My studio is finally finished, with the addition of this colorful mural of a cross stitch map of the world in flowers! Before I get into the pictures and how-to’s, let me share this quote that sums up many of my bad decisions: “The risk I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math.” (If you know who said this, I’d love to give credit to the person who understands me so completely.) This is the story of a labor of love that began with an innocent miscalculation and ended with one of my favorite projects ever. ~This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I’ll receive… Keep Reading
How to Host Your own Paint Party
What’s more fun than creating your own painting? Doing it with your friends! (And a little wine never hurts either.) I’m convinced this is why the whole social painting scene is taking off. You may have heard of Paint and Sip nights or Coffee and Canvas. It’s also called Social Painting, or Social Creativity, and it’s a great way to get some “girl time” while doing something creative, especially if you think you have no artistic ability and would never attempt to paint a whole painting by yourself. The only drawback is it can be kind of pricey, and you may not have a studio near you that offers such… Keep Reading
Engineering Meets Art Part 2 – Behind the Scenes
You may remember a few months ago I shared an intriguing project with you, called the Lennox Art Project. I’m back today to bring you a new piece they’ve been working on. I think I like this one even better than the first one, and I was so impressed with how the art is made that I wanted to show you a behind the scenes look. When I see commercials like this one, I always assume that all the artwork is done by computer. There’s nothing wrong with computer graphics of course, but since I’m more of a hands-on type of artist, I was especially interested to learn about the artists who dreamed… Keep Reading
When Engineering Meets Art in the Home, Part 1
I love a good art project! So when Lennox asked me to showcase their new “What Perfect Feels Like” campaign, I was intrigued. When I saw the art, I was hooked. (This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.) You know that there are parts of your home that just don’t get enough attention, although they’ve become a pivotal part of your life. Can I get an “amen” from anybody who’s ever had to snake a drain, plunge a toilet, or sweat through a weekend while waiting for the air conditioner repairman to come on Monday? Well your HVAC system is definitely one of these. Whether you… Keep Reading
DIY Door Hanger: Hello Gorgeous!
I love having visitors. To me, they’re like the rare handwritten letter in the middle of a mailbox full of bills and advertisements. Having a visitor at my door (not counting the ones trying to sell me something) is a refreshing break in a day that’s often filled with chores and sometimes even loneliness. And any excuse to fire up the coffeemaker and sit down with a friend is a good thing! So to make my visitors feel welcome I made this colorful sign, instead of a welcome mat which would inevitably be covered with leaves and dusty footprints. This one is right at eye level and stays clean, no… Keep Reading
Decorating with Art
I’m going to share with you an insider secret to decorating. For everyone out there who is a DIY-er and not planning on hiring a decorator anytime soon, this secret will help you work your way through a remodel the same way the pros do. Have you ever backed yourself into a corner while decorating a room? Not literally, although that’s happened to me a time or two either with tiling or painting. I mean, have you ever picked a color you love, added some furniture and accents, then found that nothing really “works” together? That’s because you broke the cardinal rule of decoration. There is an order to picking… Keep Reading
New Adventures and an Etsy Shop
Remember a few weeks ago, when I posted a two-part tutorial on block printing? I realized about halfway through writing the second part of the tutorial that most of my regular readers are not going to take the time to learn that particular skill. (If you do, I’d love to hear from you!) I mean, I could barely get through writing it, and I’m passionate about this stuff! Let’s just say that some arts and crafts are easier than others. While I was realizing this, I also realized how much I enjoy making these prints. So I decided to open an Etsy shop to allow me to keep making things I… Keep Reading
Linocut Block Printing Part 2
Hi, and welcome back to the second half of Linocut Block Printing! I hope you’ve had fun drawing and carving your block. Check out Part 1 if you need help with that part of the process. Today we pick up where we left off… Linocut Block Printing Part 2: Proofing & Printing This is the fun part! Oh wait, did I say that about the last part? I guess to me, it’s all fun. This is where you get to see your project take shape on paper, and in color. As always, first gather your supplies. To print your design, you’ll need: Clean pieces of paper (this can be regular… Keep Reading
Trend Alert: Block Printing is Cool Again
Do any of you fellow crafters out there remember linocut block printing from the 70’s? I wasn’t born yet when this art form was in its heyday (in fact my mother blames my arrival for the demise of her budding linocut career, along with all sorts of other time consuming creative endeavors), but I remember learning about it in art class. Without delving into too much art-historical detail, linocut is the evolutionary pinnacle of centuries of block printing developments. It’s a block of wood, covered in a layer of linoleum, which is easy to carve and inexpensive to use. It dates back to the turn of the century, but experienced… Keep Reading
Notre Dame Palette
My life doesn’t always allow me to travel as much as I’d like, so sometimes I live vicariously through other folks who are actually globe trotting. Or at least driving farther than their local elementary school. Fortunately, my parents just took a trip to France, so I’ve been devouring all their stories and photos. This one particularly intrigued me, due to its unusual orientation and full spectrum of colors. It’s the view upwards toward the top of the dome of the Basilica Notre Dame, in Lyon. (Not to be confused with THE Notre Dame, in Paris.) The colors, by Valspar, are (left to right): Relaxed Navy Swiftly Green Pebble Creek Billiards… Keep Reading