Insta-Bunting

Hi there! I found another way to turn an old book from blah to TADA!

I turned the pages into a bunting:

Over the weekend, I taught a craft class (we made Easter t-shirts). I thought it would be fun to decorate my work space. It not only told participants the venue, it attracted new kids and their parents to sign up for the class.  

I made this with pages from a old book, punched out hearts from construction paper, and letters that I painted on. I used baker's twine to hold them all together.

Maybe this will serve as inspiration for a sign you can use for your next event, craft fair or bake sale.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Look Ma, I'm Weaving!

Yesterday, I showed you a craft that I was working on. I'm proud to say I've finally completed it and so delighted to try it for the first time.

I learned how to weave!

I got the inspiration from the pages of the current issue of Uppercase Magazine. And lately, I've been seeing a lot of weaving projects around the web like here, here and here.

I followed this tutorial on Etsy.

I like the simplicity of materials. I didn't have to buy anything at all. Cardboard turned into a basic loom, kitchen twine, and colorful yarn from my stash...all blah to TADA!

A popsicle stick acted as my needle to weave the yarn up and under the twine.

I used my fingers to secure the loose ends and also to push the rows tightly together.

I secured my handwoven tapestry onto a twig for a more natural look. 

TADA! I can't wait to make more.

A Work in Progress

Hello there! I hope you had a restful weekend.

Today, a little peek at a craft I'm currently working on:

Can you guess what it is? If you can stop by tomorrow, I'll show you the process and the completed project. Have a happy Monday!

Books in Bloom

Hello there! Last week, I shared an idea on how to turn blah book pages into TADA! by making inexpensive art.

Along those lines, here's more inspiration:

I'm transforming an old book into a gift for a friend. To help me out, I'm using paint, an ink pad, and a rubber stamp.

I'm using the book page as my canvas.

Time to add a design.

And fill in with some color.

Then I drew a collection of flowers, added some color, and defined the flowers' edges with a fine tip pen.

Can you see what I made? It's a blooming letter B for my friend Barbara.

I put my humble artwork in a frame, ready to be wrapped and mailed to her for her new home. TADA!

Pretty Pages

Happy new week and happy new month!

Here's an idea if you're ready to spruce up your place for spring:

They're images printed on old book pages and then framed. I spotted them in a restaurant and I just had to take pictures for inspiration.

They're easy to reproduce by photocopying, sketching directly on the page, or making a collage. Tuck them into a picture frame and TADA! -- inexpensive art!

Snack Attack

Today, an easy re-purposing idea.

This is an item from the FEED for Target collaboration two years ago. I'm a big supporter of reusable products and this one fit the bill quite well. I really like the design and happy yellow print. It's light and made of BPA-free material. Plus a portion of the proceeds funded meals for undernourished children.

However, after many months of use, it started to leak. I found a wet spot inside my bag, not just once but a few other times. Yikes.

Instead of exchanging goodbyes, I decided to use it for something else...

I'm now using it to store snacks! Right now, I have chocolate sandwich wafers, but I use it for cookies, trail mix and chips, too. 

It holds a good amount, it has an air-tight seal (at least for non-liquid contents), the handle makes it easy to carry around, and it snugly fits in car's cup holder.

How's that for blah to TADA!?

Lemon Bars

This week, thoughts of YELLOW fill my mind to get me out of this frosty winter weather. Thus this project in the kitchen: 

I made a batch of lemon bars! I followed this recipe but replaced a few of the regular lemons with meyer lemons resulting in a sweeter pastry. 

I just love that final dusting of confectioner's sugar. 

 But why cut and decorate them in the traditional way when I've got these to play with?

A cookie cutter and a stencil turns an ordinary dessert from blah to TADA!

They've gone from neighborhood bakery to a patisserie level!

And serving it on a wooden board just adds to the charm. TADA!