Block Printing

I hope you're having a good Friday!

This week was all about blah to TADA!

crafts inspired by this book:

If you haven't had the chance to check it out, you might want to go to the library or order yourself a copy. You'll enjoy the house tours and DIY projects that you can implement in your home to make it even more vibrant and comfortable.

Today, these are my pegs:

A block-printed duvet by Kate Pruitt; the block

print "stamp" is made from scrap cardboard

Stamped fabric curtains by Clara Klein; this

"stamp" is made of craft foam

Instead of rummaging for materials in

my craft bin, I've sought the vegetable

bin in fridge instead.

We'll use some lettuce!

We normally cut off the bottom and just throw it away.

But if you take a look, it has a pretty pattern.

Use this as the "stamp" and dip it in a shallow

puddle of paint.

Here it is on paper -- doesn't it look

like a blushing rose?

Use it as a recurring pattern on paper bags.

Now, a blah paper bag is a TADA!

A neat idea for the holidays!

Experiment with other fruits or vegetables,

as well as colors of paint.

Have a superb weekend!

Spring flowers in Autumn

E-readers and tablet computers are all the rage these days. And while I appreciate the convenience and thrill of these gadgets, I'm still drawn to books. I still like snooping around bookstores for new releases and old favorites.

As I've mentioned this week, one book that I picked up recently is Design Sponge at Home written by blogger Grace Bonney. The pages dance with things for a beautiful, but still personal and comfortable home.

I've been having a ball trying out the crafts outlined in the book. Today, I'm making something inspired by this:

Ink jet transfers on placemats, a project by Kate Pruitt

Instead of placemats, I'm putting photo

transfers on this blah canvas bag.

I picked hi-resolution photos that I took myself. I love to take photos of flowers and now that the cold months have arrived, I wanted to keep a little reminder of the coming spring, thus these pink blooms.

I printed the photos on ink jet paper.

Then I cut around the designs and planned the layout.

Then I peeled off the paper backing, positioned the design

on the bag {facing up}, covered it with overlay paper

and ironed away for several minutes

with firm pressure.

A blah bag is now TADA!

A vibrant reminder of spring as autumn fades

and winter begins.

Display Dome

Hey, hey, how are you today?

I'm gathering a few crafty ideas from this book.

Today, I'm doing a mash-up of

three different projects:

recycled cake stands by Kate Pruitt

log dome display jar by Kate Pruitt

butterfly dome by Jessica Oreck

Here's what we need:

blah: an empty glass jar

blah: a glass base for a pillar candle & a candle stick

When you put them together...

TADA!: Instant display dome!

But let's add something inside

to make it even more TADA!

blah: butterflies made with a butterfly puncher

and old magazine pages

Sandwich a piece of wire between two butterfly

cutouts using all purpose glue.

Use varying lengths of wire,

then allow these to dry.

Meanwhile, make a base for the butterflies.

Trace the mouth of the glass jar on a piece

of Styrofoam and cut around it using

a blade or X-acto knife.

Stick in the wire, making sure each

butterfly is visible.

Gingerly insert the butterflies into

the glass jar and use the Styrofoam

base as a stopper.

Put this on top of the homemade pedestal.

Secure each section of the display dome

with hot glue, super glue or putty.

TADA! It's a butterfly dome display stand!

And it's pretty in every angle!

Greening the Indoors

Design Sponge is a blog I visit regularly

and I got really excited when the book,

Design Sponge at Home, came out.

I perused it immediately and even

attended the book party!

I just had to try out the crafts in the

DIY Projects section.

One of the projects is making your own terrarium.

If you recall, I made my own TADA! terrarium

using blah jars & bottles earlier this year.

The book suggests using ferns and succulents. I have never tried planting succulents. I greatly considered them because they are fairly easy to maintain. So instead of a terrarium, I'm planting them in these ceramic pots:

I use them for growing herbs in the summer, but they're

empty & in storage the rest of the year.

So here I am, trying to grow succulents.

I'm starting off with a Jade plant that I

bought at the Union Square Farmer's Market.

TADA! Just the right amount of

green I need indoors.

Here's how I planted it:

My jade plant fresh from the market

I transferred it into my ceramic pot

Add some moisture

Then top it off with some moss and

white pebbles from Sprout Home.

I certainly hope it lasts throughout

the winter because something green

and alive helps chase the winter

blues away.

If you have any tips on growing

succulents, please send them my way.

Thanks!

My Current Read: Design Sponge at Home

Hooray and Happy Monday!

I bet many of you already know about

Design Sponge, a splendid design blog

created by Grace Bonney.

Now, the blog is already a book!

{Cue applause}

I was one of the excited fans who pre-ordered it online and tore off the plastic packaging once it arrived my doorstep.

I breathed in the scent of the freshly printed pages and soaked in all the genius ideas for the home.

And how lucky that Grace gets to have a book tour all over the US & Canada! And it's not just any old boring book tour...there are partnerships with cool stores like West Elm and Anthropologie where she does the book signing, complete with craft sessions, food & drinks and pretty vignettes/backdrops created by Poppies and Posies. Let me show you:

The New York City book signing at West Elm

A lovely vignette showcasing Design Sponge style

using West Elm furniture & accessories

Detail of the photo booth backdrop; guests could pose with

funny cut-outs of hats, glasses & mustaches and then keep

the photo as a souvenir!

The crafting session during the New Jersey book signing

Grace taught eager guests how to customize

cloth items like these napkins

Grace Bonney, signing my book

It's beautifully written and is a wonderful resource

for inspiration. It's divided into 5 sections:

Sneak Peeks is one of my favorite parts of the blog and book...

...offering house/apartment tours

{Isn't there a voyeur in each one of us?!}

DIY Basics provides tutorials on sewing and

updating furniture

Learning to make a curtain panel or slip cover

would be a cool skill to master

Fresh flowers always enliven a room and

suggestions on how to make an arrangement is

the highlight in the chapter, Flower Workshop

I really like how old vessels are

turned from blah to TADA!

with just a few blooms

Before and After reassures you that it's alright

to rescue that chair from the curb or that

frame from the trash...

...because they can be brought back to

life with paint and a new purpose

And there's also DIY Projects which is my theme

for this week. Beginning tomorrow, I'll make some

crafts inspired by the ones from the book.

See you then!