Check It Out!

My Remington-inspired horse makeover was featured on Better After! So exciting!!

Make sure you add Better After to your RSS feed since Lindsey's site is a great place to get inspired.  She showcased before and afters from all over the web.

Perspectives - A Photo Challenge: Black & White

It is week #4 of "Perspectives - A Photo Challenge hosted by Lena B Photography, Agape Love Designs and When Shutters Click.


This week's challenge was Black & White.

Since I didn't actually have any photos of zebras, pandas, oreos, dalmatians  or other things that are actually black and white, I went with black and white versions of the photos.

1.  Sweet Willow getting ready to take a nap on her fluffy bed.

2.  Giant palm leaf I saw at Meijer Gardens. This thing was huge - about three feet across.  I think the swirly bit in the middle looks a bit like the nose of some crazy plant monster.

Thanks so much to Lena B for featuring my palm leaf as one of her photos of the week.

3. This is my husband, D. We were messing around while on vacation.  D was making these crazy faces while I was playing with all the settings on my new camera.  He makes me laugh every day.

---

Here are the deets so you can join in if you like. I really hope you will! I would love to see the photos that represent Black & White to you.

Each week the hosts will choose a "theme" and on Friday, they ask that everyone link up 3 different photos representing their PERSPECTIVE of the week's theme. 

It's all about YOUR perspective and interpretation! {If you don't have a blog, you can link to a flickr account, etc. They just want to see your photos!!} 

By the way... 
you dont have to be a professional photographer to join in! 
You can even use your camera phone. (I know I will!) 
They just want to see YOUR perspective! 
They want to see how YOU view the world. :) 
So don't by shy, or afraid to join in! 

The following week, each host will choose and highlight their favorite photo from the linkup! The next linkup is going to be happening today, August 10rd... Link up your post with 3 photos you've taken to represent this week's theme: Black & White.

They want this to be successful, so if you're IN give a few shout outs! Grab a button a spread the word! 

Feel free to tweet using hash tags #Perspectives or #PerspectivesPhotoChallenge as well as tag @mariagridly, @Mom2MandR and @shuttersclick.

DIY Handle Mitts

Last year for my birthday my mom got me one of the best presents EVER! A set of stainless cookware! Woohoo! It was this set from Wolfgang Puck. It is so fabulous! [please look away as I hug the wok that came with this set]

OK, maybe I am a bit biased but I had been wanting (drooling over) stainless cookware for several years. 

This stuff can be washed in the dishwasher, it cleans up quickly and easily, it can be washed in the dishwasher. I had to put that one in there twice since our other set of pots and pans from Analon can't be. Sometimes that is a bit of a (or rather a giant) pain to hand-wash them, especially when we make a recipe using lots of pots and pans. With this set, after making a really messy dinner where I have baked on stuff, a quick soak, a bit of a scrub and, BAM, clean saute pan!

Another good part is that you can saute on the cooktop and then put it directly in the oven. How great is that?  This greatness leads to the one drawback of this type of cookware - the stainless handles get stinking hot.  So the move from the over to the cork trivet can be dangerous if you aren't careful.


My fear of burnt fingers made me whip up a few handle mitts inspired by the kind they use at Chili's for the Skillet Queso. Yes, we could use oven mitts or pot holders, but what fun is that?  I wouldn't get to use my sewing machine or one of the fabrics in my stash. (OK, maybe these things aren't actually called handle mitts but I though pot mitts or oven holders just sounded odder than handle mitts.  Yeah, I make up words all the time)

These are a quick and easy project.  Once I figured out the dimensions and cut out my template, I was able to whip up 3 of them in less than an hour. Yup, it was that quick.

DIY Handle Mitt


1.  Make a template out of card stock
     For my handles my template was 6 inches long by 3 inches wide.
     I used a candletick to get the curve on the end

2.  Use your template to trace and cut out
     2 pieces of "pretty" fabric
     2 pieces of insulbrite batting
     2 piece of liner fabric (I used scraps of drop cloth)
     This is for 1 Handle Mitt

3.  Cut either a piece of bias tape just larger than the shortest dimension of your fabric or if you are like me, and don't have any bias tape, You can just take a a piece of your fabric and make your own.

     Cut a piece of fabric 4 inches long and 2 inches wide.
     Fold in half and finger press.
     Fold each side into the middle, finger press
     Fold in half.

4.  Layer the pretty fabric, batting and liner together with the bias tape - pinning them together.

5. Sew on bias tape/fabric and trim off excess

6. Place right sides together and straight stitch around the edge, leaving enough room to do a zip zag stich between the straight stitch and the edge of the fabric.

7.  Using an unsharpened pencil or chop stick, turn the handle mitt right side out and you are all done!

Check out the places I party.

Carrot Loving Bunny Pillow

Bunny is ready for Easter

Source: Amazon.com

I love Easter candy.  I just had to get that out there. The Whopper Robin Eggs are just the best and I have already consumed one bag full - just a small one but a whole bag none the less.  I am also a fan of all the yummy chocolate treats!  Like this guy. Mmmmm, chocolatey goodness...

Source: Amazon

The chocolate bunny that was the inspiration for my Easter pillow, however I found the image that was just a bit different than the usual silhouette one usually sees.  I loved that he was holding onto a big carrot. I like to think that it is his own post-Easter candy delivering treat.

Source: depositphotos.com

Just like my Lucky Shamrock Pillow, there is little or no sewing involved with this project.  I have embraced the joys of fabric glue! It makes projects like this one so easy.

Materials

• Pillow cover - I made an envelope type cover so I can remove it. There a ton of tuts online.  Just Google "directions envelope pillow cover"and you will find a ton of resources. 
• Felt - dark brown and orange
• embroidery thread - green
• fabric glue
• Printed out image of your bunny
• Pins

Directions
Step 1:  Cut out your bunny

• Once you have your bunny image cut out, lay it on your felt.
• Pin the paper to the felt
• Cut around the paper cut out
• For the carrot, I free hand cut it out

Step 2: Making the "carrot greens"

• Cut 9 pieces of green embroidery thread about 7 inches long
• Separate into 3 groups and braid each group
• Tie a knot about 1 inch from the end and separate the threads so it looks feathery

Step 3:  Gluing

• Glue the carrot greens to the back of the carrot and let dry
• Place the bunny on the pillow cover and move it around until it is just where you want it
• Pin the head to the pillow
• Glue the bottom half of the bunny to the pillow, except for his paw
• Remove the pin and glue the top half of the bunny
• Bend back the paw and place the carrot in position
• Pin the top of the carrot
• Glue the bottom of the carrot
• Remove the pin and glue the top of the carrot
• Glue the paw to the carrot

Step 4:  Enjoy your bunny pillow!

Check out all the Places I Party to see where I am linking up, including Today's Creative blog

Jenny at The NY Melrose Family and Amanda at School House Scraps
were kind enough to feature this tutorial.

Turning Childhood Toys to Treasured Art

This project was originally posted as a guest post I did on The NY Melrose Family blog.

Do you have a childhood treasure that just doesn't fit in your home's decor?  Something you just can't get rid of but don't want stored in a box forever?  If so, this may be the project for you!

When I was sorting through some boxes that had been stored in my parents basement for mumble mumble years, I came across the gorgeous guy you see below.  You see, like many women, I had been horse-mad when I was a kid.  Of course this meant that I filled my room with galloping horses, just like this one.

Now, since I don't have a horse-mad daughter and am trying not to end up on an episode of Horders, into the donate box he went.  There Black Beauty lived for a few weeks until I remembered Remington and his bronze statues of horses and their riders.  Ideas on how to accomplish something similar began to bubble and percolate in my brain.

Then I had it, I would turn Black Beauty into my own bronze statue and keep him forever!

Step 1:  Gather Materials

• Horse
• Gorilla Glue (not pictured)
• Drill and bit - bit should be the same size as the shank of the screws
• Primer
• Copper Spray Paint
• Hammered bronze spray paint
• 1x4 piece of wood - cut to the size that fits your horse
• 1x6 piece of wood - cut 2 inches larger that the 1x4
• screws - 1" and 1-1/4"
• caulk
• pencil (not pictured)

Step 2: Figure out screw placement and drill holes

• Draw circles around the hooves on the 1x4

• Draw an arrow to mark the centers and then drill the holes

• Drill holes in the bottom of the hooves

Step 3:  Attach your horse to your base (Sorry, I don't have any photos of this.  Since I don't have 3 hands I couldn't take any photos.) and caulk the seam

• Place a bit of glue in the center of each circle
• Using the 1" screws, screw into your pilot holes until the screws just poke out of the top of the piece of wood
• With the base on its side, place the horse so the holes in the hooves settle on top of the screws
• Finish screwing the horse to the base
• Set aside overnight to let the glue harden completely

 

Step 4:  Attaching the secondary base

• Set the horse and base onto the 1x6 and, measuring to make sure that it is centered, mark the edges so you can make sure to drill inside the lines

• Clamp the pieces of wood together and then lean everything over onto a couple of rags so you can screws the pieces of together.

•  Caulk the seam between the two pieces of wood

Step 5: Painting

• Prime and let dry

• Paint with copper spray paint and let dry. It will take a couple of light coats to get complete coverage.

 

• Paint with bronze spray paint and let dry.  It will take a couple of light coats to get complete coverage.
• Display!

 

Here's a close up.  I think it turned out pretty well.  You would never know he was just a molded plastic underneath.

This shot shows how the detail really stands out thanks to using light coats of spray paint.

 

I think Black Beauty now should be called Bronze Beauty!

To see where I am linking up, check out the Places I Party.

Crafting Rebellion, Type A and Better After were kind enough to feature this project on their blogs.


       

Lucky Shamrock Pillow - Just in Time for St. Patrick's Day

This project was featured on Skip To My Lou

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner!  The day when everyone is lucky, and a little bit Irish.  Bring on the Bulmers, the Baileys and coffee, the corned beef, pub songs and the craic!  Can you tell I like St. Patrick's Day?

Now, even though I'm a wee bit Irish, I still thought I needed to bring a little bit of extra luck into my home with a lucky shamrock pillow.  The fact that I got to use some felt was an added bonus.

One thing I liked about this pillow is that I didn't need to do much sewing, just the pillow cover.  The shamrock leaves are glued on.  So this makes the project an easy, and quick, one.  The only sewing I needed to do was the pillow cover.  If you used fusible tape, you wouldn't need to sew a thing.

Blog Post Featured in The DIY Showoff

Roeshel recently highlighted one of my DIY projects on her blog, The DIY Showoff.  My Goodwill Find Turned Buffet Piece was featured on December 4.

A big thank you to Roeshel for showing off one of my projects. 

If you want to be inspired and get a list of ideas you may want to try yourself make sure to stop by and visit The DIY Showoff.