How to Decorate a Camper

I wrote this post back in July about a great red-white-and-blue decorating scheme for a camper. I had never seen a camper decorated so beautifully!
It's been one of my most popular posts and I just happened to have come across more great ideas like these:

"Dorothy" designed by Sarah Pratt





























Goldilocks & The Three Bears, designed by Mark & Joe Stead


















Pleasantville by Liam Mooney





















These are Airstream campers that are available at The Grand Daddy's Airstream Penthouse Trailer Park. I did a quick conversion of the $945R to US Dollars: it's about $108.84 per night and up, depending on the season. Hmmm....Cape Town anyone?

Creative Solution: Inspiration Wall

As if this wallpaper wasn't a great idea all by itself!
Alenka Wagenaar (aka Kitty) took this already-great idea of picture-frame wallpaper (I found this paper at Kleurmijn Interieur) to the next level.
She painted the wall first with magnetic paint then covered it with this terrific wallpaper. This allows her to change her wall without harming the paper.
See her inspiration wall on flickr.
Visit her appropriately-named blog, she.likes.cute.

How To: Make a Zippered Pouch

Syko (one of my absolute favorite artists!) has provided a neat tutorial on how to make a zippered pouch like this one.

Link: How to make a zippered pouch.

Creative Organizing: Day of the Week Tags

What a simple yet creative idea for organizing your children's (or your own) clothing!

Just think how much easier your mornings will be when you have a whole week's worth of outfits ready to go!
Great for moms.
Here's an idea: If you have a little one who likes to pick our her own outfits, you could do this one night at a time for the next day. This way there's no taking all morning to put an outfit together.

Bonus: These tags are available as a free download here:

Living Locurto's creative organizing free printable day of the week tags.

Great blog, too!

Handmade Children's Things: Haciendo el Indio

I want one of each!

Haciendo el Indio makes things for children. Like these handmade linen dolls.
Their names are Zorrini, Simberlina and Pequeno!

The shop also features unique wall art, stationery, accessories and lots of other really, really cute stuff.
All by illustrator and designer, Cristina Serrano, from Milan.

Haciendo el Indio Handmade Things for Children

Handmade Kawaii Linen & Felt

These little guys are cute enough to eat!
Evangelione makes these little guys from linen and felt. She also makes the most amazing miniatures for doll houses.
Handmade kawaii pea, lamb, elephant and linen cherries (for those who like twins) found at Evangelione's Handmade.

Butter the Elephant Mothers Day Wool Felt Applique Plush Doll Pillow with Mini Gift Card

Love Cuore's shop where I found Butter the Elephant, handmade plush doll which comes with a mini card that says "I love you Mom".

Cuore's wool felt elephant available for $18.50.

Cute Handmade Felt Baby Buggy

I suffer from cute overload every time I visit Atelier Sterre's blog.
She makes the most adorable little things from felt - like this baby buggy, or "kinderwagentje".
See this felt baby buggy and more kawaii felt goodies at Atelier Sterre.

Small Magazine Has a Blog!

Paper Gown by Darla Teagarden

Wow!
Every once in a while I come across something amazingly different and creative. (Click on the photo to see it up close.)
Who thinks like this?
Darla Teagarden. Darla is a photographer and creator of this amazing gown called "Lover's Eyes Dolce Masquerade Gown."
On her MySpace page, about the gown: "different styles of ''lovers eyes'' focused into the center of hundreds of white paper cupcake ruffles...An asymmetric hem and organic-like
cascade.... A top Miss Evelynn's head, a glass glittered sculptured
( paper mâché) pink rabbit & bow".
Beautiful and inspiring.
You can see more of Darla's work on her MySpace page, Darla Teagarden's Cupcake Ruffle Lover's Eye Gown
Found via Ullabenulla (great find!)

Recycle an Old Book into a Paper Vase

If you're like me you hate to get rid an old book. I don't care so much about the new ones - we give those to the library.
But old books - different story.
Recycle them into "vases"?
Look at these cool vases made from old books! What a neat way to add texture to a display. I'm really going to have to try this one.
Sweet Paul makes it look so easy!
Recycle an old book into a paper vase tutorial here, via Sweet Paul.
Photo by Ellen Silverman

Independent Designers' Shop/Elephant Pillow

Elsewares is a commerce site that features independent designers. They say, "We make a concerted effort to encourage creative business practices, support cottage industry, and keep corporate hegemony (sic) at bay."

I found this handmade wool felt elephant pillow there, made by Estela Lugo from Colorado. ($65.95)

Marie Claire Creative Blogs

Marie Claire Idees is looking for creative blogs. It's actually a contest.
I found some gorgeous blogs here. Most of them are in French but of course you can always translate.
I love Marie Claire Idees' blog; it's one I follow daily. Love the French aesthetic.
If you would like to submit your blog visit: Marie Claire Creative Idees where you can also check out all the entries (MAB is #72). I totally don't expect to win anything but it's kind of fun to participate!

Jikke's Handmade Knitted Cardigan

Isn't this a sweet little cardigan? Handmade Knitted Cardigan found at Jikke's.
She says you can find the pattern here.
Sweet, sweet, sweet!

Recycled Silk Top Giveaway

Kathleen is having another giveaway.
She took a silk blouse with short sleeves and altered it into this lovely top covered with cherry blossoms.
Recycled Silk Top Giveaway.

You have to link back to here site to be entered to win - but if you have a blog and want to enter, here's the link.

Bryson

So many of you have been asking me for a picture of the new baby so here he is in all his glory!
I think he's about 6 weeks old here and look at those blue eyes!
He is the sweetest baby ever and his big sister loves him so much. She doesn't like it at all when he cries, which is not that often, and will come over and stroke his head if she hears him crying.
I could eat him with a spoon!

Go Van Go! Graphic Designer

I love these graphics designs by 20-something graphic artist, Van.

Van designs for Juna Studio and also has an Etsy shop where you can purchase a printable file of some of the cards she designs. The file includes instructions and templates for the cards and envelopes.

Van also makes gorgeous hand-embroidered cards like the apple one shown here.

Check out Van's Go Van Go!'s graphic

design blog and her Etsy shop here.

Man's Shirt Recycled into Girl's Dress

Dana has a great tutorial on how to make a girl's dress from a man's shirt.
Her instructions are very thorough and easy to understand with lots of pictures.
Thanks, Dana, for this great idea! Adorable little dress and adorable little girl!
Dana's a very talented re-fashioner and you and you can see lots more of her great ideas on her blog, Made.

Paper Sculpture: Helen Musselwhite

Beautiful paper sculpture from Helen Musselwhite.
Helen, from the UK, uses bright colors and strong lines in each wonderful piece of her highly-individual paper sculptures.
I can't even imagine the patience one must have to do something like this.
But I do love paper and I think I might try my hand at this sort of thing - on a much, less detailed scale to start with.
Here - enjoy some of Helen's ab fab work. (By the way, notice the Janet Bell influence in that Harbour Tide piece. LOVE Janet Bell!)

Ideas for Displaying Fresh Flowers

With Spring comes warmer weather...

But the weather can be fickle. Warm, sunny days, then like today - it's overcast and quite cool. So, why not bring a little outdoors in with some fresh, sunny flowers?

One of the things I've always loved doing is "forcing" branches of flowers to bloom. It really, really works! You can do this with forsythia, cherry blossoms and flowering quince. I have done it with all 3 of these plants with great success.
Just cut some of the thinner branches off. These might be the ones that would need to be trimmed anyway, so you might as well enjoy them.

If it's a "woody" type of stem you need to bang on the stems at the end. Just take a mallet of some sort and pound them about an inch or so from the bottom. Helps them drink.

Tips for Keeping Fresh Flowers Fresh

- Trim the stems just before immersing in water so they will be open enough to drink. - Use a lighter to heat-seal stems of flowers with a milky sap. - Cut off leaves below water level. Those leaves start to smell quickly! - Change the water every couple of days or so. - Pinch off dead blooms; some flowers will continue to bloom if they have buds on them - Use a cork coaster to protect furniture. Just use double-sided adhesive to stick it to the bottom of your vessel.

Ideas for Vessels:

• Fish bowl (the small goldfish kind)
• Clear or colored glasses or jars
• Bottles - vintage ones would look especially nice
  
• Compote dish
• Jars
• Votive candle holders
  
• Egg cups
• Empty cans wrapped with pretty paper or fabric

Clear glass vases are always pretty; I love them just as they are. But if you want to make them even more special, fill them with marbles, pebbles or glass beads in the color of your choice. Anything that's waterproof can work!

I'd love to see your spring flowers! Send me a picture or a link and you may see it posted here.

Photo Credits:

Cherry blossoms in bloom. Photo by Tom Leighton

Glass Votive Vase from Neutral Dwelling

Egg Cups from Country Living

What I've Been Doing

I have a couple of major projects going on right now, plus a few smaller ones.
Our house was built in 1850 and we love it but it's a constant work in progress.
Right now we're painting the den. The den is on the second floor and is where we spend a lot of our time. This room has probably not been painted in 20 years. We also had quite a bit of staining on the walls from a leak on the 3rd floor. So - it was way past time to paint.
I chose a color that looks like warm wet sand. Love it. In the paint can it looks just like a melted chocolate milk shake!
So here are a few pictures of the work in progress. It's a mess so don't be offended. ;)

 So, what are you working on?

Crocheting in Living Color

These vivid colors and patterns are surely brightening up my Friday!
I found Lucy's blog, Attic24, which is full of colorful inspiration. She has provided a link for how to make the ripple pattern.
I don't crochet so I don't know whether this is considered a difficult or easy pattern, but they are definitely bright. I want one of those pillows!