Guest post written by Kimmie Canton
I noticed a few months ago that my kids haven't really been using their playroom as much lately and their toys have taken over the living room. I tried not to make a big fuss over it, but I was so tired of stepping over all their new toys around Christmas that I knew I had to do something to get them and all their toys back in the playroom.
I'm not an organizational genius or anything, so I decided to look online and see what I could do with the playroom to make it appealing to my kids. While I was online looking through some stuff, I came across a lot of info on New bath installation. I've thought about redoing our bathroom for some time now anyway that I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet for the bathroom remodel.
I not only want a organized playroom, but I also want to create a fun and new environment for them without breaking the bank. We'll see if that actually happens.
Monday, January 16
Tuesday, January 10
Garden Design - Yes, in January!
If you live in a snow-blanketed location, you may think that fall is the time to wind down garden activities and then don't give your outdoor spaces much thought until spring approaches. If you do, you're missing a wonderful opportunity to add architectural wonder to your home!
Gardens don't have to be ignored in winter. In fact, they have a whole other aspect, and the lines of trees, fences, benches, and other permanent fixtures are never more visible. I would suggest spending a few hours in your garden, perhaps at different times of day, photographing it from different angles. Get a feel for how everything looks when it's not swathed in green. You may discover a wonderful canvas that affords the opportunity for fresh design possibilities.
We can't give you ALL the instructions in a short blog post, but I hope you will start thinking about the possibilities presented by your garden in winter, if you aren't already taking advantage of them.
Monday, January 9
Chiseled Edge Granite
I recently ran across a person questioning whether a chiseled edge was a good idea on the front of a kitchen countertop in a rustic setting. While I don't really agree with exactly what was done, it does lead off into some other good ideas.
I see both cosmetic and functional problems with the countertop as installed.
From a cosmetic standpoint, the chiseled edge is interesting. Of course, it wouldn't be appropriate in many settings. It would need a very rustic setting such as a log cabin in order to be at home. But even in a log cabin, I don't like the highly-polished granite top against the dull rough chiseled side. The difference is just too jarring. If a truly chiseled edge is to be used, the top needs to be less polished.
As far as functional considerations, the rough chiseled edge can be sharp, catching clothing and cutting skin. A kitchen or bathroom countertop is far too heavily used to have such an edge.
Some might suggest that the best way to fix both of these problems is to slightly polish the edges of the granite, making it smoother and less dull. The problem I have with that is that it makes the countertop look very contrived and not natural. Interior decorating is much more pleasing if it looks like it all just came effortlessly together rather than looking like a puzzle pieced together from a half-dozen different boxes where someone had to chip away at the pieces to make them fit.
There ARE some VERY good uses for such an edge though. Again, the cabin setting or perhaps a farmhouse or some other rustic setting come to mind. How about a fireplace mantel top? The granite can be very effective and the chiseled edge would be eye-catching at that level. A wall shelf made of the granite would be similarly attractive. A sideboard or buffet could also be a good candidate for a base covered with chiseled edge granite top if the traffic pattern safely allows it. A smaller piece could be put to use as a cutting board/serving tray with the edges chiseled all around. A even smaller version could make a base for a candle.
The look is somewhat heavy, so along with a rustic setting, other factors help the heavy rough-edged granite feel at home, particularly if using granite in darker colors. Walls with a wood surface, preferably rough, but even pine board or smooth finish would make a good backdrop, and floors of slate or a similar material would provide the stability to ground such a room. Wrought iron would be my material of choice for hanging light fixtures or any other use of metal in the room. Candles and live plants would add a nice earthiness and hominess as finishing touches.
Chiseled edge granite can be very enjoyable to decorate with, but I believe it is best confined to a narrow niche of uses. Better to appreciate the material as it is and make use of its qualities rather than fighting to force them where they may not work as well.
I see both cosmetic and functional problems with the countertop as installed.
From a cosmetic standpoint, the chiseled edge is interesting. Of course, it wouldn't be appropriate in many settings. It would need a very rustic setting such as a log cabin in order to be at home. But even in a log cabin, I don't like the highly-polished granite top against the dull rough chiseled side. The difference is just too jarring. If a truly chiseled edge is to be used, the top needs to be less polished.
As far as functional considerations, the rough chiseled edge can be sharp, catching clothing and cutting skin. A kitchen or bathroom countertop is far too heavily used to have such an edge.
Some might suggest that the best way to fix both of these problems is to slightly polish the edges of the granite, making it smoother and less dull. The problem I have with that is that it makes the countertop look very contrived and not natural. Interior decorating is much more pleasing if it looks like it all just came effortlessly together rather than looking like a puzzle pieced together from a half-dozen different boxes where someone had to chip away at the pieces to make them fit.
There ARE some VERY good uses for such an edge though. Again, the cabin setting or perhaps a farmhouse or some other rustic setting come to mind. How about a fireplace mantel top? The granite can be very effective and the chiseled edge would be eye-catching at that level. A wall shelf made of the granite would be similarly attractive. A sideboard or buffet could also be a good candidate for a base covered with chiseled edge granite top if the traffic pattern safely allows it. A smaller piece could be put to use as a cutting board/serving tray with the edges chiseled all around. A even smaller version could make a base for a candle.
The look is somewhat heavy, so along with a rustic setting, other factors help the heavy rough-edged granite feel at home, particularly if using granite in darker colors. Walls with a wood surface, preferably rough, but even pine board or smooth finish would make a good backdrop, and floors of slate or a similar material would provide the stability to ground such a room. Wrought iron would be my material of choice for hanging light fixtures or any other use of metal in the room. Candles and live plants would add a nice earthiness and hominess as finishing touches.
Chiseled edge granite can be very enjoyable to decorate with, but I believe it is best confined to a narrow niche of uses. Better to appreciate the material as it is and make use of its qualities rather than fighting to force them where they may not work as well.
Sunday, January 8
Organizational issues
Still trying to find a way to compromise between "attractive" which we believe a craft and hobby blog should be, and we want to feature many MANY more photos ... but that needs to be balanced with functional. Particularly in the way you can find posts by topic. We wanted to limit our topic pages, but there are just so many topics, and the keyword aspects of this template don't seem to be working correctly for us ... then again it may be user error.
Hopefully soon we can get back to doing what we love best, instead of tinkering with code!
Hopefully soon we can get back to doing what we love best, instead of tinkering with code!
Wednesday, January 4
Craft room organization tip - cute AND fuctional!
I love using things in unexpected ways. If they are especially useful AND attractive in their new purpose, so much the better! And sometimes it's just so easy to repurpose certain things because they come in handy in so many ways.
Spice racks are like that. I used to collect empty wooden spice racks at fleas markets years ago, just knowing they'd have to be useful for something. (And I was right!) I love jars too ... little spice jars that fit in the spice racks, or even larger jars with more capacity. There's something about glass that makes things sparkle and look fancy, no matter how basic the material inside the jar.
Empty spice jars are great for scrapbookers to store metal embellishments, such as eyelets and brads, or tiny paper or silk flowers. Jewelry artists will find great bead storage here. Stamping enthusiasts can transfer embossing powder into spice jars and shake it out as needed if the cap with tiny holes is still intact. Stones, beads, buttons, brads, colorful powdered supplies, and more will stay clean and handy, and look beautiful at the same time, stored in tiny jars.
Spice racks also come in styles ranging from country to contemporary, so no matter what your space looks like, you can easily match your preferred decor. Next time you run across a spice rack that appeals to your sense of design, grab it and make it part of your craft room organization system!
Wednesday, December 28
Announcing our new look!
And please keep bearing with us ... as of January 13th we are going with a whole new layout, and starting all over, so it's a bit of a mess again!
Monday, December 26
Next year's Holiday Crafting ON SALE NOW!
Get ready, crafters! It's time to stock up on NEXT year's holiday crafting supplies, at deep discounts!
If you're like most of us, you keep a stash of crafting products anyway, so storage is not a huge issue. Still, you might want to concentrate on things that take up less space (scrapbooking stickers, rather than full sized artificial wreaths). But as of today, most craft stores as well as general merchandise stores will be offering their Christmas supplies at deep discounts, often as much as 80-95% off.
(As a matter of fact, if sale prices are only 50% off, don't buy, since they are routinely marked down 30-50% in the months leading up to the holidays as part of regular sales promotions.)
Remember some materials are generic enough to do double-duty for other time of year as well. Red ribbon can work just as well for Valentine's Day wreaths, bows, and decorations. And if you have kids, sets of things like Christmas-colored foam sheets or felt squares can be used throughout the year in all sorts of crafts. Sometimes pen sets in metallic and "holiday" colors can be purchased on sale, and can be used for many other kinds of crafts.
Even supplies for making ornaments specifically for Christmas may be something you can use in another way. We especially love the various shapes of glazed ceramic ornaments meant to be painted and personalized. These can be made into virtually anything!
So get down to your favorite craft store as soon as you can, to see what kind of deals are being offered, and stock up and save!
If you're like most of us, you keep a stash of crafting products anyway, so storage is not a huge issue. Still, you might want to concentrate on things that take up less space (scrapbooking stickers, rather than full sized artificial wreaths). But as of today, most craft stores as well as general merchandise stores will be offering their Christmas supplies at deep discounts, often as much as 80-95% off.
(As a matter of fact, if sale prices are only 50% off, don't buy, since they are routinely marked down 30-50% in the months leading up to the holidays as part of regular sales promotions.)
Remember some materials are generic enough to do double-duty for other time of year as well. Red ribbon can work just as well for Valentine's Day wreaths, bows, and decorations. And if you have kids, sets of things like Christmas-colored foam sheets or felt squares can be used throughout the year in all sorts of crafts. Sometimes pen sets in metallic and "holiday" colors can be purchased on sale, and can be used for many other kinds of crafts.
Even supplies for making ornaments specifically for Christmas may be something you can use in another way. We especially love the various shapes of glazed ceramic ornaments meant to be painted and personalized. These can be made into virtually anything!
So get down to your favorite craft store as soon as you can, to see what kind of deals are being offered, and stock up and save!
Tuesday, December 20
Fun ways to enjoy your kids during the Christmas break
It's a busy and potentially stressful time of year for most of us, and parents are no exception. Having kids underfoot while you're trying to finish up holiday preparations can make things even more difficult. Why not make plans to give your kids fun things to do while they are out of school, and maybe you can even join in the fun!
Some of our favorite sites for crafts for kids are:
Enchanted Learning - they do have a paid subscription that includes everything on the site, but you can access a lot of it for free. Mostly involved with educational activities, they have plenty of "fun stuff" and crafty items for kids to make as well, and they are good at providing crafts made of simple items you're likely to find around the home. A separate section is offered for preschool/kindergarten age kids crafting, and the crafts are sorted into many categories, making it easy to match a craft with some other activity you have going on. We especially love the handprint Christmas trees, and handprint/footprint reindeer. These would be nice decorations for oversized cards for grandparents too!
Kaboose is another great resource. These are divided into ornaments, cards, and gifts. The main page has a long scroll-down that shows many of the Christmas ideas on the site, so you don't have to click from one page to another to browse the crafts. A few of the ones we have used from Kaboose tended to need a little more adult help, but the results are especially nice. We love all the ideas for decorating the glass ball ornaments!
Family Fun - has been one of our go-to sites for ideas for years. Featuring not only crafts, but also recipes (some of which are crafts in their own right!) and some activities, this is a great resource for family fun -- aptly named! The penguins made from empty soda bottles are just too cute, and the many Christmas-inspired goodies are delicious and sure to be the hit of any party. This site is a little slower to navigate, and you are more likely to have to purchase supplies and prepare ahead of time, but the ideas are very creative and fun.
AllKidsNetwork is worth checking out. Again, this site has a list of crafts on the main page with pictures for each one, so it's quick and easy to select an idea. The titles alone are descriptive and most of the crafts are simple enough that a quick glance will tell you what supplies you are likely to need and how difficult (most are very easy) the craft will be. The supplies tend to be mostly simple ones you likely already have on hand, and the projects can be completed quickly, so kids can enjoy making a number of these during the days leading up to Christmas. For the crafts that need it, they also show great step by step photos on the instruction page.
DLTK Kids has a lot of great crafts and fun game ideas, as well as other things to do as well. Many of these are submitted by parents, so the illustrations can vary a bit, but the ideas are wonderful and some of them you won't be likely to find anything similar anywhere else. These are sorted mostly by theme, and it may take you a couple of clicks to get to the craft and see an actual picture of it (some have pictures on the list page) but it's definitely something you want to look through.
You may want to bookmark these sites. They have a lot of other ideas for year-round crafts, and cover other holidays as well. We hope you'll take time out of your busy schedule and do a little crafting with your kids. Now is the time to instill a life-long love of producing beautiful things from their own hands, and experiencing the joy and satisfaction that goes along with it.
Thursday, December 15
Homeowner
Guest written by our friend Katie Callahan
Who would have thought at this point in my life I’d own my own home? I love being independent and for me that means taking care of my own property so when I bought this condo last year I spent a lot of man hours fixing it up right. I wanted to make sure it really reflected my own personal style so I changed out tile, wall colors and even talked to a contractor about putting in a bigger deck out back – I think all in all I did a really good job. I love being a part of a family and for now that family consists of just me and the dogs but one day I’ll get married and my wife can live here, too. I think there’s something to be said for knowing what’s important (for example, WWW.homesecuritysystem.COM packages) and skipping what’s not (the whole house surround sound) and going with that. I think I’m pretty responsible with money and that’s something I pride myself on at this point in my life.
Who would have thought at this point in my life I’d own my own home? I love being independent and for me that means taking care of my own property so when I bought this condo last year I spent a lot of man hours fixing it up right. I wanted to make sure it really reflected my own personal style so I changed out tile, wall colors and even talked to a contractor about putting in a bigger deck out back – I think all in all I did a really good job. I love being a part of a family and for now that family consists of just me and the dogs but one day I’ll get married and my wife can live here, too. I think there’s something to be said for knowing what’s important (for example, WWW.homesecuritysystem.COM packages) and skipping what’s not (the whole house surround sound) and going with that. I think I’m pretty responsible with money and that’s something I pride myself on at this point in my life.
Monday, December 12
Papercutting - the next generation!
First there were home die-cutting machines (which I still think are pretty cool and I have a lot of dies!), then came the Cricut (which was a step up) but now papercrafting has moved into a whole new era.
The new Silhouette Cameo die cutting machine can do everything the older models can do and sooooo much more. The machine is a bit pricey (msrp $299) but can be found for less. Overstock.com lists them for $269 with free shipping, and we also found an online coupon for $10, and if you are willing to get the Overstock.com mastercard, you can get $30 off your first statement. Prices may change, and it's worth doing an online comparison since many other sites listed the machine in the same price range and might offer better coupons in the future. Although it is turning out to be such a hot item, be sure you check availability since many are pre-selling and don't have stock to cover orders.
What makes the Cameo so awesome? One of the best features is that you no longer need to buy expensive cartridges or dies for every new design you want to cut. Instead, the software gives you the option of registering any design that can be printed, so now the only limitation to the designs you can cut is your imagination The machine is simple to connect to your computer with a USB cable (provided). And you can start up right away, with the 51 designs included. The cutting area is a generous 12" (wide enough for full sized scrapbook pages) by 10 feet long, so you can produce banners. The machine cuts paper and cardstock, fabric, vinyl, iron-on transfer paper and more, giving you a full range of mediums for your designs.
This machine has our thumbs-up for one of the best new products of the year!
The new Silhouette Cameo die cutting machine can do everything the older models can do and sooooo much more. The machine is a bit pricey (msrp $299) but can be found for less. Overstock.com lists them for $269 with free shipping, and we also found an online coupon for $10, and if you are willing to get the Overstock.com mastercard, you can get $30 off your first statement. Prices may change, and it's worth doing an online comparison since many other sites listed the machine in the same price range and might offer better coupons in the future. Although it is turning out to be such a hot item, be sure you check availability since many are pre-selling and don't have stock to cover orders.
What makes the Cameo so awesome? One of the best features is that you no longer need to buy expensive cartridges or dies for every new design you want to cut. Instead, the software gives you the option of registering any design that can be printed, so now the only limitation to the designs you can cut is your imagination The machine is simple to connect to your computer with a USB cable (provided). And you can start up right away, with the 51 designs included. The cutting area is a generous 12" (wide enough for full sized scrapbook pages) by 10 feet long, so you can produce banners. The machine cuts paper and cardstock, fabric, vinyl, iron-on transfer paper and more, giving you a full range of mediums for your designs.
This machine has our thumbs-up for one of the best new products of the year!
Friday, December 2
These are a few of my favorite things ...
Not the song, but yes, just like whiskers on kittens and raindrops on roses, I wanted to share some of my favorite things around the web. Hopefully in time to make some of these as wonderful handmade gifts for Christmas, if you like. I'm going to!
(Clicking on the name of most of the crafts below will take you to the pages where they are featured, along with instructions for making them.)
The best thing about these are that they are totally customize-able. You can choose any background color or design you want, use a photograph, stamp a design on paper, or anything you can imagine. These can please anyone, whatever their tastes, and are fun to make.
This one caught my eye and I immediately started re-designing it. I love the concept, although I would use different decorations and make a different sort of organizer out of it. It would make a great recipe box, address file, or file for anything you need to keep track of that works better on index cards. Again, the variations are endless. I can just see birds and herb prints adorning this box in my kitchen for recipes ...
I was especially glad to find instructions for these online. I made them years ago, and really enjoyed it. They are easy to make, and inexpensive, and totally customizeable. I've found the glass stones in both small and large sizes.
Another tip I especially liked ... I used scrapbooking paper that featured typewriter keys, punched out the letter keys, and used them for the background for a number of the magnets so I could spell out words. This is a great way to include special family sayings or names on your fridge that you wouldn't be able to find otherwise.
If you want to give these as gifts, a great way to present them is to use a small tin, like an Altoids tin, and decorate it to match, then place a half-dozen of the magnets inside.
Like the blogger who made these magnets, I have a good supply of fabrics, and always hold onto my scraps. I love a project like this that lets me put those scraps to good use, and even better, I can feature whatever part of the design I like and can keep it in plain sight. These would also make nice small gifts for teachers.
There were no instructions accompanying this one, but I would use either a poster board for the backing, or possibly foam core board if I wanted a chunkier magnet. If the poster board is not sturdy enough, it can be doubled. To make it an even more economical craft, you could cut the necessary "poster board" from a cereal box. You are not limited to square shapes, but can cut circles or ovals using any object you can trace.
First decide how you want the finished project to look. Select the shape and size based on the motif you want to feature from the magnet. Cut the board to the finished size and shape desired. Place it over the design on the fabric and mark a cutting line. The fabric should be 1/4" larger on all sides than the poster board, more if you are using foam core (for example, if the foam core is 1/4" thick you will want to cut the fabric 1/2" larger).
Spread glue evenly and thinly across the front of the board material, then place the fabric over the glue. The fabric edges should extend evenly on all sides. Press the fabric snugly on the board, making sure to squeeze out any excess glue. You will probably want to snip the fabric where it will be on the back of the board. Oval or circle designs are usually snipped all the way around, and squares and rectangles are usually mitered at the corners. This is not really a fussy step, because the magnet will keep the board from sitting flat on the metal surface anyway. Spread the glue on the back around the edges, and pull the fabric over the glue and press it down. Place a spot of glue where you want to attach the magnet (or use self-stick magnets) and attach the magnet to the back. Wipe off any excess glue, and leave the project to dry magnet-side down.
This one is worth including too, since it is so open-ended. Instructions are provided on the website linked above. I would add some suggestions though. If it were me, I would probably use a color that complements the paper being used in the sign, and I would probably sand the surface and distress the sign. You could also paint the sign using a crackle medium before applying the paper. I think either of these would make the project look much more chic and finished. I plan on making some of these soon, and I will be sure to share the results.
That's all for now ... Happy Crafting!
(Clicking on the name of most of the crafts below will take you to the pages where they are featured, along with instructions for making them.)
The best thing about these are that they are totally customize-able. You can choose any background color or design you want, use a photograph, stamp a design on paper, or anything you can imagine. These can please anyone, whatever their tastes, and are fun to make.
This one caught my eye and I immediately started re-designing it. I love the concept, although I would use different decorations and make a different sort of organizer out of it. It would make a great recipe box, address file, or file for anything you need to keep track of that works better on index cards. Again, the variations are endless. I can just see birds and herb prints adorning this box in my kitchen for recipes ...
I was especially glad to find instructions for these online. I made them years ago, and really enjoyed it. They are easy to make, and inexpensive, and totally customizeable. I've found the glass stones in both small and large sizes.
Another tip I especially liked ... I used scrapbooking paper that featured typewriter keys, punched out the letter keys, and used them for the background for a number of the magnets so I could spell out words. This is a great way to include special family sayings or names on your fridge that you wouldn't be able to find otherwise.
If you want to give these as gifts, a great way to present them is to use a small tin, like an Altoids tin, and decorate it to match, then place a half-dozen of the magnets inside.
Scrap Fabric Magnets
Like the blogger who made these magnets, I have a good supply of fabrics, and always hold onto my scraps. I love a project like this that lets me put those scraps to good use, and even better, I can feature whatever part of the design I like and can keep it in plain sight. These would also make nice small gifts for teachers.
There were no instructions accompanying this one, but I would use either a poster board for the backing, or possibly foam core board if I wanted a chunkier magnet. If the poster board is not sturdy enough, it can be doubled. To make it an even more economical craft, you could cut the necessary "poster board" from a cereal box. You are not limited to square shapes, but can cut circles or ovals using any object you can trace.
First decide how you want the finished project to look. Select the shape and size based on the motif you want to feature from the magnet. Cut the board to the finished size and shape desired. Place it over the design on the fabric and mark a cutting line. The fabric should be 1/4" larger on all sides than the poster board, more if you are using foam core (for example, if the foam core is 1/4" thick you will want to cut the fabric 1/2" larger).
Spread glue evenly and thinly across the front of the board material, then place the fabric over the glue. The fabric edges should extend evenly on all sides. Press the fabric snugly on the board, making sure to squeeze out any excess glue. You will probably want to snip the fabric where it will be on the back of the board. Oval or circle designs are usually snipped all the way around, and squares and rectangles are usually mitered at the corners. This is not really a fussy step, because the magnet will keep the board from sitting flat on the metal surface anyway. Spread the glue on the back around the edges, and pull the fabric over the glue and press it down. Place a spot of glue where you want to attach the magnet (or use self-stick magnets) and attach the magnet to the back. Wipe off any excess glue, and leave the project to dry magnet-side down.
This one is worth including too, since it is so open-ended. Instructions are provided on the website linked above. I would add some suggestions though. If it were me, I would probably use a color that complements the paper being used in the sign, and I would probably sand the surface and distress the sign. You could also paint the sign using a crackle medium before applying the paper. I think either of these would make the project look much more chic and finished. I plan on making some of these soon, and I will be sure to share the results.
That's all for now ... Happy Crafting!
Thursday, February 21
Graphic Design
We talked about interior design, but along with the increase in technology, a lot of designers are expressing themselves digitally. We were interested in the field of graphic design in visual communications that we read about at http://www.gibbsnj.edu.
My daughter loves to work on graphic images, photos, etc. to produce artwork to add to her website, and I've enjoyed helping her develop those talents. She's quite adept at figuring out the programs and has gone on to quickly surpass me in these areas. While I still prefer paper scrapbooking, I think she will probably go all digital soon and produce extraordinary results. (I think she's going to have to start her own blog someday!)
OK, brag mode off ... but with her talents and interests, I try to encourage her to learn more about web design and graphic arts as that segment of design is almost certainly destined to increase greatly. I would like to see her enter a field that she enjoys and that she can express herself through, so I'm glad to see her continue to express interest in various aspects of computer design. As she learns more and more, I know that she'll be able to one day enter this area as a career, if she chooses to do so, and I hope it will prove to be as fulfilling to her then as it does right now.
My daughter loves to work on graphic images, photos, etc. to produce artwork to add to her website, and I've enjoyed helping her develop those talents. She's quite adept at figuring out the programs and has gone on to quickly surpass me in these areas. While I still prefer paper scrapbooking, I think she will probably go all digital soon and produce extraordinary results. (I think she's going to have to start her own blog someday!)
OK, brag mode off ... but with her talents and interests, I try to encourage her to learn more about web design and graphic arts as that segment of design is almost certainly destined to increase greatly. I would like to see her enter a field that she enjoys and that she can express herself through, so I'm glad to see her continue to express interest in various aspects of computer design. As she learns more and more, I know that she'll be able to one day enter this area as a career, if she chooses to do so, and I hope it will prove to be as fulfilling to her then as it does right now.
Careers in Design
If you have an eye for style and a flair for design, you might want to consider turning your talent into a career, either full-time or part time. Some schools are devoted almost entirely to design, such as http://www.iadtnashville.com. Programs here are varied, including Interior Design, Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Digital Photography, and more.
I have a friend who loves to decorate and is very talented at it. She received her training in interior design and went on to fulfill her dreams using her training. She bought an older home in a historical district of her town. After moving in, she started remodeling and restoring the home. She financed her work by doing freelance interior design work for acquaintances and soon word spread and she had plenty of work. She was able to stay at home with her children most of the time, since she could do a lot of the work in her studio. The bills were paid by her design work. At the same time, she was able to buy everything wholesale as she remodeled and redesigned her own home, and of course did all the work herself, saving professional costs as well. After about two years, she now has a lovely restored home, tastefully decorated, and worth MUCH more than she put into it (although she isn't interested in selling ... she just loves having such a lovely home even though she couldn't have afforded such a nice home outright).
Many of our readers are interested in photography. Digital photography is a growing industry, whether you are interested in doing portraits, product photography, design using photos, or any one of a wide variety of photo-related fields. Scrapbooking remains a hot craft field, and those who can teach techniques of digital photography and photo editing are in growing demand as well. Photo restoration is a related field that could easily be incorporated.
Our point is that, whatever you love to do, you may be able to turn your hobby into a career, either as a full-time occupation or a part-time extension of your hobby that lets you do what you love, meet people, have fun, and earn a little extra in the process.
I have a friend who loves to decorate and is very talented at it. She received her training in interior design and went on to fulfill her dreams using her training. She bought an older home in a historical district of her town. After moving in, she started remodeling and restoring the home. She financed her work by doing freelance interior design work for acquaintances and soon word spread and she had plenty of work. She was able to stay at home with her children most of the time, since she could do a lot of the work in her studio. The bills were paid by her design work. At the same time, she was able to buy everything wholesale as she remodeled and redesigned her own home, and of course did all the work herself, saving professional costs as well. After about two years, she now has a lovely restored home, tastefully decorated, and worth MUCH more than she put into it (although she isn't interested in selling ... she just loves having such a lovely home even though she couldn't have afforded such a nice home outright).
Many of our readers are interested in photography. Digital photography is a growing industry, whether you are interested in doing portraits, product photography, design using photos, or any one of a wide variety of photo-related fields. Scrapbooking remains a hot craft field, and those who can teach techniques of digital photography and photo editing are in growing demand as well. Photo restoration is a related field that could easily be incorporated.
Our point is that, whatever you love to do, you may be able to turn your hobby into a career, either as a full-time occupation or a part-time extension of your hobby that lets you do what you love, meet people, have fun, and earn a little extra in the process.
Saturday, February 16
Framing for elegance
I recently purchased a wrought iron garden wall sculpture that I absolutely loved because of the lines of the design. I really wanted to hang the piece in the living room, though, rather than on a garden wall as it was intended. But somehow it looked out of place, as if it had somehow wandered into the house from the garden on its own, and just didn't fit in with everything else.
I solved the problem by taking an artist's canvas and covering it with fabric, placing the canvas within a frame, and mounting my garden sculpture in the center of the canvas. The effect was dramatic ... no more did my little garden sculpture look like Oliver Twist visiting my home but instead hung proudly on the wall, perfectly at ease with its surroundings.
This little trick of framing works for virtually anything you want to include in your decor, but by itself isn't "dressy" enough. Children's art work is a perfect example. If you choose a few favorite pieces and frame them using matching simple black frames, then arrange them on the wall like a collage, you have instant "Little Picasso." You can use tiny frames for something as small as a charm or cameo, all the way up to fairly large pieces ... perhaps as big as 20" x 30". Unfortunately, if you get very large, the trick is not really as effective anymore.
If you use a background, rather than filling the frame with your item, do consider the background material carefully. For example, a black or rich-colored velvet fabric in a tiny frame can perfectly set off charms or jewelry pieces. If your piece is more natural, or rustic, perhaps a fabric such as burlap would suit. Even humble burlap becomes suitable for the living room when enhanced by the right frame!
I solved the problem by taking an artist's canvas and covering it with fabric, placing the canvas within a frame, and mounting my garden sculpture in the center of the canvas. The effect was dramatic ... no more did my little garden sculpture look like Oliver Twist visiting my home but instead hung proudly on the wall, perfectly at ease with its surroundings.
This little trick of framing works for virtually anything you want to include in your decor, but by itself isn't "dressy" enough. Children's art work is a perfect example. If you choose a few favorite pieces and frame them using matching simple black frames, then arrange them on the wall like a collage, you have instant "Little Picasso." You can use tiny frames for something as small as a charm or cameo, all the way up to fairly large pieces ... perhaps as big as 20" x 30". Unfortunately, if you get very large, the trick is not really as effective anymore.
If you use a background, rather than filling the frame with your item, do consider the background material carefully. For example, a black or rich-colored velvet fabric in a tiny frame can perfectly set off charms or jewelry pieces. If your piece is more natural, or rustic, perhaps a fabric such as burlap would suit. Even humble burlap becomes suitable for the living room when enhanced by the right frame!
Saturday, February 2
Valentine's Day Crafting with Kids
Valentine's Day is an especially fun day to craft with kids, because there are so many fun crafts that turn out so well.
1. For an extra special-valentine, or a heart wall decoration, try our tissue paper hearts.
Just use a sturdy cardstock, for a card, or heavier paper for a wallhanging. Draw a heart the size you want the finished piece to be. For a wall-hanging, cut the heart out. Now, draw a smaller heart inside the first one, making a border between the two hearts.
Cut up tissue paper into small squares. You will need two colors. You can get a very nice effect by using white squares for either the inside or the border, and the other color being pink or red.
Coat the inside heart (or a section of it if your design is large) with white school glue. Have children place a square of tissue paper over the eraser tip of a pencil, give the paper a slight twist up over the pencil, and use the pencil to press the paper into the glue. Younger children might be able to more easily just use their fingers to press the paper into the glue. Continue until the area is filled in, and then do the same with the border heart in the other color.
This will make a very special (though bulky!) Valentine card. Or you can add a hanger for a wall-hanging.
2. Heart gift boxes
Purchase paper-mache heart-shaped boxes at a discount store or craft store. Let children paint them in red, pink, white, purple, or other appropriate colors. Almost anything goes after that ... they can glue on silk flowers, ribbons, a lace border, buttons, paper doilies, small heart decorations, paint hearts or polka-dots all over the box, write a message on it, attach a photo inside or outside, apply stickers, or whatever else their imagination and your craft cupboard allows. These can become any style the child wishes, from romantic and elegant to funky.
Use these as a gift themselves, or better yet, fill them with wrapped sweets, bath luxuries, buttons or beads, flower seed packets, extra photos, personalized "coupons" (like "good for one hug anytime"), or whatever else would be appreciated by your recipient.
3. Salt dough magnets
These magnets are fun to make and would also make nice gifts, either as magnets or by punching a hole in the salt dough before baking, adding a personalized message, and threading it on a cord to give as a necklace or ornament.
Salt dough recipe: Mix 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 cup of flour until dough consistency is reached. Knead on a floured surface. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle just a little flour and work it in.
Roll dough out 1/4" thick on a floured surface with floured rolling pin.
Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut hearts. You may also cut them out freehand with a butter knife.
Make any special effects you like before baking, such as layering hearts on top of one another, forming groups of hearts, adding tiny balls of dough for 3-d polka dots, adding texture, or punching holes for hanging.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
The hearts are ready to paint with acrylic paints. You can write messages on them using a very fine brush or a toothpick, etc.
Spray with acrylic sealer if desired.
You can now thread them onto a cord for necklaces or ornaments, hot glue a magnet or pin-back onto the back (parents should handle the glue gun).
4. Fancy lace heart wreath
This one turns out beautifully in spite of its simplicity. You will need wire for the base ... preferably a little lighter than coat hanger wire, though coat hanger wire can work. Try florist's wire and choose one in a heavy gauge.
Cut the wire long enough to make your finished heart, plus about 4 inches.
Cut a length of lace that is twice or even 2-1/2 times as long as your wire.
Shape the wire into a heart, without joining the ends.
Thread the lace onto the wire, as if you were "sewing" one edge of the lace with a running stitch using the wire.
Push the lace back from the ends, twist the ends together, cutting off the excess wire using wire cutter pliers.
Pull the lace down to the ends, and fluff it to space evenly all over the heart. You can dress it up with ribbons, silk or dried flowers, florist's moss, etc. Hang using a loop of ribbon.
This one turns out nicely enough to try even if you don't have kids!
1. For an extra special-valentine, or a heart wall decoration, try our tissue paper hearts.
Just use a sturdy cardstock, for a card, or heavier paper for a wallhanging. Draw a heart the size you want the finished piece to be. For a wall-hanging, cut the heart out. Now, draw a smaller heart inside the first one, making a border between the two hearts.
Cut up tissue paper into small squares. You will need two colors. You can get a very nice effect by using white squares for either the inside or the border, and the other color being pink or red.
Coat the inside heart (or a section of it if your design is large) with white school glue. Have children place a square of tissue paper over the eraser tip of a pencil, give the paper a slight twist up over the pencil, and use the pencil to press the paper into the glue. Younger children might be able to more easily just use their fingers to press the paper into the glue. Continue until the area is filled in, and then do the same with the border heart in the other color.
This will make a very special (though bulky!) Valentine card. Or you can add a hanger for a wall-hanging.
2. Heart gift boxes
Purchase paper-mache heart-shaped boxes at a discount store or craft store. Let children paint them in red, pink, white, purple, or other appropriate colors. Almost anything goes after that ... they can glue on silk flowers, ribbons, a lace border, buttons, paper doilies, small heart decorations, paint hearts or polka-dots all over the box, write a message on it, attach a photo inside or outside, apply stickers, or whatever else their imagination and your craft cupboard allows. These can become any style the child wishes, from romantic and elegant to funky.
Use these as a gift themselves, or better yet, fill them with wrapped sweets, bath luxuries, buttons or beads, flower seed packets, extra photos, personalized "coupons" (like "good for one hug anytime"), or whatever else would be appreciated by your recipient.
3. Salt dough magnets
These magnets are fun to make and would also make nice gifts, either as magnets or by punching a hole in the salt dough before baking, adding a personalized message, and threading it on a cord to give as a necklace or ornament.
Salt dough recipe: Mix 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 cup of flour until dough consistency is reached. Knead on a floured surface. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle just a little flour and work it in.
Roll dough out 1/4" thick on a floured surface with floured rolling pin.
Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut hearts. You may also cut them out freehand with a butter knife.
Make any special effects you like before baking, such as layering hearts on top of one another, forming groups of hearts, adding tiny balls of dough for 3-d polka dots, adding texture, or punching holes for hanging.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
The hearts are ready to paint with acrylic paints. You can write messages on them using a very fine brush or a toothpick, etc.
Spray with acrylic sealer if desired.
You can now thread them onto a cord for necklaces or ornaments, hot glue a magnet or pin-back onto the back (parents should handle the glue gun).
4. Fancy lace heart wreath
This one turns out beautifully in spite of its simplicity. You will need wire for the base ... preferably a little lighter than coat hanger wire, though coat hanger wire can work. Try florist's wire and choose one in a heavy gauge.
Cut the wire long enough to make your finished heart, plus about 4 inches.
Cut a length of lace that is twice or even 2-1/2 times as long as your wire.
Shape the wire into a heart, without joining the ends.
Thread the lace onto the wire, as if you were "sewing" one edge of the lace with a running stitch using the wire.
Push the lace back from the ends, twist the ends together, cutting off the excess wire using wire cutter pliers.
Pull the lace down to the ends, and fluff it to space evenly all over the heart. You can dress it up with ribbons, silk or dried flowers, florist's moss, etc. Hang using a loop of ribbon.
This one turns out nicely enough to try even if you don't have kids!
Artisans Market
For those of you among our readers who create handmade products to sell, we're covering another website that offers this service. ArtisansMarket is an online listing and shopping gallery where visitors can buy art or hand-crafted items, and artists and crafters can sign up to sell art or hand-crafted items.
The site currently offers flat fees of $10 per month, and the commission on items sold is 10%. Artists and crafters can list any number of items for the flat fee.
We have compared this site to a number of other online sites selling crafted products and find that some of its strongest advantages are the large images that come up with first exposure to the product. Visual impression is most important when selling arts and crafts. Most buyers will not look further at your product if the image doesn't grab them within the first second or two of viewing. For this reason, we found the large images and visually pleasing pages of this site to be a very great potential advantage to sellers. The image shown at left is one of their category page for "Home and Entertaining," and links to "Home Accents."
The categories are nicely illustrated and encourage potential buyers to click on the category of their choice. At present, the categories are somewhat limited from the standpoint of a few certain craft categories (for example, if you sell premade scrapbook albums/pages or handmade Christmas decorations, there are no real categories for these). However, the majority of art and crafting categories are well represented, and in general are arranged by the buyer's need, which makes for a more practical listing from a buyer's point of view. This is beneficial to the seller, as buyers will be able to find your products when they are looking for them. In some cases, they may even search for things they would not otherwise have considered. We had to peek at "pet accessories," for example, while we were browsing under "Home and Entertaining."
Speaking of searching, that seems to be the biggest weakness of this site. The search function does not return some of the items we viewed when we tried searching for them using a description. This is most likely the fault of the sellers, however, who probably are not providing a good description of their items in the searchable fields. As always when listing an item for sale with an online auction or listing site, it is of the greatest importance to (1) place your item in the proper category, and (2) provide a good description, especially in searchable and initially viewable fields. Both of these things are the responsibility of the seller, and most listing sites will not oversee this process. However, having many sellers who don't reliably follow these basic rules will hurt the displayed results of both category and search results for the listing site, and can give a poor impression.
Overall, we really enjoyed visiting ArtisansMarket.com. As we first mentioned, the visual first impression of products is the most important factor in enticing customers to stay, browse, and buy, and ArtisansMarket has done a very fine job with their visual impact and in featuring products in a very flattering way. We hope this site climbs the ranks to become a widely used resource ... they certainly deserve to be!
The site currently offers flat fees of $10 per month, and the commission on items sold is 10%. Artists and crafters can list any number of items for the flat fee.
We have compared this site to a number of other online sites selling crafted products and find that some of its strongest advantages are the large images that come up with first exposure to the product. Visual impression is most important when selling arts and crafts. Most buyers will not look further at your product if the image doesn't grab them within the first second or two of viewing. For this reason, we found the large images and visually pleasing pages of this site to be a very great potential advantage to sellers. The image shown at left is one of their category page for "Home and Entertaining," and links to "Home Accents."The categories are nicely illustrated and encourage potential buyers to click on the category of their choice. At present, the categories are somewhat limited from the standpoint of a few certain craft categories (for example, if you sell premade scrapbook albums/pages or handmade Christmas decorations, there are no real categories for these). However, the majority of art and crafting categories are well represented, and in general are arranged by the buyer's need, which makes for a more practical listing from a buyer's point of view. This is beneficial to the seller, as buyers will be able to find your products when they are looking for them. In some cases, they may even search for things they would not otherwise have considered. We had to peek at "pet accessories," for example, while we were browsing under "Home and Entertaining."
Speaking of searching, that seems to be the biggest weakness of this site. The search function does not return some of the items we viewed when we tried searching for them using a description. This is most likely the fault of the sellers, however, who probably are not providing a good description of their items in the searchable fields. As always when listing an item for sale with an online auction or listing site, it is of the greatest importance to (1) place your item in the proper category, and (2) provide a good description, especially in searchable and initially viewable fields. Both of these things are the responsibility of the seller, and most listing sites will not oversee this process. However, having many sellers who don't reliably follow these basic rules will hurt the displayed results of both category and search results for the listing site, and can give a poor impression.
Overall, we really enjoyed visiting ArtisansMarket.com. As we first mentioned, the visual first impression of products is the most important factor in enticing customers to stay, browse, and buy, and ArtisansMarket has done a very fine job with their visual impact and in featuring products in a very flattering way. We hope this site climbs the ranks to become a widely used resource ... they certainly deserve to be!
Thursday, January 24
Valentine's Day Decor - table
Some more ideas for Valentine's Day decor, this time for your table.
Have you ever wanted to have a heart-shaped flower centerpiece? Try this easy method: First, find a heart-shaped basket. Line it with plastic if it doesn't have a liner, and cut florist's oasis foam to fill the basket. You can cut extra pieces to fill corners and crevices. It's better to push extra in and make it all more stable. Water the oasis foam. Purchase a bunch of fresh flowers, suited in size to your overall basket. (For a 10" basket, flowers should be ideally be about 1".) Cut the stems long enough to rest just above the oasis, and press the stem into the foam. If the stems are too weak, you can use a pencil or similar item to poke a hole into the foam to hold the flower. Keep going until you fill the basket. You can also tuck in a bit of moss between the flowers if you prefer. This makes a lovely centerpiece, in any size and with any type of flower. You can also mix several flower types together, just add each type one at a time, beginning with the largest ones, to get a pleasing overall arrangement.
You can also make the same basket using regular floral foam and silk flowers for a longer-lasting artificial form, if you prefer.
Now, how about a unique candle presentation? Take a clear piece, such as an ivy bowl, "fishbowl," or hurricane chimney. This will be the outer container. Inside of it, place a small clear votive holder. Pour red glass florist's marbles between the outside of the votive holder and the inside wall of the main container, filling deeply enough to hide the votive holder. Place a small candle or tealight inside the votive holder, light, and enjoy the sparkling red glow.
If your outside candleholder has a rim or place to tie something, a length of lace, ribbon, or raffia will add an extra nice touch. You can tuck tiny flowers into the knot. If giving as a gift, attach a card to the ribbon or raffia, and use a scented candle in the votive.
Have you ever wanted to have a heart-shaped flower centerpiece? Try this easy method: First, find a heart-shaped basket. Line it with plastic if it doesn't have a liner, and cut florist's oasis foam to fill the basket. You can cut extra pieces to fill corners and crevices. It's better to push extra in and make it all more stable. Water the oasis foam. Purchase a bunch of fresh flowers, suited in size to your overall basket. (For a 10" basket, flowers should be ideally be about 1".) Cut the stems long enough to rest just above the oasis, and press the stem into the foam. If the stems are too weak, you can use a pencil or similar item to poke a hole into the foam to hold the flower. Keep going until you fill the basket. You can also tuck in a bit of moss between the flowers if you prefer. This makes a lovely centerpiece, in any size and with any type of flower. You can also mix several flower types together, just add each type one at a time, beginning with the largest ones, to get a pleasing overall arrangement.
You can also make the same basket using regular floral foam and silk flowers for a longer-lasting artificial form, if you prefer.
Now, how about a unique candle presentation? Take a clear piece, such as an ivy bowl, "fishbowl," or hurricane chimney. This will be the outer container. Inside of it, place a small clear votive holder. Pour red glass florist's marbles between the outside of the votive holder and the inside wall of the main container, filling deeply enough to hide the votive holder. Place a small candle or tealight inside the votive holder, light, and enjoy the sparkling red glow.
If your outside candleholder has a rim or place to tie something, a length of lace, ribbon, or raffia will add an extra nice touch. You can tuck tiny flowers into the knot. If giving as a gift, attach a card to the ribbon or raffia, and use a scented candle in the votive.
Valentine's Day Decor for the bath
We want to feature a few more ideas for decorating your home for Valentine's Day ...
For the bathroom, why not have some feminine, romantic soaps? The easy version is to buy clear soap dispensers or liquid soap in a dispenser that the label can be removed from. Wash some small glass floral marbles and place a few in the bottom of the soap dispenser. Purchase some silk flower stems -- small flowers work best -- and wash them, allow them to dry, then clip them to just under the height of your soap dispenser bottle. Bend the bottom of the stem wire, insert the flower stem, and use the soap dispenser pump tube to work the stem under the glass marbles. Place more stems if you like. Fill your dispenser with soap. A clear or only slightly colored type looks best.
You can also use soap molds and glycerine soap to make small hand soaps using petals from your soap dispenser flowers to further echo the theme in your bathroom.
For the bathroom, why not have some feminine, romantic soaps? The easy version is to buy clear soap dispensers or liquid soap in a dispenser that the label can be removed from. Wash some small glass floral marbles and place a few in the bottom of the soap dispenser. Purchase some silk flower stems -- small flowers work best -- and wash them, allow them to dry, then clip them to just under the height of your soap dispenser bottle. Bend the bottom of the stem wire, insert the flower stem, and use the soap dispenser pump tube to work the stem under the glass marbles. Place more stems if you like. Fill your dispenser with soap. A clear or only slightly colored type looks best.
You can also use soap molds and glycerine soap to make small hand soaps using petals from your soap dispenser flowers to further echo the theme in your bathroom.
Valentine's Day Wreath ideas
We are preparing a post (see our upcoming post about crafts with kids) that includes a very simple but very lovely wreath you may wish to create.
We wanted to share some other ideas with you about wreaths in general ... this will be a photo-post.
We found this wreath at Crafter's Community. I would love to make this one myself in shades that were closer to one another, or perhaps in muted tones with more of a sepia overtone for a sweet old-fashioned wreath. I think I will try it with tea-stained muslins, sepia-toned calicos with tiny hearts, trim it out with crocheted lace doilies, and add some florist's moss ... I will post that one when I finish it! But for now, I wanted to show you this photo, and let you see how it inspired me to create something that will have a totally different "feel" but from the same general idea. 
For a very upscale and modern home, this wreath might be at home. The red "tinsely" material is very chic, and the gauzy bow is a nice complementary touch. I can't really add any suggestions to this one.
This wooden wreath is offered by Oriental Trading Company, but if it were me, I'd be more likely to purchase the wooden hearts at a craft store and make my own, so I could choose the colors and sentiments I'd like to add to it. This would be a fun project for kids too, or to have kids help with, and they would probably appreciate a wreath like this more than one of the others. If you want to let you kids make one, why not let them hang it on their own bedroom door and you can still make a wreath for your home's front door as well.
A lovely, more traditional Valentine's Day wreath, with pink sweetheart roses, eucalyptus, etc. These are classic and would be lovely on any home and appropriate from one year to the next. They are made just as any other floral wreath is made, and can be assembled on your choice of base material. The fun part is choosing exactly which flowers and greenery and fill you want to be a part of your beautiful wreath!
And lastly, we ran across this one and just had to share it with you. I'm not sure I could find a way to ... ummm .... incorporate this into my decor. But I must say that it's imaginative. I have seen a lot of creative uses for paint chips, and some really cool things being done with them particularly in scrapbooking, but this was a new one for me. Still ... you get the idea.
However you choose to decorate your home this holiday season ... enjoy crafting!
We wanted to share some other ideas with you about wreaths in general ... this will be a photo-post.
We found this wreath at Crafter's Community. I would love to make this one myself in shades that were closer to one another, or perhaps in muted tones with more of a sepia overtone for a sweet old-fashioned wreath. I think I will try it with tea-stained muslins, sepia-toned calicos with tiny hearts, trim it out with crocheted lace doilies, and add some florist's moss ... I will post that one when I finish it! But for now, I wanted to show you this photo, and let you see how it inspired me to create something that will have a totally different "feel" but from the same general idea. 
For a very upscale and modern home, this wreath might be at home. The red "tinsely" material is very chic, and the gauzy bow is a nice complementary touch. I can't really add any suggestions to this one.
This wooden wreath is offered by Oriental Trading Company, but if it were me, I'd be more likely to purchase the wooden hearts at a craft store and make my own, so I could choose the colors and sentiments I'd like to add to it. This would be a fun project for kids too, or to have kids help with, and they would probably appreciate a wreath like this more than one of the others. If you want to let you kids make one, why not let them hang it on their own bedroom door and you can still make a wreath for your home's front door as well.
A lovely, more traditional Valentine's Day wreath, with pink sweetheart roses, eucalyptus, etc. These are classic and would be lovely on any home and appropriate from one year to the next. They are made just as any other floral wreath is made, and can be assembled on your choice of base material. The fun part is choosing exactly which flowers and greenery and fill you want to be a part of your beautiful wreath!
And lastly, we ran across this one and just had to share it with you. I'm not sure I could find a way to ... ummm .... incorporate this into my decor. But I must say that it's imaginative. I have seen a lot of creative uses for paint chips, and some really cool things being done with them particularly in scrapbooking, but this was a new one for me. Still ... you get the idea.
However you choose to decorate your home this holiday season ... enjoy crafting!
Wednesday, January 23
Rugs and Home Decor
Now that the Christmas season is behind us, we're looking around and somehow everything looks drabber now without all the holiday decorations. The freezing weather is keeping us inside, so we're starting to get a bit of cabin fever and wishing for some new surroundings. Not that we want to move, and a vacation is out of the question for our family right now, so the next best thing is to work on the interior design a bit. One way to give a room an instant face-lift and add extra warmth and beauty is by adding rugs.While small scatter rugs are very versatile and can add dashes of color in a room, we love the impact from adding area rugs to a room. Area rugs are among a designer's best friends because, if correctly chosen and placed, they accomplish so much so easily.
If you find a rug you truly love, allow it to serve as a focal point in the room. This works well with a rug that has an especially artistic or eye-pleasing design. The other pieces in the room would then be chosen with the rug in mind, suiting it in style, scale, and color. If you want your rug to appear especially bold within the room, everything else should be a more muted version of the same color palette so as not to overwhelm the rug itself. This method can turn your rug into a conversation piece.
If your room already has a lot of detail or furnishings, you would do better to choose a rug that has a more subdued pattern and/or colors. Often a symmetrical design works better in rooms such as these. In this case, it is better to choose a rug which will complement the room, rather than one that competes to be a focal point on its own. Rugs can also serve as detail that subtly reinforces a major element in the room. If the fireplace is the focal point, choose a rug with a repetitive design that slightly mimics the brickwork. If a carved medallion is the focal point, consider a medallion rug design, but in a subtle hue. The idea is to support and complement the overall design rather than clash or compete with it.
Color also influences the feel and size of the room and area. Light colors make an area feel larger, while darker colors draw it in, but can make it feel more cozy. Size is important as well. If you are choosing a rug to go under a dining room table, select one that is a several feet larger than the table itself. If you are creating a conversation area with your rug, it is usually best to let the furniture sit on the edges of the rug rather than arrange them around the border without letting them touch the rug.Rugs can serve as a way to divide a room, or create oases within a large room for particular purposes (such as the one under the dining room table and in the conversation area mentioned above). They can also be used to direct traffic, such as by using a long runner type rug along one wall you wish people to walk along within a room, or down a hallway. These "traffic rugs" are best chosen in a dark color and dense pile and will need to be able to stand up to wear.
There are so many designs available now, often in different sizes, shapes, and colors, that you should be able to find something to suit any decor you choose. Besides Oriental rugs, you can find those with a southwest influence, floral designs, medallions, subtle natural styles, florals, botanicals, cottage styles, geometrics, funky and contemporary designs, patchwork, arts-and-crafts, and so many more. Any color scheme can be matched, in either bold or more subtle hues, to complement any room.
One thing we would suggest is that if you plan to make a number of updates to a room, it is best to choose your rug early in the scheme of things, and let the colors of the rug guide you in your selection of fabrics for upholstery, curtains or drapes, accessories, etc. and after those are selected, choose your paint color. The reason is that it is easier to find a fabric that coordinates with your rug than vice-versa, and paint is completely effortless to match, so it should always be the last in terms of final selection. You can of course have a wall color in mind, we are simply suggesting that you choose the other elements before you pay to have the actual paint mixed.
Happy decorating!!!
Monday, January 21
Home improvement - Conservatories
We want to return to home improvement for this post, and talk about one of the greatest additions you can make to your home. For those who love to spend quality time at home, whether it is your "nest" or your "castle" and for those who enjoy making your home beautiful with DIY projects, conservatories are a great choice. In winter, conservatories offer the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors from a (warmer!) indoor room, while in summer they allow the homeowner to enjoy a refreshing view from a comfortable room.Conservatories are also great for crafters ... there is something about viewing natural surroundings that is very inspiring for most of us. Setting up a studio in a conservatory is a perfect solution for keeping yourself comfortable and your supplies clean, dry, and safe while allowing for quick and easy set-up and enjoyment of the great outdoors while working on your crafts. The natural light is also the best for viewing actual colors and putting together various aspects of your work under real lighting conditions.
Many of our readers include gardening among their hobbies, and conservatories are especially perfect for gardeners, or those who enjoy propagating and/or growing indoor plants as well. Conservatories offer wonderful access to sunlight for plants, while being slightly filtered, and different areas within your conservatory will naturally offer more or less shading, creating the perfect environment for your plants.
For those of you who love to entertain, a conservatory also offers a dramatic setting for evening dining or parties. Imagine stringing small Christmas-style white lights throughout your lushly-planted conservatory and setting the table with candles, while the moon shines its light through glass walls and ceilings to illuminate a magical or romantic setting.
We especially love today's conservatories for their variety of lovely and unique designs. You can find conservatories in traditional architectural designs, such as Victorian or Edwardian, simpler designs for more contemporary homes, gable fronts that are especially well suited to various Americana styles, and very small designs for those wishing (or only having space for) a very small conservatory. Conservatory porches are another option. Whatever the homeowner has in mind for their conservatory, it can be created from among these designs.Price is a consideration for most of us. Ordering as a kit and building the conservatory yourself will save greatly on costs. Check here to get an idea of conservatory prices when you do it yourself. UK customers can also request a brochure with information about building your own conservatory from the same website.
You can be enjoying your own conservatory soon!
Monday, December 31
Artificial Christmas Trees
Both artificial Christmas trees and freshly cut trees have their advantages and drawbacks. For this post, we'd like to concentrate on the advantages of choosing an artificial Christmas tree.
One of the advantages involves cost. While freshly cut trees must be purchased anew each year, an artificial tree that is well cared-for and properly stored will last for many years. Also, the branches can be arranged somewhat, and already uniform, so there is never the problem of a "bald spot" that must be hidden or turned to the wall. Setting the tree in the stand is infinitely easier with an artificial tree, which usually just pops into its base and sets up perfectly straight instantly. And you won't have all that sticky sap to clean off your hands, your clothing, your ornaments, and even (sometimes) your hair! While it's true that artificial trees don't have that familiar cozy pine scent, I've discovered a trick to overcome that ... simply purchase a bottle of essential oil in pine or fir, and soak cotton balls in the oil and hide these in the branches. You can also use a wicking system or an oil diffuser to spread the holiday scent.
And the most fun advantage? Artificial Christmas trees are available in a wide range of colors, sizes, and styles to allow you to really customize your look. Especially suited to elegant or retro decor, or perhaps contemporary interiors are the frosted trees tinged with pink, all-over winter frosted trees, or tinsel-trees. Living in a tropical clime? Make a statement with a lighted palm tree instead. Do you have a place that really needs to make a HUGE statement? Artificial trees up to 25 feet tall are available. Or do you want something really imaginative? You can even purchase an upside-down tree! And of course my own favorite ... a traditional fir tree.And don't forget, Christmas trees don't have to be only for Christmas ... imagine the pink tree at right covered with hearts for Valentine's Day!
Christmas trees are usually the center of your holiday decor, and the focus of family decorating as well. I still remember the twinkling brightness of the small silver tinsel tree one of my grandmas put out each Christmas, and my fascination with the snow flocking on the tree at my childhood friend's house. Choose a special tree to help make the memories of your holiday home special too!
Wednesday, November 28
Smart shopping!
Buying products online is a great way to save money on craft supplies, and just about everything else for that matter. We found a great website called Save Buckets that lets you compare prices on just about anything you might be interested in buying.
We went into the "Home and Garden" category and selected "Decoration" which returned almost 2,000 products, everything from paper party decorations to lovely full-scale wall mirrors and even a full-sized suit of armor! There are also candles, floral, art prints, and much more.
Under "Sports and Leisure" we found the "Arts and crafts" category which offers hundreds of products that should prove especially enticing to scrapbookers, papercrafters, and rubber stamp artists. There were punches, pen sets, heart-shaped ink pads, gold leaves, unique sets of metal embellishments, a variety of stamp sets, tools, stickers, bead kits, and more. (LOVE the Christmas Pooh set!) There were also some very nice tapestry kits, and other supplies of interest to other crafters as well.
This site has some real gems, and tells you where to find them at the lowest prices! Definitely worth a look ... and take your time browsing around the other categories as well!
We went into the "Home and Garden" category and selected "Decoration" which returned almost 2,000 products, everything from paper party decorations to lovely full-scale wall mirrors and even a full-sized suit of armor! There are also candles, floral, art prints, and much more.
Under "Sports and Leisure" we found the "Arts and crafts" category which offers hundreds of products that should prove especially enticing to scrapbookers, papercrafters, and rubber stamp artists. There were punches, pen sets, heart-shaped ink pads, gold leaves, unique sets of metal embellishments, a variety of stamp sets, tools, stickers, bead kits, and more. (LOVE the Christmas Pooh set!) There were also some very nice tapestry kits, and other supplies of interest to other crafters as well.
This site has some real gems, and tells you where to find them at the lowest prices! Definitely worth a look ... and take your time browsing around the other categories as well!
Wednesday, November 21
More shoestring home decor - continued
Lighting is another wow-factor that is fairly low in cost. Torchieres offer uplighting and simple ones are very inexpensive. Installed can lights are also very low-cost, and many can be adjusted. Another big impact can be as simple as installing dimmer switches that allow you to instantly change the mood of the room. You might even want to consider colored lighting in your accent lights. It blends with white light in the room for unique effects. To get a very dramatic effect from your lights, consider low or floor uplights paired with some sculptural piece, such as an interesting (and large) potted plant. Most of these effects are especially suited to bedrooms and living rooms, with the exception of the dramatic uplighting which can also be especially at home in the dining room or in the outdoor landscaping.
Remember that lighting can be both beautiful AND functional at the same time. One of the best investments can be strip lighting to go under cabinets, such as in kitchens. This provides task lighting when needed, can add a bit of drama to what can be a rather ho-hum room at night, and has the added advantage of showing off everything you place on the counter tops.
And don't forget lighting that can be used in unexpected ways. Christmas lighting strands, especially in novel styles like tube lighting, chasing lights, icicle lights, and others offer very unique options for home decor. You might nestle a strand of lights unseen on top of a bookcase where they will provide a soft glow to illuminate the sculpture or plants up there. Or run tube lights in a geometric pattern around wall accessories. One of my favorite effects is to use hanging icicle lights around an outdoor seating area and turn them on any evening you use the space year-round.
Accessories can also add a lot of punch for a small cost. Bathrooms are a great example. Choose a new color, purchase a couple of luxury bath towels and some decorative hand towels (outlet malls often offer great deals), add a new shower curtain, and you're halfway there. If you like versatility, consider solid colors (usually it's best to choose one or two, no more than three) for your main purchases, which will allow you to easily change your theme with accessories later. If you want to go full into a theme, go ahead and purchase themed furnishings, if you like. The variety of lovely shower curtains is amazing ... not only the usual tropical, ocean, and garden themes but now animals of every kind, sports, fantasy, fine art, and many many more are available.Depending on your decor, you might add a small garden statue (these can be quite reasonable with craft store 40% off coupons, or purchased at end of season for even deeper discount), or a basket of rolled washcloths for another splash of color, or a dish of decorative seashells or soaps, or a flower arrangement. Don't overlook shower curtain hooks ... these range from very inexpensive to a bit more pricey, and add anywhere from a modest put-together look to a real punch, depending on the style you select.
Speaking of bathrooms, it is usually best to clear off as many surfaces as possible and hide necessary toiletries. (The same rule of de-cluttering applies to kitchens, bedrooms, and all other rooms as well.) If you don't have built-in storage, consider a unit with doors to go over the toilet. If that is too expensive, look into very low-cost shelving, such as laminate or plastic, or perhaps bins, that will fit under the sink (if you have a wall-mount with no cabinetry) and make a simple fabric drape that attaches to the sink with velcro tabs to hide everything. You might also consider baskets or glass containers (flea markets and garage sales are good sources) to contain everything. Making all the containers somewhat alike makes everything appear less cluttered.
We plan to keep revisiting this topic, so more posts will be coming in future.
Plasma & LCD TV's - home decor
Since we have just been talking about home decor, there is a common mistake we are starting to see in so many homes. Plasma and lcd televisions are becoming very popular, and are very attractive from a design standpoint. Their sleekness, lack of depth, and flat surface are much less visually distracting and fit more easily into a home's design without detracting from the overall effect.
However, many people purchase a new flat-screen television and then simply replace their old tv with the new one, placing it in the same spot on the same stand or shelf. This defeats a large part of the purpose (from a design standpoint) for switching to a new television. Purchasing a plasma wall bracket to mount your new television will free up space and visually open your room, turning your new television set into a piece of art rather than the clunky space-filler your old set used to be. Wall mounted brackets usually provide the further advantage of allowing you to re-direct the screen to various angles for optimum viewing.
If you wish to REALLY turn your new television into an artistic design element in your room, look into the wide variety of looping dvds that play scenery, such as a flickering fireplace, tranquil aquarium, ocean waves, mountain snowfalls, capering puppies, or any one of a myriad of other options, usually with background music or ambient sounds, to provide a window into another world.
Related information --
As home theater systems are becoming more and more popular, they may be replacing cinemas as the choice for movie-viewing for many, allowing viewers to enjoy the same effects from the comfort of their own homes. The lcd tv and the hdtv are two popular options available for use in home theatre systems. The flat panel tv is especially in demand for use in home theatre systems. When space is limited, many homeowners choose to develop a small home theatre or expand into a basement home theatre -- these options help make home theatres more accessible regardless of the available size within the home.
However, many people purchase a new flat-screen television and then simply replace their old tv with the new one, placing it in the same spot on the same stand or shelf. This defeats a large part of the purpose (from a design standpoint) for switching to a new television. Purchasing a plasma wall bracket to mount your new television will free up space and visually open your room, turning your new television set into a piece of art rather than the clunky space-filler your old set used to be. Wall mounted brackets usually provide the further advantage of allowing you to re-direct the screen to various angles for optimum viewing.
If you wish to REALLY turn your new television into an artistic design element in your room, look into the wide variety of looping dvds that play scenery, such as a flickering fireplace, tranquil aquarium, ocean waves, mountain snowfalls, capering puppies, or any one of a myriad of other options, usually with background music or ambient sounds, to provide a window into another world.
Related information --
As home theater systems are becoming more and more popular, they may be replacing cinemas as the choice for movie-viewing for many, allowing viewers to enjoy the same effects from the comfort of their own homes. The lcd tv and the hdtv are two popular options available for use in home theatre systems. The flat panel tv is especially in demand for use in home theatre systems. When space is limited, many homeowners choose to develop a small home theatre or expand into a basement home theatre -- these options help make home theatres more accessible regardless of the available size within the home.
Tuesday, November 20
Area rugs - Home decor continued
Last time we talked about some ideas for updating home interiors on a budget. One of the ideas we mentioned was using area rugs instead of replacing carpet, especially when there is traffic wear or a stain (or other damage) that needs covering up, but the rest of the carpet is still in good shape.
Area rugs can be an ideal solution, saving you money over the cost of replacing the carpets and at the same time helping you to define an area, such as a seating group in the middle of a large room, or a dining area in a combined living/dining room. They can also help create a mood or theme, because there are so many designs to choose from.
Oriental rugs are popular choices, and can fit into not only Asian themes (which might actually be better served by a more contemporary design) but are well suited for any decor that fits into a traditional category.
Aztec or southwest designs are also popular choices, and are great accents in cabin designs as well as southwest-themed rooms. These can either be geometric southwest designs, or a more stylized design, such as one featuring animals or a kokopelli.
African designs are often similar to Southwest designs. Sometimes they can be found in animal-skin patterns. If geometrics are preferred, sometimes a geometric southwest design will be vague enough in its patterns to be suitable in a room with an African or safari motif.
You can also often find very nice garden-style designs that will "dress down" the rug and still lend a lot of charm as well as a garden theme. These are very suitable for rooms decorated in a cottage-style. They can also be an excellent choice to dress up and provide coziness for a winter sunroom. Look for design features such as flowers, vines, leaves, and trellis work woven into the pattern to achieve this kind of atmosphere.
Intricate styles resembling patchwork, while rather luxurious looking, can often blend in and "upscale" a provincial decor.
Sometimes a large geometric border design is the best choice. These are especially good for defining an area without introducing a lot of visual clutter, which might be the effect of a more intricate oriental rug in some rooms. However, it is not yet going as clean (and thus stark) as a contemporary design. Such designs as this are especially good for rooms with traditional furnishings which are also somewhat luxurious in appearance.
And as mentioned before, contemporary designs can be the best fit for Asian themes, as well as clean-lined contemporary rooms, artsy interiors, or some eclectic rooms.
It is even possible to find rugs with a particular design image that fits into your theme, such as palm trees, other plants, birds, other animals, and more.
Enjoy shopping for your new area rug, and make sure to choose one that you absolutely love, as it will become a focal point of your room and if well-cared-for, should last many years.
Area rugs can be an ideal solution, saving you money over the cost of replacing the carpets and at the same time helping you to define an area, such as a seating group in the middle of a large room, or a dining area in a combined living/dining room. They can also help create a mood or theme, because there are so many designs to choose from.
Oriental rugs are popular choices, and can fit into not only Asian themes (which might actually be better served by a more contemporary design) but are well suited for any decor that fits into a traditional category.
Aztec or southwest designs are also popular choices, and are great accents in cabin designs as well as southwest-themed rooms. These can either be geometric southwest designs, or a more stylized design, such as one featuring animals or a kokopelli.African designs are often similar to Southwest designs. Sometimes they can be found in animal-skin patterns. If geometrics are preferred, sometimes a geometric southwest design will be vague enough in its patterns to be suitable in a room with an African or safari motif.
You can also often find very nice garden-style designs that will "dress down" the rug and still lend a lot of charm as well as a garden theme. These are very suitable for rooms decorated in a cottage-style. They can also be an excellent choice to dress up and provide coziness for a winter sunroom. Look for design features such as flowers, vines, leaves, and trellis work woven into the pattern to achieve this kind of atmosphere.
Intricate styles resembling patchwork, while rather luxurious looking, can often blend in and "upscale" a provincial decor.
Sometimes a large geometric border design is the best choice. These are especially good for defining an area without introducing a lot of visual clutter, which might be the effect of a more intricate oriental rug in some rooms. However, it is not yet going as clean (and thus stark) as a contemporary design. Such designs as this are especially good for rooms with traditional furnishings which are also somewhat luxurious in appearance.
And as mentioned before, contemporary designs can be the best fit for Asian themes, as well as clean-lined contemporary rooms, artsy interiors, or some eclectic rooms.
It is even possible to find rugs with a particular design image that fits into your theme, such as palm trees, other plants, birds, other animals, and more.
Enjoy shopping for your new area rug, and make sure to choose one that you absolutely love, as it will become a focal point of your room and if well-cared-for, should last many years.
Wednesday, November 14
Million-Dollar Look on a Shoestring Budget
It's easy to look at glossy magazine layouts of polished interiors and wish your home could be as lovely, but sometimes we don't have the budget for big-impact purchases when we're ready for a change or a more put-together atmosphere.
There are a lot of ways to save money on interior home design, though. And if you have a home improvement or repair project coming up, now might just be the right time to do a little research and see what you can come up with, because that can be the most cost-effective time to make design changes as well. (If you're going to have to repaint, might as well make it count!)
The first rule is: paint gives you the best impact for cost. If it's time to repaint, stop and think about it before you run to the hardware store. What kind of atmosphere do you want in the room? Color makes a strong impact on our emotions. Bright, bold colors add a lot of drama, which might be very appropriate for a dining room, for example. Teens often like bright colors as well. Can't decide, or want to really make a statement? Consider using different colors on different walls for high drama, especially in a dining room or game room. Or tone that down by using different shades or tints of the same color on different walls for a more subtle impact. This can be especially nice with cool, tranquil blues in a bedroom, for example, or fresh greens or sunny yellows in a room used in the morning.
Another big impact for a small price? Fabric. One thing to consider is throw pillows. You can save by making these yourself, if you know how to sew (if you want to learn, get some pointers on filling in the corners and use a solid pillow for the base, not just stuffing). Or you can get a great deal on purchased throw pillows at a number of craft/fabric store chains that routinely offer 40% off coupons or 50% off sales, such as Hobby Lobby or Jo-Ann's Fabrics.
Curtains can be another way to use fabric for a big impact, but if you have large windows the cost can start to add up, depending upon the fabrics you choose. If you want new curtains for large windows, consider alternating panels so that you use a less expensive fabric along with your designer choice, cutting costs. Also look for the above-mentioned sales and coupon discounts for at least 40% off. If you have a fabric warehouse or closeout dealer near you, check there as well. Another way to save a lot on curtains, if privacy is not an issue (for example if you have blinds as well) is to use a lot of sheer fabric edged or topped with heavier, more expensive fabrics. Sheer fabrics are usually extremely inexpensive and can be made to look like designer pieces with a variety of techniques such as including silk flowers in little sheer pockets, incorporating ribbon with the fabric, stamping on designs, and more.
And if you're considering carpet replacement or repair, but it's just a certain traffic area and/or stains involved, consider rugs first. While rug backing is not particularly carpet-friendly, if you are planning to toss the carpet anyway, covering up the offending area can buy you a few more years of usefulness. It's also an easy and inexpensive way to make an impact in terms of color and design if you choose a different color from your carpet (and generally speaking, you SHOULD choose a different color or perhaps a pattern such as Oriental, Southwestern, or African-styled rugs). Rugs can also help your design by defining areas within a room, such as conversation areas or placing a large rug beneath a dining table in a much larger room. Another option for rugs at a great savings and with a personalized design is a painted floorcloth.
This is only the first post in a planned series ... check back later for more ideas, coming soon!
Related resources
It is important to consider a wide range of factors of interior designs when planning a well decorated home. There are options ranging from wallpapers and paneled wainscot materials to specialized painting techniques that can be used to decorate walls of the rooms. If you need help planning and executing your products, the home office uk of the interior design services ideas offers a great deal of advice and quality information on home interior designing. Interior architecture & design tips are available from the experts to those decorating their homes to help them embellish their homes with unique designs.
There are a lot of ways to save money on interior home design, though. And if you have a home improvement or repair project coming up, now might just be the right time to do a little research and see what you can come up with, because that can be the most cost-effective time to make design changes as well. (If you're going to have to repaint, might as well make it count!)
The first rule is: paint gives you the best impact for cost. If it's time to repaint, stop and think about it before you run to the hardware store. What kind of atmosphere do you want in the room? Color makes a strong impact on our emotions. Bright, bold colors add a lot of drama, which might be very appropriate for a dining room, for example. Teens often like bright colors as well. Can't decide, or want to really make a statement? Consider using different colors on different walls for high drama, especially in a dining room or game room. Or tone that down by using different shades or tints of the same color on different walls for a more subtle impact. This can be especially nice with cool, tranquil blues in a bedroom, for example, or fresh greens or sunny yellows in a room used in the morning.
Another big impact for a small price? Fabric. One thing to consider is throw pillows. You can save by making these yourself, if you know how to sew (if you want to learn, get some pointers on filling in the corners and use a solid pillow for the base, not just stuffing). Or you can get a great deal on purchased throw pillows at a number of craft/fabric store chains that routinely offer 40% off coupons or 50% off sales, such as Hobby Lobby or Jo-Ann's Fabrics.Curtains can be another way to use fabric for a big impact, but if you have large windows the cost can start to add up, depending upon the fabrics you choose. If you want new curtains for large windows, consider alternating panels so that you use a less expensive fabric along with your designer choice, cutting costs. Also look for the above-mentioned sales and coupon discounts for at least 40% off. If you have a fabric warehouse or closeout dealer near you, check there as well. Another way to save a lot on curtains, if privacy is not an issue (for example if you have blinds as well) is to use a lot of sheer fabric edged or topped with heavier, more expensive fabrics. Sheer fabrics are usually extremely inexpensive and can be made to look like designer pieces with a variety of techniques such as including silk flowers in little sheer pockets, incorporating ribbon with the fabric, stamping on designs, and more.And if you're considering carpet replacement or repair, but it's just a certain traffic area and/or stains involved, consider rugs first. While rug backing is not particularly carpet-friendly, if you are planning to toss the carpet anyway, covering up the offending area can buy you a few more years of usefulness. It's also an easy and inexpensive way to make an impact in terms of color and design if you choose a different color from your carpet (and generally speaking, you SHOULD choose a different color or perhaps a pattern such as Oriental, Southwestern, or African-styled rugs). Rugs can also help your design by defining areas within a room, such as conversation areas or placing a large rug beneath a dining table in a much larger room. Another option for rugs at a great savings and with a personalized design is a painted floorcloth.This is only the first post in a planned series ... check back later for more ideas, coming soon!
Related resources
It is important to consider a wide range of factors of interior designs when planning a well decorated home. There are options ranging from wallpapers and paneled wainscot materials to specialized painting techniques that can be used to decorate walls of the rooms. If you need help planning and executing your products, the home office uk of the interior design services ideas offers a great deal of advice and quality information on home interior designing. Interior architecture & design tips are available from the experts to those decorating their homes to help them embellish their homes with unique designs.
Sunday, November 4
Custom Photo Gifts
It is fun to make custom photo gifts and they are another of those special gifts that let you show people you really ARE thinking of them, and didn't just run out and buy them another coffeepot or pair of slippers.
Software can make all the difference when putting your images together. A good program can make your images look professional and save you a lot of frustration. Frame My Photos is one that is easy to use, even for a person with no special art or computer skills. It allows you to choose your photo, choose the frame, and then personalize it with any text you like, and print out the finished product. When purchasing software, consider one such as this that offers a good value because it can be used year-round for any holiday, occasion, or just a special way to show you are thinking of someone.
You can even produce an image quickly on your computer and email it for a special e-card greeting featuring your own family! Or, print it out to create your own custom invitations, postcards, greeting cards, announcements, thank you notes, and more. The ability to produce calendars is an added advantage, and also would make a special gift that keeps reminding the recipient of your thoughtfulness throughout the year.
Also, the versatility of allowing you to add on options you choose for a reasonable price keeps your software working for you at a modest cost.
Related information -
Professional photography often involves the photographers developing their own photos with darkroom tools such as easels. Other common photographer's tools include a light fixture and spotlights to control and focus lighting and so to enhance the beauty of the object being photographed. The photography secrets guide is available for those readers interested in the field of photography. These and other photography resources are available at discounted prices from online retailers.
Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival
If you get a chance to be near the Florida Panhandle in early November, plan to visit the Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival. It is consistently ranked among the best fine arts and fine crafts shows and is definitely worth a visit!
Over 200 artists in a wide variety of styles and mediums compete at the Festival each year. Categories include photography, mixed media, sculpture, wood/leather/fiber, glass, watercolor, ceramics, and many others and range from the realistic and relaxed paintings of life on a lazy bayou to screaming bright-colored contemporary pieces that ... well, some of them we aren't sure WHAT they are but ... they are art!
Our favorite artist at this year's festival was Philip Singer, whose paintings are whimsical, clever, appealing, and most of them have a message. It was a lot of fun studying each painting and trying to discover the "reason" behind it without reading the information first.
If crafts are more your interest than arts, you won't be disappointed. The Heritage Arts area includes a number of skilled artisans demonstrating their crafts in blacksmithing, basketweaving, spinning, knitting, weaving, tatting, woodturning, dulcimer-making, and dozens of others. The craftsmen are happy to discuss their work with visitors and interested persons can often find a network to connect to in their chosen pursuit.
Because it IS a festival, there is also entertainment (on 3 stages at once, all day long!), lots of food of all kinds, treats, and more. There is also an area set aside for children where they can enjoy hands-on crafting with origami, string art, sand art, clay sculpting, fish prints, and much more. This is a great way to get your children interested in crafting with you, and let them try a variety of things all at once, with everything all prepared and no clean-up or cost to you!
If you missed this year's festival, plan for next year's. The Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival is held each year in early November in Pensacola, Florida. See you there!
Over 200 artists in a wide variety of styles and mediums compete at the Festival each year. Categories include photography, mixed media, sculpture, wood/leather/fiber, glass, watercolor, ceramics, and many others and range from the realistic and relaxed paintings of life on a lazy bayou to screaming bright-colored contemporary pieces that ... well, some of them we aren't sure WHAT they are but ... they are art!
Our favorite artist at this year's festival was Philip Singer, whose paintings are whimsical, clever, appealing, and most of them have a message. It was a lot of fun studying each painting and trying to discover the "reason" behind it without reading the information first.
If crafts are more your interest than arts, you won't be disappointed. The Heritage Arts area includes a number of skilled artisans demonstrating their crafts in blacksmithing, basketweaving, spinning, knitting, weaving, tatting, woodturning, dulcimer-making, and dozens of others. The craftsmen are happy to discuss their work with visitors and interested persons can often find a network to connect to in their chosen pursuit.Because it IS a festival, there is also entertainment (on 3 stages at once, all day long!), lots of food of all kinds, treats, and more. There is also an area set aside for children where they can enjoy hands-on crafting with origami, string art, sand art, clay sculpting, fish prints, and much more. This is a great way to get your children interested in crafting with you, and let them try a variety of things all at once, with everything all prepared and no clean-up or cost to you!
If you missed this year's festival, plan for next year's. The Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival is held each year in early November in Pensacola, Florida. See you there!
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