A Sweet Gift from My Sweet Daughter

Long ago and far away, I started blogging about my future craft room.  Whatever happened you ask? Too much stuff, not enough space is what happened. Sorry Space Bags, you're no help in this room! I literally have too much craft stuff to fit into that space.  No matter how I slice it and dice it, it just won't all fit.

I have too many interests.  I sew, paper craft, paint stuff, stencil, build, make jewelry and create things for my Etsy shop.  It all ads up to a lot of junk to store.  Well to be fair it isn't junk...I've gone through and culled and culled and I still have too much.

So...I've decided to move my sewing stuff out.  There is enough there to fill a small room itself!  It is also what I do the most for my Etsy shop.  I spend a lot of time sewing, and let's face it, no matter how pretty I make that room in the basement, it has no natural light, it's cold enough in the winter to need a space heater, and I just don't want to spend hours everyday down there.

I will still keep my jewelry, painting, paper crafts, and miscellaneous down there.  So where is my sewing stuff going to go?  After getting the green light from my daughter, who is working downstate and starting grad school next spring, I am converting her room into a guest/sewing room.  It will still be her place to stay when she comes home, but having a room in our small house sitting unused at least 9 months out of the year just isn't practical.

Right now the room is nothing special.  But there is something in it that is very special...a sweet gift from my daughter last Christmas.  She made me an awesome thread holder!  I am sure I let out a squeal when I saw it.  I know my heart skipped a beat or two.

She made this! Isn't she amazing??? I absolutely adore it, and it will get center stage in my sewing/her room. I have a ton of thread to load on it, but wanted to show it off better first. The nails are long enough to store both the spool of thread and it's matching bobbin. So cool!

I will keep sharing my craft room piece meal until the grand revealing, as well as this room as it comes along.

On another subject, most of you know, or if you didn't you do now, that I have an Etsy shop.  This little ol' blog and my little ol' shop are my happy places.  So I hope you don't mind me sharing the things I make for my shop on a more regular basis.  I promise every post is not going to turn into a commercial for my shop, but creating things, whether I sell them or not, is just part of who I am.  So I hope you will see it as just me sharing something else I made, something that makes me happy!

As you can see below, I've been a little busy.  I love making these aprons and flowers.  I also make pillow covers, which I am low on right now, and am working on some new products too.  The Christmas season is right around the corner, so I am trying to get stocked up now.  I am so glad to have more time to do what I love now!

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

I've linked top these awesome parties:

Project Inspired at An Extraordinary Day

What We Accomplished Wednesday #62

Want to be a pin-up girl? Join the party, and if you are featured, I'll pin your project to my Green Willow Pond Features Board!



I am back from my blogging break ready to party down!  I apologize for my absence, but rather than repeat the reasons for my break, you can read my last post here.  You can also read about the shabby chic chandelier I created too.

It is so good to be back.  I've been catching up a little on your projects too.  The last party was several weeks ago, but I still have my top ten to share with you.  There were many awesome links!

Elisha, from Pneumatic Addict, shared this gorgeous entertainment center that she Frankensteined (her words) together out of several pieces and some wood.  Amazing!

I love this Scrabble wall art created by Kat and Melinda at Home Made Interest.  So clever!

Want some industrial looking doors, but can't afford metal?  Take a look at these cool closet doors! Deb, from Seeking Lavender Lane, used a hammered metal spray paint to get this look.

Cindy from DIY Beautify, used chalk paint on this beautiful chair, including the upholstery.  Waxing it made it look like leather.  I love the added stencil she used on the back of the chair!

Check out this beautiful purse that Faye, from Wild Rose Vintage, created by felting crocheted yarn.  Isn't it pretty?

Have some rather blah garage doors?  Look what Jody, from Southern Seazons did to hers.  A little added hardware and she got a lot of character for very little money!

I just love this burlap sign that Mindi, from My Love to Create, made.  Lovely rustic goodness!

This pretty little table has a suprise top.  It took some trial and error, but Sarah, from Back Woods Babies, ended up with a beautiful and unique piece!

Michelle, from Our Crafty Mom, used a sharpie marker and a burlap canvas to create this awesome subway sign.

I will let you in on a little secret.  I am always thirsty.  I mean I always have a glass of something to drink at my side. Plain old water gets boring after awhile, and pop isn't healthy to have too much of. When I saw this berry infused spa water, by Debra at Dragonfly Treasure, I knew it was something good!

Now it's your turn.  Show us what you've accomplished.  Can't wait to see what you've been up to!

The Simple and Easy Rules

1. Only projects you have made/accomplished pretty please. This means no round up of others projects, give aways etc. Items for sale are okay, as long as they are in tutorial form, and linked to your blog post.  No links to shops or Etsy stores, or round-up posts of others projects please.  Link up to 3 posts - please link posts new to this party.

2. Linking back to the party (text or button) within your post is very much appreciated . You can grab a button from the side bar if you like.

3. By linking up here, you are giving me permission to feature you here, on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and/or Pinterest.  I'll only use 1-2 pictures from your post and link back to you. Then people will be flocking to your blog to read all about it!!  Spreadin' the love around baby!
Most importantly, go visit some of the links because otherwise it wouldn't be a party would it? 

I am no longer automatically adding you to my email list to send out reminders about the party. If you want a reminder each week, just use the little sign up form below. You will only be signing up for party notifications. I will not use this list for anything else, nor will I ever share it with anyone. ever. period.

Sign up for party reminders 

An InLinkz Link-up

Blogging, a Wedding, and a Shabby Chic Chandlier

Here I am, your long lost blogging friend. This summer was not my favorite on record. I spent too much time working, not enough time in my garden (for which I am now paying by pulling major weeds before they go to seed), almost no time working on projects, and blogging...well you know!

My hours are back down at work, and I've been trying to catch up on my poor neglected garden and flower beds, as well as my somewhat neglected house! Now it is time to catch up on my poor neglected blog.

I've been re-evaluating my blog and why it has been so difficult to get back into the swing of things. In scrolling back through some posts, I realize my posts are usually very picture intensive, as in ton's of pictures, which I love, but it is soooo time consuming. I probably spend a two or three hours or more just taking pictures, fixing them in PicMonkey (which I love!), uploading, yada, yada, yada.

I also love sharing tutorials of how I created a project, which again, I love to do. Same problem...tons of pictures, and tons of time thinking through the process, step-by-step, and putting it into writing in a way that makes sense.

Now I'm not giving up blogging, or the party.  I'm just scaling back some of my looong posts.  I will still do tutorials, and I will still include pictures...I'm a very visual person and love pictures, but every post will not be crammed to the teeth with photos.

On that note I'd like to share this project that I did manage to do earlier this summer. My new "niece-in-law" asked me to make-over this large chandelier style light for their wedding. I was quite honored that she felt confident enough in me to trust me to "make it pretty."

It really needed help, but had a great shape and was quite large. She wanted a shabby chic look in white and pretty much left me to  me do my thing. After a good scrubbing and spray painting it white, I gave it a little sanding to shabby it up a bit. It's hard to see in these pictures.

The chandelier candle covers were in really bad shape, but replacing them was not in the cards. Instead I covered them with card stock. My first attempt, using spray adhesive didn't work too well. If you look closely in these pictures, you can see the paper coming off. I ended up using some Gorilla super glue to secure the edges of the paper.

Then I added some plastic crystals that she purchased for it. From where it hung at the hall you couldn't tell they were plastic. I think she was pretty happy with the way it turned out. I love it and offered to buy it from her if she didn't want it after the wedding.

They ended up giving it to me. I was thrilled! I will be changing the plastic crystals out for real ones, or at least glass ones as the budget allows.

I still have to go pick it up this week and hopefully can get better pictures of it then. I couldn't find my progress pictures, which is probably a good thing considering that I'm trying to cut back on the whole picture thing!

Here's one final picture of it hanging at the reception hall. I forgot to mention the chain sleeve I made out of white muslin.  

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I  am back in business and it's good to be back! I missed my little blog and all of you. Sorry I was gone so long. Hopefully this post shed a little light on the subject ;)

Blessings

I've joined these fabulous parties:

Project Inspired at An Extraordinary Day
Project Pin It at Glitter Glue and Paint