Treasures from the Trash: A Low Bookshelf

In the past, I've written about furniture that I see on the curb like this chalkboard, these shelves, this door, this bar cart, and more shelves. If only I had room to hold them temporarily, I would have taken all of these home so I can turn them from blah to TADA!

But I found an exception with this low bookshelf:

It's not heavy, has a small footprint, and serendipitously, I do need more shelves for new books. 

I'm not a big fan of the gray sections, though.

But nothing that paint can't solve!

I covered my work space with newspaper.

And I painted the gray areas black, adding several more coats in between drying.

This salvaged shelf now looks more streamlined...TADA!

Here are a few ways I can use it at home:

via Pinterest

A bookshelf to house my growing collection and a place to display some art...TADA!

via Pinterest

A greenery shelf because plants make us happy and help purify the air...TADA!

via The Grey Edit

An accent table for the foyer...TADA!

via Pinterest

Or as a place to organize my husband's coffee-brewing accessories...TADA!

If you come across old furniture, find a way to turn them from blah to TADA! Otherwise, you can donate them to The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore or thrift store near you. Also, please subscribe here if you want to receive my newsletter. Have a good week!

DIY Die Cut Flowers

Hey everyone, so nice to see you today!

Crafty recycling is the heart of this blog and I try my best to turn what we consider "trash" from blah to TADA!

Take this empty box for example. It was once home to sticks of butter. 

The other side of the box is white cardboard. Just like scrapbook paper or card stock, this is a blank slate ideal for crafting...TADA! 

I used cling stamps, an ink pad and colored pencils to make these flowers. 

I cut them out with a sharp pair of precision scissors. They look like die-cut flowers, don't you think? No fancy machines required.

Here is how I used them:

As a finishing touch to a handmade greeting card.

To make a collage on a small brown paper bag (I'll use this to wrap a present).

To embellish a handmade notebook.

No one will know that some parts of these paper crafts were recycled! I encourage you to reuse and repurpose whenever you can. Save some cash and save the planet.

And that is how a turned food packaging from blah to TADA!

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Brown Paper Envelopes

How's it going, guys?

Over the past few months, I've been making my own envelopes. It's a challenge I put on myself: how I can turn paper that I no longer need from blah to TADA! So far, I've made envelopes using a grocery flyer, paper bags, chocolate boxes, tea sleeves, scrapbook paper and empty boxes.

Today, I'm using this brown packaging paper. They arrived inside the boxes when I ordered some items online, as cushioning so the products don't move around as much.   

To make the envelopes, I trimmed the paper to measure 7.5 inches (length) by 5.5 inches (height).

I folded the two sides of the paper so that the ends meet at the center with a little overlap. Crease at the folds. Unfold the paper and cut 1/4 inch by 2 inch strips on the bottom left and bottom right corners of the paper, leaving a tail at the center. Discard the small strips.

Fold the left and right panels so they meet at the center. Glue where the paper overlaps. Fold the tail upwards and glue this to close the bottom. We've now made a tiny paper bag...TADA!

At the top where the paper bag opens, find the center and draw a semi-circle (use a circular object like a paint bottle as a guide).

Cut the semi-circle so that it'll be easier to pull the items that you put inside.

This is a blank canvas ready to be embellished. Here's what I did:

I collaged pages from an old book, intentionally tearing the edges.

I used some cling stamps, an acrylic block, and ink pad to add another design layer. 

Here's what they look like now:

With very few materials, I transformed brown packaging paper from blah to TADA!

Use these envelopes to package crafts if you participate in craft fairs or have a shop. They can also be used for gift giving or pen pal exchanges...TADA!

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The Scary Blank Page

Hi there lovely people!

Sometimes, in the course of doing creative work, we get stuck and experience writer's block, artist's block or creator's block. 

Many times, we experience it at the very start of the project, just as we open our notebooks or sketchpads and face the very scary blank page. 

So what are we to do? Instead of lounging on the sofa flipping TV channels or walking away "to find inspiration," let's face that blank page head on and just make something.

Here are a few ideas that I hope will help:

1. Use Prompts

"Doodle-a-Day" is hosted by Rhianna Wurman, also known as @ellolovey on Instagram and Etsy. Every month, she comes up with a list of one word prompts -- one prompt for each day of the month -- to be used as inspiration for daily drawings as an art exercise. 

She suggests a color palette and she even has a version of the prompts in Spanish, French, and German. What a fun way to learn a new language!

I tried it out and my version is on a 5.5 inch x 8.5 inch sheet of watercolor paper. I made postage stamp-sized boxes for each day of the month. I made a teeny-tiny painting each day which was less intimidating than filling a full page but at the end of the month, this is what happened:

It was low commitment on a daily basis but I felt very accomplished for taking baby steps...TADA!  

2. Sketch the Mundane

Whether we doodle or create full artworks, we can always find our muse in our every day surroundings. On a rainy or frigid winter day, when going out isn't a possibility, I look for images on my computer. 

I love to paint flowers and I found this in the website of a pretty shop. 

I made a few more, fitting five little paintings in a page. It felt good after because I was able to practice light and shadow, suggestion and details.

Next time I'll try painting these subjects, too: food, tea and coffee, and people I meet everyday. 

3. Work on a limited palette

I got this idea from Lisa Congdon and Peggy Dean. There are times when too many options (ex. colors, art supplies) can be overwhelming so if we work on our limitations, it's easier to focus. 

For this painting and the one after it, I used just the color blue:

 

This is a single color but you're welcome to use up to three and see what story you can tell.

These are just a few ways I turned the blank page from blah to TADA! Let me know how YOU overcome writer's/artist's block (you may write them in the comments section).

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Petite Paintings with Faux Gold Leaf

I'm delighted to see you today!

Whether you are a new visitor or old-time friend to this blog, you know my mantra: I turn blah to TADA! I do my best to rescue things meant for the trash and give them new life so that they're useful again.

Take for example this gold foil used to wrap chocolate bars. Instinct tells us to toss it after use, but I didn't. I wiped it down with a damp towel to get rid of any chocolate residue and I let it dry.

It has so much potential for crafts, no need to buy gold paint, gold leaf, or gold paper. Don't believe me? Here's how I've used it:

I made this illuminated bookmark that is traditionally gilded with gold leaf. Instead, I cut small pieces of the gold foil and glued it in place...TADA!

I also used the gold foil to create these collage-style greeting cards and envelope. Doesn't the sheen make the cards look expensive?

Well, I thought of another way to use this gold foil chocolate wrapper.

I took out my paints, paintbrush and small canvas panel. 

I made this abstract painting which I named, "Optimism."

I glued on some pieces of gold foil which you'll see better when the painting is on an angle.

Here is another abstract painting on a small square canvas. I call it, "Clarity."

It also has flecks of gold foil. A little went a long way!

I used the blank canvas to paint my feelings: optimism and clarity. Perhaps the the gold fold acts as an exclamation point to live these feelings out loud. That's how I'm turning "blah" to "TADA!"    

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A Field Trip to Yoseka Stationery

How is it September already?

To ease into the new season (back to school, autumn, and eventually the start of the holidays), let's go on a field trip to Greenpoint, Brooklyn! There's a cute little shop there that I've visited a few times this year.

It's called Yoseka Stationery, the US branch of Yoseka originally founded in Taoyuan, Taiwan. A young, kind-hearted, stationery-obsessed couple (Neil and Daisy) opened it in 2017, "As a way of introducing Asian stationery to the US."

Just as the sign outside announces, Yoseka Stationery promises everything a stationery lover desires! 

Look! Shelves and surfaces filled with notebooks, pens, stickers, washi tape, writing paper, and really lovely office supplies. 

They also have the highly coveted Traveler's Company notebooks and accessories, as well as the Hobonichi Planners (they even celebrated Hobonichi Day recently). 

I just love the shop decor -- a nod to the analog and old school way of life.

At the center is a long table where you can test all kinds of pens and notebooks to help you narrow down your choices (or encourage the attitude, "I'll buy it all!"). If there's one form of relaxation for me, it's testing out pens and pencils! 

Just by the entrance is a table where you can try out stamps and ink pads, as well as special self-inking stamps if you're into collecting them in a notebook (like they do in Japan).

Every so often, they offer special events like a stationery swap and classes (I'll tell you about the one I attended in a future post). 

This is one of my purchases, a Leuchtturm1917, which I'm using as my bullet journal for the last quarter of 2023...TADA!

If you are ever in New York City, make Yoseka Stationery one of your stops. It will turn your day from blah to TADA! You can also check out their on-line shop and fun YouTube Channel where they talk about stationery!

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