DIY Artwork

I think that art is very personal and means different things to each person. The possibilities are endless when it comes to finding art or creating art for your home. Recently I have been exploring some DIY art ideas as past of the Home Decorating Challenge. In my quest to find interesting art pieces for the gallery walls I am designing, I have decided to explore several options.

I have seen some wonderful "dictionary art" pieces and I really love the idea of combining beautiful images with the written word. I love the look and wanted to try some of my own. However, I really hate the idea of destroying a book, so I decided to copy some words from the dictionary and place them together to make my own dictionary page.

After copying the words I had to trim around the edges and then placed them together to create a new page. I then copied the new page onto a sheet of vintage scrapbook paper, which has a beautiful aged look. I had to cut my scrapbook sheets down to an 8 ½ x 11inch sheet, and used my laser printer.

The image I used is a vintage coral print, which I found online several years ago. I did a few small edits in Photoshop and printed on top of the words. There are a few other ideas that I will like to try, and I will include a couple coloured vintage prints. For my other pieces, I will also play with a combination of words that are connected to the image and will also play with some other elements. This project can easily be done with other types of copy, so I will explore some other options as well.

I hope that my project has inspired you to try making some DIY artwork.

Creative Business: Turning Your Craft Into Business

I am happy to announce that Crafted Spaces now has a Creative Business segment. Our blog currently have a collection of articles that focus on business development. However, our new segment will bring more resources and insight into how to develop and manage a creative business. Through focused articles, online radio broadcast and workshops; the goal is to help others transform their creativity into viable business ventures.

As a maker, instructor and an independent business development consultant, I have worked with others to explore their creativity and develop their businesses. Last year, I had an opportunity to participate in an online women business journal, Simply Inspirational for Women in Business Journal 2013. I had the pleasure of working on the design and development of the journal, and contributed an article that focus on the creative business entrepreneur. My article Turning Your Craft Into Business touches upon the process of how to take your creative abilities and transform them into a viable business.

The new Crafted Spaces segment will be a guide on how to set-up your business, develop a marketing strategy, develop your craft, and sell your creations. This year I look forward to sharing with you the skills and knowledge I have gained over the past twenty years as a creative entrepreneur. I will also bring to you the expertise of other creative entrepreneurs and invite you to join us on Blogtalk Radio, Facebook and Pinterest.

Here are some creative business and other business development post to get you started. You are also invited to join me tomorrow on Crafted Spaces Radio for the first online radio broadcast dedicated to our new Creative Business segment.

Home Decorating Challenge: Gallery Wall {Part 1}

The thrift store can be a great place to find frames for a gallery wall. Look for different shapes and sizes to make a unique display. Here are some frames I found at the thrift store ranging from $2.99 to $12.99.

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I have always loved gallery walls and have always had a gallery wall in my home. Since moving into my current home four years ago, I have been thinking of designing a gallery wall with images that are meaningful to my husband and I. I also want to do something different from what I have done in the past and it has taken me some time to decide on exactly what that will be.

The first task has been to organize hundreds of family pictures spanning four generations. I am carefully selecting images from each generation and will be making copies of the images for the gallery wall. I have been collecting frames and putting together a collection that I think will work well together. Most of the frames I have collected so far are thrift store finds. Some of the frames will require a facelift, and I have not decided if I will paint a few of them in white.

I have gathering some great gallery wall ideas on my home style and diy home decor pinterest boards. Some of my favourites are here, here and here (includes tips).

6 Tips When Shopping for Thrift Store Frames:

• Shop with a plan; go to the store armed with an idea of what type and style frames will work best for your project.
• Look for pieces that have an interesting shape or detail.
• Choose pieces that can easily be refinished or painted in an alternate colour if desired.
• Frames that include matting are an added bonus, even if you do not use it for the given project they can be used for future projects.
• Examine each frame for damages or chips in the glass.
• Set a limit for yourself; go shopping with a budget in mind and stay with it.

Here is an article that provides some additional tips on thrift store shopping.

Do you like the frames I have collected? What do you think of gallery walls?

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Home Decorating Challenge - view other projects!

New Sewing Classes and Workshops!

Happy New Year!

We have some new sewing classes and workshops . . .

The start of a new year is a great time to explore new things. You can also build upon an existing skill, taking your abilities even further. The words "explore your creativity," are words that motivate me to seek out new creative learning experiences. Each year I love finding a new creative skill that I can learn, and I challenge myself to refine my existing skills. I also love helping others to explore their creativity and it is amazing to share the moments as they discover what they can create.

This year Crafted Spaces has a wonderful schedule of classes and workshops planned for you. Several of our classes and workshops have already been posted and we have some dates and times scheduled for January and February. Do not fear; there will be more dates posted throughout the year.

Some brainstorming went into our new schedule and a few improvements have been made to some of our regular classes. These changes also include the addition of a new Sewing Machine Basics class that focuses on the sewing machine. This new class will help students become comfortable with the use of a sewing machine and provide some machine trouble shouting skills.

Our classes start next week Tuesday, and there are still a couple spots available, so visit our Classes and Workshops page and register today!

*Inquire about our group classes and sewing parties.