random.on purpose.

Half-baked project finished!

So, you may remember this painting from quite awhile back (two years ago, as a matter of fact):

When I bought the canvases for that project, they came in a pack of two and I bought two packs.  Since I only used three for the above painting, I had another blank canvas to play with.  I used only the blues and painted a background, fully intending to use Tim Holtz's Crazy Birds in some configuration on it.  I played around with various ideas and penciled them on large scrap papers and laid them on the canvas and NOTHING was working!  That canvas has been sitting unloved and unfinished in the guest room closet this whole time...

Recently, one of the girls on Splitcoast (bjeans) posted a thread about an item that she saw at Ikea.  It was this:

That sparked an idea immediately for how to finish the canvas with the Crazy Birds!  I wasn't able to execute the plan for a couple of weeks after getting the inspiration, but I finally managed it:

I obviously do not have anywhere near as many birds as the inspiration piece (not as many rows of twine and clothespins, either), but this is also smaller and it makes me happy just as it is!  I had originally intended to make the canvas a piece to go on the blank wall above the toilet in my guest bath, but I've decided that it needs to live in the guest bedroom/craft room instead.  It's going above the small desk where I sit to color and fussy cut...

I stamped the birds on watercolor paper, painted them with distress inks (Wild Honey, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean and Dusty Concord), then cut them out with the coordinating dies (bless Tim forever for creating those - these suckers are really difficult to fussy cut), then used Mod Podge to adhere them to the canvas and top-coat them.  The twine is stapled to the inside edge of the canvas frame on the back, and I already had the tiny clothespins (available at most craft stores and Walmart).

And that's the rest of the story!  Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!

 

 

Almost Instant, Almost Free Art

Good morning, all!  I still consider myself pretty high up the heirarchy of CHEAP royalty.  Case in point: some of the ways I add decor to my home.  Today's post features ways to decorate walls for next to nothing.  First up, this is what I have above the buffet in my dining area:

Here's a closeup of one of the pics:

All four of them cost a whopping $2.00!  I got the frames on clearance for 50 cents apiece, and the "art" is sections cut from this wallpaper border that I've had for a few centuries now:

Cut a section, stick it in the frame, repeat three more times, hang them all up - done!

On a shelf in my bathroom, we have this:

See that teeny-tiny frame on the teeny-tiny easel (which was a garage-sale find)?  I have a stack of Hallmark cards from "back in the day" that were watercolors by Marjolein Bastin.  The envelopes were decorated to match the cards.  That little bit of artwork in that little frame was cut from one of the envelopes.  I also use greeting cards themselves, sometimes:

The companion for this picture is a mix-up, collage-y type affair:

Some pretty silky fabric, a doily (one that my grandmother made), an ancient spoon (tarnish and all), some dried rosebuds, sheer ribbon and - you guessed it - a note card!  All found around my house for free...

We're turning our recently-finished basement into a music room of sorts (Greg just bought some drums and my bass guitar will now have a home more suitable than the guest room closet).  It's not a man-cave, exactly, but the decor is definitely not "foofy".  The way to go here?  Got any t-shirts from concerts or reunions or schools or whatever that you don't wear but don't want to trash?  Me, too!  I wrapped them around frames and pinned them in the back and hung them on the wall:

Greg's band used to play a lot of bike events and bars, so we've got a few shirts hanging around.  Quite a few pins from different rides, too.  I added those to fill up the expanse of black on the "Bikers for Bones" (Arthritis Foundation) shirt:

Take a look around your space and see what you can use to decorate without breaking the bank.  I'll bet you have more than you think!  Just think outside the box a bit and get creative...

That's it for today - thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Tutorial: Message Center Door (and a bonus trick)

Wondering where I've been?  Busy, busy over here!  My sister (Alice, two years younger than moi) sent me an email a week or two ago asking if it would be okay with me if she and her husband David came to visit.  What?!  OKAY?!  I was COMPLETELY stoked about the idea, and told her so!

Well, we all know that there's nothing like company coming to motivate us to finish up some projects that we've kinda sorta stalled on, and that was so the case here!  My studio/workroom was nothing short of nightmarish, and I was planning to put a bed in there for them, so something had to be done, for sure.  And then there was the half-baked project that I'm sharing a tutorial for today, that I decided to finish up...

When we moved into this house a year and a half ago, we were somewhat mystified by the positioning of the coat closet.  It is built into the area dividing the living room and the kitchen, with the door opening into the dining area (not really a separate room - sort of eat-in kitchenish, sort of open to the living room, too).  Awkward and ugly, in our opinion.

First we tried treating it like all the other doors and just painted the trim.  Not happy...  We tried camouflaging it by painting it - trim and all - the same color as the wall so it would (hopefully) disappear.  No go...  This is my final solution:

While it is the final solution for now, it is not the final solution forever - this closet is going to disappear (as in three of the walls removed) when we remodel the kitchen.  Meanwhile, I've converted it to a message center.  Here are a couple of the items included:

A magnetic chalkboard (more on this later),

A calendar, a few decorative pieces, and three "buckets" to hold mail, coupons, etc. (more on those later, too).

Want to convert your door, too?  Here's what you'll need:

• A roll of poultry netting (also known as chicken wire) - you can usually find it in the garden section of the home improvement store
• Enough "screen molding" (thin, flat strips - look over with the other moldings) to frame out all four sides of your door
• Enough decorative molding to frame out all four sides of your door
• A miter box and saw
• Wire cutters
• A heavy-duty staple gun and staples
• Small finish nails
• Hammer
• Nail set
• Spackle or other hole-filling medium
• Paint of your choice (I used Krylon Fusion, since I bought plastic molding to save $$)

And here's what you do:

Remove the door from its hinges (leave the hinge parts on the door, though), remove the doorknob and lay the whole thing flat on the floor.  Cut strips of the screen molding to fit around the edges (I didn't miter these - just butt-joined them) and staple them in strategic places all around to keep them in place.  You may want to "bend" the strips out a bit from the hinges so they don't interfere with the swing of the door once you re-hang it:

Very carefully, and preferably wearing thick work gloves, unroll and staple the poultry netting to the molding, trimming excess off of one side and the bottom.  I pre-painted mine with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint (that was tricky - you have to weight it down on each end because it wants to roll back up), but you can leave it silver and it will still look fine.  Also, you will need to bend the twisty-sticky-outy-things (technical term) on the edges down as you go:

After you get that all finished, take a break and enjoy a beverage and/or tasty snack to refuel your depleted energy reserves and so that you can admire what you've accomplished so far...  Wondering why I didn't mention anything about that hole where the doorknob belongs?  That's because I wanted you to ignore it in the previous step, just like I did!  Break time over?  Okay, moving on...

Get your wire cutters and take just a couple of very strategic snips of the mesh covering the hole:

When you replace the doorknob it will hold these wires in place, I promise, and will not interfere with the functioning of the door, I promise!  Now cut the framing pieces of the decorative molding to cover all of the glorious mess you made with wire and staples, mitering the corners.  Nail them to the screen molding in enough places to close up gaps and make everything look finished and tidy.Keep in mind that you may need to trim out some of the edges where the hinges are to accomodate the swing of the door.  Set the nails using the nail set.  Dab a bit of spackle to cover the holes and touch up with paint after the spackle dries.  Re-hang the door and replace the doorknob.

The door itself is finished, and you can use it just like that by clipping things all over it with clothespins (that's how I displayed my Christmas cards last season).  You can also get creative and add things by hanging them with S-hooks.  I re-vamped a magnetic dry-erase board into a magnetic chalkboard:

Here's how you do that:

"Scuff sand" your dry-erase board by sanding it fairly well with fine-grit (150 or 220) sandpaper to provide "tooth" so the paint will stick, then tape off the frame.  I didn't have enough blue painter's tape to finish the job, so I had to use regular masking tape, too:

Following manufacturer's directions, spray the entire surface with chalkboard paint.  I had to do four or five coats to get good, even coverage.  Remove the tape and hang your chalkboard up.  Be sure to cover the entire surface with the side of a piece of chalk to "season" it before you use it (after waiting at least 24 hours for the paint to dry, of course!)

I hung the calendar up simply by folding it backwards over a length of wire and hooking the wire around the poultry netting.  When I need to change months, I simply slide the previous page back behind the whole thing.  I'll have to take it down and re-do it along about June-July, though...

The "buckets" I'm using to corral mail and such started life as Christmas items:

Only $1 apiece on clearance and they're metal (magnets stick to them!) and that scallopy edge is perfect for hanging onto an s-hook:

I'm ignoring the polka dots and glitter for now, but next time I get ambitious, they're getting sanded and painted with my beloved oil-rubbed bronze spray paint.  Since they will hold magnets, I plan to make seasonal decorative pieces to decorate them with, and switch them around periodically.  I'll be sure to show you what I'm talking about once I get a couple of examples made...

The bird plaque things were from the garden section of Hobby Lobby.  I just added some ribbon through the holes in the top and stuck the s-hook into the loop of ribbon at the back to add them to the door.

I'm contemplating putting a larger something-or-other across the bottom of the door to hold newspapers or something, but haven't quite made up my mind on that.  I don't want to make the door too heavy, but it still looks a bit empty along the right side and the bottom...  Any ideas?

And that's all I have for you today!  I'll be back another day - hopefully soon - to show you the studio revamp.  Meanwhile, enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by!

 

Tutorial: CD Clock

As promised, here's a run-down on the clock-making project:

Materials needed:

• CD (preferably one you're up-cycling)
• Scrapbook paper of  your choice
• Sandpaper
• Decoupage medium (I used Royal Coat; others like Mod Podge)
• Washer (more on this below)
• Adhesive that will glue metal to plastic (I used E6000)
• Clock works (available at craft stores - look by the unfinished wood)
• Stamps and inks, if you want to add more to your paper
• Computer and printer, if needed (more on this below)

Before we start actually making the clock, it's necessary to do some preliminary layout with your paper of choice:

If you want to print a quote on it like I did, then play around with the font and spacing until you get it how you like it.  I used the high-tech method of printing it off on regular printer paper ("fast draft" option to save ink), then held it up to the light with the CD behind it to see where everything would be on the finished project.  Keep in mind that it needs to stay contained within a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" area, and that some of the edges will be cut off because the CD is round - plan accordingly.  After you get it how you'd like, send your actual scrapbook paper through on the regular print option to finish this step:

Alternately, you could stamp a quote or sentiment.  In this instance, you could just trace the outline of the CD onto scrap paper and play around with that until you get it to your liking.  This is also what you will do if you're stamping additional designs.

You also need to prep the CD.  First, "scuff sand" the CD with the sandpaper to give it "tooth", so the paper will adhere properly.  Otherwise, you might be able to peel the whole thing right off, and then where will you be?  Also, you'll need to glue a washer to the back of the CD.  The center hole on the CD is larger than the post on the clock works, so find a washer with an opening the appropriate size and glue it on (make sure it's centered).  I used E600, but you can use whatever works for you.  Here are pictures of these two steps:

Now that you have your paper and CD prepped, you're ready to move on.  Spread an even coat of decoupage medium onto the face of the CD, being especially careful to ensure that there is good coverage around the outer and inner edges, so they don't lift up when you add the clockworks or do the next step.  Smooth the paper on, making sure that it's centered properly.  Let the glue dry before moving on.

To get a nice, smooth edge all the way around, first do a rough cut to trim excess paper away, then use the sandpaper to file away the rest:

You'll also need to carefully cut away the paper covering the center hole.  I used a craft knife.

I wanted more of a finished outside edge, so I used a stubble tool and Black Soot Distress Ink to add some ink around the edges.  It's up to you if you want to do this or not. 

Now just put together the clock!  My clockworks didn't come with any instructions, but I did track down this diagram online:

And there you have it!

You can hang your clock on the wall with the built-in hanger on the clock movement, or set it on a small easel, or whatever floats your boat!  Have fun, and please send me a link if you decide to give it a try!

Tinfoil Tile and Other Kitchen Re-works

Hello again!  True to my word, I'm back with the first of the "big projects".  We've been doing more work on our house, concentrating on the kitchen this go 'round.  A remodel isn't in the budget right now, so we're just trying to make the existing crap-ola more palatable until we can do what we really want to do.

Here's the "after" picture of a corner of the kitchen that I'll be going into more detail about in a minute:

Just for contrast, here's the "before" (taken on our walk-through prior to closing when we bought the house last year):

I painted the countertops gray right after we moved in with Rustoleum Countertop Coating, and we tore out the peninsula/bar (on the right) and moved it to the sunroom so the kitchen was more open to the dining room and everything was less claustrophobic.  I also stripped wallpaper and painted.  I didn't decide what - if anything - I should do with the cabinets until a couple of weeks ago, though.

They are now painted black and have new hardware.  I also painted the walls in the kitchen and dining room a better color and we installed new vinyl tiles on the floor.  I still had this tile behind the stove, though:

Yes, I know the stove is yucky.  I have a brand-spankin'-new one in the basement waiting for our friend to install a gas line for us before we can bring it up, so I'm dealing with this monstrosity for now... 

Back to the tile project:  I saw this post on Vintage Revivals  (one of the blogs I've started following recently) and the ideas started stirring in Odd Brain.  This is what I did:

I got my Cuttlebug and my Shapeabilities dies and some excess cardstock and cut out a bizillion little shapes and decoupaged them to the tile (slight exaggeration - I think there are 150 or so of the fleur de lis, and 32 medallions).  They are arranged sort of checkerboard-style, with alternating rows of medallions and fleur de lis.  This is what that stage looked like:

Closeups of the individual tiles:

Next, I started decoupaging foil onto the tiles, pressing it into the spaces of the diecut shapes and around the edges for some definition.  I started around the edges because I wanted to get all of the straight stuff first, before I started tearing the foil into non-straight pieces:

Here's the whole deal covered in foil:

And a closeup:

After all of that was done, I tinted some glazing medium black and applied it to get this:

It's really hard to get a decent picture of a shiny wall, but the closeup shot gives you a better idea of what it really looks like:

It goes MUCH better with my black cabinets and gray counters!  All for a total cost of...$0.00!  I already had everything on hand to pull this project off - hooray!  I - on purpose - wasn't fussy about light-and-dark variations in the glazing.  I was going for an Old World, handmade type of look, so variation was in keeping with that...

Elsewhere in the re-do - this is the new floor tile:

and before (ugh!):

I still need to make a valance to go above the window and possibly come up with a new solution for the paper towels (since I'm noticing how un-lovely they are in the first pic), but I'm oh-so-happy with things so far!  MUCH better than the countrified, timeworn, not-me look the kitchen had before!

And that's the end of the story?  Thoughts?  Poems?  Anecdotes?

Thanks for stopping by, and check out the other fabulous things Mandi does over at Vintage Revivals - well worth the visit!  I'll be back with more a different day, too!

Organizing on the Prairie (Urban, that is...)

First things first:  If you downloaded a calendar from my post yesterday, DELETE IT FROM EXISTENCE!!!  I tweaked the templates to fix a typo (January 2010 was misspelled "Janauary"), and now they're formatted so you can stack and cut all four pages at once (see instructions in yesterday's edited post).  This will make your projects MUCH faster and easier to execute!

Why did I need a calendar, you might ask?  Well, Sherry's having a birthday tomorrow (Happy B-day again, GF!), and we got together yesterday to celebrate in true papercrafting-geek style!  She has developed some food allergy complication-type issues, so going out for lunch was not in the cards, and we've been trying to get together for-freakin'-ever to play with some of our stamping/crafting stuff, so she said for me just to come over and do that.  I asked if she wanted me to come up with the "project du jour" and she was stoked to not have to think of something, so we made these:

 

It's a coaster box/desk organizer thingy, made with coasters and Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers...  This side has the calendar (no duh, right?).  The other three sides are:

 

A dry-erase side (transparency cut same size as coaster and attached over the top of the paper - I tried it and it really works!)

 

A cork board side...  I have some thumbtacks around here somewhere that I'm going to add bling to to use here, but I haven't located them yet - may have to buy more...

 

A Post-It and flag side...  Where are the flags, you're most likely wondering?  Yeah, still at the office supply store - I'll buy them when I get my new thumbtacks, I guess.  They'll go next to the little bee...

Want to make one of your own?  Splitcoast Stampers has complete instructions here.  I made a couple of changes.  The first one is that I followed Sherry's thought of punching holes in the bottom coaster and looping the ribbon through them, instead of gluing the bottom on:

  

and I made a divider for the inside.  To make the divider, cut 1/4" off the top of two coasters (cover both sides with dp first), then slit one halfway up from the bottom, and the other halfway down from the top, then slide them together and slide the whole unit inside the coaster box.  I don't have anything holding them in place, they sort of just stay there on their own.  And that's the whole story!

Sherry says I should post the card I gave her here, even though I posted it already looooong, long ago!  She mentioned when I first made it that she wanted it, but I never got around to giving it to her until yesterday (great friend, huh?!)  Anyway - here it is (again):

 

Okay - I'm out, kiddos!   Have a great weekend, and see you next week!

Gifts for the Girls

I finally have a quick minute to update here...  Christmas was really nice this year - totally low-key and quiet (which I like).  Even so, there was still a fair bit of hustle and bustle prior to the doings, and I haven't been online all that much. 

The girls I used to work with still include me in a lot of their gatherings, and I was invited to their Christmas party and gift exchange.  This is what I made for them:

They are wooden "cigar box" purses with bamboo handles that I found at Michael's and put some goodies in, and some candle tins I also found at Michael's.  I used papers from K & Company's "Hannah" Scrap Pad to Go, and inks from CTMH, as well as some gold paint and Royal Coat Decoupage Medium. 

This is Della's:

   

This is Jacquelyn's (my personal favorite):

   

This is Judy's:

   

And this is Kim's:

   

I wasn't all that thrilled with all the black on the pens, so next go 'round I'll have to try a different type (maybe the stick pens wrapped with adhesive sheets and beaded or something), but other than that I was kind of pleased with how they turned out.  The other two items are a Post-It note holder and an altered mini composition book.  The girls all loved them, so I was happy about that, too!

I have a couple of things in the works for the New Year that I will hopefully be sharing tomorrow, so check back!  Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve!