Funky Art Queen

I decided this morning that I wanted to make a fabric birdhouse. I saw one a while back on the internet and for the life of me, I could not find the one I liked so much. The one I liked was quilted and all kinds of crazy fabric was used. But, I just had to do it anyway so I came up with this one. I started out by using 8X12 canvas pad pages for my pattern. After some folding and cutting I was able to construct a paper birdhouse. I used masking tape to put it together so I could see if it would work. It all seemed to fit together nicely so I dove into the fabric and cut out my patterns. I filled each piece with batting to make it stiffer and easier to stand. I used the sewing machine to sew the quilt like pieces. I applied the little "opening" with a felt circle and the blanket stitch. I used the blanket stitch to assemble the entire piece. I stuffed with polyfil. Now that it is done, I have all kinds of ideas to make it a little more creative. Oh, and hubby says I should put...

OM gosh, only 7 days. The panic is setting in. I think I must work better under pressure because I'm suddenly making lists...checking them twice....etc. Anyhoo, just a few things to share this morning..... Debbie over at Suburb Sanity featured me in her blog! Well, I say "featured" as it seems a little more special then saying "mentioned". Anyway, if you don't visit her blog, you are missing out on lots of laughs. She is very good at capturing the day in the life of women, mothers, etc....to me, she is a lot like Erma Bombeck. I hope she will write a book someday. She has over 99 followers, maybe you can add to her numbers. Oilcloth: Yesterday, I was listening to Martha Stewart 112 on serius radio and she was talking about making oilcloth placemats. I have been interested in making oilcloth somethings for some time but could never find oilcloth. Here is the link she suggests for purchasing oilcloth But she also gave some tips about sewing oilcloth. She sa...

I have an inexpensive Christmas gift idea for an interesting and personal piece of art. Here is a picture of the one I just created. The photo probably does not do it justice. Here are the instructions: 1. Go to your word processor-like Word or Works and type in words that are meaningful to the person for whom the gift is being made....I typed in our family names, dogs names, hobbies, etc-and then copy the text to the clipboard 2. Go to Worlde this link here 3. Click in the "paste in a bunch of text" box and paste your text from your clipboard 4. click the "Go" underneath the box 5. Look at what you made! Then, you can change it up using the buttons.....just play around until you get what you like. 6. Print it out on photo paper 7. Use that print out for your art 8. Or, go to copy shop and get a larger copy 9. Buy a frame-I got mine at Michaels and used my 40% off coupon 10. Wrap it up- Wala- Beautiful and thoughtful art gift....Yay for you

I thought of this idea last week and I had to start making them. I can't decide if I will try and sale them or make my whole tree kind of shabby chic or victorian with all these type ornaments. Here is how I did it on this one...then I will tell you about the others that I don't have pics of but they are very similiar. This is one of those plastic ornaments that is in two halfs that fit together. Got it at Michaels for about 2.00 I think. It also has a hook on the top to tie string or hang wire. I had this vintage pin-pretty big and suspended it from the hook on the top of the ornament with very fine wire...I wanted it to hang in the middle. I filled the bottom with vintage beads-pearls-pinks-silvers. I tied wire ribbon and one that was not wired to the top. I used a toothpick to apply Aleenes Jewelry Glue around the edges of each side so that it will stay shut. Walla! A Victorian Christmas Ornament. The others were created with those glass ornaments you can buy at the craft st...

I'm officially tired! I have been busy as a bee all weekend. Yesterday, Craig and I went to an estate sale here in town and I found these two shutters for a dollar! I could not wait to get home to alter them. I had no idea what I was going to do with them but now I do..more on that in a minute. Then, I spotted a garage sale on the way home and I found a full size bed frame for $5.00! Oh boy! I needed one for the guest room project. So, I have been stripping paint from that bed, the shutters, painting, sanding, painting, sanding etc....all weekend and I am so pooped right now. I still want to distress the bed (headboard) some more. I also want to add some rose wallies to the back/inside headboard. There were little sliding doors but I did not want them...I wanted it open so that I could display things on this shelf of the headboard. I decided what to do with the shutters. There are two of them (above is a before pic of one of them) (below is the after pic). I'm going to finish t...

Didn't I say I was going to do several updates throughout the day yesterday? Well, you see how that went. Oh, the day just got by me. I spent quite a bit of time with my slow computer uploading some pics....so this is kind of the update that was supposed to happen yesterday. First, some pics of one side of my living room. I still need to touch up some places in that area and the top part of living room still needs pics. I found this awsome border (a sample) at Lowes but do they have any? That's a big NO! So, I'm looking for that. I like how the light coming through the window of our front door reflects on my picture. Can you see it? I'm going with a nature feel. ETSY UPDATE I posted two new things on Etsy this morning. This is another altered spool and I think I like this one the best. Go and check it out. The other item is another kitty pic. Go have a looksie! Hugs and happy Saturday.

This is my newest piece! I named it "Herding Cats". I did this piece on a 9.5"X9.5" piece of wood. It is a mixed media creation. I placed it in my Etsy Shop today. It would make a bright and fun piece for any room! OK, I woke up this morning sore as heck from yesterdays redecorating. My shoulder is very sore on the right side and I'm thinking I exercised that side really good so that my boob on that side is going to be a little bit perkier than the other. So I will have to use the other arm today as much as possible...heehee. My legs and butt are sore from getting up and down from the ladder and I'm tired! Wah Wah! Sob! Now, I can't decide if I've got it in me to get back to it or wait until next weekend and give myself the day off. Hmmmmmmm. We will see. Meanwhile, the weather was very nice yesterday and it appears as though it will be nice again today. Spring is a time of renewal and refreshing. I have really caught the redecorating bug and I see...

So, I have been on a mission since about 9am this morning. I decided I was going to get to it and paint my living room. My living room has been lavender and yellow trim for some time. It served it's purpose but it is definitely time for a change. Here are some before pics My living room is in two sections. The previous owners turned the garage into an extension of the living room so we have two levels. I only worked on the lower level today. But I worked from 9a.m. (trip to Walmart to get paint and supplies) until about 6 p.m. I'm exausted but the results! I'm so excited.....I painted the walls a "firewood" brown. I painted the trim a bright white and hated it so I painted over that with the same brown. I painted the decorative poles that are on top of the dividing wall to the laundry area...brown and I sponged a buttermilk color on them. They look so good. I won't give you the after pics until I have everything just like I want it. I have a piece of art that ...

Most of my gifts this year will be homemade. I guess I took the ETSY homemade challenge out of necessity. But, I think that personal and homemade gifts are great! And, just for the record, I really don't want anything for Christmas. I just want the family to be healthy, happy and grateful for all we have. I would like us to remember what Christmas is about and engage in the spirit of giving. Giving does not necessarily mean buying or giving things of material nature. We can give extra time, do favors, make homemade personal gifts, and many other things. So in that spirit....I have some ideas to share for your spirit of giving this holiday season. Cocoa Cones -I got this idea from my friends Renea and Lisa-here is a great link for instructions on this idea A special letter -write a letter to someone you love and say all the things you have meant to say but havn't...tell them you love them Personalized photo gifts -like a fabric transfer pillow Cookies in a Jar -There are tons of...

This is a shadow box I finished today. It was inspired by my Grandma. It is all about her. Well, not all about her, but some things. It mostly focuses on the fact that she was a seamstress. However, there was a lot more to her then that. This is just what I was thinking about at this time. The old sewing machine is actually one of my first transparencies sewn over a pattern piece...see it peaking through?

I discovered this cute little craft on the Michaels Craft web site. The pond and all of the little creatures were made with little clay pots. I just wanted something else for my front porch. So, now I have the fish, and the little pond. It was a fun little diversion. Well, the art show reception was today and I went. I did not get any awards but my art is up there and that is cool. There was some beautiful art at the show. It was nice to meet some of the local artists. Cody made it home and he is sick. I think he has the flu. All he wanted was to lay down and get some nurturing from his Mama. We were going to cook out for him but he does not have an appetite. We will just do soup tonight. He did say he only wants tomato soup if it is "MiMi's". Yea, I will just drive to Mama's and get him some of that. HEEHEE-Hope he gets to feeling better...my poor baby boy! Gonna be a Campbells soup night! Don't forget to get your flu shots -they will soon be available!! Be watch...

Here is Marisa and Mireya's pillow. I could not resist adding that photo to something she could keep. I worked on it last night and finished it this morning. Yes, I got up early! I can't sleep when Craig is not here and Biscut is not real happy with me because I'm not as fun as Daddy so he tossed and turned, I tossed and turned and finally gave it up. Now Biscut is napping on my bed. It's like, "Shew she's gone...now I can sleep". Heehee Anyway, the pillow is just a small token of appreciation for my dear friend Marisa. She was so good to me this week. When I was having car troubles, I had to leave my car in the shop so she let me drive her car back to Big Spring (home) from Midland and keep it until the next day. She's just cool like that! So she gets this tomorrow at work.

I have worked on the custom pillow on and off all day and I finally have it ready to show you! I think it is a great idea for a Christmas present. I am going to be doing custom pillows-taking orders now for Christmas. This size 18"X18" (pretty big) is $45.00. I can also do smaller ones. Pillow forms range in size. All you have to do is send me the pic and approve the fabric swatchs before I begin. If you want words or text...you will need to supply that too. Send me an email and I will get right back to ya! Now here is a pic of the pillow working for you.

Well my Frida skirt tutorial was put up on the ebsq zine recently and I wanted to share it with you. For those of you who attended, this is a much more organized version with pictures. So go and check it out. Here is the link: EBSQ Zine Current Projects: A Newspaper Purse I want to send to Haute Handbags A fabric purse-supposed to be a birthday present but totally did not get it done in time-she had to get something else-now maybe it will be a Christmas present-now I'm contemplating sending that one in to Huate Handbags-then if it gets published, it will be all the more special for my friend Renea A pillow. I found this great pic of my husband when he was 8 years old. So, I decided it needs to be on a pillow. Then, I will use this as my show pillow to take orders for customized pillows for Christmas. Here's the pic:

Hello Creative People! Here is a pic of my Funky Art Personalized Placemat. This one of course will be mine. Now I have to be able to stay focused enough to make hubby, son and daughter theirs. Then we will have one funky table. But I love that it is personlized. When I saw this fabric-(it came like this all pieced together) I knew I had to have it for something. It would also make a lovely Funky purse. I'm still on my fabric craze! I finished Heather's purse last night. I'm working on my dear friend Renea's birthday present now. So, as usual, I have plenty to do in the art/craft world. But, I love it! I have been reading the Belle Armoire magazine (Art to Wear)and I found a new magazine (new to me) called "Creative Techniques". I can flip through these eye candy magazines over and over-oh so many great ideas. One more thing before I go and get beautimus for work! TGIF!!!!! I have to tell you I was given a Rockin' Girl Blogger award by my friend stacey. I...

OK, this is my first garden ever and I am so excited that I have to share this with you. We had vegetable gardens when I was a kid-lots of times. The best meals were those with fresh vegetables from the garden. Cantelope, black eyed peas, tomatos, fried squash and fried okra (burned just a little on the edges like I liked it). My mom was always canning peas, beans, cucumbers (oh the bread and butter pickles were out of this world). So finally, after all these years of missing out on all that home grown produce, I decided I wanted to try my hand at a little gardening. When I say "little" that is what I mean. I knew I did not have time for a big vegetable garden since I work full time and have a 45 minute drive to and from work. I also knew that our soil in the back yard is horrible. We have had such dry spells the past few years. Our back yard is not much more than a cliche pit. So, my solution was to have a little container garden. I have never had my very own garden. So I st...