blah to TADA!

30 April 2012

More Maps

Happy Monday! Last week was all about maps and how they can be upgraded from blah to TADA! Well, I found a few more uses for maps while browsing through Pinterest.

Turn old maps into wall paper:

via Pinterest

Let's say you have a dream destination and you can't visit just yet...instead of going there, take that location right to your very own room with wall paper! With maps like these, you'll have traveled the world without leaving your bed. I think that's TADA!

27 April 2012

Map Paintings

To end our map-themed crafting week, I'll share with you a Portland-based artist named Rachel Austin. I'd introduce her to you but Rachel and I have never met. I read about her on Etsy and how she quit her day job to be a successful full-time painter. Isn't that TADA!?

via Rachel Austin

Of her work, I really adore her map paintings. They're made of old maps mounted on wood. Then she adds a waxy layer. Once the wax is dry, she draws or paints on it. Take a look:

via Rachel Austin

The drawings have a child-like quality to them. They feature everyday objects like flowers, paper planes or birds in flight.

via Rachel Austin

They're colorful, peaceful and depict a simple way of life. Almost like observing the world from a quiet place.

via Rachel Austin

Each painting is named after a location on the map.

via Rachel Austin

They are framed using recycled wood pallets that have been trimmed and sanded down {another TADA!}.

via Rachel Austin

In an interview, she says, "I love the feeling of painting a piece and feeling right after it's done (as long as I like it). It sometimes feels spiritual, like God is painting through me."

Being spiritual myself, I kinda like that.

via Rachel Austin

I hope you enjoyed these paintings and all the blah to TADA! ideas you can do with maps. Have a lovely weekend!

26 April 2012

City Charms

One of the first things I do when I vacation in a new city is to get a map. I like to explore, and while getting lost is part of the fun, losing your way all the time is not fun anymore.

After my stay, the maps find their way in my suitcase and make the trip with me back home. They're all in a plastic bin in case I need to refer back to them. And how often does that happen? Almost never! So I've turned them into crafting materials.

Being a sentimental fool is my excuse for hoarding things like maps, labels and receipts. I've decided to get rid of the maps, but not entirely.

Let me explain with this picture:

found on Etsy

Here's another one:

found on Etsy

Aren't they cute? I'll get to keep a small part of the map, wear it everyday, and it'll always remind me of my holiday.

Here is my blah to TADA! version of the map necklace:

blah: metal pendants purchased at a

jewelry supply store

TADA!: My very own map necklace!

Choose a favorite borough, town, city or country

from a map. Glue it on the pendant, finish with a

coat of Mod Podge. Add a jump ring and string

this on a chain. TADA!

Here's another one with a collection of cities I've been lucky to have visited and that have left a lasting impression on me: Rome, Paris, London and Amsterdam.

It's also a thoughtful gift for a friend -- find a city where she grew up, or where you met, or even a place she dreams of going to one day. Now I think that's TADA!

25 April 2012

Travel Diary

Thanks for stopping by today!

If you've been tuning in, the blah we're turning into a TADA! this week, are old maps. Today, I'm using them to prettify a few notebooks.

These pocket notebooks were 50 cents for a pack of two. What a steal, right? But I think the covers look quite blah. And you know what comes after that...

TADA! Notebooks that are ready to travel the world!

Simply cut the map to fit the cover and

adhere with a glue stick.

They're just the right size to fit a camera bag or jacket pocket. It's a handy tool to make lists, jot down expenses, or scribble mundane observations.

They make a nice gift too.

Make it for yourself, share it with a friend and may you have many memorable vacations!

24 April 2012

Map Notes

Thanks to vehicle navigation systems and smart phones, we feel more confident getting to a location without the need for a map. Are maps turning obsolete?

No matter, they're definitely a good item to

turn from blah to TADA!

Today, we'll turn an old map into stationery.

Here's how:

You might have maps that are large enough to cover your entire upper body. Cut this up into a manageable size.

Cut some more and attach this to one side of folded card stock or construction paper with a glue stick. TADA!, your map has assumed the identity of a note card!

Time to make the envelopes: use an old envelope as a pattern {open it up} and trace this on the map. Cut around it, fold the edges, and add some glue where necessary.

TADA! Easy envelopes!

Pair off the cards with the envelopes and use
them immediately.

Or slip them inside a berry box, add some pens and

garnish with a ribbon. Now, who would say no

to a gift like this?

23 April 2012

Marvelous Maps

I hope your weekend was fabulous!

This week, it's all about maps on my blog.

I admit to still using maps, especially when visiting a new city. They're very useful to find your way or discover a new landmark. But when you're done with them, what do you do? Turn them from blah to TADA! of course!

Here are a few talented folks who did just that and are selling them on Etsy: