Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts

Weaving

For years now, I have enjoyed working with yarns. I used to do a lot of crocheting and made a lot of things for my Etsy shop. I closed my shop last year. I did not want to price my items too high and it got to the point where the price of yarn went up and so did the selling fees. Rather than raising my prices, I just closed down. Now I just make things for friends on a whelm or when I have a baby shower to attend.

I like to always be doing something with my hands. I like to settle down after my evening shower and watch tv. I admit, If I am not doing something, I will go to sleep and miss the whole show. So I will usually pick up some fiber from my yarn basket and play around with crochet, macreme or weave.

Did you read that? I have been weaving now too. I was looking around on Pinterest and seen where you can weave with only a board or picture frame and a few feet of yarn or cord and thought I’d give it a try.

I found an old picture frame and began wrapping some cotton yarn in a figure eight motion. Then I threaded a needle and began to weave.
Below is my first try. Nothing came of this and I started over with a different yarn. 


On my second try, I created a couple mug rugs (aka coasters). 



They are a little wonky, but not bad for a beginner. I already use them. I always use a coaster. Not to protect my table but because I can not stand the sound of my cup hitting a hard surface. 
It was relaxing sitting in my recliner and weaving. When my eyes get heavy, I will put it down and work on it again the next day. 

I also made a couple weaved bracelets.

 

I have actually been wearing them to work and get lots of compliments. They are just my style. They are light weight, warm and comfy. 

Always stay tuned because you never now what else I will decide to create. 
That’s if I can keep my eyes open after a long days work. 


Fun With A Photo Ball

A couple weeks ago I receive a photo ball as a birthday gift from my sister. I have always wanted one of these for some reason and now I have one.

A photo ball is a crystal ball that allows you to take refraction photos. The background shows within the ball creating a cool shot. It also magnifies objects. I learned that the hard way when I tried to bring it out in the full sunlight. 

I brought it with me to the beach so I could play around with it. It is actually kind of hard to master but soon I will be able to get those perfect shots. 
Until then, here are some amateur photos I took this past week. Enjoy.







Pretty cool huh? 
That all I have for today. 

We have decided to extend our stay here for a few more days. Things here in South Carolina are slowly getting back to normal. Stores are open to 80% capacity but they have shortened their hours. Some restaurants are open to 50% capacity and some are open 100%. We have sat down to both. 
Hopefully soon, things will get running again.

Whittle a Little

I remember back when I was about twelve years old, my daddy gave me a pocket knife. Ever since then, I have always liked pocket knives. I remember it had about a 2 inch blade, a pearl handle and his company name down the side. There was a little beaded chain at the end so you could hang it from your key ring. I played with that little knife a lot. I used to find sticks and sit and whittle them into arrows. I would also find gigantic acorns and hollow out the inside and make beads. Through the years, daddy would give me a pocket knife. I wish I still had them.

I have a few pocket knives that Nick actually found on the road during his walks. My favorite is a little pink one. 


Speaking of walking, I told Nick during our walk the other day that I was looking for a stick so I could attempt to carve a crochet hook.
Nick thought I was crazy and said, “we can’t afford a hospital visit to get a finger sewn back on”. He wasn’t even aware that I liked to whittle. I reminded him that if I have the idea in my head, I was gonna make it happen. So I picked up a few sticks from the base of a maple tree and carried them home. 


I went outside on a beautiful sunny day and began to whittle a little. After a couple wasted sticks and an hour of chiseling and carving, I had created my very own hand crafted crochet hook. My fingers were sore and blistered. I felt pretty proud of myself. I gave it couple more days for my fingers to rest then made another one. The 2nd one was a little bigger and easier to carve. 


I had to try it out so I crocheted a little mug rug for a test run. 


It worked good but was a little rough gliding through the stitches. It needs to be smoothed out a little more and some adjustments need to be made so it will be more comfortable with my grip.


I may just leave them as they are and put them away. I accomplished what I wanted to do and that satisfies me. 

What do you think? 
Have you ever carved or whittled anything? 

Repurposed Home Keys

Do you have a drawer of keys? Or do you have key rings laying around full of keys that no longer belong anywhere? Well, I do.

Why is it that we keep keys? When we move away or our locks are changed, people tend to keep the keys. I even have old car keys from when I was a teenager. They are no longer any good. 
Or are they?

Nick and I got a little crafty last week when my daughter said she was looking for a small key hanger for her new little 400 sq ft studio apartment. She loves to throw her keys up on a hook when she comes in. She has always shared an apartment with her Kappa Delta sister but has now decided to try things on her own. Her apartment is adorable and we can’t wait to see how she decorates it. 

We looked around for some ideas to make her a key hanger. Hooks can be expensive, so we found a cool way to make some hooks using old keys. Nick carefully bent the keys into hooks. With a little cutting, sanding and painting, we created her the perfect key hanger. This key hanger will also have some sentimental value as each key is from a family home. 


There is a key from both her grandparents homes.
One key is from the first house she grew up in and our first home.
And one key is from our current home she continued to grow up in until she moved out on her own.
The wooden part of the key hanger is a piece of the molding from our house. 


Nick did the sanding and I did the painting and writing. 
We decided to give it a distressed look by sanding down and scuffing some areas. 


We had fun making this together and all it costed us was a dollar paint brush and a Sharpie. 
Now let’s hope the area where she wants to put it will be big enough in that tiny little uptown apartment. 


Do you have old keys laying around? I think one of these days people will no longer need keys as everything is touch or speech activated. 
Even cars nowadays are cranking up by themselves. 


Rep Announcement

I'm proud to announce that I am now a PuraVida Bracelet Representative. If you follow me on Instagram, you have noticed a lot of post of me promoting these cute little bracelets.
Dreaming Outloud Pack
One day I ordered one and later my sister gave me a little set of them. Before I knew it, I was hooked. Then, in no time, I got an email letting me know I have been approved as a rep.
Bestie Pack
This is perfect for me as I love the beachy vibe of each bracelet. I also enjoy taking photos and promoting brands I love. I may even make a tiny commission and receive free gifts with sales I make. It's all for fun. It feels good to promote something that has a story behind it. Something that helps make a difference in other lives.
Rose Gold Wave Pack
PuraVida bracelets was founded in Costa Rica where two Southern California friends went on a college graduation trip. They met two struggling artisans making colorful string bracelets. The two friends wanted to help so they requested 400 bracelets to take home to with them. After putting the bracelets in a local boutique, they sold out in just a few days. This was a movement that celebrated the simple things in life. This is were the name came from. "Pura Vida" is Spanish for "Pure Life". You can read the whole story HERE.

LaurDIY Pack
One size fits most as they adjust from 6 to 11 inches around with a small slip knot.
Each bracelet has a waxy feel and is waterproof and sand proof.
Each purchase includes little drawstring dust bag and a set of their popular fun stickers.

Watermelon Charm 4

By purchasing one of these bracelets you are creating jobs for artisans.
Puravida also gives to more than 175 charities around the world through purchases made.

If you would like to purchase one of these bracelets 
you can visit my special link to the site HERE and get 20% off 
or just go to Puravidabracelets.com and use code: LISADIMEO20. 



DIY- Desk Top Zen Garden

I have been wanting a Zen garden for a while now. AKA Japanese rock garden.


Zen gardens go way back to the sixth century when Monks created the first Zen gardens to aid in meditation. It was a place to go for peace and serenity. They would consist of a large area of sand in a setting that included rocks, small plants and rakes. Ripples in the sand represent the nature of water. Rocks are delicately placed to add energy.

Small Zen gardens are popular right now. Kits for these small gardens online can cost up to $100.00 depending on the quality of dish, sand and rock you choose. That's just crazy, so I decided to make my own for less than $9.00.


First I called my brother in law at the beach and asked him to bring some soft white sand when he comes to visit. When he arrived last week with a bucket of sand, I was excited. I mean, who else can have the beach delivered to them?


Next I ran out to the thrift store where I found a small shallow glass dish and an unwanted fake succulent to adopt.

I needed a rake so I visited an Etsy shop and purchased an authentic Art of Bali brand Zen rake. This was the most expensive part of my project costing a whopping $5.75.


I glued the plant to the bottom of the glass dish, poured in the sand and began to play. I think I spent a half hour playing with this thing once I got it all together. It's amazing how something so simple can add hours of soothing fun to your desktop or table.


Many people have resorted to small desk size Zen gardens as they reduce stress, improve focus and relaxation. Most Zen garden include a little buddha statue, but I prefer to stay away from that. Meditation? Na, My meditation is in prayer.
I just like the way it looks. It adds some tranquility decor to my office. I do think it is relaxing. After all, I am fidgety. This may even keep me from all the doodling on paper that I do.



Glass dish- Goodwill -.99 cent.
Plastic Succulent- Goodwill $1.49.
Desktop Zen garden Rake- TheZenGardner $5.75.
Sand- Myrtle Beach, SC-  FREE +1 cup of coffee.

No way to get real sand? 
Visit your local dollar store where you can purchase a small bag of craft sand for only a dollar.

Pineapple Earrings

I’m feeling a little fruity after noticing fruit designs and styles in the stores this summer. I’m starting to actually like it. I see a lot of lemons and pineapples on everything from dishes and decorations to hats and underwear. I have even seen men suits printed in crazy fruity prints (that's where I draw the line).

Well I have joined in and made some fruity fashion to share.


I had this bright idea to make a pair of pineapple earrings so I hopped on Pinterest and began searching for ideas. Then suddenly I came across some adorable little crochet earrings so I had to make a pair. You can find this free pattern at  Winding Road CrochetBe sure to pop over to her blog and check out some of her other crochet creations and patterns. 

Mine are just a little different though. I didn’t add as many layers and went different on the beads. (Didn't my husband do a great job getting this close-up photo?). I plan to keep this pair and made another pair for my shop.


I didn’t stop there! I had so much fun making these earrings that I decide to come up with my own little version. 

I didn't use a pattern, I only used my imagination. I really like how these turned out too, as they are a bit smaller and seem more boutique.  What do you think?




I think these pineapple earrings will go great with shorts and tshirt or a sundress. 

If you would like a pair of these, be sure to head over to LiLiDi’s before they get away. While your there, be sure to check out some of my other items.





Cactus Rocks

Well what do ya know? I found a plant that I can’t kill. That's right. I do not need to water it or feed it. It’s cactus rocks!

I saw this cute little idea of painting rocks on Pinterest the other day and since I like to paint and do crafty stuff, I thought I’d give it shot.

Francilina stole three rocks from the Wendy’s parking lot and the fun began. 
(Name has been changed to protect the guilty).


I took these rocks outside one 98 degree day and painted away. I never even broke a sweat. (I ran a 5k a few weeks ago and didn’t break a sweat then either, but that's beside the point). Our large dogwood now hangs over the patio enough to give it a nice afternoon shade. I enjoyed my time alone painting rocks. However, it was not easy! 


The base color was easy but trying to paint the tiny prickly hairs that cactus have was ridiculously hard. Oh and by the way, don’t use paint brushes from the dollar store. The bristles kept coming off in my paint making them look hairyeeeee....Wait, I just had an idea. I should have just glued the tiny brush bristles onto the rock to really give a prickly look. Oh well, it’s too late now.
.

I know, I know, they look terrible, but from a distance I think they are ok. Sort of adorable actually. I think I will take them to work and put them up on a shelf in my office.


This would be a great idea for moms, teachers or babysitters. You can create many cactus rocks of different sizes and shapes. Purchase some small planters or cups along with some pebbles from the dollar store. The kids can have fun creating their own little cactus gardens over and over. I mean, it’s not like they will break. They are rocks! Just make sure little Johnny doesn’t stuff the pebbles up his nose. 






Fair Photo Contest Finalist

I am from a small town where very seldom anything exciting goes on. During the Fall, we see small festivals popping up in places we go but we do not have a fair ground. The biggest thing we have is a dirt race track and a ball field.

Well, our city has decided to put on a “Gaston All American Fair” this month. It will be held in the parking lot of our mall. Sounds more like a carnival to me but it’s happening and they are calling it a Fair. It doesn’t take much to get us excited around here. I mean throw up a tent and we call it revival. 

The fair starts on Friday the 15th and goes until Sunday the 24th. 
I can’t wait to see what its all about. I love the smell of cotton candy and popcorn as the lights from the rides blink in bright colors. Another reason I am excited is I get to have a part in it.
Yes. I entered one of my photos in the amateur photo contest held online. They picked the top “liked” photos from 4 different categories to move on to the fair. Mine was one of them. Not only did it have the most likes in it’s category, it had the most “likes” over any of the others. So it moved on to be displayed and judged at the fair.. 

It’s just a little photo taken from my iPhone as I was leaving the post office one day. It was rainy and gloomy but something about the dreary town with the bright American flags made me snap a picture through my windshield while I was stopped at the traffic light. Now it could possibly be a prize photo. 


I had to mount it on a 11x14 mount board or canvas and I will be registering it on Saturday to be displayed and judged on Sunday. The judging will take place between 1-3 on Fathers Day Sunday. The winner will be announced at 3:00. I will be there waiting to see if my photo wins. I do not have much hope as it will now be up against a photo of a cute little girl, a farm pig and a dog. I have little chances of winning with my “Cloudy day on Main” photo but it’s exciting just to be one of the finalist. 

Fingers crossed I win and go home with a prize but good luck to all that entered.

To be continued........


Nepal Bracelet

Lately I have had this fascination with these tiny glass beaded bracelets. I didn’t want just any kind of handmade beaded bracelet. I wanted and actual Nepal bracelet hand crafted by artisans of Nepal. The search was on.

It did not take me long before I discovered a shop called LiftedHope. They make gorgeous Nepal bracelets and other seed beaded jewelry. 


Each bracelet is delicately made by Nepalese women who work hard to make an honest living and enjoy what they do. Unlike most large mass production dealers, Liftedhope gives fair trade and comfortable working conditions to these women's who are dedicated in their creative abilities. Sales from these bracelets go directly to the makers. Each bracelet comes with a story you will love to read about. It made me feel good that I purchased a bracelet from a small shop that cares about their workers.


If you would like one of these cute pieces of arm candy, made with love and passion, you can visit LiftedHope.com or there Etsy shop HERE. They continue adding new colors and designs. My bracelet just rolled on like butter over my hand and fit my wrist perfect. I chose this flower design called “floating Rose”. 


I plan to head back to the site to order another color and design. They make great stackable bracelets that will go great with my summer beach attire. I love the little chic boho look. It fits comfortable, lightweight and doesn't distract my daily desk work. 


I love pairing my Nepal bracelet with some of my favorite Alex and Ani bracelets (which I have a collection of too). 

They have hundreds of designs and colors to choose from and the highest quality glass beaded bracelets you can find. You can buy them single or by the dozens. Soon they will be adding earrings to collection.


Shop Liftedhope on Etsy or Www.Liftedhope.com

I have no affiliation nor have I been compensated with lifted hope. 
I am just a happy customer who wants to spread the love. 
My review and opinions are my own..




Acrylic Pour- JojisArt

Today I want to share with all of you some new art in town. My sister has opened an Etsy shop to sell her new found talent. “Acrylic Pour canvas art”. I get to see each one before she post it on her site. She will text me a photo after each one. We both will oohhh and ahhh at the turn out.

My sister is sort of like me in being creative. Her taste is a little more expensive than mine though. I am more of the thrifty and resourceful one. 
She is talented and a great artist. We get this from the women in our family. Our grandmothers always were crafty and always making things. Our mother was and still is crafty and a professional seamstress.  

With these pantings, she can not plan an out come as each one turns out different. They are all a little surprise as she does her magic. I dont know how she does it, but since it’s called “acrylic pour” I assume she pours it on their somehow. 

Here are few of her pieces. 




These will look great in a home or office. She makes different sizes. Each painting is one of a kind made with Acrylic Paint on a light weight cotton canvas then topped with a seal of thin varnish which also adds shine. The paint rolls over the edges so it does not need a frame. 

If you would like to own one of these original peices of art,  You can purchase one at JojisArt . She is always adding new ones as she creates them on her time away from her regular full time Job. Her talent does not stop here. She also makes beautiful wreaths which you may see added in her shop soon. 

So stop by JojisArt and take a look around. 



This was shared at 

Wall Art By PhotoWall

If you were to walk into my house, you would think I had no style. Me and my husband have two different taste on decor. What I think will look good in a room, he will feel the opposite. I like brights, whites and fun. To keep peace, the walls are pretty much bare except for a framed print in the living room and my daughters senior portrait in the hallway.

When Photowall asked if I would try out one of their pieces, I was excited. Heck, I didn’t have any idea that a company like this even existed.

Photowall is a Swedish company that takes pride in there products and have high quality standards. They offer murals and canvases with over 3000 motifs to choose from created by designers around the world. Photowall will even put your favorite snap shot or photograph on a canvas or mural too! Their murals and canvases are environmental friendly, fire retardant and will not fade in the sunlight. 

I spent several hours trying to decide on the perfect print. I finally turned the decision to my husband. We both searched around admiring the selections.
I actually like so many different ones that I could not make up my mind. Finally, the only two options we both agreed on were the “Map” prints or “Nautical” Prints. Then we had to narrow it down to one. 

The choice came down to.... [drum roll please].... 

The “BÃ…TSPORTKORT”(boat sports card) -charts specially designed for boat sports.


This product was provided to me free of charge 
in exchange for my honest review. 
All opinions are my own.

Color shades in photos may vary due to change of lighting.



The yellows and blues just jumped out at me. I love the nautical look. 

Once the decision was made, placing my order was super easy and customer service was there for me if I had any questions. 
Their canvases are made from 100% cotton and can be ordered with or without the frame. 
You can also choose any size. I chose 61cm x 91cm ( 2ft x 3ft).

Though the company is based in Sweden, they ship world wide. I am in North Carolina, USA. And within five days of ordering, my package was delivered to my doorsteps. 
I could hardly wait to open it.

The frame and canvas were both securely wrapped separately in the same box and assembly was so easy that it only took me five minutes.


 It seriously took me longer to decide the position I wanted to hang it. 



The original plan was to hang it over the bed in our bedroom, but we liked it so much, we decided to hang it in our den so it can be seen by everyone who visits. I’m thinking it will also look great in our future beach house where the rooms will be brighter and more cheery. That is the plan.

Here are a few other prints I love and almost picked. 


If your looking for the perfect wall mural or canvas for your home or office, or if you have your own special photo you would like to bring to life on a canvas, look no further than PhotoWall.com. 

No matter what your style, hobby or passion you'll find a way to express it here.

Visit PhotoWall.com 
Use coupon code : LAFTOCCampaign2018 
and get 20% off your order (expires in 30 days).