Felt Flower: Christmas Collection

I know a certain someone who has already claimed this first Christmas Bouquet. She's made a pretty good trade offer and if the bouquet doesn't sell this weekend, I will just have to take her up on it. This was the second bouquet I made and it makes me want snow and hot chocolate and my living room to be lit up with Christmas lights (pretty impressive a few felt flowers can do all of that, right?). I used a variety of materials for this bouquet, including vintage buttons, burlap, 1950s tinsel garland, pinecones and yarn. Just makes you feel like turning on some Bing Crosby and snuggling by the fire, right?

For this bouquet, I experimented with some satin fabric I had left over from this dress (which I still have not worn). Turn out to be a nice and lovely addition to the felt. I used lace for the accent pieces and centers of the smaller flowers.  

Some of my flower arrangements are inspired by massive amounts of felt I never use, i.e. greys, blues and purples. You'll never find grey flowers in the real world, but here they look plain pretty! I placed the bouquet in a maple syrup bottle we got for a housewarming present, so you might just get a whiff of that sweet, delicious smell with your bouquet.

Monday Musebles: Cleaning and Organizing

Some people (ahem...Mike...) might say I'm rather messy. I personally wouldn't consider it messy, maybe just a little cluttered. Or maybe an organized mess (does that fit into the same category as a functional alcoholic?). Anyway, I've been waiting a while to get all my craft stuff organized. I had to find the right furniture, then sell my desk and buffet table - both of which sold on Craigslist in less than three weeks!

I found these new storage pieces at Garden Ridge in Chesapeake. Unfortunately they were too short for my existing bins so I had to buy all new ones. Wasn't too upset though, it gave me a chance to go through all my supplies and purge a little. I have space for all my felt food packaging in one place, along with organizing all my packaging and shipping labels. Guess that means Fairview Place (via Etsy) is open for business again!

This plant stand I bought when I first moved here at an antique store out on Granby Street. I had actually left the store and drove halfway home, only to turn around and go back and get this! It was $14! I used it for all my shoes (with canvas bins), but now use it for my buttons and packaging station.

Mike's dresser is still in need of its makeover. I had this in mind, but since almost everything in our house has some sort of distressed look to it, I'm thinking about going NORMAL. Maybe this or this. I'm using this piece for all my paper/sticker/stationery/paper parcels materials and for the finished products.

I also got the pillows (#86) made for the guest bed, I have to say I'm pretty obsessed
with the patterns (even if Mike thinks the blue pillow is actually Batman material)

I typically don't use a lot of ribbon, but this year I plan on making a whole slew of the holly-day brooches. This ribbon (plus what I have in storage) will come in handy then and so will this dispenser made from a wine rack and dial rods. I'm feeling pretty satisfied that I can finally cross off #64: Clean and #43: Organize.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. To learn more about it, click here.

Thrifty Thursday

The tease of a photo my Mom texted me while in the store.

In a far away land called Amish Country (Berlin, Ohio), there's a place called Zinck's. It's a family-owned fabric and textile wholesale heaven, that I'm not sure I should even be sharing! My mom and I would travel the hour and half to this craft mecca to score some awesome deals. When I explained the Better Block project to my Mom, we both agreed I needed a Zinck's to help supply by pop-up.

Being the awesome Mom she is, her and my stepdad took a trip down to Amish Country one Saturday and perused the 17,000 sf warehouse for items for Fairview Place. From the photos she sent and pictures I saw on their website, it's definitely changed so much since the last time I was there. The duo spent an hour gathering up random items from my wanted: craft items list.

I was lucky enough to get a care package full of crafty goodness in the mail just a few days later! Everything from lace to buttons, pom poms to interfacing. I've already put most of the stuff to a good home in my Fairview Place pop-up pile....and what makes this so thrifty is that it was a "donation to the cause." Gotta love that :)

In a side note, I was explaining Amish Country to Mike - the buggys and homemade cheese, meats and awesome restaurants and shops. He's totally agreed to go with me the next time we're home, so I see a visit to Zinck's in my future! Woot woot!

Monday Musebles

Newest addition for the craft shop section at Better Block...Paper Parcels.
Packs of new, vintage papers including scrapbooking, doilies, envelopes, sheet music, flash
cards, stickers, button cards, graph paper and more.

Lately I feel like I've been running a race and I just can't keep up (i.e. this post coming to you today - instead of Monday)! My daily to-do list has been more like a novel and at the end of the day I'm struggling to cross anything off - and you know how bad that irritates me!

Left, display case/china cabinet for $70. Top right, hanging white shelf was only $14! Needed some work, but what a steal!
Bottom right, baby crib that hangs from the ceiling. I am dying to buy this for my mini bolts of fabric!

This past weekend I felt like I did a lot of nothing. A few projects got worked on, but none completely finished. I cleaned messes to make more, of a different variety. I went and saw some really lovely display pieces for the Better Block project, but didn't actually purchase anything. 

We're only naughty when it comes to running marathons ;)

But, by the time Sunday rolled around, I wasn't actually feeling too overwhelmed. A few of us girls went to cheer on a friend running the Shamrock Marathon.We didn't end up lasting too long...the weather was definitely not on our side. I'm still in awe about how someone could run for FIVE hours in those conditions. Or any conditions for that matter! Kudos to you Susie!

Fawn Street Studios. Loved this space...that spiral staircase with the skylights and disco ball?
Sounds like my kind of place to have a wedding!

Mike and I checked out the new Art Design Craft Norfolk show at the Fawn Street Studios. Then we headed over to Belmont for a beer and some BBQ (seriously delicious food here).

Passed on the green Bud Light for a new Third Shift. Pretty tasty.

No lies, I would drink this stuff if it were socially acceptable!

I spent the rest of the night with some Dexter (yeah, back on this train again) and measuring fabric for my mini bolts for the Better Block. As you can see, a lot of nonstop randomness going on around our house. I guess it's not a terrible thing...for now.

Left, mini bolts of fabric. Right, "spools" of lace for sale.

Thrifty Thursday

Last time I was home I went to visit my Buni. We spent a lot of time catching up and chatting about our current craft projects. I had taken one of my quiet books to work on (which, consequently, no work actually got done) and explained to her my newest felt food creations. I could see her eyes lighting up as we talked, only to find out she had some supplies she was dying to give away.

Lucky for me, it was everything I use (well, except the large glass jar of seashells). Embroidery floss from her sister (which is more than 25 years old), fabric, beads, glue sticks, a random Christmas ornament and more. She tells me she has heaps more in her garage, so maybe we'll go exploring that when the Spring comes around.

Thrifty Thursdays

A big thanks to my friend Krista who went to a great estate sale with me last weekend in West Ghent. She was the one who first spotted the cabinet full of buttons, which I immediately snagged. The whole cabinet was suppose to sell with all the contents, but I worked a deal for all these buttons for only $9. The condo has not been updated since probably, 1963, but I find comfort and a little excitment in 'old house smell.'

This isn't even all of them! I've already set aside a bunch (and snaps and pinking sheers) for Kitsch's next swap meet. Aren't those big green ones amazing? I can't wait to attach those to some hair clips! In a quick estimate I got more than 100 buttons...there were also many more in a separate jar we found in random box.

The thing I admire most about the older accessories, is the packaging. The typography and colors are fantastic. Now everything is just boring white...no design excitement!

I also found these super retro book name plates in a pile of paper goods. A bag of four different designs for $1. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with them...well, I know a few will be going to Thomas for his book collection. There was a huge box of various-sized envelopes, loads of illustrated postcards with greetings for every occasion and party invitations. It's a good thing we were on our bikes, or that box would be wiggling itself into my closet somehow. All in all, it was a nice morning ride with lots of vintage goods in tow. Not to mention, lots of new earring accessories coming soon!

Thrifty Thursdays

Alliance is the mecca of button shopping! I scored all these buttons for less than $5 from This and That outlet and antique stores downtown. And just when I thought I had enough, my aunt brought me her whole button collection! New Fairview Place earrings, hair clips and more on the way!

Thrifty Thursday

I decided that to make my button jewelry process easier, I needed to have color coordinated jars for my buttons. You might think this is a little excessive, and you're right. However, it took me about 15 seconds to find a particular button the other day, where as it used to take me months (yes, months) to locate the necessary item ;)

You'll notice fabric on the left, which I was originally going to use.
However, after trying one or two lids, I realized they wouldn't
close tight and resorted to magazines instead.

The project can be made with any old jars and paper, the Mod Podge will cost you less than $5 at the craft store and the project will take you less than 40 minutes!

What you need:

5-7 jars, cleaned free of labels and glue
Mod Podge
Foam paint brush
Scissors
Magazines – Restoration Hardware came in handy for this!

What you do:

1. Cut your colored paper in circles measuring about 1" wider than the lids.
2. With the foam brush, apply the Mod Podge to the wrong side of the circle (apply generously). Lay the lid in the center of the circle and fold the edges to the inside of the lid.
3. Apply another generous coat of Mod Podge to the top of the lid and sides. You can repeat this a couple of times for a more textured finish ( I put two coats on).