Don’t laugh too hard.  I am still working on this project.  Really, I am!  It’s all just in stages.  Yep, that’s the story I’m going with.

(from Milly Bee)

(Heart Shaped Photo Collage, I believe from the blog, Click It Up a Notch.)

I finally pulled together enough frames to get the size and basic shape I was looking for.  Since I did not go with all the same sized frames, as in the inspiration photo, this presented a whole new challenge I had not even considered.  Big DUH, over here.

And then I changed it all…

…several times.

I’m still not settled on the middle frame, but the size of this one seems about right.  What I am not settled on is whether I will go through the pain of painting this one or just shell out the cash for a new frame.  I will definitely need to purchase a custom mat for the handprint picture, so I am leaning toward being cheap and just painting what I have.  The time needed to paint everything for this project is what really slowed me down with this whole challenge.  I started this project just as the weather began to get cold, so I felt I did not have a choice in painting by hand versus spray painting (I have to do all spray painting outside in the elements).  If I had known then how many warmer days we would still have left in the year, I never would have pulled the can and brushes out in the first place.  Lesson learned.  Now back to whether I can stomach painting that middle frame, or just throwing in the towel to buy a new one???  I’m thinkin’, I’m thinkin’.

In the end I nixed the idea of all black and white shots and here is why.  First, there are a LOT of frames to fill here!  Second, I have a ton of cute shots and artwork to put some where!  Since this arrangement is going in our master bedroom, and is all about family, I figured it’s the best place for all those sentimental things.

With an impending visit from the grandparents this coming weekend I had to make a decision on the layout which was on the guest room floor.  Or, risk another several weeks of frames stacked in the closet.  I think I am good with this and there is still a little space for adding smaller frames to round out the heart shape even more.  Although, I do kind of like that it’s not going to be a perfect heart.  So, they got post-its with numbers to aid in getting them back into this arrangement and I will pray I can get them on the wall in a somewhat smooth process.

Now, I will spend another whole bunch of time hemming and hawing over what to put where, just as I did about which frame looks best in which spot?  Once more of those decisions are made I will bore you guys with one final post so you can ooh and aaahhh!

Oye, remind me to pick a much easier challenge next time, okay?

Kitsch Krafts

This isn’t anything new.  In fact, there are tutorials plastered all over the internet and lots of people selling covered button jewelry on Etsy.  But, this is what I have been playing around with lately and I wanted to share.  Not only have I made some fun stuff for myself, but I think I may join the legions and post some pieces for sale in my handmade Etsy shop, Kitsch Designs.  I know, I know, boring….well, I have my reasons.  For a long time now I have been trying to figure out the best way to use up all those itty-bitty little scraps of vintage fabric that just seem to precious to throw away.  So far they have just been collecting dust in a box.  I figure with barkcloth being so scarce any more I can’t get rid of even the smallest piece, right? 

(This last one is an old quilter’s fabric with a printed log cabin design.)

Plus, there have to be others out there that love the idea of textile jewelry, but don’t see patterns that speak to them.  I’m hoping some more Mid-Century Modern lovers will be happy to see these simple jewelry pieces in fabrics that work right into their retro way of life!

Happy Shopping folks!

Kitsch Krafts

This past weekend we had to say goodbye one of our dearest friends. Our old girl Roxy would have turned 16 this August, but her body was really showing her age in dog years if you know what I mean. Luckily she had the energy for one last romp in the yard on MLK day, chasing golf balls as my husband chipped them around for her. She seemed her usual self, albeit pretty old and semi-crippled, but still able to let her inner puppy out when that felt natural. Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse as her arthritis plagued body just gave up. Saying goodbye is quite possibly one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, seeing as how she was my constant companion for all those years. Seeing her suffer was worse.

The mister and Roxy enjoying one of the biggest snowfalls we ever had in Nashville, TN.

She always posed with our Christmas tree, circa 2007.

For these two it was true love from first sight!

We will miss you Roxy! You can never be replaced. Here’s to chasing balls in heaven!

Kitsch Krafts

Yep, we finally have cover for our formal living room windows.  Although, we will most likely keep them open all the time since that room only gets a small amount of light during the day due to its more northern exposure.  Here are a couple of shots of the nekkid’ windows:

Now here they are sporting their new 2 inch faux wooden blinds from Home Depot:

Pretty subtle and nothing major at this point, but I’m sure my mom and the hubs will be happy to see we are no longer total exhibitionists around here!  Now I just need to find a fabric I like to make some stationary panels a la’ the dining room.  I think that will finally bring this room to a more finished look and then down the line I can work on some new side tables with less leg.

Any home projects going on around your places lately?

Kitsch Krafts

Sorry for such a similar post to the one from Monday, but hey at least this one is about my other shop of handmade items, Kitsch Designs!  Like I was saying a couple of days ago, I have been creating some small, more affordable vintage fabric items and I was able to get a couple of photo album brag books finished and added to the shop.  These are a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that hopeless romantic on your list, or really any friend that loves to have actual photos with them at all times.  I don’t think I will ever get used to looking at, or showing, pictures of babies on a cell phone. 

Yellow and Turquoise Floral

Preppy Red, Black, Yellow and Grey

Romantic Pale Purple, Blue and Green

Made from vintage fabrics and vintage handkerchiefs with vintage buttons and trim, each is completely one of a kind.  They hold 36, 4 X 6 photos and there is no shipping charge if mailed to an address in the USA.  Whoo-hoo!

Kitsch Krafts

As I mentioned earlier in the month, I wanted to move my vintage items out of my main shop to free up space for more handmade vintage textile items.  Shortly after posting about making this change, I did it. 

Ta-da!  Welcome to my vintage only shop on Etsy,  KD Vintage.

So far I have just moved the vintage items from the Kitsch Designs shop over to this one, along with a few items from my Artfire store.  I have also picked up a few new items to add.  Just as soon as I can get some photos edited.  Wah-wuh!  Soon, I promise!

In the meantime I wanted to address some questions about projects I posted here a long time ago and stated I would soon include those types of items in my store.  Here is one to jog your memory.

I have some of these in the hopper and hope to get more of my textile art pieces (mentioned here) posted soon too. 

I have several that just need to be mounted and bound.  Keep coming back for more updates.  You might just find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift and don’t forget Mother’s Day is just around the corner too!

Kitsch Krafts

It finally happened. I put the “thank you” notes in the mail this week. Pretty pathetic second week of the new year event for a woman who buys her thank you cards at the end of the previous Christmas season, or at least before Thanksgiving, wouldn’t you say? Typically the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is spent cleaning up the Christmas decorations, because we are a family that believes in bad luck for the new year if they are still up after the first, and writing thank you notes. This year was no exception. Decorations were down well before heralding the new year. We even had these neat cards made through the preschool fundraiser, featuring my son’s artwork and they arrived the second week of November (if I remember correctly).

See!

Cute, right?

So, what was my problem this year? I’m not really sure. Sometimes I think that the over planning or trying to get ahead of the game just kills the fun of the pannicky feeling you get with a ticking deadline.

For those of you out there that gave us something lovely, you done good, you done good! There were no rejects of any kind this time around. ;o) No matching sweaters, while perfectly nice, eliciting a snicker at the idea of wearing them together. Better yet, the plans for the Sear’s Portrait Studio appointment flashing in my mind and bringing a huge grin to my face. No, jumpers to put on my kid for a picture only and then to be hidden away in the back of the closet until he can no longer wear that size. (oh, I have never done that, have I?) And, we avoided gift cards to places we never shop- yeah! All in all it was a wonderful gifty time of year and we are grateful for all the generosity that was bestowed upon us.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

Kitsch Krafts