Prepping for my Craft Show!

I am very excited (& super nervous) that the craft show I entered is only 1 month away.  Today I spent time painting parts of my display, including these cute signs.  I'm going to use them to label the different banner and tag sections on my table (i.e. "Birthday," "Baby," etc.)  I think the little border around the signs helps to tie everything together (I used the same colour paint for other parts of my display) while still leaving plenty of room for writing.

I got all my supplies from Michael's, except for the liquid chalk marker.  My friend gave it to me - and it's so much better for writing on these signs than regular chalk.

Step 1: Paint the edges of the sign with regular paint.  Do 2 coats and let dry.

Step 2: Use the painter's tape to create a nice, neat border around the edge.

Step 3: Paint with the chalkboard paint.  Let dry between coats.  You're supposed to do 2 coats, but I did 3 for extra durability.  I want to be able to use these signs again and again.

Step 4: Let dry, then peel off the tape.  All done!  Look how pretty!

Plate Mosaic

Good morning!  How is everyone's weekend going?  I was in clean-up mode all day yesterday.  It was a lot of work, but the results are worth it.

As I was dusting, I snapped a pic of this mosaic I had made probably about 8 years ago.  I don't usually keep my own crafts displayed for so long, but this one is special to me.  Plus, the design and colours are timeless.  It pretty much goes well with everything I place around it and I haven't gotten tired of it yet.

If you want to make your own, this is what you will need:  plates (I got all mine from thrift stores - make sure you get ones that are not too thick or you will have a hard time breaking them up), tile snippers, a hammer, plastic bags, strong mosaic glue (also called mosaic cement), grout, rags, and a piece of wooden board (mine is about 18" x 18").

Step 1: Place each plate into a plastic bags and twist the end so your plate pieces don't go flying. Use the hammer to break the plates into manageable pieces.  Do this outside or a concrete floor so you don't destroy anything.

Step 2: Use the tile snippers to snip the plates into smaller pieces.  This step can be pretty hard.  You might want to wear work gloves to protect your hands.

Step 3: Start spreading your glue on the board.  Work with just one small area at a time so that you can be thoughtful in your placement of the pieces.  Generally speaking, the pieces should kind of fit against each other  - like a puzzle - but with small gaps that you can fill with the grout.  Let dry.

Step 4:  Once the pieces are dry, start spreading your grout around and on top of the pieces.  This is where you will need to multi-task.  Have a wet rag nearby so that you can wipe grout off the pieces while you fill in the gaps.  Grout can also be scraped and wiped off once it's dry - but it's a bit more difficult.

Let everything dry and then enjoy your new mosaic.  I hope you enjoy yours as long as I've been enjoying mine.

Memo Board DIY

I decided to make a little memo board for myself. It sits on my desk and is the cutest spot for business cards that come in the mail.

You will need: Wooden picture frame, paint (I used Martha Stewart's chalkboard paint 'cause I'm a little obsessed with that right now), fabric, tiny clothespins, glue, and any type of embellishment. My embellishment is a fabric flower that I made last weekend.

Step One: Take apart your frame and paint it. If you're using chalkboard paint, follow the instructions and do two coats. Let dry.

Step Two: Cut your fabric to size. Insert it behind the glass of the frame.

Step Three: Decorate the frame with your pretty embellishment(s).

Step Four: Glue the clothespins to the front of the glass. Use as many or as few as you like.  Imagine having a bigger picture frame...you could glue tons of little clothespins all over and fill it with pictures, posters, shopping lists, anything at all.

That's it!  All done!  Now give your memo board a place of honour and fill it up.