Fall Decore

I love the fall . . . really I do . . . it's my favourite time of year and I look forward to all the beautiful colours and cool crisp air.

I had the privilege and great honour this week to help out for a fall craft at work.  My good friend Lorie is the guru in our office for doing our "Last Friday of the Month" every month (except during the summer when it is put on hold due to holidays/vacations) and she always has a theme.  This month was (obviously) Fall.

She had seen an interesting post on Pinterest and she decided to roll with it and asked if I would like to help . . . are you kidding of course I did . . . I'll drop anything when crafts and creativity is involved.

She brought in four used tomato cages and purchased $15.00 worth of leaves and bobbles at the Dollar Store.  I brought in the pumpkins and indoor mini lights and we went to work.

There was no "plan" per se; we just used what we had and went for it.

We inverted the cages and wired the tops with craft wire.  Then we placed the lights on the cages and started creating.

Here are a few pics of the "work in progress" and the finished ones.  The pictures do not do them justice - I either need a new camera or lessons on how to use the one I have!

TOTAL COST:  $15.00 (wine extra)
TOTAL TIME:  1 lunch hour!

Acrylic Art Painting Class

More about the Radium Girls'Weekend . . . Saturday was my sister's turn to teach us how to paint on canvass with Acrylic paint. As I mentioned in a previous blog my sister was in charge of this one . . . she is an amazing painter and artist and I learnt so much from her . . .  which how makes her an outstanding teacher - I feel  if I can do anyone can . . . I tried painting about 14 years ago and hated it but this was a totally different experience.  I was amongst friends (and not that I wasn't the last time - this was just "different, I loved what I did this time)!!!!

Step 1 - decide on a canvass size . . . she chose a 16" X 20" canvass

Step 2 - choose the subject matter (Corn flowers)

Step 3 - graph out the chosen subject matter on a piece of 16" X 20" paper and photocopy for everyone (she made four)

img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5shlwmAdsr9GgW5K4LwOpXc75EOZJ6vbogSgCUCA9v57ZiycTeArh375WwzVlXL0KY2z4ZASvCMu8mHj7Sk2LFI2sYuMSPS37gUXxTKy-bQHxXbux_qZtOnoDmEZzlpz9NiYFQpWNqxi/s320/DSC03983.JPG" width="240" />

Step 4 - Paint the canvass with your background colour 

 Step 5 - before the background colour is dry sprinkle salt on the canvass

Step 6 - once Step 5 is dry wipe the salt away

Step 7 - take the subject matter and place a piece of carbon paper in between that and the canvass

Step 8 - trace the subject matter on the canvass (being very careful not to rub your hand on the paper so that it transfers to the canvass)

Step 9 - look at the black and white version of the subject matter to see "value" (dark and light)

Step 10 - start painting the stems and flowers with the darkest "value" first

Step 11- continue on with the lightest "value" of stems and flowers

Step 12 - move on to the centres of the flowers the same way (we painted all of ours the same colour)

Step 13 - keep adding light and dark as you see fit . . . here are the finished products

TOTAL COST:  $15.00/person for the canvasses and brushes (cheap ones) - we all drank our own wine!
TOTAL TIME:  4 hours and some

The experience was priceless - I was totally amazed at how they all turned out - would I do it again . . . maybe! ! ! ! !

Pillow Cover (for Sharpie Pen Project)

This was quite simple (after I got done with doing the math) . . . and knowing math is not one of my strengths I had more fabric than I needed and not enough lace for five pillows ARGH.

I made the covers out of white prewashed polyester.  The dimensions were (cut 1 for the front) 19 X 23 and (cut 2 for the back) 12 X 19.  I sewed 1/2" seams and left an opening 13" for the zipper and hook for the back.

Here are the steps for sewing the covers.

Sew the two back pieces together down only 1 1/2" at the top and bottom and press open

Sew in the Zipper

Sew the front to the back

Clip off corners

Pull corners on right side out with a pin (one of my favourite things to do)

Then sew the lace all the way around the outside (lace was 1" I sewed accordingly).

Sharpie Pen Pillows

I was lucky enough to be invited to Radium for the weekend. We left Friday Morning and unfortunately had to venture back to Edmonton on Sunday afternoon. Our goal was to do two crafts (one on Friday and one on Saturday) and I was in charge of the one for Friday. I was also in charge of the Friday evening meal but that's another blog. I started out by sewing all of the pillow covers (see pillow cover blog).  The inserts are 16" X 20" so I made them one inch larger to accommodate the lace trim all around the outside.

We covered the table with white plastic garbage bags to protect it(not so much from the Rubbing Alcohol but for protecting it against the Sharpie Pen). There were very few other supplies required outside of the Pillow Cover other than a Sharpie Pen, a Foam Brush and a bottle of 99% Rubbing Alcohol.  We did not use all three bottles and could have likely gotten away with only one bottle but with three people I wanted everyone to get done at the same time with no "waiting".

.

Step 1 - Take the Sharpie and mark along the edge of the lace trim

Step 2 - Follow the mark line with the rubbing alcohol and drench/saturate the drawn line - then press the line into the fabric with the foam brush sweeping towards the centre of the pillow

Step 3 - Ring it out and hang to dry or put in the dryer.

Step 4 - Press the Pillow Cover

Step 5 - Insert the Pillow Insert

 This is the colour after drying from black sharpie

This is the colour after drying from the blue sharpie

After drying the colours are quite faded but still beautiful . . . note we did not press these ones - I would have loved to see what would happen with a red or brown sharpie!

TOTAL TIME: 20 Minutes (approximately)
TOTAL COST: $20.00 (included fabric, lace, zippers and Sharpie Pens)

There's a wedding in the works . . .

And it's vintage inspired.  My beautiful niece will marry her honey on October 12 and I've been lucky enough to be part of the planning.  It's burlap and lace and vintage china inspired.  Admittedly her sister has done MOST of the crafting but I've done a couple of things myself and here are two!

The banners have stick on letters placed on scrap booking paper with vintage buttons at the centre of the peaks and gathered bridal netting behind.

The card "box" ... they are strung together with garden twine!

The top one was given to me by my grand mother - I can't remember where the bottom one came from!

. . . and . . .

A Mr. and Mrs. sign - maybe she'll use them for pics!  They have fabric flowers at the top/with vintage buttons and netting behind the peaks on the bottom.

TOTAL COST:  Zero - I had everything
TOTAL TIME:  About an hour!

It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Fall!

Unfortunately for some but fortunately for me, it's officially Fall.  And it's my favourite time of year.  I love the weather.  It's not too hot and it's not too cold and the colours of the leaves on the trees are stunningly gorgeous.  I love taking road trips at this time of year and I LOVE starting to layer fall clothing and wearing funky boots.

Have I mentioned I have a great boss . . . well yes I have . . . and he and his beautiful wife made a trip to Santa Fe a while ago and he almost always brings me a gift back.  This trip was no exception, and the minute I opened it I knew what I would do with it - dried corn husks - and you think that might be a bit "corny' but I certainly didn't.

4" X 24" of burlap to tie in a bow

TOTAL COST:  Zero
TOTAL TIME:  5 Minutes (it took me that long to find the door hanger thingy)