Happy Thanksgiving!!!

As we all prepare for Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share this unbelievable DIY Thanksgiving Art Project by Roeschel at DIY ShowOff!!! I'll be looking at thrift store art from a different perspective now.

Thx Roeschel for opening up my eyes to a new decorating recycling idea!

On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment - halftime!!!  Author Unknown

From our home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving....

Heather

Wedding Garter For Laura

If you have been following my blog, you may remember the Wedding Wish Tree that I created for my 'niece' Laura's.  I also offered to design a wedding garter set for her, including a garter that she would wear and one for her to toss that was old, new, borrowed and blue.

The vintage rhinestone earrings are old and blue, and the dupioni silk and stretch lace are brand new. Laura borrowed my heart while I was hand stitching her garter....

I used Singer Lace Flat Stretch  11/4" that provided the exact amount of stretch for the garter.

 

I hand-stitched 3 delicate rosettes from 100% Dupioni silk for the bride's garter and 3 smaller rosettes for the toss garter.  I then adhered icy blue vintage rhinestone earrings to the bride's garter.  Laura was thrilled and I was honored to gift them to her.

Perfect for the bride-to-be!

Let me know what you think....

Music, Santas and Recycled Frames

I tend to hold onto framed artwork for whatever reason and while preparing for Christmas, I thought I'd create new artwork from my old for my dining room.  As I shuffled through my collection of old art, I stumbled upon these somewhat dated pieces of art with wonderfully ornate carved frames.

Notice the leopard needlepoint area rug beneath the pictures!!!

I was inspired by so many of the lovely holiday images on Graphics Fairy  and decided to incorporate backgrounds of Christmas music as well as my two vintage Santas. I copied two different sheets of music onto a textured cardstock and then transferred my Santas onto the sheet music. 



I removed the current artwork and touched up the frame's intricate detail with Antique Gold Rub 'n Buff.  If you have never used Rub 'n Buff, you have to try it!!!  Rub 'n Buff comes in 16 lustrous wax-metallic finishes that are perfect for antiquing, stenciling and other craft projects and it lasts forever.  You can literally apply it with your finger and just rub it on. 

My Santas now sit proudly in my dining room surrounded by my antique bottle brush Christmas trees.

Let me know what you think... 



Come see me at these wonderful parties.

Holiday Craft Party @ Censational Girl

Homemade Projects @ TipJunkie

Brag Monday @ The Graphics Fairy

Creative Bloggers @ Homemaker On A Dime

Made By You Monday @ Skip To My Lou

Just Something I Whipped Up @ Girl Creative

Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle

Newbie Party @ DebbieDoos

It's Creative Me Monday @ The Southern Institute

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Meet Me Monday http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com/
2011 Christmas Home Tour @ The Inspired Room
Mad Skills Party @ Mad In Crafts

Motivated Monday at Be Colorful

Making the World Cuter Monday at Making the World Cuter

More the Merrier Monday at DIY Home Sweet Home Project

Savvy Homemade Monday at Home Savvy A to Z

Tutorials and Tips Tuesday at Home Stories A to Z

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

It's A Party on Thursday at A Creative Princess

Show and Share on Thursday at Southern Lovely

Open House Party Thursday at No Minimalist Here
Remodelaholic's Anonymous at Remodelaholic

Addicts (not so) Anonymous on Friday at Addicted 2 Decorating

Inspiration Friday at At the Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming







Wrapping YULE Love

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. 

Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur 

SchemeEvents.com

(Surprise, surprise...this isn't me wrapping presents!!!)

I can’t remember when I began to appreciate how a gift was wrapped.  I do remember my mother teaching me how to wrap a present, folding the paper's seam under on the bottom of the package and neatly turning in the ends to finish it off.   I remember how excited I was seeing the pretty packages with bows and ribbons sitting under the tree on Christmas morning.  My mother was Martha Stewart before Martha Stewart....

A beautifully wrapped present shows how much you care.  'Tis the season for taking a little extra time to wrap presents for the special people on your gift list.  Small personal touches make the wrapping as memorable as the gift inside.

I stumbled upon A Gift Wrapped Life  when I first started blogging and couldn't believe what blogger Sande Chase created with paper and ribbons.  Sande's blog is a must read for everyone who appreciates beautiful things.  "From the simple to the spectacular, I hope my world of gifting will inspire you to give beautifully." Sande Chase   And it does....

From craft paper tied up with multiple torn silk ribbons to a fluffy hair scrunchie tied up with velvet to reused Kate Spade and Tiffany boxes, Sande Chase gift wrapping style is amazing.  Here are just a few samples of her stunningly wrapped presents.



  



Unique DIY wrapping ideas can be found everywhere, from elegantly wrapped gifts to eco-friendly alternatives to ways to incorporate greenery, ornaments, vintage elements and luxurious ribbons into your designs.  Here are a few beautifully wrapped presents from around the internet to give you inspiration this holiday season.



Fancythatonline.net





FancyHouse



Heather Bullard

Grapevines Invitations

Jenn Playford

The Happy Home Blog

This Old House

Crafty Stylish

LivingGreenSolutions

Caligraphybyjenn



DoLifeSimplied



Delish.com



JoMalone Regifted





Throughout the years, I have become more conscious of reycling and repurposing when wrapping and with that, more creative.  I recycle gift bags from year to year and I also like to make the gift a part of the wrapping by using tea and gift towels, scarfs and storage boxes.  It is an eco-friendly alternative that guarantees to be a one-of-a-kind gift under the tree. 

I continue to color-code my gift wrapping by assigning a color or design to each family member.  It makes it much easier to find gifts under the tree and somehow, Mom knows what Santa has wrapped each person's gifts in!!!  Using complementary colored wrapping creates an elegant look under your tree at least until Christmas morning....

Just remember, imagination is the key to creative gift wrapping and when beautifully wrapped, any gift can be so much more than the sum of its parts.



Karen Appleton

Visit Larissa Hill "Wrap It Up" Pinterest for more creative gift wrapping ideas....



IT'S PARTY TIME



Thrift Queens

Like most people who craft, repurpose, refinish, paint, recycle etc., I enjoy thrifting with friends.  Recently, Shari of  Swinging On A Star Creations and I headed out to Thrift King in Jeanette, Pa.  I first learned of Thrift King on a blog that I happened upon.   After reading the blog post, I needed to find out if we had one in our area.  Well, let’s just say that Shari and I went on a bit of a trip, with a few detours as true Thrift Queens always do.

So, after driving and stopping a few times, we finally arrived.  Unfortunately, Shari nor I are old enough to take advantage of the Senior Day savings!!!

There were aisles upon aisles of finds waiting to be discovered and they continually restock the shelves.  I was pleasantly surprised how clean and orderly the store was, and the staff was extremely helpful and pleasant.  Below are a couple of photos of the furniture section and check out areas...spotless!

Thrift King delivered on pricing for these two Thrift Queens as well.  Below are just a few of my finds that I am planning on refinishing and repurposing. 



 

Cost of a Day of Thrifting - $23.38

Thrifting with Shari - Priceless

Saved By Love Creations Blog Hop

Thrifty Decorating



Etsy Inspiration & Giveaway - Winterberry Cottage

Welcome to  Winterberry Cottage ..... 

 AmyLynn of Winterberry Cottage creates lovely images on vintage book pages to decorate your space.

AmyLynn's imaginative print combinations are created from recycled music and dictionary pages and incorporate vintage inspired elements.  Her designs range from Alice In Wonderland themes, Paris inspired silhouettes, sea worthy portraits, floral, beautiful butterflies and birds and so much more.   Winterberry Cottage's selection of images is endless and you are sure to find a number to suit your design needs. 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and these pilgrim children and turkey would complete any fall inspired themed dining room.

      

Her delightful vintage Santas range from  Santa delivering gifts, Making His List and Checking His List to see Who is Naughty or Nice...

And, AmyLynn has taken this art form to a new level incorporating vintage atlas pages in combinations with hot air balloons, sailboats, automobiles and so many more transportation silhouettes and maps.

   



You will be amazed at AmyLynn's selection of unique upcycled art that she has created and even more amazed at her pricing. 

As part of Etsy Inspiration & Giveaway, Winterberry Cottage is offering a $25 gift certificate for her shop of fabulous prints to the winner.  

Just visit Winterberry Cottage  etsy shop and find your favorite designs. Then come back to Larissa Hill Designs and post a comment letting me know which one, two or three of her unique upcycled art print designs you like best. I guarantee you will have a difficult time selecting your favorites because each and every design is so wonderful.

You must be a subscriber to Larissa Hill Designs to be eligible for the giveaway.

Good luck!!!

Repurpose Thursday - Crewel Pillow

Like many DIYer's, I love perusing flea markets, antique stores, Goodwill and the list goes on.  Shari of Swinging On A Star Creations and I have been doing this together for years.  We actually call it "Junk-tiquing".  Recently Shari and I visited one of our favorites, Trader Jacks in Pittsburgh. 

We tend to look for different things.  Shari is an artist extraordinaire and I am tend to look for pieces of furniture that I can restyle.  We often spot items for one another and generally share lots of laughs.

Well, on this visit, I spotted this great piece of vintage crewel artwork.  It was in perfect shape and a steal at $8!!!  Here it sits at my doorway after our wonderful day of junk-tiquing. 

Although it was a bit yellowed around the edges, the crewel work was in perfect shape and I just knew it would become a pillow in my family room.  Once I removed it from the frame, all I needed to do was press it and find a perfect pillow size insert. 

And here it sits in my husband's favorite chair!

Let me know what you think....and please become a follower to see what is Repurposed on Thursday!