Linky or Bloglovin'??

follow I Know The Plans I Have For You with Bloglovin'

With GFC closing in just a couple of days, I wanted to send out a quick post and get some input on what your thoughts are. Are you freaking out a bit? I think that we all might be. I know that you will not be able to add your current followers to Linky yourself, but will you be able to see who was following you on GFC? Will it be completely gone, just like that?? Another way I found that we can follow eachother is through Bloglovin', which like Linky Followers is free. From what I have read about it seems a little easier to use, as you don't have to keep updating your posts. Bloglovin' automatically does it for you when you write a new post so your followers know. How can we all agree on 1 way to follow eachother? We want to be able to keep track of the blogs that we follow as well as the friends that follow us and also be able to keep track of our stats. How can we do that if we don't keep it all in one place? I would REALLY love to hear what you guys think on this one!! The clock is ticking!!

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Are you Pretty in Pink??

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I had my niece spend the weekend with me which is always fun and interesting to say the least. She is 14, although we all remember being 14, I think we all try to forget some of the things that we did and some of the ways that we acted! Not me of course, but you know who you are!! Just kidding! She always tells me that she loves to come over because it reminds her that she doesn't want kids! I love when she comes over because it teaches me what to do different as I raise mine! LOL! She's a real sweetheart and she loves to craft with me and do projects. I also spent the day with family after church yesterday, which was so relaxing, but then (like everynight for the past week) was up late working on the computer. I should have been exhausted at 1 am (and really was) but I still needed that mindless, lay on the couch and watch tv time before I went to sleep.

 I noticed yesterday morning that "Pretty in Pink" was on, which is one of my all time favs, along with all of the 80's brat pack movies, and recorded it.

I found myself watching it at 1 am. In one of the 1st scenes, after Andie wakes up her dad, he points to his wife beater undershirt and asks, "Do you think you could do something with this? Maybe add ruffles or something." That part never really made a connection with me, until last night! Don't we all find ourselves looking at everything and asking, "what can I add to that?"! My mom tells me a lot that I'm like Andie in Pretty in Pink, and I think she's right!

First I have to say,  in my opinion, she should have left the dress alone. But maybe the new just isn't my taste. But point is, is she thought she could make something beautiful out the vintage dress, and that is a thought that I know all too well.

I find myself now more than ever looking at what my friends don't use anymore so I can make something great out of it. And I find that my friends and family are thinking of me when someone they know tells them about something they want to get rid of. I love being the "Good Will" of my friends and families donations!On the other hand,  I think the husband doesn't feel the same way as he see's the garage fill up and things from all over invade the house! But, I love it! A hoarder, with a purpose!

I believe that we all start crafting, repurposing, refinishing, and saving old things for different reasons. And for me the reasons change over the years. We first, of course, have to have a love, ability, and a passion for it. And then the different reasons  let us put our abilities into practice. I started off doing the things that I love, well, just because I loved it. Then at some point, I started to see "things" that I loved, but that were out of my price range. So I recreated them or made my own, just like Andie. I have found myself making things that were necessities because I couldn't afford them, not just because I wanted them. Who knew that being "wealth challenged" could be a good thing?? Maybe, had I been able to afford everything I wanted, I wouldn't have figured out all of the things that I am actually capable of! As my abilities grew, I realized that I could actually make money with my talents! For what ever reason we find ourselves crafting, repurposing, refinishing,etc., it all starts with the love for it, and has to continue with that love. There is a reason and purpose for everything and God has a plan for all of us....even for our creative abilities! I'd love to hear why you started doing the things you do, and what keeps you doing it!

Thanks for coming by! I would love for you to follow on Linky! GFC closes on March 1st and I would love to continue to stay in contact!!

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Can I have your pallets please??

Yesterday I was searching craigslist for any goodies and came across an add for 2 free pallets. They were only 5 minutes away and I wanted them! I responded right away and and this was the response I received:

Hi Jill,

I JUST took the posting down because you're the 3rd pinterest addict in line  ; )

typically i've found many people on craigslist are not that reliable, especially when picking up free items... but i have a feeling all 3 of you ladies are dead serious, lol

IF the first 2 pass up their opportunity to pick up the pallets, i will absolutely give you my address and you can have them

I recently finished a really cool pinterest-inspired magnetic scrabble board and also some strips of molding with labeled hooks inside our cabinet doors to organize measuring cups/spoons.  I'm going to get these pallets out of here before my wife dreams up something to do with them  : ) 

I was CRACKING UP!! I didn't even mention anything about Pinterest, or my plans for the pallets! I just said I would love them and could pick them up right away! So after I pulled it together, I asked him to PLEASE let me know if they become available! The day passed by and about 8:00 I got an email saying that he had them and I was the lucky winner of them! As soon as my husband came home from church, I was in the car and on my way!! Here's is why I have been on the look out:

I have so badly wanted to make a coffee table like this!! I don't have a coffee table in my living room at the moment. I put it in the basement when my little one started to walk, but now it doesn't really match my living room. But, this would look great! So, now I know what I am doing this week!

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I also plan to make this bed for my daughter once she is out of her crib. I think that it is just the cutest thing ever! I say it looks so cute, and my husband says it looks like a lot of splinters! I think me and my sander will win this one. My search for more pallets continues!

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Thanks for coming by! I would love for you to follow on Linky! GFC closes on March 1st and I would love to continue to stay in contact!!

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Changes (making a blog banner)

Do you ever sit down at your blog and decide you want to make a change or 2 with the look of your blog? Just to realize hours have past and now you've changed so much that there is no turning back?? I have to apologize if my blog looked wonky today during my indecisiveness! I wanted to change the banner on my blog and I didn't think that it would take that long because I knew what I wanted, knew how to do it, and already had the images. But one thing led into another and I found myself changing the template as well. I changed it, changed it again, and then again.....UGH! I couldn't get it right! Thank God for The Cutest Blog On The Block! They have wonderful free blogger templates with instructions on how to download them and apply them to your blog. There were a few moments of holy oh no (but that wasn't how it sounded in my head!) what did I do??? But it worked out. Way more hours than needed, that's for sure! I'm not changing it now! I think it's really cute! 

Making a blog banner is super easy. I can tell you how I did it on picnik, but with them closing you'll have to use a different editer. Here is what I did:

I went to picnik.com and uploaded this picture

I resized it to 650 x 400 and saved it. If you do all of the pictures that you want and then resize it, your images will be distorted.

Then I uploaded this picture

at the top in edits, I clicked on Frames

I used the Postage Stamp frame and worked with it until I had the border and colors that I liked.

It then looked like this

I saved and closed this picure.

I then upload the 1st and 2nd pictures again so that I could work with them in their edited version.

I also uploaded this picture

In the Photobasket (at the bottom), I 1st double clicked the background image. Then I went back to the photobasket and "dragged"  the other picture to the background image and dropped it. I did this with both images. You can place them anywhere you'd like and  at any size. 

I then had this

When I added the second picture it had a white background. To fix that, I clicked the Advanced Blend Modes, shown in the picture

By clicking the "multiply", it hides the white background

I added the name of my block by clicking the text  in editing. You can use whatever size and font that you like. Click save and share and save it on where ever you would like.

This is what I ended up with

To use as a banner on your blogger blog....

Open your blog and go to Design, Template, Customize, Layout. 

Click edit on you blog title and you will see this

You can either right click the image and copy and paste the URL or click choose file and upload the banner from where ever you saved it. 

Where it says placement

Make sure you click "instead of title and description"

Click save and you should have a new banner!

If your like me, you might end up with a whole new look to your blog!! Hope this helps someone!! Have a great weekend!! 

Please take a moment to follow through Linky and leave a comment letting me know you did and I will make sure to follow back!! Thanks!

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The process of the Bentwood rocker

I know that my last post was quite long and a lot to take in, so I wanted to break it down a bit. I wanted to let you know what I did to redo the rocker. 

BEFORE

I first painted it using ASCP Old White. I hand painted 2 coats of paint, which was no small task in itself. I would normally spray it, but I just wanted to cover the fabric, so I didn't want to get paint on it. After I sanded it, it was very distressed (which I LOVED) but I was afraid that it would be to much for my cousin. And of course I couldn't call and ask her! So I added some water to the paint to make it more of a wash and added one more coat. It went on super smooth and it didn't take much sanding for this coat. I don't have clear wax and I didn't want to put poly on it, so I left it unwaxed and no top coat. I did distress it and I know that even with natural distressing over time, it will still look great. I personally love the texture and the matte finish of the chalk paint without a top coat. 

I originally was going to make the rocker all white because the room is already so pink.....just to remind you

You can see the process here
and here

I started off using white duck cloth, and had a vision of the lyrics "Somewhere over the rainbow" on the back of the chair. I had read somewhere (I can't remember where) how to do a transfer using Gel Medium and though that would be good for this. So I typed the lyrics (mirror image) and took it to Kinko's where they blew it up and printed it with a laser printer. I had intended on doing a tutorial for this because I thought it was going to be awesome. I took pictures of the process and my excitement ended when I saw the outcome. What you would do is paint the gel medium on the fabric, lay down the paper and smooth it out, let it dry, and with a wet towel "rub" off the paper, and the words are supposed to stay! Sounds easy right? Well the words didn't all adhere, and the gel feels a little like vinyl when its dry. But since I started I followed through.

I hand painted over the entire thing and as you can see where the words are a bit thicker, that's where the words were missing. The texture also wasn't smooth in those places so I couldn't make it perfect (which made me crazy). But by now I had put so much time into it, it was going to be imperfect with love :-). The stool was much easier because although I still had the same issues, it was much easier to paint just 3 letters that were bigger.

I used acrylic paint to paint the letters and using the gel medium, I put a thin coat over the name. It dries clear with a matte finish.

After I stapled the fabric on the seat, it just looked unfinished and impractical so I went with hot pink duck cloth. It looked so clean and new and I new I would be redoing the back. I didn't want to go through the whole song again so I just went with Ava again. Here is where I ran into some troubles. The gel dries clear on the white, but on the pink it wasn't 100% transparent. So to make it work, I used white acrylic paint and mixed it with the gel and painted the background. I wanted it to look like it was painted (like on canvas) so I made sure to add lots of texture. I did the same thing in black for the name. On the stool it is completely smooth, but I love the added texture on the back.

I think it really makes it feel much more "hand made". Then using a glue gun, attached the ribbon.

On the very back of the rocker there was a brown, cotton like fabric. I didn't want to remove it or cover it because I would have had to take it apart, so I dry brushed the Old White on in sort of a messy manner (on purpose) And hand painted some inspirational words.

I trimmed it all with a ruffled satin ribbon that I found at Joanns. It's about $3 a yard and I used about 7 yards, so do forget your coupon!

As for this transfer technique on this project....it is definitely a technique I would say NOT to use! It would be great to make a diy canvas! You can use any image as long as it's printed with a laser printer. Just remember, if there is text on the image, mirror image the words. You could do it on fabric or on a real canvas. It would be great for a family portrait and the print cost less then a dollar because you use regular paper!

The chair is so girly now and I am so happy with how it turned out! I would love to hear what you think!

If your new here I would love for you to stay and follow my journey!

I am entering this into the American Crafter Season 4 auditions! This is my first time entering this contest....so fingers crossed! The prizes are amazing!

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