Unicorn Spit Shibori Dyeing

Once I realized that Unicorn SPiT could dye fabric I was off and running!  Lately I've been seeing tons of beautiful home decor upholstered in Shibori dyed fabrics so I decided to investigate.  Shibori has been around since the 8th century and there are many different techniques.  Kanoko Shibori is simple tie dye, Miura Shibori is done by knotting sections of the cloth.  I'm using something called Kumo Shibori which pleated and sometimes bound.  For this project I folded the fabric in different ways and dipped the edges to create the pattern.  I love how interesting each piece of fabric looks.  Remember, something old (Shibori) something new (Unicorn SPiT) something borrowed (your mom's white cotton napkins) and something blue (Unicorn SPiT in Blue Thunder). Oh, and always Make Your Mark!

Hanging around until I decide what to do with them

I'm thinking a funky table setting or pillows

Watch how I did it here! 

STUFF I USED

Unicorn SPiT

Minwax Clear Lacquer

Small bowls

Water and spray bottle

White cotton fabrics

HERE'S HOW

1.  Mix the Unicorn SPiT with about 30% water

*Unicorn SPiT is very thick so you'll need to dilute it

2.  Mix up several different colors in squirt bottles so that you can use it later

3.  Dampen your fabric with a spray bottle

4. & 5.  Accordion pleat  the fabric every inch and then accordion fold again into a small square

6.  Squirt some of your diluted Unicorn SPiT into a shallow bowl

7.  Carefully dip the edges of your folded piece into the dye

8.  Unfold and let dry

9.  Spray both sides of the fabric with Minwax Lacquer and let dry

*Hand wash fabric by itself in cold water to remove the excess dye when you're ready to wash

I can't wait to try the other colors!

Done!

Thrift Store Table Makeover

Have you noticed how much hotel furniture is showing up at thrift stores these days?  This glass table was a bit scratched up, but it was only $15 so I snapped it up and decided to give it a makeover worthy of Kelly Wearstler (my favorite interior designer).  This paint technique is a mix between Italian marbled paper and flow painting and I have a feeling the next table I attempt will be even better than this one.   In the mean time, I'm in LOVE!  Remember to scour thrift stores, recycle as much as you can and always Make Your Mark!

 Rhapsody in blue

I love the bold splashes of color with the intricate marbling around the edges 

Watch how I made it here!

STUFF I USED

Thrift store coffee table

Americana Decor Satin Enamels

*I used Smoke Grey, Dark Denim, Steel Blue, Seaside Blue & Grey Taupe

Famowood Glaze Coat

Americana Decor Metallics in Silver

Water

Plastic cups

Toothpicks

HERE'S HOW

1. - 3.  Fill each cup with paint, add 10% water and stir

*I used 5 matching colors for this project and I propped the glass table top on wood pieces so that it would be about 1 1/2" above the table

4.  Paint the edges with one of the colors

5. - 7.  Pour each color in a swirl pattern on the table working from the center outward

8.  Carefully angle the table to allow the paint to mix and blend together

9.  Drag a toothpick back and forth every 1" across the table to create a marbled paper look

10.  Paint the table base in Americana Decor Metallics in Silver and let dry

11.  Mix the Glaze Coat according to directions, pout on the table and spread with a sponge brush

12.  Use a small torch or long arm lighter to pop the bubbles, cover and let dry

Assemble and you're done!

So chic!

Solar Twinkling Twigs Chandelier

A few weeks ago a company called Qedertek reached out and sent me some solar powered string lights.  At first I was not impressed, but after a few minutes of playing with them, I was hooked and INSPIRED!  I mean we're talkin' twinkling lights all year long that you don't have to plug in.....EVER!  I finally decided on a twinkling floral chandelier made out of tree branches and faux flowers.  Why not, right?  Who doesn't need twinkling flowers on the patio?  Remember to light up your life (with solar) and always Make Your Mark!

Watch how to make it here!

STUFF I USED

Qedertek Solar Lights

Faux flowers

Transparent tape and glue gun

Brown fabric

Large twig

 HERE'S HOW

1. Tape your Qedertek lights to the branches using transparent tape

 *Make sure that you tape every few inches and that the wires are snug up against each branch

2. & 3. Cut 1" slits on the edge of some brown fabric and rip it into strips

4. & 5. Hot glue the edge of a strip to the tip of a branch and start wrapping the branches to cover the wires while leaving the lights peeking out

6.  Remove the faux flowers from the plastic stems and thread them over each light

7.  Hot glue gems to the underside of a few flowers for some added sparkle

8. Glue a butterfly or faux bird on a branch for some whimsey!

9.  Hang with a ribbon and make sure the solar battery pack is exposed to the sun

My chandelier at night twinkling up a storm!

Painted Inspiration Rocks

The 70's are officially back and rock painting is at an all time high!  It's time to grab some smooth stones (not from your neighbors yard) and go to town with some American Acrylic paints.  These are my absolute favorite paints for rock painting, btw.  Great colors and coverage.  I know I sound like a commercial, but it's true.  I wouldn't steer you in the wrong direction, I promise!  These stones are inspired by vintage Mexican pottery and I can't wait to leave them in the park for people to find.

Remember to use lots of color, find inspiration everywhere and always

Make Your Mark!

Watch how to paint flowers here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Acrylics (the best for rock painting!)

Smooth river stones

DecoArt DuraClear Gloss Varnish

 HERE'S HOW

1. & 2.  Paint a base color on your stones (front and back)

3.  Paint 1/2" flower centers in different colors

4. & 5. Using a round brush paint petals around the centers in different colors

6.  Paint a smaller dot in a different color inside of the original centers

7.  Paint over the petals in another contrasting color around each flower

*I used red with blue, green with blue, orange with yellow

8.  Add small dots to the center of each flower by dipping and dotting the wood end of your brush

9. & 10. Paint leaves with two different greens just like you painted the flower petals

11.  Paint a message on the back of the rock

12.  Coat with 2 coats of DuraClear Gloss Varnish and let dry

Make Your Own Paint By Number!

Did you know that you can turn any image into a paint-by-number?  Well you can and it's pretty darn easy, too!  I couldn't decide whether I wanted to paint trees (my favorite) or cosmetics or robots.  As you can see, the trees won my heart!  Just pop your images into PBNify.com and you're on the way.  Now, the success to a good paint-by-number is how you frame it.  Paint by numbers can look super cool or, well.........I'm just going to say it......tacky.  These Walnut Hollow birch wood rounds were the perfect way to mount and frame my trees.   I love the natural bark around the edges!  Now pull out those paints and make yourself a paint by number!  

Oh, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 You don't have to be perfect when you're painting trees!

Watch how I did it here!

STUFF I USED

Walnut Hollow Birch Rounds

Images of trees to turn into a paint by number

Americana Acrylic Paints (they come in every color you'll ever need)

Decorative screw rings

Printable canvas

HERE'S HOW

1.  Head over to PBNify.com and turn your image into a paint by number by following the instructions

2.  You'll want to pick 8-9 colors max or it can get very confusing!

3.  Print your line drawing on printable canvas or heavy duty paper

4.  Press a sheet of paper over a birch round to make a creased shape and then cut it out for a pattern

5.  Center and cut the canvas using the paper pattern

6.  Glue the canvas to the birch round

7.  Using the PBNify palette as your guide, pick out your Americana Acrylics to match

8.  Draw out numbers and squirt some corresponding paint colors to keep yourself organized while you paint

9. - 11.  Now get painting and enjoy yourself!

12.  Screw in a decorative hook when you're done and sign the back Picasso!

No Sew Fabric Lanterns

If it's colorful and you can hang it in a tree, I'm IN!  When I saw a photo of a market in India filled with fabric lanterns I knew it was time to make some.  This is a project for the whole family, BTW!  Hang a solar light from the ribbon at the top and you have something amazing that glows at night, too.  I used Oly-Fun Craft Sheets from Fairfield World for this project because you can get a package of it with tons of different colors!  It's like construction paper, but craft fabric!  I've left a link for you below.  Make sure to check out the video to see how they're done, OK.  

Oh, and always Make Your Mark!

Oly-Fun Craft Sheets....Amazing stuff!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Lantern pattern

Oly-Fun Craft Sheets from Fairfield World

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint

Hole punch

Ribbon

Rigiline Stitch-On Boning

Pompoms

Hot glue gun

HERE'S HOW

1. - 6.  Cut out all the pieces for the lantern

7.  Glue the panels side by side and the triangles on the top and bottom using E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

*Large triangles on one side and small on the other as shown in photo #7

8.  Glue the yellow squares on the panels 

9.  Glue the flowers in the center of each yellow square

10.  Add pailettes

11. & 12.  In a squiggle pattern, edge the pieces of the lantern with Allure Dimensional Paint 

13.  Add dots around each paillette

14.  When dry, punch holes on the top of each large triangle

15.  Cut a piece of stitch in boning the length of the 4 panels and hot glue it to the edge below the large triangles

16.  Connect the ends of the boning and glue down the edge to create a tube

17.  Thread ribbon through the holes to hang the lantern

18.  Glue pompoms to the end of the smaller triangles at the bottom

Lovely!

Lisa Frank Pottery

Like many of you, I have a closet full of glass vases from flower arrangements, parties and centerpieces from weddings.  I save everything in hopes to use it in a project one day.  Yes, I know that's what a hoarder says and I completely own it!  A while ago I made a very serious version of this project (see below) but thought it just wasn't colorful enough for all of you.......so I tried it again using vibrant, luscious colors.  My assistant, Julie, said they reminded her of Lisa Frank so that's what we ended up calling them.  Remember to use your stash, get inspired by color and always 

Make Your Mark!

My colorful, Lisa Frank inspired (faux) pottery!

I want an entire wall filled with these! 

My first attempt from several years ago using much more serious colors.  

Still, I think they're quite handsome!

Watch how easy they are to make here

STUFF I USED

Krylon Spray Paint

Glass vases

Cardboard

Kid's pottery wheel

Masking tape

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Cut a large cardboard circle and tape it to the top of the pottery wheel

*This keeps it from getting mucked up with paint

2.  Center and tape a glass vase on to the cardboard

3.  Turn on the pottery wheel and spray a base coat of paint on the vase

4.  Heavily spray a second color so that it starts to drip

5. & 6.  Continue until you've reached your desired effect

7. & 8.  Try this technique on different vase shapes

9. Done!

In love!

Pet Portrait Dishes DIY

So you have tons of photos of your fur babies and don't know what to do with them?  Why not turn them into artsy, food safe dishes for your next dinner party!  I asked my FB friends to send images of their pets for this project and got over 1,500 to choose from.  Honestly, they were all so cute I just ended up randomly picking 4 for this project.  I seriously could not decide!  So hear you go....Fur Baby Dishes to brighten up your home.  Remember to turn every day objects (like plates) into art, use your fur baby photos for DIY projects and always Make Your Mark!

King Louis on the bottom, Wilma on the right

Fred on the right!

 Just a few of the gorgeous fur babies sent in!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Gloss Enamels

Pet photos

Americana Gloss Decoupage

Rubbing Alcohol 

Spray bottle

Glass plates

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Turn your image into a work of art at Turbo.Deepart
2.  Print them out and cut around the edges
3. Slit around the sides so that it lays flat when you decoupage it to the back of the plate
4.  Mist the back of the image with water and spread Americana Decoupage on the face of the image
5.  Carefully decoupage the image to the back side of the plate so that you can see the image from the front of the plate
6. Paint the edges using Americana Gloss Enamels with some artsy strokes and let dry
7.  Fill in the rest of the plate with another color of Gloss Enamels
8.  Follow the instructions for curing and baking
9.  Start decorating for your next dinner party!