#429...fabric stamping

Last Christmas, our neighborhood holiday home tour passed through my house and I went crazy decorating (See here). This year, my decorating efforts were much more low-key. 

I like to change out my throw pillows on my bed, so I decided to try making a fabric stamped pillow emulating the shape of pine trees for this holiday season.

I cut a piece of foam board in the shape of a triangle to make my stamp. I used fabric textile paints in two colors of green that I applied with a brush to the foam triangle.

I pressed my stamp down onto a piece of linen, with even pressure to the back of the entire stamp.

The fabric paint I used required heated ironing to set once dry. It is then washable.

I sewed it into a large lumbar pillow.

I added an embroidered zig-zag border around the entire pillow in the style of the embroidered borders on John Robshaw pillows.

#428...new construction by southland homes

Earlier this year, I worked on this house. It was built by Southland Homes of Texas. I was primarily involved with cabinetry design, cabinetry and wall paint colors, exterior colors, floor stain color, and ultimately helping the home owners place their artwork. I only recently learned that the home was featured on Houzz, so I thought I'd share it. 

#427...five minute felt coaster

I've been having a problem with my beverages sweating all over my desk/keyboard/post-its. I've tried pretty stone/pottery/glass coasters, but none of them absorb the moisture. I saw some wool felt octagon coasters at a local boutique and figured felt would be the ticket to fixing my sweaty beverage problem. (Pictured espresso does not actually sweat)

I had this felt envelope that came with a necklace that I bought from Madewell, and decided to cut it up to use for the coasters. I printed an octagon to the size I wanted, and found some thin cork lying around my studio that I decided to use to back the felt and bulk it up a bit.

I cut the cork on the outer side of the line, and the felt on the inside of the line, creating a small cork revel along the edge of the coasters. Next, I glued them together using fabric/paper glue that I had. Any fabric glue will do.

Using some rubber stamps, and fabric paint in copper metallic and black, I decided to try stamping on a few of them. (I decided I liked them better unadorned, so I stopped stamping).

#426...happy 40 tyler

Tyler turned 40 last Friday, and we had a big backyard party to celebrate. My sister Sarah created a website invite for his party, as well as a venue logo for our yard. 

For the party we turned our pottery cabana into a craft cocktail bar, and created a menu of food and drinks.

We created a dining area in a large part of our yard. Tyler made several long farm style tables out of the wood he saved from our old loft staircase (seen here).

 We also set up a living room lounge area at the back part of our yard.

We added a bocce ball court, ping-pong table and giant jenga game to 

The Backyard.

Tyler made a lighted game-on sign out of recycled materials and some vintage sign letters that I purchased on e-bay. (I painted the scrabble letter "M"). 

He also made the below hanging sputnik lamp for the dining area out of plumbing and electrical parts.

thanks Julie and Kelly for the photos

#425...scrap wood bench

Where did September go? I was altogether not crafty, but Tyler on the other hand created this bench. I told him that he needed to purge some of the millions of small scrap wood pieces he has, and this is how he got rid of them.

He started with an old base to a bedside table that he'd previously taken apart.

 He started artistically stacking his scraps and securing them down.

When he finished stacking it to the height he wanted, I covered a piece of foam and plywood with a remnant of navy vinyl, and he attached it to the bench by tufting the top with washers and screws.