Parisian Flower Market Sign

Bonjour Mes Amis!

It is beyond cold here at the Chateau this morning, with temps at 7 below zero!  Yep, that is not including the wind chill factor!

So I am staying indoors all day today trying to keep warm and snug!

Awhile back I shared that I've been chosen to be part of the Design Team for DecoArt.

I am still pinching myself, and am thrilled to be a part of their creative team!

I thought I'd share with you my first assignment, a Parisian themed sign that I stenciled.

The assignment was pretty open ended, I just was asked to create something using DecoArt's 

"Chalky Finish" paint, as well as their stencils.

So, this is what I came up with!

My handy hubby came to the rescue and made the board for me, in the shape that I requested.  It is quite large, measuring nearly 2 feet across. 

 You know how much I love aqua. Well, I totally am in love with this gorgeous shade of their chalk paint!

 I had so much fun incorporating a variety of their French themed stencils!

"Marche Aux Fleurs" = "Market of Flowers"

 I distressed the sign just a tiny bit, then followed with DecoArt's satin varnish for a subtle and protective  sheen.

 (I've not been compensated to write this post, and all of the opinions here are my own.)

I am happy with the way it turned out, and can hardly wait for my next assignment!

 Ok, do you want to visit a real Parisian flower market with me?

Here are some of my favorites when we visit Paris!

The one below is our favorite flower and produce market, just a few blocks from our hotel.

 Just look at this amazing display, below!  It is a gorgeous flower shop right across the rue from our hotel on the Left Bank.

Just looking at these pretty blooms makes me feel a bit warmer!

 Look at these amazing blue hydrangeas, below!  That is hubby in the photo, admiring all of the beautiful hanging birdcages.

 More beautiful fleurs!

And here's one last look at my sign.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Joining the following parties:
Common Ground Be Inspired Friday
French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday

More Clay Tag Fun!

Wow, I can't believe how quickly this year has gone!  I am more than ready to usher in a new year.  I know, it really just is another day, but also a time for new beginnings, don't you think?

So today I thought I'd share one last craft project with you before the year comes to a close.

Have you ever worked with polymer clay?  I still can't believe that until this year, I never had tried playing with it!  Guess what?  It is addictive!

I showed you some Christmas tags I made from the clay (I use "Sculpey" brand), and I had some left over tags from that project. (They are oven baked, which results in a hard and very durable product.)

Well, they didn't turn out quite as planned.  I had imprinted them with an all over design using a rubber stamp (no ink, just the stamp), and really wasn't happy with the way they turned out, as the design was hard to see. So, I had a bit of a brainstorm!

 I decided to decoupage them with pretty little flowers, and am so happy with the way they turned out!

I cut the tags with a small scalloped shaped cutter, part of a set that I bought at Hobby Lobby in the polymer clay section.  The same set also sells at Michael's.

I cut each flower out from a copy of pretty vintage floral wall paper which I'd printed out.

 I then adhered the petite blossoms to each tag, and let dry.

I then went over the entire front of each tag with "Diamond Glaze".  I really love this stuff!

It is a dimensional glaze that gives your projects a glassy like finish.

While the glaze was still wet, I generously dusted each tag with my favorite Martha Stewart clear coarse glitter.

(I think that Martha should hire me to be her glitter spokeswoman, as I sure give her glitter plenty of pr!!)

If you can't find the diamond glaze, you could just use your decoupage for the final top coat.  It just wouldn't give it the dimension, but still would be quite pretty!

 I added waxed cotton cord that I picked up at Michael's.

 I had so much fun making these, and was happy that I came up with a solution to 

transform my tags!

 Don't they look like pretty little sugar cookies?

 As you can see, I also was having alot of fun during their photo shoot!

The tags really sparkle and shine, and the diamond glaze almost gives them a ceramic look.

 Oh, I do have a cute little butterfly tag amid all of the blossoms:)

 I can think of so many fun uses for these tags. Tied on a package, tied to napkins instead of napkin rings, hanging from a basket, or even used as wine charms. The list goes on and on.

Try making some yourself!  I bet you will become addicted to them just like I am!

Wishing you a Very Happy New Year!

Another Drab to Fab Makeover!

Hello everyone!  Hope you all had a great Christmas!  It's hard to believe that it's over with already.  I don't know about you, but I'm so not looking forward to taking down decorations!  It's just not nearly as fun as putting them out!!

Now that Christmas is over, I finally had some time to work on a drab to fab makeover.  It felt so good to play again in my craft room!

Here is a sneak peek of the "after"!

And here is the "before"!  I found this wood framed chalkboard several weeks ago, in dire need of some love!  I knew right away that light pink would be the perfect color for this beauty in the making!

 So, I pulled out my "chalky finish" paints by DecoArt, and found just the right shade of pink that I was looking for!

I really love the beautiful carved floral and leaf design on the frame, which was hidden in that dark brown finish.

 So much better now, I think!  I also really love the sweet little built in ledge, perfect for an eraser and chalk!

 I gave it a generous dose of distressing, then followed with a poly sealer, also by DecoArt.

 Oh, and I recovered the old chalkboard with chalkboard vinyl, for a nice clean and fresh look.

 I've placed this cutie in my Etsy shop, if you care to take a look!

 Have a great weekend!

Christmas Greetings

Bonjour Mes Amis!

One last post before Christmas Day.  Thought I'd share a few more views with you, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.......................

 My antique hutch all decked out for the holiday.

 Lots of sparkle.

 Santa made by my mom many years ago.

 Katie says:

"Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!"

French Themed No Sew Tote Bag

Bonjour Mes Amis!

Today I thought I'd take a bit of a break from sharing Christmas decor, and instead show you a tote bag that I've created.  I made several of these as Christmas gifts.  I love giving presents that I've made, and try and come up with ideas of things that people could actually use!

The inspiration came from the oh so talented Carol over at the Polka Dot Closet.

If you've never visited, you are in for a real treat!

When I first saw her pretty tote bags, I just knew that I wanted to create some as well!

Click here to see Carol's lovely bags.

So here is my Frenchy version, below!

 What was especially appealing was this was a no sew project!  (I am not much of a seamstress!)

I found the canvas tote bags at Hobby Lobby. They came three to a pack.

I just love this French bird graphic, it is one of my all time favorites at The Graphics Fairy.

So I knew it would be perfect for the look I was going for!
Believe it or not, I've never used my printer to transfer images to fabric, so I was a bit nervous about doing so.
Carol recommended "Quick Fuse" iron on fabric sheets, by June Taylor.  When I couldn't find them at Hobby Lobby or Michael's, I searched on line and was surprised to find the best price directly from June Taylor!
I followed the directions on the package, and was surprised at how easy it was!

Ok, now comes the fun part, the embellishments!  I was in love with the gorgeous fabric flowers that Carol creates.  She gave a wonderful tutorial how to make them here.  

I was more than a little unnerved at first creating the flowers, as you hold the fabric over the flame of a candle, which creates the curled petals.  Well, I got the hang of it, and had alot of fun in the process!

The flowers were the only thing that I actually had to sew (just attaching all of the layers of petals together).

The rest was accomplished with fabric glue, also Carol's suggestion.

I really love how my flowers turned out!  For their centers, I added pretty pink flowers that I picked up in the scrapbooking section at Hobby Lobby. They have a touch of glitter, 'cause you know how much I love my glitter!  I had wanted to add some vintage Austrian crystal earrings (Carol used gorgeous vintage jewels for her centers)  that I had on hand for their centers, but the color just didn't go with my project, so I'll save those for another time.

I also embellished the totes with pretty creamy cotton lace with a vintage feel, also found at Hobby Lobby.  I happened to have this adorable petite aqua pom pom trim in my stash,  which I thought that was the perfect addition!

I had so much fun making these totes, I guess now I need to make one for myself!

Here is a close up of the flower.

And one last look at my Frenchy tote.

Thank you Carol for the wonderful inspiration!

Next week I'll share with you a few more shots of Christmas around our house.
Have a great day!