Embellished Purple Blouse
I really like this purple blouse and wanted to give it a new look. I realized that when I wear this purple blouse, I always wear it with black — be it a pair of black pants or a black skirt. The blouse has a nice texture so I thought it would look nice with some kind of black trim around the neckline.
Recently, I found some black trim that I thought would look very nice around the neckline. After I measured the trim and the neckline, I confirmed that I had more than enough trim to complete this project.
Once I pinned the trim onto the neckline, I started to sew it on the blouse. I loved that this was a quick and easy project to do. Including the time it took to pin the trim to the blouse, I was able to complete this entire project in one hour. I’m very happy with the results and how the trim gave my blouse a new look.
TIP: The back (top center) of the blouse has a one-button closure, which makes it easy to remove over my head. However, please keep in mind the type of trim you use to embellish articles of clothing made of stretch fabric, because when you have to pull a stretch sweater or blouse over your head to wear it, the trim should also be of an elastic type to be compatible with the fabric.
Embellished Purple Blouse
Closeup of Embellishment On Purple Blouse
Folk Art on Plaster Piggy Bank
This plaster piggy bank was very popular in the seventies and eighties and sold at plaster-craft shops throughout the states. This one had been painted with tempera paint and was looking a bit faded and dull. Before I painted it, I wiped it with a damp cloth and painted the whole piggy bank with a fresh coat of gesso.
Once the gesso was dry, I thought of a farm scene and decided to try painting something with a barn and animals. Once I got started with the farm scene, it was really fun and I ended up continuing a country theme all the way around the piggy bank. This piggy bank is one of many pieces on which I’ve painted folk art scenes. This piggy bank measures approximately 9 inches long, 5 inches tall and 15 inches round.
Folk Art On Piggy Bank Right Side
Folk Art On Piggy Bank Left Side
Folk Art On Piggy Bank Back Side
Folk Art On Piggy Bank Face
Paper Mache Fish
This fish is made of old newspapers and a few embellishments I had lying around the house. This is a simple and fun craft to make with children or just for the fun of recycling some old newspapers into your own art piece. I placed several sheets of newspaper on the table to prepare my work area. In a medium container, I made the standard paper mache paste made of flour and water (2 parts flour to one part water–until you get a pancake batter consistency) and added a dash of salt as a preservative. I then tore up several sheets of newspaper into medium sized pieces.
I made the fish core by crumpling some sheets of newspaper (using my hands) and forming them into the fish shape (as close as possible). I then started to dip the torn pieces into the paste mixture and started applying them onto the crumpled sheets to form the shape. At this point you can start shaping your fish to your preferred style. Once the fish shape dried, I used acrylic craft paints to paint the fish. The tail is made from a scrap piece of interfacing that I cut with my pinking shears and scissors, made a slit on the fish tail end and then slid the interface tail piece (with a little glue) into the fish tail end.
I glued on a half round marble for each eye and used fabric paint to draw around the eyes and mouth. I actually made four fish and painted them all in pretty bright colors, but I gave them all away and didn’t photograph them except for this one. Once you get started, it’s a simple and fun project to make. This makes a very lightweight piece which could also be hung with thread or you can make several smaller pieces and hang them as a mobile in a child’s room.
Paper Mache Fish
Fall Holiday Wreath
This wreath started out as a round, green wire bare frame I bought at a craft store. Along with the wreath, I also bought numerous springs of beautiful silk maple leaves and some floral wire. I cut the leaves off of the spring and wired individual leaves onto the wreath. The warm festive fall colors are very cheerful and versatile because they can be displayed from mid-September to Thanksgiving day (US).
Over the years, I’ve added different embellishments to form the wreath featured below. The pieces I added early on were the little scarecrow, little berries and a few fall flowers. Recently, I added the little pumpkin and small gourds. Over the years I’ve had fun adding embellishments to this wreath and although I’ve finished the wreath for now, I know that if I should find fun embellishments I like in the future, I can always swap them out because they are wired on. This is a simple wreath for anyone to make and you can re-use your favorite fall flowers or silk plants, and even some fun embellishments to make your own. A great time to pick up some of these fall items and embellishments is at the end of the holiday seasons.
Fall Holiday Wreath
Painting On Reclaimed Wood Frame
Last year I had the opportunity to make a painting for my niece’s wedding. She had the idea to use a framed picture big enough to set on a table with all the seating tags adhered to the face of the painting so guests could find their names and table number right from the picture. I told her I could draw some abstract examples for her on a smaller scale to see how she would like the different scenes. Because the wedding date was set for October, she told us that her wedding color theme would be right from the rich beautiful colors of fall. She chose gorgeous deep reds, warm browns and deep golds. She then described the setting of where the reception was to be held and the beautiful warm colors of the brick walls near the entrance. The entrance area had a long tall table upon which the painting would be set so I was immediately inspired to paint a warm subtle scene of a beautiful sky at dawn, the horizon and soft warm earth colors. I also pictured a large deep brown tree on the left with beautiful maple leaves in an array of bright fall colors. This would leave the entire space to the right of the tree to adhere the lists of names and table numbers.
My husband almost always prefers to use reclaimed wood to make his own frames for his paintings and likes then to be more rustic than perfect. Among the pieces of wood he used, he also used a small piece of wood from an old shelf on which we kept family pictures including some of when our niece was very young. When he completed the frame, he painted it in a deep brown color that complimented and beautifully set off the colors in the painting. Because the name and seating lists were to be taped to the painting, a glass was added to prevent damage. The painting measures 36″ x 40.” Our niece and her husband loved the painting so much, that the painting now hangs in their living room.
I Named The Painting New Beginnings
Reclaimed Wood Frame For The Painting New Beginnings