Pinterest Challenge #2

I have completed another Pinterest challenge!!!

I hope I am not the only one, but I always end up with keys that I have no clue what they go to!

Anybody else have this problem?

While feeding my Pinterest addiction, I came across this idea.

Take your old keys and recycle them into pendants...

Here, I took a vintage clip on earring, broke off the back, and glued it to the key with E6000.  I added some rhinestones for a little more sparkle.  Once the "bling" was in place and dry, I glued a bail to the back of the key. I love how it turned out!

For this one, I started by using ModPodge to cover the key with a decorative napkin to give it some color.

I know, I know, I keep using those darn napkins!

I added some turquoise color microbeads to part of the key.

Then I glued on a vintage bee pin and added the bail.

I left the pin in tact so I can wear it as a necklace or a pin.

I call it my Bee Keyper. Get it? Ha Ha

So, don't throw away those old mystery keys.

If you don't want them, send them my way!!!

Coffee Table Redo

I have had the same coffee table for at least 10 years.

It could be more, but my memory stinks!

It was originally an oak table that a friend had. She had had the table for quite some time and was ready to get rid of it. She is also an artist and we had been painting some furniture to take to a flea market to sell.  So, we painted the bottom of her coffee table an off white, distressed it,  painted the top black and took it to the market. Well, it didn't sell, she didn't want it, so I kept it. I was actually kind of glad that it didn't sell. I needed a coffee table and I thought we had done a great job on it.

When my family moved into the house we live in now, the coffee table came too. I decided that the top was too perfect so I got out my mouse sander and went to town! I distressed the heck out of the black!

This is how the table has looked for the last 5 years...

I had been thinking that the table needed a change. I wanted to brighten it up a bit.

So, a few weeks ago, while my husband and kids were all out of town for various reasons, I went for it.

I painted the top an off white to match the bottom. Don't expect to hear the word "match" out of me too often. I don't like things to match and I don't like things centered! 

I sanded the edges a little to distress it and added just a little brown wash to age it a little more.

The result...

Much brighter!

In one corner, I added a bird and scroll design that I found on the Graphics Fairy website.

I kept the design subtle. All you have to do is print out your design, place it face down on your painted surface, and rub the back of the paper with a pencil. It will transfer the design. You can paint over the design, but I like the aged look of just the transfer. I have found that the design will stay if you seal over it.

If you do this technique with words, flip the design before you print it so your letters and words won't be backwards.

Remember, I said I don't like things centered!

Sorry...the picture is a little weird. I need to work on my camera settings!

I'm sure this table will go through many more transformations, but for now, I love it!

Want more coffee table inspiration? Then visit HOMESTHETICS. There you will find awesome DIY coffee tables to fit any stlye.

Update on Maggie

Thank you so much to everyone who has been keeping Maggie in your prayers! Her surgery went well. She actually got on Facebook when she got out of recovery to thank everyone for their prayers and visits to the hospital. Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

Prayers For Maggie

My daughter, Carrie, has some wonderful friends! And, one of those friends is Maggie.

Maggie is a 17 year old Senior in high school. She is a wonderful Christian girl who wears her faith like a banner for the world to see. She is an all around good girl and we are so happy to know her!

Maggie has been complaining of shortness of breath for several weeks. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. The doctors have since discovered a tumor on her lung. She is scheduled to have surgery on Monday. I am asking for prayers for healing for Maggie and for her to have a speedy recovery. Please remember her family and the doctors in your prayers also. 

Thank you!

Maggie, Lexy, Abby, & Carrie

Luxe Boulevard Birthday Giveaway!

Stephanie at Luxe Boulevard is having a giveaway to celebrate her birthday!

And I am happy to say that the first giveaway item of the weekend is from me, ArtsyVaVa!

Go here to enter. If you are the winner, you'll get your choice of either my Ooh La La Paris Bangle Bracelet or a Vintage Turquoise Ring!

GOOD LUCK!

Oops!

Whenever you are in a home improvement store such as Lowe's or Home Depot, don't forget to check out their clearance items! I love to go to the paint department and see what they have in their "Oops" section. I don't know if that is what it is officially called, but I lovingly refer to it as that. It is a small section where customers have returned paint that they took home and decided they didn't like. You can often get gallon cans of paint for $10 or less. There may not be a color you'd want to paint a room with, but you can use it for furniture and other paint projects. Yesterday I found some sample size jars of Valspar paint. One was on sale for 50cents and the other for $1.25!

And, they were FULL!

And, they were great colors!

I also found sheets of 3" x 3" tiles on clearance for $1.57 a sheet. There are 16 tiles per sheet.

I am going to break them apart, cover them with something beautiful, and make them into magnets. In the picture below you can see that I have already covered one...I still need to seal it with something shiny...

There's that peacock napkin again!!!!

I'm sure some of you will be happy when I run out of those!

I just adhered the napkin to the tile with ModPodge. Next, I'll seal it and maybe add some bling!

ON SALE!

Many of you already know that I am renting a room at Earth Mamas General Store to sell my wares and teach art classes. I will be taking a lot of the items out of my ETSY shop and moving them into the store. 

So, if there is anything in my shop that you'd like to have, use coupon code ARTSYVAVA1 and receive 20% off your order.

My ETSY shop name is Flypaint.

Folk Art Festival 2011

Last Thursday was my birthday.

It is still shocking to me to say that I am 50!

In my head I am still in my 20's even though my body sometimes reminds me otherwise.

I have wonderful friends and 12 of them took me to lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant on my birthday. Then we went over to my friend, Kelli's, and laid by her pool. My husband was out of town for work and my son was off at college, so it was just Carrie and me for dinner. We could have gone anywhere, but we chose Chic-Fil-A. It doesn't get any better than that. For those of you who live where there is no Chic-Fil-A, you are missing out! The founder of CFA lives in my county so you can't go anywhere without passing one!

Yesterday, my friend, Kimbo, took me on another birthday outing to Norcross, GA to have lunch at Papadeaux's and then to the Folk Art Festival. Papadeaux's is a cajun seafood restaurant and it was wonderful. You feel just like you are in the French Quarter!

The Papadeaux courtyard...

After lunch, we headed over to the 2011 Folk Art Festival. This show is amazing! There are so many talented people in this world!!! There were so many pieces I wanted to buy, but I stored them in my 50 year old brain (yikes, there's that number again) so that I can put my own spin on them. I came home so inspired. I actually started a collage last night. I'll share it with you when it is complete.

If you ever get the chance, go to the festival. It is held every August at the North Atlanta Trade Center in Norcross. You'll be glad you did!

Kimbo standing next to a piece of folk art in the parking lot...

This mermaid is made from all recycled pieces by artist Ralph Douglas Jones from Tybee Island, GA.

This lovely lady sells for $150,000 (the mermaid,not Kimbo).

I wish I could have taken pictures inside but it is frowned upon :(

Here's a sneak peek at what I started working on last night...

I'll post pictures of the finished product once completed (unless it stinks)! 

So far, I'm liking it!

Add Bling To A Simple Thing

I recently purchased an ordinary clipboard from Michael's for $2.50 (plus I had a 25% off coupon). I jazzed it up with some vintage jewelry and I love the result.

I only paid $10 for 2 baggies full of the vintage jewelry pieces at an antique store. I used E6000 to glue the jewelry to the clipboard. The backs of the earrings break off easily. However, a couple of the pieces fit better leaving the backs on. So, for less than $3, I have a gorgeous and unique clipboard!

Moving In!!!

It's official! I am moving into Earth Mamas General Store. 

I am renting the kitchen space to sell my "stuff".

What I am most excited about is that the owner, Jeni, has agreed to let me teach classes. Once I saw the space with the long table and a working sink, I knew that it was going to be a perfect fit for me.

While in the store today going over some final details, 2 people came in and both signed up to be notified about classes!!! Yay! I have scheduled the first class for September 13.

I have also started doing a blog for the store. Check it out HERE. I hope you'll stop by and become a follower! If you are local, come in the store and see us!

Here are just a few of the great items already available at Earth Mamas...

I will open the door to the "kitchen" September 1st. How do I always end up in the kitchen?

Another Project with Napkins!

 Napkins come in so many beautiful colors and patterns. Some of you may have seen the Peacock Chair I posted a few weeks ago. The peacock design on the chair is actually a napkin that I adhered to the chair with ModPodge...

I have been doing quite a lot of projects using napkins lately.

Today I am going to show you how I made a jewelry holder using a napkin for the decorative accent.

I'm sure you have seen these before, but just in case...here is the tutorial...

Supplies:

Open back frame- this one is 11" x 14"

ModPodge

Paint Brush

Decorative Napkin- Once again I chose a peacock design.

X-acto knife or scissors

staple gun

window screen

Most napkins have several layers. Pull the layers apart until you have a single layer.

Next, begin coating sections of the frame with ModPodge.

Adhere the napkin and give it a top coat of ModPodge.

Fold your corners on the back like you are wrapping a present...

When the frame is dry, staple in the window screen.

Trim the excess screen...

This project took about an hour and was very inexpensive. 

The napkin I used had a pattern that had to match up.  You could use a napkin, or even tissue paper, that has a more "all over" pattern and you could tear the pieces and overlap them.

This would also be a great way to decorate frames to put pictures in!

Kimbo Is Blogging!

I am so excited! My dear friend, Kimbo, has joined the blogging world! I have mentioned Kimbo in a couple of my posts. I'm sure I will mention her many more times. She is the most talented person I know (and the sweetest). She is an artist, author, singer, businesswoman, & actress. I am blessed to call her my friend!

I have been bugging Kimbo to start a blog. Her voice needs to be heard. Her talent needs to be shown to the world! Well, she called me this morning to let me know that she has started a blog. Go HERE to see her first post. I hope you will FOLLOW her so you can keep up with the wonderful things she has to share.

Decorating With Sentimental Things Part 3

When my husband and I first married, we had a little house that didn't have a formal dining room. When we moved back to Georgia in 1990 we bought a bigger house and it had a formal dining room. We bought an antique dining room set that consisted of a table with 6 chairs, china cabinet, buffet, & sideboard. When my mother passed away I inherited her dining room suite. I never thought I would actually want it (not really my style) but once she was gone I couldn't imagine not having it. My mother was the perfect Southern lady. We actually used our formal dining room (I rarely do). We used the fine china, the silver, and cloth napkins! She always said, "What's the use in having it if you aren't going to use it?" All the memories of family gatherings around that table made me wonder how I could live without it. So, I ended up with 2 formal dining room suites.

Five years ago we built our dream home. I moved our kitchen table & chairs to my screened porch. I put the antique table and chairs in my kitchen and put my mothers' table and china cabinet in my formal dining room. All the antique pieces have been put in different rooms throughout my house. The buffet is in the formal dining room. The sideboard is in my bedroom. The china cabinet is in my family room...

It has served as a great place to put sentimental items and family treasures.

 

On the top shelf is an old photo of my husband and his siblings. He's the little boy on the left. I altered the photo in Photoshop to give it a watercolor effect. The little shoes & bracelet were mine when I was a baby. The antique glasses & case were my great-great grandmothers'.

 On the second shelf, I have some special photos. The one on the left is of me(on the left), my nephew, Blake, and my niece, Lee. Yes you heard right! NEPHEW & NIECE! I was one of those surprise babies you hear about but hope will never happen to you! Blake is 2 years older than me and Lee is 9 days older than me. They were like siblings but they went home at night. The photo on the right is of my brother, Dennis, and me. He is the youngest of my 3 brothers and is 15 years older than me. Blake is the son of my brother, Wallace, and Lee is the daughter of my brother, Gary.

The bottom shelf holds 2 quilts that my mother made. On top of the quilts is my grandmothers' Bible and another pair of glasses that my great-great grandmother owned.

In a little nook in my family room, I have a chair that belonged to my parents. They gave it to me about 15 years ago. They thought it was junk but I saw potential. It was covered in a red vinyl that was torn. I had it recovered in a fun fabric that has martinis, pipes, and cards on it. We call it the "vice chair". It sits next to a table and lamp that also belonged to my parents. There is a small photo on the table. In the photo is my grandmother and my nephew, Blake. This picture was taken around the time my mother was pregnant with me. In the photo is that same table and lamp!

A few years ago, I was at Scott Antique Market and came across a box full old mailbox doors. They used to make those so pretty! One of the first ones I pulled out had numbers on it that were the last 4 numbers of the phone number that we had when I was growing up and that my parents had until they passed away. I had to have it! It was meant to be. So, it's kind of sentimental without being a family heirloom. And it makes a great decorative piece! I keep it on a shelf in the family room.

Sometimes the things we think we'll never want end up being the things that mean the most to us!

Conversion Chart

I don't know about any of you but I am always trying to find a conversion chart when I am cooking or baking. I usually start by grabbing a cookbook and flipping through it hoping there is a chart. Most of the time I end up going to the computer and looking it up on Google. Thank goodness for Google!

I saw a great idea on Lil' Luna where they took vinyl letters and made measurement conversions. They had placed them on their mixer. Genius! Why didn't I think of that?

Anyway, I don't have a nice, pretty mixer like they used. I usually just whip out my hand mixer for everything!

I wanted my conversion chart to be readily available. So, using my Cricut, I cut out the measurements and put them on the inside of one of my kitchen cabinet doors.

Now I have a conversion chart handy at all times. 

Plus, I made the letters big enough that I don't have to search for glasses to be able to read it!