Ch-ch-ch-changes

We have lived in our home for just over five years.  For the most part, the house needed very little changes before we moved in.  It was a new house, only 6 years old at the time, and even though it was a foreclosure the previous owner had kept it in great shape.

Just some cleaning, a new dishwasher and stove and some window coverings...we were good to go.

A few months after moving in, we did some re-painting...not much, just a few rooms.  A bedroom (which was an awful shade of Pepto-Bismol pink), a dark burgundy bedroom (so dreary) and a couple bathrooms (I love crisp white bathrooms).

Otherwise, we have lived with the previous owners color scheme...which is very, uuuuuuu-m, warm and festive?

I love orange, I do...but I counted 7 varying shades of it...hallways, dinning room, family room, guest-suite bath, powder room, master bedroom, laundry room...seven.  Seven.  Different.  Variations.

Basically every single room in the house is a different color...and most are high gloss...

Five years ago...it was a nice change from our very small, mostly white previous house.

Five years later...I'm ready to change.

So I have a few re-decorating ideas in mind...but I want to show the "before" pictures...

(Disclaimer:  These pictures were taken in the classic "before" spirit, with no make-up, all pout-faced, and pimples showing...In other words, I was too lazy to tidy up beforehand)

Starting with the Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom

And the Kitchen

And Powder Room

And the Foyer

then...moving on to the Porch  (I love this space...one of my favorites)

The Dinning Room

The Living Room

The Family Room

There are a few other spaces that might need a little decorating and sprucing up here and there...but, mostly just paint.

We will eradicate the orange one room at a time.

Hello Tomorrow!

I have been telling myself for months (about 24 months) to get back here and check in...but, just as it is so easy to do, I said, "tomorrow".  Well...

"Hello, Tomorrow!"

So, after two years and two-hundred and seventy six days...how are you? 

Me, I'm doing good...workin' hard, livin' life and craftin' as much as I can!  As far as family-life goes (human, feline and canine) we've had our ups and downs, hellos and tearful good-byes...but each day is a treat, and usually good for a few belly laughs.

Hello, Joe!

 

I've seriously slowed down on the paper-crafting front.  I still check in on my fav paper-crafters to see what's up...and what's new, but I haven't done much more than an occasional card and odd little mini-album.

Christmas Cards...with springy-moving reindeer

I have gotten back into my sewing groove, though...big time!

Faux Cathedral window Christmas Quilt

Quilts, pouches, pillows, handbags, towels, totes, place mats...and baby shoes (for my friends first grand-daughter)!

For Loralai's tiny toes

 

Ruffled Towels and Potholders

...if it involves thread and needle, I'm in!

French Knot Sheep Zippered Pouch

 

I am buying clothing fabrics and patterns like I actually had confidence to make them.

Please don't judge me...

...it's an addiction!

I have as many started quilts...

All labeled and ready to go...

as I have finished...and enough fabric to comfortably, and warmly, cover Northern California in quilts!

A Quilt for Trish

Oh, and Spring-cleaning is slowly evolving into a bit of a re-decoration of our house! I am drunk with Pinterest decorating ideas and how-tos!  Bring on the tiffany-blue, shabby-chic, retro, suburban-county, modern-urban, Ikea-hacked, palletted hand-made vintage upcycled decor!  I have a glue-gun and paint brush...I can handle anything!

middle column, third row...do we have a winner?

So...check back, if you are still there, I'll be back with all my grand ideas!

Summer Card Camp...Week 3

Another week over at Summer Card Camp...and another set of colors...



I love this palette! It just whispers romance!

I broke out another swapped stamped image from my friend...colored it with my Prismacolor Art Markers...trimmed it out and made it the center piece of the card.



All the papers used are plain cream cardstock with a lovely linen texture...and utilizing a technique video from Penny Black's blog...I made the cardstock match this week's class palette...and my flowers.



I am just in love with the texture of this cardstock...it took to the Distress Inks (aged mahogany, walnut stain, tea dye) like a duck to water!



So inky and oh so much fun!

Summer Card Camp...Week 2

This week's color scheme for Card Camp...calls for more sunshine and happy summer thoughts!



I immediately thought of the cute stamped image that my friend sent me...and really, what says summer more than Strawberries!



The papers are from Echo Park (yellow), Creative Memories (green) and Scenic Route (plaid) ...and the letters are from American Crafts...I don't know who made the stamp, sorry, I wish I knew...it's just adorable! Like I said, it was sent to me in a swap with a friend...

(If we are lucky, she will pop over here and leave a note in the comments letting us all know who made the stamp....)



Any-whoooo....I colored the image using Prismacolor Art Markers, trimmed her out with an Exacto knife and popped her up!



And finished the card off with a bit of faux-stitching in white with my all time fav pen...Uniball Signo!

I have oodles more scraps to go through...and a bunch of new card sketch ideas (all part of the card camp!)...so I'm off to get creative!

~TTFN!

Happy Independence Day!

I'm off celebrating, swimming, eating and relaxing with my family...

I hope you are too!

Happy 4th of July!

...And Oodles of Coloring!

Here are a couple of cards I made semi-recently...both with colored images (I am really on a roll here!)

This one was for Jon's birthday...


It is a 5 1/2" square card...I am really liking square cards lately. I used a bunch of scraps from my scrap bucket...making sure they all matched with the little colored text scrap...and the stamp is from Penny Black.

And I'm sure Penny Black has a official name for this little cat...but I like to refer to her as Fat Bonnie (sorry Bonnie...I mean that in the most loving way!)

"Yeah...whatever! It's all fur!"

I stamped the image twice so I could fussy-cut the little paws and pop them up off of the card...and add the kite string under her paws!


I borrowed my friend Trish's stamp for this card...

And even raided her scrap bucket for the papers...


I like the look of having the colored images popped up for dimension...it really makes them stand out...

Well, I better get back to task...I am finishing up a big travel scrapbook for my parents' trip to the British Isles last year...and I want to give it to them when I see them tomorrow for Independence Day...

Image Swap...and Oodles of Coloring!

Way back in April I did a stamped image swap with my friend Tracy...

I haven't finished coloring in all of the images that she sent me...and only one has made it onto a card...but I'm working on them...

I have organized all of my art markers in a little travel bag. I marked the end of each pen with the color number so they are easy to find. I use Prismacolor markers...and well, the color on the marker label leaves a lot to be desired...as does their numbering system. Copic's really have that head over heels above Prismacoclor..but at this stage in the game (73 markers into it!) I don't want to put the money into switching to Copics...

My color chart and carry case are working pretty good...and I have colored in several of the images from the swap...


I adore these little cuties...I trimmed them out individually thinking they would look good 'popped' off the front of a card...

I am also in the process of trimming out these strawberries...


...and these roses...I think the roses should go on a card with some antique-y text behind them...



I don't know how this card will be put together...but I think I will make something to send to my friend Irene...I just think she would really like this image...

And here is one of the Magnolia girls...I see them all over the card-scape and have been wanting to try one out...

This one will probably make it onto a card fro my sister-in-law Kerry...I think of her every time I look at it...


These are the tiniest little bits-o-sweetness..there were actually five images, but one made it onto an Easter card for my mom...so actually, I guess I have made two cards from the swapped images (but I don't have a picture of that card...sorry!)

Okay...so enough typing...back to coloring!