Mural Maker and More

Creative Ways to Use Circles in Google+–Part 5

2012-01-29T10:43:00.001-08:00

Creative Ways to Use Circles in Google+

Google+ A Series For Creative Bloggers by a Creative Blogger

Have you created any circles on Google+? If you haven’t, here are some ideas that might encourage you. Keep in mind, Google+ is a social network. As a blogger, I’m on Google+ to be social which means I want to connect with other bloggers, readers and brands on G+.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I could also use Google+ circles for bookmarking – not just for sorting who I follow or who follows me.

Let me ask you – do you use Google Reader? If you do, is your reading list categorized? How about Pinterest –are your boards categorized? Or even regular ol’ bookmarks. If you’re online very much at all, it’s a huge timesaver to have everything in categories so you can find what you’re looking for when you’re looking for it. Right?

Google+ Circles have the same capabilities, which, in my opinion, make them different than anything on Facebook. If you want to read one particular blog on Facebook, you have to click over to their page. You can do the same on Google+. But let’s say you want to read a group of blogs’ posts, maybe Painting blogs , you can only do that on G+. That is, if you have a Circle consisting of painting blogs.

Google+ For Creative Bloggers Part 4 – Circles

2012-01-25T07:44:00.001-08:00

This is Part 4 of Google+ for Creative Bloggers. The other posts are:

On some tech and social media blogs, I’ve read that Circles are what sets Google+ apart from Facebook and Twitter. They mean that in a positive light.

Today I heard a fellow creative blogger say that Circles ‘make me dizzy’. That wasn’t meant in a positive light.

Understanding how to set up and use Circles is a key element to understanding how to use Google+. That’s my opinion, of course. So let’s get these wheels turning. Yes, I did just say that.

To start with, there are four default circles – Friends, Family, Acquaintances, Following. You can keep those Circles, delete them, or add to them. If you’re just getting started with Google+, chances are you’ve kept these and divided who you’re following among these four circles. I did too, at first.

Create Categories for Your Circles

At some point you’ll want to categorize your circles. Why? Because you can then control which Circle’s stream you’re getting AND control which circle you want to share with. Let me say that again –

You control which Circle(s) stream you want to see

and

You control which circle(s) of people you want to share with!

Let me ask you – how many of your Facebook friends are creative bloggers? How about your Twitter followers? How many of your friends or followers are craft bloggers, or foodies, or social media? There’s no way to know, is there? Now, let’s say you want to see what your crafty blogger friends are up to. Or, maybe you want to share your latest Etsy creation with everyone you know. You have these options with Google+ Circles.

Google + Part 3 –Setting Up Your Profile Page

2012-01-23T19:55:00.001-08:00

This is Part 3 of Google+ for Creative Bloggers. The previous posts are:

Getting Started With Google+

Ok, ok, enough already with what Google+ is and my personal pros and cons. Let’s learn how to use it! Today’s tips are for your personal Google+ page, not your blog page. We’ll get to that a little later in the series. I think it’s important to get your personal page going first and then work on your blog page. Unless you’re using your personal page as your blog page, of course.

First you’ll need a Google account. Just go to Google.com and create an account. Simple. Then sign in to Google+. Click on the + on the Google bar. Then start filling in your profile information. But I have a few tips you might want to know before you fill out your profile.

Create a Mini-Bio for your HoverCard

I think this is one of the most important tips for getting started with Google+. Why? Because your hovercard tells people who you are. Quickly. Just by them hovering their mouse over your profile picture.

Social Media Examiner

Becoming a Mother–Part IV

2012-01-21T13:03:00.001-08:00

I think it’s fair to say that most little girls are under the assumption that when they grow up they’ll have children if they choose to. For some of us though, that dream turns into a nightmare known as Infertility.

I chose to share My Story – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 – here as a prelude to when I became a mother to my husband’s three sons. Now, 21 years later, I sometimes wonder if I would’ve done things differently. After sharing my story with you I realize I wouldn’t have. I yearned for a family, my own family. And eventually I had it – just not in the way I ever could’ve imagined.

“You have two more cysts, honey, and they’re gonna have to come out.”

Yep, even after that horrid surgery, and that horrid medicine, and those horrid side effects, in less than 6 months I had two more endometrial cysts. They weren’t huge so this time we were able to take our time and schedule them. And this time the recovery was much smoother and easier. Maybe because I knew what to expect?

What I didn’t expect was how the road of my life would twist and turn after that first surgery. And not being able to conceive my own child.

If I hadn’t had that first surgery, I wouldn’t have gone to the hospital pharmacy, which was right next to Personnel, and applied for a job.

If I hadn’t gotten that job with the hospital I wouldn’t have known all the hospital employees and gotten red jello instead of green after my 2^nd surgery. (this has absolutely nothing to do with the story, I know.)

If I didn’t have that 2^nd surgery, my husband wouldn’t have had his surgery.

If he hadn’t had his surgery and we hadn’t explored every.single.option for conceiving, we wouldn’t have known it was time to end our marriage when there was nothing further to do.

Maximizing Storage Space & A Link Party!

2012-01-20T21:38:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the final installment of Clear Your Clutter week! What a great week it’s been too with all of my awesome cohosts!

I hope you drop by and say hi and check out their fabulous organizing tips.

Today it’s my turn. I’m sharing a really simple plan to not only organize a space, but also maximize the storage you have in that space too. It’ll work for any space in your home, but I chose my work space/craft room/art studio.

You only need a few things to get started -

Blank paper
Sheet protectors
Dry Erase markers

The first step is to make a drawing of all the available storage in the space. Drawers, dressers, shelves, files, whatever you can use for storage. You can make it really simple by drawing it – a box for drawers, a line for shelves.

I like to use Microsoft One Note so if I need to redo the storage, I just print off another copy. Any drawing program will work though, even Microsoft Paint. You just need lines and squares.

Crayon Hearts – A Not Very Pinteresting/Not Very Kids Craft

2012-01-20T11:37:00.001-08:00

GRAMMMMAAHHHH!!! Gramma! Gramma! Can we do crafts?!?

Yes, baby. We’re going to make Valentine’s Day window decorations today!

YAAAY!! Do I get to help?

Sure! Wanna see a picture of what we’re going to make?

Did one of your friends in your computer make that?

Um, kinda. I think of Martha as a friend.

Does she say hi like your other friends in your computer?

Um, no. But I still like her.

Part 2 –The Pros & Cons of Google+

2012-01-19T20:10:00.001-08:00

Google+ For Creative Bloggers – Part 2 – The Pros & Cons

Did you miss Part 1 – What is Google+?

Hey, how are ya? Well, the comments on Part 1 - What is Google+ Anyway? were mixed – some people like it, some don’t, and some of you have no idea what’s going on. That’s exactly why I decided to write this series. Again, I’m by no means an expert. As a creative blogger, when I heard Google was retiring Google Friend Connect in 2012, I decided I better look into it.

So to answer yesterday’s question, Google+ is a social network, which leads us to the next question, or statement, and the one that’s raising the most concern in the creative blogging circles.

I’m already on Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest – I don’t have time for anything else!

I can certainly relate to this. It’s hard enough keeping up with my own blog, much less Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, then there are niche forums and Flickr, and Etsy, and linky parties, and, and . . . Phew! So I really wanted to find features on Google+ that would convince me that it’s worth the time investment.

Google+ and Creative Bloggers – Part 1

2012-01-17T19:24:00.001-08:00

This is Part 1 – What is Google+ Anyway?

Have you heard about Google+? It’s the latest offering from Google and is causing quite a stir. Many people love it, many don’t, and a whole lot of people don’t understand it at all. Now, I don’t claim to be an expert by any means. I’m a newbie too. But I’ve read more than a few articles by both social media and tech bloggers and I’m slowly trying to make sense of them. Nothing against tech bloggers, of course.

Outside of the social media and tech circles, however, there seem to be three recurring questions about Google+, particularly amongst the creative bloggers -

What is Google+ anyway?
I’m already on Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest – I don’t have time for anything else! Why do I need to be on Google+?
Google Buzz didn’t last. Why will Google Plus be any different?

I’ll make an attempt at addressing the first question today, and then I’ll delve into more detail on the other questions and offer some how-to’s in future posts.

What is Google+

Basically, it’s a social network. This is not Google’s first foray into social networks either. Something creative bloggers may find interesting is that Google Friend Connect – the badge of followers in nearly every blogger’s sidebar – was originally intended as a social network and is scheduled to be retired from nonBlogger blogs in March of this year.

My Craft Room–A Slice of Reality

2012-01-15T11:10:00.001-08:00

Craft Room Update!!! My work area no longer looks like these pics. Yay! You can see how I organized it on Maximizing Storage Space.

This is going to be a great week for organizing tips! And let me tell ya, I can sure use them. How about you?

I dunno about you but when someone hands out advice, I like to know that they actually practice what they preach. I don’t take organizing advice from my family members, believe me. But bloggers? Sure, as long as they show before pics and some tips along the way.

Consider this post my “Before”. No, there is no “After”. Yet. But soon!

I snapped this pic on a Monday. Hubs brought in an extra work table for me (which means a whole new surface to junk up!) and I hadn’t packed unfinished holiday projects yet.

Quite the mess, isn’t it? Lucy, you got some splainin’ to do!

Becoming a Mother–Part 3

2012-01-14T19:13:00.001-08:00

Did you catch that title? “Becoming a Mother” would lead you to believe that there’s a happy ending to the Part 1 and Part 2, right?

Not quite. Or at least, not when I was 21. No, many years passed before I became a mother and today’s story is just one more brick in that pathway.

I want to again thank all of you who have left comments, sent emails, and shared your support and your stories. I can’t begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am. I started writing about my journey for purely selfish reasons. Some of you mentioned the courage it takes to write this story. I don’t know about that but one of my readers told me after reading last week’s posts is now going to see her doctor and get checked out. That, my friends, meant the world to me.

I’ve decided to post each weekend. If you want painting, decorating & crafts – and this week Organizing! – come visit during the week. If you want stories and drama , stop by on the weekends!

Ok, so picking up where I left off last week . . .

Will I be able to get pregnant now?
Dr. B raised his eyebrows, took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
I might have been foggy-groggy from all the pain meds but I knew Dr. Bargman’s pause didn’t bode well. He’d just told me he didn’t do a hysterectomy to give me every possible chance at getting pregnant. The surgery had removed the two honeydew melon-sized cysts. What else could possibly be wrong?

Decorating the Mantel for Valentine’s Day

2012-01-13T18:47:00.001-08:00

How do you decorate after the holidays? Do you leave everything bare, or bring in natural elements? Or do you just dive into RED for Valentine’s Day?

I have never decorated for Valentine’s Day. Ever. When my kids were young they were lucky if I made it to the dollar store to pick up valentine’s for their classmates.

Wait a minute. They didn’t even have dollar stores in those days. Man, my kids are getting old. Man! I’m getting old!

I digress, as usual. My point is this – I’ve pinned some lovely decorations for Winter but I just wasn’t up to pulling it all together. Okay. Truth is, I don’t have any cute winter decorations and I wasn’t gonna buy any. There. I said it.

While I was organizing and packing up Christmas I looked at some pine garland with pinecones. You know, that doesn’t look half bad! Hang on though, is there some rule about using pine garland after Christmas? Like not wearing white after Labor Day, I mean.

I’ve never been one to break with tradition but if there is some rule, too bad. I used the garland and I like it.

Home Goals 2012 –1. Get a House

2012-01-11T07:33:00.001-08:00

“Home is Where The Heart Is”

A person named Pliny the Elder wrote that. Pliny – male? female? I dunno. But while googling to source it I also found the rest of the quote -

“. . . But Happiness Is Where Your Friends Are.”

Before we go any further I find it necessary to warn you that this is another ‘revealing’ post. Hey, when I say I want to let my readers get to know me better, I’m not playin’ around.

How To Paint a Topiary Pot

2012-01-10T19:21:00.001-08:00

Hello! Well, with all the ‘wordy’ posts lately you might’ve been thinking I haven’t been painting at all.

Au contrere, mon frere. Which, loosely translated, means, You’re wrong, my brother. I think. I’m not really too sure. I only took a few years of high school French and it was more than a few years ago. And I realize you’re not my brother but c’mon . . . it rhymes, right?

Anyhoo, I have been painting and I do have loads of tutorials for you. And I will continue writing My Story, although I’ll post it on weekends. There’s just too many painting, decorating and organizing projects to share. Ha! And I thought January would be the slow time of year!

Note: I totally misread my calendar when I posted yesterday’s Word of The Year. I was supposed to write it next week. Dang.

You’re in luck today, though. This is as close to a non-wordy post as I can get. Just look at the pictures and you’ll be able to paint a pretty little pot to go with the pretty little topiary we did last week.

Ready?

Word of the Year

2012-01-09T19:20:00.001-08:00

If you had to pick one word to sum up your goals, aspirations, intentions for 2012, could you do it? One word.

Only one.

Now this is what I call a challenge. Oh, not the introspection part. I’m always trying to redo, renew, re-something myself. No, it’s the ‘one’ part. I don’t do ‘one word’ anything. But when I read Layla’s Word of the Year at The Lettered Cottage, along with an invitation, I couldn’t resist the challenge.

Surprisingly, once I started thinking about it, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be. Here’s how I did it. (I can turn nearly anything into a DIY tutorial, heehee.)

My Infertility Story

2012-01-08T09:18:00.001-08:00

Your comments about My Story yesterday caught me completely off guard and overwhelmed me. Thank you so much for sharing your stories. I won’t lie – it’s a bit of an emotional struggle writing about all of this, even though it was more than 30 years ago. Or maybe it’s just the full moon tomorrow, ha ha. Whichever, you’ve inspired me to continue on with the story today.

Dr. Bargman said no, the tumor was probably not cancerous, but benign.
Exhale.
After drinking the prescribed 200 gallons of water I was ready for the ultrasound. I slowly crawled up on the table only to be told to go to the bathroom “pee for the count of 12 and then stop”.
Are you serious?!?
I didn’t actually say that. I don’t have much of a voice now and had even less at age 21, especially in my panicked state, but I did manage to squeak out “Can my husband come in?” The tech nodded and before I was back up on the cold table, Dr. Bargman poked his head through the door. I had just met this man less than two hours ago and he’d already seen my nekked body and was about to see my insides too.
The slight pressure from the cold goopy wand on my tummy caused incredible pain. Dr. B held my hand with one of his and with the other, stroked my forehead. The Husband all the while stood back against the wall, close by the door, ready to make a quick getaway just in case my insides exploded. Indeed, they felt like they might just do that.
“See that?” Dr. Bargman pointed to the white mass(es) that nearly filled the ultrasound screen. “Those aren’t supposed to be there.”
Uh-oh.

Upcoming ‘Events’ and A Story

2012-01-07T11:46:00.001-08:00

Happy Weekend! How has the first few days of 2012 been treating you? Are you sick and tired of all the organizing tips yet? I hope not, ‘cause I’m just getting started!

Yep, me and some of my friends decided we needed some motivation to get going so we joined forces for Clear Your Clutter week. I hope you join one or all of us the week of January 16 for some great organizing tips and probably some awesomely ridiculous “before” pics. I know I’ve got a slew of ‘em.

Besides organizing, I’ve noticed a bunch of inspirational posts from some of my fav blogs. If you have some House Goals – and who doesn’t?, The Nester has a link party this Wednesday. Her parties are awesome, believe me. So are Layla’s. She has one coming up next week for Word of The Year. Do you have one word for 2012? An affirmation, commitment or resolution, maybe? Layla’s parties are always fun. But the one blogger that really got me thinking was Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors with her Week of Change series. Particularly the last post “Offer”.

What do you have to offer this year? After I read Donna’s post I thought- well, I offer painting tutorials. But a little voice got louder and louder in my head. It practically had to shout over all the other voices. (sshhh, don’t mention that to anyone, ok?)

You have more to offer.

A Few Christmas Storage Tips

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-08:00

Have you jumped on the Organizing Bandwagon yet? I mean, Sheesh! Everywhere you look online, they’re talking about Getting Organized. I’ve gotta confess, I love it.

By ‘it’, I mean reading about organizing. It’s like making the ginormous To Do list – I just automatically feel better making a list – like everything is getting done just by writing it down. ‘Cept that’s not the way it works, is it?

I’ve recently discovered I’m following in my mother’s footsteps too. She’s a BTKer. She said it the whole time I was growing up, to the point where it used to drive me crazy. So I never thought I’d be a BTKer but, sadly, it’s true.

BTK = Before The Kids

Yep, BTK I used to be organized. BTK I knew where everything was in my house. BTK my filing was caught up. Not only caught up but filed in pretty files with color-coded typewritten labels.

Oh yes, my friends . . . I was one of those people. I was . . . BTK.

But now the kids are all grown{ish} with homes of their own. It’s time to unleash my OCD tendencies.

The Christmas decorations were my first ~~victim~~ project.

How To Paint a Simple Topiary

2012-01-02T18:51:00.001-08:00

Are you ready for some non-Christmas paint projects? Yeah. Me too. While this topiary could be used for Valentine’s Day, I guess, I actually painted it for a little girl’s room.

Before we go any further, this isn’t really a tutorial. It’s more of a What-Tool-To-Use-To-Paint-a-Topiary. But that just didn’t have the right ring to it.

It’ll work great on either canvas or wood. And if your 2012 Projects include Paint a Topiary on a Wall, this will work great.

Note to New Blog Visitors: Readers may be inflicted with small amounts of sarcasm inserted into painting tutorials.

Hello 2012! Blog Resolutions

2012-01-02T08:45:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, friends and visitors! Have you made any resolutions?

I usually avoid them since I try and practice daily affirmations. But there’s something about blogging – the mere act of writing down my thoughts and *gulp* publishing them into the ethers of Blogland – that has me pronouncing goals resolutions for 2012.

Do you wanna go first? Oh alright. I’ll start.

1. Clean up my act.

This blog’s act, I mean. It’s time for a major revamp or overhaul or whatever you wanna call it. And since I’m a chronic DIYer that means I’ll be doing the vamping. Wish me luck.

2. Be more positive and less critical.

Getting all upset because Safeway took out their drinking fountain and you really need to take a pain pill and the manager tells you there’s bottled water for sale isn’t gonna change a damn thing. It’s only a sign that I’m becoming a cranky old b*%#^. Lighten up and don’t sweat the small sh*t.

3. Try not to swear as much. See #2 above.

Ok. So I purposely keep it pretty clean here but the voice behind the fingers typing is cussin’ like a sailor. Not that I know any sailors, or any sailors who swear.

4. Carve out a niche of time each week for Feng Shui Savvy.

I debated whether or not to just take FSS down altogether or not. I’ve had this whole you’re nothing but a hypocrite dialogue going on in my head because I lost my own home in 2010 so how in the world could I possibly write about feng shui. I've now resolved to continue on my feng shui journey, regardless of any personal foibles.

5. Quit using weird words like foibles.

I don’t hold out much hope for this one. Just so you know.

6. Schedule Schmedule

For two years I’ve tried to keep an editorial Calendar – Mondays: Crafts, Tuesday: Tutorials, Wednesdays: Walls . . . blah, blah, blah. It sounds good. On paper. It just doesn’t work for my life right now so I’m declaring it totally permissible to fly by the seat of my pants.

7. Just be myself and let readers get to know me better

I pretty much write the way I talk so that’s not what I’m talking about. Nope, I’m talking about that buzz word . . . the Oprah word . . . the ‘big’ blogger word . . . the self-help authors word . . .

Authentic

Yep, I’m jumpin’ on that bandwagon. Or at least, that’s the plan as of January 2, 2012. That doesn’t mean I’ll post fewer paint tutorials or projects. No. It simply means some posts might be totally un-paint-related and more about what it’s like to be a recession widow, living with your elderly mother while your hubs lives with his in another town. It ain’t a pretty picture. But it is a snapshot of this thing called My Life.

There you have it – my 2012 Blog Resolutions. I won’t even start on my personal resolutions. We’d be here til 2013, I fear. But, suffice it to say, I am incredibly grateful to you, My Readers, for taking time out of your life to stop by here.

Happy 2012!

My Favorite 2011 Paintings & Murals

2011-12-31T08:49:00.001-08:00

While I love sharing painting tutorials here, I really enjoy painting murals *shock* – even if they’re not on walls!

Since I don’t paint much for my own home, I often forget what I’ve painted in the past year. This is a great way to remind myself that I actually accomplished something in 2011. Not that I have self-doubt issues, or anything like that.

I painted this cutie-patootie Yorkie on a whim.

Now that I think about it, all of my paintings are kinda on a whim.

My Favorite Posts of 2011

2011-12-27T09:25:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Angela “Very hard to pick a stencil, but I just decided I want to stencil a wall in our bedroom, and I am thinking maybe RABAT ALLOVER STENCIL..... maybe???” - the winner of the Cutting Edge Stencil Giveaway! Thank you to all who entered!

Hello! After a couple of days of playing with Grandson, I’m quite happy sitting at the computer again. Not that I didn’t do any DIY projects – I assembled a Batman cave, Thomas the Train tracks, mini pool table, and a waytoomanyparts race track for Hot Wheels.

How they can fit so many pieces in one little box is beyond me. Kinda like how I fit so many words in one little blog.

Which leads me to my favorite posts of the year. I picked only two . . . two that happened to be in a series, haha.

This first one doesn’t have photos. Just some easy, light (and hopefully humorous) reading about my first major DIY project – Opening a Florist Shop at age 19. If you’ve ever thought about opening a business, this is my What Not To Do story.

If you’re not up for any reading, my next favorite post is nothing but photos, all from one house. I didn’t paint all of the murals this past year. Rather, over a period of nearly 10 years. But it’s some of my favorite work for my absolutely favorite clients! (Hi Gayle!)

Tomorrow I’ll share my readers’ favorite posts.

And if you’re doing an annual round-up, leave me a note in the comments and I’ll drop by and say hi!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Frosted Candle with Epsom Salts

2011-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Have you used epsom salts for any crafts this season? It only took me 2 months to try this frosted candle that I first wrote about back in October. After my ‘issues’ with frosted branches, I was hoping this project would be easier.

I like crafts that only take 3 supplies – a candle, Mod Podge, and epsom salts.

Painted Oven Mitt & Pot Holders

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

You might think this is an idea for a Last Minute Gift, but it’s not. I’m sure that you’re completely done with presents, right? So this is just an easy Snowman Paint Project for next year. Unless you’re like me and keep snowmen up thru January. And maybe February.

What makes these snowmen so easy are these foam pouncers by Martha Stewart Crafts by Plaid. They come 6 to a package so you can make different sized snowmen, if you want.

Not that they’re just for snowmen. I’m finding all kinds of ways to use them. But I’ll save that for next year, ok?

25 Days of Christmas at Type A Decorating

2011-12-21T15:24:00.001-08:00

Hello! Hey, I’m guest posting today over at Tammy’s place, Type A Decorating. I shared a quickie project – Stenciled Wine Glasses.

I hope you drop by and say hi!

Last Minute Gifts #1– ‘Embossed’ Velvet Wine Bag

2011-12-20T17:22:00.001-08:00

Don’t miss my Stencil Giveaway! Contest open until December 26!

Mmkay. Did you see the title up there? Not the ‘last minute’ part. The “Embossed” part. Yeah. The quote marks are there for a reason. Reason being, I actually embossed the wine bag but it doesn’t look embossed.

There’s that and the fact that I tend to overuse quotation marks in my writing. Along with italics, dashes, parentheses, and anything else to interrupt the reader’s train of thought. It’s all by design. (not really.)

But here we are, four days away from Christmas, and I need more like fourteen days. Or forty. While I thought I had my list covered, Hubs neglected to tell me of a few invites that came to his email box.

You’d think our friends would know better after 20 years. I told my stepsons the first year they moved in – if the paper or message is important, don’t tell your father (the Bermuda Triangle of important papers), tell me. After one ‘misplaced’ permission slip and, therefore, no field trip, they got it and have never forgotten it. (I warned you about the excessive punctuation, didn’t I?)

I’m devoting the rest of this week to Last Minute Gifts. Or as many as I can get done. That being said, some of the projects ~~might~~ will probably fall into my NVP category *not very Pin-teresting*. Generally speaking, if it’s not a paint project, there’s better than a 50:50 chance it’ll be a NVP. Kinda like my cooking, unfortunately.

Stenciled Boys’ Painting – and a GiveAway!!!

2011-12-18T10:52:00.001-08:00

I am now officially a stencil convert, thanks to Cutting Edge Stencils.

The harlequin diamond background on this canvas wallhanging took me all of 10 minutes to paint because I used this stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils.

Ten minutes! I used to spend a day, or two, painting harlequin diamonds. And that was just the background!

Chocolate & Gold Christmas Tree

2011-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is all about traditions, isn’t it? One of my new favs is Sarah’s Christmas Tree Party, so this is a rewind from a couple of Christmas’ ago. But it’s still one of my favorite trees.

As a little girl, hanging homemade ornaments and silver tinsel on our tree, I’d never have dreamed people would actually pay me to decorate trees when I got older.

It started 15 years ago when I worked for a craft store. We’d have as many as 20 different themed trees to showcase different ornaments.

I probably would still just be hanging ornaments and lights, if I hadn’t worked there. You see, to decorate a tree in a retail store, you have to cram enough ‘stuffs into the tree before you hang ornaments. Otherwise, when people take ornaments off the branches, you’d be left with a bare tree.

I was lucky. I didn’t have to hang lights or ornaments. My job was to create an overall theme for each product line.

It might be picture frames. Or bird cages. Or pheasant feathers. Or combinations of various non-Christmas items. And yards and yards of fabric. Anything that would fill up the tree and showcase the actual Christmas ornaments.

What was always amazing is the non-Christmas ornaments would always sell too. Like bird cages. And pheasant feathers.

Ah, the power of display merchandising! Unfortunately, I was paid hourly with bonuses of “Attagirl!”

Most of my Christmas clients want a more traditionally decorated tree, but one that still says “Wow!”

Frosted Branches – The Right Way This Time

2011-12-13T20:20:00.001-08:00

Last week I attempted to ‘frost’ some oak branches. They looked . . . alright. Just alright, though. I’m classifying them as Not Very “PIN-teresting”. (If you’re on Pinterest, you get it.)

I have a couple more NVP’s coming up too. Not terrible. Just not what I had anticipated. I’ll keep working on those other NVP’s.

In the meantime, I just could not leave those silver frosted branches on my table so I gave the whole ‘frosted branches’ thing another try. I went back and read Viv’s tutorial at The V-Spot. Thoroughly. Then I bought new epsom salts this time. According to one of Viv’s commenters the salts break down if they get too hot.

Big, big difference. Not to mention, there’s no tellin’ how old the salts on the left are. Were.

So, here you go – a New & Improved tutorial to make branches look icy and frosted.

Christmas Home Tour–A Little of This ‘n That

2011-12-12T19:43:00.001-08:00

Welcome! I put together a few Christmas photo collages to join the phone at Melissa’s Christmas Home Tours. As I looked at each grouping I realized that this year I decorated with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. There’s a theme for each area, but they are all different.

Wanna take a little tour? C’mon in!

First up is the front porch.

I kept this very rustic and simple, using burlap and pinecones from our cabin near Lake Tahoe, with just a few pops of red for fun.

The entry has the same burlap along with some snowmen, a frosted red berry wreath and some cardinals perched here and there.

Make an Easy Bow with ‘Cheater Loops’

2011-12-11T16:57:00.001-08:00

How To Make an Easy Bow For Wreaths & Garlands

My video tutorial for making a Florist bow got a wide range of comments. Everything from Yeah right to Thanks for breaking it down into steps. If you’ve ever tried making a big loopy florist bow and had a lessthangreat result, I have a super easy way to get the look of a big bow, without all the frustration.

This trick, called “Cheater Loops”, takes about 30% LESS ribbon than a traditional florist bow. I’m not kidding. Not to mention the fact that anyone – and I mean anyone – can do this.

You can’t use cheater loops for wrapping a package, but for wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces? It’s fabulous.

How To Make A Florist Bow (Video)

2011-12-10T08:35:00.001-08:00

I suppose you’re completely done with your Christmas decorating by now, right? Or, are you like me and ~~about halfway~~ nearly finished?

Lemme ask you a question: do you use ribbon to decorate? Of course you do! Ok, maybe you’re not like me and have ribbon-bedecked wreaths, garlands, centerpieces and trees (yes, treeze, plural), but there’s nothing that packs a punch of sparkle and color like ribbon.

So here’s the thing. Even though we’re headlong into the season I’m still making Christmas decorating tutorials. Which may explain why I’m so late getting everything done. You know, photos, photo editing, writing, and all that. I’m just sayin’ . . .

Today I have a couple of treats for you. First is a fabulous post by Suzy @ Worthing Court. (Click the pics to go the her post.) This Christmas decorating post is sheer eye candy. It brought back such fond memories of when I was a display designer and decorated tree after tree and wreath after wreath.

No-Sew Stenciled Runner with Glitter Paint

2011-12-08T20:43:00.001-08:00

I decided to switch things up this Christmas with a little turquoise, silver and white in the dining room. When it comes to decorating my own home for the holidays, I’ve always been pretty traditional – red and gold and maybe for a little excitement, throw in some silver. That’s for my own home.

When it came to clients’ homes or retail merchandising, it was anything but traditional. I did an entire house in purple for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong – it was gorgeous. The client was a self-made single woman and she loved, loved purple. So the 11’ noble in the foyer? Purple and gold. The sweeping bannister? Pine garland with cascading purple sprays. The only room that wasn’t decorated in purple was the master bedroom. We used a flocked tree and adorned it totally in silver and white. Three inch antique silver framed mirrors, silver lame fabric (that’s lam-ay, not lame, btw), yards and yards of white tulle netting and fluffy white feather boas. It was a sight to behold.

Do I miss decorating clients’ homes for Christmas? Yes and no. It’s a small calendar window to get everything done so the stress is high. But the creativity level is high too. Maybe when the economy rebounds I may think about it again.

For now, I like quick ‘n dirty. Like no-sew table runners. When I decide to change the colors up like last minute.

Make A Simple Christmas Mantel Scarf

2011-12-06T20:56:00.001-08:00

Make a Simple Christmas Mantel Scarf.

For me, ‘simple’ and ‘Christmas’ usually don’t go in the same sentence. I have a bit of a . . . let’s call it an issue.

We can blame it on my time in the florist shop. Or the craft store. Or maybe it’s the fact that I can now get a senior meal at Denny’s.

I wish I could do simple and elegant mantels. You know, those mantels that have a few carefully chosen pieces that are balanced in scale and color. That ‘Pottery Barn’ look. Or Crate & Barrel. West Elm.

Take your pick.

Of course, those are retail stores too, aren’t they. And each piece in their displays has a hefty price tag attached to it too.

But every year I say I’m gonna pare it down. Every year I say no more fuss, no more fluff.

Every year I wind up with the same look.

Even my Fall mantel was fussy.

I blame it on all the years I spent decorating for retail when the goal was to use as much product as humanly possible so anyone admiring the display would want every.single.thing.

How To “Frost” Branches

2011-12-04T20:20:00.001-08:00

Note: Since this was written I tried another group of branches that turned out much, MUCH better! I hope you check out How To Frost Branches – The Right Way.

How much time do you spend visiting blogs? I try and tell myself that, as a blogger, it’s part of the ‘job’. It’s my private little justification for my daily obsession reading my ‘regulars’ and visiting a handful (or two) of new blogs via link parties.

And let’s not even talk about Pinterest! But around the holidays, it’s gets totally out of hand. I could literally spend hours each day bloghopping. And that’s just the DIY/craft/home décor blogs.

Try as I might to stay focused on my To-Do lists – yes, lists, plural – inevitably I run across a project I’ve just gotta try.

Like this one - Make Your Own Frosty Icy Branches by Viv at The V Spot.

Dollar Store Gift Idea

2011-12-01T21:03:00.001-08:00

It’s December 2, so your house is probably all decorated, the presents are all prettily wrapped and displayed under your glistening tree and you’re calmly enjoying each day, trying out new Christmas cookie recipes.

AND, you stayed within your budget this year.

If that’s the case, then you certainly don’t need a gift idea that’s under $5 and will take about 5 minutes to make. And that’s just fine. But maybe you can pass this little Dollar Store decoration on to someone else. Like your mother-in-law. *gasp*

Maybe not then.

Ok. Just bookmark it for next year then, ok?

Screenprinted Tote Bag with DIY Simply Screen

2011-11-30T23:15:00.001-08:00

When I worked in a craft store one of my favorite things was trying out new stuff that came into the store. I never dreamt I’d have the opportunity to do that again when I started blogging. Then along come the great people at Plaid Crafts who asked me to try out their new DIY Simply Screen.

What impressed me from the get-go is how everything is included in one box –

three different sized screens plus a test screen
squeegee for painting
3 paint pens
paintbrush
plastic rinse basin and sponge
light fixture with on/off switch that fits into the top of the same box
and a lightbulb!

Everything you need, except the paint, comes in the kit that retails for $39.99, available right now at Hobby Lobby. If you’re in California like me, Hobby Lobby accepts online orders, so no worries!

Plaid not only sent the kit, but also an assortment of paint, extra screens, and some glitter and adhesive. I was all set, but I gotta tell you, I was more than a little intimidated by what seemed to be a simple process.

Fresh Ideas for Holiday Centerpieces

2011-11-30T15:18:00.001-08:00

Thank you to California Grown for encouraging me to connect with California growers and encouraging California consumers to "Choose California Grown" when they can.

So have you broke out all the boxes and totes and started decorating for the holidays? Oh, please tell me you’re not one of those rightafterThanksgivingIputmytreeup kinda people, ok? Sheesh!

Well, I have a confession for you – when it comes to holiday decorating I’m the Fairy Godmother of Faux. Fake tree. Fake pine garland. Fake wreath. Fake flowers.

Until this year.

You see, the Hubs’ favorite fruit is pears, which also happens to be my favorite fruit to paint and decorate with. But I had always used fake pears until I got this incredible goody box from a local grower in Courtland, CA.

With a personalized note. From the grower! Telling me which variety each pear is. Talk about great service!

How To Paint Pinecones

2011-11-28T22:06:00.001-08:00

You know, in October when I blogged 31 days in a row and painted 31 paint projects, I thought that creating a bunch of holiday paint projects would be simple. Easy. No sweat!

And I was oh-so wrong. Again.

I had good intentions though. I thought of a bunch of holiday paint themes and easy projects and listed them on my calendar. If you’re a list-maker like me, you know the false feeling of satisfaction you get by making a To-Do list. Like there’s some magical spell cast just by writing each task down and Poof! It’s done!

I even added them to my Google Calendar so every day I get these cute little reminders in my email to post these paint projects that I haven’t painted yet.

By now, we (yes, I include you in my dilemma, ok?) should’ve painted the following:

Pottery Barn dropcloth runner
Birch Trees
~~Snowman Paper dolls~~ did those!
Snowman Goblet Candleholder
Snowman Coasters
Birch trees
Poinsettias on goblets
Gingerbread Man Apron

And that’s just a partial list. Back on November 8 I had scheduled a Pinecone Tutorial. The one I’m posting today.

So here’s what I’m thinkin’ – I’m either 20 days behind schedule OR I have 20 more days than the calendar actually says.

I’m leaning toward the latter. What d’ya say? How’d you like an extra 20 days right about now? Are ya with me?

Welcome to my own private (twisted) world. It’s a fun place in here. We like to play with colors and make fun To-Do lists. And paint pinecones.

The Holidays Are Here!!!

2011-11-27T17:17:00.001-08:00

Man, are they ever! Don’t get me wrong, I love this time of year. But there is so much going on.

First of all, I don’t have a single, solitary project to share with you today. Not that I haven’t been busy. I have been. Really busy.

I’m installing Christmas decorations on the gates tomorrow. (There will be a tutorial later this week . . . I hope.)
I’m still painting african-american Santas and angels. (I’m running out of time!)
I have not one, but two, sponsored posts this week. Now, that’d normally be a good thing, but one of them has been nothing but issues. And I will be honest and candid when I write about the product, I promise.

No, I haven’t begun decorating my house.

No, I haven’t finished any painting tutorials.

Holiday Crafts with Martha Stewart Paints by Plaid

2011-11-25T07:21:00.001-08:00

Are you ready to start crafting for the holidays? Or are you one of those ~~crazies~~ brave souls out there shopping on Black Friday?

Either way, I hope you take a few minutes to stop by Michael's and pick up some Martha Stewart paint by Plaid. If you've been here before, you know I'm a huge fan of Martha's multi-surface paint!

I've painted fabric - Snowman Paperdolls, wood - Red Cardinal Gift Box, resin and plastic - African American Santas, canvas - Pottery Barn Knockoff, and glass - Stenciled Glass Vase. So, yeah, you could say I'm a fan.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

May your day be blessed with love and warmth and may you have many blessings to be grateful for, today and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

love, Colleen

Snowmen Printables

2011-11-22T19:02:00.001-08:00

Snowmen Printables

As promised, here are the snowmen printables I used for the magnetic snowmen paperdolls. But you could use them for anything – coloring pages, appliques, scrapbooking, or anything else you can come up with.

They’re free to use. But a link back to Mural Maker & More would be really, really nice! Each pic has a download link attached. If you want to use any of the wardrobe, go to the PDF to download, rather than using the pics here, so they fit.

I have to give a huge shout-out to Brittany @ Pretty Handy Girl. If it weren’t for her help, none of these printables would’ve been to scale. After I sketched them, I realized I had no idea how to print them off to scale. Bless her heart, Brittany offered her help and made them all bright and purdy.

I hope you drop by Pretty Handy Girl soon. She has incredible tutorials and projects. And she’s just a really, really nice gal!

How To Paint a Simple Bow and Ribbon Streamers

2011-11-21T19:57:00.001-08:00

So it’s Thanksgiving week, right? And in a few days we’ll be breakin’ out the ribbon for decorating and wrapping presents. So why do a painting tutorial for a bow and ribbon then?

It’s a great way to ‘frame’ a painting.
It’s super easy, and therefore fast, to paint.
It’s a great way to integrate a contrast color into a holiday painting.

Which is why my bow and ribbon are turquoise. I mean, all three reasons. I needed a frame for a couple of paintings and I wanted to add some turquoise. And I always like things that are fast to paint.

Wait, one more reason – you only need 3 colors of paint.

Magnetic Snowman Paper Dolls

2011-11-17T13:47:00.001-08:00

Did you ever play with paper dolls when you were a kid? Do your children? Or do they just hop on the computer now and use the ‘digital avatars’ like my grandson?

I gotta tell you, I had a total blast creating these Snowman paperdolls. (I’m thinkin’ I must not have had paper dolls as a child ‘cause this was just waay too much fun.) Actually, though, I made them for my grandson to play with when it’s raining outside.

Plus, I was thrilled to partner with Plaid Crafts again and try out some of their Martha Stewart decorative paint line. Once again, I received a goody box full of paints, stencils and different mediums so I challenged myself to see how many of the products I could use in one project.

Um, apparently, quite a few! Not that you need all of them to make your own Magnetic Snowman Paperdolls though. But it was fun to experiment with a lot of them.

Like the Magnetic Paint Effect I used for the Snowman Scene the other day. That’s what really started the whole ‘magnetic paperdoll’ wheels turning.

And I actually may be becoming a stencil convert, thanks to Martha’s designs. What a time-saver for painting little ‘extras’ for my snow scene.

How To Paint a Snow Scene

2011-11-15T20:47:00.001-08:00

This is Part 1 of a two day, maybe three, paint project. The snow scene is the background for the project. I did a tutorial last year for painting a snow scene. No, that’s wrong . . . I’ve done two. One with trees and snowflakes, and one as a background for a snowman.

So why paint another snow scene? Especially since I’m basically painting this one exactly how I painted the other two? Well, mainly because this snow scene has something hidden underneath the paint.

Magnetic Paint! Now, why would I put magnetic paint under a snow scene, huh? A couple of reasons, actually.

African - American Santas

2011-11-14T20:02:00.001-08:00

For years I've been collecting African-American Santa Clauses. Or, at least I've tried. They are a little few and far between in the suburbs in Northern California.

Nevertheless, it has been important to me ever since my stepsons moved in 20 years ago. Last year, I wrote a post about our 1st family Christmas and why Santa comes in different colors in our house.

Left to Right: Father-in-Law, Brother-in-Law, The Hubs, Son #3, Nephew in front of FIL. Grandson stealing the show. Taken February 2011.

I’ve done a few paintings of african-american Santas, but they’re just sitting in a box somewhere. Now that Grandson is 4 years old, it’s important to me that he sees holiday images that look like his family.

So when I ~~was on my weekly trip~~ dropped by the thrift store Friday, I saw loads and loads of Santa figurines. For like a buck a piece!

Painted Red Cardinal Gift Box

2011-11-11T10:00:00.001-08:00

Hi! Are you making handmade Christmas gifts this year? If you are, I have a couple of suggestions for you.

First, take a trip to your local thrift store. You'll be amazed at how many items there are there that can be repurposed into a gift.

Like this cute little chipwood box I found at my local thrift store. I think I spent all of $.50. Or maybe a whole dollar.

The second thing you need to make handmade Christmas presents is Martha Stewart’s decorative paint. Why Martha Stewart? Because her paints are multi–surface. So they work on boxes like this, or maybe wineglasses, or even fabric.

Holly Burlap Napkin Rings

2011-11-09T08:49:00.001-08:00

Hey, there! I wanted to show you how to make a Holly Topper for the burlap napkin rings. I kinda like having both poinsettia and holly together, instead of just one or the other.

If I scrounge up some more burlap, I just might have an entire array of Christmas designs for toppers!

In case you missed it, I made the burlap napkin rings with some Mod Podge and a t.p. roll.

Holiday Burlap Napkin Rings

2011-11-07T21:12:00.001-08:00

Hey, guess what! I found some more burlap in my stash. I know! Burlap is becoming a bit of a holiday theme around here. First, the Spooky Runner, then there was the Fall Leaf Mantel Scarf and I said, that’s it!

But I got to thinking one day about burlap, Mod Podge and t.p. rolls. Yeah, um, you really don’t want to know what goes on inside my head, ok? But since the Mod Podge worked so well on the fall leaves, I wondered if it would stiffen burlap into a shape. Then I remembered a post I saw by the Mod Podge Mama, aka Amy @ ModPodgeRocks, and decided to give it a whirl.

And let’s face it, everyone needs napkin rings, right? Ok, everyone but me apparently since I had to really dig to find these two cloth napkins, ha!

These are so easy it’s ridiculous too. Wanna see? Sure ya do!

How To Paint (and draw) Holly and Berries

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! How are you? Good, I hope. Today I’m gonna share a couple of ways to paint holly. One, pictured above, looks all artsy and complicated – but it’s not. Just a few colors of paint that are layered on top of each other.

Then there’s this holly leaf. Like the leaves I painted on the PB KnockOff. No shading or highlighting. Does that make it easier? Personally, I don’t think so, but you can decide for yourself.

Before we get started, I got a question for you bloggers reading this. Have you ever gone back and read some of your early posts? Good Heavens!!! I posted the first holly tutorial just last year in October and thought I’d just give you a link to it today.

Then I read it. Then I looked at the photos. And then I opened Photoshop and started re-editing all the pics. What in the world was I thinking, just 12 short months ago? Lighting was bad, photo files were huge, etc., etc.

Pottery Barn KnockOff – Birds & Branches

2011-11-06T09:37:00.001-08:00

Hello! I finished this PB knockoff painting yesterday. Finally. This started out as a “simple” project. Or that’s what I thought.

Can someone please tell me why things that should be easy turn out complicated and things that are complex wind up pretty simple? Or is it just me?

Pottery Barn

Ok, so I made a few changes from PB’s Green Sentiment rug. Like, I didn’t paint a rug; I painted a hanging canvas. Not that I didn’t want a rug. I just didn’t happen to have a white rug hanging around. (White? On the floor? Seriously? Not in my house, thank you very much.)

Holiday Comforts

2011-11-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

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Hello! Boy, did the weather change radically here in the past few days. Brrrr. I dug out my warm coats and fur-lined boots just in time. I even moved all my spray paints into the house before the temps drop below freezing.

Yep, all of my paints get special attention – even the house paints.

When the temperature dips, it makes it a whole lot easier to think about the holidays that are coming. Fast! Something dawned on my while I was painting Christmas projects the other day – for me, the holidays are all about comfort and what that means to my five senses.

House of Hepworth's Terra Cotta Pot Christmas Trees

Comfort of Sight
I mean, I paint a lot of decorations and gifts. But one of the reasons I make handmade gifts is to let my family and friends know I’m thinking of them, both while I paint the present as well as throughout the year. It’s a reminder of my love for them – sort of a visual comfort.

Comfort of Smell
I can’t think about the holidays without imagining the delicious scents of cinnamon and nutmeg. Sure, there are lots of other smells that herald the season but cinnamon and nutmeg mean there’s a pumpkin pie in the oven.

Foods Of Our Lives Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Comfort of Taste
And nothing is as comforting to me as a slice of pumpkin pie. Oh, I might bake some other favorites – pecan pie, lemon cake, english toffee – for the others, but for me, it’s not a holiday without pumpkin pie.

Comfort of Hearing
I’ll be the first to admit, there’s no way my singing voice brings comfort to anyone but I still love to sing Christmas carols. I just restrain myself to when I’m alone in the car and I crank up the radio station that plays only carols from Thanksgiving thru New Year’s. It’s just impossible not to get into the holiday spirit when I hear Christmas music.

Katie Did's Carol Banners

Comfort of Touch
But the best of all is the sense of touch around the holidays – hugs and kisses of friends, family and neighbors. Some I see all the time, some only around the holidays, but that simple physical sense of touch brings oh-so much comfort.

Yep, definitely the Best comfort. (except for maybe falling into my Tempur-Pedic bed at the end of the long day!)

What are your favorite Holiday comforts? Do you have a favorite ‘sense’ or are they all equally important for your comfort?

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Pottery Barn KnockOff – Work In Progress

2011-11-03T20:07:00.001-07:00

Hello! How are ya? I’m finally back to painting after a week of fighting the flu, but I still feel like I’m walking thru sludge. Everything is a huge effort.

Which may be the reason why I didn’t finish this painting today. Or not.

I haven’t decided because up until an hour ago I really didn’t like the way the painting looked at all.

I’m using this Pottery Barn rug as my inspiration. Cute. Simple.

Shouldn’t be an issue. But it is was. I’ll know better tomorrow when I finish it up and then I’ll decide whether it’s a tutorial or not.

It’s hard enough fighting the flu without also battling indecision too. But then, that’s a daily thing for me. Indecision, I mean. Not the flu.

Day 31–Paint a Red Cardinal

2011-10-31T07:46:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! And happy, happy, happy last day of my 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects! Even though I didn’t make it for the entire 31 days .

It was still an incredible experience, blogging daily for a month. However, I did learn to have some extra posts ready to go in case Life is interrupted. I learned a lot of other things too which I’ll write about at a later date.

I’m still getting my ‘sea legs’ back and haven’t had the strength to paint so I wanted to share a couple of paint tutorials for red cardinals. Before the nasty Flu Bug paid me a visit I was working on a Pottery Barn knock off. . .

. . . a simple branch with birdies.
Read more »

Day 27 & 28–Life Interrupted

2011-10-29T07:43:00.001-07:00

I hope each and every one of you are safe and healthy today. I’m not usually prone to colds and the flu, so I guess I’m making up for lost time because I got hit with a doozy.

This is the first time in 3 days I’ve even turned on the computer – one more thing to Lysol – and I just wanted to say hi and I’ll be back soon with some fun Christmas painting projects.

Stay healthy, my friends.

Day 26: Paint Fall Fruit in Cornucopia

2011-10-25T20:37:00.001-07:00

Hi! Welcome to Day 26 of my 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects. If this is your first time visiting, I’ll admit that this cornucopia filled with fruit doesn’t look too, um, . . . easy.

But it’s really just a culmination of a bunch of tutorials:

You could add any fruit you want and take out any you don’t want! It’s totally up to you.

Day 25–Paint Wheat Stalks

2011-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

How are ya today? I thought I’d have the cornucopia painting done today but it just didn’t come together, so I’ll show you this easy-peasy way to paint wheat stalks.

I should be done with cornucopia tomorrow and then Christmas tutorials! I’m so glad I’m on the last week of this 31 day blogging challenge. It has been challenging, believe me! But it’s also been rewarding too, in many ways. I had originally planned to split the 31 days between Halloween & Christmas, but that didn’t work out. Don’t worry – I’ll continue Christmas painting tutorials almost up to Christmas!

Okay, let’s paint some wheat. Oh yeah, this would also work for painting lavender, if you’re not into wheat.

Day 24: Kids Crafts–Glue Resist Painting

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! How was your weekend? I got to spend the majority of mine with my 4 year old grandson, which is always a huge treat. I love seeing how his personality is developing and how his mind thinks.

Grandson: Do all grown-ups have kids?

Me: No. I couldn’t have my own kids. Your daddy was 7 years old when he came to live with me.

Grandson: Hey Gramma! I’ll be your kid, ok? Yay! Now you have a kid . . . me!

What he doesn’t remember is how I cared for him from the age of 5 months to 18 months, nearly every day. And yes, he was my baby. Or the closest thing to it that I’ve ever experienced.

a faithful attempt via Pinterest

Day 23: Painted Fall Napkins

2011-10-22T19:35:00.001-07:00

Hey there! How are you today? Have you ever painted on fabric before? It’s one of my favorite things to paint on and after these napkins, I’m wondering why I don’t do it more often.

We interrupt this blog post for a special announcement . . . .

Voting for the NFL Pro Bowl starts Monday, October 24. That’s tomorrow, folks!

Now, you might be wondering why in the world I’m telling you about the pro bowl. Or even football, for that matter.

Day 22: Painted Fall Wine Goblets

2011-10-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I’m so excited to show you this Fall paint project today. Now, at first glance you might think that there’s no way you’d want to paint wine goblets. A few hours ago, I felt exactly the same way, believe me.

You see, I have a little history with painting wine glasses. As in, a few years ago I painted over 100 of them for a fundraiser. Let’s just say I never wanted to paint another wine goblet again, for any reason.

But when I got Martha Stewart’s new decorative paint that works on multi surfaces, including glass, I thought I’d give painting wine goblets one more try.

And I’m so glad I did.

Day 21: How to Paint Cattails

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! It’s Day 21 of my 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects. Phew! If I ever say I’m gonna do 31 days of blogging – with paint projects – again, somebody stop me! {name that movie}

To be honest, I never dreamed (dreamt?) I’d still be working on Fall stuff on Day 21. But here I am – with cattails.

Simple. Really, really simple. But I love ‘em.

Day 20: Paint a Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty)

2011-10-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

Hello! We’re almost ready to paint our fall fruit centerpiece, but we need something to put the fruit in! So here’s a simple cornucopia tutorial for ya.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of cornucopia (I’m not), this will be fun because you’ll see how to make something appear rounded just by shading and highlighting.

Oh! Another thing . . . I used paint colors that we’ll be using in the other fruit and leaves – trying to keep the paint purchases down to a minimum. Yeah, I can’t stand some paint projects that require more of an investment than if you just bought something readymade!

Paint Colors (all by Plaid, as usual)

Burnt Umber (dark brown)
Antique Gold (deep yellow)
Lemonade (light yellow)
Raw Sienna (caramel brown)

Day 19: Paint Simple Pomegranates (video)

2011-10-19T18:53:00.001-07:00

Yes, I’m late again. Still. Whatever. It’s still October 19 and so, technically, I’m still on track with my 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects. Technically, ok?

I absolutely adore pomegranates. I like to eat them, paint them, or even set them around for decorating. Maybe with a little gold rub ‘n buff on for good measure.

For this tutorial I just made a video.

How to paint Simple Pomegranates

That’s because I’ve been busy working on the tutorial for a Fall or Thanksgiving Cornucopia.

Day 18: How To Paint Pears (video)

2011-10-18T20:32:00.001-07:00

Hi! How are ya? This was one of ‘those’ days for me. You know the kind I mean . . . where you’d like to throw something, anything, (namely the computer) across the room or out the window.

But I didn’t.

Because if I had, I would’ve lost this video I made on how to paint pears. Not to mention, been unable to write this little tutorial for you.

How To Paint Pears

Let me just say, if you ever get ~~annoyed angry exasperated~~ frustrated when you’re painting, let me know. I totally understand.

Day 17–Harvest Fruit Roundup

2011-10-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

Hello! Hope you had a great weekend. Now that I’m on the back-end of the 31 Day blogging challenge, I’m gearing up for Christmas. But I want to sneak in a few Thanksgiving – or just Fall – paint projects too.

One of the most iconic Thanksgiving images is the cornucopia. You know – the horn of plenty, filled to the brim with harvested goodness. Do you use a cornucopia on your Thanksgiving table?

Not me. I did more than my fair share of cornucopias when I was a floral designer for a craft store. Every year we’d get cases of them and every year my boss would say make something cute so we can move these and every year I’d have the same response.

Blech.

Cornucopias are just not my favorite thing to make. Stuff a bunch of fruit, maybe a few flowers, a couple fall leaves and call it . . . design? I don’t think so.

But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like a cornucopia, say, painted on a table runner. With some napkins to match. Or maybe a floorcloth? Maybe.

Day 16 – Halloween Crafts for Kids

2011-10-16T09:08:00.001-07:00

AllFreeCrafts

Kids. Halloween. Crafts. Nothing could be more natural. Right?

Unless you’re a 34 y.o. career woman without kids. That was me a few years ago. Ok, 20 years ago – but who’s counting?

Here’s the deal – I had never been around kids. I meet the man-of-my-dreams. He has 3 sons. I couldn’t have kids of my own. Perfect fit!

AllFreeCrafts

Having never been a parent, I assumed ‘parenting’ meant crafting around the table, laughter, love, and all the other warm fuzzies I saw on the Hallmark commercials.

Day 15 – Christmas Crafts with Epsom Salts

2011-10-15T08:44:00.001-07:00

Hello! How are you today? I want to give a huge Welcome to all of our new readers! Wow – a couple of nice features yesterday at Knock Off Décor and Craft Gossip and we had a record-breaking day at this l’il ol’ paint blog.

If you’re a crafter/artist type, you might want to check out this article I wrote at Crafterminds. I listed over 20 sites where you can submit your craft projects. Go ahead and share your great stuff with Blogland! Then maybe you’ll ride the same ‘high’ I’m riding!

I get to spend the weekend with Grandson – which means tons of kiddo craft projects. But it also means Gramma doesn’t get any ~~work~~ painting done either. But I thought I’d share some ideas from my To-Do list.

cleverlyinspired.blogspot.com via Pinterest

It's Time For Spring!

2011-10-14T22:01:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

No, I haven't totally lost it, as I sit here painting Thanksgiving & Christmas projects - I just found this awesome website - Dig Drop Done!

And now I'm inspired to plant some bulbs for some beautiful Spring flowers. I've never been much of a gardener . . . in fact I can totally relate to Evelyn - The Empty Nester with her 'somewhat sufficient' grown kids. Yep, I'm ready to explore a little gardening now.

I'm thinking bulbs are definitely the way to go, especially for a beginner. Dig Drop Done makes it sound really simple and October is the time to drop some bulbs!

But here's the thing I'm most excited about -Dig.Drop.Done is giving away a $5000 yard makeover at Curbside Chaos. Hello? $5000! Along with Taniya Nayak to help. You know Taniya from HGTV and all of her awesome makeovers, right?

Here's all you have to do - just visit Curbside Chaos and upload a pic of your needing-some-help yard. That's it! Easy-peasy.

I'd show you a pic of my yard but then you wouldn't enter because you'd feel all sorry for me because my yard is so pitiful and then you wouldn't enter because you'd know my yard is sure to win. But you have to enter!!!

Here's why - after you enter you'll want to tweet about it, right? And for every tweet about the contest, Dig.Drop.Done is donated $1 to Rebuilding Together - the nation's largest nonprofit - working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities.

How cool is that? Upload a pic to win a $5000 yard makeover and tweet about it and you'll be helping some much needed communities too!

visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more right now to learn about planting bulbs and this Spring you can have some pretty flowers in my garden too!

What are your favorite Spring flowers? Do you have any tips for planting bulbs you'd like to share?

Day 13 – How To Paint Grapes (Video!!!)

2011-10-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hey! How are ya? I’m so glad you stopped by today, of all days, because I’m posting my very, very first painting video. (aaack!!!)

I could give you a ton of disclaimers [the editing is rough, my head is in the way, my voice doesn’t really sound like that] but I won’t {ha!}. The main thing is, I DID IT! I actually shot it and edited it! All by my little lonesome with only one phone call to the Hubs.

How To Paint Grapes by Colleen with Murals & More

Day 13: Paint Some Spooky Eyes

2011-10-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

Hey! How are ya? Thanks for dropping by today. It’s Day 13 of my 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects and the last Halloween paint project. Unless you just like creepy decorations in your house year ‘round.

I’m not one to judge.

If you missed any, here are the Halloween paint projects:

Today’s Spooky Eyes are so easy I just wrote the tips in parentheses for ya.

I got the Spooky Eyes on a Mirror idea from Martha Stewart’s website. I’m a huge fan of Martha Stewart now. That may seem like I haven’t always been a fan of hers, which isn’t totally accurate.

via Martha Stewart

Day 12–Three Black Cats

2011-10-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

This paint project is so simple that it doesn’t even really need a tutorial. Transfer the pattern, paint the background orange, paint the bats and cats black and that’s it. But I just had to do a project with black cats.

Personally, I can’t think of Halloween without thinking about black kitties. I always wanted a black kitty. Years ago, when I was single, I really, really wanted a black kitty. The man I was seeing had a stray show up on his doorstep. After checking all over his neighborhood, unable to find an owner, he brought the cat over to me.

She was a gorgeous cat. A calico, but primarily black. We took her to the vet to have her vaccinated and get checked out. She was in great health. In fact, so great that she delivered 3 kittens a couple months later. It was too early to tell on her vet visit.

Thus began my ‘cat-lady’ days.

31 Days of Easy Paint Projects: Day 11–Stencil Glass Vase

2011-10-11T10:16:00.001-07:00

Hello! How is everyone today? I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone’s support of this 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects – dropping by, leaving sweet comments here and at The Hive (hi Deb!), and even pinning some the projects!

I’m winding down on the Halloween projects, looking towards Christmas and while I wanted something else to go with the spooky runner and burlap candles, I didn’t want it to be completely creepy.

A Dollar Store glass vase called out to me . . . “Paint me! Paint me!” What – you don’t hear inanimate objects talking to you? Huh. Aren’t you the strange one. {!}

I figured I might get some double duty out of the vase and I’ve been wanting to try Martha’s adhesive stencils too.

31 Days of Easy Paint Projects: Day 10–Burlap Candle Wraps

2011-10-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

Hello! And welcome! If this is your first time here I’m on the 10th day of a 31 Day blogging challenge – Easy Holiday Paint Projects. Today is October 10th . . . still – so I’m posting my 10th paint project.

I’m gonna make it short and sweet because I’ve gotta get started on tomorrow’s post so you have it before . . . well, before October 11th is more than half over.

This project is super simple. Kind of a last-minute-thought kinda thing you can whip up if you need a little something extra for a candle or two. And I did. After the Spooky Burlap Runner there by itself on the table for a few days, I knew I needed more decoration than the plain ivory candles.

31 Days of Easy Holiday Painting: Day 9–White Pumpkins

2011-10-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

How’s your weekend going? Are you already for Fall & Halloween? I have a couple more Halloween paint projects lined up for next week. This blog is the only reason I’m getting any decorating done at all! Not to mention some cleaning in the process. (Funny how dust bunnies line up to be in photos!)

I’m spending my entire weekend painting (shock) but not on any Fall or Halloween projects. So today I want to share some of my favorite paint projects from Pinterest.

countryliving via Pinterest

Have you noticed the whole black & white trend this year? I gotta admit, it took me a while. In fact, I didn’t think I really was into black & white for Halloween and then I found myself painting a runner with only black paint and spray painting some dollar store pumpkins white.

31 Days of Easy Paint Projects: Day 8 – Spooky Burlap Runner

2011-10-07T20:52:00.001-07:00

I might be a little late jumping on the ‘burlap train’ but you gotta admit, I’m jumping with both feet! First there was the stenciled burlap runner. Then came the burlap fall leaf mantel scarf.

I really thought I was done with burlap for a while. Until I saw this on Pinterest . . .

31 Days of Easy Paint Projects: Day 6 - Spiderwebs

2011-10-06T08:57:00.001-07:00

How are you doing today? Do you have all your Halloween decorating done? Or are you just getting’ started, like me? Either way, I have a super quick ‘n easy post for you that may, or may not, involve painting.

You see, I’m having another one of those “what was I thinking?!?” moments. I’ve been visiting some of the other ‘31 Dayers’ and really enjoying their posts. But I had to wonder what in the heck I was thinking, committing to not only write 31 posts, but to paint 31 projects as well.

So today I’m playing catch-up and posting this spiderweb tutorial from last year. You can use a paint pen, a liner brush, or just a plain ol’ Sharpie pen. It all depends on what you’re putting the web on.

31 Days of Easy Paint Projects: Day 5–A Simple Owl

2011-10-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are at Day 5 of the 31 Day Blogging Challenge. And here I am, nearly a whole day late. Again.

I was almost ready last night. I had the owl painted. All I needed to do was Photoshop him and then write a little post. I mean, how complicated can a post on a 3-color painted owl be? Not very.

But then NCIS came on. It’s the new season, you know. And after that was NCIS Los Angeles – which I’m starting to like better than NCIS. Almost.

And then it was 9:00 and by that time my mind is mush and there’s no tellin’ what’ll ~~come out of my mouth fingers~~ get posted. So I set the alarm to get up early and write.

But I didn’t. Get up early or write. It was all stormy and cold and it just felt too good to get up at 6 a.m. to write about a simple owl. But after aerobics class I did manage to Photoshop the pics. A whole 11 pics! And then I was gonna write right after lunch.

I mean, All My Children is off the air so I no longer have that as an excuse. But there is another reason why I couldn’t write.

Make a Tealight Shade–31 Easy Holiday Paint Projects

2011-10-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

How are ya today? This 4th day of a 31 day blog challenge. It is now 3:37 pm PST, which means it’s 6:37 for those of you on the east coast. But, hey, it’s still Tuesday so I’m still not ‘technically’ late for the 4th day. Right?

(It is a challenge, after all. If it was supposed to be easy, the Nester would’ve called it a party!)

Today I made a tealight lampshade to share with you – and I do mean made it today. It’s that simple. And fast. It combines these tutorials:

So if you have the paint from those projects, you only need a couple more things:

a wine goblet
a tealight
glue (I used Elmer’s)
two clothespins
a fine tip Black Sharpie (optional)
ribbon or raffia (optional)

I got my goblet and tealight from the Dollar Store and the rest I had on hand.

How To Paint a Spooky Tree – 31 Days of Holiday Paint Projects

2011-10-03T07:54:00.001-07:00

Can you remember how fun it was to paint and color when you were a child? For a lot of us, painting a house with a tree next to it was simple. Easy. Fun!

I’m convinced that somewhere along the line the Evil Fairy comes along and bops kids on their heads. Like, between age 9 & 12.

How else can you explain something so fun – like painting trees – turning into something filled with self-doubt, criticism and judgment?

I’ve been told I have a hard head, which explains why I don’t have this problem. At least when it comes to ‘painting trees’.

So I’ve decided to right this wrong done by the Evil Fairy of Bad Thoughts and show you how easy, and fun, it is to paint a tree.

Paint a Haunted House – 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects

2011-10-01T22:24:00.001-07:00

This is the second tutorial in 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects. Today we’re painting Haunted Houses. If you’ve ever said “I can’t even draw a stick figure” this paint tutorial is perfect for you.

In fact, the more crooked, wavy, and ‘off’ the lines are, the ~~better~~ spookier your house will look!

I mentioned in the Bat & Harvest Moon tutorial that we’ll put these Halloween images all together in one paint project in a few days – a tealight lampshade.

We might even paint another project or two, (maybe a burlap table runner?) so take a look at how simple these houses are to paint.

Easy Holiday Paint Projects – Day 1

2011-09-30T21:34:00.001-07:00

Hello! Welcome to Day 1 of 31 Days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects! It is 8:30 p.m. and I am just now writing my post for tomorrow – the first of 31 consecutive posts.

Something tells me this is gonna be a little more challenging than I thought.

But it is a ‘challenge’, and I’m not the only one in it. I’m joining a great group of bloggers over at The Nester. I hope you take a few minutes to check out some of their 31 Day posts too.

Now, even though I’m a little late in posting tonight, I do have a 31 day calendar of paint projects ~~scheduled~~ ~~outlined~~ penciled in. Here’s the way it’ll work – each day there will be a paint tutorial. Some will be quick, some not-so-quick. Some tutorials will be a part of a larger tutorial that will follow.

Like the Bat & Harvest Moon today. This tutorial and the tutorials for the next few days will all come together for a tea light lampshade -

Easy Holiday Paint Projects – Thirty One of Them

2011-09-29T20:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read that right – 31 days of Easy Holiday Paint Projects. Each one created and written by Yours Truly. One a day for the entire month of October.

I’ve never painted every.single.day for a month.

I’ve never written every.single.day for a month.

So, why now? Why would I commit to such a daunting undertaking when I might wind up actually being committed myself by October 15? Well, blame it on the Nester. She and 7 other bloggers have opened up this 31 day challenge to all bloggers.

How To Make A Fall Floral Wreath

2011-09-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

I wrote this post a while back but the floral design tutorial is pretty comprehensive so I wanted to share it again this year.

Many, many moons ago I owned a flower shop. Note I didn’t say I was a ‘florist’. That skill set didn’t come until years later. Let me explain.

First Husband wanted to own a business. He thought there was a lot of profit in flowers. He thought his wife was very creative. He thought ‘we’ could successfully run a flower shop.

He was a BIG thinker.

And he was wrong. On so many levels, Lord, he was wrong.

However, we did open a flower shop. I did learn how to arrange flowers. We did book multiple weddings each weekend. And we did manage to survive for a couple of years.

Then we went belly-up.

I never wanted to see a flower again. Or so I thought.

How To Use Scarves for Home Decor

2011-09-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have something fun and different for you today – no paint! But if you’re like me and love beautiful scarves, I think you’ll enjoy all the great ideas Stacie offers using scarves in home decorating. Please welcome Stacie from Scarves.net!

Hello! I am Stacie, and I am so excited to be posting for Colleen today. I am a new writer for Scarves.net and I have a few tips to share on how you can use scarves for home decor. :) And if you saw Colleen's post on how to make a burlap mantel scarf, you know she shares my love for using scarves as decorations.

When it comes to decorating, I’ve always been resourceful. I used a pair of deer antlers as a necklace rack. I stacked suitcases to hold all the things I don’t use very often. But one of my favorite things to upcycle and reuse are scarves.

Scarves are so appealing to me mostly because of their prints—a lot of times they are little works of art. By thinking outside of that *ahem, scarf box, you can turn your unused accessories into an eye-popping piece of home décor.

5 Creative Ways to Use Your Scarves to Decorate Your Home
1. Make bunting banner from old scarves. Next time you have a party, make your home a bit more festive and hang the banner from two corners of a room.

Photo Source

Decorating The Mantel For Fall

2011-09-26T19:36:00.001-07:00

I’m going to start this post with a disclaimer – this is my mother’s house, my mother’s mantel. Not mine.

So why do I feel it necessary to state this disclaimer, you might ask. Well, because there are pros and cons when decorating for your mother.

Con #1 – She wanted me to keep this painting up above the fireplace.

Now, granted, I’m the one who painted it years ago so I should be flattered.

Fall Leaf Burlap Mantel Scarf

2011-09-25T20:41:00.001-07:00

I don’t know what it is about Fall, but it tends to bring out the ‘crafter’ in me. And that’s a little scary because while I’m comfortable painting and creating art, I’m totally uncomfortable crafting and attempting to create cuteness.

But every year ‘round this time, I give it another try. This year was no exception, especially with some deliciously cool temps.

sparklepantsgirl via Pinterest

Ever since I saw these burlap leaf placemats on Pinterest, I knew I had to give them a whirl and make . . . . something. The placemats are darling but I know myself – I’d make one and get ~~distracted~~ tired and the rest would wind up in one of the piles in my craft abyss.

Then I remembered that Layla is hosting a Fall Mantel party at The Lettered Cottage this Tuesday. Against my better judgment, I thought I’d try and make a burlap mantel scarf.

Santa’s Weekend Workshop–Decorating Candles

2011-09-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

Hey – how are ya this weekend? According to the weather peeps, our temps are supposed to drop from triple digits down to the 80’s this weekend. For at least a day or two. I’m hoping to get a lot of decorating projects going while it’s cooler.

Notice I said “going” – not necessarily “finished”.

While the temps are dipping, it’s either drag out all my fall stuff or blow the spiky oak leaves off the driveway.

Hard choice? Not so much.

Or I could always just hang out on Pinterest a while and get more inspiration, like ways to decorate candles. I always have candles around. Don’t you? And I think they’d make awesome gifts. ‘Specially if they’ve got a little decoration on ‘em.

How To Paint Jewels

2011-09-21T21:29:00.001-07:00

Hi. How are ya? Has the Fall weather hit where you live yet? Well we had about two days of below 90 degrees. Just enough to tease me, to make me think of cool evenings, light jackets, sleeping with covers again.

And then, Wham! 98 degrees and higher. I blame this tutorial on the heat. If the temperature goes above 90, strange things happen to me.

Like painting a crown with ‘faux’ jewels on it. I mean, why on earth would anyone want to paint jewels when you can just simply glue some real fake ones on the canvas, right?

Real. Fake. Jewels. Like that?

Fall Wreaths & Garlands

2011-09-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

I’ve mentioned a few times that I used to work in a craft store. Like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, but based in California. Whenever Fall rolls around I really miss working there because I was the display/floral designer and it was my job to make all the pretties out of the brand new product rolling in every single day.

Way back when my youngest son was in 5th grade – the son who made me a gramma 4 years ago – waaay back then, we he needed some spray paint to make his sugar cube egyptian pyramid. So he we I went to Beverly’s, looked around, and thought “it might be fun to work here.”

As it happened the manager was cashiering so I asked her if they were hiring to which she said, “This is retail; we’re always hiring. What can you do?”

I looked around the huge store and, ahem, “I can sew and paint a little”. It was before I did any artsy painting – only craft stuff. And that was a rare occurrence.

“Can you do any floral design?”

Ugh. I had sworn off flowers since my earlier foray into ~~floristry~~ owning a flower shop. “Um, I used to be a florist, like, years ago.”

Decoupage or Paint Some Fall Leaves

2011-09-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

I made this decoupage and paint project when I was a guest over at Type A Decorating a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share it with you.

I like things that make life easy. Gadgets. Tools. You know how if you have the right tools, projects are so much easier? Whether it’s painting, sewing or cooking – not that I’d know much about that. I pretty much stay outta the kitchen, except to clean. I leave the rest up to Hubs. {Yes, I know I’m lucky.}

So I’m all for anything that saves time and makes life easier. Have you ever thought a DIY project would be just SO simple, but it wound up . . . well, um . . . complicated? Me, too. I guess that’s part of being a DIYer, isn’t it?

Today I wanted to share a couple of ways to make a Fall Leaf Inset for a serving tray. Since I already had some trays that I painted a dragonfly inset for, I wanted to just switch out the canvas. Only one issue – the trays are turquoise. Not your traditional Fall color.

Ideas for Decorating Baby’s Nursery

2011-09-18T19:50:00.001-07:00

I’ve got some really cool ideas for babies rooms to share today. No, they’re not baby murals that I painted. Does that seem weird? It shouldn’t. I love looking at other artists work. Not only do I get a lot of inspiration, I also get tips and techniques too. I love bloggers who share their artwork.

Like Jamie at The Creative Imperative. She painted a jungle mural for her son’s room and has great tips for painting the background. This method was new to me and you can bet I’m gonna give it a try next time I get to paint a wall mural.

Santa’s Weekend Workshop–Serving Trays

2011-09-17T08:25:00.001-07:00

How are ya this weekend? Has the weather cooled down a bit like it has here? It makes thinking about the holidays a whole lot more, well, easy. I was so busy painting the baby girl wall hanging and the witch I haven’t started on any Christmas painting tutorials yet {other than in my mind}.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about handmade gifts. Did you catch that? ‘Thinking’. Usually I ‘think’ right up ‘til the week before Christmas and then scramble to throw some paint on something.

Maybe this year will be the year I’ll break the cycle and be on top of things. Then again, maybe not.

I’ll still share some gift ideas with you just in case you’re one of those people – the kind that has all their presents wrapped by December 1. It’s okay. We can still be friends if you’re one of those people.

Just don’t be surprised if you get a serving tray from me. I think tray will be the gift du jour for this year. {How do you say ‘of the year’ in French? Four years of h.s. French and I have absolutely no idea.}

Reverse Stenciling

2011-09-15T20:04:00.001-07:00

Every so often I come across sheer awesomeness. I mean, between blog link parties and Pinterest, there’s a ton of cool stuff, isn’t there? But when I saw this dresser that was reverse stenciled, I went a little nuts. Ok, a little more nuts.

I came across the dresser on Better After, which is fun and awesome in it’s own right, due to Lindsey’s writing. Then I had to click over to Musings, Flor’s Blog on Design, to read how they took a dresser from Craigslist, slapped on a decal, painted over it, and then removed it to reveal . . . sheer awesomeness!

Now, I’d done a little reverse stenciling – mainly because I’ve had, um, issues with regular stencils. Sure, it’s one thing to do a lampshade, or a canvas, but it’s another thing altogether to tackle furniture.

Paint An Easy Halloween Witch–(The Long Version)

2011-09-15T08:53:00.001-07:00

This is a super easy painting tutorial for Halloween. Truly, it is.

Here are a few things you need to know before we get started -

There are lots of photos. Lots.
Painting instructions are written on each photo.
You don’t have to read anything but the text on the photos.
Because there are lots of photos. Lots.
The photos are grouped into sections.
If you just want to paint a witch’s hand – skip to that section.
If you just want to paint a witch’s boot – skip to that section.
There’s no witch hat because then we’d have to do a witch face.
We’ll do a witch face later. Maybe.
I lied when I said I was gonna make my posts shorter with less words and fewer photos.
There are lots of photos. Lots.
If you think you can’t paint, look at the pic below. It’s from one of my Twitter friends who followed my Pumpkin Tutorial.

Painting Pink Roses and Purple Songbirds

2011-09-13T21:21:00.001-07:00

Pink. Purple. Soft. Sweet. Perfect colors for a baby girl’s room. Or in this case, a wall hanging for a baby girl’s room.

I was a little girl. Once. A very long time ago. And I don’t remember having a pink room. In fact, for my 8th birthday I was surprised with a bedroom makeover in colors of white and royal blue. No pink. No purple.

Where is it written that pink and purple are girl’s colors anyway? I mean, who decided that pink would be for girls and blue for boys?

I’ve never read it. It wasn’t taught in school. But somehow my grandson knew it at before he was 3.

note: this is another post-within-a-post. The painting post is in italics. The rest is just my daily rambling.

Painting Harlequin Diamonds

2011-09-12T21:02:00.001-07:00

Look, I know I talk a lot. I’ve been told that since I was a little girl and my two older brothers and two older sisters would whine, “Mom! puhleese make her shut up!”

Writing a blog, nearly daily, should provide an outlet, a vehicle, for people like me who tend to go on and on and on. And on. Shouldn’t it? But then, throw in a subject that I’m passionate about, say, painting, and I’m afraid it can get downright annoying.

I know, I know, you can always just ‘click’ and head off to somewhere else in Blogland. But I don’t want you to. I want you to at least look at all the post’s pictures if you’re not into reading my daily dribble.

The other day while I was working on the Fall Leaf project for a guest post at Type A Decorating, it hit me. Really hit me. Hard.

My posts are too dang long and I post too dang many pictures.

Now, I’m not making any promises but I’ll try, really try, at least make an attempt, to keep my posts a little more, um, manageable. So that you’re not reading a flippin’ book every time you drop by.

To keep things short-er & sweet, I’m gonna try splitting projects into sections. Which is putting me into a really, really uncomfortable place ‘cause I really, really don’t like showing paintings that aren’t finished.

But I really, really want to make this blog a place where you can learn how to paint – if that’s what you want. And that means lots and lots of pictures with accompanying tips (read: editorial).

I can’t promise, but I’ll try to keep it shorter.

Crap, I’ve already written almost 300 words and I haven’t talked about the painting.

Do you see my problem? Moving on . . .

Crafty Monday–Fall Crafts

2011-09-12T11:47:00.001-07:00

Has it hit you yet? The urge to make some Fall crafts? For some people it’s hard to think about it until the weather changes. Those are the same people that think it’s shocking to see Halloween merchandise in stores “so early”.

Then there’s the rest of us – crafters, artsy types, DIYers, bloggers. We start on seasonal projects way before the season hits, right? One ~~look at~~ session on Pinterest and you’ll know a lot of us have started Fall crafting.

I’ve got some cute and easy Fall crafting projects for you today that I found on {shock} Pinterest. It’s my newfound pastime when football games are on. Don’t get me wrong, I love football. I just pin during the commercials.

Hey! It cuts down on the snacking!

I love this Newspaper Leaf Garland I found at Dollar Store Crafts. All you need are some crayons, newspapers, twine, and leaves, of course. I haven’t jumped on the garland bandwagon yet, and this might just get me on board.

Remembering 9/11 and Appreciation

2011-09-11T09:46:00.001-07:00

I wasn’t going to write a post today. What could I say that hasn’t already been said by much more eloquent writers than me?

No, we’ll never forget. Where we were, who we were with, what we were doing as the reports came in and we watched in horror.

September 11, 2001 is a date forever etched in our memories. And while I reflect on what we were doing ten years ago today, it hit me – my grandson wasn’t even born in 2001!

Today we are celebrating his 4th birthday, albeit 10 days late. As I sit and watch his joy and enthusiasm for . . . for Life, I realize that while I’ll never forget that tragic day, I also must find appreciation.

Appreciation for those around me.

Appreciation for the blessings I receive, each and every day.

Appreciation for our great country.

I hope you’ll join me and take some time today to appreciate the blessings in your life. And remember.

Colleen

Mural Maker and More

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Day 26: Paint Fall Fruit in Cornucopia

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Day 24: Kids Crafts–Glue Resist Painting

Day 23: Painted Fall Napkins

Day 22: Painted Fall Wine Goblets

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Day 20: Paint a Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty)

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Day 18: How To Paint Pears (video)

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Day 16 – Halloween Crafts for Kids

Day 15 – Christmas Crafts with Epsom Salts