Spring Break projects

Since we ran out of money, our spring break plans were a no go.  I decided to make a giant list of things that needed to be done around the house.

1.  Paint John's old childhood cabinet to put in utility room-I did this using paint leftover from the house and tied it to the colors I just did in the utility room.

2.  Redo the shelves and paint the dryer pipe-I used red spray paint on the pipe, and scrapbook paper on the shelves.

3.  Make a message board for family-I used an old frame from Grandma's house.  Inserted scrapbook paper where you normally put a photo.  Got some dry erase markers and some flowers.  Put it all together and wow a message board.

4.  Make new curtains for kitchen-I found some great fabric in Indianapolis at Wal-mart.  One was $1 per yard the other $3 per yard

5.  Install new kitchen sink-proved to be more difficult than we thought because the people we bought our house from (the flippers as I call them) cut the hole out themselves.  It was not straight and it was odd shaped....that may be why they used a mobile home sink (you can have one of these free in my garage).  It was a 5 inch deep double pan sink, and I have hated it every day for 7.5 years.  Now I have a 8.5 inch deep sink!

6.  For my birthday last year, I bought the lumber and my dad donated his skills to build me some bookcases.  That was last July, and I was just now painting them.

7.  Paint the back door-I wanted to paint the inside of the panels on the door leading to the garage.  I also wanted to paint a saying on there.

8.  Paint kitchen trashcan-we had the nastiest can in the world.  A blue can that they sell at Wal-mart.  (why do they make all the cans blue or white and just nasty?)  I painted it with Rustoleum black paint for plastics.  It is like a new can and fits the color scheme of my room.

9.  Use the left over transformation kit and paint the bath cabinet


Hope you enjoy the photos of my week of projects.  

A crowning birthday

I absolutely LOVE to wear a crown for my birthday. I don't know why I do it...but I do.

For years I have worn cheap children's crowns, but this year, going on 41, I should probably wear a grownup crown.  I decided to make one that reflected who I am. A keepsake crown...that's HUGE!

I started by drawing out a pattern.  This proved to be a tad challenging, as I wanted two layers to the crown.  I had to match up the layers so that it all made sense. Therefore, I had to cut out each pattern and put them together to see if they worked.  Making the patterns took me about 2 hours of trial and error and (insert GASP here) MEASURING.

Once I got the pattern like I wanted it, I drew it on the back of a pizza box.  I used Jack's pizza 4 pack pizza box.  It worked out perfectly to fit the two layers onto one pizza box.  Then I cut it out.

I decided to decorate every single side of the crown.  The insides (the sides facing toward the inside of the crown) were made using pages from "Song of the Siren" and a sheet of K&Co paper.  I mod podged these papers to the crown then I let dry.  The next step was to trim the edges.

I did not take photos of the next stages...my hands were covered in mod podge and I was the only person awake so there was no way I could photograph these steps.

Once the inside was dry, I took K&Co polka dotted paper (Wild Saffron) paper and tore into long strips. I adhered with mod podge to the front of the inside layer.  I then took pink Bohemia paper by MME and glued in full to the small outer layer.  I mod podged both of the crown pieces.

The embellishments were made by making a  two 2x12 inch wide strips and 1x12 inch strip and using my scoring board I made rosettes.  I took Domestic Goddess paper by Graphic 45 (I simply LOVE their paper) and used for the main lady and the top lady on the left.  The lady below on the left is a 1920 stamp I have (I do not have a brand name).  I glued dream chipboard to the smaller rosette and the larger of the two ladies and glue to the larger rosette.   Added a dragonfly and some tulle.

All inks are by Tim Holtz. Glues are Aleene's and Mod Podge in matte.  Sparkles provided by Stickles (Tim Holtz), lace by 7 Gypsies.

This is going to be a great birthday!  Happy 41, Michelle

A bag for all your essentials

One day I was perusing the clearance at Hobby Lobby and found this gem of an item.  A cardboard purse.  It was in HORRIBLE shape.  It would have been very nice before it was scratched, torn, and bubbled....it was $1.40.  For a bargain like that I had to snatch it.  I took it home and pondered on it for a few weeks.  Today, I pulled it out of the cabinet and noticed the inside was actually in good condition. I could save it.  The inside was black with a black and white striped paper.  Pink was the obvious choice, but I had no chic pink patterned paper.  I saw these two sheets of Curtain Call paper by Graphic 45.  To say I LOVE this paper would be a vast understatement. I have all ready used one entire pad of it and I am pretty sure I have bought enough single sheets to equal a second pad.  The two sheets from today feature old movie posters.  The first one to catch my eye was the Clara Bow movie. I adore her!  Her role in Wings is one of my all time favorites (I think it was made in 1927). It's a silent film well worth your time.  The restoration they have done is extraordinary and the music is pretty grand as well.  Anyhoo, this was my theme. I decided I would go with a paper red Bazzil for the pop of color.

The scrabble letters are from John's boyhood game, the 20's is made with Tim Holtz grunge board (I love the smell of that stuff), all inks are Tim Holtz Distress Ink, glues are Aleene's Tacky and Mod Podge, ribbon is from a CKC booth, gears are 7 gypsies, car is from John's old Monopoly game, tulle from a wedding I attended, black and white polka dotted paper was given to me.

This keepsake is for sale for $20.  Thanks for viewing my stuff. 

An owl in the tree

Here is the completion of the textured tree that covered the three canvas I worked on last week.


Today I drew a screech owl!  I used green paper (sorry I don't know the line of paper it was a gift) and cut out two wings.  I used many layers to achieve the look of feathers. I inked the edges of each layer with frayed burlap and vintage photo Distress Ink.

 The middle of the owl was made using the same line of paper, only I stamp a french script onto it.  I brushed brown, orange and white paint in it to simulate feathers. The head was dry brushed with black soot and walnut stain ink and also black and brown paint.  The top of the head was made from green paper from the aforementioned paper line (why oh why don't I have the name of it?).  I painted the eyes, beak and talons.  I think he turned out wonderful.

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.

I am blessed beyond measure....

There's this girl I work with...well there are many wonderful ladies in our building, but today I am focusing on one.  Heather....I was having a fairly rough day...well week.  And after Heather came in the office and gave me a pep talk...quoted some scripture and generally made me feel better, she left to do her job.

Sometime around lunch she brought me a carrot cake cupcake from Cass & Co., which happens to be the best place to get cupcakes in the whole city of Paducah.

The box was pretty awesome so I took it home and took it apart.  I realized I could cover the box.  I covered the box with papers both inside and out.  I decorated it up a bit and left it on Heather's desk....now she can choose to put a gift inside it and give to someone else.

Here is one of the verses she shared with me:
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help  you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"

Now how can you have a bad day after reading that???


I tell you what, I am so blessed by the people that I work with....every single day so many blessings. 

"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.

The chipboard album...that became the unalbum

Here is another of my $.50 finds.  This album started as a Christmas Tree album.  Since I have no intention of making a Christmas album at this time of year...but I had no idea what I was going to do, I gessoed each page until I got an idea.

After the gesso dried, I decided to cut each album page into a triangle.  The triangles would make perfect pennant pages!!


The next step was to cover the page....I found a partial album by K&Co....I have no idea of the name it came in a best of K&Co paper pack and they did not list the name.




I was making this for my gift of 2013 promise to six people, and my niece Susan was one of the people to get gifts.  Susan likes pink so this is a darker pink, but pink none the less.  After I covered the triangles, I embellished. I used some left over letters, a piece of a necklace, Hambly Screen Prints transfers, Prima flowers, leftover ribbon, gems, charms and wire.