sunburst mirror DIY It has been soooo long since this first post went up and I thought it would be fun to include some updated photos of this mirror and show you how it has been used over the years. Still using it and loving it! Where ol' girl currently lives in our Houston house. Check out my tutorial below so you can make one of your own! Remember the teaser of my new sunburst mirror... Well here she is in all her glory! She's nice and beefy, and has lots of texture. It's hard to tell in these photos (because we haven't had sun outside our windows in DAYS), but she has a really nice shine too. Here's how I did it! I'm certainly not the first to make a wood shim mirror, I've seen several versions around blogland. What you'll need: STEP ONE: Lay out your wood shims to figure out a pattern you like. STEP TWO: Using wood glue, glue the individual shims in your 5 and 7 groupings together. STEP THREE: Once your groups of shims are dry, arrange them back into the exact pattern you want them to be in once finished. Cost:
christmas ornament: paper snowflake tutorial Christmas ornament: Paper Snowflake Tutorial Here is a tutorial for a stunning paper snowflake that is approx. 20 inches in diameter. It’s a real show stopper! All you need is printer paper, scissors and glue. 1. 2. 3. You can experiment with the spacing. 4. If it doesn’t you went wrong when holding and cutting the rectangle. 5. If you are using crafting glue, you might want to secure the glued joint with a clothes pin or paper clip until dry. 6. 7. Your paper form should look something like this: 8. 9. 10. 11. Of course you can also use coloured paper or patternrd paper for this star. Visit link → Tutorial: Lace Hearts Happy Monday! A quiet little post for you today. You may have noticed the gift ornament in this earlier post. Here's how I made it. Tutorial: Lace Hearts You will need some lace, a heart shaped cookie cutter, Mod Podge, a paint brush, a needle and thread, and a pair of scissors. Use a paint brush to spread a good layer of Mod Podge on the outer side of your cookie cutter. Cover the mod-podged cookie cutter with lace as follows. Slather on a few more coats of Mod Podge. And that, as they say, was that! Note: I think fabric stiffener would be a good alternative to Mod Podge to stiffen the lace and make these hearts. Have yourself a heart-shaped Monday, and I will see you again soon!
Tutorial: Double Duty Dry Erase Board I am constantly writing notes and messages to myself to help me remember what I have going on for the day. But my office is also my bedroom, so an ugly dry erase board is just not an option. I’ve been thinking about solutions to this problem for a while, and at one point considered Idea Paint, but eventually changed my mind. I wanted something that could pull double-duty, and that’s when I came up with this…an idea for a pretty dry erase board that serves as wall art when not in use. Materials: 1. Step by Step How To: {click image above for larger step by step view} 1. For more ideas for quick and easy projects, click here to visit the tutorials page filled with more than 30 diy’s. This entry is filed under diy, dry erase board, girlie, how to, message board, office, organization, organize, pattern, patterned, pretty, project, tutorial, workspace, workstation.
Big-Ass Book Of Crafts I was sent a review copy* of The Big-Ass Book Of Crafts from the publisher. This is the point where I have to admit that I'm TV illiterate ... even more than I usually am since we canceled our cable almost a year ago. So, when I got an email from Mark Montano himself, I wasn't star-struck until I wikipedia'd him. Could he be on more shows? Even though I haven't seen his design-y exploits in action, after reading this book, I have a great sense of his infectious enthusiasm. Although you've gotta question using "Big-Ass" in the title of a book marketed to women ... tee hee .. the book really *is* big-ass. 3-D Blossom Box on page 18. Round-Mirror Tiled Mosaic Table on page 112. Bubble Stationery and Envelopes on page 316. My two absolute favorite projects are: Baby Head Paperweight on page 56. Everything in the plate section, Dishing it Out, starting on page 124. The Big-Ass Book Of Crafts is a down-and-dirty, super-thrifty, practical book of craft projects that's brimming with enthusiasm.
Susie Harris: Inspiration...pass it on! *** Because someone asked..yes! I have one in my Etsy if you would like...smiles~*** Oh have I got a good one for you today {I hope}. I first started with some good ole' inspiration. Now I know some of you worry about getting it just perfect,letters and all... I used a thin piece of board for mine because I didn't want to hang anything too heavy. I painted it an ivory color. Paint your circles in black. For those of you that are like me and need some extra help....print your font on paper and use as a guide. You can use trace paper or I tend to just trace over the font and use a little bit of pressure. You are now ready to paint in your letters. Now for those neat little accent lines around your letters..I used a lid from a thermos. Just dip in in a saucer of paint and press down. I didn't make a complete circle on all of them. After your beauty dries completely you will need to age that baby up. Now the only problem you may have is deciding where to put your art!
DIY Photo Light Box // Take Better Photos! One thing I've learned during my blogging adventures: You eat with your eyes first! Photography is everything when trying to capture a tutorial for your readers, or make your products look desirable on Etsy.com. And what's the most important part? Lighting! Follow this little tutorial to make your own Photo Light Box for the perfect lighting. Cut a border of 2 inches on each side of the tri-fold display board (the two sides and the back). Use a ruler and an exacto knife to make straight edges. Use masking tape to attach the two pieces to form a box. Finally, cover the two sides and the back with white muslin fabric, attaching it with masking tape. Ta-Dah!
Artizen Magazine Feature PLUS A Quiet Tutorial If you peruse the latest "Truffles vs Truffles" issue of Artizen Magazine, you may find someone familiar mentioned in its pages... Oh heck, look at me, I can't be coy to save my life... Okay here's the deal. I'm featured in this month's issue of Artizen Magazine and I'm pretty happy about the whole thing. The article was written by Michael Helander, author of the beauteous art and craft blog Blue Velvet Chair. Oh yeah. Did you get all that? Okay.
Starburst mirror So sorry for the suspense regarding my toolbox dresser project. I haven’t made much progress on it yet. In the meantime, I decided to make a starburst mirror. How to make a starburst mirror Supplies Ikea Bjurön plant glide 2 dozen 5-inch wooden plant markers (available at nurseries) 2 dozen 5-3/4-inch wooden plant markers (available at nurseries) 2 dozen wooden skewers (with two flat sides)7-inch round mirror silver spray paintwood gluewooden tooth picksawtooth picture hangerCon-Tact paper (color doesn’t matter)newspaper or drop clothpaper towelbooks that are the same thickness as the plant glide Tools hammer & nailsmall sponge paint brushscissorswire cutterspencil & rulersanding block & fine sand papertack cloth 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Crystal Egg Geodes - Martha Stewart Easter Geodes can be grown without using egg dye. The resulting crystals are clear to milky white, like quartz. While large chicken eggshells are suggested in this process, larger eggshells can be used. Simply increase the size of the plastic or glass container and double or triple the amounts of dye (1 packet), alum (3/4 part), and water (2 parts) used to create the growing solution. This Easter craft from Jim "Figgy" Noonan doubles as a science project, offering an opportunity to show kids the crystallization process at work. To make a fluorescent variation for Halloween, substitute the water and egg dye solution with glow water. Resources: If you don't want to blow your own egg or would like to try a larger eggshell, pre-blown shells are available from The Eggery Place.