BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all and Happy Memorial Day Weekend which always feels weird to me since it's the holiday where we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Maybe that's just me. I try to keep things focused on the creative here because like everyone else, I need a break from the harsh realities of the world but the past two weeks of carnage between Buffalo and Uvalde are taking their toll. Just keeping it real. 

I hope you've all had a creative week. I managed to do a quick project which was to "Faux" stain my knife block. You can see it here. It may or may not (but may) be getting ready to be in a new space soon! 😏 

Lots of you are getting ready for Summer so let's take a look at some ideas we can try. 

Whether you have a small or large patio, Summer is S'Mores time! What a fun and a great way to make small or even individual DIY Mini Fire Pits for them! From Artsy Fartsy Mama. 

Hello Sewing shared how to make something pretty and practical, always a winning combination with this Rope Bowl Basket. Don't worry if you don't sew. There's also a no-sew option. 

The aptly named Creatively Beth has a fun way to change out seasonal decor without needing a lot of space for each season with this Interchangeable Holiday Decor Sign. 

Finally, these Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cream Frosted Cupcakes from The Kitchen Is My Playground would be a great dessert to add to a Memorial Day dessert table! 

Thanks to all who linked up and for sharing your creativity here each week. Wishing everyone a safe long weekend. 

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Easy Project: Faux Stained Knife Block

 

Ever look at something debate about changing it, debate some more, then one day you just say "What the heck" and go for it? I've had my Knife Block since we got married. It's 30 years old. And it was fine in its original form. Aging well. Bothering no one. Sitting there, minding its business, holding my knives. 

But, it might be going to a new home. Still with me, however. So I decided "What the heck" and made it over with a faux-stain effect. Mr. Chocolate always freaks out and looks at me funny when I decide to mess with "perfectly good" things but turns out...HE LOVES IT! 

Supplies

• Knife Block
• Acrylic Paints
• Water

It's faded over the years but still in great condition. I washed it to make sure there were no residual oils or anything. 

You can see it wasn't quite dry but since the stain is water-based, no big deal. I mixed some white acrylic paint into some black paint diluted with water until I got a shade of grey I liked. Then I just lightly brushed onto the knife block which drank it up. I wanted a stain vs paint effect, hence diluting with the water. 

You can still see the wood grain which is what I wanted. It was still wet in this pic so dried even grainier. 

I used a small brush to blend the edges of the slots but only just so the wood didn't show. I did this project in the morning and let it dry all day to make sure the "stain" was good and set. 

Mr. Chocolate has appropriated one of my knives for his nightly apple and I keep pretending like I don't need to replace it because we don't share well! There's also the knife that accidentally got thrown away with a birthday cake box several years ago 😠😠😠

I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and it will look great "wherever it might end up". 

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BFF Open House

 

Whew! Happy Friday Eve all and how is next weekend Memorial Day weekend and the official start of Summer? Seasons and the calendar are not things that go together here in the desert. Already have temperatures over 100 degrees. I saw some friends from the Pacific Northwest last weekend who were laughing at me for saying it wasn't that hot yet as well as confessing how it feels "cold" under 90 degrees. I've apologized to other friends who've lived here and whom I used to tease when they said they were cold. And of course, there's the debate over "do I need a wrap or sweater" in the height of Summer because if you go INSIDE anywhere, the AC is frigid. 

Enough rambling. I hope everyone's had a good and creative week. Let's see a few of the wonderful ideas shared at last week's party!

Summer is Tie Dye Season and I love the more current trend of tie dye like this watercolor effect shared by Artsy Fartsy Mama. The trick for this "cool" effect? Ice!

Check out this before and after Recipe Box makeover shared by The Apple Street Cottage. Isn't it a fabulous transformation? 

Can you ever have enough places to store baubles and bits? Sewing or other craft accessories? Jewelry? Hello Sewing has a wonderful solution with this Multi Compartment Organizer, and what a great way to use up smaller pieces and scraps! 

Finally, how cute is this Crocheted Bohosaurus from Sew Crafty Crochet in my favorite, black and white! Even better? Dollar Tree yarn! 

OK let's see what you've all been up to this week! 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all! I hope everyone who celebrated Mother's Day had a very happy one. Mr. Chocolate made me a lovely breakfast, I had a great call from my son who was holed up with COVID, and made The Mumster a special dinner. The best news of the week is that as of today, our son tested negative for COVID and so glad he was vaxxed and boosted. Whew! 

I'm working on a very special project I'm not ready to share yet but just a heads up that I probably won't be creating much over the next several weeks. Not that I've been doing tons lately anyway but still...

Lots of fun things shared at last week's party so let's take a look at some fun projects. 

Who did string art as a kid? I had fun doing it with scraps of wood and did a piece a couple of years ago at a DIY studio. Creatively Beth is back with a wonderful and fun way to do it to make a card! Who wouldn't like to receive something this cute? 

I always worry that no one shares my macabre sense of humor and then someone like Wendy from My French Twist comes along and lets me know I'm not alone. You may remember I found some creepy doll heads last Halloween so it shouldn't surprise you that this cracked me up and I had to share! 

Artsy VaVa is back with another fabulous makeover. This time of a footed Sewing Box. This would make such a great storage addition to any room! 

Finally, Nutella? Check. Banana? Check. Beautiful Yeast Bread? Check Check Check. From Treat and Trick. This is both beautiful and one of my favorite flavor profiles! 

Wishing you all a peaceful and happy weekend and can't wait to see all of the creativity you've been up to this week! 

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve, Happy Mothers' Day Weekend, Happy May! Once May rolls around, the already fast moving year seems to speed up doesn't it? Schools let out, graduations start, Summer's upon us. Summer's already upon us here in the desert and I'm still never going to get used to wearing shorts in April. You can take the girl out of the Pacific Northwest but she'll still think shorts don't start until July. 

Hope you've all had a wonderful week and thanks for understanding my technical difficulties last week. I did manage to get Mother's Day cards made and sent to friends and family. I remain obsessed with layered cut files. 

Some really creative ideas that caught my eye from last week's almost didn't happen party so let's take a look. 

If you're in need of a last-minute Mother's Day gift or just want to brighten up your own kitchen, these Boho Flour Sack Towels from Creatively Beth will do the trick! So cute. 

Spring is a time to refresh and renew which is exactly what Junk Is My Life did with a foot stool she found. Stunning transformation! 

If however, you don't want or need to re-upholster, how about paint? Artsy VaVa did just that with this equally beautiful transformation! 

Finally, whether for a special Mom or just because, this Glazed Chocolate Chip Toffee Coffee Cake from Cindy's Online Recipe Box is sure to brighten someone's day. Including your own! 

Wishing everyone celebrating Mother's Day this weekend a very happy one! 

Now let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

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Papercrafting: Layered Butterfly Mother's Day Cards

 

I always wait for confirmation from recipients that they've received my cards before sharing them. Maybe it's silly, but...

I always make Mother's Day cards for special women in my life. The Mumster, aunt, friends. And since I discovered layered cut files, I continue to be obsessed by them. These Layered Butterflies from Creative Fabrica are no exception! 

Disclosure: I am a Creative Fabrica Affiliate so if you decide to purchase  this collection and use this link, I do receive a small compensation. 

Supplies:

• Spring Inks Paper Stack (Recollections,Michaels)
• Shimmer Paper Stack (Recollections,Michaels)
• White 110lb Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Gold Foil Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Foam dots and Spray Adhesive
• Cut File and Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut Explore 2)

I already had the Shimmer Stack on hand but found the Spring Inks on a recent trip to Michaels and love that many of the Recollections stacks coordinate. No idea if this is intentional but they do! 

My cards as almost always 5.x7 so I cut the white cardstock to size, then cut panels of the Shimmer and Spring Inks papers to fit and layer. For the butterflies, I cut two layers from the solid papers and layered using foam dots. 

I did different color combos to coordinate with the variations in colors of the Spring Inks papers. 

The star of these cards though, is the top gold layer! The Recollections metallic cardstock cuts intricate details BEAUTIFULLY! 

They're so ethereal! Given how delicate this layer is, I used a spray adhesive to adhere these to the layered butterflies. 

The  gold top layer picked up the foiling in the papers so perfectly! 

Between the detail in the butterflies and the beauty of the marbled and foiled papers, the only embellishments I added were some tiny rhinestones on the wings. 

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