Calling All Denver Area Crafty Types!

You, yes YOU, are cordially invited to a craft night with Landee!  I'm nothing special but my amazing SIL, Shelly (who you DO want to meet, trust me) is coming to town and so we thought we'd throw a little crafty shindig!

It will be September 16th from 6pm- whenever (we are late night crafters, who isn't?).  Right now I'm planning on having it at my house but depending on how many want to come that might change.  Regardless it will be somewhere in the Parker, CO area (just south of Denver).

Want to come???

Here is a run down of the projects we will have available and the prices.  How fun would it be to crank a few of these out for Christmas gifts?  And, if you can't make it, we can mail you the supplies!  It would be like we are long-distance crafters.  Most long-distance relationships don't last, but ours will.  I promise.

10x24 and 10x12 Subway Art:  These were designed so you can have one image on one side and another on the back.  Keep it on the Family side during the year and then flip it over for holidays!  Single-sided boards are $20.  Double-sided are $30.  Just let us know which images you want.   Each Family Rules design can be made horizontal or vertical.  Board, vinyl, paint & sandpaper will be provided.  Feel free to bring your own craft paint to match your home decor better, prices will remain the same.  They will have cream vinyl lettering unless otherwise indicated.

#1: 10x24 Dream Big Subway Art (can go with #2 or #3)

cream vinyl lettering

$20 single-sided

$30 double-sided

#2 10x24 Be Thankful Subway Art (can go with #1 or #3)

cream vinyl lettering

$20 single-sided

$30 double-sided

#3 10x24 Halloween Subway Art (can go with #1 or #2)

cream vinyl lettering

$20 single-sided

$30 double-sided

#4 10x12 CUSTOM* Family Subway Art (goes with #5)

cream vinyl lettering

$10 single-sided

$15 double-sided

*you tell us the name, date and state

#5 10x12 Halloween Subway Art (goes with #4)

cream vinyl lettering

$10 single-sided

$15 double-sided

#6 10x12 Cream Halloween Subway Art (goes with #7)

black vinyl lettering

$10 single-sided

$15 double-sided

#7 10x12 Cream Christmas Subway Art (goes with #6)

red vinyl lettering

$10 single-sided

$15 double-sided

#8 Halloween Fabric Decor Balls

$1.75 each

styrofoam ball, fabric & pins provided

#9 CUSTOM* Monogram Tile

$9

*you tell us the name

tile and black vinyl design provided

(note: these are so quick, easy and cheap...perfect for some fun customized Christmas gifts, don't you think?)

Here is a "quick reference sheet" you can download/print/peruse at your leisure.

Email me at landeeseelandeedo(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in coming or have any questions.  I would love to meet you!  

Also, if you can't make it that night, we would love to put together your supplies for you, you can pick them up whenever and do them on your own time.  We could also mail the boards, vinyl, balls & fabric if you don't live around her.

Lastly, we will be having another one of these nights when I go to visit Shelly in

BOUNTIFUL, UT in October!  Keep your entire October free since we aren't sure of the date yet.  :)

Link parties I participate in: Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee, Not Just a Housewife, Someday Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane, Be Different Act Normal, Craftomaniac, Today's Creative Blog, Somewhat Simple, Flamingo Toes, Skip To My Lou, Thrifty Decor Chick

I Just Want to Make Beautiful Things

I was itching for a new printable, weren't you? :)

At the end of my post on my "fancy" canisters, I posted this:

source

I had pinned it because I loved its sentiment.  I did find it a little ironic, however,  that it wasn't that beautiful (no offense to its creator).  I really wanted to post it in my crafting area, so I gave it a little somethin-somethin.

I created it in two sizes (8x10 and 5x7) and in four different colors below if you'd like it too!  I love the canvas background I got from fuzzimo.com after seeing it on How About Orange.

Click on image to enlarge and then right click, save and print!


blue 5x7

blue 8x10

green 5x7

green 8x10 

red 5x7 

red 8x10 

yellow 5x7 

yellow 8x10

Link parties I participate in: Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee, Not Just a Housewife, Someday Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane, Be Different Act Normal, Craftomaniac, Today's Creative Blog, Somewhat Simple, Flamingo Toes, Skip To My Lou, Thrifty Decor Chick

Cupboard Makeover: Details Matter!

If you've been hanging around here for a while, you may recall that I started spiffying up the kitchen back in March.  I applied a fancy vinyl quatrefoil backsplash which got the party started in there.   Then, about two months later, I carried the new color scheme and feel of the backsplash area over into the breakfast nook and painted some fun, thick stripes which tied the two areas of the kitchen together.

So now, here it is almost three months after all that, and I'm just realizing how horrid my one glass cabinet is.  I mean, I guess I should say I realized it a while ago, but I'm just now getting around to doing something about it.

Here is what it looked like just after I applied the vinyl backsplash (before I finished the last two inches of the vinyl in this area, I guess... what the heck?).   I had put my Polish pottery pieces my MIL brought me back from Germany in there along with a hodge podge of other things.... random cake plates, other serving pieces, super attractive (sarcasm) cookbooks.

The Polish pottery was a must-go so I found another spot for it and pulled in some of my white dishes like so:

And here it has sat for the past two months. 

My problem was that I wanted to do something fun to the back of the cupboard but didn't know what.  I didn't want to paint it.  I didn't want to spend a lot of time, energy or money on anything.  I didn't want anything I did to be permanent.  Why do I give myself so many rules??

Then, last week, like the trumpets of angels, I got my inspiration!  I saw a feature (and I've looked and looked and can NOT find it now dangit!) where someone had applied fabric to the backs of her shelving using liquid starch!!  Yes!  This answered all my criteria... easy, not permanent, and cheap!

I realize some of you may have known of this ingenious trick forever but it was new to me.  If it's new to you, here is how you do it.

Supplies needed:

• Fabric of choice cut to size... cut at least one inch larger than area as fabric tends to shrink!
• Liquid starch.  That huge bottle is $3.  After looking at a couple of stores, I found it at WalYuck, go figure.
• A large bowl or bucket.

Soak fabric in enough liquid starch to saturate it all the way through.

Squeeze out excess starch and apply to back of shelving.  Smooth with hands removing wrinkles and air bubbles.  Total application time = 15 minutes.

See how it shrunk?  Shrinked?  Whatever that word is.  

"Women know about shrinkage, right?"  --George Costanza

When I realized what was happening with the shrinkage ("It shrinks?" --Elaine Benes)  I scooted it all down toward the bottom and then ended up adding another little strip along the top.  It's barely noticeable because my fabric doesn't have a pattern, but make sure you cut your fabric larger than the area so this doesn't happen to you!

After the fabric was dry (I let it dry overnight), I put the shelves back in and accessorized!

I moved my cookbooks to another location and gathered up more white dishes to put on the shelves.   I also grabbed that cute plant and container at Ikea to add into the mix.   And did you notice I finished the vinyl there?  Yay me.

A couple of mini makeovers within the makeover:

Spray painted Goodwill frame with one of my favorite pictures in it:

And I took this Goodwill find:

To this with a little spraypaint and some sandpaper:

(oh, and some fake pears)

And this is when I was once again reminded how important the details are.  I wish the above picture could really show you what a huge difference this has made... take my word for it?  

I absolutely loved this project, by the way.  Applying that fabric with liquid starch was so fun & easy!  I highly recommend it.  I actually did it TWICE... the first fabric I chose turned out HIDEOUS.  It was gray and white patterned (the last thing I need was another gray and white pattern in there) and the gray was off.  Like, way off.   Why do I tell you this?  Because, when I went to remove the gray & white fabric after it had dried completely... it peeled right off, clean as a whistle!  Perfect for renters or the non-committal types (like myself).

Link parties I participate in: Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee, Not Just a Housewife, Someday Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane, Be Different Act Normal, Craftomaniac, Today's Creative Blog, Somewhat Simple, Flamingo Toes, Skip To My Lou, Thrifty Decor Chick

Vinyl Canister Labels

I've been on a bit of a labeling kick lately.  I think it's the Back-to-School-y feel in the air that makes me want to organize the heck out of everything in sight.   That or I'm addicted to using my Silhouette machine and like to make up projects which require me to use it.  Either way, things are whipping into shape around here!

So, I was making some cookies recently and I opened up my "baking cabinet" (I say that all fancy-like but really it's just my lazy susan corner cabinet) and I wanted to cry.  Not tears of joy, mind you.  Tears of "how does one live like this?"   It was a dis. as. ter.  Certifiable.   Three or four half used bags of flour and sugar all rolled down at the top and piled on top of each other.  Spilled chocolate chips every where coming from opened and half empty bags.  A sprinkling of salt or sugar (hard to tell which without a taste test and no, I wasn't going to taste it) all over one of the shelves.    Gross.

I stopped right there and just started pulling everything out.  I should have gotten a before picture but this was one of those projects you're halfway into before you even realize what you're doing.  So I didn't.  Sorry.

Now, because I don't keep my canisters on my counter, I didn't feel the need to spend a small fortune on nice glass ones with the cute silver tops.  BUT I did want them to be cute.  Because cute makes me happy and happy is the goal.

I went to WalCrap and picked up two sets of these for about $6 each.

I then opened up the design studio for the Silhouette and got to work.  I chose a shape from the "artisan shapes set" as my main label.  

Now, the part I wanted to share is that the original shape did not have the cute little circles at the top and bottom.  It was just solid.  It seemed a little plain to me so I just added a period and increased its size until I got the look I was going for.    I'm always amazed at how the pre-made shapes can be manipulated and customized to what you want.  You don't have to settle, you guys! :)

So, I loaded in the vinyl and hit "CUT."

My happiness went up considerably as I set these all up for this photo, by the way.

They now look adorable all snug in their cupboard.

I know not many people will ever even see these in here, but I will.... all the time.  And isn't that what matters?  

source

These canister labels are for sale in my Etsy shop!  Totally customizable to what you need.  See listing here!

Link parties I participate in: Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee, Not Just a Housewife, Someday Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane, Be Different Act Normal, Craftomaniac, Today's Creative Blog, Somewhat Simple, Flamingo Toes, Skip To My Lou, Thrifty Decor Chick

Magnetic Command Center Accessories

I'm still tinkering with the functionality and design of the COMMAND CENTER. ::said in booming voice::

You can read the full post on how I installed the sheet metal HERE but, to bring you up to speed, it went from this disaster:

To this gleaming beauty:

To this minimum functionality:

It worked for storing the kids' papers and writing stuff on the white board but now it was time to make it prettier.  I mean, yes, organization is fun but aesthetics are where it's at, yo!

Here it is today, otherwise known as the After After After:

Let's start at the top, shall we?  I can't reach that area without a step stool so I knew it wouldn't be used for everyday things needed to run a house.  So I figured I'd make it nice to look at but easy to change if I wanted.

I dug through my Frames Bin (don't pretend like you don't have one) and pulled out some super cheap and light-weight frames.  I took the glass parts out, not to be reused here.   I spray painted them Rustoleum's Lagoon, Blossom White and Aqua (the color I've got going on in the rest of the kitchen).

I then glued magnets to the backs of all the frames.

Instant pretty art and photo holders!

I love that family picture my daughter drew when she was three.  I'm the huge one in the middle.  I look exactly like Mrs. Puff from Spongebob.  Hilarious.

Moving down, I added a little vinyl lettering on my Target purchased magnetic organizer just in case anyone was confused as to what this area is.  I stocked it as well.  I use blank 3x5 notecards for everything and now I'll be able to find one within 5 seconds!  Heavenly.

I purchased these buckets from the dollar section at Target a while ago with this exact project in mind... love it when a plan comes together!  I used magnetic clips to hold them up and so far they are working perfectly.  I don't know what I'll put in the bottom two buckets but I'm sure they won't stay empty for long.

I also found this white magnetic mail holder at WalCrap yesterday.  Up until now I've had no designated place for mail...how have we functioned?  Now when my husband comes home from a week of being out of town I won't be running around trying to remember where I  put all his mail from that week.  It's the little things in life, really. 

And finally, if you were wondering where my recycle bucket went, the answer is the garage.  I got this black $5 wastebasket to take its place.  The black kind of blends in with everything else making it less of an eye sore.  I added a little vinyl recycle symbol so even visitors would know where to toss their soda cans.

So that's it!  Anderson Central is up and running!  I'm happy that I have a lot of things up there but still have some open areas to pin up important and time sensitive things.

Speaking of pinning, do you Pinterest?  You should!

Link parties I participate in: Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee, Not Just a Housewife, Someday Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane, Be Different Act Normal, Craftomaniac, Today's Creative Blog, Somewhat Simple, Flamingo Toes, Skip To My Lou, Thrifty Decor Chick, Clean and Scentsible