Tag Archives: Design Hole

New Year, New Things

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Happy New Year! Seems like the first few days of 2011 have been really eventful already (some good, some really quite bad). I am really excited about starting afresh and seeing what this year will bring to us all.

Most of you know, I am due to POP any minute now, so I had expected the first two or three months of 2011 to be on the slow side… However, the wall stencils have been so well-received, I’ve been working! Seems Little One is happy where he is, so I am shipping, ordering, designing my fingers off (and couldn’t be happier). But if I disappear for a week or so, you know what happened. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

I enjoyed decorating my son’s room, and have yet another cornice to photograph and show soon (would you believe I actually sewed something?). There are a couple finishing touches to be done in the room, but as soon as they are complete, expect photos!

A new client this week said she was going to stencil her wall, and then use the same stencil on some pillows. LOVE IT! I hope she sends pics.

Another new friend said she would be using a small stencil to decorate a cake. A cake! I hope she sends pics. And a slice. Have to make sure the stencil worked, in person, of course. ;)

This year, I expect the DIY world to have an even stronger boost than it did last year. The latest buzz I’m hearing is that, with the economy slowly on the upswing, decorating your own home is a more than welcome way to create the environment you want and save those precious pennies. There are so many great products out there that will give your home the polish of professional[-looking] decor without the hefty price tag. Or without looking like a craft fair from 1992 (remember those?).

With that in mind, might I suggest stenciling something? :) Also, check out Design Hole’s recent post on stenciling walls. Choose your own paint, your own pattern, your own theme, your own technique, and GO! And if you mess up, paint it, and try again. Very economical, and un-scary for the DIY decorator.

Crafty Wallpaper Contest: The Results!

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The wallpaper craft is finished! Yipee! And I have the pictures to walk you through the steps.

(*NOTE: I am not a photographer. I apologize for this in advance.)

Cool Picture Framed Art

1. Buy nine – 1 foot square frames and spray paint them black.
I modified this step. I bought 32′ of 1×2 and mitered the ends to create 8 1′ frames, and spray painted the sides black. The reasons were cost and functionality. Frames can be expensive, and finding eight with flat faces was going to be costly and difficult. When you can’t find what you want, make it yourself, I say!

2. Carefully cut out a bunch of 1-foot x 1-foot squares of wallpaper – it’s ideal because you don’t need to trim or break the pattern.
I modified this step as well. It made more sense to me to paint the design on the front of the paper and then cut the squares. Thank you, thank you to Design Hole and Alluminare for the wallpaper! The paper is really strong and durable – believe me, I’m clumsy and I didn’t even nick it! – and the surface texture is great for painting.

3. Tack the squares to the front of the frames (and only the fronts, no wrap-around).
I used Tacky Glue. I love it! It is super strong and dries clear. I just like the stuff – no kickback for me if you buy it because of this site. :)

4. Arrange the frames into a 3-foot × 3-foot grid and secure them together (temporarily, carefully). Find a simple, graphic design and paint it in white across all the pieces.
Modified: see above.
5. Separate the pieces, affix to the wall in the same grid order, but about 1 to 2 inches apart on all sides.
(This is where my sucky photog skills really show off.)

 

And wah-lah! Wallart.

What’s that you say? Where’s the rest of the wallpaper? I’m glad you asked!

You Don’t Write… You Don’t Call…

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Ha. Actually had a college boy-interest say that to me once. There was a reason. :D

Dear blog-readers, I’ve not kept up with you – I’m sorry! I’ve been traveling, first to my family for Thanksgiving, then to Oregon to see friends and family. My Google Reader has over 300 unread items! I can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to. And I am on the hunt for Christmas table setting ideas, presently.

This is also partly why I’ve been absent. We moved into our house October 26th and the chipper bird in me offered to have the Big Family Christmas Dinner at our new house. I’ve been a tornado of painting and decorating since. It’s our first house (every wall was hospital white – ack!) and I want the Grand Unveiling-Slash-Christmas to be just perfect. Today, I will be putting the finishing touches on all the painting projects, applying the final coat on the refinished china cabinet, and rearranging the living room. Hobby Lobby & Home Depot, here I come!

On top of trying to channel Martha the last few weeks, I’ve been working. Two (TWO!) lines of Christmas cards, a few patterns, a tutorial, tons and tons of sketching and I have a major-huge project next week. No, I do not take any drugs. But I drink an inordinate amount of coffee. And I don’t sleep…much.

So my fine feathered friends, as I have nothing of my own to show you, I’d like to point out some really juicy bits I’ve seen on other blogs (no particular order, no particular category).

  1. Do You Look Cheesy, Dull, And Out Of Touch? and My Designer Sucks! Posts by the infamous Sparky Firepants. The first is an excellent 1-2-3 for why people need designers; the second is a cringe-worthy 1-2-3 why people might hate designers. Excellent information in both.
  2. These Cheat Sheets by Made In England made me laugh out loud (yes, LOL) yesterday. Fantastic concept, and I like the design. Oh, and they’re FREE.girls_cheat_sheet
  3. Cry Translator for iPhone on Ohdeedoh. I don’t have a baby, I don’t have an iPhone, but I know plenty of people who do and THIS IS BRILLIANT. But…does it work?120109iphoneapp
  4. 4 Beautiful Holiday Place Setting Ideas from Design Hole Online. I like the 4th one best!
  5. My photo shoot with Aaron Courter Photography. He’s so incredibly talented. Well done, Aaron. Very, very well done.

OK kids, I’m off to Home Depot & Hobby Lobby. (Let’s hope DH isn’t reading this.) Enjoy your day!

Wallpaper! It’s Here!

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I just received my wallpaper from Alluminare (thanks to Design Hole). Thank goodness the FedEx guy didn’t leave it in our soggy, snowy bushes (like the mailman did with my new coat – grr!). It came all nicely packaged in a HUGE cardboard tube.

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I opened the tube, and inside was a plastic sleeve, housing the wallpaper roll.

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I like the colors I chose against my dark purple walls. I think the project will turn out really well!

IMG_7445

(No, the pillows are not staying. Yes, there will be a piano along that wall. Stay tuned!)

Wallpaper Ordered: Check!

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I just ordered this wallpaper from Alluminare for the projects I’m going to start soon. I’m really looking forward to them! I’ll post the DIY steps when I’m finished, but for now, here’s a taste of what’s to come:

New T-Shirt From Design Hole

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Remember the Crafty Wallpaper Contest? (I won!) Part of my winnings was a Design Hole T-Shirt, and I received it today!

designholeT

Thank you, Jennifer!

We move into our new house in 9 days, and I have plans for the wallpaper I’m going to order from Alluminare (including, but not limited to, the idea that won me both the wallpaper and the shirt). I’m so excited!

Crafty Wallpaper Contest

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Design Hole asked, “What would you do with 20 square feet of wallpaper that you’ve designed yourself?” in their Crafty Wallpaper contest.
Here’s my answer:

stopdrop

Cool Picture Framed Art

  1. Buy nine – 1 foot square frames and spray paint them black.
  2. Carefully cut out a bunch of 1-foot x 1-foot squares of wallpaper – it’s ideal because you don’t need to trim or break the pattern.
  3. Tack the squares to the front of the frames (and only the fronts, no wrap-around).
  4. Arrange the frames into a 3-foot × 3-foot grid and secure them together (temporarily, carefully).
  5. Find a simple, graphic design and paint it in white across all the pieces.
  6. Separate the pieces, affix to the wall in the same grid order, but about 1 to 2 inches apart on all sides.

I won! I received a gift certificate from Alluminare for 20 feet of wallpaper to complete my project — I shall be using my own patterns!! I also have a Design Hole T-Shirt coming!

Thank you so much, Design Hole & Alluminare!