I love using Decor Elements in my home.  Since I'm running out of blank walls, I liked the suggestion of using the 121635 Hem your Blessings on a platter.  Since I didn't have a platter laying around, I began my hunt for one while garage saleing this summer.  I saw this yellow platter and was drawn to it.  I thought it was too narrow to use, but looked at it again.  It was filthy, but it had no chips or nicks in it.  When I turned it over to look on the back side, it was from Crate & Barrel.  SOLD!

It is a pretty platter after it got cleaned up and sanitized.  I adore it now that I added the words to it.

I cut the leaves away from the words and cut them apart.  Why?  Because I didn't quite center the words.  Spreading the leaves to the right balanced it.  I have a metal stand that I display this on.  This is great for a Thanksgiving display or to keep up all year long!

Tags: Decor Elements, Decorating, Thanksgiving

Another demonstrator shared these decorating ideas using Stampin' Up! merchandise.

The first one is a unique way to display photographs.  She took 115612 Basic Black 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and attached it to her window treatments.  I believe the ribbon is pinned to the back of the window treatment.  Then she threaded the ribbon through a ring on some black cafe curtain clips and folded the excess ribbon.  Then she tied a separate piece of the ribbon to hold the excess ribbon securely.  The clips carefully hold the photograph.  You could add a mat of cardstock to each photograph to make them sturdier.  What a striking way to display black & white photographs.

This second idea is so clever.  She has frames of Designer Series Paper behind the plates.  That way she can change the Designer Series Paper for the seasons or to match the photographs.  Plates can be found at the dollar store.  She put 114779 Always Bird Decor Elements in the center.  She also put 114136 Flourishes Decor Elements on a plate and also around on the wall.  She used the 112530 Circle Scissors Plus and 112531 Glass Mat to cut her photographs into circles.  She applied the photo's to the plates with 103683 Mini Glue Dots.  That way she can change out the photo's without destroying them.  And all these photo's are ready to be scrapbooked when she takes them off her wall.  Most likely she'll be using the Designer Series paper she's changing off of her walls in her scrapbooks.

Tags: Decorating

Call it what you want.  Before being "green" was the right or the in thing to do, I loved finding antiques and old junk to fix up and use.  Now, when I can incorporate both old junk and papercrafting, I'm in creative heaven! 

I made this project earlier this summer, but put it away in my craft cupboard and forgot about it.  It is an old Castoria bottle.  I cut the numbers out of the 117166 Newsprint Designer Series paper.  I glued the numbers to the bottle with 110755 Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  Since this is going to be hung outdoors, I had to protect the numbers from rain and snow.  So I took 101055 Crystal Effects and sealed the numbers, plus made swirls on the front of the bottle.  (I know the photo doesn't show this.)  It adds some interest and dimension to the bottle.  I took two pieces of craft wire and twisted it around the neck of the bottle.  Then I wrapped it around a pencil to get the curves.  I threaded two buttons through the wire near the top.  Then I twisted the two ends at the top and curled those ends around a toothpick.  I tied a bow made out of 118480 Chantilly 1/2" Crochet Trim.  I sewed a button on the knot.  The buttons used are all 119743 Neutrals Designer Buttons.

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Tags: Decorating

We've been in our new home for eight months.  In my studio, I still had "temporary" curtains on the windows because I just couldn't decide what I wanted.  I was at a moving sale a couple of weeks ago.  There was a new Ralph Lauren queen size ruffled sheet that caught my eye.  It didn't really match anything in the house, so I used the excuse "we always need sheets at the cabin", and bought it for a dollar.  I washed it and had it sitting in the laundry room.  Late one night, I walked by the sheet, looked at it and my creativity kicked into gear.   "I wonder if that sheet would fit the patio window in my studio?"  YIPPEE!!!  It was wide enough, but too long.  So I measured and cut the sheet in half and then cut off the excess length.  I had a package of black curtain rings with clips and a black curtain rod that I was going to use for the valance in my hubby's office.  I decided to use them on the patio window instead.  I dragged out my sewing machine and sewed straight seams (my kind of sewing) to finish off the cut edges.   I just love it when one of my projects clicks and turns out how I envision it in my mind.  Here's the finished patio window.

I decided to make a valance for the smaller window with the leftover sheet.  Again, I sewed all the unfinished edges and hung it on the curtain rod.  Boring!  A straight edged valance?  Just didn't look right.  Then I remembered our neighbor at the cabin and the valances she made with ribbon accents.  I grabbed my roll of 115605 Basic Black 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon.  I tied the ribbon on the curtain rod into two separate loops.  This created a "waterfall" valance.  BINGO!!!  That is exactly what the window needed.  The black ribbon coordinates with the black curtain rod and rings on the patio window.

The curtains match the wood mouldings and the paint on the walls.  These curtains were "sew" simple to make!   My Stampin' Up! ribbon sure came in handy!

Tags: Decorating

One of my favorite things to see at Convention are the display rooms.  I love to see how Stampin' Up! products can be used in home decorating.   The one wall was stenciled using the Decor Stencils. 

But my favorite decorating project is this lamp.  I didn't notice from a distance how it was decorated.  I was delighted to see all the ribbon used, which is so different, yet striking.  I'll be copying this lamp!

Tags: Decorating