames. I decorated a small wreath for Christmas and tea dyed red-striped ribbon (because the white was too new looking). They both could be swapped out for the seasons. Both items are available for sale.

0

Mini Framed Prints

Just a few final touches on the items for the Holiday Open House.  I created these Mini Framed Prints. They are 4 1/2 " x 5 1/2".  They are just the right size for an ornament or a perfect present topper.  I personally love to layer my picture frames.  They work great to layer multiple sized frames on a book shelf.  

I also finished up some details on my Reclaimed Wood Framed Prints.  This print is something that could be hung no matter the season.  I created it to make it easy to swap out the ribbon and wreath (if you want but it is not necessary).  It has that farmhouse style that I love.

My house is all decorated and I am very excited for Friday and Saturday.  I hope you can stop by to check out all my hard work.

0

Holiday Decor Not Only for the Holiday

I have specific things I decorate for Christmas. Then I have things that I keep out and decorate with no matter the season. I love to be surrounded by pretty things that I create. It makes me happy.  These are a few of my favorite things I created and have in my home. The welcome banner is a small detail in my kitchen adorns the open shelving. I used a drop cloth and painted it with chalk paint.  When it dried, I cut and assembled it with jute. I used my Cricut to make a welcome iron-on.

I created this craft paper scroll for my daughter and loved it! So I created a second one. For low cost, it makes a big impact. This is something I can recreate fast to change with the seasons. I hand-lettered craft paper and attached a thin piece of stained pine. It frames the quote and helps it to hang straight. I will be making a few Christmas-themed ones soon.

This gate is my favorite thing I have made from reclaimed wood. If you love the farmhouse look, you need one for your wall. I found these old hinges at a local antique store. I love the patina on them. Hang a seasonal wreath off of it and you are good-to-go whatever the time of year.

0

Hand-Made Holiday

It has been a few weeks since I posted anything. I have been busy designing and creating all these cool things. I had a large load of reclaimed boards which I cleaned and painted into these awesome frames. My husband is great with the miter saw. All I needed to do was sketch out my ideas with some measurements and my husband makes magic happen out of junk someone was throwing away.  I love how simple and rustic they look. My designs needed something special to make them stand out. I used chalk paint to finish off the look to make them look authentically old.

I love using tools too. I am not as proficient on the saw as my husband but the thought of building something out of nothing is exciting. It just opens up a new medium for me to work with. I built this box out of more reclaimed wood.  They are a perfect size to hold a glass mason jar with votive. I added faux leather straps on the sides. A great small gift for Christmas.

This painted sign is clean and simple. A friend asked me to create one for her and I liked it so much, I created another for the Holiday Open House. 

0

Sneak Peek Holiday Open House

I was asked to participate in a friend's Holiday Open House. I have been working really hard to get ready for it. It feels like Santa's work shop around here. I have been painting and printing, sanding and cutting. My kitchen table has been covered with crafts for weeks. I have a trail of saw dust from my garage that everyone has been tracking in. Paint brushes drying on my sink and glue under my finger nails. I love it! I get a thrill around this time of year because it's gift go-time.  

I try to create things that I like and that I would want to decorate my home. My hubby helps with all my frames. We use reclaimed wood. I love a clean but rustic look. Below are a few samples of what I will be showing at the Holiday Open House. 

This laundry sign I have hanging in my laundry room.  I get so many compliments on it so I decided to recreate it for the show.

I always look for something cute for my kitchen for this time of year.  I created these signs with a vintage flare.  They are a perfect size to be hung on the back splash or placed on an open shelf.  I spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the holidays. I did not want to neglect that space of festive decorations.

I have two weeks until the show, so stop back and check out what else I will have available!

0

All Roads

The rule in my house has always been, no Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. Since my kids have been in college, I look forward to when they return home for Thanksgiving so we can keep our  family tradition of decorating the christmas tree together. So I have been doing a little planning. I am creating a few graphics for signs, cards and digital downloads. I am in the planning stages...I have many ideas. I will be laying them on you a little at a time. Come November 1st, I think I will be Christmas ready. I plan on painting a few of these on wood that I have already prepped this past weekend. If you are local, keep an eye out. I will be selling them. 

0

DIY Fall Magnolia Wreath

Sometimes it feels good to get out the scissors and glue and make something with your hands. I love designing things but I always come back to my good-ole-crafts. I headed to AC Moore with my coupon in tow, looking for some inspiration. There is so much to choose from. I saw that the paper was on sale so I decided on another faux wreath. Who doesn't need another wreath to decorate the farmhouse look? I chose 3 colors of card stock and a 12" styrofoam ring. It came to about 9 bucks and I was out the door to get started. 

I created a magnolia leaf in Adobe Illustrator and saved it as an SVG file to cut on my Cricut.  I fit 10 leaves per 12" x 12" page.  I cut 40 leaves out of the green, 20 leaves out of the brown and 20 out of craft paper.  

Once cut, I folded, creased, bent and curled the paper leaves.  

I wanted the leaves to look a little dried. I used a brown ink pad and rubbed the edges and creases to give the flat paper dimension and detail. I tried not to be very perfect with this part. They all should look a little different. 

Real magnolia leaves have that awesome bronzy color.  I had a very cheap can of Old Gold spray paint.  I laid the leaves out on a drop cloth and sprayed the leaves to give them that shinny autumn glow.  Again, not being perfect.  Some leaves got a heavier coating than others.  That's okay.  

As they dried, I wrapped the styrofoam ring with floral tape. I love that stuff. Pull and wrap and it sticks to itself covering the white styrofoam. 

Hot glue is heating and I randomly glued the leaves around the ring.  I made sure I used all the leaves so it was full.

My husband cut a piece of 1/4" plywood. I sanded and stained it. Pretty script was painted on it in white chalk paint. I wired it to the wreath.

Do you like the gate it hangs on? Do you love those antique hinges and distressed paint? More on that later.

0

Hand-Lettered Home Decor Solution

Do you remember your first apartment? I know it was an exciting time for me.  I got to decorate and chose things that expressed my creativity and design sense. I also remember not having much money to purchase the things I wanted to make it look exactly how my mind pictured it. My daughter is now in the same scenario. She has a pretty big apartment with lots of wall space. She is starting from scratch. She doesn't have much...yet. She is finding her style but she does not want to break her budget. She bought a few big pieces to decorate her living/dinning area. Those are the places that she entertains and spends the most time in.  It's smart. That's what I would do too.  Her bedroom needed something. She has a large space over her bed. I thought I could help her out until she finds that special something to decorate her personal space. I hand-lettered a craft paper scroll. I found this quote that would motive her everyday. It is 30" x 30". It is a pretty simple project. Craft paper, two dowels, a permanent pen and jute to tie it up with. I hope she likes it. It is a cheap but stylish solution to a blank wall.

I love this quote so much, I added it to my store. I made an 11"x14" print on a chalk board background. Bonus SVG & PNG files added,  if someone wants to use their cutting machines.

Visit my store by clicking here.

0

Happy "Happy Halloween" Treat Bags *Free Download*

I love making things...that is a given if you read my blog.  I really like inspiring others to find the creative-craftyness in their lives. It is a great feeling when you make something and someone says, "Wow, did you make this?"  I feel great when someone notices the time and energy I put into it.  Of course, sometimes it's more time than it's worth, but nothing is more important than giving something so personal as a homemade gift. It just makes you feel so good.  I am passing that creative-craftyness on to you.  Grab my happy "Happy Halloween" bags for free.  It's simple... download and print them out.  There is no cutting, no measuring.  Fold, glue (or tape) and your done. You will just need to fill the bags with treats for your halloween cuties. 

Give this a try.  You don't need a lot of computer experience. Once you have downloaded Dropbox, just click my link and download the file.  If you like this little project, like it, leave a comment and tell your friends.  Spread that creative-craftyness with them too. 

Download it by clicking here. Don't worry...there are color directions available with the download.

What you need to complete this project:

- A computer

- Dropbox (download it for free https://www.dropbox.com/downloading)

- A printer

- White computer paper

- Ribbon (optional)

- Scissors to cut ribbon (optional)

- Candy

0

Instant Download Now Available

The Thriller Graphic is now available for purchase in my shop.  It is available in SGV, JPEG, PDF & PNG files.  I used the graphic to make this t-shirt.  I can't wear a costume to work but this t-shirt would look great with a flannel or cardigan.  Check it out and go make lots of stuff!

0

Treat Bags

The kids at school have been counting down until Halloween.  I don't know what they like more, costumes or candy.  Okay, who am I kidding... it's the candy.  I designed these bags for a friend who has an annual Halloween party.  They have a table full of sweet treats and candy.  They have mini- bags on the table so people can fill their bags with treats to go.  She had an idea to customize the bags so they were fun.  She wanted a scary-themed design.  I am not a fan of scary movies, so I had nothing to go on.  As a kid, I loved the Thriller video.  I thought that was scary without being over the top.  If you are a product of the 80s, you probably loved Thriller too. I found the lyrics and used my love of fonts to create this design.  I added a few scary skulls, crows and pumpkins.  The bags are the mini-sized bags 4" x 8".  I created these in Adobe Illustrator and created a template to print them out on a printer.  Easy-peasy to print out multiples.  

24 days til Halloween.

0