warding off vampires!

I am about to finish my masterbath/ masterbedroom makeover.  My mom asked if I was trying to ward off vampires when she first saw my bedroom redo, ha ha mom!  Nope, I am a shabby chic girl through and through but since I live in Texas I like to splash a little southwestern into the mix also.  Before I show pictures, I must remind you that my favorite lens broke and I am doing the best I can till I can afford a new lens.

 

The lamps were from my last post

The bedding is all shabby chic from target, recently purchased.

The bed curtains are from target and they are the shabby chic shower curtains.

The pillow is not made yet, what do you think of the contrast?

The walls are a color called parchment from lowes.  I love the color.  Everything else is white, grey or shiny.

I am thinking about putting these mirrors on both sides of the bed behind the lamps, what do you think?

 

It's from lowes, I'll probably buy them next and see.  If I like them I will post the pictures.  Sorry I couldn't get the whole room in one picture.  I will show the rest in a few weeks when I am done.  I am painting my bathroom cabinets, putting a frame around the mirrors, painting one wall in the bedroom and making new curtains.  Then I am done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lisa

Linking to somewhat simple 

csi

house of hepworths

twisted flower brooches and a lamp tutorial

This is a little long for me, but it's a good tutorial for doing twisted flowers for a lampshade, so hang in there...

This is what I ended up with, and the whole thing took about 5 minutes!

So before I start the tutorial I wanted to post a link to a youtube video that taught me ......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR0wHMvWTzo

The centers were not old family jewelry.  They were 1 dollar rings from a flea market.  I just cut the band off and then glued them to the center of the flower on their new flat back.

This is where I would suggest you watch the video really quick.  The next few pictures aren't great because I was trying to do the flower and take a picture at the same time.  The video explains it much better.

But here is what you will need.  A piece of felt for the backing (to glue the flower to) the material.  About 2 inches wide and maybe 8 to 10 inches long.  A center and glue.  I used a glue gun since I was putting this on a lamp shade and knew it wouldn't be washed.

So you put a blop of glue in the center and press the fabric down and then start twisting the fabric as you go into a loose coil.  As you go around the flower you keep twisting and placing glue.

And then when you get the diameter you want you tuck in the last piece and glue it.

  After you are done gluing and it is set, put another blop of glue in the center and press in your center piece.  These are 3 I ended up with it.  I let them set for a few minutes and then cut the felt very close to the edge of the flower, so that It didn't show through from the front.

Then I put a blop of glue on the lampshade and held the flower in place for a few minutes and then did the other two.  I'm not sure but I might add some leaves around the edges.  But for now here is the finished lampshade.

For a tutorial on the best way I found to put a ribbon band around a lampshade,click here

Lisa

linking to running with glitter 
new nostalgia 
hope studios 
creative itch 
craftomaniac 
whipperberry

a hall tree

My friend gave me this beautiful hall tree for free, what a friend!  I will post the recipe for this tomorrow or monday, I'm too tired to do it justice now.  So just pictures.  I have a mirror for it, but thought it would be easier to post with it still out.

 

Linking to
whipperberry
tatertots and jello

funky junk
freckled laundry 
shabby nest 
craftomaniac
miss mustard seed

A new rosie side table

I bought 3 different specialty papers when I was in Savannah.  This is one of the 3.  I just love it.  I bought it with this side table in mind.

I love it!  I bought the polka dot drawer pulls from hobby lobby and the paper was la paperie.

Here are some tips for modpodging paper onto a piece of furniture.
1.  Wet the back of the paper with a water sprayer, not soaking just a light mist
2.  place it on the already modpodged area
3.  Instantly start braying the top of the paper with a paper brayer
4.  Mod podge a second coat on top of the layer of paper
5.  brush on a layer or two of acrylic poly

This is my tried and true tips that I got from a mod podge rocks youtube video and I haven't had any problems with creasing or bubbles since then.

I think the side table is lovely, but truthfully it is a terrible painting job.  I'm not sure how obvious that is from the pictures.  I used a primer, so I thought I would experiment with paint.  I didn't want to spend a bunch so I bought a quart of valspar paint in gloss white.  It is the paint right next to the spray paints and it was $5.  DO NOT BUY THIS PAINT TO PAINT FURNITURE.  The finish was horrible, it didn't sand well, everything stunk.  It left nasty bumpy bits and even though I painted over the whole thing with a better quality paint, it still was lacking.  I will never buy cheap paint again.  Lesson learned.  I tried to make it ok by adding bright pink to just the edges, but unless I sand the whole thing and start over, its a lost cause.  I will still sell it at the shop, but for much cheaper then I would have.  So learn from me and don't buy $5 paint in the can unless it's oops paint.

*lisa* 

linking to whipperberry

tatertots and jellos\
funky junk 
craftomaiac 
the anwser is chocolate 
miss mustard seed

More candle love

I promise I am not being sponsored by double sided tape companies, wouldn't that be awesome.

The other day my daughter had a cast party for a musical she was in.   70 middleschoolers in our backyard.  They were actually very well behaved and a sweet group of kids. 

I wanted to decorate the tables a bit, but not spend a bunch of money since I had already bought a ton of balloons and it was the school's budget, not mine.  I went to the dollar store and they had these awesome tall candles.  I grabbed a dozen.  They were burning for 3 hours during the party and have lots of use left in them, which is good because  I thought that they turned out so cute I will be reusing them for other parties and holidays. 

I simply used double sticky tape again and scrapbook paper as a decoration and then tied a piece of tulle around the base, very simple.  At the end of the party the paper came off without a hitch and I can redecorate with different papers for the next event.  The whole project took less then 5 minutes. 

a little candle love

This is the simplest tutorial ever, but it was such an aha moment for me I have to share it.

Have you ever seen these candles at target?  I love them, the smell is simply wonderful, but the design does not match my decor.

I don't have any purple in my house.  But the smell is so delicious, I buy them anyway.  Then it dawned on me in a fleeting burst of brilliance.......... fleeting, unfortunately!  Why not just paper over the design?

 

It was so easy.  I just put down a line of double sticky tape and then cut the scrapbook paper to the right width and tada!  A beautiful smelling lilac candle, that matches the colors of my house and style.  Simple,  simple simple, but yet just a little brilliant.  When your at target, if you haven't smelled these candles, I would meander down that aisle and take a whiff.  The tomatoe plant candle is amazing, it might make you forget you have your kids with you for just a moment.

linking to: new nostalgia

A new coffee table

In a recent post I showed a pair of side tables that I had redone that weren't very beloved by me.

 

I sent them to the shop and they have since sold.  I promised myself that I would finish the matching coffee table, just to get it done and out of my painting space.  I have a few things in the works that I wanted to do but needed the space to do them in.

 

Here is the new coffee table and quess what?  I loved it so much I decided to keep it, how crazy am I?  It's a little too short, so i will add casters to the bottom and I think distress it a little more, plus add a big glass knob but I love the pop of color.  The side tables were too low, but for some reason the coffee table was perfect.  

Blogger has been giving me fits lately so I think I will be posting new finished painting projects all week, since I haven't been able to post for about 5 days now.  See you tomorrow!

linking to miss mustard seed

tatertot and jello

skip to my lou 

dittle dattle 

polly want a crafter  

craftomaniac

mod podge does rock!

I have been in the mood lately to do a paper craft.  I recently watched a modpodge rocks youtube video and she gave some excellent tips that I will pass along in this post.  I always seem to get wrinkles or tears or something if I try to modpodge a big piece of paper, do you?  It's so frustrating.  According to modpodge rocks. 1. if you spray the back of the paper lightly with water and then place it on the modpodge surface it helps, and then 2.  use a paper brayer to roll over the paper right away the problem should be solved.  And what do you know it worked.  Yippee!

Here is the project I just finished.

 

When I was in Savannah I came a cross a little shop called paperie and they had the most amazing papers.  I bought 3.  This birdcage paper was my most favorite.  The gold is very shiny.  It's just beautiful.  The plaque is 12 x 12 inches.  The birdcage is from my cricut.  The flower was made from a flower that I took the back and front out of  and glued feathers to the back and a pearl to the front.  Then did a few coats of mod podge over all the papers to keep it all safe and protected.  This will be in my etsy shop if you are interested.  

I am linking to craftomaniac

I'm back and two new tables

Have you been wondering what happened to me?

Or did you not notice I was gone, which would be sadder?

Well I had a little trouble returning from Savannah......, in my mind.  I think I stayed there for a week mentally, just cuz it was so wonderful.

A girl's weekend, for no other reason then we love each other.  We ate fried pickles and cupcakes for every meal and watched chick flicks at night.  True girl perfection.  And if you are cringing right now at the thought of fried pickles, you are missing out.

So I didn't accomplish anything for a few days, but finally got these two tables painted.

 

Crystal knobs and dark stained tops.  For some reason I am not loving their aqua blue loveliness.  Just not.

I repainted and stained them about 3 times and couldn't get them the way I envisioned them in my head, so I finally just finished them and they are off to the shop today.  I hope I never see them again.

When I got there I found that other pieces I painted had been bought.  Just the inspiration I needed to move on.  

linking to miss mustard seed and tatertots and jello

whipperberry 

shanty2chic