Etceteras: summer starfish decor

Do you decorate for summer? Beachy vignettes and nautical knick knacks are popping up all over the place. One of my favorite ways to add a touch of summer is with shells, coral and other creatures of the sea like starfish.



Starfish look so pretty propped up on a mantel or table. But if you don’t have a mantel or if you’re looking for a way to beachify a wall, here’s an idea to display starfish. Simply use an embroidery hoop and fabric to frame your beautiful sea creature.

A clean and bright white on white look.

Or go nautical with navy and white stripes.

If your color scheme is neutral, use beige feedsack cloth. Braided white twine completes the beach look. 

Happy summer everyone!

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I link at the wonderful parties listed here and

 

The Dirt: time to protect our new fence

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did I tell you that our backyard block wall fell down. Probably not. But it did. Several months ago, we noticed that our wall was leaning toward our neighbor’s yard. Was it just our imagination or was it leaning a little more each day? We decided we better replace the wall before it became dangerous and started the process to get a new fence.

We were all set to go and construction was set to start when I got a text from my neighbor. “Wall fell down”. We all met up in our pajamas at the crumbled wall just shaking our heads. No one was hurt and there wasn’t any major damage to either property.

So here’s our new fence. We went with a wood fence and like it so much better than the old leaning block wall. The only problem is that in our haste, we haven’t had time to finish and protect it with stain.

That’s why I was really excited to be introduced to the Flood® Wood Care brand. Flood® Wood Care was founded in 1841 by a family of painters and has earned the reputation as “The Wood Care Specialist” with products like exterior wood stains and wood cleaners. They are recognized in the wood care industry for reliable protection. Perfect – I need reliable for our new fence.

Look how pretty this outdoor deck is that was done in Flood® Wood Care products. Now that it’s summer, we really need to get moving on our fence. Not only are we spending more time outdoors but we want to protect the new fence before it gets too hot and of course before winter. Now is definitely the time.

The siding on these houses is so pretty. I like a company that’s been around for over 150 years. I’m certain that Flood® wood products will be the best choice for our new fence.

And here’s great news for you. Flood® Wood Care is currently having a sweepstakes - The Take it Easy Sweepstakes to be exact! If you win, Flood® Wood Care will provide all the supplies AND labor to prep and stain your deck PLUS $2,000 for the deck party of your dreams. It's always easy with Flood products, but it just doesn't get any easier than this! 

Learn more here at the Take it Easy Sweepstakes.

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

The Inspiration Board: link party spotlight ~55~

What an amazing thrift store find and even more amazing redo. West Furniture Revival scored a library card catalog file and gave new life to – count them – sixty drawers. Gorgeous!


I love this personalized Father’s Day gift from Vanessa’s Values. A darling shadow picture that can be modified for any occasion.


Alderberry Hill took an old headboard and created a wonderful garden bench. Sunny yellow paint makes it the cheeriest spot to sit out and enjoy summer.


Will Cook for Smiles brings us an elegant grown up drink. A classic Cosmopolitan with a twist of lime. Yes please – but just one for me or I’ll never finish this post.


Oh boy – Cherry Fritters by Mom on Timeout. Sometimes you have to just forget about healthy and eat a few [or more] delicious treats like cherries and dough cooked in hot oil. Look how innocent that plate of fritters looks!


Are you growing tomatoes this season? Once you’re done, here’s a great idea to use an old tomato cage. An outdoor chandelier by Piglogs and Taterberries. Super cute – a rustic and fun outdoor décor item.


I’ve always loved plant markers made from vintage utensils. But one of the problems I have is that I don’t have metal stamps to stamp the utensils. Plant markers using paper printouts and a couple coats of sealant from Hello Paper Moon solves that problem. 


Wonderful latitude and longitude signs by The Concrete Cottage. What a fun way to personalize cities you’ve lived or vacationed in. Check out the full post for a great tutorial on how to make these signs.


A fun and unique way to use those little drink parasols. Jellyfish Jelly used a string of lights and parasols to create these party lights. Great for an outdoor patio but I love how they look over this bed.


This Stromboli by Love and Laundry looks absolutely amazing. Sandwich fixing baked inside bread dough. I’m definitely making this for my family.

This week on the Inspiration Pinboard

Red White & Blue

[left] Homemade Yogurt – Potholes and Pantyhose   [middle] Coconut Cupcakes – Will Cook for Smiles   [right] Blueberries & Cream – Crystal and Company

If you were in the spotlight, please feel free to grab a button.

<a href=" http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="homework" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsmIaSGSGYI/ThND62SzoII/AAAAAAAACEE/R7syq3Qas_c/s1600/Featured+Button.jpg" height="125" width="125"/></a>

Thank you again to everyone who linked a project and to everyone who came to visit. I loved looking at all the projects and visiting your sites.

Carolyn

Etceteras: mod podge {podgeables and more}

This Mod Podge week has been so fun. On Monday, I made some fun beach glass with Mod Podge and on Wednesday, I reviewed Amy’s new book Mod Podge Rocks and kicked off a giveaway.

Today caps off a podgey week by introducing some great new Mod Podge products by Plaid. Some of the new products include, Mod Podge Wash-Out for Kids, Mod Podge Antique Matte and Mod Podge Super Gloss.


What I was most excited about are the new Podgeable Shapes and Podgeable Papers. The shapes are clear, basic and designer shapes that can be Mod Podged on the front and/or back. The paper images are the perfect size to fit the podgeable shapes and can be used for all types of projects. The pretty themes include; classic, travel, nature and romance.



I started with some of the small podgeable shapes. For these pendants, I used some paper that I already had in my stash. Here’s how to make these pendants.

• Lay your podgeable shape on top of your paper.
• Trace around the podgeable shape.
• Cut out your paper.
• Mod Podge the right side of the paper and adhere to the back of the podgeable shape.
• To add interest and dimension, add Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to the top of your shape. I used Dimensional Magic Glitter Gold and Glitter Silver.

This is how your pendant will look right after you add the Dimensional Magic. The Dimensional Magic will become clearer as it dries.



Dimensional Magic is designed to stay on your object. I’ve never worked with this product before and was thrilled at how the product stayed on the Podgeable Shape.



Another fun new Mod Podge product are the Rub-On Transfers. The Rub-On Transfers come in sheets with seasonal and everyday words and phrases. Simply run-on the words you choose and Mod Podge over them.



I used the Dimensional Magic on these clothes pins – I’m seriously loving this product.



For this label, I used another Podgeable Shape without a pre-drilled hole and the Rub-On Transfers.

A piece of vintage ribbon and my new Podgeable label dress up my bead jar.

Besides the products used for these projects, there are many other new Mod Podge products available at Michaels. Or, for more information visit Plaid Crafts.

I hope you enjoyed the Mod Podge week here on homework. As always, thanks for visiting!

Carolyn

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid Crafts and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

homework: reading {mod podge rocks} & a giveaway

By now you may have heard about Amy Anderson’s new book Mod Podge Rocks. It’s been featured on many sites lately and I couldn’t wait to get a copy and have a look for myself.


I’m a big fan of Amy and her blog Mod Podge Rocks. Her tutorials are always easy to follow and provide step-by-step instructions for a Mod Podge novice like me. Amy’s book is no different – over 40 fun projects with tutorials that demonstrate the various podging techniques.

How could I possibly mess up with step-by-step photos like these to guide me. 

The book covers projects like these simple storage containers to home décor items, holiday décor and even wearable items like boots and a bike helmet. Yup, you really can decoupage your world.

How fun is this old cash register?

And this children’s art bracelet is priceless. 

I really think if it’s not moving, Amy could Mod Podge it. 

Apparently I spoke to soon. It looks like Amy podged her dog. Or at least Mod Podged a little outfit for him.

Now for the fun part. I’m giving away a copy of Amy’s new book Mod Podge Rocks and a goodie bag of Mod Podge. 

Here’s what’s included in the prize:

1. Mod Podge Rocks {book)
2. Mod Podge Antique Matte
3. Mod Podge Gloss Wash Out for Kids
4. Mod Podge Jewel Glue
5. Mod Podge Repositionable Glue
6. Mod Podge Craft Glue
7. Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium with foam brush
8. Mod Podge Dimensional Magic Gold Glitter
9. Mod Podge Glow in the Dark with foam brush
10. Mod Podge Sampler Set

Oh my – that’s a lot of Mod Podge.  To enter, use the Rafflecopter entry form below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Contest Rules:
The contest will be open from Wed. June 20th, 2012 through Saturday, June 23rd, 2012. Contest is open to U.S. residents. The winner will be notified via email (anonymous or no-reply entries must leave me a valid email address). Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be drawn.



Amy’s book, Mod Podge Rocks is available at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. You can find more information on Amy’s awesome site, Mod Podge Rocks. A special thank you to PLAID for supplying the wonderful Mod Podge goodie bag items.

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

I received a complimentary copy of Mod Podge Rocks the book to review but no monetary compensation. All opinions are 100% mine.