A few weeks ago I when I finished my Petite Patio I linked up my blog post with Thrifty Decor Chick's Spray Paint Party and found some more spray paint inspiration from Made By Megg and her Blue Elephant pedestal.
I was so inspired that I pinned It onto my Landscaping Inspiration Board so that I wouldn't forget that I wanted to spray paint my pedestal RED!
It’s time to say farewell to twenty-ten and what better way to do that than to join in on a couple of blog link parties that are celebrating your best of twenty-ten! So today I am showcasing what were my favorite projects this year and sharing them on Rhoda's blog party "Top Projects of 2010" on her blog, Southern Hospitality. Then since some of these projects were actually Room Re-Do's I am also linking up to The Lettered Cottage's link party, A Few of My Favorite: Room Re-Do's for 2010.
Continue reading "Farewell Twenty-Ten and Happy New Year!" »
Back in November, Sew,Mama,Sew!teamed up with one of my favorite ladies Teresa Van Hatten, The Green Bag Lady. Teresa has been making and giving away cloth grocery bags for several years and at the last count there were nearly 14,000 Green Bag Lady Bags. In fact I have been the lucky recipient of three Green Bag Lady bags and was lucky enough to share one of the Holiday Bags with my niece Cortney in California ;) This year, Sew,Mama,Sew! and Teresa have combined their by organizing a holiday sewing project and they have asked all of us bloggers and readers to join in:
Fact 1: US consumers generate 4 million tons of wrapping paper and shopping bag waste during the holiday season alone.
Fact 2: The US goes through 100 billion single-use plastic grocery bags every year.
Fact 3: This year, you can make a difference!
Continue reading "WFMW: Green Gift Wrapping This Holiday Season" »
Just Do It! Remember a few weeks back when I posted about joining this bag swap?
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Sew, Mama, Sew! was celebrating the release of Amy Butler’s newest book, Amy Butler’s Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags! To kick-start the celebration, Sew, Mama, Sew hosted a Super Style Bag Swap! AND...The great news was that you DID NOT have to be a super-experienced seamstress to participate...boy was this swap for me or what ;) So I challenged myself to stretch my sewing skills and to get my head around it and you know what to...JUST DO IT! |
Well, for me, I do better when I have a plan...a detailed, organized plan...a.k.a...a PATTERN...
Anyone who knows me...knows that I'm not about re-inventing the wheel! Especially when this bag was going to someone else and I wanted to make sure that it had straight lines...lol So as I've stated before: What Works-for-Me...when I'm sewing for others...a pattern, in this case McCall's 4551 ;)
Continue reading "You Can Do It! Sew a Super Stylin' Bag that is..." »
Congratulations Cortney you are the winner of the Modular Mates ® II Giveaway!
Hello! It's me...Carl's friend is over and let me use his laptop. YAY! I made it just in time for you giveaway. I am obviously a folower and I just signed up for the new e-mail subscription. I also posted a link on my side bar about the giveaway. I hope a lot of my peeps come over and check it out. I can imagine using these in my classroom for all the snack food that I keep stocked for the kids. I always have open bags of chips, pretzels, marshmellows, skittle, gummy bears...and so on and I'm sick of all the bags. I need these!!! Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway!
Posted by: Cortney Lyon | October 09, 2010 at 01:21 AM
Cortney is receiving this set of slightly-loved, Modular Mates® and I'm so happy that everyone appreciated another one of my GREEN GIVEAWAYS! Cortney I'm sending you an email so that I can get these shipped out to you asap, so that you can CLEARLY organize your cabinets. I want to thank everyone who participated and to welcome you all as the newest subscribers to my blog.
Almost forgot to pick a winner today because I've been so busy working on this fun project!
SHHH....don't tell anybody...it is TOP SECRET...
How about you...what are you working on for today's Wednesday's Workshop?
Cause inquiring minds want to know...leave a comment and a link back to your blog post :)
Fondly, Roberta
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This week, Sew, Mama, Sew! is celebrating the release of Amy Butler’s newest book, Amy Butler’s Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags! All week Sew, Mama, Sew! will be sharing a project from the book, a video from Amy Butler, a review of the book and a surprise or two. Plus, every day you’ll have a chance to win a copy of Amy Butler’s Style Stitches...(they are giving away 5 copies ;) To kick-start this week's celebration they are hosting a Super Style Bag Swap! The great news is that you DO NOT have to be a super-experienced seamstress to participate. So what are you waiting for...JUST DO IT! |
It's Back-to-School around Kristen's home today and she has an awesome Dayspring giveaway for three random Works-for-Me WEDNESDAY participants today!
WHAT I am sharing with you today that...Works-for-Me is...setting DEADLINES ;)
Continue reading "WFMW: Wednesday's Workbook: The {21} Challenge 2010" »
Not last week...but the week before (sounds like a jump-rope cadence ;) we were on vacation in Daytona Beach, Florida and as always, I bring along a few art supplies with me so that I can work in ANY of my art journals if I should feel INSPIRED...
For this week's edition of WFMW, Kristen is blogging about what works for her in the summer...you can read all about it here!
What Works-for-Me, every summer (for the past two summers that is :), are Theresa McFadden's, Art Journaling E-Workshops! Theresa has done it again with her latest e-workshop, Between the Lines, which you can purchase at any time on her website: Paper Bella Studio.
I was so excited to open up my email after the holiday weekend and find my access code for Between The Lines, the 3rd Art Journaling Online Workshop that Theresa has created ;)
Just like Theresa's previous e-zines, A Write Place, Write Time and A Journal of Interest, for me, the best part is that you can work at your own pace! Theresa offers wonderful, detailed instructions and suggestions for how to personalize your art journal and to find your own creative style. This summer's 3rd workshop offers even more techniques and free downloads in each of the 12 lessons. AND Theresa is doing something brand this summer by offering art prompts that will inspire us all.
Continue reading "WFMW: Wednesday's Workbook: Art Journaling E-Zines" »
This week's Pink Saturday post is actually a Wednesday's Workshop feature because I'm going to show you all how I put together last week's Bloggerette SororityRush Ribbon. I received a lot of sweet comments and emails from alot of my Sisters so I thought it would be fun to share how I assembled my Rush Ribbon Project.
First, just know that I didn't go out and buy alot of items to make this other than a few of the ribbons and some charms. The rest of the stuff I had on hand and really just wanted to see what I could come up with so that it didn't cost alot of money and time. My original inspiration came from memories of award ribbons and I thought that I could just purchase some gathered ribbon or trim at the craft or fabric stores...NOT! Did you know that they make special sewing machine feet that gather and make ribbon trims...and for the award ribbon industry...yeah there is one...for horse races, etc...they have this great big industrial machines for it. They are like a big production, tool and dye thing...who knew!
Continue reading "Pink Saturday: It's a Wednesday's Workshop" »
This week I'm combining Kristen's link-up for Works-for-Me WEDNESDAY along with my Wednesday's Workbook feature post because I'm going to show you all...what Works-for-Me when...
I'm sewing Little Dresses for Africa...cool beans ;)
What Works-for-Me for me you ask? A pattern that's what! Specifically McCall's Pattern #5419:
The organization Little Dresses for Africa offers some great instructions and a PDF file to download a template with instructions for cutting your pillowcases and/or fabrics...but it is not a real pattern with actual cut lines and I had visions that some sweet little girl in Africa would be pulling at her armpits all day because I cut her dress armholes all wonky :}
Continue reading "WFMW: Wednesday's Workbook: Sewing Little Dresses" »
You all are probably scratching your head as you read the title for this post and asking yourselves..."Sew What? and Why?" ha! ha! Well there are a couple of really good explanations as to why I'm taking the time this week to sew vinyl covers for two items that will be on my patio...especially when I am also trying to get ready for a yard sale this weekend...eeekkkkk!
ACTUALLY the yard sale is the main reason...because I am trying to clear out the second storage unit that we have had to have ever since we moved here to the Love Shack! Most of the stuff in storage is going into the yard sale but, there are a few things that I refuse to part with. Which meant that I had to find a place for them and the only place available is on my patio. But since they require coverage from the elements...I decided to make vinyl covers to protect them...hope this makes sense...lol
Also...back when I posted about my Vanity Re-Vamp...I promised to show you all how to make a simple cover for an ottoman...and since the same sewing instructions were required for making the vinyl covers for the items going on my patio...I decided to kill two birds with one stone and just demo that for you today :}
First up is my Rolling Cart that I use for my Spray Paint Work Station and it use to sit on my covered balcony at our apartment in Charlotte...here's a photo to remind you:
The second item is a Wicker Hope Chestthat I have had for years...got this in Taiwan when we lived there over 35 years ago...wow! The wicker is actually vinyl coated and can take high humidity and moisture and I use to have it in my master bathroom when we lived in Charlotte...but there is no room in the house for it now.
Inside this chest I store alot of recyclable items that are old tins, plastic bottles and boxes, etc., that I use for Altered Art. You can see in the above photo that the materials used in the construction of the inside of this chest are wood and therefore it cannot take being outside all the time in the elements...hence the need for a vinyl cover.
So there is not need to purchase a pattern when sewing simple covers for your household furnishings...simply start by taking all the measurements:
Again...you need the length, width (or depth) and the height.
Then you need to sit down with a pad of paper, a calculator and your measurements for your household items as well as the width of your fabrics. Depending on the circumference (the total area of all four sides) of your furnishings, your will need to cut a piece of fabric for your top and one or two pieces for the sides. For the rolling cart I only had to cut two pieces and for my chest, I had to cut three pieces because it was so much bigger all around.
So once you have cut your pieces, pin together and sew the first side-seam using a regular 1/2-inch seam allowance. Then I placed the fabric around the outside of my chest and measured for the finished circumference again.
In the above photo, you can see that the second side-seam has excess fabric and it needs to be trimmed. Because this is an inexpensive piece of fabric, I didn't worry about being "exact" when I was cutting the two sides from my 54"-wide vinyl.
So I have an excess of 12-inches that needs to be trimmed and because I want BOTH of my side-seams to be in the middle of the ends of the chest, I simply line up the two sides together (you can pin them if you like) and trim off 6-inches from each end.
Next, I pinned the second side-seam and ran it through my sewing machine, again with a 1/2-inch seam allowance as shown in the above photo.
Once you have finished sewing your side seams, you can pin the bottom to the top...
Now, I like to start by pinning one end and proceeding down both sides and then placing my pinned piece onto my furnishings to get an accurate, final fitting.
Now my top piece is a little too long for my bottom piece...so I need to trim about an inch and finish pinning...this is why I like to fit my piece as I go so that I can get a good final fit :D
Here is a close-up of how I pin my corners...I find it easier to fold and pin the fabric from underneath the edge that I'm pinning for sewing...and then go back and pin the tops and then remove the pins from underneath before sewing...this usually gives me a nice mitered corner.
So here in the above photo, you can see the top piece pinned all around to the bottom piece...and it looks like the top is a bit small at this point...but not to worry! That is because the pin sides are taking up much more fabric than the actual sewn sides will and it will lay nice and flat.
Now, it may seem like a lot of extra work to lay-out and pin your fabric on top of your actual furnishings, but you will know if your top is too large for your bottom...because there will not be enough fabric to go pin all the way around your top. AND you'll know if your top is too small for your piece when you have excess fabric on your sides to pin to the top. SO...I choose to avoid that by first, sewing the side-seams and then re-measuring before sewing the second side-seam...and THEN...adjusting my top to my bottom by pinning it on top of the actual furnishings and trimming the top if needed...as I've shown so far...it's a personal preference...that's all :D
OKAY...back to sewing...sew the top the bottom by using a narrow seam-allowance...I just use the pressure foot on my sewing machine.
Remove all the pins and REMEMBER to trim your corners before turning your finished piece, right-side out.
Now because this is vinyl when you cut it...the fabric does not fray so you do not need to turn up any extra fabric for "seam allowances" when hemming vinyl.
For my chest, I want the cover to rest on top of the legs and not to go down to the floor...so I'm measuring my finished hem accordingly. I'm simply turning the raw edges up 1-1/2 inches, pining them in place for easy sewing and running them through the machine.
Here is a photo of the finished bench cover on my patio...sew simple :D The only thing I need to do now is to spray the legs and the inside cover and bottom of the chest with some varnish to protect the exposed wood from the elements.
For my rolling cart, I only had one side seam because I had enough fabric to cut one continuous piece to wrap around it's circumference. So I simply pinned the top to the sides and double checked it before sewing the top to the bottom as explained for the chest.
The big difference in this cover is that I wanted an elastic bottom to further protect the contents of the cart as well as to keep the vinyl from getting caught up in the wheels of the cart. SO...I measured for the finished hem and sewed it as previously described for my chest...BUT to add the elastic I cut a piece of elastic a big shorter than the circumference of the cart...then...I put a large safety pin into the end of the elastic and cut a small slit on the inside part of the finished hem...just large enough to fit the safety pin through.
Once I pulled the elastic all the way through the hem of the cover, I put it on-top of the cart and tested how tight my elastic bottom was.
Once I was satisfied with the bottom, I trimmed my elastic and pinned the two ends together and sewed it together by hand with heavy duty. quilting thread to secure it before pulling it all the way through the slit I originally cut in the vinyl hem.
AND now I'm all done with this cover as well...yeah! I know that as I post about making these covers, it seems like a lot of work...but it actually took me less than 3 hours, from start to finish, to make both of these covers. It took me longer to write this blog post...ha! ha! The end result is so worth it...especially when I got this vinyl on sale for less than $12.00 at Hancock Fabrics...and I still have some left...hmmm...what else can I cover?
Hope this post has helped you all feel like you can try making some covers for things in your home...so many possibilities...like kitchen appliance covers, printer covers, ottomans, benches...oh my!
AND if you need some more inspiration...be sure to hop on over to:
Months ago, I talked about making new soft furnishings for my bedroom, primarilary for my vanity...and now it's going on a year (and another move) and, FINALLY...I've started...yeah! I was motivation to do something because my fabrics were highlighted in this recent houzz ideabook, and it made me realize that I had better get busy :D
So...first things first...is to take measurements:
I needed the height and the depth of the side panels/curtains for my vanity...here you can see how they are simple rod-pocket panels that hang from sash rods that are attached to the edges of my vanity top.
Once I have my measurements, I sit down and draw my own patterns and determine the length/width of my fabrics to be cut...
Since these are simple rod-pocket panels I simply take the height of the vanity with is 29 1/2" tall and I add 1 1/2" for the rod pocket and 1 1/2" for the hem which is 32 1/2 inches total but I rounded it off to 33 inches for my final cut to give me some play since I will be gathering these panels...alot...and that always takes away from the finished length. The width/depth of the vanity sides are 17 inches and because I'm using drapery/upholstery fabric it has a wideth of 54". If I cut a width of this in half to make two panels, then the finished width would be 27 inches...less the side seams/hems of 1 inch each...that would give me a final finished panel of 25 inches and with a 17 inch vanity side...8 inches is just not enough gathered fabric...SO...to make a long story short...I'm using an entire width of fabric for each side so that I have a lot of gathered fullness...YEAH!
So now I have to cut my two panels of 33 inches from my roll of fabric...
Ha...and since I do not have a lot of space here, at the Love Shack, to roll out my fabric...I'm making do with the kitchen floor...MAINLY because it has some nice grout "lines" to help me measure...
As in most cases when you buy fabric...it does not have a nice straight edge when you get it home...SO I line up my selvedge edge...with my nice straight "grout lines" on my kitchen floor and then with my "T" ruler, I make a straight line all the way across the 54-inch edge with blue sewing chalk.
For me...this is one of the most important parts when you start a sewing project...A STRAIGHT EDGE! Especially if you have fabric with a pattern...nothing is worse then hanging your finished curtains and you see that your pattern is hanging "crooked" because you started off cutting your fabric with uneven edges...trust me on this...I've seen many friends who skip this part and cry later because everytime they look at their windows they see their folly :D
Another tip to STRAIGHT EDGES is that you remove all the selvedge edges...
I know it's really tempting to keep these perfect edges and use them as your seam allowances...BUT do not because if/when you wash your finished panels...these selvedge edges shrink and your side seams will never lay straight again :{ NOW...I'm not one to wash and dry my fabrics before I sew many home decorating item that are un-lined...LAZY...I know...but I also do not wash my drapery/upholstery fabrics because I love the finish that they have in them when they come from the factory/mill...almost like a really good starched finish...and I like it! If I was lining my curtains...that would be a different story...because your lining fabrics and your drapery fabrics all have different "shrink" potential and unless you are going to have your draperies dry-cleaned you should be sure to wash/dry/iron before sewing you lined pieces.
OKAY...so first you have to hem your side seams...so I always turn my side seam up/in 1/2-inch (using a seam ruler as shown here)...this is your SEAM ALLOWANCE. By turning your raw edges in like this you are preventing your seams from fraying in the future.
I turn and pin all my seams on all my panels and then I go to the iron and PRESS the seam allowances:
Some sewers do not bother to pin and iron their seam allowances...but again...I like STRAIGHT edges. Once I have pressed my seam allowances, while I am at the ironing board, I turn my seam allowances in on themselves, forming another 1/2-inch side seam/hem...AND then I press this with the pins still in.
Once I've ironed my seams/hems, I remove the vertical pins and place them horizontally so that they can remain in place while I'm sewing the seams/hems. I place the seam under the pressure foot and set my sewing needle as far to the left as possible so that the stitching line is as close to the inside, seam edge as possible.
Once you have sewn all of your side seams (four for me since I'm sewing two panels) then you need to make your seam allowances for the top and bottom of your panels by turning the edges in 1/2-inch...and you know the drill...turn, pin, iron...equals straight edges!
Once you have ironed your seam allowances...for smooth...non-bunching corners...TRIM the corner for a mitered, clean corner. Then turn your fabric over to determine which way the pattern on your fabric is going (if you have a pattern that has a definite up and a down...that is :)
This is very important because I always make my top rod-pocket first when sewing curtain panels...
You determine the length of your rod-pocket seam/hem at this point by the diameter of your drapery rod. In my case...it's a skinny sash rod so I only need a small rod-pocket. So I'm turning my seam/hem in by 1 1/2-inches and pinning my entire panel and ironing it so that it's ready to be sewn down.
Then, again...I set my pressure foot as far to the left as possible and sew my rod-pocket down. Now if I wanted a header for this panel then I would sew another stitch line at least one-half of an inch from the right edge or, top of the rod pocket panel. You can see more of a header in this post where you can see that the gathered edge of the fabric sits ABOVE the drapery rod...forming a header.
So...once you have finished sewing and pressing your rod-pocket panel...then you need to hang in on your rod and check the length to determine your desired finished hem.
Well, well, well...here you can see that with my seam allowance the length right now is perfect...EXCEPT for the fact that I really do not have any more length left to even turn up my seam allowance by one-half of an inch to make a perfect hem...ugh! So what's a girl to do?
Well this girl loves to say...BETTER DONE THAN PERFECT...and I really mean it! So since I am not going to be washing these panels...overly much (maybe once a year when I'm in the mood for a good cleaning ha :) so I've opted to sew two zig-zag stitch lines on top of the seam allowance. Zig -Zag stiches are really good for hindering any fraying that might occur in the future, especially when these panels are washed. AND because the pattern on this fabric is very busy, you can't even see the zig-zag stitches on the front of the fabric.
See...in this case...done and just perfect :D NOW for the scarf for the vanity top...
I found this really pretty pink, leopard print fabric...called WILD THING...that I just had to have! So I bought a yard of it at the same time that I bought my paisley fabric...because I thought that I'd make some coordinating pillows or something. Then I thought about making a new vanity scarf with it...so how do you make a square from a yard of drapery fabric that measures 54" wide? You simply lay the fabric flat and fold a triangle on the 36-inch side of the fabric. Then cut along the non-folded edge to remove the excess and you are left with a perfect, 36-inch square...
Now because this 36-inch square is almost the perfect size to fit on top of my corner vanity, I do not want to wasted fabirc by making large seams. SO...I'm only folding the seam allowance in by 1/4-inch and then folding it unto itself again to make a total 1/4-inch finished hem on all four sides.
Sew down your side seams and remember to trim your corners for a really flat, mitered corners. Once I had finished sewing and pressing all my seams flat...I pulled out my can of Scotch-Gard.
Because I use my vanity to put my make-up on...in the past...I've been known to have accidents with make-up getting on the vanity scarf and ottoman...see Exhibit A ;]
So sad...I know...obviously this ottoman was not sprayed with two coats of Scotch-Gard and now this fabric is ruined! I've tried every possible stain remover and all to no avail...so I'll either have to patch this ottoman cover...perhaps with this beautiful embroidered tea-towel that my Grandmother made...
But even the thought of spilling make-up on this really upsets me and I don't think there is enough Scotch-Gard around to prevent that...lol So maybe I'll just fold this tea towel and lay it on my vanity mirror where it softens the metal frame. Here it will remind me of my Grandmother...sitting in her rocking chair, with her embroidery hoop, floss and many needles...every time I sit down to use my vanity ;}
AND as far as the ottoman...well next week I'll show you all how to make a new cover for this. For now, I'm enjoying my Vanity Re-VAMP with my bright green china plates and the lucious leopard print scarf. Hope you all enjoyed this post and if you have any questions regarding my sewing instructions, please leave me a comment and I will get back to you directly. Fondly, Roberta
Had a very busy weekend out of town, but I brought along the current book that I'm reading for The French Historical Reading Challenge, The Courtesan and my Book Review Journal to keep me occupied while riding in the car. This book is a very easy read, even with all the names that I cannot pronounce, which translates for me as CRS (can't remember $#!*). But what really makes it fun to read is that it is about REAL people and events in history. So this just makes me even more curious about the characters and I end up goggling them so that I can read a quick biography about these real "characters".
...Wasn't I surprised to find that the cover of this book was taken from an actual painting...
oh...la...la...
Indeed...this is the original portrait of the main character in this book, Diane de Poitiers, The Courtesan.
It is just so ironic because the reason I choose this book was because of the cover! I even noted that in my journaling notes...ha!
My reading was cut short though because I had an allergic reaction to something on Saturday and my entire head and face swelled like a mellon...not very pretty :} The hardest part is that I have been itching like crazy and so I've had to take a constant barrage of antihistamines. They stop the itch all right...they stop everything because they knock me right out! So...I've been trying to read and write in my journal but haven't gotten as much done as I'd like. My eyes are swollen so much that when I try to read, they weep and then I rub them and then they get be sore and on and on...so I gave up and put a cold cloth on my eyes. Which lent itself to my taking a lot of naps and watching "LAME" TV as my sister calls Lifetime for Women...lol
So far I've taken some journaling notes and painted a few pages with backgrounds and mounted a few photos on the pages where I want to add more notes. Here's a few pictures of those pages...
First I coated these two pages in a thick layer of white gesso so that I could scribe some marks into the wet gesso...hence the date 1533 when this story begins.
Once the gesso was dry, I painted on a wash of my base color, yellow oxide. Then when that was dry I added two more washes of different paint colors (red oxide and turquoise) and blended them with a baby wipe. This is a very easy and fast application and...more importantly...it gives the appearance of a fresco or of worn patina...love that especially for the time period of this book.
Then on this page, I added a photo of an original portraitof King Francis I...just love to goggle!
Once I can see better, I will add some personal notes from the book as I read along. I like the way the notebook paper still peaks through the color-wash so that I can write my journal notes...as always it's the little details that make me happy :}
Then on the next page I've added a photo of another main character in this book, Anne d'Heilly...and I scribed her name in the gesso at the bottom of the page.
At the time this story begins, she is the main mistress of King Francois I, although he had many lovers and conquests.
So when the King summons Diane de Poitiers, to return to the French court after the death of her husband, Anne fears that Diane is her replacement. Anne is young, hence her insecurities and paranoia, but she is ambitious and she will stop at nothing to remain the King's favorite.
Anne has nothing to fear really, because Diane is not interested in being the King's mistress, this time she wants to find true love.
History tells us that she does, in the arms of the Prince Henry. Talk about robbing the cradle...Diane is 35 and Henry is barely 15 when she returns to court...hmm...do not know if I would have picked this book up had I know those details...hmmm
I'll keep you posted :D
Right now I'd like you all to hop on over to Trisha Tack's blog, BOOK GROUPand check out her current book review of, Twylight Tower by Karen Harper. Trisha writes a great book review and, she has joined those of us who are participating in compiling Book Review Journals and, so she shares her journal pages with us...very inspiring!
This week I am incorporating my Wednesday's Workbook post into Kristen's WFMW because I really like what Kristen has to say about writing letters to the chldren that you sponsor through Compassion International. It has inspired me so much knowing that I can send little things, like stickers (wish I could send my whole darn Creative Memories binder...lol :D ...AND pages to color, even band-aides! Next week I hope to have a big surprise regarding BAND-AIDES...be sure to check my B.O.B.I.'s BLOG to find out about these:
Boo Boo Jars...
OKAY...back to my POST...this week I have been very busy doing alot of different sewing projects and working on curtains for the Love Shack.
Still trying to squeeze in my Embroidery Sampler e-zine that I'm taking on-line with the wonderful Teresa McFadden...it's just so hard with so many things going on at once! My sampler sits in a basket with all my ephemera right by my chair and I want to work on it more...for now though it pleases me to just look at it and know that I've got a lovely, relaxing project waiting for me :D This week I've been working on a monogram and I really like it so far:
The main concern we have had here at the Love Shack is getting the windows covered with curtains that are both functional...unlike the louvers that came with the house on this darn sliding glass door to our patio...
In the above photo you can see where we temporarily put up my silk drapes with a shower curtain rod over the louvers because they did not keep the heat/sun out of the kitchen...and the darn lourvers didn't close half the time :{
So last week in a fit of frustration when the lourvers would not close...I yanked them right out of their tracks...oh year! Then on Sunday, DH and I pulled a Lucy & Ricky job of hanging a new double curtain rod...I say this because anyone watching us would have been rolling on the floor laughing and crying at our antics. Let's just say this...it took me three trips to the store to get the right rod...first one was a single rod, but after removing the louvers, I realized that I needed some sheers for privacy during the day when the silk drapes were open. Back to the store to return the single rod and buy some sheers. Back up on the stool to hang the rod...IT WAS THE WRONG SIZE....AND IT COULD NOT HAVE ANY FINIALS..... waaahhhhaaaaaa
Finally...after trip number three the double rod is hung! DH and I had a GREAT time trying to figure out how to get the silk drapes on the rod and then shorten it so that it would go between the end brackets and then out to attach the small end cap...it is so close to the one side of the wall that you can't have finials...DONE!
Boy...you really have to think about EVERYTHING when it comes to window treatments...CAUSE that's what this was...not just simply CURTAINS...to freakin' complicated for that...lol The silk drapes are handing by the larger top rod by curtain rings...because I want to be able to open and close them EASILY (especially if I expect DH to EVER touch them :D Then I needed sheers that would also open and close easily because folks...we have a sliding glass door behind this TREATMENT...remember! ALSO the sheers when hung also needed to match the length of the silk drapes when all was said and done...AS I SAID...COMPLICATED...
SOMEONE had to be looking out for me because...I found sheers that had large grommets, for easy of opening and closing. I found sheers that had the exact same thread color as my silk drapes. AND I found sheers that when hung on the second drapery rod...were the perfect length for my WINDOW TREATMENT...yes!!! btw...the Lucy & Ricky moment occured when DH decided to ask me this question, "Are you sorry that you took the louvers down now?"...you can just imagine the rest....
Now, for the actual "workshop" part of this post...for years I have used fabric curtains to "hide" things in my bookcases. That is because I don't like doors on bookcases...they tend to get in the way and do not necesarrily keep the dust out like you would think. First up is a photo of my TV cabinet that was originally a Pottery Barn console that I purchased over 10 years ago to hold my scrapbooking supplies. Back then I made two mini-curtains...you could call them valances...from a one-yard scrap of toille fabric.
Orignally, I made two curtains because there are two shelves...but when we re-purposed this console table into a TV stand...we didn't want to cover the stereo/surround sound, DVD player and the cable box as you can see in the above photo. When you take the curtain down you can see my art and journaling supplies...
Not very pretty...right...but I like that I can take the curtain down when I am working and see all my supplies. So, "what did I do with the second curtain", you ask?
Well, I re-purposed it of course :D This bookcase serves as an end table for DH on his end of our reclining loveseat...and inside I store boxes of acrylic paints on the bottom. These are photo boxes...which I love because the always look neat and have LABELS...enough said!
While "behind the curtain" we store instruction VHS tapes and DVD's that we don't get into everyday...cool huh!
SO what does this have to do with anything...well since moving here to the Love Shack, every single square inch is used for storage and I held onto every piece of furniture that I could because I needed the storage space...including this antique red cupboard.
This is a solid piece...the top does not come off the bottom and it is solid pine and very heavy and study. I have had this cabiniet for over 20 years and DH says that he goes before this cupboard does...and he's close to right :D Someone made this cabinet by hand...the insides of the drawers are not painted...ha! ha! I bought it at a yard sale for $60.00 and there were do doors on it...and someone painted it red at some point in time and painted right over where the door hinges were originally. I love all my pretty green and red Amy Butler fabric totes...but in this house it's just too much to look at and this cabinet sits across from my small dining room table which doubles as my craft desk now.
SO...I made some curtains to cover the shelves in my red cupboard...only these curtains I made with "double rod-pockets" so that they would stay tight when closed. Here is a "long shot" of the red cupboard as it sits next to the ladder shelves in the living room. I especially wanted the shelves covered in the red cupboard because the open-shelves of the ladder-shelves cannot be covered.
Here you can see my black baskets set up on top with all my projects ready to go. Another reason I choose to make these curtains with double rod-pockets is because the width of these panels are not that wide, yet the are very long so as loose curtains that would have been "flappin' in the wind" every time someone walked by here.
I chose to make a decorative header at the top of the panels/cupboard because the bottom always tends to gather things on the bottom here and I pull the bottom rod up when I want to get something out of the shelves. Most of the time I am reaching for my "tool kit" here on the bottom shelf.
Here is a close up of how I simply place the tension rod up underneath the panel when I need to get into my "tool kit". If I'm working on a big project and need a lot of various supplies, then I simply take the entire panels down and place them on a chair out of the way while I'm working.
Here in this final photo, you can see how things tend to get "placed" on the bottom shelf...but that's okay, because it is usually new supplies that I need to put away and this coordinating red, wooden bin is the perfect catch-all.
I have been making these types of "double rod-pocket" panels since I lived in Italy and rented my first sewing machine.
1. You do not need a pattern...simply measure the length and width of your space that you want to cover and add seven inches to the finished length.
2. The width deepends on the width of your space and the width of your fabric...and how "full" you want your panels to be. Here, I simply cut a piece of 54-inch wide upholstery/drapery fabric in half. I hemmed the sides by turning them under an half-inch and then again by a half-inch because I like a neat, finished side hem.
3. Once you've hemmed your sides then you can hem your top/bottom. Again, turn your seams in by a half-inch...I always pin and iron my seams as I go because I like really straight hems :D
4. This is where it's a little differen from the sides...I usually have a 1-inch "header" on my rod pockets...the header is the part that sits on-top of the rod. So at this point I turn my edges in at 2 1/2-inches and pin the ends and iron, once more.
5. Then at the sewing machine you are going to sew TWO seams...one for the hem and one for the header. I sew the hem first by placing the pressure foot as near the edge of the turned-up hem as possible.
6. Then I remove the pins, and sew the second "header" edge. This I do simply by placing my fabric edge at the 1-inch "guide" mark to the right of the needle. If your machine does not have one or you need more of a guide...take a sharpie, permanent marker and mark the front of you machine with this 1-inch guide.
7. Iron your finished panels and hang them...easy...really!
Next time, I'll try to demo the pinning and sewing for you because I have more panels to sew for my bedroom vanity.
WELL THIS WORKS FOR ME...I just hope that you can make it work for you as well...and that you find some inspiration for re-purposing your fabircs and book shelves :D
Sorry for this LONG POST...so long in fact that spell-check was timing out in Typepad...lol So just get over it...all you Spelling Police...
So enjoying Theresa McFadden's latest and greatest e-zine!
Years ago, my mother, my sisters, and I, all enjoyed the wonderful needlecraft of embroidery and previously I shared pictures of the lovely family "heirlooms" that were created and that I have to hand down (someday soon :) to my grand-babies.
Pulling out all my old supplies has been so much fun this week...
Of course...years ago...I didn't have to wear "reading glasses"...lol
The best part about taking this e-zine with Theresa is the "Freestyle" approach which she encourages...which means that you pick your own colors and the lay-out for your collage. Collage art is my first love, along with art journaling, and to be able to add decorative stitching, ribbons, buttons and fabric scraps...oh my I'm a happy girl.
Here's some "eye candy" for all you floss lovin' ladies out there...btw...this is only one of two caddies...
The hardest part for me is deciding on which color I want to use...lol But once I made my mind up...it didn't take long for my "stitch memory" to come back...
For Valentine's Day I received some of Sally Jean's lovely charms and all of her packages come wrapped in her "signature" turquoise netting and tissue papers. So I was so excited to incorporate it here in my collage.
For the next element on my collage, I dug through my fabric scrap basket and found a piece of turquoise gingham that I had made curtains out of in one of my homes and layered it along with an old piece of a "dresser scarf" with a soft, lace edge...upon which I stitched some small flowers on.
Having so much fun and I have many more lessons to catch up on...and that is the beauty of Theresa's e-zines...you can work at your own pace. So hop on over and, check it out and, get started and join in on all the creative, juicy fun with us!
Time just got away from me this week because I've been in the kitchen "creating" some new recipes...
...ike Pioneer Woman's, Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms...that I made for dinner tonight...yum! I'm going to add some more bacon and chicken breast to the left-overs for the rest of the week. Unlike what I made for lunch today...Paula Dean's, Thyme Mustard Catfish (I just substituted the Catfish with Alaskan Cod that was on sale this week)...there were no leftovers...it was the best fried fish I've ever made...and the mustard/thyme marinade takes every bit of the "fishy" smell out of the cooking process. Will make this again...and can't wait to try the Black Eyed Pea Cakes that Paula serves with her fish (just need to gather all the ingredients).
Ella Publishing, the on-line publishing company that is dedicated to preserving memories, is offering a wonderful new eBook...
"Whether you’re wrapping up 2009 or getting a jump start on 2010, A Year in the Life is your must-have eBook companion. With oodles of two-page spreads and multi-photo layout ideas, you’ll have your annual photo stash tamed in no time! Brought to you by the talented designers of Write. Click. Scrapbook, this 30-page eBook includes 24 layouts—both digital and paper—and enough inspiration to see you through the year in style."
For those of you asking...What is an eBook? Hop on over to Ella Publishing's website and check it out.
Today, I downloaded my copy of, A Year in the Life, so that I could sample the product before I posted about it and I'm so excited to have this eBook because it is allowing me to be creative at a time when I can't get to all my STUFF...cause remember...I'm moving...YIKES!
Personally, you all know how much I love eBooks because they are fantastic, detailed, step-by-step instructions that inspire you to GO AT YOUR OWN PERSONAL PACE, in YOUR OWN PERSONAL SPACE!
So, as fast as I could, I opened my file (btw...Ella Publishing is an "end-user" friendly site ;) and read, A Year in the Life, from cover to cover. Now, I can't wait to get started...
But first...Ella Publishing has offered to share this great eBook with my blog readers by sponsoring a give-away...woo hoo! How cool is this...I want to personally thank Wendy Smedley, who is a contributing editor (a.k.a. Creative Goddess) for Ella Publishing, for contacting me and for "thinking of me" with this generous offer.
So to enter, here's all you have to do...Give-away Ends Tuesday, January 19th at 8:00pm (est):
1. Receive one chance by leaving a comment and your email address.
2. Receive an extra chance by referring a friend to enter this give-away. (Please note that they must include your name in their comment for the referral chance :)
3. Receive an extra chance for each time you blog/post on your site with the link to this give-away. (Please note that you need to come back and post another comment with the link to your blog/social site).
4. Receive 5 (five) extra chances for posting this give-away on your sidebar, using the eBook graphic, and my blog link. (Again, you need to come back and post another comment with the link to your blog).
Winner announced next Wed., January 20th when I post about my progress in completing A Year in the Life in my Wednesday's Workbook post. Here's a hint...I'm going back to 2009 and creating an "art journal" with all the inspiring journal prompts that this e-book offers...remember...my "bags" are packed...but that is NOT stopping me from:
Good Luck Everyone!
Before Christmas, I signed up for Mary Ann Moss's newest, on-line class, Remains of the Day which is an extra long class (like a year)...where she demonstrates her totally cool method for using up all your scraps of fabrics and papers and sewing them together to create an awesome art journal. Here's a peak at Mary Ann's newest creation...which she is using to document her trip to Merida, Mexico...lucky girl!
It's just to die for...I'm so envious of all the talented ladies who are taking this class...some that you might know about...like Pam Garrison and Teesha Moore...both wonderful art journalists. Jump on over to all three of their blogs and check out their beautiful creations...you will not be disappointed.
Since I'm caught up in the middle of moving, I have to live creatively through everyone else...but I'm not letting that stop me from enjoying the process of "collecting" my "stuff" and finding inspiration for when I can finally sit down and start sewing all my bits together.
In the above photo you can see where I've created a "folder" to hold the class PDF files with all the wonderful instructions...as well as my collection of "security envelopes"...who knew that they all had different patterns inside them...things we just don't normally think about, I know! Also hanging onto a few glassine bags that came with our Chinese "take-out"...cause I thought they would make a cool pocket for tucking memorabilia in my finished journal. Then the other day I hit "pay dirt" when I dropped some things off at Consignment 1st and found this wonderful American Home magazine from 1937...
Talk about "Law of Attraction" and good "karma"...you see...because while I've been gathering things for my journal and drooling over everyone else's accomplishments...I decided to turn my experience with moving and downsizing into our new "love shack" into...sort of a "pre-material" experience...stick with me and it will all make sense...lol
The articles are so "new-age" for 1937...it's going to be hard to tear this magazine apart...I'm reading everything in it first...it's a hoot...check out these "cigarette" and "automobile" ads...
Yeah right..."My throat decided on Luckies"...now that's a "killer" tag-line!
AND check out this auto..."Now they drive themselves"...right to the gas station...talk about a gas guzzler...who needs a V-12...and color ads! I guess I was not expecting such advancements for 1937...this was around the time my parents were born. Yet all's I heard when I was growing up were stories about "the great depression"...things really advanced in 10 years. The thing I can't figure out is why my parents acted like they "lived through it"...
Okay...so now back on track...above is a photo of my nerdy notebook as a few of those "close to me" have called it...but in reality...it is my "workbook" for our move to the "Love Shack". On the cover is an inspiring photo of a "loft space" that was featured in House Beautiful (if I'm remembering correctly). Love the "old world" European look of this loft and... someday...we'd like to convert the attic to a chic loft space like this...a girl can always dream...
Inside you will find all my important "notes" for the move...like floor-plans and more importantly...all the MEASUREMENTS for every "inch" of wall space and the furniture...so necessary...
Also inside are photos of all the kitchen cabinets (inside and out) and the counters as well as the walls...everywhere...so that I can determine before moving day...WHERE EVERYTHING GOES! Also inside you will find photos of all the wonderful organizers that I'm considering from places like IKEA and Lowe's. So today when I needed to go back to IKEA, my friend, Beth decided to join me. Of course when Beth saw my IKEA shopping list in my workbook...she couldn't stop laughing...
Here you can also see how I make notes right onto my photos so I can remember "what goes/fits where"...and like I asked Beth...when she couldn't stop laughing at me...DOESN'T EVERYONE DO THIS?
Let me explain...to the left is a photo of my kitchen counters...and to the right is a photo of IKEA's great black rod-iron rails for "keeping things handy and off the kitchen counters" system...cool huh! So I've "sketched" right onto my photos where I'm going to use this in my "Love Shack" kitchen.
Next...on the left is a photo of my kitchen sink...see the "notes" on the drawers...where all my stuff is going...yeah! On the right is a photo of a cool pull-out basket that I've bought to install under the sink.
Here, in the top photo, at IKEA, in their showroom, they use a "wire curtain rod" (only $4.99) in a craft/play room area to hang artwork...see it under the white shelf...next to the roll of art paper...sorry the photo is a bit grainy. So being inspired, I decided to use this wire system over my kitchen cabinets to hang a mesh curtain to protect my books from dust/grease. I've also purchased lights to put up on the ceiling...cool beans :}
Final shot here...is of our tiny bathroom...center photo...the medicine chest in the top left photo...is what we've purchased to go over the sink and...the one to the right, with the cute cubbies and baskets...we've actually purchased two of these to go over the counter to the left side of the sink. Now the top photo...is a towel rack from IKEA that I picked up (yesterday with Beth) to actually go over the small bathroom window. I'm going to hang a curtain on the back bar, closest to the window, and then store folded towels on top on the shelf...just like in the hotels...cool don't you think?
Next time you have a home improvement or decorating or (moving) project...seriously think about taking your camera out and taking photos of all the things that you find inspiring (make sure that the store's don't mind...like IKEA and Lowe's). It really helps you make the best decisions and stops you from making spontaneous purchases that don't fit/work...and that you have to drag back to the store.
Basically, right now, I cannot function without my "nerdy notebook" ...it is my piece of mind during this move. So...how does this tie into my Remains of the Day art-class journal...you ask? Well...I will be incorporating all of these lovely photos/sketches/notes...simply inspiring pages in my art journal.
AND...knowing that I'm creating such lovely memories of our move to the "Love Shack" keeps me satisfied (creatively speaking here)...until I can get out my sewing machine :}
Well with all this moving stuff going on around here I am not able to get much done around here as far as creating for the holidays. So I'm relying on all the other lovely participants who have taken The Handmade Holiday Pledge to visit their shops and get my holiday shopping done for my family and friends. It is going to be a small Christmas this year so I really want it to be special and since I can't create my own gifts this year, I'm going to find something special with Frenchie & Flea.
Be sure to check out Frencie & Flea's sidebar and my sidebar here at con-tain-it and look for this "button" for the great shops that are participating in taking "The Pledge"! Your support of all of these businesses is greatly appreciated...so be sure to leave comments even if you are just browsing...we all love to hear from our readers...now go "SHOP TILL YA DROP"!
Wow...it's the end of Summer and I finally finished the Write Place Write Time E-Zine that was designed by Teresa McFadden last June. Last year I dubbed this my "Summer Art Journal" because I wasn't able to start my journal until we went on our vacation to Daytona Beach and Savannah Georgia. Then...I had to put it away and did not get back to it again until this summer...oh my! But anyone who knows me...knows that when I start something...I have to finish it.
So this past week we finally had a five day summer break...aka vacation...by going away to Charleston, SC and staying at one of our most favorite places...the Inn at Middleton Place...just heaven to us. We started yearning to go back there after Tim and Ashley stopped off there for when they were on their honeymoon. We had two great days to enjoy the grounds and the weather and on the third day it was raining and overcast...but that was okay...because all the rest of the summer traffic was leaving the resort and DH and I had the entire place to ourselves...it just doesn't get any better than that!
Because we had the lodge all to ourselves, I took advantage and placed several tables together so that I could spread out and work all day and night...talk about feeling spoiled...felt like a queen!
If you take a peek here you can see that I actually got to start the next journal e-zine, A Journal of Interest, that Teresa is offering...this was such a bonus for me! I hope that it will not take me a year to finish this one...but I'm not making any promises...lol
For now I'm happy with my progress and it took me all afternoon to update my album for "My Summer Journal" here on my blog...you can follow the link or find the album on the right hand sidebar. So I hope you all take a look at the finished photos and find some inspiration to download your own e-zine and work on your art journals. Fondly, Roberta
http://con-tain-it.typepad.com/photos/summer_art_journal/index.html
Last year for my summer vacation I took Teresa McFadden's ezine to work on and I call it my "Summer Art Journal" and you can see the photo album of this journal on my blog here. It has been a work in progress and I just love it when I go back to it and play and create in it. This past weekend I took my sister away for her 50th Birthday celebration to our summer vacationcondo in Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island, SC. This journal is a great travel project because I do NOT need to bring but one bag of supplies and then this keeps me focused...because I do not have too many supplies to "fret" over and it forces me to make a decision and follow it through. I love this!
So the deal was that I had to finish this "assignment" aka Summer Art Journal project before I would allow myself to go forward onto the next ezine that Teresa has come out with for this summer, A Journal of Interest. Both of these ezines are available at the links that I've provided so please hop on over and join the ezine and start your own Summer Art Journals...it's never too late to start.
If you are in need of a little more inspiration, here's a few photos of my current pages (note that two of them are still in the "to be finished" stage...but I've got the ground work all done and hope to have them finalized by next week's Wednesday's Workbook)...there now I'm committed!
Day Ten: Telling Tall Tales...for this page I had fun using Water Color Crayons (finally Donna I get these crayons...yeah!) and Maya Mists and my favorite color...ORANGE...and my favorite number "13" just had to part of this assignment. The photo...that's me at 18 mths. old in Africa when I was just learning to walk...late bloomer I know...lol...hummm...seems to be a pattern in my life...lol
Day Eleven: Note to Self...for these pages I continued using the Watercolor Crayons and this assignment was a two part process for this ezine so you need to complete the first phase before going onto the second phase...which I did. The envelope is the "Note to Self" and it is attached to the page so that it flips up to show the "hidden" note. You can see the rest of the image below:
Now how cool is that phrase "Orange...It's the color of daydreams!" Sooooooo appropriate!
Day Twelve: Journal Squares...this page I found images that made me think of Summer...other than Orange...PINK is my other Summer Time color...still need to put the finishing touches here as well...but I'm feelin' it...hope you all are too!
Last month I posted a YouTube video highlighting Gary Reef and his collage art techniques. After that post my sister, Debbie, went onto his site and joined his Art From Your Heart forum and took up one of the art challenges. This challenge required using "scanners" to make art with...you know the regular office scanners/copiers that we all have and complain about because at times they seem so slowwww...lol Well after viewing my sisters art I have to say that it's makin' me think differenty about that ole piece of office equipment. Hope you are inspired as well...here's a few peeks at what my sister has been up to...try to go back and look at the challenge because she keeps adding to the challenge...somebody stop this girl...just kidding...I'm glad she's found an art form that she's enjoying and "frees" her up because she has NEVER been one to "perform" outside of the box...if you know what I mean...she has a little Elmer Fudd in her...VERY AFRAID...BE VERY AFRAID...love you sis!
Beyond...
Can You Hear Me...
Kiss My Baubles...
Had fun today playing with my sewing machine...don't know why I've been so reluctant to pull my machine out before now and use it on paper...but I finally did it :} I think I worried about having to load the right color thread...and I hate loading my bobbin in my new machine...it has a side loading bobbin...it's european...but it actually sews better than my old singer ever did...I just hate loading the "side" bobbin. Okay...enough said...I used the white and tan thread that was already on the machine and went to town...it was like 'butter"...sewing on paper is fun...I can see now why all the scrap- bookers out there are using it "sew" much...sorry...I couldn't help myself...lol
I had a few cards to get out in the mail...a "thank you" for my b'day and a "miss you" card for my niece...don't worry...my family rarely reads my blog without my prodding and by the time they read this post they will have received their cards in the mail ;}
To keep it simple (and me on task) I used House of 3 print-ables for the "birdhouse" designs and just punched them up a bit with rub-ons and "sewed" them onto the blue card bases.
On the inside of the "thank-you" card I sewed a copy of the cookbook that I bought with my birthday gift card...love Ina Garten :} For the envelope I used more rub-ons and white pen for the address and the personal message inside the card.
For the inside of the "thinking of you" card I assembled a "mini-notebook" for gathering inspiration and jotting down notes. On the outsides of the envelope flaps I "sewed" on my business cards with my return address...cool beans! These may not be "polished" enough to enter into the many on-line contests but that's okay because I know that they will bring a smile to those who receive them and that is the best reaction of all.
Next...I'm off to make some "altered" mail art envelopes and journals for future correspondence...now I can't wait to "zip" the envelopes up on my sewing machine...yippee!
Loving this on-line class and I've actually started the collaged pages...this makes me very happy :}
http://ramblingrose.typepad.com/journal/
This is another great e-zine that you download and work at your own pace. Make sure you go over to Patty's blog and check it out. Now here's a few photos of the pages I completed on my birthday...it was a gift to myself to sit down and complete a collage...what a great gift...taking care of yourself on your birthday. Some people like to go to the spa and pamper themselves, etc., but ART is in my heart and it feeds my soul. I know this sounds corney...but I'm too old to give a damn...lol ENJOY!!!
Years ago I started this Altered Book and the theme was "Dreams" so I'm continuing this book theme and adding the concept of this class, Fantasy Folded Altered Book. So the first two page collage is appropriately titled "beautiful dreamers".
This photo shows how the image "wraps" around the folded corner of the first set of "fantasy folded pages". I played with some "walnut inks" and misted them onto the pages with a small "Tim Holtz" mask (still waiting for my Glimmer Mists to arrive). I also used some stencils with a dauber and stamping inks. This book is old and the pages are very thin so I had to be careful with the walnut ink wetting the paper...patience is my middle name :}
I like the way the walnut inks and mask "bled" through onto the next page...a wonderful "mistake"...that's what collage is all about...playing and experimenting. If I didn't like this "bleed" then all's I have to do is collage an image over it...but I like this so I'm going to incorporate in onto the next two page set. I'm on a roll so hopefully by next week I'll have this first set of "Fantasy Folded Pages" completed...yeah!!
Nothing is more exciting then opening up your mailbox and receiving REAL mail from friends and family. Well yesterday I received two great "Mail Art" packages from Roben-Marie Smith who is a lovely artist, whom I have admired for years. For those of you who are not familiar with her name, I'm sure you know her by her rubber stamps and journal art company Paperbag Studios. That is how I first discovered her when visiting our condo in Daytona Beach and finding her "unmounted" rubber at the coolest little multi-media art store, Stamp N' Deliver.
Here are some photos of the cool gifts that Roben-Marie sent to me for participating in a giveaway on her blog. Then, I was so excited after watching her make this Mail Art Video to actually receive my gifts in her nifty "sewn" up Mail Art...ps...I'm going to keep the Mail Art envelopes...I'm sure I can find a cool way to "bind" them into some sort of journal...I'm such a hoarder :} Good thing it's "in" now-a-days to be green!
These are the lovely cards that Roben-Marie designed and were the lovely gifts she gave to everyone who participated in her blog post...she is so generous!
The art world is virtually closer now that we have blogs and the internet...I say this now because Roben-Marie and I are taking the same on-line stencilry course from Mary Ann Moss. Well Roben-Marie has completed some lovely journal pages and mail art and she sent me this lovely package:
With this lovely hand-made journal inside...man I'm so excited...and inspired!
Now I have to go get busy on my journals...won't be doing any spray painting for a couple of weeks because they are repairing and painting the stucco on our building so I had to bring in my "station" so that they could work on my balcony. Not to fret though...yesterday I ordered some more Glimmer Mists and Masks by Tattered Angels so that I can work inside on my Stenclry class. In the meantime I will work on cutting some stencils...found some neat "fairy" images that I want to incorporate in my work. So by next Wednesday I hope to have some of my own work to post. MAIL ART here I come!
Now that the rain has slowed down a bit here in Charlotte I am able to get back to my on-line class with Mary Ann Moss titled, Stencil-ry, Pure Experimentation...remember I told you all about it a few weeks ago here in this post. It has been slow going because of all the damp, wet, rainy weather that we have been having for the past two weeks...note...spray paint does not dry in these conditions! This is a far as I have gotten on my "Journal Portfolio"...
It's still a "work in progress" but it looks better when you stand back...way back...lol
Since I wasn't able to do much "Spray Painting"...which I really wanted to use this medium because the best part (other than the cool results you get and the "surprise" factor of working with stencils and masks) is NO CLEAN UP of brushes...water jars...work station...etc.
You can really get spoiled with that part :}
SO...I did what I love to do...ORGANIZED my Work Station...here's a shot:
As many of you know...we downsized this spring from a house to an apartment...so I have to be very "resourceful" when it comes to use of space. This rolling cart was my answer...to think I almost sold it in the yard-sales...but I convinced my husband that we could use it for "tool chest" in our storage space. This cart has been quite the workhorse for me...it is over 25 years old and I originally bought it from Spiegel's catalog...remember when they use to have the BEST decorative, hard to find, items. Now I don't even know if they still have a catalog?
The cart is completely made out of medal, except for the casters (still the originals) and the top which has seen better days...but is great for spray painting on now. I used this cart originally when I lived in Italy over 20 years ago in my kitchen. The apartment we rented had no kitchen cupboards (standard for Italian apartments...which are more like condos and they purchase all the trimmings...light fixtures, cupboards, wardrobes, etc.) and all my American appliances required a "transformer" to convert the American wattage to the European wattage. Anyone who has every traveled in Europe and tried to use their blow-dryers, razors, etc. knows what I'm talkin' about!
Anyhow...since then it has provided great service with it's shelves and "pegboard" side storage...which I'm now using to "hang" my stencils on for easy access. The moveable shelf holds the current projects' spray can colors. The built-in "towel" bar is great for quick access to my much abused "paint" towels. I just love how I can "wheel" this cart out and hang up my spray shield on the door and "spray" away. Don't worry...I do move my wicker chairs...behind me...out of harms way when I'm spraying. Then the cart tucks away in the corner when not it use and we still have plenty of room to sit on our balcony and enjoy a glass of wine in the evenings (as we often do).
Hope you all enjoyed the tour! Next week I'll have more pages to show off in my journals...can't wait!
The completion of my "Summer Art Journal" has just been extended...until further ezine notice...
Don't doubt me now, for I am committed (just no white jacket required) to finished the last three lessons of the original ezine by Theresa McFadden...but she's gone and done it again! Theresa that is...she has gone and developed another ezine for this summer...appropriately titled...A Journal of Interest! So far so good...Theresa's newest ezine starts with making your own journal covers and custom book plates so I can catch up...and so can you...won't you join in on the summer fun...here's the link...go now...it's never too late...
http://teresamcfayden.typepad.com/minutia/2009/06/a-new-ezine.html
OKAY...so I wasn't satisfied with adding another ezine...then I hopped onto this class "band wagon" because you all know how I just love SPRAY PAINT...remember...Black Spray Paint. NOW BETH you can see why I have so much spray paint in storage and that it will be put to good use...lol So go check out Mary Ann's wonderful blog and her cool "Stencilry" class.
http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/dispatch_from_la/
I have been watching Mary Ann's blog posts with my google reader for some time now and I am just amazed with her journals...make sure you also check out her "flicker" account with all the lovely pages that she has posted there...it's very addictive!
So now I'm off for the weekend to have some fun with ART and to catch up on all my "commitments". Hope everyone has a safe and Happy July 4th weekend.
comments welcome