...a place to illuminate one's creative potential.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Two Brushes


These two old paint brushes were my find last weekend!  I left the vendor tags on...I liked them as much as I liked the brushes!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Kitchen Extras!

I am so excited to share my new little extras in the kitchen...  new window treatments and a pendant light over the sink!
This pendant light came from Lowes.  I had a recessed can light over the sink.  They sell a conversion kit  so that all you have to do is screw in the new light where the old light bulb screwed in before!  Super Easy!  There are many glass shades to choose from and the cost was $35 for both pieces together.  



The window treatment also came from Lowes!  They have a new collection of colors and patterns by Waverly.
I love the way they look light and airy.   My old black floral ones were fading and looked heavy.
These treatments were $14.99 for each window.

Pear dish towel from Target!


Stove view of the kitchen

Fridge and open shelving view.  My husband shortened the cabinet doors on the existing cabinets about two years ago so that I could have open shelving for my dishes.  I do not miss opening cabinets to put dishes away when I unload the dish washer!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

New large vintage dome!

 A friend was selling this very large glass dome at a yard sale last year.  I wanted it really bad but wasn't willing to pay the asking price at the time.   She called the other day and said that she still had the dome and did I want it for $10.  Yes!Yes! Yes!
 I have used it in my art room for now.  I have put some art supplies under it and some rubber stamps in a vintage muffin tin beside it.  I found the muffin tin at a thrift shop recently.
I am sure this very large dome will get changed from room to room and season to season.  Nothing stays the same around here for too long!  I found some treasures at The Depot today...wait another day to see those.  I also tackled another ASCP project....that too will be a post for another day.

Parties this week: Table Top Tuesday and Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Small tin finish

My sampler guild is working on a series of smalls.  Our program in April was about the history of perforated paper.  This is a tiny flat mint tin.  We were given the design, paper, and tin to work this little project.  I changed the recommended thread colors and incorporated the flower button in place of a punched paper flower.  I am going to use my tin to hold sweet little buttons.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Experimenting on project bags

The Carolina Stitcher keeps coming up with new ways to make her project bags look so cute!  I have "borrowed" several of her ideas and incorporated them into these two new bags of mine.
I had just finished this Lizzie Kate piece called "Land That I Love".  The first idea I borrowed from Faye was to add it to the outside of the bag.  I had originally thought I would make a pocket of it but ended up just doing a tight zig zag to hold it onto the bag.
The second idea I borrowed from Faye was to add the hang tag.
 I had 12 inches of this twill flag printed tape and cut
 just enough to fold in half and have it stick out the seam.
The fabric is designed by Black Bird Designs.

It just looked like it needed something else so I put the rick rack in above and below the zipper.  This ia a large bag, measures about 12 x 12.  I have made several this size and like them because some of the designs I work are printed on 8 1/2 x 11 card stock.  This way, I don't have to fold the design.
I had enough left over fabric to sew up this small bag and try something new.
 Do you see what this little bag can do?

After stitching the bag up, I opened it inside out and ran
 the sewing machine across the bottom corners.

It stands up by itself!
A few ideas borrowed, and some experimenting....
a fun, fun day of projects!  Back to school tomorrow after a week of Spring Break.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Porch table redressed

Had this wooden tiered stand for a year now.  It got chalk painted last summer.  I have used it in the bathroom for a while and then my art room for seasonal art supplies.  Thought I would give it a whirl on the sun porch farm house table (seats 12).  I took this pic on my iphone and took it with me to one of my favorite stores... Create By Nature. The girls in the shop pulled all kinds of things that I could use over to a table.  I already had many of the items from the store, all I needed was a little inspiration to get going on this project.

I bought the iron bird on the top and the green wreath that lines the second level.

Everything else; eggs, candles, moss, fabric birds, silver cups, pots, and birdhouses, I already had at home.




The shop girls suggested plants in the lanterns for this time of year.  I got these plants and pots at Lowes.  I love the color on the pots.  Drift wood helped to fill the space.

Love these table place markers!
They were a Christmas purchase from the same same shop.

The big metal bird was a GW find!

The chicken wire utensil organizer was a $4 Home Goods clearance find.


This is the last thing I bought at Create By Nature yesterday.  I love it!  It is suppose to be a soap dish.

I don't know where I got this little wooden bird box but I have had it for probably 20 years.  It is a piece that gets moved around a lot but never put away in my house.  I thought it would be a good chalk keeper for a while.

I bought 6 of these tarnished silver plate baby cups all tied together at GW for $2.99.
 I didn't set the table...just wanted an easy going table for the rest of spring and early summer.
This might be a paper plate table for a while....deviled eggs, southern BBQ, potato salad, banana pudding...sweet tea in mason jars!

I am going to link to Funky Junk's Saturday Nite SpecialTable Top Tuesday

I am "Dyeing To Stitch" my new patterns!

I got to visit a stitch shop in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, it was called "Dyeing to Stitch"!  The girls who run this shop also dye their own linen...R & R Reproductions.  The shop was adorable!  They had so many current patterns from a wide variety of designers that I was totally overwhelmed.  We spent over an hour in the shop.  I walked away with three new projects....


I have several things to finish stitching before I start on these but I am really "Dyeing" to start the "Land That I Love" piece!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Guess where I have been!




Did you guess?  
Did you guess Williamsburg, Va.?  
I have been on spring break from school this week.  Took a girls trip for two nights up to Virginia.  Stopped at two stitch shops: Dying to Stitch in Virginia Beach and The Stitching Well in Williamsburg.  Both were very good shops for cross stitch patterns, fabric, and threads!  I will share what I bought in another post.  
It was fun to get away for a few days with a good friend!  
Only 3 days left of break...I guess I am going to have to clean the house (or "play" in the house by moving stuff around!) Future post may tell the real story of the next three days!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Another Bunny


A little piece I stitched last Easter.  He has such character dressed in his little vest!