Vintage Santa

This one of my latest designs! A fun vintage Santa vinyl. It is classy and the colors are a nice vintage green and red. It is applied to a square charger but would look great on wood, glass or just about any prepared surface! I placed the charger on a mantel with red glass bead garland and fresh cedar boughs!

You can purchase a 10' X 10' Vintage Santa vinyl for only $10.00!

Classes Offered- Snowman Advent Calendar (Dec 2010)

I will be starting up some classes for various projects. The first one I have in mind is a cute advent calendar. The cost is $20.00. Depending on how many people are interested - will depend on the specific design for the date placeholders. (I will have to see how many I can get.) The overall design will stay the same either way. The calendar is metal and the placeholders have magnets on them.

My thought was to do this either next Tuesday Nov. 17 OR Wed. Nov. 18th around 10am. Let me know if you are interested and what day works best for you if you are. I will most likely need to purchase materials in the next few days so please have your payments to me by Sunday Nov. 15th. Also, if you are unable to attend, (and if you are local,) you can purchase the kit and do it at home! Feel free to share this info but let me know who will be attending as the materials need to be purchased ahead of time.

If you are not local but interested in the "Snowman advent vinyl" you can purchase the vinyl for $10.00. The vinyl is approx. 10" X 10". (See buy it now.)

Give Thanks

This post is a nice vignette of a vintage harvest. I found this reproduction antique wire basket at my local TJ Maxx! I filled it with blue vintage canning jars and a few harvest gourds and pumpkins. Next to it is a Thanksgiving Vinyl- "Give Thanks". Simple yet festive!

"Give Thanks" is just over 10 X 6". It is done in chocolate brown. See buy it now on the right column if you would like to purchase one!

Happy Decorating and don't forget to think of at least one thing that you are thankful for every day!

Wheww!

It has been a crazy week or so around here. 3 Halloween parties, 2 sick kids and a fun filled Halloween with the family has wiped me out! ;o) I am cooking up some ideas for this weeks project! Stay tuned and I will post something soon!

GRATITUDE

After all of the craziness of Halloween I love the lul of Thanksgiving. It is such a nice cozy time of the year full of good times and family!

I like to keep my decor "classic" during Thanksgiving. Here are some nice Thanksgiving vinyl dezynes that I just created! "GRATITUDE" is done in chocolate brown with some nice cream embellishments. "Happy THANKSGIVING" is done in cream. The frame is a fun rustic frame that I picked up and then painted and distressed. I used the new spicy orange "Paprika" paint by Rustoleum. (Satin or flat!) Lastly, I placed some nice fall scrapbook paper behind the glass.

You can purchase these vinyls by clicking on "Buy it now" on the right column.

Vintage Postcards and Holder!

VINTAGE~ My favorite!

I found these postcards at the local craft store. They come in a book and there are several to choose from. (You can also print some off of your computer onto cardstock!) I cut them down just a bit. Next I decopauged them. I did one layer on each side. This will give the postcard increased firmness. After each side dried I coated the front of the card a second time and sprinkled clear chunky glitter on the wet decopauge medium. I was careful to stay inside the picture border with the decopauge because I glued ribbon on the border afterwards. You do not want to try to glue ribbon over the glitter as it does not look very good. I chose a simple black ribbon with a looped edge. Next, attach a ribbon for hanging by using brads. I was able to find some really cute spider brads at JoAnne's that are SO CUTE!

Next I made a board to hang and display the postcards on. (The board is 21" x 11".) I primed the board and painted the board a vintage orange color. (Muted orange.) Next, I taped of the inside part of the board with painters tape. This left the border exposed. I painted the edge black and then removed the tape. The tape allows you to have a nice straight edge on your border. I then lightly dry brushed a dark brown over the top to give it an antiqued look. (See older post under painting tecnique to learn how to do this,)

Lastly I placed the cards on the board to see where I wanted them to hang. I marked and measured the ideal area and drilled 4 small holes through the wood. I then attached 4 knobs to the wood just like you would to a drawer!

I attached the wood directly to the wall with one screw. (Because I will be using the backside later!)

I primed both sides of the wood and will be painting the back side a different color for Christmas! YES... the craft store also carries vintage Christmas postcards! YA!

HAPPY CREATING!

Its a beautiful fall day!

Today my family and I are headed over the pass for some much needed R&R. We will enjoy friends, family and attend the Fall Festival! Happy Fall Ya'All! Enjoy your weekend!

VERY COOL VINYL FOR PUMPKINS!

Both of these "Vinyl Dezynes" are so fun and classy too! There are so many things you can do with them. Put them on a pumpkin; real or faux. Place them on a platter, a jar or mirror! The ones listed on the blog are 8x8" and only $8.00 but they can be cut to any size you desire. Transform your boring Halloween items in just minutes!

HAPPY DECORATING!

Pumpkin Topiary

Here is a cute pumpkin topiary. It can be used all season long! Use it for Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Materials Needed
-3 small artificial pumpkins (Ones that can be carved)
-1 small strand white holiday lights (50 bulbs or less)
-1 pot or pedestal
-Moss
-Small screw in hook
-Glue Gun
-Exacto Knife

First decide what designs you would like to carve in your pumpkins. If you want a more classic look, choose simple shapes. You can carve leafs for a Fall look or something spooky such as a cat or skull for a Halloween look. Begin by cutting the top and bottom off of TWO of the pumpkins and the bottom out of the third one. Use an exacto knife. Keep the holes SMALL. Remember you are stacking these and you do not want the holes to be seen once they are stacked. A good rule of thumb is to keep the holes about the size of a small yogurt lid.

You should now have-
-1 pumpkin with the bottom cut out (This is your top pumpkin)
-2 pumpkins with the top and bottom cut out (This is the middle and bottom pumpkins)


Next, with a pencil, draw your design on each pumpkin and then carve it out with the exacto knife.

After you are finished carving, screw a small hook into the top inside part of the pumpkin that has only the bottom cut out. (This is the top pumpkin.) It is easiest to do this with needle nose pliers. Next hook the end of the lights on the hook. Feed the rest of the strand down thru each pumpkin. You will want to bunch a section of lights in each pumpkin. Bring the plug end of the strand out the bottom of the last pumpkin making sure to leave the last light inside of the pumpkin.

It is now time to glue everything together. Using a hot glue gun, apply the bottom pumpkin to your base, (pot, pedestal etc.) Continue stacking and gluing the pumpkins on top of each other until they are all glued together. Be sure the lights don't poke out in between each pumpkin layer.

Lastly glue your moss in between each layer including the base and bottom pumpkin.

Voila! You now have a beautiful pumpkin topiary! Make another one and have a pair!

The topiaries look great on a mantle or grouped with other fall accessories on a cabinet or counter.

Spooky Skull Vignette

This one is fun and SO easy! I must admit that I have become a fan of the Dollar Tree. It is hit and miss with them but sometimes they have really cute items! On my last visit I found these darling glittered skulls. They had black, silver and white. I bought several...(just in case.) I also purchased some dyed gauze from the Dollar Tree. I happen to have this large glass vase at home and I arranged the 3 skulls inside of the vase. As I layered the skulls, I added the gauze little by little in between each skull to add a bit more interest to the design. I draped the remaining gauze over the vase and let it puddle at the base.

A fun trend for Halloween this year is to use monochromatic or very muted tones.
When designing a vignette like this, be sure you stick with no more than 3 colors. It helps the overall design be more appealing to the eye. Layering your height is also a great idea!

If you do not have a Dollar Tree in your area, go to the local craft store. Most craft stores are carrying simple craft skulls right now. All you need to do is purchase some very fine glitter, (Martha Sterwart has great colors), and glue and glitter the skulls yourself!

Have fun with this one and send me your comments and pictures!

HALLOWEEN!!!! YIPEE!

OK, so for those of you who know me, I LOVE Halloween! Not because I am morbid or anything like that! HEHE! It is just so much fun to decorate and create things for this holiday. Each year my family and I transform out home into a cute Haunted house and love every minute of it! For the next several weeks I will be posting projects and ideas for the upcoming Halloween season. I am doing it now so that you can have these ideas ready when Halloween comes around!

First up-

Cute vinyl Halloween words in frames! These are so easy and inexpensive to make. You can run out to your nearest dollar store and pick up some small frames. I chose 4 x 6 and 3 x 5" frames. Choose one frame for each letter. Next go to your nearest craft store, (or scrapbook cupboard!) and find several different Halloween papers that will go together. It is a good idea to think of the kind of motif you will be displaying your word with. One of the papers that I chose has vintage Halloween cards printed on it. I cut each "card" out and placed it in the frame for my background. I then chose a font that worked with the vintage theme of the paper. The other frames, (SPOOKY,) has bright, glittered paper as the background. I then picked a font that was a bit more whimsical.

After cutting and placing the paper in the frames I placed the vinyl letters on the outside of the frames...on the glass. Be sure to always clean the glass with alcohol prior to placing the letters on it.

When displaying your words, mix it up! You can arrange some of the letters on their side and stand the others upright. You can also stagger the frames to create more visual interest. Another fun idea is to use different fonts or font sizes on each frame!

If you are interested in purchasing the vinyl lettering feel free to email me at dezynes@gmail.com!
Cost-
SPOOKY- Approximately 3.5" letters- ONLY $7.00
BOO- Approximately 3" letters- ONLY $5.00

"Cute as a bug!"

Here is a cute photo collage. Materials needed: Canvas of your choice, 3 wallet size photo frames, vinyl phrase and graphic of your choice.
Simply take a piece of canvas and paint it a color of your choice. Be sure to use a low sheen paint so that the vinyl will adhere better. After the paint is dry, decide what your layout will be. Layer your graphic and your phrase on the canvas. Place the graphic or decorative element on the canvas first and then the phrase. Next, hot glue your picture frames on the canvas. Be sure that when you are placing your pictures you keep in mind how you will display the canvas. You want to be sure you balance out the weight! Be creative. You can paint stripes, polka dots and more. It can be as simple or as fancy as you would like. This is a great project for kids as well!

Hi everyone!

It has been too long! I have had a very busy month! I enjoyed 3 weeks of visits from different family members and am enjoying the last week with my kids before school starts! I have not taken the time to do any projects so that I could spend time with them ... but I will be posting some fun ones this week! So check back in a couple days!

Great way to give your windows a semi-private feeling!

How many of you have a window where you just "know" people are watching you? HAHA! I know I do! I have 2 small windows in my bathroom and I am constantly concerned that someone can see in. I didn't want to cover them with a window treatment and I didn't want to frost them completely because I love the view of my garden from my windows. I came up with a way to give the windows a semi-private treatment and give it some distinct style at the same time! I measured my windows and them cut a beautiful pattern to adhere to the window. It is just like the grids you see in window but the design is much prettier and creates more privacy. I love the way it turned out! You can also use an etched glass vinyl to get the etched glass effect.

The pattern for the window is not listed on my website but any pattern can be cut to create this effect. If you are interested shoot me a mail and I can easily come up with something for you!

Have a great Sunday and remember, comments are always welcome! :)

Darling Plaque for your Little Princess!

This week's project is a cute plaque for the little girl in your life. The base is a simple chip board that I picked up at the Dollar store! I painted it a vivid pink and then gave it an antique look by dry brushing a very subtle layer of darker pink and then black on it (See dry brush technique on previous post.) This helps give the board a little bit of dimension.

The next step is to apply your vinyl phrase to the board. I chose this darling dress up phrase.

Lastly, I added new ribbon to hang!

It looks darling on a child's bedroom or bathroom door!

Other ideas for this phrase include applying it to a mirror or above a child's closet door!

Item # AM004
www.dezynes.net

Distressing painting technique

Do you have a piece of funiture that doesn't look quite the way you would like it to look? Update it or personalize it by painting it a fun color! Finsih it off with a nice drybrush technique that will give it some personality. Drybrushing is an easy painting tecnique that creates some depth and gives the peice of furniture an aged look without sanding. Sanding can sometimes damage the furniture so drybrushing is a better alternative.

How to drybrush-
After you sanded, primed and painted the base color on your furniture, choose a color such as burnt umber, black or any natural toned dark paint. When I say natural tone, I mean a color that would be an earthtone but it should be rather dark. To get an aged look on furniture you are more or less trying to make it look worn and somewhat "dirty". Therefore the colors must be in line with what the natural process would do.

After you have chosen your drybrush color, take a large brush, 4 inches or so and rough up the ends. The best way to do this is by pounding it into your driveway or any rough surface. Crazy I know! But it will give you the best result. You know it is "beat up" enough when you see fattening of the bristles at the end of the brush. Next grab a couple paper plates and we are ready to paint!

Dip the end of your brush into your paint. You only need a small amount of paint so it may be easier to put a small puddle of paint on a paper plate instead of dipping into the can. Next, wipe off most of the paint that is on your brush by swiping back and forth on a paper plate.

You are now ready to apply the paint to the furniture. Beginning at one end, drag your brush across the surface. Be careful to do it lightly. You can always add more. Concentrate on the edges of the furniture and the raised surfaces. Always go with the grain of the wood. Continue the process until the surface has the effect that you are trying to achieve. If you find that the drybrushing finish is heavier than you would like it to be, simply take your base coat color and drybrush with that color over the darker one. (Using a bit more paint.)

You now have a custom piece of furniture that you can enjoy for years to come!
If you have any projects that you have done, I would LOVE to see them and post them for others to see as well!

Monthly calendar

Here is a fun way to keep your family organized! This is an easy way to personalize your family's monthly calendar. Simply take framed glass and apply the vinyl calendar to the glass. The calendar can be customized with your family name, a cute quote or fun graphics and embellishments! Next date the calendar and write the month on the top line with a dry erase marker. It can be used and reused all year long! (To make your own framed glass out of any regular frame see the instructions under family monograms.)

I'm back!

OK so the plan was to post the project last week but unfortunately time got the best of me! My husband and I took our kids on a cruise to Mexico and I just couldn't squeeze it in. I will post it for this week's project. Hopefully I will be able to do it in the next couple days! Stay tuned!

This weeks project is coming!

Hi everyone! What a beautiful sunny day it has been today! I spent the day with the kiddos and they were a lot of fun to be with.

I have a fun project I will be posting this weekend. I can't wait to make it. It is not only cute but it is useful too! Stay tuned.

Beautiful Family Monograms

OK, here we go! Today's project is a beautiful family monogram.

There are many ways to display a family monogram. You can purchase a nice frame and simply adhere your monogram to the glass. Many stores carry simple glass frames with no backing. If you prefer a backing, you can dress it up by inserting scrapbook paper or fabric behind the glass. Simply adhere the vinyl to the glass and it is as easy as that! Display the monogram indoors or just outside your door to create a personal touch for all who enter!

If you are unable to find framed glass, simply make your own. Remove the backing of any frame, leaving the glass in place. Next, caulk around the edge of the glass, adhering it directly to the frame. (It is best to use clear caulk.) Wait for the caulk to dry and presto! You have made yourself an open glass frame.

Other great ways to use a monogram is as wall art in a bedroom and to personalize household items such as canisters, platters, glass doors and more!

If you are interested in a monogram, you can order one that is already designed, or you can design your own. It is easy, simply pick a font that you would like and let us know the size! I will make a simple frame for it to finish it off.

You can find these monograms and other great designs on my website http://www.dezynes.net/ or http://www.vinylphrases.com/. (Same site, 2 ways to get there!)

Vinyl Designs and Decal Ideas

Today I finished setting up the blog. I will be posting some fun things this week including ideas for family monograms! For now here are some fun ways to use my vinyl designs and decals!