Chalk It Up

I really like chalkboards.

Some day I'll probably wonder why I ever thought it was cute
to randomly scatter chalkboards all over my house. 

But for now, chalkboards are a fun and inexpensive way
to add a little something spunky to my house.
Besides, it's fun to take something old and ugly and make it fun and functional!

Let me show you how it's done!

Supplies:

old framed print with glass

spray paint or acrylic craft paint for the frame

chalkboard spray paint for the glass

fine sandpaper

glass cleaner

hot glue gun

1. Disassemble.

First thing you need to do is take your ugly old framed print apart. 

Rip off the paper backing and disassemble.

Save the actual print and cardboard backing because you are going to need it later.

2. Paint the frame.

Spray paint is fine if the weather is cooperating for you to paint outside.  

Otherwise,  brush on some acrylic craft paint.  

I like to distress the paint with a little sandpaper treatment here and there.

3. Paint the glass.

Lay your glass from the frame on a flat surface and sand one side with fine sandpaper.

This will help the paint adhere and you will not see the scratches.

Next clean the glass with glass cleaner and clear of any dust from your work surface in preparation for the chalk paint.

I prepare a table in my garage with newspaper,

 lay the glass flat(sanded side up),and spray several thin coats of chalkboard spray paint.

Just follow the directions on the can. 

Don't even think about writing on it yet!

4. Prep the chalkboard surface.

After the required drying time, the chalkboard surface needs to be prepped.

Remove any dust from the surface with a dust cloth.  

Using the side of a piece of chalk, slowly cover the entire surface with chalk.  

Then "erase" the chalk with a soft cloth or eraser.

(In case you were wondering...this step is important! 

If you don't prep the surface this way, you will forever see the first words you write 

no matter how hard you try to erase them. Trust me.)

 5. Re-assemble.

First place the chalkboard painted glass back into the frame.

The front of the painted glass and the front of the frame 

will be face down on your table for this step.

Use your hot glue gun to make a globby bead of glue 

all the way around the inside edge of the frame to hold the glass in place.

Like this:

Now it's time to put the ugly print/cardboard backing back into the frame.

Again, run a bead of hot glue around the edge to hold the cardboard in place.

Like this:

It will now look something like this.  

You could quit at this point and hang her up on your wall, 

but I can't stand to leave the back side so ugly when the front is so cute.  

So....

6. Don't stop now.

This chalkboard is for my niece. It's going to need one more final step of cutesification.

Measure the frame and cut out a piece of backing paper.

This baking paper can be anything--I just happen to hoard old maps.

Glue on the backing with tacky glue.  

You can trim any excess paper with an exacto knife.

That looks WAY better, right?

7. But wait! There's more! 

Why not take the map scraps and make some bunting too?

This one is for you, Mikaela Joi.

Hope you love it!

When Plan B is Best

Nobody signed up for my first attempt at art class.

There. I said it. I was so disappointed. I even cried.

Yes, I cried. Is that weird?  I thought it was.

I asked the Mr., "What's the deal? Why am I so sad about this?"

The obvious response, "Because this is important to you."

This past year has been a recovery effort--recovering creativity, recovering dreams.

So when I try something and it "fails," the first thing my heart hears is the enemy's voice saying,

"See, I told you so. Give it up. Nobody cares. It doesn't matter."

At first, I was ready to chuck the whole idea out the window.

How very mature.

It took me a few days to dig myself out.

Sometimes we have die to our own ideas to make room for God's.

I fought back the lies and held my dreams loosely.

I now have a class of two.

Jacob and Josie are the most committed, enthusiastic,

 and eager art students I could ever ask for.

It's our favorite subject.

As you can see, sometimes even Gabby can't resist joining the fun.

I love this time together more than words can say.

I may not have the class I had imagined, but this class still matters.

 It matters because the gifts God gives are important, 

even for a class of two.

We'll see...I might open up this art class idea again someday.

After all, God didn't say "no."

It was a "not yet."  

Goodbye 40

I'm sorry, Hallmark, but homemade is just way better.

Then again, sometimes store bought is pretty good too.

And I do love a creative birthday present

that I can watch all year long!!!

Granted, I may have to stay up into the wee hours of the night to be creative because I have a new full time job homeschooling these 4 extraordinarily awesome people.

And the icing on the cake?
I'm going to teach kid's art classes in my home!
Going to have to clean up this mess first...

And how about a little portrait work on the side?

I can hardly wait!!!
Goodbye 40. Hello 41.

LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!!!!!

And The Winner Is...

I think I know why you're here.

But I'm not ready to tell you the winner yet.

There's something I need to say first.

Thanks a bunch!

You got me all choked up, I tell ya.

28 blessings, that's what you are.

I wish I could make something for each of you.

Jane asked if I would be game to make a journal with her Grandma's things.

I think she's on to something.

Custom Journals? Genius! I want one!

Jane, I am SO game.

So this is what we did.

All your names went in a hat--a vintage hat, of course.

Then my most trustworthy boy choose the winner.

(Sorry, Shelly. He was not swayed by your briberous attempts to woo him with chocolate and money.)

You know what he said to me this morning when I walked out of the bathroom?

"You look different.  You look like an artist.  You look younger too."

Awwwwwww!!!

Go ahead Jacob, ask me for anything and it's yours.

Sorry I'm getting off track here, but it's not everyday your boy notices your hair.

Back to the big reveal....

You can see it for yourself!

The winner is...

Yay!  I hope this blesses YOU today!

Thanks everyone for participating in my first give-away ever.

That was so fun, I just might do it again.

Hum.......

Feeling the Love

I clearly remember sitting on a yellow vinyl chair at our white formica dining room table making fancy paper valentines for the valentine exchange at school.  Always the Elmers glue, the paper doilies, and the carefully traced construction paper heart.  Maybe even a candy conversation heart glued to the middle. A classic!


I loved everything about Valentine's Day.  I certainly did not want my kids to miss out on the Valentine's festivities during our home school years, so we made our own kind of fun.

Heart Shaped Pizzas

Heart-shaped Pancakes--yes, that is a heart shape. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Wearing pink and red, of course... and sometimes balloons.

Sorry, I have no pictures of the heart shaped meatloaf. No, I'm not kidding.

But the greatest thrill of all?
Valentine MAIL BOXES

A week or so before the 14th, each person makes a "mailbox" to hang on their bedroom door.

We set up a table somewhere with all the supplies needed to make little valentines.
Each day you "secretly" make and deliver a little note to each person's mailbox.

 Josie's enthusiasm for this has been building for weeks. 

She always makes her cards first thing in the morning, still in her pj's.  

Maybe for the kids it's all about the stash of chocolate.
Nothing like a little sugar to motivate acts of kindness.
But I hope it's more than that.  I hope it's making sweet memories.

You know I'll be keeping these little scribbled love notes forever.

See! They really do love each other-- I've got it in writing!

Stuff.

I am happy to report that I am spending more time creating than I have in years.

It's THE best medicine for whatever ails me.  I feel like a bona fide creative person again.

  

I am sorry to report that I still have nothing to show you from my class yet. I'm working on the first project--vintage journals.  Of course, I can't just make just ONE and move on to the next project.  No, I have to start half a dozen vintage journals while I wait for the required tool to arrive in the mail! Oh brother. I can't help myself.  Soon I'll put them all together and show ya!

For now, I thought I would show you some of the other "stuff" I've been making.

How about this basket full of sunshine?

This clothes pin idea is easier than easy.  You can make these.  I know you can.

And there's a bonus--they'll make you smile!  

They look super cute paired with the next project.

Old frame + chicken wire + staple gun= scratched up arms and a really fun memory board.

 Again, not hard to make.  True, chicken wire is not so fun to work with.  But it sure is cute!  

You can also use smaller wire to make a jewelry holder like this one in Hanna's room.  Love it!

OR how about a board for recipes in the kitchen? 

Chalkboards are fun too.  Big ones. Little ones.

 I have a few too many around the house now. 

 It seems I have a problem of over doing it.  

It seems I have a fondness for red and turquoise.

You should really make one of these chalkboards for yourself. It's not hard at all.  There are tutorials all over the web for you.  Or I suppose you could buy one of mine.  But that's a whole 'nother idea spelled e-t-s-y.

Oh yeah, baby.

As soon as I figure out what in the world I'm doing you just might find me at...

Etsy shop coming soon???

Maybe.  I don't know yet.

Do I dare?