Winning!

Hi there, it's me again!

I'm here to announce the winners from this giveaway:

 

$10 JoAnn Gift Card - Melissa

$20 Home Goods Gift Card - Susan T

Paisley Press Pillow - Melissa AND Susan T - because you are the only two who commented!

 

I'll be in touch to get details about where to send your winnings.

 

Congratulations and good night everyone!

 

Have a great weekend...

 

~ M ~

Ruh Roh!

Hello and happy Friday to all of you loyal readers!

 

I am writing to let you know that things have come to a screeching halt here at Paisley Press because I am down to one (sore!) hand and one useful finger on the other hand.

 

I was in a car accident yesterday and while both my hands are sore, my right hand (my dominant hand) is mangled: jammed, swollen, either badly sprained or broken (still awaiting x-ray results). The rest of my body is a little worse for wear, too, some burns and bruises. But I am whole and that's what really matters...so thankful.

 

My car? Not so much. Poor baby has seen it's last mile.

 

And my creating? Temporarily halted until healing has occurred. So...this may be a picture heavy blog for awhile.

 

I haven't forgotten that today is drawing day and I'm getting that done. I'll repost tonight with the winners. I think you might  know who you are!

 

Be back soon.

 

~ M ~

Community Supported Agriculture

If you're lucky enough to live in or near a rural area, you might want to look into whether there are opportunities to participate in CSA near you.

CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. It's become a popular way for people to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. There are several advantages to buying food from a CSA, among them:

• locally grown food tastes better - it's fresher
• locally grown food retains more nutrients - it reaches you soon after harvest
• locally grown food doesn't contain GMOs - they're only licensed to factory farms
• locally grown food is better for the environment - no trucking produce cross country
• locally grown food supports people who live in your community

 

from Pinterest

There's a CSA in a town near us called The Farmer's Daughter. They have several dates and sites at which they drop their produce boxes in town for customers to pick up. The Farmer's Daughter offers different size options for their produce boxes and even allows customers to 'customize' their selections for a small additional charge.

 

In addition to produce, The Farmer's Daughter sells fresh and dried herbs, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, handmade soap and so much more. I think we might have to try a few deliveries from The Farmer's Daughter. It seems not only a healthier option for eating, but a beneficial relationship for everyone who participates, too.

from Pinterest

 And fear not, if you should run into a strange looking, perhaps odd smelling vegetable in your CSA delivery, there's always the internet. Just google  'what exactly can I do with a pound of <insert strange name here>'? You might be surprised to learn just how versatile some vegetables can be!

 

So CSA - it's a good thing. And if I can't live on a farm, at least I can eat like I do!

 

~ M ~

Patchwork

What a weekend! It flew by - do you feel the same?

 

Time always seems to fly by, though, and the time I imagine it will take to finish projects is never long enough. I think I need some creative time management skills. As in 'how long does it actually take to complete a new design/project from start to finish'? It's just difficult to calculate. On top of that, I've figured out that the first prototype I create is almost never what the final product looks  like.

That's why I'm writing about patchwork today, rather than all of the inventory in my etsy store.

patch·work (pách wùrk)

1) patches sewn together; needlework in which pieces of fabric are sewn together in a decorative way

2) mixture: something made up of many different parts

 

I started sewing a bunch of pieces of fabric together this weekend - remnants of projects, scraps from clothing, and bits and squares from vintage fabric pieces I've hoarded collected throughout the years. I had no plan, because I usually just wing it, and so far, it's turning out rather well. I have no idea what this patchwork will turn into - a pillow or pillows, a quilt top, a table runner, a basket liner? I'm waiting for a sign...

In terms of other projects, I managed to make ONE pillow cover this past weekend, in my beloved ticking (red-and-white!). It's cotton, a nice weight, machine washable, and gets softer with use. I try to use feather/down pillows whenever I can, I like the slouchy, soft, nap-able quality they have. I'm not sure if this pillow's ready for it's debut in the shop yet...I need to let it sit for awhile longer.

I also upcycled some plates this weekend, turning them into mini chalkboards; I added the 'menu' label to dress them up an extra little bit. They're simple and very fun to write on...like most chalk boards. You should try it. They'll be in the etsy shop soon, so you can. I also designed a few things for kitchen organization/prettification; they'll be making an appearance here and in the shop soon, too.

 

 

The handsome fellow in the picture above is Penner who also acts as a photography 'assistant' on occasion. He found his way into our backyard one day and has never left. He's happy to greet every human who ventures into his territory; he doesn't feel at all the same about his fellow felines.

 

And last but not least...it's Giveaway time!

 

There are three prizes to win:

1.) One $10 gift card to JoAnn

2.) One $20 gift card to Home Goods

3.) One pillow of your choice from the Paisley Press etsy store

 

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. I'll draw names from the comments to determine winners. If you want to leave a comment as Anonymous, please be sure to leave a name in the body of the comment so I'll know who I'm gifting. The giveaway closes at 5 pm Pacific time on Thursday, August 28. Winner(s) will be announced Friday, August 29. 

 

Good luck!

 

~ M ~

Going Forward

From Pinterest

Did anybody show up Tuesday? I apologize for not being here...just a few last minute changes that couldn't be completed in time. But now I'm back on the interwebs, managing my little digital corner of the world.

So...Paisley Press. It's different, huh? I feel so good about the direction; I hope you feel the same.

While I was gone, I didn't get nearly as much done as I hoped to. I did a lot of thinking...about this blog and my life and my bank account. It's all important stuff. Here's a bit of what I thought...

I'm interested in home and family and small spaces and lots of light and easy maintenance and happy colors. I want my house home to feel comfortable and welcoming and happy from the moment people walk in the door. I want shoes off and feet up and blankets and pillows and naps and fun and comfortable. I'd LOVE a kitchen like the aspirational one in the picture above. I want people to visit and never want to leave.  

I, like almost everyone I know, am on a budget. I, like everyone else I know, need to earn an income. So I'm going to try to decorate my farmhouse by helping others decorate theirs. That's just a complicated way of saying I'm going to start focusing more on home goods in this blog and in my etsy store. I'm going to create things that I'd like to live with and offer them for sale to others who might want to enjoy them, too. 

 

To me, farmhouse decorating isn't just one look; there are fancy farmhouses, rustic farmhouses, modern farmhouses, romantic farmhouses, and patriotic farmhouses. I think there are a few things all farmhouses, however, have in common: wood furniture and floors (both natural and painted), comfortable accessories, a lack of shiny surfaces, and great spaces to gather.

I'm just starting out with a few products: pillows, kitchen stuff, signs, and monograms. Wait...what? I didn't mention the monograms? They don't seem 'farmhouse' to you? Well I'm here to convert the world - a monogram for every farmhouse! Or at least a few napkins, table runners, and pillows.

 

So that's where we're headed: less paper, more pillows; less glue stick more gingham; less there, more here...

 

Home Sweet Home

Glad to be back.

 

~ M ~

P.S.  More to come - the etsy store and giveaways on Monday!

Hang On!

Hello? Are you there?

 

Oh wait - I bet that 's what YOU'RE asking!

 

Yes, I'm here. Working on a few things, still, before the reveal (notice anything different?). I hope you can all hang in a few hours (days?) more. And I hope you'll like the new look.

 

To make up for my tardiness, I'm going to have an extra giveaway or two - more good stuff to go around.

 

See you soon!

 

~ M ~

Times They Are a-Changin'

Hello friends! 

It's been a few days since I've been here and boy, have I been busy! I've been working on so many projects and new techniques. I've learned a lot and I've been thinking about making some changes around here.

Here are a few peeks at what I've been working on:

 

 

 

Now it's time to make some changes here. I'll be off for a week but I'll be back next Tuesday with a new look and some other fun changes here at Paisley Press Global Headquarters.

 

Have a great week and please don't forget to come back in a week - Tuesday, August 18th - for a new look, fun changes and, oh yeah...my first official giveaway!

~ M ~

Vinyl'd Cutting Board - Version 1

Hello Friends!

 

Oh my heavens, what a crafting day it's been. Quite frustrating, actually, but that's the way the creative life is. It all started out so well...and then it took a turn.

I wanted to decorate some small cutting boards. I knew I wanted a doily-like pattern so I logged into the Silhouette store and found two designs I liked pretty quickly - one for a round cutting board and one for a square.

I downloaded my selected designs, resized them for my projects and cut them on the Silhouette. After they were cut, I weeded out the vinyl that was not part of the design and transferred the designs to transfer tape.

I applied the first design (the black one) to the cutting board and it was completely off center. And here's the thing about this vinyl...it's pretty unforgiving. Once stuck, you can pull it up again if you want to. But it's not pretty. I didn't even want to take a picture!

With hopes high, I tried to use a different method of application for the second (red) one. And it? Was a tiny bit more successful. But not enough to make it, you know, good. It was folded on itself and bumpy and...a fail!

So I struck out on both projects today...like I said, frustrating. But I'm not giving up. It's the nature of the creative beast.

 

This may not ever be my favorite medium but I'm determined to figure out a way to make it work. I'm not going to let this vinyl get the better of me! 

 

~ M ~

Final Water Bottles and New Jar Jewelry

Hello Friends!

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend. All my plans worked out so I got to visit and spend time with people I love. Awesome!

I worked on these yesterday. I started them here but was out of printable vinyl so I couldn't complete them. I got my vinyl shipment yesterday so I got to finalize the design and finish them in the afternoon.

I print these labels on the highest level - photo - quality. They print out beautifully, even on my inkjet printer, and the ink is dry almost immediately. None of the ink lifts when I cut them so they work wonderfully for cutting on the Silhouette.

I completely disassembled (also known as peeling all vinyl off) and put these bottles back together; I wanted a less random pattern. I love the final, final product - so cute!

I also made these little lovelies. I found the small wooden shapes at Michael's, in the glassware section. The package was labeled 'jar jewelry'. I think that means they're supposed to be tied around mason jars but I painted them white, sanded them a bit, and monogrammed them with vinyl.

I'm thinking: cool key chains, backpack tags, purse tags, luggage tags or even pendants for necklaces. They come 10 to a package and they're so easy to make so they'd work perfectly as little gifts for people you love, large and small.

 

If you haven't got a Silhouette cutter, you can still use printable vinyl! All you need is a design and some scissors or a craft punch. Print your design on the vinyl, cut or punch out your design, peel the back from the vinyl and adhere it to your project.

 

You should try it - I think you'd be surprised how easy it is!

 

~ M ~

Two Gifts for Three Girls

Hello Friends!

Here comes the weekend! It's going to be a busy one so I'm jumping right in today.

I made these bottles today. Well, I didn't make the bottles, but I decorated them.

They're for triplets, all little girls who play soccer. Their name labels are not final yet - I ran out of printable vinyl so I made paper templates to act as space savers and arranged the soccer balls around the templates. I taped the names with scotch tape so they look a little funny in the pictures.

The names are not quite the right color and they printed in a weird way. I'm so glad I've learned to print test samples on paper before I print on the more expensive vinyl. I'll fix the color issue when I do the final print and share pictures when they're all done.

I also made, for the same 3 girls, little personalized candy jars.

I created the template for these labels on this site, then downloaded the images to my computer and modified the template a little more by changing the center image to a heart.

I found these candy jars at the Dollar Store, believe it or not. I had a similar one at home but hadn't been able to match it. When I came across these, I knew they'd work just as well as the one I had at home. And for such a reasonable price, too.

 

I love these little jars. I've filled them with all kinds of assorted candy and gum. They're almost as sweet as the little girls who will receive them!

Speaking of sweet, have a sweet weekend. I'm planning on visiting with some people I love. I hope you're planning the same!

 

~ M ~ 

Rustic Chic Canister Labels

Hello Friends!

Do you remember this label, from here? It was the first of my new canister labels, and here is the second of two (so far). I'll be making more - for pasta, rice, beans, brown sugar, etc.

I'd labeled these canisters before; I painted a chalkboard square on each of them, but I found that it was difficult to write on smaller containers with chalk and the chalk rubbed off easily. A change was needed...

I know I'm becoming really repetitious but here it is again - I made these labels from printable vinyl and cut them on the Silhouette. They're great for kitchen jars; they're water resistant so they can be hand-washed without damaging the labels.

I wanted a rustic look so I chose a distressed and vintage (looking) font and a chalkboard background, as well. The shape is even a little irregular - all small details that add to the desired imperfect look of the finished product. Just what I had in mind!

 

Every day I find new ways to use my Silhouette Cameo and for so many different projects: home design, cards, gifts, organization, office products. It's kind of amazing, especially because it's so easy for a home crafter to use.

 

One of the best things about being creative now is the abundance of information about whatever your creative pursuit might be. There are so many YouTube videos, Facebook groups, and manufacturer and vendor web sites that it's easy to find answers to almost any question you'd have.

If you're thinking about trying something new, start learning now. With so much free information available, you'll know exactly what to do when it comes time to make your first project!

~ M ~