New decoupaged Pig Crayon Holder

Wild Floral Pig Crayon Holder - Magic Marker storage - Back To School Organizer - Pig Pencil, Pens Holder - Kids Crayon Organizer
• Made out of solid wood.
• Middle is painted with AGAVE chalk paint.
• (8) 3/8" holes on top for holding, brushes, crayon, pens and markers.
• Both sides are decoupaged with " Wild Floral " paper and sealed with a hard-coat non toxic sealer.
• Edges are slightly sanded.

Limited Edition, Only Three were made! Available here: 

NEW Organizers and letter sorters in the shop!

Slate Chalk painted letter sorter with bottom drawer.

Parisian Gray Organizer with drawer.

Decoupaged letter sorter with Wild floral papers.

A few more will be listed in the upcoming weeks! For now this is it:)

Thanks for taking a peek.

DIY - Decoupage Pencil Cup

Here is a Super FUN decoupaged Pencil cup I made.

This is how I made it!

Supplies:

• Wooden Pencil Cup.

• Mod Podge Hardcoat and MP Sparkle.

• Rainbow and clouds imagery.

• Sable brush, Cutting knife, Pencil, ruler and cloth measuring tape. 

• Self healing cutting Matt.

I measured the circumference of the wooden pencil cup with my cloth measuring tape. 

Cut my imagery to fit the circumference and height of the wooden cup.

Laid out all my items.

Applied Hard coat MP to exterior of wooden pencil cup.

And, quickly brushed on HCMP to the back of the imagery.

Next apply the imagery onto the wooden cup. 

Let dry for 20 minutes or longer...

Next, I applied some sparkle MP to some of the clouds.

Tip: The more coats you apply the more sparkle:) 

Let dry 20 minutes, in between coats.

Once dried, I sealed the whole exterior (not the bottom) with hard coat MP.

Love the way this looks! It's fairly easy, just need to be patient with the drying time for each step.

I always aim for quality when, I decoupage. So, I don't rush any steps!

Project completed! Fill with Pens, Pencils and Markers.

I will be offering this item for Sale in my Etsy shop here.

Thanks for stoping by!

Check out my BONUS Video Tutorial Here.

Shop Update: NEW Personalized Photo Frame

New Custom Photo frames are now available in my Etsy Shop! 

This Owl family is great for holiday gift giving. 

Great for woodland, modern and trendy baby decor. 

Add a "name" in your choice from available colors for a personalized gift.

Available here:

Shop Update: New Desk Organizers

Finally got around to shooting and listing these two organizers in my Etsy shop.

Top one was a Brimfield Antiques find, solid construction painted with a thick coat Chalk paint.

Available here: 

And, the second Mini letter sorter was decoupaged with on trend Pink(ish) Geometric papers.

Available here: 

Loving the way these two came out!

I spot one of my product designs in the latest issue of UPPERCASE 25

Nothing like opening up one of my favorite periodicals 

and seeing one of my Product Designs featured!

This is the cover to the latest UPPERCASE 25 Magazine.

The Printmaking edition.

There it is on page 11.  My Print inspired photo-frame!

Made with Color Bars cut from the Ends of a Print Run.

I decoupaged these strips onto a Frame and sealed 

with Hard coat Mod Podge. 

What a great way to re-purpose those bright strips of paper

 that would have ended up in the landfill.

These bright strips of color together remind me of Quilts!

 

A limited edition is available at my Etsy Shop.

Thanks UPPERCASE.

Bearded Macho Men Doodle Magnets

Doodling is something I do,  just about everyday! 

I start my day with a black Sharpie, Cardboard and Coffee.

Then I scan them and re-work them in Photoshop.

Make some high quality prints... and I am ready to Mod Podge!

I love making magnets. Especially out of re-purposed wood, like discarded wine crates.
• I decoupage my illustration(s) onto the wood with Mod Podge.
• Added some sparkle MP to the hearts.
• Seal with Many layers of UV High Gloss Varnish!

These magnets are super cute and High quality!
Available in my Etsy shop.

Decoupaged Caddy with Vibrant Papers

What a great way to organize and store craft supplies in one place & ready for on the go organization!

Despite a few nicks and scratches. This caddy was in great shape and made well.
Perfect and ready to be transformed!
Supplies List:
• Caddy
• Paper
• Any decoupage medium, I chose Hard Coat Mod Podge
• Brush
• Pencil and scissors.
• Fine grit Sandpaper (OPTIONAL)

TIP: I use a dollar store, dough scraper that is one of the best tools ever.
It is made of plastic, has a beveled edge, flexible and easy to clean with soapy water.

 

I choose some on trend Vibrant patterned card-stock.

Decided with polka dotted paper for the ends & Herringbone pattern for the sides.

• Traced the side(s) of the caddy onto the papers. And cut out the shapes with scissors.

• Layout the paper(s) for each side (see photo).

Ready to be decoupaged!

• Apply Mod Podge to the the side of the caddy & to the bottom of the card-stock.

I work on one side at a time & allow drying time (20 minutes), so that I can trim excess paper before I move onto the next side.

 

 

To make sure I have excellent contact, this is were my trusty dough scraper acts like a squeegee.
Start from one end to the other & wipe off excess medium (Q-tips work well)! This will eliminate air bubbles and smooth out the card-stock.

CAUTION: Some popular decoupage squeegees are made of black rubber and do not glide well & leave black residue on the paper!

After I finished decoupaging all four sides, I took some fine grit sand paper and slightly sanded some random edges (optional step).
Wipe any excesses dust from the sanding!
With a nice brush apply Hard coat medium in the same direction and let dry for about 30 minutes!
Hard coat is a excellent, non toxic & durable sealer.

Voila, Project is completed! Great for storing utensils, make-up brushes, Markers, pencils, etc!

This example is available for Sale in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

DIY - Nautical Keepsake Box

I get a lot of inspiration when I visit my favorite beach...
The trek alone takes over a hour and a half on foot, 

no other way to get there... And it is so worth it! 

I always seem to pick up white stones and shells, when wet they look magical... These little gifts from mother nature make me smile.
So, I decided what I needed is a container to house these special treasures. A little rustic Nautical keepsake box. 

This is how I made it! 

 

Supplies:
• Antique Matte Mod Podge
• Gloss Mod Podge ( You can use any Mod Podge)
• Mod Podge Tools
• Unfinished Wood Box
• Brushes
• Folk Art Stains (Love this product)
• Papers and prints to decoupage (Make sure they are copyright free)
• Sand paper or file (Not shown) for a rustic look (Optional)

• Stain the whole box with any Folk Art Stains.
Let dry...
• Dab a little stain on the edge of the Print, let dry...
Next,
• I decoupaged a piece of "Net" like paper on the top of Box, let dry...
Then, I decoupaged the "dry" print on top of the "net" like paper, this yields a
nice border frame.

 

Then I decoupaged the interior bottom and Top of box, let dry!

All images came from the Graphics Fairy & altered in Photoshop.

• Sanded some of the edges of the box, aiming for a Rustic Nautical Look!

• Wipe clean...
Then I sealed the whole box with Antique Matte Mod Podge, let dry ( 10-20 minutes ) and repeat!
Use more coats till you get the desired antique look, I used 3 coats.
Let dry....

Project completed!

Ready to fill with my treasures found on Cape Cod beaches!

Check out this Fun You Tube video of this tutorial: 

 

It sure is HOT here in New England today!

Nothing like a cool refreshing cocktail on a HOT Summer Day.

My favorite drink to cool me down, is a Cape Codder.

This is How I make my version:

• 1 1/2 oz  Vodka
• 3 oz Cranberry Juice or (Strawberry Lemonade)
• Squeeze a teaspoon of Lemon Juice

• Add some Ice
Pour all the ingredient into a cocktail shaker

And Shake, Shake!

Pour into a DOF filled with Ice and garnish with a Lemon Wedge.

Hits the spot every time...

Like the Star Shaped Coaster I am using? See how I made it here.

iPad Mini Giveaway

 

Some of you may know that I am one of 6 contributors for 

Amy's Blog "Mod Podge Rocks Blog" its been Super Fun.

Mod Podge is the bomb! 

I have been using it for almost 20 years, and never disappointed. 

It been a pleasure creating super cool tutorial(s) for the blog.

And as a Thank You, 

Amy is having a giveaway for a iPad Mini here.

Here are a few of my tutorials that I created using Mod Podge:

See the Junk Mail Art tutorial here.

See the Tool Box Caddy How to here.

 

DIY Kitchen Wall Art here.

Create this set of Baseball Book Ends, here.

And, just in time for Fishing Season!

 DIY, Fishing theme Pen and Pencil holder here.

All made with my Favorite Craft Item MOD PODGE!

DIY Tutorial Faux Leather Frame posted on Mod Podge Rocks Blog

My latest tutorial - for Amy, over at Mod Podge Rocks Blog is Up!

Visit her site for great ideas on using Mod Podge! 

Make some time & make something fun with Mod Podge!

Want to make this frame? Check out the steps here.

Also, the Frame is available for Sale here. 

Thanks for taking a look!

Have a Great week!

Busy finishing up a lot of Unfinished Projects

I can't believe how a half year has flown by! Where does the time go? Yikes!!!
My studio is a HOT mess! I have so many unfinished projects and series of New Wall Plaques that should have been completed before Valentines Day! Yes,  Feb. 14th!,  LOL...

I don't think I have ever been this overwhelmed with making so much ART! But, honestly not complaining... LOVE, what I do. Wish the days were longer, or better yet an assistant would be nice.

Here is a New thing that I have been doing to refresh my head... re- arranging type and creating new "Landscapes" and "Perspective" using good ole TYPE.

Here is a sneak peek for a New Tutorial I did for Mod Podge Rocks... to be posted early July.

 It feels great working with collage again, that is "Traditional" as apposed to my Digital Collage.
Any hoot be on the look out for NEW listed items in my shop.

Summer is almost here!

The weather here in New England is perfect this time of year. 

I love eating and entertaining outdoors.

Just because I like to eat outdoors does not mean I skimp on presentation! 

This mini Footstool Centerpiece is perfect for nesting Candles on 

or a station for Condiments for BBQ s. 

What are some of your favorite things to do in the Summer? 

See how I made it here. 

Happy Summer and Happy entertaining!

Fathers Day is almost here!

Here is a cool DIY tutorial for Baseball Fans.
Check out this Tutorial I created for Mod Podge Rocks Blog Here!

Have a great Fathers Day!

Learn All About The 8 Original Mod Podge Formulas from Plaid Craft TV

An introduction to the 8 Original Mod Podge Formulas! Available at Walmart, Michaels, AC Moore, Jo-Ann and Amazon. What will you make with it?

Entertaining with Sea Creatures? Yes, it can be done!!!

Check out my latest tutorial over at Mod Podge Rocks Blog, this was a Super fun challenge!
I received a Box of products from Plaid and a Gift Card to buy some items at Walmart. I wanted my project to reflect "Summer Entertaining" with items Made in the U.S.A! It was so much FUN. I am very pleased with the outcome and now need to send out "invites" for a dinner party.


Here is a video of my Haul from Plaid.
Post disclosure here.
Other Project by other Participants here:

New Book by "A Collage A Day" artist Randel Plowman

I just love collage! It's fascinating to be able to "re-assemble" images and transform them into something else. Back, In my Art School Days my portfolio consisted of all stylized contemporary collages. Now, I find myself fascinated with Digital Collage too! Photoshop has enabled me to do things otherwise impossible with traditional collage, like transforming an image Bigger or Smaller... I still get excited finding myself on treks to Antique Malls, Garage & Yard Sales in search of ephemera to use in a Collage. I just recently created this new Day of the Dead collage Wall Plaque.



Check out Randel Plowman's blog A Collage A Day and get his book here. This book is a great instructional book with many wonderful tutorials...Highly Recommend!

Trick or Treat? Spooky "Halloween" Keepsake Boxes

See them Here.