Thursday, February 16, 2012

Friday, February 10, 2012

Easy FREE DIY project: Book Page Rosettes


I made these for Christmas - but I loved the deer one so much, I still have it out. Here in Ohio deer are year-round anyway.

Instructions: Take a few pages from an old book (sheet music also works swell). You'll need 2-3 sheets per rosette. Fold each like an accordian - ah... brings back elementary school art projects, right? You can be all perfect and measure your folds, if you're like that. I'm not like that, so I just start folding, using each fold to measure the next one. It's not a test. Then fold your accordian in half, like a fan (the Asian paper types - you know, like before there was air conditioning). Glue one side of your fan to another fan - keep doing this until you have a full circle. Use a glue gun to put a glob in the center to hold it all together. Blow on the finger you just burned, then peel off the glue on your finger. Stick your finger in your mouth if it makes you feel better. Just don't cry. Nobody wants a rosette with tear stains on it.

You can leave it as-is or put a paper circle or square on the front and/or back. I chose to print out a couple of pictures from the Graphics Fairy ( http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ - these are all free too!) and mount them onto scrapbooking paper. I used a glitter paper... I also like to use and ink pad to ink the edges or some glitter glue.

These are cute to hang anywhere, to put on gifts instead of a bow, or to tuck here and there onshelves and in containers.

Yippee! I finished my first tutorial. Whatdya think?

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Year of dreams

I've been dreaming about the same things for a very long time. And I've finally decided that this is the year. The year to stopped simply dreaming and to start pursuing those dreams. I want to be able to be home with my kids. Maybe not all the time, but a lot more. And more money wouldn't hurt at all. I'm barely making enough to pay the bills right now.... let alone any extra.

I believe that we have this one life on earth to live and we should enjoy it. It can't be all about work, even though some of it has to be. My goal for this year is to begin using my talents and doing the things I love to do, the desires God has placed on my heart, and to use these to pursue an income. I want to start my own business, for now in addition to what I'm already doing for employment, but with the "someday" hope that I can make it into a full time thing.

 So I'm working on this blog more often. I'm shining up my etsy page ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/BricABracShoppe) in preparation to begin listing items to sell. And I'm making things to list. I'm organizing my craft room, my house, my finances, my paperwork, my life - so that I can stop this constantly feeling overwhelmed thing (I'm sick of it) and start really living. I want to enjoy my kids while they're still kids. I want to travel. I want to be able to financially support the people and organizations I love. I want to develop my creativity - to see what I am really capable of.

  I don't know if this is even reasonable to hope for, but then dreams are necessarily supposed to be reasonable are they?

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas Crafties



I've been busy working my creative brain cells. Here are some of the crafty bits I've completed: 

Photo Frame & Embroidered Vintage Linen Pincushion/Brooch Holder ($6.95 meas. ~ 3 1/2 " x 4 1/2 ")
(Vintage Brooch $4.95)

"She Felt Pretty" Journal (4 x 6" Pages are Brown Handmade/Recycled Look Kraft Paper) $4.95 

                                   "Oh Deer" / "Be a Deer" (^/v) Reversible Pendant (meas. 2"x2")  $7.95

I made a series of these shadowboxes. They can hang as ornaments or on the wall, or sit propped up on a shelf. Each is made of white chipboard, measuring 3 1/2" h x 5" w
 Winter Girl ( I did add a nice ribbon to this and removed the fish line hanger) $4.95
 Gold House (Also added a ribbon) $4.95
 White Deer (The tree is lighter than it shows up here) $6.95
 Vintage Red Deer (trimmed with a lovely bit of vintage Christmas ribbon) $5.50
Wood "Toys and Dolls" Sale Sign. Reproduction Vintage advertisement on a high quality wood plaque that had been painted, distressed, and decoupaged with layers of paper. (meas 11" w x 15" h; sawtooth hanger) $19.95

Friday, October 7, 2011

My sister the Fairy

                                         Mushrooms (and a garden hose but I cropped that out)

Kelsey sitting on a butterfly stool. 
( I SO wanted one of these until I saw the $4,000 price tag- OUCH!) 
                                                 
Finished Photo 

This is a photo I did for the fair (I didn't win anything ... I think maybe it was a bit too much for the sweet little old ladies who judge to handle). I took two photos I had snapped at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron -go there if you haven't already, it's a beautiful gem in a less than impressive city. Lots of photo shopping and two merged snapshots later and my sister Kelsey became a sparkly fairy.

Bric A Brac

Not much of a post, but I just realized that the definition for Bric a Brac (1830-1840) is not much older than my house (1850). So weird to think about how much things have changed. Wish my house's walls could speak ... the stories they could tell!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Home Tour March 2011 -Kitchen

 These awesome swinging parlor doors lead into the kitchen. My son calls them western or cowboy doors.


Open shelving on either side of the window. Strangely the window is situated over the stove, rather than the kitchen sink. Hmm... 


Green countertops - they actually don't match- they used two different types. The cabinets also don't match, and there is a door off. I want white cabinets and brushed nickel pulls and knobs.
Cabinets on the right side of the kitchen. They also are mismatched.

And the ugliest of them all- the white laminate cabinet. Ugh. I bought a set to replace this monstrosity. Now I'm just looking for countertops, a sink (this one had some big chips in it) and a new faucet. Note that the flooring is also carpet. Not cool!