gotta love a $3.75 flea market find!

A DIY-over of someone else's DIY blanket chest--and I got it for $3.75, what a deal!

From this (not that it's hideous, just not our color):

To this:

Details at THIS post on the DIY Design Studio Blog.

braille gift box and pendant

Nothing super fancy, as my jewelry making skills aren't the keenest, but here is a little pendant and gift box I made for a blind friend:

love

I hope it reads correctly.  Sheesh, braille is hard!  Want more details?  You'll find them today at Altered Pages. 

an altered baseball card box

Believe it or not, baseball cards originally came in this box. 

One pack.

Of very expensive baseball cards.

2009 National Treasures box

It's a really nice box--wooden, with hinges--AND since we have a baseball card store, I like to keep some of the fun stuff and repurpose them for other things.  Today's redo started with some DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish paint in Refreshing and a Creme Wax finish:

A tea related collage image, and . . .

Voila!  A "tea chest".  This will be used at an upcoming baby shower for, well, teabags, of course.  There's another quote on the inside of the lid.  I like to think of it as a functional decoration.  You can find more details at Altered Pages.

shaped atcs

There is something about shaped atcs that really appeal to me.  Maybe it's just the outside-the-box thing, or maybe it's the challenge of making something that's technically 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, but not a rectangle.

Here are some shaped atcs that I've received in swaps:

Wendy Robinson., Suzanne C, and Wendy Aspinall

Suzanne C, Kris D, and Terri D

Absolutely love all of these!

If you'd like to see some of my own shaped atcs, I'm sharing some of my favorites today at Altered Pages.

Thank you for stopping by, and a Happy Thursday to you!

a vintage stork and gender reveal DIY deco ideas!

This fellow was a recent contributor to #2 Son and Daughter-In-Law's gender reveal party.  Isn't he a cutie?  I found him at a garage sale for next to nothing.

You'll find the rest of the party decorations, along with plenty of DIY party inspiration, in my post today at the DIY Design Studio blog.  Yes, I even share the actual reveal--hey, Ima gonna be a Nana, after all!

a few of my favorite atcs

In keeping with the atc celebration at Altered Pages this month (you can get some fabulous blog candy by sharing your own creations, by the way, so be sure to go check it out for yourself!), I'm revisiting some of my favorite artist trading card creations.  This one is an atc sized pop-up card, created from a stamped monoprint background:

I'll bet you have have some favorite atc creations of you own--if they're like mine, they got traded, right?
Happy Thursday to you!

thankful for you--a little way to show someone you're grateful for them

In between my Sneaking-Around-Watching-the-Olympics-Time, I made up some treat bags to share with people I'm thankful for.  You can see them HERE, along with the easy instructions, today at Altered Pages.

I'd send one to all the Olympic athletes, but as you probably know, I'm still banned . . .

Still banned from the Olympics.

Some things just don't change.  The logo may be different in 2016, but the following post from 2008 pretty much sums up how it is around here.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Normally, I am a very NONcompetitive, it's-just-a-game, it's-the process-and-not-the-product, kind of person.

The Olympics, despite the whole "bringing the world together" business, apparently brings out the worst in me.

"EAT THAT, Netherland!" 

"Mom, what do you have against the Netherlands?"

"Nothing in particular, it's just who we're against right now. IN YOUR FACE!"

"You're scaring me."

"Whatever. If you can't stand the heat, get off the field. YES! USA!"

"That's it. (click of TV turning off) You're banned from the Olympics."

From this, I have learned two important things:
1. I will never be an Olympics good will ambassador.

2. Always keep possession of the remote control.

autumn leaves

Yes, I know, it's not fall yet--but trust me, it's around the corner.  Today at Altered Pages, I'm sharing a super simple, fall inspired decorations.  Specifically, Thanksgiving, but really, you can make these for any holiday you choose simply by varying the selection of collage image.

Complete how-to HERE.

Happy Thursday to you!
:)trisha

still playing with chalk paints

Do you hate the sneak peek thing?  Sorry, but I have TWO today, both of them chalk painty.

#1---a chalk painted clamshell.  Because I was thinking, "What HAVEN'T I tried painting with chalk paints?" 

You know the deal--just a look.  Yes, those are tiny little pink seashells.  Nope, I did not dye them myself, but I'm glad someone else felt so inclined.  This Bathing Beauty you will find HERE, at Altered Pages.

#2--at DIY Design Studio, more chalk paint, on an architectural found piece wall hanging.  Okay, you got me, I have no idea what to call it!  But it hangs on the wall.  And it has architectural elements, including a vintage piece of rusty tin.  So there you go.

Have a wonderful Thursday!
:)

paintin' up some glassware again . . .

Getting ready for a gender reveal party--I'll need to do a round of blue, too:

How-to and more info today at Altered Pages.

Happy Thursday to you!

the giant rosettes/medallions in action

Here they are, in all their glory--the giant rosettes (aka medallions, from the previous DIY post), as they appeared on the 4th of July, on the barn:

Festive, yes?

Giant 4th of July double layer Rosettes--an easy DIY

Well, maybe not giant, but still quite large--about two foot across, depending on how you adjust your makings.

What I used:
regular sized construction paper in red and blue, seven pieces of each color
white cardstock
Tacky Glue
scissors and a paper cutter (paper cutter optional)
clothespins for clamps (optional, but highly recommended)
needle and thread
magazines for weights
Altered Pages collage image for center of star (optional)
hole punch and string for hanging

1.  Accordion fold 7 pieces of the background color papers along the long side of the papers--in this case, the red.  No, they don't have to be perfect, so don't stress about getting all the folds exactly the same width.  Approximately the same width is absolutely fine.

1.  Accordion fold 7 pieces of background color

2.  Snip the ends on each folded piece, while it is folded, into a point.  Again, they don't all have to be perfectly the same.

2.  Snip ends of folded papers

3.  Trip about 1 inch off the long sides of the blue papers--or whatever your top rosette color may be--and repeat with the blue pieces steps one and two.

4.  Overlap the ends of each piece of red, gluing as you go with the Tacky Glue, and clamping the glued sections together with the clothespins.  I just folded up and clamped several sections at a time.  Be careful not to use too much glue, or it will seep out and you'll end up with EVERYTHING stuck together!  You don't have to clamp, but I find it goes much faster and easier with the clothespins. 

4.  Glue sections of folded papers together, clamp with clothespins

You may need to trim any extra long edges as you glue, or clip the points where they overlap to tidy things up a bit.  There is no need to wait until the glue is completely dry.  You will eventually need to glue the two ends of the folded papers into a circle, which will result in this:

5.  Repeat Step 4 for the blues.

6.  For the red section--cut a piece of cardstock (I used white) quite a bit larger than the hole in the center of the rosette, but not so large it hangs out the sides.

Outline the edges of the square with glue, but not where it will fall through the hole.  Lay the glue side down on top of the rosette, and weight it down with magazine, like this:

White cardstock under the magazine, waiting for glue to dry somewhat.

7.  While that is drying a little, get your needle and thread, and stitch the center of the blue rosette together, like this:

7.  Step seven--stitching the center of the blue rosette

7.  Step seven, cont'd--tie the tails of the thread together

After stitching through all the folds, tie the tails of the thread together in a square knot.  Don't pull so tightly that you tear the paper!

8.  Now, repeat Step 6 (white cardstock in the center) with the blue rosette, and allow to dry for a few minutes.

9.  The white cardstock is the back section of each rosette.  Face the back of the red rosette down on your work surface.  Add a layer of glue to the cardstock on the back of the blue rosette, and lay the glue side down on top of the red rosette.  Weight this down with a magazine.

10.  (This step is completely optional)  Cut a star for the center of the blue rosette, and a collage image if desired--you can add this and allow it to dry at the same time the two rosettes are drying together.  Allow all of this to set overnight to dry thoroughly.  The dried glue on the backs of the cardstock really firm up the rosettes, making them easy to hang.

11.  After everything is dry, grasp the back of the white cardstock (the one glued on the red rosette) and let it hang loosely from your fingers, to determine where to punch the hole for hanging.  If you don't add anything to the center of the top (blue) rosette, the directionality of the hang isn't an issue.

11,  Step 11--punch a hole and add a string to the back for hanging.

See--these are almost two feet wide!  You can always make them smaller, by trimming the papers, and of course you don't have to make double layers.  Try making them with patterned papers, with diecuts in the centers, using papers from books, or even a triple layered rosette.  Oooh, I'm going to have to try that! 

Have a happy and safe Independence Day!  

Ms. Doll appears as Marie Antoinette, and how to make paper ruffles

You can find her in her full glory today at Altered Pages.  If you visit there, be sure to leave a comment on that post to be included in the draw for the June goody bag, full of creative treats!

She has a full length, ruffled dress in this particular ensemble--the ruffles are made from book pages.  To create something similar, you need the following:

book pages, ruler, a bamboo skewer (or you can use the tip of your scissors, but I don't like to get them sticky), cardstock cut to the appropriate shape (in this case, a new skirt for dolly), and a glue stick.

1.  First, use the straight edge to tear strips of book pages to the desired width.

2.  Beginning at the bottom of the skirt, add a thick line of glue stick.

3.  Using the skewer, scrunch and smush a paper strip into the glue, forming a gathered ruffle.

4.  Repeat until you have all the ruffle you want!  Here, I trimmed the top of the skirt, to even out the top.  Now it's ready to spritz with spray inks for a little color, or even to leave as it is.

mixed media articulated art doll

Here's the art doll I've been playing with--her base is an articulated chipboard body.  The face in the photo is her first mask . . .

If you are interested, there are more details at my blog share today at Altered Pages--you can find that HERE.  If you leave a comment on THAT POST, you'll also be entered in a drawing for some chipboard and other fun goodies.

Ms. Doll definitely needs more masks and outfits, so if you have any ideas, please let me know, and a Happy Thursday to you!

throw kindness around like confetti

I really like that saying.  And why not, really--how difficult is it to be kind?  Or at least polite?

Unfortunately, I do not know who did the fun calligraphy. 

It's the center of a deco "square" created for a post today at Altered Pages.  (My imaginary friend of several years, Aimeslee, reminded me in one of her blog posts at Paper Paisley's of the deco squares, or some call them tiles, that we used to make back in the day.  Now, we might call them little canvases, or  "pieces", but back in that aforementioned day, it was deco squares.)

This particular deco square also has inchies on it--how funny is that?

 A click HERE will take you to Altered Pages for more details.

How about a challenge or two???
Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda--a splash of neon or bright color
(Congratulations to Lost Coast and Carmen's!  They are also celebrating their very first blogiversary with some fab goodies, and you're invited to join in the fun--you can find all the details for that through the linky in my sidebar!) 
The Sisterhood of Crafters--no designer paper
Everybody Art Challenge--lace and pearls (the tiny pearls around the inchies)
Try it On Tuesdays--Spots, dots and splashes


Happy Thursday to you, and thank you for stopping by! 
:)

a Gelli print canvas--atc sized

Today I have a Gelli printed Ecoboard canvas, with a sweet little girl from Rubber Stamp Depot. 

If you'd like to know more, details are in my post today at Altered Pages.

Is it spring where you are?  It's warming up nicely here--today I'll be out battling the poison ivy, trying to keep it from taking over.  That, and the wild blackberries, who have invaded the garden spot and want to keep me from planting tomatoes this year.  

Wish me luck, my friends--I'm going to need it!

a tiny hand bound tag book with Sabor Papel

Ready to fill with photos and tiny mementos, a miniature sweetheart book or album--Siempre y Para Siempre, Always and Forever.  This book was created using a new line of papers, from Sabor Papel, who is partnering with Altered Pages this month.

 The inside pockets are only a little over two inches wide, so not big enough to hold even an atc.

The little books inside the book open to reveal a sentiment, and all the tags have spaces for photos or journalling.  My favorite little addition is the plum folder in THIS POST--it's just big enough to hold a wallet sized photo.

You'll find more photos and info in my post today at Altered Pages.
 ***(a little update--if you like this Always And Forever book, and wanna make your own, there is a kit full of supplies and goodies HERE.)***

Thank you for stopping by, and have a wonderful weekend!

baby shower decorations--What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday, #359

Baby Shower update:  This is one of those what WAS on my workdesk--if you've been WOYWWing, you may have seen This Post with the mixed media collage animal prints.  Well, here are a few photos of those prints in action at the baby shower.

It was a woodland animal themed baby shower, which you can probably tell.  Also, at the time our daffodils were blooming like mad, so they made a nice contribution to the affair:

the little flower sprouts were for party favors

I painted eggs, too!

fabric bunting in nursery colors

Yes, that is grass growing in a vase behind the little plaque

She was very pleased with the whole event, and a good time appeared to be had by all.   

Happy WOYWW to you!  See you at Julia's!