New Kitchen Wall Art

by The Big Sister

We've lived in our house for four years or so now and most of the walls remain white.  I'm slowly bringing life to our home but it's much scarier then some may think.  I blame my overly active brain - it brings a lot of ideas and design to the table but my ideas don't often mesh well together.  

Does anyone else suffer from an interior design identity crisis?  Do you change your interior design style as often as you change your socks?  Do you mix styles that only "a mother could love"?  

....random thought------------------->>> Have you ever seen the movie Cry Baby ?  The above picture has always reminded me of the character "Hatchet Face".   

...and back to business... I always wanted to go to school for interior design (what's stopping me?  ...excuses) and I'd imagine I break every rule every second of the day.  There is a serious "Sybil" design crisis happening here.  

So... my latest design "warm and fuzzy" is in the rustic / chic / modern /  eclectic / warm / upcycled  - FaMiLy.  What does that mean?  No clue.  

...and...as much as I love to post "new" content and ideas that are all mine.... I must give credit where credit is due! I have a few shout outs today as I share my latest kitchen wall update.  

I think most of you are familiar with The Graphics Fairy.  I've used her amazing graphics for many occasions so I knew it would be a great starting point for some inspiration.  I googled my tail off trying to find ideas for inexpensive printable DIY art.  I stumbled upon Twigs and Twirls' great use of the Graphics Fairy Dress Forms and fell in love!  I searched TGF's site looking for anything that could relate to my current style needs and I came up with ....

Chairs (by Graphics Fairy: Vintage Clip art French Chairs, Vintage Clip Art - Pretty Paris Tufted Chairs, Vintage clip art - Frenchy Chairs).

I took some serious inspiration from Twigs and Twirls Dress Form Wall Art (thank you!!)

Where did I start?

Do you remember these GUYS?

Did you know they started out looking like this?!

Are those sheds? porta-potties?

So, the latest modifications..

• Dry brushed the black frame to give it a more worn beachy look
• The background consists of old book pages
• Free printable chair graphics printed from The Graphics Fairy (cut and taped in the middle of the book pages)
• The End

I tested my new happy place out on a small wall in my kitchen and married a variety of styles together.  What are your thoughts?  Do they  make sense? 

Art (above) created by my niece, Karsyn

Thank you A Girl and a Glue Gun for your photo editing alternatives to Picnik now that it has shut its doors to us.  I took her recommendations and used PicMonkey in today's Post.  I don't mind it so far :)  

Thanks for reading!!

Round Sponge Brush Canvas Art

2 white canvases stared me in the face for months.  A Christmas gift miracle needed to happen but the inspiration wouldn't come.  I painted and re painted these suckers three times.

Thank you round sponge brush!  

You made my canvas look like I know how to paint!

Skill level: Easy

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Supplies: Canvas, round sponge brush, 

acrylic paint and spray paint.

Technique: dip the magic round sponge brush in paint and swirl.  I dipped the same brush into several different colors to get the highlighted look (until it became a brown mess)

***I lightly skimmed over the painted canvas with spray paint (white primer and light green) which muted the bright warm colors giving it a more antiqued look.

DIY Wall Art

There was a huge sale on canvases {at Hobby Lobby}. Of course I took advantage!  They sat naked until a recent idea came to me.  

Skill level: Moderate to Easy...

...if you can use a glue gun

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Supplies: Yarn, book pages, hot glue, acrylic paint 

(I used 3-4 colors), spray paint and Mod Podge.

 Step 1:  

Wrap yarn around the blank canvas in a grid like pattern - random and uneven (I thought I would glue the yarn down with paint dyed Mod Podge, however, it did not adhere to the canvas at all.  Hot glue did the trick!)

 

Step 2:

  Glue (Mod Podge) book pages atop the yarn and canvas to build a sturdy base.

Step 3:

 I don't have a picture of the next step - I used green spray paint to cover the book page covered canvas.

Step 4:

 Again, no picture - I strung hot glue vertically and horizontally...for what seemed like a lifetime.  
Layers and layers of hot glue.

Step 5: 

 I squeezed acrylic paint (color # 1) down the front of the canvas. I let the paint drip freely and dry outside.

Step 6:  

I dripped more acrylic paint down the front.

 Step 7:  

I goofed up a bit as the paint squirted out more then I would have liked (above).  Fix mistakes with the original spray paint color :)

I dripped white acrylic down the front - I ended up hating this layer and later toned it down with the original spray paint base color.

 

 

Step 8:  

I started to like what I was seeing but felt it was lacking.  Using book pages, I created a few different flower shaped templates ... 

...using the templates, I made several book page cut outs. 

 

Alternating the shapes, i layered the pages and stapled the middle to create these recycled flowers...

...then outlined the petals with blue paint. 

 Step 9:

I completed three paper flowers and glued them 

to the middle of the canvas.  

The End.

  

 

Dollar Store - Chic 'Rat' Wall Art

My house has turned into something similar to Santa's Workshop these days. Minus his little helpers and add 140 degrees! Corie's Halloween Desert Laboratory?

I've been busy making decorations and props for my Sister's Halloween Party. This is serious business. So serious that I've been summoned for a mandatory business meeting 2000 miles away!! I'm super excited to brainstorm in person and put some plans into motion.

I'll be packing this rat trio in my luggage to be displayed on my sister's wall (if she lets me!)

What you'll need:

• Trays from the Dollar Store


• Black Spray Paint


• Dollar Store Silhouette Cut-Outs


• Green Spray Paint


• String/Ribbon


• Hot Glue
  

Spray the trays black - I used high gloss

Tape the rats down to the cardboard and spray them with several light layers of green paint (let paint dry in between layers otherwise the paper gets too wet and will curl up)

After all of the paint dries, tape/glue the green rats to the center of each tray.

Hot glue ribbons on the back of each tray for hanging.

Linking up to

Canvas Makeover

Several months ago I wanted to create wall art using recycled magazines and an old canvas. The final product didn't turn out exactly as I anticipated (I thought by gluing yarn across the canvas would give it an added dimension however, the cute little owls are now in jail) Ugh.

Instead of throwing my efforts away I thought I'd give it a second chance.



I started by mixing Mod Podge with several drops of black paint and covered the canvas with old book pages to create a smoother base.

It's not easily seen in this picture but I dripped hot glue up and down the canvas. Trying to create the look of dripping blood.

Cover the hot glue and canvas with black spray paint.

Starting from the top I dripped red paint down the canvas - the messier the better (I've found some paints are thicker then others - the runnier the better in this case so you may need to thin the paint out slightly with a few drops of water)


Repeat the step with black paint (this is quite messy so make sure you have cardboard or a drop cloth below the canvas)

Glue plastic spiders to the front of the canvas and voilà!

An inexpensive Halloween piece of art!

A little known fact ~ I'm terribly arachnophobic so I had a very hard time handling these plastic spiders...


Linking up to :Success U Party @ The Stuff of SuccessCheck out the other parties I'm linking to Here

Thrifty Wall Art - re do

Before:

 

CHECK IT OUT

After:

What was used for the re-do:

• The green background is made of solid colored scrapbook paper
• Wooden Letters  from a previous art project
• Cut out letters are from an Express advertisement

I've linked up with:

• Making Monday Marvelous @ C.R.A.F.T. 
• I made the world cuter today @ Making the World Cuter
• Saturday night special @ Funky Junk   
• Check out the other parties I'm linking to Here