Homegrown Hospitality

DIY Blog Makeover 2012

It took me more than 18 (almost straight) hours to build this blog (I am not techy AT ALL) back in 2006 and now I am doing a little homegrown DIY "Trailer Park Martha" makeover so please excuse the slow pace.  You know that any DIY remodel takes time...and patience. 

You will start seeing a few changes here and there, additional sidebar buttons and notice a few things that are gone.  They are not gone, just under construction so please excuse the dust.  This morning I added a new Mixed Media Art Journal button

 a new "Welcome Button" 

a  "About Me" button 

and a "Doodle" button

and coming soon, the 2012 Homegrown Garden Project, Stitching Projects and a Online Classes buttons.  Thanks again for your patience...now I just need to get them all the same size....pray for me.

"Creating a life that reflects my dreams..Living a life that defines my Purpose"

The title of this post is part of my mission statement.

It is what I do. Create, Dream, Live (well, and laundry..) and is based around my purpose. Part of that purpose is that I share my creative passion and vision with others and in the process, I may be able to inspire others.

Today, I hope to inspire you to use what you have to create something else.  

Yesterday as I was cleaning up the flag block project, I lost focus (whoops) and happened to come across a project I had started creating a year ago (not kidding) and never finished (trying to work on that) 

This is a small file folder journal that was going to be a class once upon a time. The background of the file folders were painted using a baby wipe and paint and then a little neighborhood was created using many different patterned papers and Mod Podged on.  Poor little page sat like that for a whole year and never complained.

Yesterday, I grabbed my black Distress pen (that is really in distress because I have used it so much) and a blue Faber Castell chapstick looking paint thing (geez, I bet they would LOVE me for that amazing promo) and with in 10 minutes, my little neighborhood looked like it had been hit by Ty Pennington and the Extreme Home Make Over crew...

I am going to finish up this piece by adding these words:

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

So now, go create something from things you already have and enjoy the process!

Thank You , Part two

You should make one for your home sweet home to ring in the summer months, as a reminder of our freedom, in honor of those who have given their lives and for those who serve our country.

Here is what I did:

Start with a block of wood measuring 5" x 5 1/2" .  Wipe/dry brush cream paint lightly/roughly over the entire surface of the block of wood with a baby wipe, paper towel or dry brush.

Using dictionary paper or old book paper, scribble Distress marker ink, Distress stain or paint onto paper and water down with baby wipe or wet brush.  Do a sheet in red and another sheet in blue.  Let dry or dry with a heat gun.

Tear red paper into strips and the blue into a square and arrange on the block of wood 

Adhere with Mod Podge and then distress the papers using your finger tip. When Mod Podge is 99% dry, use a distress pen in brown and add lines of ink above and below red stripes. Using your finger again, smudge a little Mod Podge over pen lines and blend to get a rustic worn wood look.

Using a die or punch, cut a few stars from dictionary paper and adhere to the blue area using Mod Podge.  Repeat Distress pen steps with brown pen around stars.

Use a heat gun to dry project and then add one final coat of Mod Podge to seal.  Let dry and display proudly.

Now if you live somewhere othef than the USA, consider creating your countries flag adjusting the colors accordingly, of course, I mean, I know you know to do that....

oh, and should you have a few embellishments/chipboard words or heck, even words torns from paper, you could adhere them to this as well...

Happy Memorial Day

 

Thank You.

Renew..Reuse..Recycle..

Back in 2007 I came across a reproduction bingo set and actually used it as a prop for a layout for an issue of Holiday Home (2008) 

I am not sure what I ever did with the set, but I kept the wooden bingo balls and threw them in a jar with my Scrabble tiles knowing that one day I would use them for something.

This morning was "that day"

So with several different shades of red & green Ranger inks, Distress Pens, Mod Podge and good words torn from a book, I created this little set of life reminders.

and wanted to scream to anyone that would listen that "I love to make things from the things I already have"

Changing the World, Part Three

Being the home builder on my world was just as fun as I thought it would be.  I simply cut and stuck the way I wanted to without the stress or worry about what coordinated with what or how it looked to others.

What a concept...You should try it out.  I am going to do this more often.

Then I needed to add the thoughts.  I thought a little about hand painting the words, stamping the words or stenciling the words and then, out of the blue, I decided to scan some dictionary paper, add some text, print it out on "newsprint" paper, tear it out and stick it on.

For me (and if I may suggest it to others) to starting changing the world, whether it is a globe, your family, your community, your relationships, etc., stay centered in faith, focussed on your journey and then go for it..well, and remember, home is best.

and what am I going to do with this? You are wondering...

It is for sale, so if you are interested in owning the world, just email me.

Be The Change, Part Two

Working on changing the world with my art is a test of my patience.  When I started, I constantly wanted to skip past the first steps to get to the next. I wanted to do the fun stuff, not the labor intensive stuff (which consisted of Mod Podge and dictionary paper!)

Note to Self: I must lay down a solid foundation before taking the next step. 

It seemed that each time I thought I was finished, there was another spot that needed fixing, needed coverage, needed my attention. It was the longest process of changing the world and it tested my endurance.

Note To Self:  Stay focused on the task at hand. Don't always looks for the easy way out, a short cut or telling  myself  "I will finish it later"  Just keep going. 

Remember my "If you love something you lose the fear" post from last week ? Well, here is another example of walking the walk.  Once the foundation is down, it is time to take the next step, which can be scary, especially if you have spent alot of time forming that foundation.  That "scary" is just the devil sitting on your shoulder telling you that you might mess it up....

go for it.

Note to Self: I must have a little faith in myself and complete faith in God.  Use the skills and abilities that I was given by HIM to change the world.  That is exactly why I was given those gifts and really, it is my responsibility to use them. 

Another Note to Self: Once I rely on faith, it will carry me  far and I can confidently flick that little devil off of my shoulder with excessive force.

Now building and planting is the next step, which I am currently in the process of doing.  Another test of patience and endurance because I have a vision of what my world is going to look like BUT  I can not rush it.  Again. my steps are guided and I am confident so I know that whatever the outcome is, it will be okay.

To be continued.

Be The Change

I am going to change the world with my art. Now that sounds like more confidence than I have ever had, but I am going to do it.  In fact, I have already started.

I am inspired by this piece that I did a few years ago:

with the quote that reads:

"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home" Confucius

and the opportunity to change the world:

To be continued....

 

Coming Soon

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Trailer Park Martha's Home

This is the "Shead-Teau."  My studio & supply storage home sweet home nestled in our little backyard between our garden and patio. I have been spending a little time each day re-organizing and switching things around based on what I am working on right now.  

My buckets hang from the pegboard above the worktop and now hold markers, paint brushes, tools and watercolor pencils:

to the right of me, I have more jars than a canning factory full of this, that and the other and seem really cluttered but in fact I know right where to go when I need something

and behind where I stand is proof to myself that once upon a time I was a scrapbooker (geez, maybe I should put them somewhere better than in a stack, duh!)

to the left of my worktop is the most messy-perfect inspiration board 

in front of that inspiration board sits a two-tiered rod iron rack that is now the new home to my paint supplies

and a new little something I made this morning using Scrabble tiles from a jar, markers from a bucket, baby wipes from tier one of the paint supplies and some stamps. (of which are not picture but stored in the cabinet underneath my work surface)

Take a look at what you have and use it.  It is very rewarding to create something new from the things you already have.  It is why I refer to myself as "Trailer Park Martha"  We can all create amazing things like Martha Stewart, most likely with the things we already have laying around.