Make it! The Rosette wreath...

Who doesn't love a cute little wreath for under $10? Plus rosettes are hot this season and easy to make!

You'll need :

A small styrofoam wreath form

3/4 yard of wool felt

needle and thread

scissors

1/3 yard red ticking fabric

and a hot glue gun (HGG) baby...

Cut your fabric strips depending on how big you want your rosettes. My largest rosettes were 2 inch by 18inch strips. My smallest ones were 1 inch by 8 inch strips.

To make a rosette; start by twisting your felt strip and then folding the first twist back on itself. Sew it as you go along, twisting and folding it, following the curve around doing an over hand stitch.It does not have to be pretty. When it's as big as you want it;

snip the excess off and sew the loose end down.

When you have all of your rosettes made, wrap 2 inch strips of felt around your wreath form, gluing or sewing them together as you go. To get teh bumpy texture mine has, give the felt an occasional "twist" on each go around. Sew or glue the last piece down.

Make sure you play with your rosette pattern before you charge up the HGG

to make sure you know where you want to place them.

Hot glue the rosettes onto the wrapped felt piece, add your ripped strip of ticking and viola! You're done for under $10!

Let the Christmas crafting begin!!!!

Jen

Bring it on Santa!

I am going to take a little holiday break from Women who Create. It's such a busy time and I know it's a hard time for people to work on interview questions; but it will make lots of space for holiday crafts and decorating!

We spent the weekend putting up our tree and decorations, have you yet?

So let's get decorating and in the mood!

Jen

P.S. It's easy to make this message platter by using an old scratched silver tray and chalkboard paint.

How can I update you...? Let me count the ways...

I recently had some wonderful clients who wanted to update their daughter's room from a teenager's room to a grown-up room.

The furniture was classic 1980's country with brass handles, carved wood and decal flowers on the front drawers and the room had a bit of sponge painting; the things we did were easy fixes with a big impact.

They wanted to go for a more modern look so we opted to paint the pieces a matching white in the same color tone with the new bedding, and paint over the two-toned wood and flowers.

We striped the drawers to distract from the wavy carvings on the front and changed out the handles to something modern to warm it up.

She had asked me to paint the matching colonial-style headboard as well; but after talking about it, but we decided that tall spindles, and curved back read "young", and by purchasing an inexpensive upholstered head board, it would update the set even more, for the same cost.

We also decided that by opting out of using the attached mirror and buying something new would really update the furniture,

and the wood in the room went from brown to white and the walls a very pretty

griege and chocolate pulled from the bedding.

With the really pretty bed set the homeowner bought, it made for simple fixes on a small budget!

Jen

Before and After Party!

Welcome to the before and after party! Show us your projects and best before and afters!

Just please:

Link to the specific post, not you blog...

Link back to this post in your post. You can use and old post as long as you amend it!

Let's link up!

On the fourth day of Christmas....

I was finally able to take a few hours out of a day or two and do some painting. I chose a 24 inch by 24 inch plywood sheet as my base.

With Christmas coming, I've been inspired by the Twelve days of Christmas in French (even though it's actually an english ditty.). Probably because everything sounds better in French. Like when you call some one mon petit chou chou and it actually means my little cabbage, cabbage.

It sounds great in French, right? But if you called someone that in English, I bet they'd call you something back even better. ;)

After the sketching, then I get to do the fun painting part.

Why I started with Day 4 I'll never know ( 4 calling birds), I guess it called to me...

I still want to paint day 1 (partridge in a pear tree) and maybe one more day besides that... Maybe I'll have to take a blog vote on it...(just any day but five guh-hooooooooolden rings !).

Also, I would love to have prints made of this picture.. does anyone know how or where I go about that?Maybe that was one of the questions I should have asked an artistic guest or two along the way...

Jen

Women who create... Inspire me Monday.. Sandra Evertson

Welcome today to the multi-talented and amazingly artistic Sandra Evertson!

I found Sandra's work when I started blogging just over two years ago, and have been captivated ever since. With a fabulous sense of whimsy, imagination and an eye for seeing beyond the ordinary; Sandra has been published in over 40 magazines such as Artful Blogging, Romantic Homes, Where Women Create and Somerset Studio. As well as writing her own books, Fanciful Paper Projects and Fanciful Paper Flowers she has lines of rubber stamps from Stampington and Company.

Thank you so much Sandra for taking the time to be interviewed! Tell us a little about your creative background...

Well, there is really nothing much to tell here! My creative background consists mainly of my own self education, meaning everything I know how to do I have taught to myself, through books and classes and just plain experimentation.

How did you find your art style and medium?

I didn’t find it, it found me! It evolved over a period of time till one day I just saw it and went, Oh, cool! As for my medium that is for ever and always changing and I hope it always does!

You are a successful book author and magazine contributor...What do you find is the hardest thing about creating for someone else as opposed for just yourself?

This can be a little tricky at times if you start to get involved in thinking like that. The key here, at least for me is I always make what suits me, it really must be something I love and am fascinate with so that I really want to bring to life. So its never a problem, only a joy to create!

With such a busy schedule, are you able to find time to create for yourself? And when you do, what is your passion?

My private creating time has gotten really scarce lately. Sometimes I see a project that is setting on my work table and just yearn to be able to drop my assignment and go to it, but in these economic times I am very grateful to have the work! When I do steal away a few minutes or hours if I’m lucky, I restore antique porcelain pieces. I am absolutely mad for the beautifully painted German and French Meissen type figures! They enchant me and send my imagination soaring! I think what I love the most about these items is that I know exactly what it took to create those precious pieces centuries ago.

You just opened a wonderful, new Etsy shop, what inspired you to do so?

I have always wanted to open one, to be able to offer a few of a kind pieces but with my schedule it was tough to carve out the time to do it. Well, I finally made up my mind and started working on stuff specifically for it.

What goodies are you going to be stocking?

As I mentioned, I want to be able to offer special things that you just can’t find anywhere else. Like the hand poured porcelain items and a few of a kind sketch books and journals with a sketch of my own in it for inspiration!

As a successful published artist, what advice would you have for someone who is just starting out and would love to see themselves in print?

Just Go for it! I was there at that spot just a few years ago...my advice is don’t wait for them to come to you. You go to them and by what ever means necessary! Submit your work to art magazines, go to a book publisher with a fully formed book and say here you go, that exactly what I did!

I have your book Fanciful paper projects and love it!It is so inspiring for me! What was your inspiration behind it?

To make some use and sense of all of the little paper creatures I had hanging around and had always been creating as they were really starting to pile up!

What do you do when you have a creative stumbling block?

Creative stumbling block? Fortunately that is something that doesn’t exist for me, if anything the problem is turning the ideas off for a moment or two, everywhere my eyes fall and idea is sparked!

What is your favorite part of creating in itself?

The possibilities! That’s it, all of the wondrous, delicious possibilities!

Sandra, Thank you so much for a fabulous interview!!!!!!!

You can view the wonderful and artful life of Sandra and her creations at her blog, or visit her Etsy shop to purchase one of a kind items!

Jen

*All images are property of and used with permission by Sandra Evertson

Tomorrow's guest....

I am very excited!

Jen

hand stamped soap....

Raise your hand if you like to be clean.....

(tick, tick, tick)

Did anyone not raise their hand?

I don't want to know.... :)

I wanted to share an easy, little project with you... 

This is as easy as getting a metal stamping set 3/8 inch size, getting the letter slightly damp and pushing it on the soaps surface gently. I found mine at Harbor freight tools.

It's a fun teacher's gift or guest room bath idea, especially with names or little personalized messages...

Jen

P.S. Stop by The Shabby Nest for her Frugal Friday linkup party!

She's got legs...

Or should I say..

she doesn't any more...?

Never let a little thing like height keep you away from the right size table...

Tip: when measuring, wrap painter's tape around the leg to keep your cuts straight. ..

reveal coming soon!

Jen

Women who create... Inspire me Monday

Welcome to Women who create Joy! Joy from the Joys of Home is someone I consider über creative ... Armed with a great sense of style, a love of vintage and a can of spray paint, she turns regular household creations into fabulous pieces.

She is a Mother of five and Grandmother of one; with a love of family, a good thrift store find, decorating, designing, spray paint, she loves sharing a good laugh and has a dozen projects planned a day and considers it a great day if she can accomplish one.

Joy, when did you start painting furniture and doing home decorating projects?

I've done decorating projects for as long as I can remember. As a teenager I designed and made Barbie furniture for the little girls in the neighborhood that I babysat. When I got married I enjoyed buying furniture at garage sales. Back then I would strip and refinish everything back to a beautiful wood finish. It's only been the last few years that I've been able to justify covering wood with paint.. Who knows, maybe in a few more years I'll be taking those same painted pieces and stripping the paint off to get them back to the wood finish.

Where do you find ideas and inspiration from?

I get ideas and inspiration from everywhere! Magazines, catalogs, HGTV, model homes, movies, the internet, you name it. My husband teases me that my mind "is constantly doing ten things at once and doing it at lightening speed." Too bad my body doesn't keep up!

What is one of your favorite projects?

I think that my favorite project is one that I design and then my husband and I build. I literally get giddy when I see something turn out in real life as good (or better) than it did when I sketched it on paper.

Your blog is very popular, did you ever think it would grow the way it has?

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that ANYONE would be interested in my blog. I am truly honored when someone leaves me a comment. My biggest regret is that I can't visit with everyone who reads my blog. I really wish that I could. But my time with my family is very precious and they have to come first in my life.

Where do you see your blog in 5 years?

Five years?!? Honestly I have no idea where my blog will be in five months. Almost every other week I tell my husband that I'm going to stop blogging. Then I'll receive an email from a complete stranger telling me that I've inspired them. That is such a humbling experience. It gives me the motivation to continue in hopes that I can be a blessing to others and help them find the joys of their home.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to showcase their items via their blog?

I would tell them to go for it! I've been blogging for almost two years now and it is so exciting to look back and see how many projects I've been able to accomplish because I had the motivation of posting about them. It's also fun to see how I decorated for past holidays and to challenge myself to change things up. I've learned a lot about myself because of blogging and I've grown a lot too.

How did you find your love of vintage, repurposing things and spray paint?

I've always had a passion for old things. Put something vintage or antique in a room and it instantly becomes more warm and cozy. Re-purposing is an awesome way to save money, save the environment and build your self-esteem. It's so thrilling to take what others consider trash and turn it into a real treasure with a little creativity and hard work. And who doesn't love the instant gratification of spray paint? I would have to say that I found my way to all of these because of the example of my wonderful parents. They taught me to be creative, resourceful, and frugal.

Thank you so much Joy! You can visit her at her and her fab style and projects at her blog The Joys of Home!

Jen

Tomorrow's guest....

When two lamp shades fall in love....

I love a good, happy accident.

I had covered a plain white lampshade a while ago with scrapbook paper. When I put my new drapes up, it seemed too bright, so I thought I would recover it again.

I had tried to remove the paper, but it was stuck on there pretty well, so I figured I would just go over it, and that the brown fabric was dark enough to cover up anything,

Imagine my surprise at the very cool end result at night when the light gets switched on!

Don't you just loooooove love stories with happy endings!?

Imagine the possibilities!!!

Jen

Stop by Encouragement is Contagious for Show some creativity Saturday!

For the love of silhouette's...

I have a new thing I've been working on for a few weeks now just in time for the holidays!

It's a tutorial listed in my Etsy shop on how to make this painted silhouette plaque!

It's perfect for a gift for the grandparents or you could even make some smaller versions to hang on the tree or the technique for other projects!

They are listed here in my Etsy shop...

Also if you are looking for something slightly less intensive; in Frenchie and Flea's shop, you can find custom made silhouette's!

Jen

Questions answered....

Love the questions and thank you all to who asked them! If I didn't answer your question here, feel free to ask me!

Bec4 asked…Do you completely sand a piece of furniture before painting or do you use primer? I hate sanding, but get worried that if I don't sand thoroughly, paint will peel off in layers. Thanks!

If I am painting, I don’t take off all of the old paint if the undercoat is well adhered. I am a safety freak and wear goggles, a dust mask and I do check previously painted surfaces with a lead check kit if there are any questions. I mostly do a “scratch coat” with 80 grit sandpaper and I wet sand to minimize dust. As long as the surface is smooth and there are no peeling layers, there is no reason to totally take off of the old paint. In fact I think most older paints are harder than the newer ones.

I then prime with an environmentally friendly water-based primer such as Benjamin Moore's , and once that sets, I paint away.

A little tip is that paint fully cures in 30 days and is most susceptible to dings and scratches in that time.

Penny asked….I love this! Ok, you know I paint furniture....but I always have a problem with the tops of tables after I paint. Say, I am painting an end table or coffee table. After painting and letting it dry for at least a week, I will set a lamp on top. The next week, I move the lamp to dust and there are marks on the table top! So how do you finish the tops of tables so that they are usable?

I finish every piece with two to five coats of Polyacyclic after painting. It hardens into a plastic coating on the top of the furniture to protect the surface, unlike a paste wax; which will always stay a little soft, or wears away with use. The more humid the environment, the softer it stays. I actually almost never use paste wax unless I need a super shiny finish coat, otherwise I use Minwax polyacrylic most of the time. The spray kind is really user friendly. I will tell you to use the kind of safety googles ( and a mask!) that leave marks on your face when you spray it ( not the “glasses kind”). It really burns for a long time when you get it in your eyes. Believe me.

*As a side note. (Stinky)Paste wax was really formulated for the care of bare/stained varnished wood. It’s meant to be protective, moisturizing and absorbed. If good wood furniture dries out over time the wood will split and wood veneer will peel and crack. So, that faux oak laminate TV stand does not ever need paste wax. Even painted surfaces don’t really need it, but I will use it occasionally over black paint. I don't know why, but black paint really looks it's best when it's waxed. Oh.. and never use stuff like those spray on dusting products on real wood. They are not real wax, and over time, it’s like rubbing a straight candle on your your tables.

Greta asked…could you please tell me the exact paint name and color you use for the black cabinet and all your cream furniture. It is exactly what I am looking for but my items usually turn shiny and there are always brush lines in them. I want to prove to my husband I can do it…He bought an ugly..real ugly oversized oak tv cabinet and I want to paint it black. Thanks ahead of time for all your help.

You can do it!!!!

I used Benjamin Moore in Jet black and Rich Cream. I also use an eggshell paint finish, it blends much better as along as you don’t over roll it… and yes I said roll. I only use a brush for hard to reach places. Otherwise I use a small white, dense foam roller for every surface. If you want a shinier finish get your poly in a different sheen, not your paint.

To darken my creams I go over them with glaze or stain.

Anonymous wanted to know…I need a large tray for my ottoman and I think I'll try your (picture frame into a tray) idea. How did you attach the felt to the back of the frame? Glue? Did you put glue all over the back or just around the edges?

I spread tacky glue all over the back and then hot glued the edges.

And finally, I had quite a few people ask me after my doodling what kind of pen I use. Well….. I used to use Versacolor fine tip markers,some really expensive fine line art pens, and fine tip calligraphy pens; but, after going through so many because they kept drying out or clogging, I actually just use a fine tip Sharpie now when the mood strikes me! Those seem to last forever!

Thanks again!

And thank you to all of our people who have served or are in the armed forces this Veteran's Day.

Jen

Coming soon!

I just can't help myself!

Women who create.. Mere from These are the Days

Welcome Mere from These are the Days! A busy Mom, blogger since 2005 and a self-taught, soon-to-be published artist specializing in acrylic, paper mache, and clay. Mere uses art supplies and found objects to create her imaginative and whimsical folk art creations that she sells on Etsy and Ebay.

Mere, Tell us a little bit about what inspires you...

If you look closely enough, inspiration can come from absolutely anywhere! My family and the concept of providing them a comforting home inspires me...sometimes the paintings serve as little lessons to myself...things I want to remember or work on in my personal life. Songs are a huge source of inspiration...just one line can be a painting. Everyday life, those completely normal moments can be just that little spark you need. I remember I got one idea sitting in the drive-thru at McDonald's watching a gardener trim a flowering bush. Shouldn't that bush have been allowed to flower? Don't we all deserve that?

For my folk art dolls, fairy tales and holidays have been the driving force. Sometimes, it can be something as odd as a quirky tie I see (and of course buy!) in the dollar store. Other times, I have no idea what I'm making until the recycled item I am using as an armature gives me a little hint. To me, that is the most fun.

A lot of my girls have been in costume, or their clothes have a hint of costume in them to help tell the story behind the piece. This has a lot to do with my other job- I host themed costume parties for little girls. I turn them into fairies, mermaids, princesses, movie stars, etc. All those little imaginations have given me plenty of ideas over the past couple years that I've been painting. :)

With a busy home life, when do you find time to work?

I usually steal a few hours after my family has gone to bed. It's nice to have that quiet time to really just forget about everything else and not have any interruptions. Other times, I try to justify fitting it in during the day. One load of laundry and dishes equals one hour to create. That's fair, right?

Recently, I've had a steady "play date" with my close friend, Jeri. She brings her son over once a week and while our kids play together, so do we! It's a win-win for all involved and I look forward to our designated day of fun! We laugh pretty much the whole day. :)

Where do you work at?

Tee, hee...everywhere! I admit most of it is done at the kitchen table, the dining room is pretty much all mine, but I clean it up every night for dinner. However, I have made things VERY portable. Every vacation I've taken in the past two years has involved a sewing machine, clay bin, and my picnic basket full of paint. I love my picnic basket...it's much more fun to paint out of than anything else. :)

The first time I did brought art supplies on our road trip, my husband stood and watched me put the sewing machine in the van. He paused, and then asked, "Did you want me to pack the scroll saw too?" I laughed SO hard I cried! As you can see, I have a very understanding and creative husband. We even did a joint project just recently...the Jack-o-lantern that carves himself. He drew the sketch and I made it. He has gave me another idea the other day...should be fun!

And yes, I did contemplate taking the scroll saw...oh the possibilities! :)

How did you find your way to the mediums you work in?

I've always messed around with clay. As a kid, I had the kind that never dried and would make creatures and people out of it with a pen and its cap. It is a pretty handy little tool actually! My Dad kept some of what I made, except they are a bit dusty now. :)

I was very lucky to have a lot of encouragement to be crafty when I was young. I always had supplies and I made sure to use them! I try to do the same- my girls get to play right along with me...it's an open invite. The supplies are always out. Lillian (8) likes clay the most and Madeline (2) will watercolor forever if you let her.

My mom did try to teach me to paint when I was about 10 years old. I was WAY too scared to mess it up that she did most of it. That fear, (silly isn't it?) stayed in me for a LONG time. I never felt like I had control of the brush. In 2008, I saw a youtube video that pointed out just how silly that is. So I decided to try and I loved it! The fear was gone.

Really, if you mess up, it could just be a happy accident. If not, you can always paint over it. Playing with it until it makes you giggle is just simply part of the process! :)

How have you found your Etsy experience?

I LOVE Etsy! It's inexpensive and very user friendly. One listing lasts for four months -that's great when you are a busy Mom! I especially like how it is more than just a selling place- it's a community as well. It's so enjoyable when a customer becomes a friend...from Etsy and Ebay, I have a lot of pen pals and I am very thankful for that. :)

When and how did you start selling your art ?

When I decided to tackle that fear of "messing up," I made a painting called "Love is Kind." My girls and their cousins were over and we were all having fun with paint. I hung it up by my front door and saw it every time I left the house. It was a great reminder that even in stressful times, to act with kindness. Then one day, I felt like I was done with it and was ready to let it go. So I listed it. Just for fun to pass it on, not to make lots of money.

This continued, and when my third painting sold, I got a letter in the mail from its new owner. She wrote about what the painting meant to her and how it related to her life. She told me to keep going and included a check for art supplies to make sure I did. I was very moved and encouraged. Making connections like that makes the world a bit smaller and a lot more friendly. The friendships I've made have been the most rewarding part of selling my art. :)

What direction would you like to see your art go in?

I do feel like I'm on a journey, but I don't know where it's headed. I don't really mind that. I know that since I've started painting I've become a more positive person who makes sure to smell the roses while I can.

My girls are growing so fast. I stay home with them and that makes things tight financially. I love creating, so if it could help me stay home with them, that would be great. A do what you love kind of thing. :)

I've also used this experience to challenge myself...to take risks I never would have done before. Thanks to Jen, my Alice Story Doll will be a feature in Art Doll Quarterly! She suggested I make a submission...thanks Jen!

I'm also doing an arts and crafts show on the 27th of this month, it's a huge show and I've always wanted to be a part of it. However it turns out, I'll be glad that I took that chance and put myself out there.

Most importantly, I want to keep learning and growing as an artist.

What is the best thing about creating for you?

Using things other than standard art supplies! I love using recyclables for armatures...or other unwanted items. Light bulbs, air fresheners, joint compound, pickle jars...these are a few of my favorite things! I am in love with the past, so using old, vintage, previously loved items is exciting to me. I'm always buying vintage linens for art doll clothing and other projects.

Keeping those things around has made me a bit of a pack rat, but everything could be used for something, right? Using what I have not only gives me a thrill, but saves me a lot of money too! :)

What advice would you have for someone who wants to get their art "out there" but feels bogged down by daily life?

Remember that you deserve some time to invest in yourself! One hour a day isn't going to make a bit of difference in the condition of your house and you won't love your kids any less, I promise! :)

Daily life won't seem so hum drum when you take time to create. You'll be happier and more productive if you indulge in a little bit of "art therapy!" Soon you will see art and the beauty that resides in everything, everywhere!

Don't forget to have a GOOD TIME...see what it turns into and don't fight it. When you do take that time to create, I would love to see what you've made!

Thank you so much Mere! You can visit her at her blog or see more of her creations at her Etsy store .

Jen

P.S. Keep those questions coming on my earlier post!