Laundry/Craft Room Redo

There is a great little area in my laundry room that I have claimed for my crafting/sewing stuff. I was so grateful to have a spot that I don't even mind that it is hot and small in there (and sometimes noisy).
When my recent girls trip to Portland was cancelled (sob, sob) I told Travis I was still vacationing, but would be locking myself in the craft room, to paint and decorate.
I painted the room robin's egg blue. The table was our first table when we got married that I repainted. The fabric is hiding all of my clear storage which holds all of my supplies. Although in the picture it is being held up with a combination of duct tape and push pins, I have since then put it on a rod, so that it can be pushed aside for easier access. (Thanks for the brilliant idea, Shawna!)

I already had a bunch of bins that I could use on this handy shelf above the washer and dryer.

This is a shelf that my dad made for me for my dolls when I was little. It was stained oak, but I sanded and painted it and it holds a bunch of treasures from my Grandma that I have never had a place to display. The shelf isn't hung up yet, but you get the idea.

Everytime I enter the room I get excited! It is so functional and happy!

Emerald green bracelet

I wish I could get the colors more vibrant and true in the photo.

New things

visit this site for the before photo
I always want to write down some of my thoughts and things I am pondering. I don't know why I hesitate to do it on my blog, but I do. So, I thought, "I really don't think many (if any) people visit this blog, and since these thoughts are about creating, I will record them here".
I just painted my craft table red. As I was painting, I was remembering when I painted our unwanted family tree house and turned it into my sanctuary. I was probably 10 and spent the summer decorating and enjoying my little getaway. I remembered the dried paint drips and the paint where it wasn't suppose to go. It probably looked horrible.
I love makeover shows. I doesn't matter if it is cars, people, or houses. I love before and after! I have always been enthralled by re purposed furniture. I admire people who have the guts to take something ugly and hopefully make it prettier. They can make it reflect their style and compliment their space. I really want to learn how to do this.

Ideas for projects I want to try: 1. I want a sideboard. I LOVE the idea of sideboards and my family room NEEDS one. Travis found one at IKEA that is nice and would work well with all of our other IKEA furniture in that room. But I want something with character. A piece with character and sass. I don't know about whether I would paint it or stain it. I guess I will know when I find the piece. Luckily I have a very knowledgeable friend here in town that has made over lots of furniture and can help me.

2. Again with the makeover theme, I want to learn to upholster. I have some fabulous chairs that we got at D.I. (I think). They have fabulous lines and are pretty strait forward. I think that I would be able to refinish them, it is just the giant leap I have to take, to be confident enough to try. I am really terrified of killing them.

Shawna recently showed me a site that has Before and After pictures of furniture and rooms. http://www.designspongeonline.com/
The desk above is an "After" photo from a desk refinish. Look how fun and full of character! I want to be that brave.

Felt Headbands

I have been seeing these flower headbands all over the craft sites I frequent. Zoe and I were making crafts one day and she wanted to make one. We started with the gray one. I cut out the flowers and she sewed all of the little purple beads on it. I made the other two the next day. Looking at the pictures I don't really love them, but they are a start to figuring out how to make some I love.

Past LCB

Sorry this is a little behind the times, but this is what I gave the girls for the lcb back in July. Hand stained, wood-burned, and mod-podged. I also made them leaf presses so they could decorate their own stuff.

Hand made

I hope Melissa doesn't mind me posting, but I wanted to show what we made for Christmas as well. After all, Melissa did help me sew it together, and I am so grateful for her help. When it comes to sewing I am totally lost. (I'm just the concept person, I can't always execute these crazy ideas I come up with by myself.)

We made a cloth book for Ian's kids (--and since we went to all the trouble, for our own kids as well.) We bought these toys and took pictures of them in various places, doing various activities and wrote a story to go along with the pictures. The story is that the toys run away from the store to explore the outside and have adventures, but when it begins to get cold, they decide they need a home. So they get in special boxes and send themselves to two boys they know of who will take care of them and love them, and that way the toys can always be together.

This is the photo that goes on the last page, which personalized it a little for the boys. I think they enjoyed seeing themselves in a book.

We printed it on printable fabric, that works with any inkjet printer, and then sewed it all together. It's even machine washable! (You can find this stuff at Joanne's or even Walmart)

Handmade Christmas

Wooden Blocks with initials and Christmas Tree holder from Dad Sam

Each year, while growing up, we received a handmade wood toy or decoration. My father is an amazing self-taught wood worker and is one of the most creative people I know. He would come up with unique toys each year, that fit our tastes and interests. One year I got a mini baby cradle because I was into babies. The year I got my first Big Wheel (tricycle), on Christmas morning a little wooden Big Wheel was my gift. I still have these and love getting them out with other Christmas decorations.
Maybe it is because of this tradition that homemade gifts mean so much to me. This year we received some wonderful gifts that I just had to share.

Beautiful felt bags sewn by my sister-in-law, Shawna (also filled with goodies)

My brother, Stephen, made these wooden tops for all of his nieces and nephews, except the babies (17 in all!) They are beautiful and work really well! We have races to see whos goes the longest.

I love these so much! Little rolling toys for Felix. They are made only with wood. The elephants little ears are leather and the mouses tail is twine. He even told me that he didn't stain them so they would be safe for Felix to suck on-which he certainly does!