String and Nails

Several years ago, the Gap had these holiday decorations in their stores:

They're made of colored string wrapped around nails to form letters. Phrases like "Joy it up" are spelled out. I thought, "What a TADA! idea." 

These can easily be replicated at home using tools and things that you already have. Chose a favorite word or phrase.

 Or just a single letter will do.

Find the DIY guide here or here.

Happy hammering!

Wrapped Initials

Before I share my craft idea today, let's remember the victims of yesterday's tragedy.

Hoping for peace and healing.

***

Letters are a playful way to decorate a space. 

Case in point:

via decor8

Spot the letter W.

via Apartment Therapy

Can you find the B?

via decor8

A collection of weathered letters and numbers.

Would you like to make your own 3-D letters?

via Dick Blick

You can follow the tutorial here.

Once done, you can add a crafty touch:

Dress them up in fabric.

Envelope them in yarn.

Or wrap them in printed paper.

Instantly blah to TADA!

Monogram Collection

Hey there friends! I hope you had a delightful weekend.

I've been seeing a lot of monogrammed items in the shops and I thought they were too cute to ignore. Let me show you a round-up, beginning with these for the home:

Jewelry Box / Decorative Plate / Tree Monogram

A few items for dining:

Cheese Board with Spreader / Mug / Coasters

And a few items to spruce up your look:

Letter jewelry / Enamel bangle / Gold necklace / Ring / Belt

I think monograms make a fun jump off point for crafting! If you want to visit me everyday this week, I'll show you some ideas that are blah to TADA!

Daffodil Crafts

All this week, daffodils served as my inspiration for a little blah to TADA! Today, let's see how other crafters used daffodils in their work.

via Etsy

Crocheted flowers

via Etsy

Beaded beauties

via Etsy

Pressed blooms to decorate a handmade candle

And in the jewelry department:

via Etsy

A perfect pendant sculpted from clay

via Etsy

This one's made from a silver spoon handle

via Etsy

And this shop specializes in turning broken ceramics into

jewelry {this daffodil is from a broken teacup}

I hope these have sparked your imagination to make your own daffodil crafts, too. Have a happy Friday!

Flowers That Never Fade

Yesterday, I painted these:

It's my humble attempt at saving my fading daffodils.

I removed all the negative space with a pair of scissors and TADA!, I have for myself a bouquet of paper flowers.

I assembled them in a pretty little vase.

And look, I'll have daffodils all year round!

Flowers for My Books

Daffodils are this week's theme. I'm crafting ways to preserve their beauty long after they've moved on to that garden in heaven.

Of course I've taken many, many pictures.

While they're at their peak...

...and even as they start to dry up.

And because I want to practice my watercolor skills, 

I've been attempting to paint them.

Here's the result of one session.

Once dry, I cut around the flower.

I'll use it as a bookmark.

Sometimes, I like to mark more than one page.

Now, who wouldn't want a book to look like that? TADA!

Hand-painted and Handwritten

Do you like having flowers in your home?

I really do! I promised myself to have flowers as often as I can {where are I live, flowers can be pricey}. They really enhance my mood -- they bid me goodbye when I leave, provide a cheerful welcome when I come home, and keep me company when I'm around.

The reality about flowers is they wither and die. 

So blah.

That's the reason I'm capturing them through watercolor. I must say, I like the daffodils when they're a little wilted at the edges...adds character.

Today's painting is a Thank You card that's travelling across the world where daffodils don't grow. I hope that my friend who receives it will fall in love with daffodils, too.