Pinterest and Craigslist TV Project

I found the perfect size TV cabinet unit on Craigslist for $50.  The seller said it had previously been a light pine color and she stained it dark walnut.  I was so happy that it was no longer light pine AND that it would fit in the recessed area of the wall that I quickly snagged it up! Hubby and sons help to load it up and haul it home.  It came with some glass doors, but I eliminated those right away...they had a tint to them that I didn't care for.

After living with it for a while I knew I had to do something to brighten it up.  The natural light in the room is fairly non existent and this massive dark piece of furniture needed something...

That was when I recalled a pin I had seen on Pinterest.  The pin involved using fabric to cover foam board, then placing the foam board in the back of the shelves of a bookcase. So I rooted around in my studio and came up with several leftover (from who knows what) pieces of foam board and a large quantity of burlap.  I had to piece some of the sections of foam board together as they were remnants and most were not large enough for the shelves.  I just used masking tape to hold them together.  I then hot glued the burlap to the foam board and since I cut the pieces pretty darn close to size I just forced wedged placed the covered foam boards in the backs and they hold themselves in place.  Not too many people notice the fabric as it surprisingly matches my wall paint color, but I know it's there AND I notice the difference.  I call this a Pinterest success!

Baby Shower Gifts for Anna

Close up pic of the baby gifts/decor. The banner was made to match the baby's room, each letter was completed in the hoop!!

Baby Shower

My niece and her husband are expecting their first baby the end of this month. I was asked to bring along some decorations for the shower....well....I ran out of time to shop, so I turned my gifts into decor! LOL! Hey a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!! :)

Bubble Chandelier

I just adore the look of these "new" Bubble Chandeliers! They're all over the internet and HGTV programs!

eclectic dining room design by san francisco architect Mark English Architects, AIA

I'm saving this idea for my "Dream House"!
After doing some internet surfing I was able to find both pricey and less pricey options.
Premiere Luminaire http://premiereltg.com/ had similar styles that ranged from $380-$3,400. Other sites had them up to $12,000!!!
Then I found this great DIY link! http://froufroufashionista.blogspot.com/2010/05/bubble-chandelier-diy.html

Definitely drool worthy!!!

Live Love Laugh Blankets

These blankets were my "go to" gifts for Christmas this year. They were super simple to stitch out, but turned out looking quite nice!

Christmas Towels

I found some really fun Christmas designs this year. These two made really cute towels. Unfortunately, the burgundy one, which says "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" didn't photograph well...it looks great in person though!

Laundryroom Art

I've seen numerous similar hand-created art work all over blogland. I purchased the frames at a local thrift store for $.99 each the rest of the materials I had on hand. I may have to redo the definition picture as I'm not thrilled with the end result...but I'm gonna live with it for a few days first. The clothes pin graphic came from graphicsfairy.com and the laundry definition was "lifted" from Pottery Barn.

Monogramed Hand Towel

I love the look of embossed towels. I decided to try a couple different files one free one and one purchased. I'm much happier with the purchased one from embroiderydesigns.com

Practice Christmas Towel

I downloaded this great free embroidery file from sewforum.com and wanted to try it out on a "practice" towel prior to investing in better quality towels. This is a dollar store towel I picked up quite some time ago. I really like the quality of the file and can't wait to try it on better towels!

What to do with old barn wood?

Make signs of course!!
A friend of mine gave me a piece of the siding off one her family's old barns that was torn down. I debated forever on what to make with it! I knew it had to be a sign.... my original plans were to make a "welcome" sign. Then I saw the Paris sign in the Ballard Designs catalog and thought "A-Ha"! Wouldn't directional signs be a cool use?
The signs are 24" in length and approximately 7" high. I used the CraftRobo to cut out the stencil (I used shelf liner) and painted with acrylic white craft paint. I put two sawtooth hangers on the back and a piece of felt (to protect the wall). The first name is the town we live in, Casnovia, and the other two are the nearest cities.

Ballard Knock Off Components

Materials to make cube:
Stool ($1.00 from local thrift store)
Drop Cloth (under $10.00 from Home Depot)
Foam (left over from other project)
Batting (left overs)
Staple gun & staples
Acrylic paint & fabric medium
Craft Robo
Vinyl
2 yards of cording ($0.58 from Joann's)
Thread
Sewing Machine

Ballard Cube Knock Off

I completed my Ballard Designs "knock off"! Mine is not an exact replica as I wanted something I could throw in the washer if when it got dirty. Living with three males and two dogs....well, it's bound to happen! :)

Loving the tags!

Who doesn't love Ballard Designs?? But seriously, sometimes their prices blow me away! If nothing else their items often encourage me to follow up on my own comment of "I could make that"!!
I've been on a tag "kick" lately and when the new catalog arrived with these in it I said "hmmm", then I saw the $25.00 price and said "I could make those!" LOL!




So again I go rummaging through my craft stash and come up with these items:





And the result is these: