Happy Labor Day

Wishing you all a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

The Artist Behind The Etsy will return next week.

Flea Market Crown Finds

Last week I took a morning off of work and went to a farmer’s market/flea market with my daughter and granddaughter in Indiana.  It sounds far when you mention another state like that, but where we live in Ohio we are actually not that far.  It was about an hour and few minutes drive. 

I didn’t wind up with any fruits, vegetables or flowers.  Nor did I find any transferware, outdoor statuary or other home décor related items.  What I did find was at a table of jewelry, where I don’t normally look.

These crown pins caught my eye and came home with me. 

Whether I keep them for myself or incorporate them into a project, well, we’ll just have to wait and see. 

For now I have stuck them onto my mannequin with a few other pins I had in my stash.  If nothing else, it keeps them out where I can see them.

I had also taken a crown that I had sitting on top of some books in another room and put that on my mannequin, too.  Copying these that I saw on Pinterest.

Source

Source

Source

Eh, it gives her something to do while she’s standing there!

The Design Book Library posts will return next week!

Easy Pillow Update

Looking to give some kind of jump start to the creativity battery in my head, I found a very easy sewing project on Pinterest that gives immediate satisfaction.  Kristy from Starfish Cottage did this as her first sewing project and I just think the idea of it is genius!  I decided to do this pillow wrap or sleeve on a black and white pillow I have on our living room sofa.  This is its everyday look.

I just used some scrap Osnaberg I had and measured it around the pillow for length and width.  Since I decided to do a Halloween one first, I ironed on the image {from Confessions of a Plate Addict} first.  

Then I sewed the side seams and added the orange pleated ribbon trim.

I then wrapped it around the pillow the wrong way round and pinned the opening ends together, then slid it off the pillow.  I sewed that closed, turned it right side out, and then just put it back on the pillow!

Done! It took me maybe an hour, because I had to reload my bobbin and I changed out to black thread to add some contrast on the ribbon.

You could do this for your pillows using patterned fabrics to reflect the seasons/holidays {like Kristy did} or use iron-on images on a plain fabric, like I did here.  I think it’s a great idea and plan on doing more!

Linking up with

Inspire Me Tuesdays at A Stroll Thru Life

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Sizzle Into Summer at DIY by Design

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

 

The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ For All Seasons

Being a part of the Etsy community, not only as a seller but as a customer, I have come across many talented individuals.  With this series, I hope to introduce you to some of these creative people, finding out where they find their inspiration, and a little bit more about them.

Good Sunday morning, Friends!  This week I’d like to introduce you to Rachel from For All Seasons.  While Rachel offers many items to decorate your home “for all seasons” and every day, I think you will agree that her Fall and Halloween items will make you eager to start decorating for both! 

I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 36 years. I have two adult children and two adorable grandsons that I have the absolute pleasure of watching 5 days a week while mom and dad work. 

 

I grew up in Southern Utah and moved to Las Vegas in 1988. I have always loved crafting and in 1997 started a very small business in Las Vegas NV," For All Seasons".

I was busy doing craft show when one of my friends told me about Etsy. I took her advice and started up my Etsy shop in May of 2009.  I started my shop with just the metal on wood plaques. It quickly grew to include fabric garlands and repurposed frame chalk boards.  

My absolute favorite thing to make are the wreaths,swags and anything floral. I was so afraid to add them to my Etsy shop. I have had no formal training but I know what I like and use nature as my inspiration.  I love taking a little of this and that and ending up with a beautiful wreath.This is truly my passion.

I love getting feed back and photos from my buyers. It is so exciting to think something I have made is hanging in someone else’s home across the country. 

I have just started up my own blog with the help of my daughter. As for future plans for my shop, To improve  each and every day. Who knows the sky is the limit!

Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your Etsy story and sharing some of your beautiful creations!  You’ve got me in the mood to start my Fall decorating.  You can visit Rachel’s Etsy shop here.

A Canvas Print

Recently I had an opportunity to get a canvas print from Easy Canvas Prints.  I let my son choose a picture to have made into a canvas print, to help fill the walls at his new apartment, and he chose this one.

It’s lovely isn’t it?  It is a picture of him and his girlfriend dancing at a friend’s wedding.  I think it is a wonderful shot of them enjoying themselves and I love the look on her face.  The black and white gives it a classic and timeless look.

This canvas size is 16 x 20 and will help to fill a blank wall in his new apartment.  The black and white aspect works well with the apartment as it has black wood floors, grey walls, and white trim.  

Ordering is very simple; they take you step-by-step through the process and within no time you have your canvas print!  There are lots of sizes available and what a nice addition this would be to a gallery wall, too.  It would actually fit it quite well with my black and white gallery wall of family pictures!

Disclaimer:  I have been provided with a free canvas print for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.

Design Book Library ~ Decorating With Paint & Paper (Giveaway)

This week’s design book is Decorating With Paint and Paper and the title says it all.  There are a lot of tutorials, templates, and paper samples in this book for projects to make decorative accessories for your home.

But first let’s get the winner of last week’s book announced . . .

Via random.org, the winner of the book The Perfect Country Cottage is

#5 Joan of Anything Goes Here

Congratulations, Joan!  I will be in touch for your mailing address.

This week’s book has lots of great ideas for those of you who are interested in painting and decoupaging your own décor accessories.  There are lots of detailed instructions

some templates

and lots of pretty pictures of the finished projects in room settings.  I wasn’t able to get pictures of them, but there are papers in the back of the book for decoupaging projects.

As with the last book giveaway, to enter for a chance to win, please state that you would like to be entered to win in your comment.  Not everyone who comments will want the book, so if you don’t say that you want it, I am not going to count your comment in the giveaway.

The giveaway will be open to residents of the U.S. (because I’m paying for shipping).  I will keep the giveaway open until Wednesday, September 3rd, and will announce the winner in next week’s Design Book Library post.  At that time, I will have another book I share that will also be up for a giveaway.