How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Scientists may never know the answer to this tongue-twisting question, but we do know one thing about wood: woodworkers worldwide are working hard to turn wood into wonderful works of art.
Hello my people! How is your Summer going? Can you believe we have just about a month left before school starts again? I honestly thought we'd be spending much more time on the road than we have, but then I realized that most of our reasons for traveling so much in the past has been to attend get-togethers and events with my family here in Utah, but now we don't have to! It's been pretty surreal to be so close to so many of my siblings and their families, aunts and uncles and cousins, etc, and we've already seen them more in the last few months than the last several years combined at least. The kids especially love having over 20 of their cousins right here around us, and with so many exciting and new things to do as well we are pretty contented staying right here:) Less time driving has meant extra intentional family time going on hikes, making treats, swimming at the pool, etc. Personally, I've loved the time to catch up on house projects and getting more settled into our place, and today I've partnered with 3Form Home to share 3 simple DIY projects that I did all in under an hour using Sola Felt Tiles! I was really intrigued when I first heard of Sola Felt Tiles and the endless possible uses, but I knew I was sold when I read that every box of 6 12x12 tiles is made with 50% recycled post-consumed plastic materials, and contains the equivalent of a 24 case of single-use water bottles. How cool is that! We throw away many millions of plastic bottles every day, and I'm so happy to support a company that is turning that waste into something so useful and beautiful. The tiles look soft and feel like wool, they function like a sturdy corkboard, and they attach securely to any clean flat surface with peel and stick adhesive on each corner. The squares are totally configurable with 15 colors to choose from and 6 different shape designs that you can mix and match all you want, or you can purchase one of their cute pre-configured packages. Now I'm going to quickly show you how I created our Paint Tube Organizer, the White Mood Board of my dreams, and a simple and beautiful Necklace Rack. MOOD BOARD Time spent: This project took about 15 minutes, 5 for the tiles and 10 for collecting inspirational pieces. Supplies: - For the mood board, I used 6 of the 'Cross' tiles in the color 'Zinc' - a pack of push-pins or tacks - old magazines or photos, etc that you want to put on your inspiration board. Other ideas could be small artwork, printed quotes or photos, pages from a book, sentimental items, flowers or other pieces of nature, washi tape, pieces of fabric, paint swatches, ribbon, etc. STEP 1: The first step is taking your tiles out of the box and arranging them on the floor in the design you want, then holding a tile or two up on the wall to decide height placement. (Tip: marking lightly with a pencil would be super helpful for a larger design) STEP 2: Next, peel off the paper tabs covering the adhesive tabs on the corners of your first tile and use a level (I used the app on my phone) to make sure you have it straight before pressing it firmly on each corner to secure it to the wall. STEP 3: Once you have the first tile in place, it takes only a couple minutes to peel and stick the other tiles around the first, lining them up snuggly together so the seams disappear completely. STEP 4: Lastly, you can get creative in gathering your materials for your inspiration board, but I simply took some clippings out of a few old magazines for my first go at it. Just make sure that you put up photos and words etc that speak to you and make you feel whatever mood you're going for (i.e. peaceful, motivated, happy, fierce, etc), just have fun with it! xo -------------------------------------- PAINT TUBE ORGANIZER Time spent: about a half hour including attaching all the binder clips to the tubes. Supplies: - For the organizer, I used 6 of the 'Parallel' style tiles in the color 'Cashmere'. - 1 pack of push pins - 1 pack of small binder clips - 1 pack of medium binder clips Set-up: Repeat the same steps as for unpacking and placing the tiles as with the mood board, then I gathered all my paint tubes together and put the binder clips on all of the tops. Place your rows by starting with the top row, then the bottom row (for symmetry), and then fill in the middle as evenly as possible! Side-note: When I first ordered the tiles I was pretty confident that my big tubes wouldn't hold up, but when they arrived I was happily surprised at how dense and strong they actually were and even my big full tubes hold up awesome! -------------------------------------- NECKLACE RACK Time spent: This one took under 10 minutes from start to finish! Supplies: - For the rack I used 3 of the '4 Square' tiles in the color 'Nickle'. - 1 pack of push pins Set-up: Once again you'll repeat the same steps as for unpacking and placing the tiles, except after placing my first two tiles one on top of the other, I cut along the indentation on the third and added one half securely to the right of both the top and the bottom tiles, being careful to put the clean edge on the outside. After that, it's just staggering your push-pins wherever you want and placing your jewelry:) And that's all for today! I really hope you enjoyed these simple little DIY's and that you're inspired to try out the tiles in your own home, and if you are you can use the code: FIRST30 on the website HERE for 30% off for the first 30 people! and free shipping :) I've already decided I need to order more to do a command station in our home office, bulletin boards in the kid's rooms, an art display in the craft room, maybe some sound barrier panels in the music room, and the list goes on. You can't beat buying a product that is so versatile and beautiful that's also helping to make such a difference in pollution. As always let me know if you have any questions, I'm curious to know which project you like the most? Thanks so much for visiting loves, xoxo
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My first studio space after college was the corner of the living room in my Atlanta apartment on Collier Road. My designated space had beige walls we weren’t allowed to paint, carpeted floors, and measured approximately 5 ft by 5 ft. Since then I’ve rented studio space in two different Atlanta locations, and four in North Carolina before moving into the space I have now. There was the Goat Farm, where I rented a third of a plywood-walled room with no windows (shared with a photographer friend and a playwright who I rarely saw), a lovely place in Roswell where I occupied the front sixth (approximately) of an open concept co-working space, the light-soaked sunroom in my first NC rental home, the studio on King Street where I met my friend Emma, and the next couple studios on the second story of a historic downtown Brevard building with no heat or AC, where Emma and I continued to be studio neighbors before both moving our studios to our own homes. While each space came with its own quirks, charms, perks, decor choices, and frustrations, after inhabiting all eight (!) studios, I’ve zeroed in on a few simple things that make ANY studio, regardless of size or quirk level, feel inviting, functional and conducive to creativity. And if you’re new to the habit of getting creative, I have something to help you with that, too. Now, on to setting up your studio… View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize 1) The first thing I recommend setting up is some kind of tiered cart. This can be as tall or tiny as you need it to be, but a place to store your paints, brushes, and any other medium you use is essential. Having the cart on wheels is especially helpful if you are working in a space that doubles as a living area or guest room, and your studio needs to be consolidated or tucked away regularly. If you need help choosing the paints, tools, and materials to stock your cart, check out my Materials Guide. 2) The second element of a functioning studio is a table. I use a stainless steel table which has plenty of room for my palette, most frequently used paints, a few brushes, and whatever small painting I’m working on at the time. If you’re carving out a space at home, try setting up a card table you won’t worry about getting messy, or if you don’t have the space, spread a canvas or vinyl drop cloth over your kitchen/dining table and roll your paint cart right up next to you when it’s time to get to work. 3) Third, you need a chair or stool. I use a stool when I’m painting larger canvases since I’m roughly the same height sitting on a stool as I am standing, and can easily transition between the two depending on how much physical movement is required for the actual painting process. This might sound ridiculously obvious, but I’ve had studios without an actual chair in it, and there’s something that’s an inherent bummer about getting tired and having to sit directly on a concrete floor (that may or may not have wet paint on it) instead of on a chair. These next two are optional depending on the scale of your paintings. If you only paint small and on paper, you might not want an easel, and likewise if you are limited on space, there’s no need to set up a shelving system. 4) If you paint on canvas or panel and have the space, I recommend using an easel. Easels can be small, one foot tall tabletop easels, or they can be eight foot tall pieces of furniture requiring a space of their own. The key benefit is that they elevate paintings to eye level so you’re not constantly straining your neck. In that first apartment corner, my “easel” was two level nails in the wall I hung canvases on to paint. One fateful day I stumbled into the Blick store on 7th and Peachtree and in the back of the dimly-lit sale section was the nicer version of the easel I wanted but was too expensive at the time, heavily discounted and ready for immediate sale. I’ve been using that easel ever since. 5) Lastly, if you have a space carved out for your creative practice that is relatively stable (not something you have to break down and put away after each painting session), shelving is a simple element of a studio that will immediately make you ten times more organized. I have a set of wire utility shelves from Target that store all my packing envelopes, pads of paper, small canvases, extra paints, power tools, canvas scraps, you name it. These are the things that accumulate as you develop a more regular painting practice, but can make your space feel cluttered and distracting. Just a set of utility shelves (small or tall) to store it all works wonders in keeping your studio organized. These are the five things I have in my studio that make all the difference. The key to a functional studio space is having a place for everything, and if it’s at all possible leave your space set up!!! Half the battle is getting out your materials and setting up your space, so if there’s anywhere you can leave your paint cart, have a few shelves, and keep a canvas at arms reach, by all means carve out that space and make it your own! If your studio currently looks a lot like my first studio (a corner of a shared space), start by focusing on those first three simple elements: a paint cart, a table, and a chair. You likely have at least two out of three already, and it’s all easy enough to break down and re-assemble if you’re unable to leave your creative space in tact from day to day. Do you have a studio space you’re working from? Even if it’s just a spot at the kitchen table? Let me know! Click HERE for a downloadable PDF with the 5 Elements to make your studio space functional & inviting. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SOMEONE CREATIVE LIKE YOU: - Six Steps to Kickstart Your Own Creative Practice -- My Top 5 Essential Studio Tools -- 15 Sketchbook Prompts -
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This weekend I celebrated my birthday with lots of fun activities. Part of the weekend included crafting with my sisters and making these adorable paper dolls inspired by Claudine Hellmuth. We met at a wonderful art store in Marin called Once Around, and they allowed us to use their classroom to make these dolls as a private class. My sister, Diana, helped coordinate the event - she made the samples for us and provided many of the supplies - thank you Dee! If you're ever in Mill Valley, make sure to check out this store called Once Around - it's very cool! Prior to the crafting event we had a wonderful lunch at Blue Barn at Corta Madera, one of my favorite spots for lunch... Picture of me & my sisters and my niece Natalie On Friday, I took the day off and spent some time in Petaluma antique shopping and also taking a class from Eileen Hull at Cathe Holden's amazing barn. Below are a few shots from her barn. Cathe Holden and I My sister Maryl and teacher Eileen Hull What great inspiration for redoing my craft room someday! Cathe you've collected some amazing pieces and your barn is a dream...love it all! Here's a picture of the project I made in the class. We used a Sizzix die to cut out the cover and pages. Thank you Eileen for a fun and inspiring class! Another nice bday surprise was being published in the Oct/Nov/Dec issue of Somerset Life. One of my recent necklaces that I constructed from several necklaces was featured. Thank you friends and family for all the bday wishes and thoughtful and generous gifts! It was a wonderful weekend of celebrations!
