Halloween bead and button spider from the book Artful Halloween

Have you started your Halloween crafting? Well I just did with the super inspirational book Artful Halloween: 31 Frightfully Elegant Projects.

 I have seen spiders made from beads before but I love how Susan mixed it up and used a button for the spider body. Using the easy to follow tutorial in Artful Halloween: 31 Frightfully Elegant Projects I whipped up a trio of spiders that looked great on my black sand zen garden (or inspiration word of the day tray).

I tried a lighter weight gauge wire and different beads so this project is super flexible. I bet probably whatever you have in your stash will work great! I can't wait to make more of the projects in Artful Halloween over the next few weeks to dress up ye old casa for Halloween.

More about the book from the publisher Lark Crafts:

Artful Halloween: 31 Frightfully Elegant Projects

by
 Susan Wasinger

"These 30+ costume, pumpkin, and home-decorating ideas are not just beautiful--they are scary beautiful. From unique pumpkin decorations to a “blood”-splashed dinner-party centerpiece to a Yard Specter made from two poles, a string of lights, and torn, draped fabric, these creepy but stylish Halloween projects will give your home a spooky, sophisticated look . . . with gothic flair!

Susan Wasinger designs houses, products, books, and magazines. Her work has been featured in Metropolitan Home, Stitch, Natural Home, and Piecework magazines, as well as on HGTV. She is the author of several books, including The Feisty  Stitcher (Lark, 2010). She  lives in Boulder, CO."

Scrap wood and recycled furniture cabinet

I used to make lots of furniture back in my Industrial Design days but hadn't in a long time. But with my crazy shoe phase I was in need of a cabinet/shelf to put the collection. I will admit to looking at the almighty Ikea but the space I had available was a very small specific size and nothing pre-made was going to work. So what's a girl to do? Why make it her d*mn self! So of to the scrap bin! (along with one of the panels from a 3 panel screen I had in storage that I currently didn't have space for. This is the outcome. I attached a bit of tracing paper to the inside of the screen to keep the dust out. Fits perfectly and works great!

If you too like to make furniture out of scraps and stuff check out this awesome new book simply packed with great designs and tutorials!

PlyDesign: 73 Distinctive DIY Projects in Plywood (and other sheet goods)
by
Philip Schmidt

From the publisher Story Publishing:
"PlyDesign presents 73 ideas for sleek, smart home furnishings that you can make from off-the-shelf sheet materials using only basic hand and power tools. With designs contributed by more than 50 creative builders across North America, the projects include tables, stools, workstations, benches, laptop stands, shelves, art panels, organizers, headboards, doghouses, dollhouses, and more. A photo of each finished project is accompanied by a list of needed tools and materials, cutting and assembly diagrams, and clear step-by-step instructions."

Creating with inspiration from the book The Collage Workbook

I love creating things that take a minute to figure out. Today I stuck with one of my favorite "slightly off" themes and used a bit of inspiration from the book The Collage Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired to create my latest mix-media altered book page. If you know your Roman numerals and police codes you will get it. If you scroll down I will tell you if you don't know these two topics.

 Have you figured it out????

OK I'll tell you. the roman numerals are 5150 which is the police code for 72 hour psychiatric hold (AKA-crazy!)

As you can see I have used this as a cross stitch and as the prompt in The Collage Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired suggests using numbers in creating, what better number...or is it letters really? Letters representing numbers? Another layer in the mystery.....

All I did was go through magazines and cut the letters out "ransom" style and glue them on a page that also contains an interesting idea all be it a little "off" shall I say and maybe even appropriate for the number designation????? Hmmmmmm.

If you too like creative prompts to help guide you I bet you will like The Collage Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired as much as I do!

More about the book from the publisher Lark Crafts:
The Collage Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired
by
Randel Plowman

"Both a popular hobby and a recognized art form, collage encompasses a wide range of creative styles and techniques--explored here by the creator of the popular A Collage a Day blog. Offering step-by-step instruction, visual inspiration, and even a library of copyright-free images, this hands-on guide covers all the necessary materials, tools, and know-how, from adding color and transferring images, to décollage (tearing away layers). And to spark the reader's imagination, there are 52 creativity prompts, such as a collage using the letters of a single word.

Randel Plowman is the founder of the popular blog A Collage A Day (http://acollageaday.blogspot.com). His art has been exhibited in solo and juried exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad; cited in The New York Times and USA Today; featured in How Design, Artist Magazine, and Somerset Studio; and graced the covers of numerous books. Randel resides in Madison, Wisconsin."

How to transform a plain tank top for 4th of July with Simply Spray fabric paint

This could not be any easier!

I rarely wear white because I am always making something and some part of it inevitably gets on me. So when I have a white garment I see it as a canvas and what goes better on a canvas then paint!

Like last week's post I am in full on 4th of July decorating mode so I thought I'd try painting a tie die style flag on this tank top with a bit of red and blue Simply Spray fabric paint. I just free formed it! I love how the wrinkles add to the tie die effect.

How to make a decoupaged 4th of July wreath

 I'm having so much fun making new decorations for each holiday and this is my latest creation inspired by the book  Mod Podge Rocks!: Decoupage Your World I made for 4th of July.

This wreath was one I originally covered in tiny pine cones and it had lost a few so I decided to recycle it into a new one for summer.


It didn't take long to peal off all the pine cones. I went to the fabric stash and gathered up some red, white and blue fabrics. This wreath project featured in Mod Podge Rocks! was my inspiration.

I liked how cheery it was and the wrapping and decoupage seemed like it would work great with fabric.

I pinned my fabric strips in place and then spread on the Mod Podge to the front and sides. The pins had the added benefit of keeping the wreath elevated. Talk about a crafting twofer!

After the Mod Podge was dry on the 3 sides I spread it on the back taking the pins out as I went and smoothing down the fabric ends.

All that was left to do was glue a few toy army men on and wrap the wreath with a bit of star spangled wire.

If customizing your world by decoupaging with Mod Podge is your thing you will truly be inspired by the book:

 Mod Podge Rocks!: Decoupage Your World
by
Amy Anderson

More about the book from Lark:
"Since 1967, crafters have entrusted their most treasured creations to Mod Podge--the number one, all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish product that's water-based for easy cleanup and totally non-toxic. The popularity of Mod Podge continues to grow, as does its product lineup that now includes Sparkle, Outdoor, Dimensional Magic, and Fabric formulas.

Mod Podge Rocks! features over 40 simple, inexpensive decoupage projects that showcase the versatility of this celebrated product.  Contemporary, fun, and welcoming--just like author Amy Anderson's popular Mod Podge Rocks! website-the book includes everything from home accessories and holiday décor to wearables and jewelry.  Joining Amy herself as guest project designers are some of the hottest names in crafting, such as Cathie Filian and Candie Cooper. A basic section outlines the simple techniques, and each project features beauty shots, easy-to-follow instructions, and how-to photos."