Chalkboard tags Tutorial

A couple of you asked for a tutorial on how to make these chalkboard tags. It's super easy! Here you go: 1. I used white chalkboard paint to make these. Paint directly on canvas paper. The white chalkboard paint takes a lot of coats. I think black only takes three. After it dries, cut the canvas paper into rectangles of your desired size. I used a rotary cutter but you could use scissors.

2. Using old cereal boxes or any recycled cardboard, cut rectangles slightly larger than your canvas pieces.

3. Glue scrapbooking paper to your cardboard pieces and then trim the excess off.

4. Using your sewing machine, sew your canvas piece to your cardboard rectangle. I used a straight stitch, but a decorative stitch would be cute too!

5. Punch a hole through the top of all your pieces.

6. Use pretty ribbon to loop through your hole.
Organize your boxes or baskets with these tags. I think these would be really cute gifts, or accessories. There are endless possibilities.

Be sure to come back tomorrow. I am doing something...unusual.

xo, Chrissie

HOW A 50 CENT FRAME GOT ME OUT OF A CREATIVE RUT

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk".

-Thomas Edison

I love my thrifting and garage sales. I haven't been lucky though lately. In fact, I've been in a huge creative rut. But I want to tell you a story about how this 50 cent frame has gotten me going again.

I got the frame with matte and glass at a garage sale for 50 cents on Friday. It's got a little tear in the matte, but it's hardly noticeable. It was the only thing I found at all the sales I hit. I started thinking that I would make an original piece of art to put in it.

When I got home I was cleaning up some fabric scraps and I decided to play with them. I got in this blue mode and started cutting up quarter circles. I also used scraps of scrapbooking paper. I cut and glued and sewed to my hearts content for about an hour. I added the hand-embroidery that night and some beading. I ALMOST ALWAYS add words or quotes to my artwork, but somehow I couldn't to this one. I finally put it behind my upcycled frame.

My wheels were turning that night in bed. (Does anyone else have that "problem?") :)
I have a solo exhibit coming up in the fall. After making this piece I've decided to do a whole series of mixed-media pieces with spending very minimal money. Here is the criteria I've created for my new "green, recycled" series:

• The frames will have to be purchased used or given to me for free.



• All of the elements (paper, fabric, beads, thread, etc.) will have to be purchased used, given to me, or already be in my stash



• No words (gulp...) This part is a personal challenge for me


• Experiment with new recycled parts and pieces
  

(I don't know why this image is sideways, sometimes blogger gets wonky on me)
Anyway, I love how life's creative juices sneak in when we least expect it. I'll keep you updated on my new series as it progresses.

For other thrifty treasures, don't forget to check out Rhoda and others at Southern Hospitality, as well as Kimm over at Reinvented!:)

(Edited to add:) Wow! There are a lot of recycling parties out there. There's another one for your enjoyment at A Picture is Worth 1000 Words.

Flashback Friday

Hello dear friends. I can't believe this week is already almost over!
I haven't done a "Flashback Friday" in a long time, so I thought I'd share this piece with you.
I made it in 2004, which means that Ava and Jax weren't born yet. One of these days I'll open up the frame and put their names in it. It is a mixed-media piece with lots of different elements. The background was painted with watercolors, and there's also some acrylic paint using stencils and stamps. There is lots of collage, ribbon, hand embroidery using metallic thread, metal scrapbooking pieces, and more. I really loved making this piece and it is hanging in our living room.
I hope everyone has a creative Friday. I am going to the Kennedy Space Center on a field trip with third graders.
Wish me luck!:)

A room for a 9 year old boy

**Edited to add: This post is a couple of weeks old, but I couldn't pass up Thrifty Decor Chicks Goodwill Party. That woman is amazing!!
I found this desk at Goodwill last week. I know a lot of you will think that $20 was a lot to pay for this desk, but I was happy to find it. I had been looking for a couple of weeks. Amidst the renovation, we decided to split up the 4 and 9 year old. My step-son will be gone for the summer and then begins college, so it made more sense for us to utilize that room. Yes, I know I just showed you the Star Wars room. But I didn't like it. at. all.
I digress...
Anyway, here's the desk:


Two cans of black spray paint later...

As I was decorating his room, I wanted it to be a little more grown up. Something he could grow into. I also wanted him to have his own space. He has already fell in love with his desk. He has all his own "supplies", his own pencils, rulers, scissors, things he needs for school. He has different secrets stashed in the drawers, and his feather collection lives right there on top. It's a perfect desk for a boy.

It's sparse and clean and I love it. He told me he wanted a black and white room and I ran with that. I found the black curtains at a garage sale for $1. I'm not joking. They were still in the package! I bought the comforter set at Target.
I'm playing Trash to Treasure again over with Kimm at Reinvented and also Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures.
Check those both out for some great deals and projects!

Okay, we still haven't done the baseboards or closets yet, but we're getting there. Slowly, but surely...:)
Thanks for looking today. I'll have some art to show in a few days.
xo
Chrissie

Happy Monday

I've been sewing up a storm.

What have you been doing?

Any major spring cleaning going on in your house?

We are still in the middle of the renovations. My goals this week are to get all the baseboards and door trim painted and put up. I'm also trying to finish up the oldest's room.

Balance is hard, isn't it? I'm gonna try to spend a little less time on the computer this week, and a little more time playing. I've decided a need a little more of that:)

Happy Monday friends!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day from the Grace family.
xo,
Chrissie

Chalkboard Paint Party!! whoo-hoo!!

There is a chalkboard paint phenomena going on, and we're gonna celebrate! I'll show you mine, and then you show me yours:)
(updated: I'm linking up this older post to 320 Sycamore, Chalkboard ideas:) Welcome!
This is one of the first chalkboards I ever made. After I redecorated our office last year I used some leftover material from the curtains and created a scalloped border on the chalkboard below. It's very matchy-matchy!

I got this wooden plate at Old Time Pottery for $2.99. It's cute, but I wanted to do something different on it. I used chalkboard spray paint on this one, and then drilled holes in it and made the little swag on top. Now that I'm looking at it, I think a big puffy ribbon tied through the holes would be much cuter. Well, anyway...another project for another day!

I made this chalkboard for my second book, Tiles Gone Wild. It is a large piece of wood that I painted with chalkboard paint, mosaic-ed the edges with pink stained glass, used a scrabble ledger for the chalk holder, and made an inside border with bottlecaps and resin. This was a fun piece!

I already showed you this 99 cent goodwill make-over.. But if you want to see it more closely, go here.
With this one, I found this pretty pink pot at Goodwill. I thought it was a little pricey at $1.99, but it was exactly what I had been looking for. I taped it off and used the new white chalkboard paint. The jar says 2-4 coats, but it needed 8! It houses my daughter's hair bows and barrettes.

And last but not least, I used the white chalkboard paint again to make organizing tags for my daughter's bins. I have to be honest with you...white chalkboard paint is not my favorite. I think I like the classic black. But they turned out cute enough.

Now it's your turn. Show us what you got! Please do the following:

1. Link to the actual post and not just your general blog.



2. Link back to here so everyone can find the other chalkboard paint partiers.



3. Leave a comment and try to leave comments for the others too.



4. Have fun and get inspired!