Resin Patio Furniture Makeover

We've had a resin patio set for about 15 years now.  As it sat outside, it got rained on and wind battered and too much sun and was looking really sad.  But one of those fancy-schamancy patio sets isn't really in our budget right now. 

Before

What's a girl to do?  Krylon to the rescue!  I've been wanting to try out their Fusion For Plastic, so they sent me some cans and I got to work.  Okay, I didn't get to work.  My husband did.  You see, that's how it works around here.  I come up with super great ideas and he makes them happen.  I helped a little, but he did the majority of the work.  Not that it was hard.  We just laid down some tarps, put the (recently cleaned) furniture on it and started spraying.  There was no sanding or priming or anything.  Our table and four chairs took just under 6 cans of spray paint and one afternoon.  We used the Red Pepper color because our yard is primarily green, with a few purple flowers and I thought it needed a little pop of bright color.

After

Of course, after it was all over, I felt I needed to add a little extra something, so I stenciled some floral motifs onto the backs of the chairs. 

I can't tell you how in love I am with how it all came out.  My dad came by just after we did it and asked where we bought those nice, new chairs.  Which is a big deal, because if you know my dad, you know he's not usually the most observant person you ever met.

To celebrate the new look, I whipped up a new tablecloth for the table.  A simple square of red & white checked gingham, some depression lace embroidery and a little ric-rac and I'm ready for many warm summer night dinners on the patio.

Material Connection Disclosure:  I received free product from Krylon for the purpose of doing this project. 

Buttons Galore and More

I'm proud to announce that I'm on the design team for Buttons Galore and More.  My first tutorial went up on their blog today.  Could you hop over and give me a little love?  I created some cute mini button art.  It would make a great gift for Mother's Day.  (Don't worry it's super quick to make, so you still have time!)  Just click here to get the full story.

Pinwheel Hair Clips

I've neglected my Etsy Shop for some time now and I'm determined to fix it.  I recently read an article from Etsy about how having plenty of inventory in your shop helps increase sales.  Makes sense.  The more people have to choose from, the better, right?  As summer comes along, I'm looking forward to having more time to craft and will hopefully come up with some great stuff to put in the shop.

My first endeavour to this end, was to create some really cute hair accessories for little girls.  I had a bunch of felt flowers around, some yo yos and the desire to create some pinwheel hair clips.  The pinwheels turned out to be my favorite in the bunch.  Looking at them makes me think of my childhood summers in Ohio.  The heat, shorts and halters, and long hair in ponytails and short bangs that would curl up in the humidity.  We would spend a week with my grandparents during the summer and we would live in our swimsuits.  My grandparents would set-up tents for us by hanging a clothesline between trees and throwing a sheet over it.  There were always shiny pinwheels too.  One of those frivolous items you could always depend on grandparents to buy you...even when your parents said "no".

To that end, I introduce my Pinwheel Hair Clips.  Visit my shop and take a peek at all the hair goodies I've been making.

A room with a view

Sometimes you don't think about how much a good view can change your mood.  I live in a house, in South Orange County.  My yard is the size of a postage stamp.  Although we've tried to make it a very nice outdoor space, just past the fences lie my neighbors homes, towering over our yard, only allowing for a patch of sky to peek through. 

Yesterday, we went to my parent's house to celebrate Easter.  It was an unusually overcast day for Southern California and there were dark clouds hanging in the sky for most of the day.  At some point during our visit, I snuck outside, away from the chaos of my large family and sat on the porch swing.  There was a cool breeze and I watched the large, grey clouds blow across the sky.  I had my parent's dog as my companion for awhile and we sat and quietly looked.  Something I can't really do in my tight, little suburban yard. 

It makes a girl wish for wide, open spaces.  Hoping your Easter was fine and that you were able to get a change of view too. 

Dyeing Easter Eggs

I've been a busy bunny, getting ready for Easter around here, but I wanted to take a moment and share a great tip I read about in an old issue of   Family Fun Magazine.  When dying your Easter eggs with small children, place the hard-boiled egg into the center of a whisk and let them dunk the eggs that way.  No more eggs rolling everywhere, splashing into the dye and cracking.  Brilliant, no?

And after Easter, don't forget to stock-up on those egg dye kits!  I use them to dye paper, little muslin scraps, even embroidery floss.  You can get them for pennies after the holidays! 

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Washcloth Cupcakes

What I've been up to lately:

Reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)
If you love British domestic novels, good writing, and a sweet love story this book is for you!

Listening: Bright Morning Stars
I love to cook to this album. Especially on cold, rainy days.

Watching DVDs: Spirited Away
Amazing family movie. Studio Ghibli is where the guys from Pixar get their inspiration.

Watching Online: The latest episode of Where Creativity Knocks.
Washcloth cupcakes. This episode was filmed at my house, in my kitchen. And the host, Ana Araujo, is wearing one of my cupcake aprons!

Watching TV: Upstairs Downstairs
PBS's new version.  I guess I'm on a British kick. Doing lots of embroidery while I watch.  It just seems like the right thing to do.

Looking over this list, I think I just might be doing too "watching". Might need to change that up! What have you been up to lately?

Decorating an Easter Tree

 

A long time ago, I got an Easter Tree and a couple of small ornaments.  The idea was cute enough, but it seemed so sparse.  I stopped putting it up for Easter because it left me so uninspired.  Here's how it looked:

See what I mean?  If Charlie Brown had an Easter tree, this would be it.  Every year, I vow to fix it up and every year, I run out of time.  This year is different.  Since the Designer Blog Connection's theme this month is Spring, I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone-get my tree project done AND have a nice project to show you today.  So are you ready? Here it is, the updated version of my Easter Tree!  What a difference a little creativity and time makes!

I ripped-off the ugly wood block that served as a stand for the tree before and put the tree in a bright pot I picked up for less than $3.  Then I cut some leaves out of scraps of green felt and started gluing.  I cut felted balls in half and used them for flower buds.  I added back my ornaments and tied gingham and pink ribbons onto the branches.  Now my little tree is bright and cheerful and definitely a symbol of Spring. 

To see what my fellow designer pals did for their Spring theme, just click forward on the button below and you will be taken to the next blog in the ring.  Happy Hopping!

[ DC Connection ]


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Glove Bunny Tutorial

Last month, the cast and crew of When Creativity Knocks came to my house to film an episode with my daughter and I. While they were here, they filmed a few other episodes and I got to sit-in with Ana Araujo as she filmed some fantastic projects. One of the episodes they filmed at my house went up today. It shows you how to make a plush bunny from a glove! (That Ana is crafty I tell ya.) Tune in to get the tutorial, see me ask scintillating questions, and take a look at my kitchen (it's in the background of the episode.

Before she left, Ana gave my daughter the sample Glove Bunny. Needless to say it was a hit. In fact, my daughter loved it and Ana so much, she asked me if Ana couldn't stay overnight. Now that's a fan!

Boiled Eggs and Soldiers

Today is my Grandmother's birthday!  I made her a custom Apron Merit Badge in homage to one of my favorite childhood memories.  Whenever we spent the night at her house she always served us our favorite breakfast, soft boiled eggs with buttery toast strips to dunk into the creamy yolks.  We called it "Egg in an Egg Cup", but I've also heard it called Boiled Eggs and Soliders.  Her eggs always came out perfectly.  She served them in egg cups that were brown, with a white band and a small design on them. 

The other morning, my husband attempted to make soft-boiled eggs for my daughter.  He overcooked the eggs and they were really just hard-boiled.  It made me realize that it takes real talent to make a great soft-boiled egg and my grandmother really had the touch.  So she will be honored today, on her 82nd birthday, with an Apron Badge for that special talent.  I want her to know how dear those childhood morning at her house were for me and my siblings.  Happy Birthday Grandma!  Will you make me an "Egg in an Egg Cup"?

Spring Break

Spring has sprung in Southern California.  Time to break-out the lemonade, drinking straws, bathing suits and the water table.