More Gourd-geous Designs: Halloween 2009

Check out our two carved beauties we did up for the annual Halloween party!

Pumpkin on the left uses another idea from The Best of Martha Stewart Living: Halloween to create a starry, magical glow. Small round holes are punched over the entirety of the gutted pumpkin. We used a screwdriver. A larger hole is punched unobtrusively in the backside of the gourd, near the base. White Christmas lights are strung through that base hole, and are then individually inserted into each punched hole. Left over lights on the strand easily fit in the center of the hollow pumpkin, enhancing its warm glow. Small hands work best in the confined space, so get the kids to gently assist you on this one. Icicle lights work just as well as single stranded lights do. On a medium sized pumpkin, we punched 50 holes and used a 100 light set.

Our other gourd-geous pumpkin was created by doctoring a clip-art image to suit our needs. This handsome little owl was found doing an image search. It's best to use images with simple lines, few details, and using 2-3 colors in its design. That way, its easier to mark on the image what design elements are cut away and what design elements are formed by the pumpkin itself. We also utilized a linoleum cutter to shave away bits of the pumpkin to emphasize the overall shape and outline of the owl, without having to make intricate slices. If by chance you do cut out an element, say an eye, but want to add back in detail, say an iris/pupil, bamboo skewers work wonders at holding pumpkin chunks in place. Plus, they're relatively unnoticeable!


Hope this gives you a little inspiration to enhance your pumpkin carving. I'm already gathering new ideas for myself...

Next year i just may have to try these little guys!

Inspiration: Thrift Stores

With the world faced with economic recession and unemployment rates on the rise (with even your favorite blogger searching for one of those non-existent jobs!), any opportunity to save a penny or two is welcomed with open arms. That's why I'm advocating to all of you to run (don't walk!) to your nearest community thrift store! Not only can you find some amazing bargains, incredible one-of-a-kind items, and hilarious nostalgia from yesteryear, you'll also be helping a worthy cause and the positive missions of non-profit organizations with your purchases! It's also one of the greenest ways to shop since you're reducing the production of new products, reusing new-to-you items, and recycling usable materials with the donations of your gently used items. Remember: one person's trash is another person's treasure!

Just check out some of these great thrift store finds I've recently run across:

1) I'm sure you recognize that big guy in back from a previous post about Inspiration. He's my Owl Coin Bank. And he's now watching over the small flock of owls I've found at some local thrift stores! Each one is distinct and special in their own right. And not a single one of them cost me more than $0.99 a piece! These will some day look great scattered among books on built-in shelves in a living room or personal library. (A girl can dream, can't she?)


2) This perfect set of brand new dishes was purchased for only $10 from Goodwill. Stores like Target and Kohl's often donate unsold seasonal or returned merchandise which are then sold at incredibly reduced prices. These will look great in a future dining room or on display in a modern kitchen.

3) This smattering of matching frames was all purchased for under $12.00 at a Goodwill. Sizes range from Wallet to 8x10 and prices ranged from $0.49 to $1.99 a piece. Sometimes it really pays to scour thrift stores for these one-in-a-million opportunities. I especially love the rich teal stain of the wood. It will make a great accent color in our living room. The frames can be used for photos or remnants of decorative fabric or even swatches of coordinating scrapbook paper or wallpaper. Endless possibilities!


4) One valuable lesson thrift store shopping has taught me, is that nothing is strictly as it appears and all things have untapped potential. When it was sitting on the shelf, this homemade welded wonder took a second glance to realize what a find this was! Picture this: an intimate dinner party with a few of your close friends, laughing over plates of Chianti-marinaded pot roast, and sharing stories by candlelight - candlelight that is being provided by this funky chandelier. Those six rings could contain glass-blown votive holders and be hung from the ceiling with a coordinating steel chain or placed on the table as a casual centerpiece. We've also considered using this in the kitchen as a pot rack hung from the ceiling. There's nothing like repurposing thrift store bargains!


And 5) This unusual find really caught the eye of my boyfriend, and no wonder! It's a candle wall sconce that uses a large magnifying glass to magnify the illumination of the single candle's small flame. How unique! This solid brass piece is one of two that I purchased as part of an early birthday gift for Jason. Once we find a proper home for them, we might silver leaf them to match our tastes and decor better. We love the eclectic-ness of them and are looking forward to using them in the near future!

Hope you found these thrift store discoveries just as inspiring as I have! Now run out to your nearest thrift store, Goodwill, or Salvation Army and happy bargain hunting!

Inspiration: Owls

Here's a new feature I'll be blogging every so often. Inspiration. I'm inspired by the people I meet, the places I travel, the things I see. Each Inspiration Montage will feature a new theme, be it nature, music, belly buttons... This first Inspiration Montage just happens to be about a little something you've all seen featured on this site before: Owls!

1. Our Doormat: We picked this up from Target last summer on clearance. It definitely adds personality to our front door! I wonder what our neighbors think of us...

2. Plate: This decorative plate was a christmas present from my boyfriend's parents. It will work great in a future dining room as wall art when its not being used as a cheese platter!

3. Owl Key Covers: These are a hoot! Get it? A hoot? I picked these babies up at Urban Outfitters in Chicago on a recent trip. If only I had enough keys to use them all!

4. Coin Bank: Target was just a mine-field of owls last season. This gorgeous pewter bank was ordered online from Target's website. It's only about a foot tall, but it was shipped in a 3 ft. x 4 ft. box. What a waste of space!

5. Jewelry: I wear these necklaces when I'm hoping for good luck! The wooden disk on the left is made by an artist in Madison who sells her creations at the Farmers' Market and on Etsy. Check her out! They make great gifts. The pewter charm on the right I purchased in Germany at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. It's one of my favorite places on earth.

6. Stamps: Hero Arts made these adorable stamps. Definitely expect a few card designs to include these cuties!

Softie: Ollie the Owl

Any proper student of Classical Studies would of course have a little obsession with owls. As a symbol of the goddess Athena, owls appreared on ancient greek coins and were a popular representation of wisdom in the Classical world. Those ancients really knew their stuff. These timeless little creatures are once again a huge trend in crafts, fabrics, and home decor.

Becoming more adventurous in my softie making, I set out to design my own full-sized softie and gave him the name "Ollie", named after the owl that visits the backyard of my parents' house and softly hoots me to sleep sometimes. A fabulous 70s-inspired floral fabric in black, cream, grey, and maroon is anchored by black & cream felt, and a cool grey corduroy. Once again, this piece is handsewn (no machine!) but this time uses Fairfield 100% Bamboo Nature-Fil Stuffing. I highly reccommend this low cost earth-friendly alternative to traditional polyester stuffing. It's soft, lush, user-friendly, and naturally anti-bacterial.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the results of this little fella. I included the wings as a last minute addition and they turn out to be my favorite element of Ollie. If I ever use this pattern again, I'd like to sew the wings "in to" the owl body instead of "on to" the owl body. I would get much cleaner results...but that's just the perfectionist in me! :)

First Softie: "Owl In My Pocket"

I felt my inaugural attempt at blogging should be about my inaugural attempt at softie making! Nicknamed "Owl in My Pocket" due to it's miniature size, this creation is hand sewn with love and epitomizes my novice-ness at softie making. He's stuffed with cotton balls! (I've since upgraded to bamboo stuffing, rest assured you other craft-a-holics!) Brown felt was used for the body and goldenrod felt for the beak and feet. Embroidery floss was used to attach the beak and feet, to embroider eyes and wings, and to sew "Owl in My Pocket" together.

Designed from my own pattern, elements were kept pretty basic. A lot of guess and check work went into the details, as I am a perfectionist!

Check back for more of my recent exploits including more softies, homemade
cards, baked goods, and more!