My BIG project revealed

Ever since October I have been consumed with a HUGE project. I hinted at it a while ago when I mentioned we were in the midst of remodeling.

This project has literally kicked my butt. It's been the hardest one of its kind for me, and I admit that it's occupied my every moment. I've neglected things I really shouldn't, so I can spend all my energy (and then some) on this special project. Things like: this blog, house cleaning, socializing, and yes (I hate to admit this) my family.

Well today I am finally going to reveal my BIG project to all of you.
You ready?


IT'S A BOY!!!


We are thrilled! My girls are especially excited because now they can start calling "the baby", "little brother" instead. My other little guy doesn't quite get what's going on (he's 19 months old), but I know he'll be excited to have a buddy around as they get bigger.

It's a fun time for us as we make preparations for baby #4 in our family, who will make his debut this summer.

Round 2 Projects and Polls Are Now Open!

Another week has gone by and our contestants have been hard at work. This time working with DECOUPAGE. I hope you are all ready to see what they've come up with.

Once again, the poll is at the bottom, so please read through all 9 projects. Then you will be allowed to vote for your favorite THREE. (You'll have to click over from Google Reader to vote, but please do so you can let our contestants know how much you appreciate their hard work and amazing talents).

Polls are now officially open and you have until Tuesday, February 1 @ 10 pm MST to cast your vote. Results will be announced Wednesday, February 2 @ 12:01 am MST.

Project #1- B+W Photograph Dresser with Fabric-Lined Drawers
Um.....my photo album threw up on my dresser.

(Actually, there never was a photo album- that’s the problem!) I can never seem to get my thousands of photos into photo albums. They just sit on my computer. So I decided to print them out with another purpose in mind. For this project I took an out-of-date dresser and updated it with a little photo revamp. First I edited all the photographs to black and white with a high contrast. Then I mod podged the photographs all over the dresser and replaced the hardware with black handles.

Take a peek inside: the drawers are mod podged too! But with fabric!

(Faces smudged so you can't tell who it is!)
Now it’s safe to say that this dresser is fit for 2011. And it will be a fun keepsake for the family to look at. Not to mention the great daily reminders of good times as we go to get our unmentionables. A happy way to start the day. (You could totally use this as a photo storage dresser, too!)

And a BONUS: our undies are nice and cozy in their new fabric-lined drawers! I smile every time I open them!

Project #2 - Little Guy's "Journey" Dresser
Ah decoupage, how I love a good decoupage project! I decided to tackle my son’s dresser and run with the automobile theme that we have for his room. It was a good dresser but pretty non-descript. There was some chipped paint and unexciting knobs, it needed a makeover! I wanted to try something different though. My STAR told me about using a mixture of Elmer’s white glue and water (a 3 to 1 ratio) instead of the mainstream decoupage glue. It worked beautifully! The best part, I bought the glue for .10 cents during Back to School. So for pennies on the dollar I had my own decoupage glue!

I took some old maps that I bought at an antique store and cut them to fit the drawers and top of the dresser. After the dresser had been sanded and re-painted I used my homemade decoupage glue to add the maps. Once that was dry I went back over the maps with more of the glue to seal and protect them. Now that I had this beautiful dresser we didn’t want plain ‘ole knobs to go on it. So I made a trip to Restore and Home Depot for some nuts and bolts. I mixed and matched all the hardware and ended up with some really cool knobs! I painted the side of the dresser with chalkboard paint so my little guy can scribble and plan out his journeys!

I finished off the space with a few other car-related items. Some of our old license plates got hung on the wall above the dresser, after I cleaned off the bug guts of course! I took a shop light, usually used for working on your car, and hung it in the corner as a pendant light. Lastly, I made a trip to the junk yard for some old hub caps. I painted them the colors of a stop light and hung them on the wall next to the dresser. The whole space turned out so well and it can really grow with my little guy for years to come!


Project #3 - Damask Drawer Set
Decoupage scares me just a bit. I was quite nervous taking on this project, but I think that I have found a new area in crafting that I can enjoy.

This drawer set started out as something completely different. A diamond in the rough.
With the help of my sweet hubby, we added trim around each of the drawer faces and wooden applique just above the the drawers. The black and white damask print was just some scrapbook paper picked up from Hobby Lobby, along with the crystal knob.

The paint is Krylon Ocean Breeze, and I "dirtied" the finish up a bit with Valspar's Antique Glaze. I had so much fun creating this piece! I can't wait to take on my next decoupage project!!

Project #4 - Decoupaged Bench
When I inherited this bench, it needed some work. It was sitting in my entryway and said to visitors "Blah" instead of "Welcome!" The decoupage category was the perfect inspiration for this bench's transformation.

I painted the bench black, then decoupaged some scrapbook paper onto the front. I glued some black frames around the paper to add definition. It was a little boring up top, so I decoupaged some fabric onto the rungs on the back of the bench as well. I also made a welcome sign to set on the bench. I printed off "welcome" in a whole bunch of languages {which I don't speak-thanks google translator!} and decoupaged those onto a board I had sanded and painted. I was thinking about using something to antique-ify the board, but I liked the newspaper clipping look, so I left it as it was. Then I sewed a couple of reversible pillows to toss on the bench. The wall looked like it wanted to join in on the fun, so I made it a couple of signs. I printed "home" and "family" onto some more scrapbook paper, cut the paper down to size, and decoupaged them onto a couple of boards I painted black.
Here is a picture of my entry way now. Much more bright and cheerful.


Project #5 - Bow Front Bird Chest
I've owned this bow front chest for several years. I fell hard and fast for the size and shape but I was never ever in love with the wood.

Painting it was an easy choice. But what next? Aside from the bow front, this chest couldn't have been more blah. Then I found inspiration in hand painted furniture by Patina. Perfect.

The body of the chest was painted Cloudy Morning by Kilz and the branches were painted with acrylic craft paint.

I found the vintage bird graphics at The Graphics Fairy, printed them on card stock and used Mod Podge to decoupage them onto the front of the chest.

I love this look.

Project #6 - The Apothecary Cabinet
I started with this.

A regular, old in-the-wall medicine cabinet. You've got one too, right?

I knew this could be more: functional and beautiful. So I got started. First off, paint. Lots and lots of white paint. Removed the mirrors, and added some vintage medicine labels with decoupage.

Along with medicine bottles with vintage-looking (made by me) labels. This cabinet is starting to look better all the time.

I trimmed it out with molding for a classic look, and added new shutter-like mirrors. When the shutters are open, they display my great, great grandmother's cold recipe. And let us all be glad we don't live back then, because whew. A spoonful of turpentine and castor oil, anyone?

And, voila. All complete.

Well, dang. Now I kinda wish all my bathrooms had a medicine cabinet.

Project #7 - The World Traveler
I can only imagine the stories this wardrobe steamer trunk could tell. Unfortunately for it, in 1980 some sweet lady named Beatrice decided to paint it an ugly green with orange flowers. It joined my family many years later with the thought of beautification. Yet ugly green it sat until I decided to turn it into a coffee table just out of college. Once again, this trunk's story was sad and I never finished the paint job. It sat, half improved, half ugly for 6 years. That is, until this decoupage challenge came along.

I painted the metal straps a dark, black-tinted brown. Then, using Mod Podge, I applied an antique looking map to the top and bottom, bordered by some aged looking paper. The same paper was applied to the sides. Brown-tinted Mod Podge painted with varying brush strokes gave it a canvas affect. The final step was using glaze to give it all an old and weathered look.

I lined the open side of the inside by applying burlap with Mod Podge and trimmed the edges and corners with dark blue grosgrain ribbon. The drawers were distressed using the same glaze as the outside of the trunk. More ribbon and a scroll pattern cut out of paper were applied to the drawers using Mod Podge as well--reflecting the only element of the trunk's original beauty--a blue velvet trimmed with a blue floral print left untouched in the top of the trunk.

Now this trunk's story can turn to happily ever after as it takes its place as a coffee table or decorative accessory in a happy home.

Project #8 - Dream Dollhouse
Decoupage is not something I'm experienced in, so I was a little terrified worried when I read that this week’s theme was exactly that.

I recently found a dollhouse while thrifting which was in terrible condition, but the bones of it were too great to pass up!
With a LOT of scissor-snipping and sticky fingers, I decoupaged and decorated the 5 rooms and the roof of the house. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Here is a sampling of a few of the rooms and the roofing details:



Project #9 - Decoupaged Kitchen Back Splash
This week's challenge was a tough one. Coming up with a decoupage project that hasn't been done a million times over on every craft blog seemed daunting. I had a lot of fun with this project though, and am pleased with the results.
Using scrapbook paper, art tape, and Mod Podge, I was able to create a functional and affordable back splash.

For those of you that are wondering about durability, a couple of coats of sealant will solve any moisture problems.

I love the color and warmth this adds to my kitchen and I may just be cooking a little more often.





Sponsor Appreciation:

Expressions Vinyl $25 Gift Certificate Winner

The winner of the Expressions Vinyl $25 Gift Certificate is:

Who is:

Mindy..."I just got my silhouette... and am SOOO excited to use my Expressions Vinyl heat transfer!!! And as for V-day... HA.... we don't usually do anything! I think I'll make my hubbie a funny V-day tshirt with my new vinyl!"

Congratulations Mindy! Please contact me to claim your prize (sewdangcute@gmail.com).

Boy's Subway Art V-Day Shirt

I received some T-shirt iron on vinyl from Expressions Vinyl and couldn't wait to try it out. I found some plain t-shirts at Target for under $5 each, so I decided to make my kids some Valentine's Day shirts.

Problem: How do you make a Valentine's Day shirt for a boy? I didn't want to use hearts or anything, so instead I tried my hand at making my first-ever subway art. Using my Silhouette, I was able to come up with this:

I seriously love this little boy and all those words just make me smile (so does seeing him in his cute little shirt). But guess what?! He likes it too:

For my girls, I once again let them browse through the Silhouette site for shapes and they decided what they wanted for their shirts. We had a lot of fun and they are happy with the results, and that's what really matters.


I loved working with the iron-on vinyl. I only had to iron it for a few seconds, and the film peeled right off and everything stuck to the shirt. Super easy! I highly recommend using this stuff!

Valentine's Vinyl Window Decor

I mentioned earlier this week, that I've had fun playing with some vinyl from Expressions Vinyl. Last week my girls really wanted to put up some Valentine's Day decorations. However, I don't have very many. So we got out my Silhouette, and I let them browse through the V-day shapes and pick out a bunch. Then we cut them out of vinyl, and slapped them on one of our windows.

It might not be the cutest or most original thing, but my daughters had an absolute blast doing it. They are so proud of their decor and are quick to show it to anybody that comes to our house, which makes me smile.

Guest Blogger: Decoupaged Clock by Crafts by Amanda

Round 2 is Decoupage, so as I was pondering who to have as a guest blogger, my mind immediately thought of Amanda from Crafts by Amanda. We all remember her from Season 1, right? She faired very well in the competition, and blew me away with her amazing skills, just as I know she did to many of you as well. I'm so excited she agreed to be our Round 2: Decoupage guest blogger, because I am in LOVE with the project she chose - a Decoupaged Clock. It's ingenious and is going on my to-do list. I'm sure many of you will fall in love with it as well.

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda Formaro, I blog over at Crafts by Amanda. When Tam asked me to do a guest post for Crafting with the Stars there's no way I could refuse! I was a contestant in the first CWTS and it was such a great experience. Meeting everyone, contestants and stars alike, was such a pleasure, I can't tell you how much fun it was for me!

I was paired up with the fabulous Amy Anderson of Mod Podge Rocks. In round one we had to create a brand inspired knock off, so Amy and I came up with this fun French Fruit Wall Art. The challenge for round two was paint, so I came up with this Distressed Eat Sign, one of my favorite projects to date! I was lucky enough to make it to round three where I presented this Shabby Chic Decoupage Ladder.

When Tam said she was looking for a decoupage guest project I was excited. I wasn't sure what I was going to do at first, but one day it just hit me.

I've had this rooster clock for quite a few years. It was one of those clocks you buy on a gift website or in a gift shop. Nothing special, but it was cute. However, it really didn't fit in my decor anymore so I took it down from the wall and tucked it away in a cabinet in my craft room. Last week I had picked up a bunch of red toned paint chips from Wal-Mart. I knew I wanted to make something with them, I just hadn't decided what yet. Then one day it just hit me. The clock!

So I pulled out the clock, removed the mechanism and sanded down the face.

I laid out the paint chips across the front of the clock to make sure I had enough and that there would be enough to cover. I made sure to alternate the colors as well. I even changed them around a bit after taking this picture, positioning most of the dark colors toward the center. I was careful to keep them in the order that I wanted them as I laid them down on the work surface.

I really wanted to do something different. There's a lot of awesome paint chip art out there, and they are all awesome, but I wanted mine to be a bit more unique. So I pulled out the crackling medium and gave each paint chip a thin coat.

When the crackle medium dried I added a coat of Vintage White. The beauty of this is that you don't have to paint a base coat because the paint chips serve as the base coat! The crackle medium went to work and started "aging" the finish right away.

When the paint chips are dry, add a coat of acrylic matte finish spray sealer.

After the paint chip strips had dried for a while, I started in the middle of the clock and using some Mod Podge and a paintbrush attached them to the clock. I did not Mod Podge the top yet, just the side that attached to the clock.

NOTE: You can see where I accidentally removed some of the Vintage White. That was from me trying to smooth the paint chips down on to the Mod Podge. That's when I realized that I needed to add the spray sealer to the paint chips, to keep the crackled finish from peeling off. It worked out ok, made it look chippy where I made my oops :)

After attaching all the paint chips to the clock I let it dry a bit, then turned it over and used a box cutter to trim away the excess. I turned it face up again and trimmed away about an 1/8" or so from the edge.

It was looking pretty cool so far, but I thought it needed something else...

So I thinned some antiquing gel with water and applied it with an old rag. I rubbed it on gently then wiped it off. I repeated this step in a few areas until I was happy with the result. I wasn't completely sure how this would work since I had to add a coat of sealer to the chips earlier, but it worked like a charm.

I set the clock aside to dry for a while and went to work on the numbers. Unfortunately there's something wrong with my Silhouette machine or I would have just cut the numbers with that. But since I couldn't I just used a piece of scrapbook paper and printed reversed numbers on the back. They have to be reversed so that when you cut them out the colored side of the paper will have the numbers in the right direction.

After cutting out one of the numbers I realized that the numbers were blending with the clock colors rather than standing out. Easy fix! I pulled out the antiquing gel and used it to make the scrapbook paper darker. Paint on, wipe off.

It took a while to get all the numbers cut out!

I began by adding the numbers 3, 6, 9, and 12 with Mod Podge. I did add Mod Podge over the top of the numbers at this point.

Once all the numbers were in place, I gave the entire surface a good coat of Mod Podge.

When it was completely dry, I put the mechanism back on the clock and hung it on the wall! I'm happy with how it turned out and can't wait to see what all of you have in store this round. Good luck to all of you!

BEAUTIFUL! Amanda is always coming up with creative things just like that, so be sure to pop over Crafts by Amanda for even more great ideas. Thanks Amanda!