Starter Craft Room for your Teen!

Hey Crafters!

It's been awhile.  I hope you are having a fabulous summer.  Our's is pretty low key this year.  While summer is my absolute least favorite time of year because of the extreme heat we get down here in Houston, I do love having my teens home...WITH NO HOMEWORK.  Can I get an Amen????

Recently, my youngest daughter, Lucy, started making faux leather earrings.  She wants to sell them in order to pay for half of her new dog, Bonnie (per the agreement she made with my husband).  Here's Bonnie when we got her a few months ago:

Isn't she adorable???

I digress...  The point I'm getting at is that Lucy was starting to invade my craft room.  We are both crafters that spread out.  We aren't necessarily neat and tidy crafters, if there is such a thing.  So I made the "awesome" suggestion OUT LOUD that maybe we should create her very own craft room (or craft corner) in her room.  Well, my daughter jumped all over that.  And there's something you need to know about Lucy.  Once you suggest something...she will not let you forget it.  She's tenacious.  Hmmm...I wonder where she gets it from....

So, we started by cleaning out the corner of her room.

Don't let this picture fool you.  All the crap, ummm lovely stuff I need to sell in a garage sale, is sitting in the hallway.  So then we headed to Walmart...because it's cheap.  I'm not looking for high quality Pottery Barn or Martha Stewart craft furniture here.  This is a STARTER craft room for a 13 year-old.  Heck, I don't even have Pottery Barn craft furniture!  We bought a desk chair and two of these cube units most crafters are familiar with:

Here's the shopping link for the Mainstays 6 Cube Storage Organizer.

The next morning Lucy and I assembled them. Don't you just love whomever writes assembly instructions?  Here's a tip we learned after finally assembling the first one: screw together the top and bottom to the dividers and THEN attach the rest of the middle.  

Then my husband went to Home Depot and purchased a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of melamine and had them cut it down to 4 foot by 3 foot.  He brought it home and screwed the top on from underneath (through the cube storage organizers). Do NOT go to Lowe's.  They don't sell melamine sheets of this size.

He then ironed on some melamine iron-on tape that I found in my stash which is a good thing because we tried to buy it at Lowe's.  But they couldn't find in their store the seven they showed to have in stock.  So yea, you might want to Amazon that.  Amazon and I are tight y'all.  Real tight. The table cost less than $100 total.

We also moved in an old Ikea Kallax from the game room that is no longer needed to store American Girl doll stuff.  Sniff, Sniff.  But the AG stuff is getting stored.  There's no way I'm getting rid of that. 

Lucy is a very good crocheter.  So this is great storage for her yarn! I mean, look at what she arm crocheted TODAY:

So here it is all set up!  That is her great-grandmother's sewing machine sitting on the craft table in its storage box.  I love that she has it there! Isn't this a cute little crafting space!

I have a stool she can use, but she, like me, likes to craft standing up.  Lastly, we set her up with an old laptop we don't use anymore.  I put the Basic Edition of Silhouette Studio on it.  I also let her have my very first Silhouette Cameo (Version 1).  I gotta admit, this was a little tough for me.  You see my old Cameo and I have made some things together...lots of things in fact.  BUT I've had a Cameo 3 for a couple of years sitting right next to my original Cameo that has not gotten the attention it deserves, so I thought this would be the best for us all.

I'm letting her borrow my Sizzix Big Shot.  I bought her her own craft mat and craft spatula to use with her Silhouette.  And I bought her some jewelry supplies.  So really, this was a relatively inexpensive project to get a budding crafter started.  My 16 year-old is a bit jealous actually, but I reminded her she asked for a futon...which now collects clothes.  So there you go.  Take a look at some of the fun earrings Lucy has made.  She's selling them for $12 plus shipping.  She can personalize.  If you want to purchase any to help fund her puppy cause, e-mail me at prettifyyourlife@hotmail.com.

Maybe you can put together a craft space for your kiddos this summer too.  Or if you already have one, give me a shout.  I'd love to see your space!

Did you get craft goodies for Christmas?

Hi Crafters!

Happy two days after Christmas!  So, I've been wondering....did you get any cool craft supplies for Christmas?????  I want to know!  I get excited when someone texts me or writes on my Facebook Page that they received a new craft goodie!  I know many of you probably got cutting machines--Silhouette or Cricut or maybe another brand?  I am partial to Silhouette, so I highly recommend you newbies checking out Silhouette School Blog.  Melissa, the creator of the blog, is fantastic.  She's even written an in-depth how-to book and e-course.  I've learned a lot from her, so be sure to check out her page.  Now, unfortunately, I am not as versed in Cricut as I once was.  My first "successful" cutter was a Cricut...the little one.  And then I moved up to the Cricut Expression, which I adored for awhile.  So, I'm just not sure of a fabulous YouTuber to recommend for instructional videos for a Cricut.  Hey, but let me know because I have a Cricut Air 2 sitting in my craft room wanting to be used. 

<SIDENOTE>  So you are probably wondering what I meant by "successful" cutter.  Yea, a long time ago, when you could actually find a LSS (local scrapbooking store), a store owner in Lafayette, LA convinced me to buy, if I remember the name correctly, a Wishblade cutter rather than a Cricut.  It was the first computer-based cutter I tried to use.  BUT, I also had a new laptop with Windows Vista.  I could never get the thing to work properly with my computer.  Nightmare.  So when I got my second computer-based cutter, the Silhouette Cameo, years later and after several easy-to-use Cricuts, it literally took me over a year to take it out of the box.  Now, I can't live without it.

So, what did I get?  Well, my parents got me a new video setup from The Cowboy Studio, and I can't wait to set it up later today!  I have a rigged camera setup now that has been annoying me.  I'm hoping this system will help making my craft videos much easier.  Here's a pic of it:

My husband got me a clamp that attaches to the bar.  My camcorder will screw into the clamp so that I can easily shoot videos from above!

I also received some Dixie Belle chalk paint in Barn Red and Fluff as well as some wax.  Why Dixie Belle and not Annie Sloan?  I just seem to like more of the colors that Dixie Belle offers.  But both brands are great!

 

So really that's all the craft supplies I received.  That's all I asked for, and I'm so grateful for them!  I'm at the point where I really have all the craft supplies I need except one...and that will have to be saved for...if I decide to take my crafting in that direction one day.

So, share with me your goodies!

My Lovefest with Amazon Prime, Crafter Edition

So I occasionally post my lovefest with Amazon Prime on my personal Facebook, even posting pictures of stacks of packages that sometimes come on the same day.  Yea, maybe that sounds weird, but if feels a little bit like Christmas to me because often times in those packages there are craft products. I've had friends ask me what I buy on Amazon.  It's truly a hodgepodge, and it's usually for one or all of the following three reasons:

1. I get so incredibly tired of stores not carrying products or carrying limited quantities and varieties of products or only carrying them online and then a worker having the audacity to tell me "We can order it for you."  Yea, I can usually order it myself too, but there are times, which are getting fewer and fewer now, that I actually want to see the products before I decide to buy which I can't do because you don't have them in your stores!
2. I live kind of far away from stores.  Not the country, but a bit remote, outskirts of Houston.  You've got to really WANT an item in order  to drive 30-45 minutes one way to a store to get it.  So there obviously are days that are designated "shopping days" for just such a reason.
3. Prices can sometimes be shockingly better online, and if you have PRIME, free shipping and with the convenience of your package arriving at your doorstep in a day or two.

So, you are probably starting to see my lovefest with Amazon Prime.  Yea, it's an annual fee, but it totally pays for itself with saved shipping costs and better prices...and my sanity.

What craft supplies have I bought lately on Amazon?  Here you go:

CRAFTOPIA TRANSFER TAPE

I was recently struggling with a vinyl project.  I couldn't get a large vinyl project onto the surface straight.  After consulting the fabulous Silhouette School blog and seeing that the transfer tape with the graph lines on it can be used to help with alignment, I ordered some. It's the first transfer tape I've used that comes with a backing and lines.  I like it!

ECONOMY HOT MELT GLUE STICKS

I just recently received these in the mail and oh what a happy day!  While I haven't used them yet, I've admired them.  Why did I NOT search for bulk order hot glue sticks years ago?????  I ordered the smaller lot of 125 sticks for $25.  Now you may be thinking $25 seems like a lot.  I did the math.  Since Hobby Lobby charges $5 for a package of 8, it would have cost me $78.13 to buy 125 in their store!  I saved $50 over time buying online.  Game changer.  I use a lot of hot glue.

90lb WEIGHT PAPER

I wanted to make my own planner pages for my The Reset Girl A5 Ballerina pink planner and discovered that a premium weight paper choice for this is 90lb.  Since purchasing this paper, I have used it to print planner pages, front and back and then cut them out using my Silhouette Cameo.  I'm very pleased with the paper quality.

EBBO PRINTER INK CARTRIDGES

I call this my "knock off printer ink", but I mean no disrespect.  A few months ago I found this little gem of 15 ink cartridges for $22.  I am usually a highly skeptical person...a "you get what you pay for" type of person.  But my absolute hatred of buying ink at those ridiculous store prices drove me to risk it.  Like literally, printer ink prices are in my top 10 on my official Pet Peeve List (#1 is restaurants that make you wait when there are obviously tables available...I've been know to call them out on this practice...I digress).  So, I've used this for a few months...love it as much as anyone can love printer ink...will happily avoid getting taken to the cleaners by the stores from now on.

ROSE PETALS

Rose petals, Angela?  Yea.  I have an idea brewing in my head for a Valentine's doorscape.  I was going to use rose tops, but those are still a bit expensive for the amount I think I might need, and then I found 1000 rose petals for $8.  Yes please!

So, while I didn't intend for this to be an advertisement for Amazon Prime, I guess that's what it is.  Why?  Because if you've followed me for years, you know that I will tell you straight up if I like a product, store, or service or not.  When I find something that I think will benefit you, I want to share it.  So do yourself a favor, start ordering more of your craft supplies online.  Read the reviews.  And get Prime.  Then, you will be doing the happy dance just like me when you see your packages on your doorstep. 

Breakfast Area Accent Wall

Well crafters and decorators, we are one week away from Christmas Eve!  I can't believe it.  I have a mountain of presents to wrap.  Please tell me I'm not alone!

But before I get to present wrapping, I thought I would take some time to share my breakfast area.  A few months back I painted over the chalkboard calendar wall that I blogged about...for a few reasons.  1) I didn't take into account the texture of my wall.  It drove me crazy! You cannot write on it.  Or should I say, an OCD person cannot write on it.  2) I have yet to find a chalkboard pen that doesn't take FOREVER to remove. 3) We just didn't use it.  So, bye Felicia to the calendar and hello to the BLACK ACCENT WALL, which just happens to be chalkboard paint. 

Can we talk about the shelf my hubby made me?  I LOVE IT.  I used Dixie Belle Chalk Paint in Mint Julep followed by Annie Sloan clear and dark waxes.  Are you supposed to mix the two brands?  I don't know, but it's what I had laying around the house, and it turned out just fine.  That Mint Julep color reminds me of Jadite, which I have a small collection of.

Here's the paint I used for the wall.  I think I got it at Lowe's. 

Now I must admit that even I, who tells y'all that it's only paint, took a week or so to be certain that painting the wall black was something I could live with.  But now I really like it! 

Let's talk about the snow flurries, asterisks, doodles...whatever you want to call them.  Last week I was skimming through Instagram and came across a wall full of these little awesomes on Hotpinkstyle55's IG page.  I instantly loved it.  You can read her blog post HERE.  Perhaps I was also drawn to it because the design has a retro feel. While I don't decorate in mid-century modern, I have an appreciation for it and anything that reminds me of  "Mad Men".  Sigh, I miss that show....and Don...  Anyway, I followed the links to the free downloadable PDF with the design.  I saved the PDF, imported it into my Silhouette Design Studio Software, traced it and made a stencil. 

What material do I use to make my stencils?  I used this Grafix Clear Craft Plastic.  Check out this screenshot for the special cut settings I set up for this material.  I currently have the first addition of the Silhouette Cameo but have asked Santa for a Silhouette 3.  Fingers crossed.  I've been mostly good this year.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU HAVE TO CUT 2 SETS OF DOUBLE CUTS...WHICH MEANS YOU WILL CUT THIS A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES.

Do you want the cut file I created from Jill's PDF?  Good, because I thought I would share it.  Here is the SILHOUETTE STUDIO FILE.  Here is the SVG FILE.

After my stencil was cut out, I just placed it randomly on the wall and colored it in crudely with a regular piece of chalk.  I love the whimsical, wintery feeling I get looking at them on the black wall!  The texture of my wall works fine for something simple and seasonal like this, and since it's plain old chalk it should wash off easily.

I made the "MERRY" by using acrylic paint to paint  Paper Mache Letters from Hobby Lobby white, then painted red polka dots, outlined it all with a thick, black Sharpie and finally sealed it with a coat of polyurethane.  Easy.

Now make your own stencils and decorate!!!!

Angela Davis of Prettify Your Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com 

Episode 131: Summer Camp!

I have been getting my girls for camp this week, and it's EXHAUSTING!  I was into camp, so this is all new to me.  I had no idea it was SO involved....from the clothes to the costumes to the mail...  Anyway, I have totally broken in my Silhouette Cameo, and I LOVE it!  What took me so long?  The software is amazing and simple!  I have cut a ton of vinyl and heat transfer vinyl.  Addicted!!!

I first decorated their trunks.  The fonts are from http://www.dafont.com/.  Abigail is the "Hippie Movement" font, and Lucy is the "Heartland" font.  Everything except the megaphone was cut out using my Silhouette Cameo.  The megaphone is from my Cricut Expression.

Then I moved onto the shower caddies.  My husband bought these at the dollar store, and I used regular vinyl to label them.

I then decided to heat transfer vinyl a bow and headband I bought from Hobby Lobby.  I bought the image from the Silhouette library.  Remember to mirror your image if you are going to iron on an image.

And lastly, I decided to make welcome gifts for my girls and their cabin mates.  I found the camp logo online, imported it in the Silhouette software, traced the image, added "Summer 2014", mirrored it, cut it out of heat transfer vinyl and applied it to all the inexpensive pillowcases.

I then rolled up the pillowcases, put them in cute chevron gift bags I purchased at Hobby Lobby and tied a fabric marker and little message to it.  I hope the girls have fun signing each other's camp pillowcases and that they make great mementos for them!

Here is the quick video I made for my You Tube Channel:

All these ideas would translate well to birthday parties.  BUTTTT, I am super exhausted from a long day of packing and crafting.  So good night all!

Thanks for stopping by!

Take time to "Prettify Your Life"!!!