Hanging Bookshelf

My good friend Liz approached me and asked if I'd be willing to make/decorate her a small hanging bookshelf for a cozy cottage bunk bed room. I happily agreed!

The only things she said were:

• I should take a paint chip to match the yellow of the other furniture
• She showed me a particular quilt that would be living in that room
• She had the dimensions she wanted for the shelf unit.

The room has a yellow dresser and side table, a top twin sized bunk and a bottom double sized bunk.  I took a paint chip from the dresser so I could match the paint and went on my way.

I sat and thought a lot about how I was going to find a book shelf matching the dimensions... I normally create my projects from things I find in peoples trash or on craigslist. I did a little research and learned that there is a custom wood furniture/shelving place right around the corner from where I live. I talked to them and they said they could make me a shelf fitting those specs.  Perfect!

I went to the paint store in hopes of them matching the paintchip I had. Unfortunately I didn't bring enough of the paint color for them to match using their fancy machine, so it was up to my eye and Peters encouragement to get the right color or at least a close match. I finally settled on what would be the yellow and hoped it would match. IT DID!

I sketched out a number of designs for it, that incorporated the wedding ring quilt idea. I settled on one design and began. I painted the whole shelf yellow. Then I made a stencil, traced it on to the side of the shelf and painted it white. THEN came the decoupaged quilting.

The pictures can tell you the rest of the story.

I cut out paper 'patches' out of decorative paper. I decoupaged them onto the shelf using Mod Podge and a polycrylic top coat.

Next time I am at Liz's cottage I will try to take a picture of the whole room. You can see the quilt in the very last photo. I had fun making this for her, and am glad that it fits in so well with the rest of the decor.

Coasters

I made my mom and my mother-in-law coasters for mother's day!  They turned out pretty well if I do say so myself. A couple of tiles, a few images, a little mod podge, some polyurethane, cork contact paper, and some satin ribbon, along with a paintbrush, a glue gun and some free time, got these puppies done.  I was inspired by a tutorial I saw on Prudent Baby.

The set for my mom has wrens on them, she has some nesting in her yard.

The set for my mother-in-law has different animals on them. A kangaroo rat, a bee, a chicken, and a seahorse.

File Cabinet

In the midst of packing up our house, and preparing to move, I am taking a small break to blog about a file cabinet I once painted. This would fall into the category of trash furniture.

Enjoy! 

Childhood Crafts

I've been visiting my parents the past few days, and have tried to document the millions of crafts that some how have turned into permanent fixtures in their house. Not much explaining is needed, these are things I've made that have stuck around, some for probably close to 20 years (look for the blue bird). I might come to a max on photos for this one, hope the blog can handle it!

I made this bird in elementary school out of clay. 

This is a coaster I made at Nobles Day Camp, I was probably in elementary or middle school.

This recipe holder I made in shop class either at camp or in middle school. 

I used to make TONS of little clay creatures!

This is a paperweight. I saved up stamps that came on mail, got them off the envelopes and covered a rock, I have to say it's held up well! 

I once made this cake stand out of a wooden candle stick and a plate. I don't think we ever used it. It sits on a shelf now way up high, I almost missed it up there. Mom, no hard feelings if you want to get rid of it!

When I was in high school I worked in a paint your own pottery studio. I painted this tile and many other things which I know I missed around the house. 

This plate was an experiment with soap bubbles!  It worked, but then the plate broke... I wonder if I could find another place to make another one. If I could only remember what kind of soap it was to not make the kiln blow up!

When my brother was in 9th grade he was an apprentice in a glass blowing studio. I went to visit and got to make a paperweight. This was with a TON of help but I did pick the colors AND they are still my favorites, purple and lime green!

A painting. 

 This is a datebook I made my mom, I have to remember to make her a new one. She asked a while ago, OOPS!

An origami ball, yep I made it. What do you do with one of those? Well you let it collect dust!

A great crane mobile if I do say so myself! It is made out of silver wire, beads and some interesting papers. 

A thing of what looks like lucky charm marshmallows. They are actually little paper stars. I got really into making these in high school. They are fun and quick. 

Some cranes on the light. The middle one is tiny.

 Strings of origami cranes in my bed room at my parents house.

There is MUCH more, but for now that is all.

SO - That's about it for the Sara Museum that is my parents house.

Neighborhood Colors

This post may be more of an  'Artful Eye' than a 'Craft Chronicle'.

Pete and I have been going for daily walks in the neighborhood. I have become obsessed with one house in particular. The way the orange shingles, yellow-orange trim, brick walls and salmon window pains go together is pure eye candy. I really enjoy walking past this one house.  So we've begun to notice other houses that also have a cool flair to them. That is why today I decided to bring my camera along for our walk. Here is the montage I made from my photos.

This post is a color wheel of the neighborhood houses.  

 Many of the houses also have great gingerbread on them!

This picture doesn't quite do it justice. 

The orange roof is vibrant, the trim is bright and it's cheery even on a drab day. Today is a nice sunny day, but we've walked by when it hasn't been so nice, and the house is still happy!

Vegetable Book

Last May (2009) I was in a course at the University of Illinois called "Art in the Elementary Grades."  It was a mandatory course for all education majors, SO I asked why is it not mandatory for Music Education majors!? They let me into the class and it was nothing but awesomeness and fun!

For my final project I had to write and illustrate a book in the style of Eric Carle who wrote the Hungry Caterpillar and many other great children's books. He paints papers and cuts those out into shapes to make his illustrations.  I too had to paint large sheets of paper, and cut it up into illustrations for my book. (It was a project more about the illustrating than the writing!) The funny part of all this is that many of my class mates thought this project was bogus, and complained about it. I on the other hand was so psyched about it I even worked on it at home and had it turned into what actually looks like a book!

I picked the theme of Michelle Obama's vegetable garden and what grows when.
I will post a few of the illustrations I did by cutting out previously painted sheets of paper.  Please note the asparagus, the celery and Michelle's Jacket is all from the same paper.

For the full story you will have to see the book in person. I am trying to figure out how to get it up online for sale.  I will keep you posted.

I would love to illustrate another book some time using the same process.  I liked the illustrating part more than the writing part. We'll see!

Blue & White Tissue Paper Trash Table

I found this little table at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for I think $4.  It was cracked and the top would not stay on so the man gave it to me for half price, $2!  I glued, clamped and fixed the table so it was sturdy again.  I found some sweet tissue paper at Target. I knew it had to turn into something, and this little table was it. I sanded, painted and decoupaged it.  Decoupaging with tissue paper is a little bit harder than with a sturdier paper. It rips more easily and creases more easily, but I was up for a challenge.

BEFORE:

I know what you're thinking. Why ruin such a good looking table. Don't worry, it looks like nice wood, but it is really particleboard disguised as fine wood. I have an affinity for wood, and leave it alone if it's anything of note. (I'll post about my craft dresser another time!)

 

This is where I probably started yelling upstairs to Pete saying, "I'm doing this project, here is what I need you to do." Laying the table top was probably the hardest part.

AFTER:

I think it came out pretty cute.  Now if it only matched the other things in the house. . .

Monkey Rocker

My nephew turned ONE in January.  I decorated a childs rocking chair for his gift. The chair was unfinished wood, I got it at Michaels. This doesn't really constitute "trash" furniture as it was new, but that's the category I am putting it in.  I painted it, and decoupaged it with some cute paper.

I painted his name on it too!

Beer Label back-blog

After blogging about Jason and Shanon's table, I thought of another craft project that involved them. Brewing BEER! I suppose the brewing process is a craft in its self, however our beer needed labels, so I designed some.  It started with a drawing which I colored/painted with Caran d'Ache water soluble pastels. You color like a crayon and then wet it like a watercolor.  Here is what I ended up with.

 You see, Jason and Pete are trumpet players who both have red hair, so I based my label off of the brewers themselves. 

I then got some weatherproof laser labels Avery 5524 rigged up the spacing, threw in a diamond checkered background, printed them and poof ~ WE WERE IN BUSINESS!

One of our very own Scotch Ales wrapped in a tidy package with a home made label!

I left the oval at the bottom of the label blank so we could write in what type of beer it is. I also gave Jason and Shanon a bunch of labels to continue their beer making in Louisville. Since then we have enjoyed a number of different types of beer Jason has made, covered in properly labeled bottles.