Operation beautify your home: Laundry Room

I have been working on making my house a little more put together, a little more cohesive, a little more not so much a showcase for our yucky mismatched furniture, but a shabby chic paradise.   My first project was the kitchen that you all ready know of, my second the utility room.  This room is going to be my owl room. In reality I am the ONLY person that spends any time in this room so I am making it into something I LIKE!  I started with redoing some of the picture frames that were in the room, then I made a canvas, then a quote, and next was the first owl.  Today I made the second owl, and started working on the third and forth (those two won't make their appearance for a blog post or two).

Today addition was inspired by a quilt hoop that my mother-in-law gave me about 10 years ago. I held onto it thinking I would do a large cross stitch and would need it for that.  NOPE that won't happen so I got it down and thought about what I could do.  Since I usually work in paper I decided I needed a change of pace. I chose felt. I have a massive pile of felt that I stamp on and make into flowers.  Since I have it by the yard it works perfect in the hoop.

I chose a blue for the background, and free handed cut out things from the felt. Since it was a laundry room I chose a clothesline and owl design.

I glued the shapes onto the felt and had all ready planned I would stitch around the pieces.  This was the fun part. I used some of my stitches I learned from cross stitching.

When I was all finished with the sewing I painted the hoop black and I have the perfect addition to another wall in the laundry room.

Woodrow's Place

Today I am talking about this "ugly" little statue that greeted us the first time we looked at our new house.  He was sitting on the sidewalk as you approached the front door.  He was NOT in good shape, but I liked him.  He had character, and his presence was welcoming.  When we looked at the house the second time, I felt of him and notice he was solid concrete.  A good sturdy dog.  In my mind, I started referring to the houses we saw as names to help remember things about them, this one I called "The Dog House".  I honestly never dreamed he would still be there once we closed on the house, but he WAS!  My husband didn't like him (and still does not), but I loved him and I am not even a dog person.  I was excited to let him stay and I wanted to name the house after him because he was his place.  Since I have this obsession with all things Presidential, I started calling him "Woodrow" instead of "dog" and this because "Woodrow's Place" to me.  I really want to keep him so I had to make him look good so he did not disappear while I was at work (I am still worried that will happen).  Here is a little before and after of what Woodrow looked like when we purchased to what he looks like today.

The chair

A month or so ago, my friend had a chair for sale.  Another friend of mine bought it and gave it to me to paint for her office.  I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. I made a couple of sketches and  did some internet research but in the end I thought about the personality of my friend.  She likes owls, her school colors are green, she is a child of God, and she's pretty awesome.  She needed a chair to fit her uniqueness. I scrapped all previous ideas and painted it in her school colors first.

I had made a bird and an owl for this friend but wasn't sure how or why to give it to her.  This chair was going to be perfect.  With the way the chair was made I thought I could fashion a tree from it.  A tree with branches to hold the bird and the owl.

Here is the finished product:

The bird and owl are made from plastic grocery bags. I took the bags and fashioned them into the shape I needed but using duct tape.  This was a very long process.  They were flimsy, but I wasn't done.  The next step was to make a paper mache with mod podge.  I used many many many layers of newspaper and glue.  I let dry for a week.  Then I made a texture paste and covered the outside of each animal in a thick layer.  I used my fingers to make bumps along each animal body to make it look more real.  This dried for two weeks because I went on vacation....when I came back to them they were hard as rocks.  Very lightweight but very hard.  PERFECT!!!

The chair was painted first with gesso to give the surface a bit of tooth.  I then painted the whole thing green to match my friend's office and school colors.  After that dried I painted on a background of a tree branch.   Next, I took a stencil and wood icing (both purchased from Ephemera Paducah www.ephemerapaducah.com) and added some tree bark and texture.  Once that dried I started painting on leaves.  I added the bird and viola we have a painted chair. 

The Whitman Sampler makeover

Since I was a very small child, I have ADORED Whitman's Samplers. It has only been in recent years that I have felt I am worthy of the $10 per box price tag.  I have been saving all the boxes because they are such high quality boxes. With the encouragement and idea of a friend of mine, I have been making them as Blessing Boxes.  The recipient would put blessings, prayer requests, or general thoughts into the box.  At the end of the year the box is opened and you read through all of your papers.  Were your prayers answered?  Did you remember how blessed you were?  Are you grateful for what God has given you?

You could also share the box with a friend and you two read through each others....which is what my friend and I plan on doing. 

This Mother's Day weekend, I decided I would decorate 4 of them.   This also prepares me for a class that I plan on teaching at one of our local places (I plan on doing a blog entry about this awesome place soon, I just need some photos), Ephemera Paducah (don't you just LOVE that name?)

Oh I get sidetracked so easily, these boxes are done in 4 different styles. I tried to be as far apart as I could be in the themes of each box.

Box #1-Down Memory Lane. Like McCall's or Buttericks.  Boy does this theme take me back to my childhood.  My mom would let us look at the pattern books at Hancock's.  She would let us pick out the fabric and buttons and she would whip us up with a new dress!  This box takes me right back to those days.  I have used some vintage items from my Mom-in-law's sewing basket.  A pink zipper, lace, buttons, a tape measure, a needle and thread, pins, and snaps on the original card. The paper used is Lucille by Basic Grey (the calico reminds me of the fabric mom would have used to make dresses for me-actually this paper looks very much like the fabric of the dress I am wearing in my first grade picture) and Bountiful by Creative Memories. 

Box #2-Owl watch over you.  This one is a paper piecing and took HOURS!  I did not draw out patterns for the owl, tree, or moon. I just cut.  The paper is Que Sera Ra by K&Co.  This box has almost a flat appearance, but if you look closely at the box you can see all the layers of paper. Flowers by Prima.  Black pen by Sharpie.




















Box #3-Be creative.  I painted this girl onto paper and didn't know what to do with her.  I got this great stamp from Tim Holtz that featured angel type wings.  It was perfect for the girl.  This box features stamps by Hampton Arts, Tim Holtz, and Technique Tuesday.  Die cuts from K&Co, flowers by Prima.  Embossing Powder by Stampendous.  This girl makes me happy because she is feel to do what she wants in her artwork...yeah she's me.  Patterned paper is Wild Raspberry by K&Co.
















Box #4-God's Blessings.  Butterflies and birds fly all over the beautiful summer flowers.  What an amazing gift God has given us.  We should take time to reflect on the beauty in this world and not the negative.  Doily a found object.  Bird and table chipboard by Pink Paislee.  Flowers by Prima.  Card was given to me by my friend.


The greatest thing about altering something is you don't have to do it like anyone else's. You can use your creative nature to creative whatever.  Maybe you box will not be a Blessings box.  Maybe yours will hold love letters....maybe jewelry....maybe greeting cards.   Maybe you will take off the lid and use the box to display items you collect.  Maybe you want to keep some of the integrity of the original box.  Think outside the box.  Don't let anyone limit what YOU like.

If you decide altering a box is for you and live in Paducah, you can come to my workshop on June 6.  I will show you how and hopefully how to free your spirit.

Seeking His Grace: Blessings/Prayer box

I had this box I was covering. It was not just any regular box, it was a glorious Whitman's sampler chocolate box.  I had covered it in K&Co paper (not sure of which line...it came from a best of pack and the pack did not list the names).

 I had mentioned it to my friend, Valerie and she came up with the idea of a blessings or prayer box.  It was very fitting for such a wonderful box.  We weren't sure what to call it and we talked back and forth for a couple of days with ideas, finally this morning she came up with "Seeking His Grace".  It was PERFECT for our project.

I used Mod Podge in a matte finish to adhere the paper to the box and to give it the finish it needed.  To do the lid and the bottom, I tore little strips of the K&Co paper and decoupaged the tiny bits to the box. The sides were measured and cut to fit.  I also covered the inside bottom and inside of the lid.  

The outside of the lid was decorated in a chipboard branch and paper bird that I had.  The flowers and letters are from Prima.

I think our project turned out to be fantastic!  

Friendship album side 2 and Make Time to Create clock

This post doesn't need a lot of words as you got most of what this album is a post or so ago.  This is side two of a friendship album that I purchased at Michael's for $.50.  I wanted you to see what side two looked like.

The other project here is a clock.  Now I made this clock about 7 years ago, but the adhesive I had at the time (xyron) did not stick well once shut up inside a clock....and the result was that the clock stopped working because the hands stuck to the lettering.   This time I used Aleene's glue, let it dry overnight and then put it inside a cheap $3.97 clock purchased from Wal-mart.  I think this time it will work.  I did not change any part of the design, it looks just like it did when I won a blue ribbon at the McCracken County fair for the first clock.

"What are you going to do with this canvas"

That is what the lady at Michael's asked me.  You may be saying "what a dumb question".....no not really.   This canvas was on clearance.  It was $2.35 for 2 canvases.  One was in perfect condition, the other had a giant hole in the middle!!!

My first step was to color the canvas. I used Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Broken China, and Dusty Concord Distress Inks by Tim Holtz.   Once I finished that, I spritzed the canvas with water and let some of the colors run together.  I even sprayed some Sterling Silver Michelle's Musings misting paint on the canvas.

 Next I  would have to cover the hole...which is what I told the lady at Michael's I was going to do.  I took a piece of chipboard and covered it in leftovers from my Blue Awning pad by K&Co.  I adhered this piece to the front of the canvas. I used Aleene's tacky glue and used a brayer to make sure the glue was everywhere. I could not afford any gaps in this because there is a giant hole underneath.  The next step was to cover the hole on the other side of the canvas. My business card covered the back just fine so I glued it there.

Finally came the embellishments....this was sort of inspired by a story I read about France giving America the Eiffel Tower. So the canvas has an American/French theme.  I used blues and reds in most of the piece.