Studio 162

Spooky JS Release and some furniture

2011-10-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

Carina Gardner has released some fabulous new Halloween goodies at Jessica Sprague this month! She has two sets of papers, some spooky borders, labels and even a darling mini-album, all called "The Raven". I created this bit of Halloween decor by simply printing out one of the scary labels on vintage music paper and placing it in a thrift store frame spray-painted with glossy black paint. It added a fun touch to my booth last weekend!

I am working hard to get everything ready for the next sale on the 4th of November. I felt so rushed last month and don't want to feel that way this time. I am really in love with some of the pieces I have found and can't wait to get started on the painting! The two larger pieces I am working on now have some seriously peeling veneer, which is making the sanding process take a LOT longer. Am hoping to get the hubs out there this evening to help!

This was a super-easy spray paint project and I love how the color turned out! I picked up two of these at Savers last week and painted them with Krylon's "Oxford Blue". I put the old hardware back on and adore the contrast between the old metal and the blue.

Here's another Savers rescue...with no "before" pic. Some days I bring something home and am so excited to get started that I just dive in without even thinking. The surface of the table underneath the glass top was in sad, sad shape. Lots of peeling and fading, so I just mod-podged some great linen fabric on and updated the light wood with some ASCP in Old White. Brightened it right up!

The lady in line with me at Savers called this table "simply splendid"...and I think she lives up to that description now!

Some of the works in progress:

I bought this spectacular piece from Craigslist, and I'm pretty sure I paid too much, but I could not resist the bowed front, the swirly detail on the drawer and the great double stand at the bottom. I am hoping I can get through all of the veneer on the top so I can stain it dark and then use ASCP in Old White on the body.

This beauty has a whole lotta peeling going on but I think it will be fabulous in the end. Not sure what color yet. Any recommendations?

Happy Happy Tuesday!

DIY Chalk Paint? Yippee!

2011-10-17T11:03:00.000-05:00

As I was persuing the blogosphere last week, I stumbled upon a life-changing post by Sherry at "No Minilmalist Here" about DIY Chalk Paint! Ok, life-changing may be a bit over-the-top, but definitely money-saving! I am a huge fan of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint because of the amazing finish it gives AND the fact that I can ~~be lazy~~ save precious time by skipping the prep step on most furniture. The bummer about the paint is that it costs about $35/quart plus shipping, since I don't have a local stockist in KC--so I end up paying about $50/quart. Yikes! Eats into my profit on furniture sales just a tad. Now, enter Sherry with her recipe for creating chalk paint using 2/3 latex paint and 1/3 plaster of paris--sheer brilliance! I decided to whip up my own batch on Friday using some leftover turquoise Sherwin Williams paint and $2.99 plaster of paris from Hobby Lobby. I have to say I am SOLD! Not only did I not need to do any prep work on this little side table, but the paint dried quickly, sanded fabulously and took a coat of wax like a dream. (Cue the choir of angels...)

You must check out Sherry's blog "No Minimalist Here"--I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve!

Before: your standard side table with a laminate top purchased at Savers

After: with a bit of distressing and some clear and dark wax

I was a busy bee this past weekend and have several more "Before and Afters" to share this week. Here are some sneaks at the befores:

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Whew! I'm Back!

2011-10-11T10:36:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was so much fun, experiencing my very first sale at Bella Patina! It is such an amazing place, with tons of beautiful treasures and talented vendors. I won't know exactly how I did until next week, when all of the tags have been tallied up--but I have to say I am very pleased with what sold and am so excited for next month!

Here are some pics from my booth on Friday, before the sale started:

And finally my HUGE project: the china hutch! It did not sell this time, but I know the right person will find it! :) I learned a lot about staging over the past few days and think I can really improve on how I displayed this piece.

Here are the before pics again:

And here is the after:

I stripped and stained the top of the buffet piece and then used Behr paint with primer in "Toasted Marshmallow" for the body. Can't remember the name of the blue I used for the inside of the cabinet, but it is a very soft shade. Then the entire piece got a coat of dark stain, which I applied in small sections and then immediately wiped off. I have to be honest here: this project was a HUGE pain! I have really spoiled myself with chalk paint and this whole latex and stain business really made me work. :) I do love the end result though and hope someone else will feel the same way next month!

Speaking of next month (how about that smooth segue?), I have been working the thrift stores and Craigslist like a mad woman to ensure I have some interesting pieces! Here are some peeks at what I am working on now:

I have two of these that are going to be splendid in navy blue.

This little wooden table has some girly decoupage in its future.

I love this old piece. It has a mirror that goes with it, but I think I am going to make it more of a desk. I have a waterfall vanity and dresser than I am working on and think this might be more useful without the mirror? (More about the vanity and dresser later...I will leave you with two words that I may never want to hear again though: wood veneer.)

A sweet twin headboard and a really heavy mirror.

I have two of these that will go with the little wooden table. :)

Thank you so very much for stopping by after my little hiatus! Happy Tuesday!

Crazy! (but in a good way)

2011-09-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness--ever have those weeks when you feel like you're going a million directions at once and there are so many things to get done that there's physically no way to finish them all? EEEK! That's where I'm at this week. Last Thursday, I was accepted as a vendor at one of our local (KC) vintage/repurposed/antique stores called "Bella Patina", which makes me extremely happy! And they want me to participate in their October sale which means that all of my furniture/treasures need to be delivered THIS weekend! Again, EXTREMELY happy and excited about this, but just a bit stressed about finishing everything up in time! Here are some of the pieces I have been working on:

I got this great pedestal piece at Salvation Army on Friday afternoon--so fun!

So much cuter in pink--I think it would be darling as a bedside table in a little girl's room.

These next two were actually old Bombay Company pieces I have had in my basement since 1994! Now I sorta want to keep them! ;)

I did this one in ASCP Henrietta. I love this pink!

This is ASCP Old White--my go-to color!

This was my first attempt at stripping and staining--not nearly as hard as I thought it would be, but I'm still not 100% happy with poly finish. Taking it to Bella anyway and will just price accordingly. :)

Close-up of the ASCP in Louis Blue followed by clear and dark waxes.

And I am still working on the never-ending china hutch project...I can see the finish line though and I can't wait to post some pics of the final result!

Lily Cole Designs

2011-09-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

Today I want to introduce you to my friend Maggie's wonderful etsy shop, Lily Cole Designs! Not only is Maggie gorgeous, sweet and funny...she is crazy-talented too! She is a master at digital designs for children's rooms and will even personalize them for the perfect custom gift. Take a look at these beauties:

And then, isn't this one to die for:

Maggie recently came out with a set of notecards that I am obsessed with! I adore sending handwritten notes and who would not LOVE to receive one of these works of art in the mail?

As if those creations are not fabulous enough, I have to show you my VERY MOST FAVORITE goodie that Maggie makes:

Custom embroidered reproductions of your child's artwork! I know!! I almost can't stand how fabulous this is! I think this is the most brilliant gift for a mother or grandmother--and will truly be a cherished heirloom forever. Maggie embroidered a picture of my mother that Kendall drew for my mother's birthday and did a spectacular job on it. Her birthday was yesterday and my mom was truly speechless when she opened the gift.

Would this not make an incredible Christmas or Hanukkah gift? Run over and check Maggie out here or click on any of the pictures above to see those listings in her sweet store.

Happy Thursday!

Would You Buy It Wednesday

2011-09-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

This week I have a lonely little lamp I picked up at GW for $1.99. It works great though and the base unscrews from the wooden part to make painting a bit easier. I'm thinking some ORB on the base, and then a coat or two of blue paint...and then would love to pick up an inexpensive lampshade and cover with fabric. Any thoughts?

I also have some after pics of my little box from last week. I used AS Chalk Paint in "Aubusson Blue" for the outside, and "Country Grey" for the houndstooth pattern on the lid as well as the inside.

Here's the before again:

And the after:

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Linking up to:

Giveaway!! (and a few transformations)

2011-09-20T10:46:00.001-05:00

I am SO excited this morning! Natalie at Johnny In A Dress is featuring me on her blog today and hosting a giveaway to my little etsy shop, Studio 162! If you haven't visited Natalie's blog before, you must head over there immediately! She is absolutely adorable and has amazing style. I visit just about everyday for fabulous design and decor ideas including this little beauty, the "Mummy Lamp":

This is a really simple, really fun way to turn an old lamp from frumpy to fabulous! I had some petite bedside table lamps that I picked up from GW for $2.99 each and needed something cute for the shades so I whipped some mummy lamps up myself (bad photo, but you get the gist):

I had so much fun this past weekend working on some jewelry boxes that I found on my shopping spree last Friday! Here are some before and afters:

I think my favorite part about the little box on the left is that the teddy bear picture is an actual photo! Someone seriously lined up their teddies and took a picture of them. :) Clearly the bear portrait had to go though and I replaced it with some glittery houndstooth paper and painted it in Annie Sloan's "Country Gray" (which is really more of a dark yellow, in my opinion--great color nonetheless!).

This is the jewelry box on the left, in the photo above. I used more ASCP in "Old White", layered over "Henrietta" for a fun vintage-y look. Reminds me of those old pieces that have 6 or 7 layers of paint on them as you sand them down. :)

I love the doors on this little treasure! The etched hummingbird and flowers just make me happy.

I painted this in ASCP "Aubusson Blue" and then used both clear and dark waxes to darken the finish just a bit. I love this color against the light grey velvet inside. This one is a gift for one of my sweet friends.

I am obsessed with these old wooden pedestal pieces. I don't run across them terribly often, but when I do, I get a little giddy and pretty much skip to the register.

On this one, I layered "Emporer's Red" over "Old White" and then really went to town on the distressing to allow the white to peek through. I use red in my living room all year round, but I think this piece would be especially fun holding some colorful vintage glass ornaments at the holidays.

Thank you so very much for stopping by today! Pls go enter the giveaway! :)

Happy Thursday!

2011-09-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

I had a GREAT trip to GW and Savers at lunch and can't wait to post some pics of my finds! My favorite is a huge, oval mirror that I picked up for $16. It is really heavy and fabulous...and the mirror easily screws apart from the frame so I can paint it. I'm thinking that piece might be a keeper. I have found that mirrors at regular retail stores can be insanely expensive! I also grabbed three new jewelry boxes and some darling saucers for a quarter each.

Here are two more boxes that I finished up earlier in the week:

Before

After: I used some ASCP in Henrietta, which is a really soft, pretty pink color. I ended up using both clear and dark wax to finish it and keep it from looking too "precious".

I don't have a before of this one, and have had it on hand for a while. I gave it a go with some dusty blue latex paint several months ago, then attempted to age it a bit with black paint mixed with water and ended up with a huge mess--paint peeling everywhere. I thought it was ruined and hid it in the bowels of my craft room, until Monday night when I saw it again and thought it could be resurrected with some Old White chalk paint. I am really happy with the way it turned out, and the fact that you can see the blue paint peeking through in several spots. :)

I finally got the surface of my hutch project completely sanded down to the bare wood and it is in fabulous shape! If I get really brave this evening, I may put the first coat of stain on there. (With that sandpaper sitting there, it appears that I am really old-school and hand sanded everything; however, I must tell the truth and say that I did most of it with my orbital!)

Happy Thursday!

Would You Buy It?

2011-09-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

I love Wednesdays, because I get to see everyones' crazy thrift store purchases over at Junker Newbie! I had several ~~questionable~~ interesting finds this week at my local Savers. One of my faves is this fabulously 80's country beauty that I picked up for $5. It is handmade and has all kinds of disgusting kitchen "gunk" on it, as if it sat thisclose to the stove for years and years and years...

How about that heart wreath? Makes me think of lace curtains and mauve silk flowers with little faux raindrops on them.

I do like the divided storage inside. :)

I think my husband is actually coming around...when I brought this piece into the house to work on yesterday, he actually said, "I know you'll be able to turn that into something great!" I usually get something more along the lines of "What the ...?".

So would you have bought this?

New JS Release and some jewelry box pics

2011-09-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! After a week of fall-ish temps we are back up in the 90's here in KC! UGH! Fortunately it will not last long and we should be in the upper 60's again by Thursday. Fall is my very favorite time of year! I love the crisp, cool air, the smell of leaves burning and the cozy feeling at home in the evenings when dark comes earlier. **SWOON**

Kitschy Digitals had a fabulous new release last week called "Homespun Stitches". I always love her goodies because they have a lovely vintage flair to them. This fun kit has a tons of stitched flowers, as well as fabric paper. To.die.for. It was perfect for some of our recent princess pics from the cruise!

I indulged my jewelry box obsession over the weekend and painted one for my shop and one for a friend's birthday. Here are some pics:

I am such a sucker for these little wooden jewelry boxes, as long as the velvet lining is in good shape. I have definitely seen some scary velvet out there...not sure I want to know what some people store in the little drawers!

I used ASCP in Aubusson Blue on this and I can't get enough of the rich color! I went over it with a coat of clear and a coat of dark wax and I love the finish on it.

The mustard-colored lining is fabulous against the blue. I am sending it to a girlfriend this afternoon. :)

I REALLY wish I had a before of this piece! It appears to be handmade and is really unique! It was a very dark wood and had been varnished within an inch of its life. I just used one coat of ASCP in Paris Grey, then sanded and waxed and voila! This jewelry box is pretty big (14 X 7 X 7) and wieghs over 6 lbs...I think it would be fabulous on a dresser or on a large bathroom counter.

The red lining really pops against the light grey.

And finally, I got this old hutch for $50 from a realtor friend of mine who was selling an elderly lady's home. This had been sitting in her garage for ~~about a century~~ quite some time and needs a THOROUGH cleaning, but I can't wait to get started on it. I am thinking I will strip the top of the buffet piece and give it a dark stain, and then paint the rest of it with heirloom or dover white. I would love to use Chalk Paint in Old White, but I'd like to glaze the piece once it is painted, and I don't have any experience with how glaze works on chalk paint. (And I'm still learning how to successfully use the dark wax! :))

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great week!

Upcycled Chair

2011-09-01T10:29:00.001-05:00

I am relatively new to this whole thrifting/upcycling thing and have been mostly focusing on smaller home decor items, with a bedside table thrown in here and there. I have been wanting to try my hand at a chair and found this little beauty at GW for $4.99. I loved the style, with the harp-shaped back, and I really needed something simple as far as the seat goes. Although I would LOVE to learn how to actually reupholster a fabulous old chair, my knowledge at this point is limited to removing the seat from the base of the chair and stapling some fabric on. :)

I found some great home decor fabric for 30% off at Hobby Lobby, and based on the colors in the fabric I decided to do one coat of Annie Sloan's Provence followed by two coats of Old White. I sanded several spots to let both the dark wood and Provence show through a bit, rubbed on some clear wax and voila:

I am donating the chair to my friend's charity event on September 10th. It will be a silent auction item--hoping someone will spend a few dollars on it! :)

Tomorrow is First Friday's here in KC and I will be heading to Good Juju bright and early with my friend, Betsy. Can't wait to show you what treasures I end up bringing home!

I am linking up with:

Primitive and Proper

Saved by Suzy

Shades of Amber

Would You Buy It Wednesday?

2011-08-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

I was a bit worried I wouldn't have anything fun to share this week at Junker Newbie's linky party, but my trip to Savers yesterday proved fruitful! I found some great wooden pieces including a large spoon rack that I am planning to paint and turn into a jewelry holder and a heavy carved wooden bowl. My favorite find, though, is this set of faux bois kitchen canisters! They were $2.99 each, so I paid $12 for the set. I am thinking about painting them yellow with some spray paint for plastic...what are your thoughts? Would you have bought this set and would you paint the pieces or leave them to bask in their retro glory?

Tomorrow I am going to reveal a chair that I painted and reupholstered as a silent auction item for a friend's fund-raiser. Here's a look at the before:

Thank you so much for stopping by! Happy Wednesday!

Fab New JS Papers...and some Studio Girls

2011-08-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness! Liv released some gorgeous new papers this week called "Summer Solstice". They are fabulous muted colors with tons of texture! I think they are perfect for a wedding album, which is why I chose my favorite photo from my cousin's wedding a few weeks ago:

This photo was taken by my aunt just seconds after Katy had walked out onto Michigan Avenue to see Ryan for the first time since the night before. It was truly a fairytale moment! I just love it.

I finished up some Studio Girls last week too to take over to M!LK Boutique. I actually had a request for one in particular from a M!LK customer who had seen one she liked, went home to think about it and then discovered it was gone when she came back to purchase it. That's the first time that's happened to me--I was a bit excited! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!

A little paint...and some new etsy goodies

2011-08-25T10:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned the wooden key cabinet I found and wanted to share today what I did to freshen it up! Fortunately I didn't have to do much, since the wood was in such great shape. I really just threw on some Martha Stewart "Milk Pail" paint, sanded a bit...and VOILA!

What a difference a little paint makes!

Like some of the gals commented yesterday, I thought this would make a lovely little box for jewelry. Can't you see necklaces, earrings and bracelets hanging from the little hooks? I was going to add it to my etsy shop, but my mom saw it and immediately wanted it for her craft room. She had a really fun idea for it: remove the hooks and lay it down on its back so that the door opens up from the horizontal. She liked the fact that she could put craft supplies in there and still see what she had through the door. :) So fun how everyone has different ideas for found treasures!

I added a few new goodies to my shop yesterday:

I painted the outside of this great shelf with ASCP in "Old White" and then distressed the heck out of it. The inside of the drawers are painted "Vintage Blue" from Valspar for a fun splash of color. I sanded the chalk paint prior to adding the clear wax on this one and I love the look. It reminds me of something that sat out on the back porch at the beach for a while.

This fun jewelry box is painted in ASCP "Emile", which is a color I just can't get enough off. It's the perfect purple. This one I distressed just a bit, after waxing it. Completely different look, but I love it as well.

And lastly--my beloved tiered silver plates/trays. I can never resist buying these when I find them. This one was in bad shape as the silver plating was worn through but it has new life now with a bit of Krylon paint in a light blue. Almost makes me want to have another baby boy so I can put this in his room (ok, that's a little much...I love my two kids but we're done! It would be cute in a baby's room though, right?).

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great day!

Would You Buy It Wednesday

2011-08-24T13:11:00.000-05:00

It's time again to showcase an interesting find to see if anyone else would have picked it up whilst out thrifting! Junker Newbie hosts this great party--go check her fabulous blog here. I picked up this little "cabinet" or box-with-a-door at Goodwill back in May for $2.99. It has 9 hooks inside that I assume are for keys; although we don't have that many keys in our home! Although it was terribly dirty and outdated, I loved the lattice-work door and solid wood construction:

Would you have purchased this piece for a mere $2.99, and if so, what would you do with it? Have a wonderful Wednesday! I'll show you tomorrow what I did with it.

Updated Jewelry Box

2011-08-23T15:40:00.001-05:00

I just love old jewelry boxes! The larger and more ornate, the better. I picked up this little beauty at Salvation Army back in June. It had broken hardware and an outdated finish, but the little doors literally stole my heart and the red velvet lining was in perfect shape!

Great potential, no? I hand-painted the box with several coats of Sherwin Williams "Dover White", distressed it, had my husband add new hardware (that wood was freakishly hard and the nails were oh, so tiny!), and added a few coats of poly so the finish will last forevah.

Here she is today:

It will be heading out to my adorable cousin, Carly, in Atlanta tomorrow. She is such a doll--getting married in March to an adorable guy. I am so proud of her: an engineering degree from GA Tech, a great job, and just an amazing person. I was fortunate to see her last weekend at our cousin's Chicago wedding.

Love you, Carly!

I'm Back!

2011-08-22T20:23:00.000-05:00

Whew! I am so happy to be back on the blog! We had a very fun, but very tiring, end to our summer: a 7-day Disney cruise to Alaska (which I HIGHLY recommend--Disney does such a fabulous job!), a wedding in Chicago (one of my favorite "big" cities) and then, of course, school starting last week.

Have to share some pics from the cruise:

Kendall met all of the princesses and had the best time! It made my heart so happy to see her huge smile!

There was a basketball court on the top deck--how cool is that?

Kendall got her face painted in the "Oceaneer's Lab"...a great club for kids!

My adorable parents! I am so happy they joined us!

Cale and Kent at one of the yummy dinners. The food was to die for! It was truly the best vacation I have ever been on. The Disney employees are incredible and there was something for everyone to do everyday. I loved it! Hopefully we can do another one in a few years...

When I got back from our trip, I went on a little thrifting frenzy since I had been without my creative outlet for a week! Here are some goodies I recently added to my etsy store:

I made this little pedestal bowl using a sturdy wooden candlestick and a wooden bowl. I painted it with Annie Sloan's "Emperor's Silk" and roughed it up just a bit.

This is a sweet little jewelry box in the same "Emperor's Red" paint.

I couldn't pass up the 80's fabulousness of this piece! I updated it with some "Scandinavian Pink" paint and it goes perfectly with the Laura Ashley-esque fabric lining.

Finally, I love this wooden bowl with a silver base. The bowl has been painted with one of my fave AS paints: "Provence".

Thanks so much for stopping by! Can't wait to share some larger pieces I am working on this week: a chair, a bedside table and my very first buffet/hutch! Happy Monday!

New Product Release (and some crazy cool storm photos)

2011-07-29T14:35:00.000-05:00

Carina Gardner has another GORGEOUS digi release over at JS.com, called Le Petite Paperie Basile. It is full of vintagey greens, browns and yellows and is simply fabulous. I was thrilled to have a cute pic of Cale from July 4th to scrap. It is SO rare that he lets me to photograph him and I think he only allowed this shot because he had just gotten a new UnderArmour hat. You know what--I'll take it! He is turning 10 next week, which is so hard to believe.

We had a great thunderstorm here in KC last night! For those of you whole don't live where huge storms dramatically roll in, you may think I'm nuts--but I LOVE sitting on my back porch and watching the dark clouds come over the house, listening to the thunder. (And then making a run for it as soon as the first fat raindrops start falling!) Last night's incoming storm was producing some gorgeous lightning that was still far enough away that I felt comfortable trying to take some photos. I used the "active" button on my camera to get those rapid fire shots and literally took 202 photos to end up with a few decent ones. :)

Have a great weekend!

Fun Finds Friday!

2011-07-22T10:51:00.001-05:00

Not sure if this will be a weekly series, as the title of this post suggests--I just liked the alliteration this morning (it's the little things!). I had a very successful outing to Savers yesterday and used my filled stamp card to receive 30% off my entire purchase! **squeal!**

Here's my haul (minus the fun little table which was a $3 find at GW last week):

I simply cannot get enough of those wooden pedestal bowls! (I have a square one for sale in my etsy store here.) This one has a lovely scalloped edge and I think will be painted pink this weekend. The white and blue candlesticks will become bases for some cloches I am working on--can't wait to get those into my little shop!

This potted beauty is a plastic SYROCO piece and will be fabulous painted...just not sure what color yet! I may have to keep that one for my breakfast nook. :)

I am in love with the shape of these Early American-looking sconces. While the piece that holds the candle is metal, the actual sconces themselves are plastic (not HOMCO, but very similar). I think they'll be great in an ivory color. And that wonderful rectangular mirror's frame will be freshened up with some blue or green paint.

I was probably most excited to find these three stunning plates with holes in them! About a week ago, I saw a gal on etsy with a store called "High Tea for Alice" selling beautiful (and very high-end) tiered serving dishes and really wanted to make one (or several!). They would make amazing gifts! So I found the hardware on ebay here, grabbed a free tutorial on how to drill through china/porcelain here...and then set everything aside to wait for my sweet husband to have a free moment to help me. I was not optimistic about the project coming together ~~this year~~ in the next little bit, so I jumped on these ready-to-go lovelies!

Just makes me want to have my besties over for tea and crumpets!

AND, speaking of besties, I finally finshed the KU hat I started for my girlfriend, Suzanne, about 3 months ago! She wanted something fairly simple with a hint of distress and a pop of bling. I'm seeing her for lunch today--hope she likes it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Would You Buy It Wednesday (and my fave find this week!)

2011-07-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

I am (re)sharing a purchase from back in May for "Would You Buy It Wednesday" over at Junker Newbie. The first weekend of every month, my most favorite shop in the world is open here in KC: Good JuJu! Located in an old store/warehouse it is literally filled floor to ceiling with incredible vintage finds...some have been upcycled; some are waiting patiently to be transformed. My friend, Betsy, and I have a standing date on the first Friday morning of the month at 9am (the moment Good Juju opens!) and have the best time shopping!

In May I purchased one of the uglier pieces I have ever set eyes on; yet, I just knew it had potential to be fabulous! Take a look at this little table: it was a brownish-yellow resin, with bizarre carvings are over the top and base and for $15 I just HAD to have it.

Disclosure: I didn't realize the base was slightly X-rated until I got it in the car!

Now, here we are after a few coats of simple black spray paint:

Love the feet!

I can't really explain it, but I adore this little table! Would you have bought it?

And my favorite find this week is from GW:

This little beauty was $12.99 and will soon be Kendall's new bedside table. We are kind of making do with an old Bombay Co. table at this point, but she is so excited about this because she can store goodies inside. I am thinking of doing the inside of the table pink, with some leftover "Old White" chalk paint on the outside so I don't have to sand, etc. :)

Happy Wednesday!

It's That Time Again...Would You Buy It Wednesday?

2011-07-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

Junker Newbie is hosting her weekly linky party today and I have a rather fun find from last week to contribute. I was drawn to this little piece at Goodwill because it was only $1.99 and because I am such a sucker for anything wooden. I asked a few shoppers what they thought this was and got everything from a jewelry hanger to a bedside table...and finally figured out that it is an old shoeshine stand! The shoe would fit on the wooden "thingy" over the top of the stand and then the polish and cloths would go inside the box. It used to have a small drawer which is gone at this point.

I would like to paint it and include it in my new upcycled decor booth; however, not sure if it would sell as a shoeshine stand. :) I am considering removing the part that holds the shoe and turning it into a little magazine holder. I would love any thoughts or guidance you might have!

Fab New JS Release and Some Before & Afters

2011-07-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

I am SO loving Carina Gardner's new release over at Jessica Sprague! It's called "Le Petite Paperie Provence" and it is to die for. Very shabby chic, a bit masculine and a lot fabulous! She also has some darling tickets that match the paper kit here. I used this opportunity to create a layout about my sweet nephew, Jackson, and how wonderful it is to be an aunt for the first time!

Isn't he just a sweet angel? **SWOON**

I am so excited that I have been accepted into a local boutique called Trendz! It is a wonderful place--huge with lots of different vendors and goodies. It is busy ALL the time and is only about a mile from my house. YIPPEE! I have been dying to find a place for my upcycled "treasures". Etsy is great, but there are just some things that don't ship well. :) So now I am hitting the thrift stores like a crazy person so I'll have enough inventory when Studio 162 officially opens at Trendz on August 15th. Pinch me!

So, here are some recent makeovers on purchases I made last week:

Painted Valspar's Vintage Blue and shabbied up just a bit!

Fun wooden wine racks painted with my fave spraypaint: Rustoleum Ultra Cover 2X. You literally get full coverage with just 2 coats. Love it.

This yummy little wooden pedestal has been painted Martha's "Milk Pail', distressed, and coated with some poly.

Looks much better in black, doesn't it?

I updated this little condiment holder with a fun bluish-purple Glidden sample I picked up over the weekend.

This sweet chippy keepsake box was updated with a couple coats of Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze. Love this bright blue!

Lastly--take a peek at this spectacular wall sconce/shelf! It is heavy wood and I picked up two of them this weekend for $8. They are going to receive a chippy off-white finish. Happy Tuesday!

Tuesday's Treasures

2011-07-07T13:26:00.000-05:00

I found out yesterday afternoon that I have been accepted into a local boutique called "Trendz" and I am beyond excited! I will be selling just my upcycled home decor goodies, along with some small furniture starting on August 15th. YIPPEE! Now I can thrift myself crazy without feeling guilty!

Soooo, with that segue, here are some of my finds from Tuesday's lunch shopping spree:

I could not resist the great shape of this metal bowl! Not sure what color I'm going with...perhaps black.

This plastic HOMCO wall shelf is to die for! I have already painted it lavender and it will be adorable in a little girl's room. The wooden box with the brass flower has been painted a light blue and I am going to rough up the flower a bit to let the metal shine through.

I think this wooden taper holder is adorable and may even use the little blue votive with it. The aluminum tray will be getting a chippy paint job and I am in LOVE with the blue glass Bell jar I found! That little beauty will be staying with me!

Here she is up close...I can't get enough of this color!

This little jewelry box/valet has been given a few coats of Valspar's Vintage Blue paint and is almost ready to be shabbied up a bit. The blue glass candlesticks may become pedestals for little blue and white plates I have on hand. They are a fab color and very heavy.

This is my favorite piece from Salvation Army this week--it was only $4.99 and it is on its way to being stunning! With the exception of a few broken pulls, it has great bones and red velvet that is in amazing shape.

Couldn't you just eat up all the little doors and drawers on this piece??

I have a few coats of dover white paint on it so far and will likely be doing a few more before I'm done. Can't wait to show you the "after"!

I have been looking for one of these wooden pedestals for a while and may or may not have literally run across the store when I spotted it. It has been painted Martha's lovely Milk Pail and I have not decided whether I can part with it or not.

Gosh, I am such a sucker for anything wooden. I picked up these two wine racks for $2.99 each and have painted one with a black semi-gloss. Not sure about the other one yet.

Isn't this a cutie patootie? It has been painted a wonderful bluish-periwinkle color from Glidden that I am LOVING. Will share more when everything is complete.

Ok--if you have stuck with me this far, I'd like to share the fun cabinet that I mentioned yesterday. I used the perfect yellow from Martha (can't remember the exact name of the color) and then shabbied it up. I really like the look of the dark wood showing through. I was able to use the old hardware, just giving them a quick spritz of ORB.

Before:

After:

Aren't those little feet adorable?

I am thinking this piece may have been a cabinet in a bathroom. It has hooks on the back for hanging, and is about the right size to store little toiletries. My girlfriend immediately thought "kitchen" when she saw it. Wouldn't it be cute as a little spice cabinet?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Thursday!

Would You Buy It Wednesday

2011-07-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

As I am posting this, I can't believe it's been a week since I have blogged. We went to the lake for the 4th and I was without internet for four full days. Nearly sent me over the edge. **wink**

Yesterday, I spent my lunch hour (or two) in heaven! I was able to hit two thrift stores and made some fabulous purchases! This is my favorite find...it was only $11.50! SWOON! This adorable chair/cradle appears to be handmade and is adorned with darling painted cherubs and kittens. I'm thinking about sanding the whole thing down (darling cherubs and all), spray-painting it with Krylon's Ballet Pink and distressing it to perfection. I think it would be a lovely piece for a baby or toddler's room. Kendall enjoyed playing with it last night, but at 4 years old, she is just a bit too big for it. :)

So, would you have bought this for $11.50? Please go check out the other goodies on Junker Newbies site here! I am always so inspired by the things other people pick up!

I finished up my makeover on last week's "Would You Buy It" and I am pleased with the results. It looks so much better than I thought it would! If not for the helpful comments last week I'm not sure I would have thought to paint it black.

Before:

After:

I'll be back tomorrow to share some more of my purchases from yesterday as well as my little completed cabinet project.

Would You Buy It?

2011-06-29T14:44:00.001-05:00

I just recently found a great blog called "Junker Newbie", who has a fun series called "Would You Buy It Wednesday". According to her blog, she opened up her first antique mall booth in April and I am enjoying seeing her thrift store finds and makeovers. For "Would You Buy It Wednesday", she asks people to post their thrift store finds that they are iffy about or that are especially unique, interesting or even ugly. This is right up my alley! I get stuff all the time and wonder what the heck I'm going to do with it (although I have to say my number of "fails" has started to decrease...I am getting a better sense of what works and what doesn't).

So, here's my entry this week. It is a heavy (and heavily lacquered) 70's looking sconce. I can just picture some guy building this in his garage wood shop. To add to the piece, there is a very thick layer of dust resting inside the sconce, which should be big fun to clean out. **wink**

So, would you have bought this? And, if so, what color would you paint it?

Feeling Crafty?

2011-06-28T09:16:00.001-05:00

If you're feeling crafty today or find yourself wanting to add some flair to your summer decor, please check out my "lolly" tutorial on Jessica's blog "Mouse, Paper, Lovely"!

New Digi Release

2011-06-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you so very much to everyone who stopped by my blog over the weekend as part of the JS bloghop! I appreciate your kind words and comments more than you know!

Echo Park has a darling new release today called "Dots and Stripes Candy Shoppe". With its bright colors it just screams summer! AND, it is 35% off today! I decided to make some little lollies for a table in my entryway, and you can learn how to make these with my tutorial that will post on Mouse Paper Lovely tomorrow. You will be amazed at how easy they are to make!

Happy Monday!

Welcome Jessica Sprague Blog Hoppers!

2011-06-24T21:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome to stop #21! I am so happy you have made it this far and hope you're enjoying all the goodies along the way! If for any reason you arrived here first, please click here to go to the start of the bloghop (our dear Jessica's blog) so that you can grab all the fabulous freebies starting at the beginning. You truly won't want to miss a thing!

I have created a purse card using a darling template by our own iKari Designs. This is in .pdf format so all you need is your printer (ok, and maybe some scissors, a dab of adhesive and a scrap piece of ribbon). I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved creating it! I would be thrilled to see any of your finished cards so please feel free to email me photos! :) Just click on the photo below to download!

You guys are in for a treat--the next stop is the uber-talented Heather's blog. Click here to see her

must-have freebie!

Recent Makeovers!

2011-06-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

I'm short on time today but wanted to post a few of my most recent little thrift store makeovers! Please don't forget to join us this weekend for the Jessica Sprague Birthday Bloghop!

Love this wooden pedestal bowl! I painted a little bud vase and bowl and glued them together...perfect for corralling jewelry on a bedside table!

Aren't the details to die for?

The color is off in this photo, but this valet is painted a really great lavender color and then distressed to the nines. Love it!

And then this jewelry box is my absolute favorite piece! This color is called "Avalon Blue" and it is spectacular! The felt inside the drawer is more of a chartreuse in real life, and looks amazing againt the blue. I decided to use several coats of wax on to seal this, rather than a polyacrylic and I love the soft finish the wax gave it.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend! Hope to see you back here before Sunday to grab my "purse card" freebie!

Jessica Sprague Bloghop Starts Tomorrow!

2011-06-23T15:30:00.001-05:00

Please join us starting tomorrow evening at 9pm CST for Jessica's 4th birthday bloghop! There are free goodies available at each stop on the bloghop (including mine!), so don't miss out on the fun!

New Digi-Frames Release and Some Mini-Makeovers

2011-06-17T11:26:00.001-05:00

Jodee Lee released some simply gorgeous vintage postcard frames this week at Jessica Sprague! They are on sale for $2.40 right now...that's practically free! **wink** Check them out here! I just love Jodee's old-world style! I used my new favorite model, baby Jackson, for my sample this week...works great with a thrift store frame I had on hand!

I'm posting some before and afters today for some of the little thrift store makeovers I have been working on. I have a ton more in the works that may or may not show up in my little etsy store! :)

Before

After

Before (scary lighting!)

After

Before (the brassy tin bucket)

After

Before (I found two of these at GW)

After

I found the great tutorial for this "mummy" lampshade here! The pair of these lamps are on the bedside tables in my bedroom now. They are small and simple and match the brown and vintage blue color scheme we have going on right now. :)

Before

After

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chair Redo

2011-06-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

I am finally posting my chair project from two weeks ago! This is certainly nothing too exciting, considering all of the amazing furniture transformations out there; however, this was my very first attempt at furniture and I am giving myself a big pat on the back for getting it done! :) The chair was a GW find and I only paid $4.99 for it. I used some of my Old White Annie Sloan chalk paint, which is really WAY too expensive to be using on a piece like this...but I needed something that would cover a surface that was not evenly sanded and had some old poly on it. I think it's adorable now all shabbied up and I even found some great pillows at Target to dress it up a bit.

This is my only BEFORE pic. You can't see the whole thing, but there's enough showing to know that it's a pretty standard, wooden kitchen chair.

And here we are after our first coat of paint.

And the finished chair after a 2nd coat, wax, distressing and a bit more wax.

I also wanted to share a makeover that I am sending to my mom. This is an amazing little key cabinet! I adore the great latticework on the front and the fabulous dark wood.

I used a Valspar color called "Vintage Blue"...it is a really great grey-blue! I used two coats of paint, distressed a bit and then used (my new fave) wax to seal everything. LOVE!

Thanks so very much for stopping by! Happy Thursday!

My New Nephew and a Sale!

2011-06-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

I have been in Charlotte for the last week helping my sister with her new baby, Jackson, and he is truly an angel! I have never seen a baby with a sweeter disposition. He only cries if he is hungry or wet and spends a lot of time just chilling out and looking around with his sweet blue eyes. Just want to eat him up! I got this sweet picture of him that she is using on her announcements:

Don't you just want to kiss that little face?

I also want to mention that Jessica Sprague is having a great sale to celebrate the 4th birthday of her fabulous website and shop! Please go check it out!

Before and After...

2011-06-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

So I spent all evening last Friday and then all day Saturday working on my two fun practice pieces and overall, I am happy with the way they turned out! I love the way the chalk paint really can be painted over any surface without stripping or doing any major work!

Here's the fun 70's table:

Before...

During the process... I used two coats of Annie Sloan's Old White Chalk Paint and then updated the fabulous existing hardware with ORB.

And, after--lots of sanding and then coating with Minwax Paste Wax. This is my new fave! So much better finish than a coat of poly.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I will post the chair later this week. :)

Speed Scrap!

2011-06-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! This evening kicks off a big 4th birthday celebration over at Jessica Sprague's site. We are starting the fun with a speed scrap, starting at 9pm EST. In case, like me, you have never heard of a speed scrap, here's what our amazing coordinator, Laurie has to say:

What is a speed scrap? The host of the speed scrap will lead you through creating a layout in just one hour. You will receive one set of instructions every 15 minutes. After you receive the last instruction, you will have one hour to finish and upload your layout to the Speed Challenge Gallery for that particular challenge. If you complete the challenge in the given time period, our Creative Team Member host will send you a download link to a special little freebie created just for you.

Please click here and come join us this evening!

Earlier this week, I splurged and bought my very first quart of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in "Old White".

I have been obsessively reading about this fabulous paint for the past few months in blogland and think I'm ready to try my hand at upcycling some great Goodwill finds this weekend! Hopefully I'll have some great "after" photos for you next week...for now, here are the "befores":

I just want to give this great 70's (??) piece a BIG kiss! I love it so!

Just $9.99 at GW this week!

Wish I could strip the top and refinish the wood; however, after sanding a bit last night, it appears that the top has a veneer of some sort (like formica or something?). Oh well!

This chair is hard to see, but at $4.99 it was tough to pass up as a "practice piece"!

Have wonderful weekend!

Just added more goodies!

2011-06-02T13:36:00.000-05:00

I am having so much fun with my little etsy shop! It really is amazing all of the treasures I have come across at Goodwill now that I am looking. "Looking" is actually a bit of an understatement..."stalking" and "obsessing" is more like it! I find myself in one of my two local stores at least once a week, but figure that with most items at 99 cents or $1.99 I am better off there than at Banana Republic or J. Crew, right? :) I made a little trek over lunch and found a ton of goodies...many of which will probably stay in my home rather than making it onto etsy. Can't wait to share a picture of the funky 70's side table I picked up for $9.99! I have ordered some Annie Sloan chalk paint and am so excited to give it a go with this fun piece!

Here are some recent goodies I have added:

Thanks so much for stopping by! Can you believe tomorrow is Friday already? Just a few more days until I get to see this little sweet-pea (my new nephew!).

Fab Recipe Box and Hawksnestapalooza: The Final Chapter

2011-05-31T14:36:00.000-05:00

Although I am not going down in the history books as one of the great chefs of our time, I am able to follow a recipe from time to time! :) Carina Gardner has a great release this week called "The Recipe Box" which contains all the goodies needed to put your own recipe box together. My current recipes are housed in an old, cheap plastic index card file, so I took this opportunity to upcycle a thrift store box (any excuse, right?).

This past Memorial Day weekend was spent at the Hawks Nest for the last time. It feels like the end of an era. **sniff** (Ok, that may be a bit dramatic since I don't like to camp, but I will certainly miss the Hawks Nest.) The Hawks Nest is on some land owned by the mother of one of our closest friends. This land is about 30 miles out of town, has tons of wildlife, a screened-in shelter, a pond with plenty of bass and has been a getaway for us and several other families at least twice per summer for about the last 10 years. Now, our friend's mom has decided to sell the property and is actually closing on June1st. She is getting on in years and would like to move closer to town and not have the responsibility that comes with her large house and all the land. We all talked this weekend about trying to find some acreage to purchase, but we will be hard-pressed to find anything quite as spectacular as the Hawk's Nest.

Updated Lap Desk

2011-05-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have another little thrift store redo this morning! I found this beautifully contructed/poorly painted lapdesk at Goodwill about two weeks ago for $1.99. I thought it was really cool, but wasn't sure what exactly I was going to do with it. That afternoon, my friend and coworker, Laura, was asking for gift ideas for a friend's 2-year old daughter. I took her out to my car to show her the little desk and she fell in love with it! She told me the little girl loves pink and we went from there!

Now I KNOW I took some before pics, but I can't find them anywhere. (Kinda makes the whole reveal a little less dramatic, doesn't it?) If you can picture in your mind though--the little desk was painted white with a horrible stencil in gray on the top, then covered with a polyacrylic that turned yellow at some point in the last 10 years. Just sad.

Here are a few pics from mid-process. I used a wonderful, deep pink from Sherwin Williams:

If you really squint, you can still see some of the stenciling on the top of the desk...even after using a sander!

I used chalkboard paint on the top of the desk, and then added some fun polka dot fabric to line the inside. I also cut out some flowers with my Sizzix and added buttons for the centers. I was happy with how it turned out and apparently the sweet little gift recipient was very pleased with all the pink!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm hoping for a break in all this rain at some point today! UGH!

My Little Etsy Store

2011-05-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally have my etsy store, "Studio 162", up and running! I am still working on getting all my goodies listed (it is a bit more tedious than I expected!), but I have had a good response so far and I'm having fun! I mostly have "found" items: some vintage, some not. Almost all of them were brown in a previous life and they have been freshened up with a coat of paint or two. You can check it out here.

I finished up a little project last night that I just ADORE! I picked up a brown, wooden clock at Goodwill on Friday for $4.99 and I am just kicking myself that I don't have a "before" pic! It was very sturdy and clearly well-built, but as most treasures it was outdated and the green mat around the clock was very faded and tired-looking. I was able to remove the mats and clock itself from the open back of this piece and created new mats from some Studio Calico scrapbook paper I had on hand. Then I painted the wood a gorgeous sky blue color and sanded some spots to give it a shabby look. Finally, I glazed it using Behr glaze and Burnt Umber paint. I am so happy with it! I was going to list it in my shop but I think she's a keeper. She matches some wooden lamps I picked up 2 weeks ago for $1.99 each...as soon as I find the perfect lampshades, I will post some pics.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Monday!

PS--My sister is having her first baby as I am typing this! Can't wait to become an aunt!

Tutorial

2011-05-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! I have been seriously neglecting my blog--can't believe my last post was over a week ago!

Today I have a little tutorial over at Jessica Sprague's blog, Mouse Paper Lovely, about how to create pendants using Scrabble tiles if you're interested. :) I had never done a tutorial with pictures before and didn't really think through how I was going to take a picture of myself if I was using both hands to make the pendant! (seriously) So, my sweet son, Cale, stepped in and I am so impressed with the pictures he took! Check it out here if you have a sec.

Also at Jessica's website, Splendid Fiins has a "Very Krafty" new paper pack release. I love how kraft paper works with any color--takes the guess work out of trying to match the colors in your photos to your papers!

Such a sweet photo of my grandmother with Kendall when she was here in March. Kendall got these sunglasses as a gift and Grandma Lou just couldn't help being silly with them!

Lastly, here are some before and after pics of the $9 chair I got for Cale at Goodwill a few weeks ago. He wanted to paint the chair gray, which has turned out a bit institutional for my taste but he is happy with it. We painted chalkboard paint on the surface of the desk for a fun touch. Not perfect, but a great project to do together!

Before

After

Good Juju and Ugliest Table Evah!

2011-05-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned on Friday, Betsy and I went to Good Juju the moment it opened and I found some serious treasures:

Isn't this to die for? It was a little more than I would typically spend on second-hand furniture, but I think it's amazing!

I'm giddy--the little sides open!

I love all the distressing. She now resides in our guest room as a bedside table!

I picked up this vintage sewing caddie for my mom. We are thinking we may paint it with Sherwin Williams Dover White.

I can never remember what these are called...but I love the industrial look of it and imagine it might have come from the doorway of an old building downtown.

A fun Samsonite suitcase that I am planning to mod podge. The outside of it feels like vinyl so it should be easy to work with. (Hope I didn't just jinx myself!)

And finally, la piece de resistance...the ugliest table ever!

Seriously! This table is made out of resin and is pretty heavy, given that it only stands about 2 feet tall. It is solid!

I didn't notice the "ladies" until I was loading this little beauty in the car! Classy.

After a can of primer, a can of spray paint and about 30 minutes total time, the transformation was complete and I am in LURVE!

Still not sure where the table will end up but I am so happy with it! (And even Kent liked it!)

M!LK

2011-05-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

So, on Monday I set up my booth at M!LK Boutique! I am excited and nervous about it--hoping people will like my goodies! I have a bunch of necklaces and Studio Girls in there, so we'll where this all goes. Worst case, I am in a 6 month contract. :)

Here's my little space:

Here are closeups of some of the newer Studio Girls I have in there:

She was tired of playing by the rules.

She had arrived.

She knew better than to accept their first offer.

She could see where this was headed.

Betsy and I went to Good Juju this morning and it was simply FABULOUS as always! Literally, within 15 seconds of entering the building, Betsy grabbed an amazing narrow black chest of drawers that was distressed to perfection! About 5 minutes later, I found an unbelievable little piece...kind of a little side table painted cream with the coolest details. It was a bit more than I would normally spend at Good Juju but it is ridiculously cute! Also picked up some great silver plates, an old suitcase I plan to cover with paper and mod podge and then -- OMG-- I found the ugliest, most wonderfully tacky resin table ever! It was sitting next to the cash register as we were leaving and it was like a train wreck. I simply could not tear myself away from it. So, $18 later it was mine as well. I think that with some TLC and black glossy spray paint, it is going to be marvelous in the living room. I can't wait to post a picture on here...you will be amazed at the ornate carvings on this little beaut! Have a wonderful weekend!

PS: I am also working hard on getting items ready for my little etsy store--hope to have that going in the next 2 weeks!

More Carina!

2011-05-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

Carina Gardner had a truly fabulous release this week for those of us who like to scrap LOTS of photos of an event! Check out these great mask sets--they really take the guess work out of designing your page and are so much fun to work with! I scrapped some photos of Kendall from Easter and will definitely be using some of the other masks to scrap the rest of the egg hunt photos!

I made another Goodwill run yesterday over lunch--I love that there are new goodies every time I pop in! I picked up all of these little treasures for under $20. I can't wait to start painting!

I just love these little candlesticks!

And these frames will be so fun and colorful in their new lives!

The designs on this tin container are amazing!

Most of these fab finds will make their way into my etsy store in the next few weeks! Can't wait for you to see everything! Have a great day!

More Jewelry Boxes

2011-04-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

Wow--this week has gotten away from me! I can't believe it is already Thursday again! I have been really overwhelmed with completing the 300 pendants for the Global Orphan Project (the final ones are shipping tomorrow!! WOOT WOOT!) and preparing for my new booth at M!LK Boutique...not to mention that my mortgage business has picked up immensely. I tend to work best under pressure so I know everything will get done! **sigh**

This week Carina Gardner has another fabulous release called Fresh Picked Summer. I used one of my favorite papers from the collection on one of the jewelry boxes I posted last week:

Before

After

On the smaller box, I used a paper from Carina's Birdhouse collection.

I made a quick trip to Goodwill over lunch today and found some great brass candlesticks, frames and keepsake boxes that I can't wait to play around with! I'll definitely post some before and afters! Happy Thursday!

8X8

2011-04-21T10:55:00.000-05:00

Kim brought me some great scrap wood in various sizes when she came over last weekend, so I decided to try some other sizes of Studio Girls. These gals are on 8X8 blocks and were fun to do as a change of pace from the 6X12:

Happy Easter to everyone!

Fresh Picked Spring and other goodies...

2011-04-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

It was nice to take a break earlier in the week and actually get some scrapping done! I feel a bit behind at this point but I'm having such fun with my little thrift store rework hobby. :) Carina Gardner has a new release this week called "Fresh Picked Spring" and it is adorable! She packed it full of great pinks and purples, as well as some beautiful flowers and stamps. I used some pics of Kendall and her sweet friend, Whitney, out for a leisurely drive:

Ok, so as of May 1st I will have a small space at M!LK Boutique in Olathe. I am excited but a little nervous! (Like what if nobody likes my stuff?? I hate how these insecurities sneak up on me!) They have asked to carry my Studio Girls and pendants, but I am not able to have any of my upcycled thrifted items because they compete too much with two other vendors. Although that's a bummer, I am happy that they will not bring anyone in to compete with me in the future. I will probably be opening a little etsy store in the next two weeks or so to share some of my little projects, such as:

Found items painted with my all-time favorite Krylon paint color: raspberry!

A little cupcake plate...

A little cake stand that would be darling in a baby boy's room...

I love this perhaps in a bathroom for earrings, rings, etc...

A cool old crown that used to be a horrible black and gold...great on a mantle or to hold little goodies.

Thank you so much for stopping by--have a great day!

Some Before and Afters...

2011-04-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

Wow! I feel like I was so productive this weekend! My good friend, Kim, and her daughter, Whitney, came to stay with us because she had a dance competition at a hotel on our side of town. My husband was away on business and it almost felt like we had a little getaway ourselves with all the crafting we got done! :) We stayed up late every night and spread out our goodies all over...wish I had gotten some pics of our MESS on the kitchen table!

I completed the two jewelry boxes I bought a few weeks ago at Goodwill and am pleased with how they turned out, given that they were my first foray into refinishing wood pieces. Here's the first one after I took the hinges and lid apart:

The box and velvet lining were in very good shape so it was easy to work with in that regard. I started out by painting two coats of Kilz primer to seal the existing glossy coating, rather than trying to sand all the way down to the bare wood. I then used about 5 coats of a dark pink acrylic paint, and mod-podged coordinating paper on the ~~awful~~ charming tile with the little girl. To age the box a bit, I mixed black paint with water to create a very thin glaze that I left on for about 20 seconds and wiped off with a damp cloth. Once that was dry, I used a water-based polyurethane protectant to seal everything. Finally, I spray painted the brass hinges with silver spray paint, and voila...!

And here is a before pic of the second box upon removal of drawer pulls and hinges:

I went the same route with this box, using Kilz primer, acrylic paint, a watery glaze and a sealant. I wish I had not been as heavy-handed with the glaze as the finish is quite a bit darker than I would have liked, but overall it was a good experience!

And one more thing--I completed Kendall's little chair for her bedroom. Here is the before:

It was in reasonably good shape with some scuffs and peeling paint here and there. A sturdy little chair for $4.99! No magic in this transformation--I simply used a bright green Rustoleum spray-paint called "Ultra Cover 2X". The lable says that each coat is the equivalent of two coats of traditional spray paint. And I have to say that in my experience this claim is true! It covers like a dream.

I think my client was pleased!

Happy Monday!

A Fab Goodwill Find!

2011-04-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

My friend, Laura, at work tipped me off about a HUGE Goodwill store about 20 minutes away and it was well worth the trip! Oh.my.goodness! Tons of furniture and several isles of home goods. I was in heaven. I bought 8 or 9 brass candlesticks at 99 cents a piece and a wooden drawer for $1.99 that will be fun to paint...but my favorite purchase was this little beauty for $9.99:

I have always wanted one of these student desks for some reason. Although it is the most horrendous color of yellow with a green glaze of some sort, it has great bones. It's a very sturdy, heavy chair. I told my son I will paint it for him any color he wants...I think he will go with either purple or grey for K-State (hoping he goes for the grey). Laura suggested I paint the desk portion with chalkboard paint which I think is a brilliant idea. (Laura, you have been the idea girl this week! Thank you!)

Then yesterday, while at Joann's picking up some paint, I came across these two little knick-knack/jewelry boxes for $3.97 and $2.97. The picture does not accurately show how UGLY the tiles on the top are. They are really shiny and an awful shade of orange. However, the shimmery silver paint on the boxes is divine. I was able to pull the tiles off without damaging them and am going to decoupage them in fun paper. In their new life they will be adorable on someone's dresser.

Tomorrow's Friday! So ready for the weekend! :)

More Studio Girls...and a Great Digi-Art Release!

2011-04-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

I created two Studio Girls over the weekend: one for my sister and one (hopefully!) for a boutique I am in talks with (pls keep your fingers crossed for me!).

A little background on my sister, Shannon: she is deathly afraid of bees. I mean the kind of afraid that requires therapy. However, she also has a great sense of humor about it and doesn't mind talking about how "silly" a fear it is (even though it is very real). Our family has many funny tales about Shannon jumping out of cars and throwing milkshakes on people in an attempt to get away from bees. She even jokes that they know how terrified she is and that they lay in wait for her. So, here is Shannon's Studio Girl...when I sent her pics of the finished canvas she laughed so hard she was almost crying! (Please excuse the poor lighting!)

"She just could not shake the feeling that somewhere, somehow, a bee was watching her."

Here's the second girl with a saying that I ~~stole~~ borrowed from Anne Taintor. :) Makes me giggle.

"She knew she would be the most popular girl at rehab."

Now, on to a new release by Carina Gardner over at Jessica Sprague. I love the trend I am seeing all over the internet of creating and framing fun digital art. This week Carina had a fabulous digital art release called "C'est La Vie". Easy peasy: just print and frame for instant art! Click here to check it out. It comes in 7 great colors. I chose to print it at 8.5X11 in "raspberry" and then spray-painted an old frame to match.

A perfect match for the print!

what a great weekend!

2011-04-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Wow--the weather was nearly perfect this weekend! A little too windy to get a lot of spray-painting done, but I was able to finish up a couple of Studio Girls and spend some time with great friends. Some of our very closest friends (and actually the couple who introduced the hubs and me) and their sweet kids came to spend the weekend with us. Kendall and Cale loved having buddies to hang with and everyone had fun. They brought Kendall a battery-powered Barbie jeep that they were no longer using and she about lost her mind. She is a terrible driver, by the way. Here she is with her cute chauffeur:

Thanks so much for stopping by--I will post some Studio Girl pics tomorrow!

Another fabulous template and Goodwill!

2011-04-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

Linda, the owner of "In the Making Designs" released yet another fabulous set of four digi templates this week! She never disappoints! Click here to take a peek. I used Echo Park's "Little Girl" paper pack, which is a must for any moms of girly-girls! I also lurve the new baker's twine from Splendid Fiins. She has it here by itself and then here wrapped around journaling cards. I just love this new trend and am so excited that Nisa has created digital versions for us!

Ok, yesterday I shopped for the first time at a Goodwill store. Oh my goodness--who knew there would be so many fabulous things for me to spray-paint and upcycle?? I picked up all of the goodies in this picture for $21! (My husband is so excited to have more of my junk in the garage.) I have big plans for those craptastic wooden sconces ($1.99 ea)...I'm thinking distressed turquoise with some bling. There are also two jewelry boxes ($1.99 ea) that are in bad taste, but in good shape as far as the felt on the inside. The chair ($4.99) is going to receive a new coat of mint green paint to go in Kendall's room and the silver plates (1.99 and .99 ea) will become cake stands with the addition of some candlesticks. I may have to open an etsy store!

The Global Orphan Project

2011-04-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

I mentioned a bit ago that The Global Orphan Project asked me to create pendants for their Mother's Day capital campaign this year, using art from a sweet girl, Viola, in Haiti. I am so excited to announce that these pendants are now for sale on their site (click here). I am so blessed to have been working with this amazing organization for over a year now, making logo pendants for their on-line store. Please take a look and consider purchasing one for your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend...all of the proceeds go directly to help the orphans in their care.

Here's some info about the pendant directly from The Global Orphan Project's website:

GO Mother's Day Pendant

The GO Mother’s Day Pendant was designed by 13-year-old Viola for her House Mama, Islande. The hand-crafted glass tile necklace is a beautiful gift, and also a great way to share with others the importance of Mamas. The hand-made pendant comes on a light blue organza strap with silver clasp that matches the bright and colorful pendant. The purchase of this pendant will help provide House Mamas, like Islande, with their own Mother’s Day pendant.

Beautiful Islande--just one of the incredible House Mamas.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Frightening to Fabulous!

2011-04-06T13:48:00.000-05:00

And my spray-painting obsession goes on! At Hobby Lobby last week, all of their polyresin home decor items were 50% off so I picked up a tall, black "bouquet" of daffodils for about $12. In shiny black, I found these flowers to be, well...REALLY creepy. I mean, who wants a bunch of flowers that look dead? (Perhaps a funeral parlor or haunted house? I suppose there is a chance that black flowers are really "in" right now and I missed the trend!) Anyway, I had just purchased some Krylon paint in new colors over the weekend at Wal-Mart and thought there was some potential to create a fun spring/summer piece. I wish I had taken a photo of the flowers before I started in with the primer; however, as I am the queen of instant gratification, I had that sucker in my backyard, sprayed, within 5 minutes of arriving home.

Here we are after the first coat of primer--can you get an idea of how weird this was in black?

I used MANY coats of this spray paint. There were lots of nooks and crannies in those flowers!

And here is the finished product! Once the Easter decorations come down, this little beauty will have a home on the table in our foyer. :)

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a great week!

Spring in KC!

2011-04-04T14:55:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, the weather has been crazy these past few days! Yesterday was a beautiful, balmy 80 degrees. Around 9pm a storm rolled in with golf-ball sized hail and even 40 mph winds. We truly thought the windows in our house were going to break for about 10 minutes as the hail (or "hazel", as Kendall calls it) slammed into us. We lost power for about an hour and the kids were pretty freaked out! There were trees down and some families near us actually did have broken windows. I'm just sure we have roof damage. Now this morning, it is sunny and 45 degrees. I mean, from 80 to 45 in less than 12 hours?? Welcome to spring in KC!

I went to THE most amazing place ever on Friday morning: Good Juju! My friend Betsy took me and I seriously thought I might lose my mind (in the best possible way!). Good Juju is a fabulous antique/vintage market that is open the first weekend of every month in the West Bottoms. They have incredible home furnishings and decor at crazy cheap prices. Most pieces are truly old and salvaged items that have been spruced up with a fresh coat of paint and some new hardware. I could have spent tons of money, but summoned up some serious restraint by telling myself that I can go back next month! I think I spent a grand total of $116 and picked up these goodies:

Vintage kerosene can that I am spray-painting white and distressing. Tried to wrap up the spray-painting project yesterday but was quickly deterred by that crazy wind!

I have been looking all over for an old window like this...will be madly searching home decor blogs for ideas on where to use it!

This old toy box was a must-have for Kendall's room! It's really sturdy and has just the right amount of distressing--YUM!

This vintage wash basin and stand were probably my favorite purchase of the day ($18!). The stand was originally cream but I felt that there was not enough contrast with the bowl, so I pulled out my trusty black glossy spray paint and fixed that right up. Over the weekend I found some darling pears and apples covered in strips of newsprint in the dollar bins at Michaels and they have found a new home in the basin. Love it!

This is a really fun old apartment mailbox that I picked up for my mom. I can just imagine rows and rows of these in an old high-rise.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!

My "Scrapbook Page" Gig

2011-03-31T10:59:00.001-05:00

I am truly enjoying my DT gig for "The Scrapbook Page" here in town! It's been a lot of fun to push myself creatively and jump back into traditional scrapping. Last week the fabulous store owner, Carolyn, asked me to create a layout and a couple of cards with a birthday theme. (Hmmm...do I know anyone who might have recently had a birthday?) She typically will give me a theme and perhaps a piece or two of patterned paper as inspiration, and then lets me loose in the store to grab whatever else I might need to create the layout and cards. I'm in heaven. **sigh** I've learned that it helps to have a layout idea in mind when I'm "shopping" around the store, otherwise I end up at home wishing I had a few more embellishments. Sometimes I'll even bring some layouts from magazines to help get my creative energy going.

I am dropping off these little goodies this afternoon:

I had to do a close-up of this Tim Holtz "Trimmings" ribbon. It is my latest obsession. It comes in an off-white color and you can spray it with Glimmer Mist to create any color imaginable! I used "Tattered Rose" which just happened to match the cardstock in my layout PERFECTLY. I did the same thing with the ribbon on the "Blow Out The Candles" card below. The "Trimmings" package comes with a yard of 3 different styles of ribbon and they are all just yummy.

Studio Girls

2011-03-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to call the girls I am doing as a result of Christy Tomlinson's mixed media class "Studio Girls". Christy has copyrighted the term "She-Art Girls", and besides, no one likes a copycat, right? ;)

I created one for my mom last week on a 12X12 metal sign that I picked up for $1.40 at Hobby Lobby. Gotta love that place! It had a horrendous picture of a cow on it, so I spray painted it with white primer and went to work. Really wishing I had bought about ten of those ugly cow pictures now! Although I will say that the bigger canvases do stress me out a bit as there is a LOT more background to fill up. Somehow they always just come together though and work out. I used a light blue acrylic paint for the base of the sky and strips of green paper for the grassy hills. My parents love to vacation in Scotland, so I wanted to give it a "Scottish" feel, hence the plaid skirt and the attempt at rolling hills. :) My mom had given me a photo of herself at about age 4 that she asked if I could use as the model for her girl. This was my first go at actually trying to create a Studio Girl from a photo and it was fun! As I am typing this, I am realizing I forgot to put buttons on her little coat...

So here is the photo of my mom...I love it because it looks so much like her now, in miniature! What a sweet girl. (And she is just as sweet now!)

And here she is as a Studio Girl. I included a little dog on the hill because she ADORES dogs:

I really like the quote she chose: She never forgot a kindness. It's the truth. She remembers sweet things her college roommate's mom did for her.

I mailed this on Monday so I'm hoping it arrives this afternoon. She has already seen a picture of it and says she loves it, but don't all moms love their kids' art?

Happy Wednesday!

Birthday Pics and Baby Gifts

2011-03-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

I am having so much fun scrapping Kendall's sweet birthday pics. Jan, The Queen of Quirk, released a fabulous new paper pack this week called "Cora" which was just perfect to showcase the darling photos from Kendall's preschool party. Kendall's teacher is amazing--I love her! She has a special hat for the birthday girl or boy to wear which is beyond adorable!

I spent some time this weekend working on baby gifts for two of Kent's coworkers. There are so many great kits for kids and babies on Jessica Sprague's site--almost too many to choose from! I picked up some inexpensive wooden frames from Hobby Lobby and went to town. On the "Oscar" frame below, I used Echo Park's "Playground" collection which I can't get enough of! On the "Lydia" frame I used EP's aptly-named "Little Girl" collection. I used Glimmer Glam for the first time on the heart embellishments and it added just the right touch of sparkle!

I also made a couple of quick onesies using some of Cosmo Cricket's "Candy Candy" kits.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful week!

I still {HEART} my Jayhawks

2011-03-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

SO SO sad that my Jayhawks are not moving on to the Final Four! I wanted to cry yesterday afternoon after they lost to VCU. I still ADORE them though and am keeping the tiny Jayhawk that my fabulous nail guy, Tom, painted on my pinky nail last week. :) My daughter loves my Jayhawk and makes me show people everywhere we go (restaurants, Wal-Mart). A little embarrassing as I am a tad old to be painting mascots on my nails--but you only live once, right? We'll get'em next year, Coach Self!

Meet and Greet

2011-03-21T19:17:00.001-05:00

In The Making Designs debuted a beautiful new line this week called "Meet and Greet". It includes a gorgeous paper pack, a fab set of labels and some lovely word art. I really like how masculine it is--just perfect for a layout featuring Cale. It is so rare that I am able to capture him on "film" at all these days so I like to scrap whatever pics I get. He is WAY too cool to pose for me anymore. This is one of the first pages I have scrapped that focuses on an aspect of our lives that is not necessarily pleasant. We're going through a bit of a rough time with Cale right now and he has essentially been grounded for the entire month of March. It has not been easy, but I know we'll get through this phase and back on the right track. I know it's important to scrapbook both the good and the not-so-good of our everyday lives, and I think it will be interesting to look back at years from now.

Right now, I'm working feverishly on pendants for The Global Orphan Project! Every year they have a big fund raiser at Mother's Day featuring the art of one of the girls they help. This year they selected me to make glass tile pendants using a beautiful flower drawn by Viola, a sweet 13 year old in Haiti. I am so honored to be a part of this project and am excited to get the word out about this amazing organization. You can learn more about them here. (One of the logoed scrabble tiles I make for them on a regular basis is on the home page as a "featured item".) Such a great cause! I'll let you know when the Mother's Day pendants become available. Here's a sneak peek at Viola's stunning artwork (aren't the colors she used incredible?):

Birthday Pics!

2011-03-18T10:25:00.000-05:00

This birthday was such a big deal for Kendall. I think age 4 is the first year you really "get" what it's all about. I can still very vividly remember my 4 birthday party in the lower level of our home in Tacoma, Washington. I remember who was there and what my cake looked like. I even remember blowing out the candles. I hope that Kendall has fond memories of her 4th birthday party too. Here are some pics:

My friend, Amber, designed this amazing cake! Isn't it stunning? Absolutely delicious too!

I love this genuinely thrilled reaction to opening a baby doll from her great-grandmother, Grandma Lou! It was such a blessing to have her here from Tampa for the celebration.

Getting ready to blow out the candles!

Kendall and her girlfriends!

Kendall and Grandma Lou (modelling some of Kendall's sporty sunglasses)!

I finished Kendall's little "She-Art" girl last night. I told Kendall that the canvas was a bit busier than I wanted, but Kendall said that was ok, she loved it anyway! The colors are pretty bright but they match the palette in her room. Thanks so much for looking! :)

slacker!

2011-03-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

Wow--it has been way too long since I posted on here! Things have been crazy busy with Kendall's birthday, my family in town, Cale on spring break, working on the amazing 'She-Art" class...and then my "real" job as a mortgage planner has picked up 200% this week! I am so thankful for that! The real estate market slows down so much during the winter months. I am thrilled to be busy for a change!

Quick layout to show you using the new mini-kit from Cosmo Cricket: Love Notes. I love how they are releasing some of their original lines like "Wanted" and "Love Notes" digitally now. These papers are just gorgeous in person.

I finished up my third "She-Art" girl last night. This is the most fun I have had in a long time--and I can't say enough about this fabulous class! Christy Tomlinson is so darling and REAL--and such a great teacher. This is the third and final (sob) week and she is showing us how to really personalize the backgrounds and our girls. I used a 10X10 canvas this time and found it to be a challenge to fill up all that space! I am happy with how it turned out, though--and it's always good to stretch a bit creatively, don't you think? **wink** Tonight I am starting a 6X12 canvas for Kendall that will (hopefully!) look like her. I am using a quote from a card my Aunt Patti sent for her birthday that says something like, "When you were born, the world had to make room for a little more fancy". That is so Kendall. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Tomorrow I will post some pics from Kendall's 4th birthday extravaganza!

6 more days!

2011-03-07T14:55:00.000-06:00

Kendall has the serious birthday countdown going on! I made her a little 12-day countdown calendar last year (thank you, House of 3!) and she is really into it as she is turning 4. This is the first year we are having a "real" party where we are inviting friends and celebrating at a venue other than our house. (Whew--I have to admit I hate having parties at my house. It is so stressful to me for some reason. I have several friends who love entertaining and have always admired them!) My parents and grandmother are coming in from Charlotte tomorrow and are so excited to be here for the big day! A friend of mine is a brilliant cake-maker and is putting together a beautiful "princess castle cake" for her. I think she may just lose her mind when she sees it! I'll be sure to post some pics.

Over at Jessica Sprague today, Cosmo Cricket has released one of my favorite collections EVAH: For The Record! It is so versatile...there were several of the creative team girls working with that line this week and it was incredible how different each of the layouts looked. I used a cute photo of my dad from 1965 for this layout. This is what he looked like when he met my mom and in the journaling I mention that she says this is the smile she fell in love with. They are still so adorable together. Click here to check out "For The Record".

She had it in her to do amazing things!

2011-03-04T10:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! I am so excited that I finished my very first "She Art" canvas last night! Given that it is my first attempt, I am pretty happy with the way she turned out. I tried lots of fun techniques like creating texture with bubble wrap and shelf liner (who knew??) and using gorgeous background stamps. Next time I will move her up just a bit on the canvas...there's a lot of space above her head. Oh, and her legs are a little long, but overall I think she's not bad. :) Ready to start my next girl this weekend...can't wait to see what's in store for the class next week. Thank you so much for looking!

Please say a little prayer for my good friend, Suzanne, who is having extensive surgery this morning. Love you, Suz!

She Art Class and a Layout

2011-03-02T14:59:00.000-06:00

If anyone out there is on the fence about taking Christy Tomlinson's She Art Class, you need to get off that fence, girlfriend, and sign up immediately! Class started on Monday and I have to say that I am a woman obsessed this week! She has put together the most amazing videos (11 of them--in bite-size pieces) walking step-by-step through the creation of 3 different canvases with her "girls"--and that is just for week 1! She filmed herself from above (looking down) so you are able to see every single thing she does to her canvas. It's a very casual, fun, get-dirty, anything goes kind of class...no rulers, no symmetry...and she has shown us how to have a "do-over" if we mess up! LOVE! Christy's next class starts on April 11th and it is just $35--trust me, it will be the best $35 you will spend on yourself all year! Click here to get signed up!

I am working on some Easter layouts for The Scrapbook Page this week. It's been fun to go back a few years to find pictures to use! These are from 2009 when Kendall was 2 1/2:

I love that flower! It was just a simple, white paper flower until I sprayed it with Glimmer Mist Chalkboard in Peacock--then, SHAZAMM! Hard to see in a photo, but it has a beautiful, bright, opaque color, but with tons of shimmer. I'm definitely going to have to pick up more Chalkboard inks!

Happy Wednesday!

New Template!

2011-03-01T16:53:00.000-06:00

Liv.E Designs has done it again with another fabulous template! I love templates because they do so much of the work for you! I rarely scrap, digitally or traditionally, without at least a picture of a layout I like. I may tweak the template or design idea a bit, but they always give me a good starting point. Click here to see the template. At $1.99 it's a must-have!

I used this little pic of Kendall eating a popsicle (in the middle of winter, no less):

On another note, I was so proud of my son's basketball team this weekend! They had their end-of-the-season tournament on Saturday and played their little hearts out! They won their first game in double-OT and lost the second game in OT. It would have been so amazing for them to have won the second game, of course, but we had so much fun watching them play...and they won the league award for "Best Sportmanship". (ok-- not as exciting as actually winning the tournament, but it makes a Mom proud :))

Freebie Friday!

2011-02-25T10:36:00.000-06:00

One of my all-time favorite designers at Jessica Sprague is Nisa Fiins, owner of Splendid Fiins. Her digi-kits are chock full of color and playfulness--and many of them feature her own whimsical sketches. (I also swoon when she releases new photo masks!) Nisa is today's featured designer and not only are all of her amazing products 25% off through the weekend, she has also created a fab kit called "Sampler Platter" that you can pick up here for FREE! You will love how versatile it is--I used it yesterday to create this little layout of my son and his two besties:

Have a great weekend!

Mouse Paper Scissors

2011-02-24T15:09:00.000-06:00

So, Jessica and Heidi's class "Mouse Paper Scissors" started this week and I am having so much fun! I love that these two amazing women joined forces to bring this great hybrid class! Most of the projects require printing out digital goodies and creating art that you can touch and feel (which I do miss sometimes with straight digi crafting). One of my favorite parts of the class is that Jess and Heidi put together a box of supplies for each student...and there is almost nothing I love more than a box FULL of crafting goodness! I mean, that is truly one of life's greatest pleasures, as far as I'm concerned!

I had to take a picture because there were so many treasures in there, including Glimmer Mist, Glam, new House of 3/Pink Paislee paper, a mirror with an easel...and then the sweetest little tag with a note:

Hope you're having a great week! Can't believe tomorrow is Friday (and next week is March)!

Echo Park Goodness!

2011-02-23T14:04:00.000-06:00

I just love Echo Park's style: lots of great, vibrant colors and tons of fun embellishments! This week they released their "Little Girl" line at Jessica Sprague's site. I have to admit I squealed just a bit when I saw this kit...it is just so, well, girly! (And there are 27 different patterned papers in the line!) I know it is a kit that I will keep going back to, especially with spring on the horizon! Click here and here to check it out!

Amazing weekend!

2011-02-22T10:35:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun celebrating Suzanne's 40th birthday this weekend! Kim, Suz and I hunkered down in our hotel room from 3pm on Frday night until 1pm on Sunday afternoon, scrapping our brains out! We ventured out just a few times for a quick supply run and some sustenance. Kristie and Debbie were able to join us for a few hours as well and made the celebration that much more fun! I got a ton of things done, including my first project for "The Scrapbook Page" and some canvases for my cousin's engagement party. We try to have these scrap weekends 3-4 times per year, and I am always a bit sad when they end. I look forward to the time with just the girls so much!

Here are some photos from our weekend:

The birthday girl! I've been friends with Suzanne for 20 years, and honestly--the girl does not age! She looks amazing, just like she did when we were sorority sisters at KU!

YUM! We worked on these all weekend! Kim picked them up for us at a fabulous cupcakery--we had peanut butter and chocolate, red velvet, raspberry lemonade, chocolate with sour cream icing, chocolate cheesecake and good ol' vanilla.

Here's Kim scrapping away. Don't you just love the fabulous hat that she made? She is so talented! Kim is the next of our group to turn 40! (Girls, we need to get that weekend on the books!)

Kim, Kristie and Suzanne late on Saturday night. Just look at this poor hotel room! When we move in with our scrap goodies on Friday night, we flat out MOVE IN! There is stuff everywhere, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Suz and I...just LOVE this girl! Amazing friend, mom, wife, person! Looking forward to the next 20 years of friendship with you!

Where Women Create, she ART, and a crafty weekend!

2011-02-18T10:31:00.000-06:00

Many of you may already know Christy Tomlinson--she owns Scarlet Lime which has monthly scrapbooking kits, as well as darling jewelry kits. I had the good fortune to meet her in person at Spark last September and she is doll. Yesterday, she introduced a new shop to Scarlet Lime: Mixed Media! You really need to go check it out...great vintage paper kits, fabric kits, canvases and even her favorite doodling pen! She allowed those of us signed up for her upcoming "she ART" class the opportunity to shop early and I have to admit I went a little nuts!

What is "she ART"? It is a fabulous new 3-week online class Christy is teaching starting Feb 28th. Her canvas art is A.MA.ZING. Check out this little beauty she created this week:

See what I mean? LOVE.

The class is very reasonable at $35...but the "Where Women Create" blog is giving away THREE spots in her class today! You can also read a bit about Christy and how she and her husband turned a hobby into a full-time job they now enjoy together. You must check it out. Please join me--it's going to be so much fun! (You might also want to watch a little video Christy put together about the class...she is just so cute.)

Finally, I am so excited about this weekend! Three of my besties and I are spending the weekend at a hotel here in town and are going to get our scrap on until Sunday afternoon! Can I get a WOOT WOOT? No kids, no husbands, no cooking, cleaning, giving baths...whew! I have my car chockablock full of everything I could possibly conceive of creating this weekend and now I am just counting the hours until we can check in! Does anyone else have big weekend plans? Thanks so much for stopping by!

From bored to ADORED!

2011-02-17T12:46:00.000-06:00

I saw a little tutorial earlier this week from a gal who took an old, flat wooden clock and covered it with paint chips she had gotten from various trips to the hardware store. (As is par for the course, can't find the post!) The finished product was amazing and it looked great in her kitchen. Her new fab clock got me thinking about a clock that I bought about 10 years ago, thinking it was country cool (oxymoron?). It has been stashed in a kitchen cabinet for about 8 of the last 10 years. I have almost given it away several times, but let's be honest...who would want it?? I wish I had an actual "before" picture, but this is a close approximation:

Seriously. This hung above the fireplace in our hearth room at one point.

My take on the project was to cut strips of aged paper out of an old book and simply mod podge it to the face of the clock. I was amazed at how easy it was--I bet I spent 20 minutes total placing the strips, and then another 5 minutes the next morning trimming the excess paper after it was dry. And voila:

It's no museum piece I know, but it saved that rooster from becoming landfill! It is now resting comfortably on a ledge in our breakfast nook:

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Material Girl!

2011-02-16T10:27:00.000-06:00

Cosmo Cricket just released Material Girl digitally and I am loving it! It is a really fun line, with a vintage feel (which I L-O-V-E love!) and lots of sewing references. I mean, look at this yumminess (just click on the pics to check them out on the Jessica Sprague site):

I made a little hybrid card that I will probably use at Mother's Day for my mom. She is an amazing seamstress so this line is right up her alley! {On a side note, I can't wait to show you the UNBELIEVABLE purse she just finished for me. It is a beautful Amy Butler pattern, using Ty Pennington's new chartreuse and gray fabric line...OH.MY.GOODNESS! If I am lucky, she'll send it to me this afternoon!}

Fun News!

2011-02-15T17:43:00.000-06:00

I am so very excited to announce that I have been chosen to join the design team for our fabulous LSS in Shawnee, KS: The Scrapbook Page! I am thrilled to be able to work with the latest and greatest products and create little goodies for the store. This will definitely satisfy my need to create with my hands, as opposed to just digitally. :) I met with the owner, Carolyn, today and she is just as sweet as can be. I know I am going to love working with she and her husband!

Take a peek at their website and blog--if you are local here in KC, they have an amazing class schedule and all of the most current manufacturers and product lines.

V-Day Cards

2011-02-09T15:27:00.001-06:00

So these are Kendall's Valentine's Cards this year--I think they are hilarious! They really look like she is holding a lollipop. I found this idea on another blog and am kicking myself because I cannot for the life of me remember whose blog it was. (I apologize profusely to the gal with the original idea!)

They are so incredibly easy to make! I took Kendall out on the deck and asked her to pose with one hand out like she was holding something (ummm...like a lollipop!). I added the text and the Foto Frame by Splendid Fiins in Photoshop, printed the picture out on cardstock, punched a hole on either side of her little hand and added the lollipops!

Hope you're having a great week!

My Girl

2011-02-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

My daughter is such a sweet girl...she is almost 4 and I ask her almost everyday if she'll just stay little for me. (She always says no! Darn!) I took her to a play this weekend and needed to go to the restroom during intermission. She did not need to go, but I clearly wasn't going to leave her outside so I asked her to please come in with me. She grabbed my hand and said, "Sure, Mommy. Do you want me to come in because you're afraid?". I just wanted to kiss her sweet little face off. LOVE.HER.

I've had this sweet photo that my Aunt Pam took two years ago at my cousin Carly's graduation and have been waiting to use it in a project. So on Saturday, I made a b&w copy of it (just in case! :)) and put together a fun little mixed media canvas with it. I really like how it turned out. Very girly, just like her!

Thanks so much for looking!

Before and After!

2011-02-04T10:31:00.001-06:00

I've been reading crafty blogs all over the internet where these talented women are refinishing/redoing/repurposing/upcycling decor in their homes with simple spray paint! I think it is sheer brilliance and is certainly an inexpensive way to change goodies you already have in your home! I have had this little set of drawers since 1997--before my Kent and I got married! At the time, pine was in and I loved the little metal pulls. Trends have changed, as have my tastes, so this little treasure has been shoved in the back of the butler's pantry (since 2002 or so). I have been tempted to give it away several times, but thankfully never did.

So, earlier this week, while perusing the web, I started thinking about outdated things I own that I could refinish and dug this back out. I am LOVING turquoise right now so I spray painted the wood--it took several coats, but turned out great! Once it was dry, I sanded the edges for a shabby, worn-in look. Then I removed the outdated drawer pulls and covered the fronts of the drawers with some of my favorite paper from Pink Paislee's "Bayberry" collection. I just mod podged the paper on (thst stuff is MAGIC!) and, again, sanded the edges a bit. Then I picked up some sweet little glass pulls at Hobby Lobby for $2.99 each, had Kent drill some holes for me, and **VOILA**! A fun little updated set of drawers for the table in my entryway! I am lovin' it!

WARNING: This spray painting business is VERY addictive! **wink**

Now that's some SNOW!

2011-02-01T22:36:00.000-06:00

Like much of the country today, we experienced some seriously heavy snowfall here in KC! I bet we got 10-11 inches today, plus 40 mph winds which caused the snow to drift and become much deeper in some areas. I'm ready to snuggle in with the kids on Wednesday. Actually, I'm trying to think of some things to do to keep them entertained all day without losing my mind! Maybe some cookies, some crafts, a movie...

This was the view from my front door this afternoon:

When Kent got home this evening, he dug our tiny 5 lb dog, Zoe, two little paths in the backyard so she could get out to go potty! Otherwise the snow was way taller than she was. Totally cracked me up!

Hope you're warm and safe this evening. On nights like this I feel so fortunate to have a home and am praying that our homeless are able to find shelter as well. God Bless!

It's Delightful, It's Delovely!

2011-01-31T09:51:00.000-06:00

I was sooo excited when I found out Cosmo Cricket was releasing my very favorite paper line digitally today! I mean, just look at those bright blues and yellows and pinks--I am in heaven!

The "Candy Candy" elements are just as amazing! Sweet birds and pears mixed in with vintage sofas and chairs!

I put this little layout together with a picture from our photo shoot with the fabulous Rainkite Photography gals last September. I know I'll be using this line again and again--I'm even considering using some of the goodies to make cute tees for the goodie bags at Kendall's birthday party in March!

Mouse, Paper, Scissors!

2011-01-30T21:34:00.000-06:00

Have you signed up for the new class by two of the most amazing teachers in the industry? Jessica Sprague and Heidi Swapp are teaming up to teach an exciting new hybrid class called "Mouse, Paper, Scissors"! The last day to sign up is Feb 2nd so that they can get the kits sent out before the start of class on Feb 21st. There are four super-cool projects we will be completing:

•Two beautiful double-sided printed cards
•A "FABULOUS" giftable mini-album filled with sweet pockets and a transparency cover
•A hand-made (cover to cover!) mini-album celebrating little things you love about your life
•A stunning mirrored FRAME that sits on an easel, which doubles as your photo stand for taking pics of your projects!

Come join us! Click here to sign up!

If you need more convincing, see Heidi's blog post here!

Valentine lollies? Check!

2011-01-24T14:43:00.000-06:00

Elle's Studio just released their darling Valentine's Day XOXO paper today! It is really bright and festive--and just perfect for the bouquet of lollies I had invisioned for the centerpiece on the island in our kitchen. Check out this fabulous paper pack here!

Valentine's Day!

2011-01-17T15:19:00.000-06:00

It feels like Christmas just happened and now I'm decorating for Valentine's Day! In years past, I haven't typically decorated for anything but Christmas but I am starting to really enjoy making **pretties** to display at different times of the year--and I think the kids like it too. :)

Some little V-Day stickers that I made for Kendall are displayed on the Jessica Sprague homepage today. I just love these "Little Valentines" that Elle's Designs came up with, and the minute I saw them, I thought they would make darling little stickers to seal up the Valentines that Kendall will be sending to her aunts and grandparents. TFL--have a great week!

Leap!

2011-01-14T13:54:00.000-06:00

Betsy, an amazing friend of mine, has chosen the word "leap" as her "One Little Word" this year. It is just perfect for her and I am so inspired to see her living it every day! She mentioned one evening over dinner that she would like to have something tangible that says "leap" that she can look to as a daily reminder...and my mind just started going crazy with ideas.

Late last year I discovered this fabulous group of publications from Stampington & Co that are dedicated to artists, their work and inspiration and where they create. My favorite one is called "Somerset Workshop" and it actually walks you through, from start to finish, the process of creating some amazing things! I was blown away by an artist named Vanessa Valencia (how cool and artsy is that name??) who makes incredible mixed media canvases, and immediately wanted to try my hand at it. Most of them are dancers that she mod podges to the canvas, and then adds gorgeous skirts using sheet music, vintage book pages, etc. Here's my inspiration (she has an etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AFancifulTwist?ref=top_trail):

So, back to Betsy...I decided that I would make a canvas for her to illustrate her word. It was the most FUN I have had working on a project lately, and when I finished the other night at 11pm, I went to bed just GIDDY. This is certainly not a masterpiece by any stretch, but I had a great time with it and will definitely make more. I used book pages for the background and pages from the phone book for the skirt. I can see one hanging in Kendall's room, perhaps.

Betsy sent me this pic yesterday after being so sweet as to hang this in her office at work!