Creative Dawn

Last day in March, I am sooo excited for warmer weather.  This also marks seven monthes down and five to go.  If I made it this far then anything is possible.  You can paint just about anything, believe me I have.  This is a metal milk jug that someone asked me to paint for them.  The lady that requested this wanted a postcard type of design with a Jimmy Buffett. theme.  This was the result.  The most difficult thing to deal with was the size and the fact that it is round.  At about two and a half feet tall it wasn't easy to set it on anything and if I laid it down it rolled and also was a bit heavy.  In the end she was very happy with it.  I painted Margaritaville and The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful, two Buffett songs in one decoration.

I just got this tray at the Goodwill yesterday and this idea came to me right away.  I think this is one of those trays that you use on your dresser to hold change and jewelry and such.  The carved design was nice, but really worn so of course paint was needed.  Once it was base coated with the black, I just started to randomly make the white design.  The decision to add color was last minute, the design was nice, but the yellow really made it pop.  As I just added the picture, it reminds me of a skateboard shape.  That would have been fun too, a skater design hm, maybe next time! It kind of reminds me of the bold graphic style and colors of the sixties.  I could see Twiggy using this in her loft.  In case you are not familiar with Twiggy, I recommend that you google her and while your at it, check out some pop art too!  That era to me is very cool.  The art and styles of that time were groundbreaking and the freedom of expression led to so many great things.  I know there have been

Checking out creative books from the library has given me much needed inspiration on those days when my ideas are few or zero. Currently I have a crochet book, a book about updating your wardrobe and a book of retro craft ideas. The retro one is fun because it brings back memories of childhood crafting with popsicle sticks and found objects.  Today's post is from the Kooky Crochet book.  There are many ideas to crochet that are not things that your Grandma would make.  The only thing that I made so far out of the book is this little birdie.  He is about two inches high and is going to be perfect for an Easter/spring decoration.  It took less than an hour and is a great beginner project if you are new to crochet.  In the book it was done in a variety of colors, but I do love varigated yarn so that is what I chose.  How can you look at this sweet little guy and not smile!  Oh, by the way it is Tuesday and that means I made a trip to the Goodwill!  I spent $10 and got some great

It took a while to collect enough can tabs for this frame, but it was worth the wait!  This is an idea that I cannot take credit for.  One of my college friends posted a picture of a vase that she made out of the tabs and I thought that a frame would look good too.  The frame is just basic and was 1.49 at the Goodwill.  Grey seemed like the best color to paint it to go with the can tabs.  After that, I just started hot gluing them on in rows.  The frame still needs a picture, but for right now it looks good without anything in it.  There still are some tabs left so I am going to keep collecting them and see what idea may 'POP' into my head.  Sorry, couldn't resist!  There are so many possibilities for items that you can recycle.  It is really fun to create something out of what others may throw away.  My great aunt Marcie was a creative whiz, she made the most unique things.  I still remember as a kid going to her house and seeing a Christmas decoration that she made out

In my very first post there was a chair with Elvis fabric that I made for my favorite Uncle Tommy.  He is mentally handicapped and as I mentioned on my first post loves wrestling and superheroes.  His birthday is in a few days and  I recently found this puzzle in the dollar section of a store.  It's cool because it is a reflective puzzle.  The frame was from a dollar store and was unfinished wood so painting it was obvious.  To add a bit more to it I painted on the red lines.  This may seem like a simplistic gift, but my uncle really loves this kind of thing it is perfect for him.  Growing up with him is something that I am very thankful for.  He is wonderful and kind and is now a favorite uncle to the great nieces and nephews as well.     

Today is the day that my hard work in painting will hopefully bring in lots of money for a good cause.  Two chairs one with a footrest, a set of bean bag toss games and a small item that is my post for today.  I will let you know how much our charitable event raised as soon as the totals are in.  I know I am a dork, but watching the auctioneer and the excited participant as they bid on something that you created is fun for me.  Knowing that in some small way because of my abilities another person or group is benefiting.  Nothing feels better than giving to others! My small personal contribution is this little gift box.  I embroidered two towel with tropical drinks and added in the note cards that I made from the March 4th post.  In addition a fun deck of flip-flop playing cards and some colorful beads.  This is for the silent auction, but every bit helps.  I always jump at the chance to help others and will try to do another item for next weekend.  A friend is having a charity event

Grab your hot glue gun and go crazy!  The wooden frame is from Wal-mart and was .97, the stones were a dollar at the Family Dollar store and the feet were basically pennies from the clearance bin at Joann Fabrics.  I had wanted to do a project with the blue stones and when I came across the frame it came to me.  A decorative trivet is always handy especially when entertaining.  The first step was painting the frame light blue.  Once the paint dried it was time to add the stones.  They are randomly applied but I did try to get them as close as possible to each other.  The final step was adding on some legs.  I got a couple of packages of miniature heart erasers at the craft store and glued two at each corner to serve as the feet of the trivet.  It was fast and easy.  There were other styles of frames so any of them could be used and also the stones come in a variety of colors.  You could even mix and match them for a different look. Have fun and be creative!!!

Hello!  This is a project that I have been trying to figure out for a while now.  I have a sweatshirt that is comfy but the logo on the front wasn't acceptable.  At first I tried to take out the stitching but that didn't work.  Finally, this idea acame to me after looking at my favorite zip up hoodie and deciding that it was no longer wearable because of holes and a broken zipper.  The logo/design was still cool! I got this peanut butter cup idea of putting the two together.  Cutting out the design was the first part and because of the size of the area to be covered I had to leave a bit extra around it for the other sweatshirt.  I stitched the AC/DC to the red sweatshirt and now I have a recycled sweatshirt project. This to me is a great idea and now during my trips to the thrift store I can buy those hoodies that I may have passed up because of the design.  I redid a sweatshirt for my husband using an old t-shirt that was a size too small.  This is definately an anyone can d

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!  Ice and snow made for a great start today, but things got better.  I had some odd customers at work, but also some very nice and that is what made today good.  Any time that you can smile is good and I was able to do that quite often today.  On my recent trip to the thrift store I bought this wooden apple container.  It was too good to pass up and was only $2.80.  The before looks a bit rough because of the tape and chipped paint but it was quick and easy to remedy.  I painted the inside a pretty shade of green and then added a fun decorative design.  The outside was painted in red but I cannot take the credit for the pattern.  The flower and butterfly design was already there, I just accented it with the black paint.  The only thing left to do is to paint on a glossy finish.  This was a case of someones trash being turned into a cute treasure.  I don't know what to use it for yet but who cares it looks nice sitting on my table.

Minnesota spring/winter ugh!  To quote Homer Simpson..."lousy Smarch weather!"  It is sleeting outside and just plain gross!  Not looking forward to the drive to work tomorrow.  This is the month when one day is it 50 degrees and the next freezing but what do you do...I think about this day five years ago when my husband and I were barefoot on a beach in Jamaica and saying our wedding vows.  I remember the warm sand in my toes and the cool breeze in the air.  Wish I was there.  What does that have to do with my blog today?  Well, I had the most unique bouquet ever!  I got lots of shells from the craft store and some other supplies and created a shell bouquet.  When we were on the plane for the trip I had a special carry on so that it didn't get damaged.  To attach the shells, I had to use a floral wire/stick and hot glue it into the shells.  Once the glue was set I stuck the picks into the foam bouqet base and used more glue just to be sure it was sturdy.  For a bit mo

Hello!   I think I have a case of the Mondays! Another day, work is work, still looking for a change.  While I know that a dream job is mostly just a dream, a girl can wish right?  On Saturday, I made a trip to my favorite local thrift shop and got some goodies.  This one I debated over but in the end decided that for eighty cents I could figure out a project.  It is amazing how many items are made using a heart theme.  There is never a shortage of them.  This one was simple but the rope was too much for the size of the hearts and with some effort, I tore it off.  Sometimes if an idea doesn't just jump out at me, I paint things in a neutral color like black or white and from there the inspiration grows.  The designs on the hearts are some of my standards, my style.  I really liked the way the original piece had them all in a decending row so I did the same.  Instead of thick rope, a sparling ribbon was attached to hang it.  In general other than the time it took to dry the pain

Think spring!!!  What a long winter, I can finally see the ground even if it is muddy.  The birds are chirping and soon you will be able to see even more signs of spring.  This is what is truly an inspiration! This is a post related to one from last week.  I painted a seahorse on a chair and after doing so decided that I really liked the design.  Using that template, I drew the seahorse onto a piece of yellow paper which was actually a manila envelope that I cut apart.  The color stood out to me and was a great contrast with the black scrapbook paper.  It looked best at an angle so now I need to find a frame that will work for it.  

Hooray for Saturday no work!  It's been one of those weeks, I couldn't wait for Friday when it was only Tuesday!  I don't know if I was just drained but my ideas were not springing forth today.  It was a typical day off, laundry, grocery store and the best part was a trip to the thrift store.  I do have a few finds from there so that is exciting.  Once I get the inspiration for those items you can be sure to see some creativity.  So, this is what happens when you can't think of anything else to do.  You trace your hand and then start to doodle.  It started out as I'm bored what can I do.  After trying out a few different ideas this seemed like the best.  

Look at my collection of buttons, WOW!  So many possibilities.  When you go to craft of fabric stores you can purchase buttons in miscellaneous bags for less than five dollars.  This is an item that is great to have around because there is always a use for them.  This is a fun idea using buttons.  It was inspired by a craft book that I got at the library.  The project in the book called for felt, but I have a large roll of vinyl from a past job that worked just as well and it is very sturdy.  Actually with the amount of material that I have you can be sure to see more projects with the vinyl in the future.  I cut out a basic flower shape then sewed on buttons in various sizes.  With a bit of hot glue a pin was attached to the back.  Here is a picture of it accessorizing my favorite sweater.  It could be made in whatever color buttons you would like.  Another option is to attach them with glue but by sewing them on the chance of them falling off is less.on

Here's hoping that everyone had a great day and won't be too hung over tomorrow.  At least tomorrow is it Friday so the weekend is upon us.  I have a quick post for today.  This is a plate that I had saved from a set of dishes.  In a past post I used some of this set for a mosaic trivet.  In my youth I had a collection of polished rocks and until this post they were in a bottle on a shelf.  This idea sprung from a trip to the dollars store.  While perusing the aisles, I spotted a bag of decorative rocks and got to thinking about what was in my supply at home.  I hot glued the rocks around the saucer and then used a decorative glass in the center.  It makes a unique candle holder and a great center piece for a dinner for two.

For today I want to share a bit of love with you.  This past year I have had a few ups and downs, but I try to stay positive for the most part.  I miss many of my past co-workers but they still send me messages or texts to stay in touch.  This is just a reminder to everyone out there that one small gesture can really mean a lot to someone.  A friend sent me a message because she was thinking about me and told me that I was special.  Another friend said that he missed me.  These things help you get through the day and make you realize that what you do affects those around you.  I know too sappy for some people but that's just how I am! Yes, St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow, but posting is not possible until later in the day and I wanted to show you my little bit of green decor.  The frame was from a thrift store for less than a dollar.  I popped out the glass and the picture then proceeded to paint the frame green.  In my vast supply of felt I found some green and white and made

Hello!  Today I have a simple idea for you.  I got this set of candle holders around Christmas time for $5.00.  Originally they were going to be a gift, but I couldn't decide who to give them to.  They sat collecting dust on a table until today.  Sometimes a light bulb goes off in your head and a creative project is born.  I grabbed my bin of yarn and started wrapping the candle holders.  I used a bit of glue to secure the ends and also throughout the project.  There was plenty of yarn to wrap all three the same, but a variety of colors sounded appealing to me.  This is definitely a craft that anyone could do.  These candle holders were made for the larger pillar candle but because of the size you could also use them as plate stands or you could display any number of objects on top.  I have mentioned this in the past, just because something is made for a certain purpose doesn't mean that that is all you can use it for.  That's where creativity comes in. 

The Parrot head club had kept me busy for the past month.  This is another chair for their auction at the end of the month.  I have done so many tropical themed things that I decided to do more of a nautical theme this time.  Anything sailing, beach or travel related can be associated with Jimmy Buffett.  The color scheme is more basic and not so bright this time.  The turquoise and yellow are more washed out to go along with the motif.  You can see how the seahorse from yesterdays was worked into the design.  This is a new concept for me and it was fun not  painting palm trees and sunset like I do on most things for the club.  Believe me, I appreciate all of the work they send my way, but as an artist variety makes it more challenging and creative.    A little Jimmy for you today: These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same.  Through all of the island and all of the highlands if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane...

It's Sunday, part of the weekend and all I did today was paint.  I'll go to my day job tomorrow and people will ask about the weekends activities and as usual, mine was consumed with creativity.  Oh how I wish it was my full time job, maybe someday soon, but not tomorrow.   :(  Yes, I painted my weekend away and today you get to see a small piece.  This is a design that I also want to use as a cutout like the fish from the other day.  From this painting project the idea of a companion piece was born.  Look for that in the near future.   I drew out a basic outline for the seahorse and painted it onto this wooden plank.  This is a stylistic painting rather than real but the effect is perfect for the project.   The larger project will be posted soon.  I am proud of the progress on it and hope that you enjoy the end results.

Hello all!  Today as I was checking my blog stats I got to thinking about how cool it is that I can sit in my home in Minnesota, create my art, talk about it online and people that I have never met see it.  On the other side of the world a total stranger can learn about me.  I know the Internet is nothing new and neither is blogging but when you stop to think about it, it is amazing! Yes, I have another frame today.  The idea came from a book at the library.  It was dollar store crafts or something like that.  The projects were all budget friendly and very creative.  This was a basic frame in black and I just hot glued silk leaves to it.  The effect is interesting and to add to it I made a drawing with leaf like shapes.

Some days I get up and have no idea what the blog will be about, that was today.  I went to work, came home, made dinner, checked my email and then thought about what to do.  While I was watching a movie with my husband I was looking through catalogs and trying to get some kind of inspiration.  It wasn't happening.  Finally I grabbed some paper and was going to start doodling when I came across this letterhead with a fish motif.  That was my inspiration!  After drawing a few fish it came to me, what if I drew the fish and then cut out the shape.  After it was finished, I surprised myself.  It is something that a year ago would have never came to me, but since starting this blog, some great ideas have poured out of me.  I got the frame from the Goodwill and painted it.  The saying that was in the frame originally was great so it was set aside for a future project. 

Later this month, my husband and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary.  We decided after we got engaged on a cruise that we wanted to get married on a cruise.  The port of choice was Jamaica.  We had a great little company based on the island that helped organize everything for us.  Once we got there they had a small bouquet for me and a boutonniere for my husband.  It was a surprise to us and we actually didn't need either.  My creative side kicked in before we left and I had made some unique items for our wedding day.  These are boutonnieres that I made from shells.  I thought it was appropriate since it was a beach wedding.  To make them I hot glued florist picks with wire to the shells and then wrapped the end with florist tape, a bit of tulle and silk leaves.  The final step was attaching the pin back which was secured with the floral tape.  I made more than just the one for my husband because a few months after the wedding we had a reception/party for our families and I

I love frames because there are so many possibilities.  Whether it's for photos or artwork or just for a display there are endless uses for them.  This is a collage frame from the Goodwill.  It was beat up a bit, so I added a new coat of paint in a bright color.  My inspiration for the pictures came from something is saw hanging in an office building.  Those designs were in black and white and were made from circle and rectangle shapes.  My designs as you can see from past work are more free flowing shapes and blobs.  I used scrapbook paper and cut the black one to fit the frame.  I traced the frame opening shapes and started doodling to come up with a look that I liked.  The final drawings were used as templates to trace onto the white paper.  Using a scissor with a fine point, I cut out the designs and mounted them on the black paper, framed it up and there you have it.  It is something that just about anyone can do and with the popularity of scrap booking there is a good variety