The Guests Are Coming!

In a few weeks.  But I got in a mood to clear things out, so I focused on the basement.  Last time you saw it, we literally had dropped unnecessary crap stuff down there.

I’d like to say it got better, but it didn’t.  We just added more to the room.  Like 45 sheets of foam insulation.

I can’t move the insulation, but I can organize things and put some of it in a better place.  Like the trash, er, under the stairs.  Yes, the stairs sound much better.  I’d hate to have to part with any of my junk.  Shuffling things around, condensing like items to a single box, and moving it under the stairs took about an hour.  And we have room to flop the two king mattresses on the floor for our guests.  Lap of luxury, I tell ya.

Bulky and heavy items are around the corner because I could barely drag them on my own, let alone across the basement.

Fueled by my desire to condense boxes, I pulled a few boxes of frames up to the main level to get some art on the wall.  First on my list, add some art to the boys’ bedroom.  This big blank wall needed some attention.  Because I can’t paint yet (we’ve got to remove the popcorn ceiling and install new trim first) I decided to hang some art.

Having several boxes of art to choose from, I picked my favorites and started hanging.  I didn’t put too much thought into the placement, just held things up and nailed it in place if I liked it.  It’s not necessarily the best way, but I can always fill the holes when we decide to paint, so I had nothing to lose.  Because this was a ‘slap something on the wall to get it out of a box and make it look like we live here’ effort, I used an easy hanging method.  First, hold the picture up to the wall.

Use a pencil to mark a small line across the top of the frame, and another small tick mark to show the rough center.

Measure the distance from the top of the frame to the hook.  I found it easiest to use a ruler for this part.

Make another mark on the wall, measuring down from your original set.

Erase your top set, pound a nail in the lower mark, and hang your picture.

The less measuring I have to do, the better.  And I didn’t have to make templates, which is nice, too.  Keeping the frames up helped me figure out what I wanted where, while seeing it in relation to the other frames in the group.

And here it is now.

I’ve got to get a pack of Command adhesive strips to prevent Everett from pulling the frames closest to his crib down.  I did strategically place the non glass fronted frames closest to him for safety.

I didn’t stop there.  Armed with another box ‘o frames, I moved down the hall to work on our family gallery wall.  Same process, but I couldn’t hang two frames because we’ll have to take down the ugly sconce.

Sconces are abundant in this house and I’d be happy if we got rid of 90% of them.  A few larger pieces of art adorn the walls, too.  The Savannah cut out map is temporarily in the living room.

I’m working on our city map right now for a matching set.  Of course I’ll have to get a set of frames to go with, but I think the pair will make a nice addition to the empty dining room on either side of the French door.  My sense of size must be off in this house, because all the ‘big’ art from our first house looks tiny here.  Looks like I’ve got plenty of crafting and painting to do.

Have you added art to your walls recently?  A gallery wall maybe?  Large pieces?  Maybe you’ve cleaned out your basement, too?  Let’s share our successes.

You’d Be a Fool

If you missed out on this.  Yep, we’ve got another sale going on in our Etsy shop in honor of April Fool’s day.  Rather than playing a trick on you, we’re offering up a sweet deal.  Enter the code FOOLSDAY at checkout to get 50% off your entire order today, tomorrow, and Wednesday only!  That means our custom cut out designs are only $25!

And prints are $7.50 each.

We also added a new, fun take on a traditional family tree.  I’m pleased to introduce our Leafy Family Tree, a customizable 11 inch by 14 inch print.

What are you still doing here?  Stop by our shop to fill your cart while the getting is good!

One Percent {P}inspiration: The Artful After

Well friends, it’s been nine days since my pals Ashli, Sara, and I announced our Pinterest art challenge.

After some deliberation, I decided to put my own spin on the Wild Herringbone art from Cozamia.

I just loved the clean, colorful, graphic design.  And, I recruited some help on this project.  To start, I grabbed plain white card stock out of my printer, hauled my craft paint box out, and tossed one of Ben’s shirts on each of the boys.  I let V choose the colors he wanted and he started painting.  E was hesitant, but got a few strokes on the paper.

 

V made several paintings, E, only one.  I made a few for fillers, too.  Using my handy paper cutter, I cut each sheet in half length wise, then into 1 1/2 inch wide strips.

I have a large roll of white paper, so I tore a sheet off to use as my backing.  A few pieces of double sided tape on the back of each strip to hold in place and I started arranging.  To keep things straight on the first row, I used a ruler to line up the edges.

I made sure to mix the paintings up to spread the colors throughout.

After about twenty minutes, I had covered the paper and had to fill in the edges.

 

Here she is, edges filled and trimmed, ready for a frame.

So I popped it in, hung it up and took a few steps back.  That’s when I realized I didn’t like the pink V had used.

While E took his nap, V and I painted more.  This time, I limited his color palette to blues, greens, yellow, and silver.

I followed the same steps, but loved the result this time.

The pop of color in this corner is perfect.

And, I love that it’s not kitchen specific, so it can travel around the house if we ever tire if it in here.  The best part, this art was made using everything we already had in our home!

Now it’s your turn to share your Pinterest inspired art project with us!



One Percent {P}inspiration: An Art Challenge

We’re in need of kitchen art, so I started checking my pins on Pinterest.  After seeing how many art ideas I pinned, I realized there are so many art pieces I want to make.  I started wondering if I was the only one and realized I couldn’t be.  So I asked fellow bloggers to join me in a Pinterest-inspired art making endeavor.  We’re calling it Preperation H One Percent {P}inspiration.

I’m thrilled to have two exceptional ladies joining me; Ashli from Mini Manor and Sara from Russet Street Reno.

There are so many fun art designs, like this Eat kitchen art from Tart House.

Or maybe take a less cute, more modern approach with an abstract piece, like a Pixel watercolor by Wit and Whistle.

I’m obsessed with this Wild Herringbone painting by Cozamia.

Confetti canvas by Mint Love Social Club could be quick and easy.

Or an abstract canvas painting, like Tanya’s Ikea hack.

Or something like Julia’s giant Ikat inspired painting.

We’re inviting you to join us to make any Pinterest-inspired art, too.  On Wednesday, February 29th (leap day), Ashli, Sara, and I will be back to share our art projects as well as a link party for you to show off your newest creation.  Don’t limit yourselves to a framed picture or painting, though.  Sculptures such as bookends, three-dimensional art (like our nail and thread house numbers), casts (like the boys’ feet) are fair game.

Unique frames, like this are good, too.

Maybe you’ve seen an interesting photo transfer process?  Give it a try!

If you’ve got art filled frames, you could share a Pinterest-inspired arrangement.  Basically, anything art related goes.  You’ve got nine days to make something, so get {P}inspired, start working, and share with us.  So, who’s with us?

Giddy Gallery Wall

I’ll admit, Goodwill shopping wasn’t the only thing Jen and I did together while in Minnesota.  Before heading to Goodwill for the meet up, Jen stopped by my sister’s new house to help with a gallery wall.  Ash wanted us to work on her master bedroom, requesting an asymmetrical gallery wall above these two chairs.

I cut mats and framed the art she already had the night before.  When Jen arrived, she and I started arranging the frames on the floor.  That’s tip number one if you’re planning your own gallery wall.  Lay the frames, with art inside, on the floor to arrange and rearrange until you like the layout.  Before hanging, take a picture of the arrangement for reference as you go along.  From there, you can go about hanging two ways.

The most fool-proof method is tracing the frames on paper, taping the templates to the wall, nailing through the paper and then hanging the frames like we did for our basement gallery wall.  We didn’t do this.  My sister loves free form designs, so we started by hanging the largest frames at the center of the group and working our way out.  Which brings me to my second tip; arrange the largest frames first then fill in with smaller frames.

Armed with a layout Jen and I loved, I eyeballed the placement, asking Jen to stand back and tell me that she thought.  Then, started hammering nails and hanging frames.

Because I wasn’t measuring or using templates, the spacing is slightly different.  Spacing the frames one to two inches apart keeps the grouping of mismatched art and frames unified.  In my opinion this is the biggest mistake made when hanging a group of mismatched frames.  The spacing is crucial to make the arrangement look thought out and planned.  If gaps are four inches or more, it looks like frames were thrown up at different times, so keep the group tight.
A little under an hour later, arranging, chit-chat, hanging, and adjusting included, we finished the gallery wall.  If you’re working on a gallery wall above a piece of furniture, incorporate it in the layout.  See how the center frames dip down toward the lower table?  Not only does that add interest, but working around furniture gives your layout definition.
As you can see, the art in the frames is a variety, but most have a natural element.
Wondering where Ash got the art?  Check out these Etsy shops: Mai Autumn, Siiso, Miles of Light, and our shop, Our Humble A{Bowe}d.
Vincent and Everett painted the abstract watercolors.  See, even kids paintings can look like real art behind a classic white mat and glass.
After completing the wall, we invited Ashley back in to see what we’d done.  Luckily, she loved the layout and that she could build on the design in the future.
For the back row, here are my tips and tricks to create a gallery wall:
  • Arrange the frames on the floor or make templates to move things around before you start pounding holes in your walls.
  • Start with larger frames then fill in with smaller items.
  • Don’t leave too much space between frames.  1 to 2 inches is perfect.
  • Use the same colored frames to unify different styles.  And mats make anything look like art.
  • If hanging by or around a piece of furniture, arrange the frames to follow the furniture silhouette.

That’s the way the cookie crumbles.  I had so much fun chatting with Jen, and I think she even learned a few tricks and tips.

P.S.  One of my 2012 resolutions is enjoying more family fun events and sharing them.  Check out our newest blog and latest adventure.