Archive | February 2014

How I A’door’ Thee

Feb26

What is it with me and doors? Apparently, I have some sort of door fetish. When my boys were small, I constantly found myself wiping them down with my Armour-All to clear away the dirty hand prints. Often, they were haphazardly left open because the freedom of the great outdoors was so inviting that the boys forgot my “we don’t live in a barn speech”.

It seems like we are always on the outside impatiently waiting to be let in….or on the inside anxious to escape. The obstacle in between is the door.

Front Door

I have painted them, decorated them, and weather-stripped around them to maintain functionality.

Pantry Door

I have replaced them with ‘trash to treasure’ finds that are full of unspoken history and character.

Door Art/Decore

I have used them as a piece of art strategically placed to display dried flower arrangements.

The alarming thing is that I have four doors in the garage…..just laying around waiting – blank canvases ready to be rediscovered!

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” – Flora Whittemore

Coffee Filters……They’re Not Just for Coffee Anymore!

Feb25

Shhh! Don’t tell my husband! I have started hoarding coffee filters (secretly moving them from the kitchen pantry into my craft closet). It is not what you might be thinking – I am not a recovering caffeine-a-holic. I am a confessed craft addict and I have discovered the beauty of coffee filter wreaths.

They are super easy to make – I mean they are easy peasy! Not to mention, they are cheap. You can buy a package of coffee filters for just a little over a dollar. Check out these beauties!Coffee Filter Wreath                              White Coffee Filter Wreath

 

Remember those tissue paper art projects done in elementary school? Putting all of those tissue paper squares on the end of a pencil and securing them onto a picture with Elmer’s glue….the closer together the squares were placed, the better. Basically, making the wreath is the same concept with one huge exception – the end result is pretty enough to hang on a mantel, door, or mirror (unlike the elementary art project that was placed on a refrigerator for a month and then packed away in a keepsake box).

Materials Needed:

Coffee Filters (lots of them)

Styrofoam Wreath Form

Hot Glue Gun

Favorite Movie in the DVD Player

Supplies

Wreath (noun) – A circular band of flowers, foliage, or any ornamental work, for adorning the head or for any decorative purpose.

Laundry Room Redecorating

Feb19

I don’t know about you, but doing laundry is probably one of my least favorite things to do. Actually, that is not entirely true since there are several steps involved in ‘doing laundry’. Step one: putting the clothes into the washer and pouring in the detergent and bleach is not a problem for me. As a matter of fact, I love it when the smell of bleach lingers in each room giving the illusion of a freshly cleaned house. Image

But, that is as far as it goes! Steps two, three, four, etc. up to folding the clothes and putting them all away only to be worn and washed again are just not enjoyable for me. I can’t even say that I get a sense of accomplishment when my laundry basket is finally emptied.Image

Why is it that most laundry rooms don’t have windows? Wouldn’t sorting, washing, drying, ironing, and folding be just a bit more enjoyable if there was a glow of natural lighting filtering through some sheer curtains? Instead, I am left with two options – avoiding my responsibilities by exiting through the garage door or entering the kitchen to deal with other issues (that is a topic for another post).Image

Okay, so if I can’t have natural lighting I am thinking that a unique light fixture (like a small chandelier) might be just the thing to place in the dungeon – a.k.a. laundry room……Image

In the meantime, I did a little decorating in there to lighten the tone…

Let’s Wrap Up Those Dropcloth Pillows!

Feb16

I had fully intended to do a post last week on making rosettes for my dropcloth pillows; but somehow, life had other plans for me! My father-in-law has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and broke his femur a week ago. I am amazed at his strength and continuous faith as he battles with constant pain and uncertainty about future.

Those of you who know me, understand that my way of dealing with all uncertainty is to get my crafting supplies out and get after it! My motto is: if you can’t be in control of life, take control of completing some of the numerous projects that you have started and not finished! Do you agree? After all, there is nothing more empowering than cleaning out a closet that has been a mess for years, when you have a huge presentation to do tomorrow that you haven’t even begun to prep for…..

Anyway, I digress…

Here we go – Super Cute Dropcloth Rosettes!

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First, I cut strips of dropcloth – yes, painter’s dropcloth that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s (cheap, cheap, cheap). I made the strips about six inches in width and twenty-two inches in length. The only other supplies you need are:

spray starch

an iron

crochet thread

yarn needle

hot glue gun

decorative buttons

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I folded my strip of dropcloth in half and starched the heck out of it before ironing. Then, I simply ran a stitch along the rough edge and pulled it tight when I got to the end. The fabric forms a circular shape and it pleats nicely (thanks to the starch). Image

I knotted the thread and ironed over the pleats one last time.Now for the fun part – I found some really cute vintage buttons at Walmart that I placed in the center of each rosette. I got so carried away that I now have rosettes on picture frames, lampshades, and pillows!Image

The hubby told me NOT to place them on our appliances ♥. Okay, okay – so maybe I am not in control of my crafting.

A Romantic Evening at Home for this Craft-a-holic

Feb15
Defining Romance

Defining Romance

It’s Valentine’s Day! The most romantic day of the year – according to Hallmark and florists everywhere….right? So,  what was I thinking when my wonderful husband came home from work planning to take me out to dinner and my request was to spend a quiet evening at home? AM I NUTS!?!?  Have you ever looked up the definition of romance?  According to www.dictionary.com, romance is displaying or expressing love. Okay, I am at a stage in my life when nothing says romance like a quiet evening at home with my family. I am so fortunate that my husband knows and accepts that I am a homebody!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

By the way, my sweetie did quietly exit when I started watching romantic movies on T.V. (definition: fanciful, impractical, unrealistic) Ha!

Valentine’s Day… My Prince is Away, So Crafting I will Play!

Feb6

This is actually my very first blog post ever! My palms are sweaty and I feel like a skydiver ready to step out of the security of the airplane –  taking a plunge into something new, and yet, strangely excited to see what happens on my journey.

My name is Penny and I guess that you could say that this is my Mid-Life Crisis! Ha! I have always had a passion for writing and when time allows I am watching the DIY channel, pinning craft ideas on Pinterest, and recently I discovered Bloglovin’. Needless to say, I am like a junkie looking for my next creative fix. My family and friends can vouch for me – I am not crazy (As Sheldon on Big, Bang Theory would say, “My mother already had me tested”), I just love the idea of escaping from the world for a while and creating. I  recently made some really cute Valentine pillows out of leftover dropcloth, stencils, paint, and batting. I think they turned out pretty cute and I am anxious to share them with you.

After cutting out a heart pattern on freezer paper for a pattern, I traced it onto dropcloth. Then, I used stencils to decorate the hearts with white, acrylic paint. Simple, right? You could use red paint so that the pattern popped a bit more, but these are multi-purpose heart pillows. I have two friends whose daughters are getting married this summer and won't these pillows be precious for decorative purposes! Yep, two birds with one stone!

After cutting out a heart shape on freezer paper for a pattern, I traced it onto dropcloth. Then, I used stencils to decorate the hearts with white, acrylic paint. Simple, right? You could use red paint so that the pattern popped a bit more, but these are multi-purpose heart pillows. I have two friends whose daughters are getting married this summer. Wouldn’t these pillows be precious for decorative purposes? Yep, two birds with one stone!

This is a picture of the first pillows that I did. I added some 'bling' and I can't wait to show you what they look like now. I will take more pictures for next time, and I'll show you how to make some dropcloth rosettes.
This is a picture of the first pillows that I did. I added some ‘bling’ and I can’t wait to show you what they look like now.
I will take more pictures for next time, and I’ll show you how to make some dropcloth rosettes.