A Little Bit A FarmHouse In My Lifeeeeeee!!!

 

I made this from twigs and shells.  These blooms will never wither!!! :)

I really don't understand what is happening with me but man, am I making things these days!!!! My crafting energy is through the roof.  In the last two weeks I have tiled a table, a vanity, made bracelets, necklaces, a floral arrangement, A farmhouse graphic sign, a large abstract Art, designed numerous prints and now I am working on hand painted coasters.  The artistic force has been strong with this one lately!!!

So without much ado here are some of the goodies these hands lovingly forged....And by the way, I have been really feeling modern farmhouse design so these for the most part inspired by that style.

             

My first attempt at a Farmhouse hand painted wall hanging......I really like how it turned out. :) I just grabbed a piece of left over wood from my husband's stash and stained it with black liquid shoe polish/stain. Say what?? Yes, I did. It worked like a charm, plus it has an applicator for easy application.  Why did I use shoe polish instead? Well, it allowed some of the wood to show through, it dried very fast, is a permanent stain and did I say how easy it was to do? lol. It was.

                 

Aren't these gorg???!!! My brother-in-law gifted these lovely sea fans to me and the blue tiled table is the one I mentioned above. I tiled it but have not grouted it yet.  I had so much fun going mad Max on those tiles with a hammer.  Who knew!!!

 The Abstract painting shown here only took me about 30 minutes to paint but it is so light and airy in the space. Perfect for the area where it now resides.  Can't wait to paint another.  I like the challenge of painting without thinking of a specific image.  So freeing!!

Finally the jewelry.  I like to recycle beads and pendants and I also love incorporating nature into my pieces...hence the lovely tamarind seeds in the bracelets and the reclaimed wooden beads.  I also used recycled glass beads.  That seafoam green color gets me every time.  It's  hands down my fav.

Well, that is all for now but rest assured, lots more to come.  I hope this inspires you to go a little  craft crazy yourself.  You never know what you can create.

Cherio!

Easy As 1-2-3...DIY Large Scale Wall Art Fixes

www.bhg.com

A group of paintings in the same/similar palette makes a stunning large scale piece

A few days ago, I decided to get rid of a large scale painting I had on my living room wall.  Sigh.  It was one of those paintings that you like but not love.  You know the kind, almost but not quite the right fit for the space. Well, since I moved the painting which was an original piece and fairly large, I was left with this huge open space.  As you know, large scale original Art is very expensive, so, there I was wondering, "now what am I going to replace this with?".  

Well, whenever I am need inspiration I make a beeline for the internet.  And so I did. I found so many neat ideas there I just had to share.  Most of the these pieces are so very simple and economical but they add so much grandeur and style to a room.  Check them out...  

www.bhg.com

You know those black and white photos you've been meaning to print?  Well, here's the perfect place for them. How gorgeous is this!

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It doesn't get easier than this.  Just hang a piece of tapestry or decorative fabric and you have instant transformation.  Absolutely gorgeous!

decorpad

Who would have thought that plates could look so chic!    I bet you will look at plates a little differently from now on....

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This look is one of my personal favorites.  All you have to do is find some images of birds or animals and print them out.  (You can borrow a book from the library and scan them or get them online.)  I like to collect old frames to frame my prints but if you don't, not to worry.  Any group of simple frames will do.  Just keep them within the same color palette.

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This is basically like the look above but showcasing plants instead of birds.  So lovely and classic.

I adore this look.  It is so romantic and easy to make.  Poster boards were covered with burlap and then a print was centered (and glued) on top. Industrial screws were used as accents at the corners of the prints.  I love that little touch, it really gives this a little bit of an edge.

www.bhg.com

Framed wall paper??!!!  Oh yeah baby!  Super fast, ultra easy and your pocket book will thank you.

pinterest

And finally this look.  How's this for the "wow' factor. Of course your frame does not have to be this big. Just get a large glass or acrylic frame and lots of family photos. Perhaps this can be a family activity....  The extra hands would make this project fun and fast.

Well, I hope you found something here that sparks your creativity, I know I did.  Have a wonderful week!

Cherio!

There's No Place Like home

My brother's girlfriend went to the Bahamas recently and shot these exquisite pictures. They really made my day.  I live in Atlanta now and even though I love it here, I miss home. I miss the laid back lifestyle, the food, the music, and the ocean......especially the ocean.   Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "there's no place like home." I feel you girl.

When I was a little girl I would take my fishing line and spend hours sitting on these rocks trying to catch a fish.  I loved to feel the little nibbles on my line, even though I could not see the fish that was doing the nibbling below the waves.  It was always fun to imagine it was a huge fish although I never did catch a fish more than eight inches long.

In my family, there are five of us and we were all aquatic creatures almost as soon as we could walk.  This is my little brother in the picture, he is a very experienced diver and fisherman as is my dad and older brother.  As good as they are though my mom is probably the best at fishing.  That woman is no joke.

If you have ever snorkeled before, there is something magical about being under water.  It's like a whole other world.  The colors are so vivid and beautiful and there is so much life, tranquility and peace while you are down there.  Time seems to stand still.   I used to spend hours diving and swimming, I never tired of it.  Ever.

Sunsets in the Bahamas are spectacular, each one is different and more amazing than the last.  The only thing that can make it more amazing is watching it with the one you love.  My husband and I spent many evenings watching the sun go down.  These pictures brought all those cherished memories back.  It's amazing how precious the little moments are...the ones that we think are not so important at the time.  Like sunsets, dancing with someone special, dinner with friends, a reassuring smile or pat on the back....

So, here's to beautiful memories and enjoying life.  Take time to smell the roses, like right now, and if there should come a time when there are no roses to smell, you will still have the memories.  Forever.

Cherio

Easy Breezy Eco Chic Jewelry!

I am passionate about a lot of things in the Arts but I have to say making jewelry from natural materials really gets me going.  My imagination goes into over drive every time I see a seed or a pod.  Friends and family bring me all kinds of different seeds and you'd swear they gave me the Hope diamond by the reaction it gets.  Lol, such is my love for this stuff.  Now having said that, I think I should show you a few of the pieces I designed from said seeds and other natural materials.  I am constantly integrating new ideas and elements into my design so who knows what I will think of next......

Float Like A Butterfly

This week has been a blur for me, I cannot believe its Thursday already. I had an idea to do some butterflies using natural and recycled materials and so I spent most of the day making these little beauties from beach glass and stones from the beach. By the way, these are the new pieces I had mentioned in my previous post yesterday. I think they turned out alright and would make great paper weights.......I welcome any feedback/thoughts you have. I would love to hear from you!