Spooky Fun

I love decorating for holidays. In recent years, I have added Halloween décor to the rotation. Using my Silhouette, I cut silhouettes for the windows. I taped sheets of black construction paper together to fit the window.  I then used my overhead projector to blow up the images and traced them on the construction paper. After cutting out, the silhouettes were ready to be taped to the inside of the windows. A bubbling cauldron, a witch, scampering mice and a hissing cat were seen in the windows.

Then there were the ghosts… The ghosts were originally just cheese cloth over hangers. I mounted my black fluorescent light (about $10 at WalMart near the lightbulbs) on the house side of the tree. The ghosts didn’t glow as brightly as I wanted, so I cut up a cheap white bed sheet and added a layer under the cheesecloth.

How cool is that?!?!

Of course we need lighting on the porch. My husband and son have an affinity for all thing “skulls,” so here is a nod to the boys!

Stay tuned to see the transformations inside. Yes, I have gone overboard, but always on the cheap!

Have a great weak and hopefully you are enjoying cooler weather!

Yours, Whyt

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Francophile Christmas

Bonjour mes amies! I have been painting like a fool this summer getting ready for fall craft shows. I was wanting to do a Christmas sign without the normal red & green. So French chic was called for!

I love making signs on cabinet doors. For one, it’s a great way to upcycle. Two, it is cheaper that canvas.

Finally, it is solid wood and already framed!

The first thing I do is create my design in Silhouette Studio. I match the dimensions of the board.

Then I deconstruct the elements.

Since I am using the vinyl as a mask, all the elements are on the same page. I pick up clearance vinyl at JoAnne’s or Hobby Lobby for this purpose, since colors don’t matter.

When making the signs, you have to think through the layers and colors. More than once, I have painted the layers out of order, and ended up having to sand down and start over!

Think of the layers backwards. Since the main elements are the words and Eiffel Tower, those go down first. After sanding the board, paint it black. Then place the words and Tower.

Now paint the green. DO NOT remove the vinyl!

Now place the vinyl for the green elements (flourishes and holly leaves). Now paint the pink. DO NOT remove the vinyl! Now place the holly berries and paint the board white. Once the paint is dry, you may now remove the vinyl.

 

If you like the finish, you are finished! Otherwise, you can distress, wax, stain, etc… Next time, I will show you a cool technique for a fall sign. Until then, Bon Nuit at Au Revoir! –Whyt

 

Linking to:

 http://whipperberry.com/

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

What???? While I am home for the summer, I have been working on signs for the fall craft shows. I get outside to sand, saw, and paint and it is pushing 100 degrees. But how I love Christmas! Here are a few of my newest signs…

“Noel” is painted on an upcycled cabinet door from Habitat for Humanity Restore. The door is solid wood and I can’t help but love that the sign is pre “framed”!

“Tree Farm” and “Baby” are painted on cedar fence pickets. This was may first time to paint on fence pickets. I had to work at making the vinyl stick to the boards even after painting the base coat. Oracle 631vinyl isn’t sticky enough. The 651 sticks better, but it still requires patience. I do love the outcome, though. Using the pickets lends a different look to the signs. I am thinking I will be painting more pickets in the near future!

I am taking custom orders for cabinet and picket signs. Email me at whytswhimsy@att.net or find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WhytsWhimsy

Have a great rest of the week! Love, Whyt

Partying with:

What can I make for you?

Custom Creation Brainstorm

I love creating personal pieces. While I have some things in stock that I will take to shows, I find the most joy in making my customers happy. Here are some things to think about. Email me your ideas and I will get you a quote.

Is this a gift?

Date needed?

What are you looking for?

• Wine glasses
• Other glasswear
• Stemless
• Coasters Trivets
• Upcycled Cabinet Door Sign Canvas Sign
• Homecoming Spirit Items
• Other (just ask, I may say YES!)

Colors

If you go to these sites, you can get an idea of what you want and can communicate colors more accurately

• Vinyl: http://www.oracal.com/products/all-colors.asp?seriesID=184
• Paint: http://www.krylon.com/index.jsp
• http://www.rustoleum.com/
• http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/index.html

Finishes for paint

• Glossy
• Satin
• Matte
• Distressed
• Antiqued

Quote/Saying:

Font/Style:

Art/Design:

New Baby!

The day before my 41st birthday, I became a great aunt again. My niece, Sommer, gave birth to precious Jaxon. Several months ago, my MIL and Miss Whimsy headed to Stephenville for the baby shower.

Much to my dismay, there was no bedding on either of the registries.  UGH! I was wanting to make a sign or other accessories to go with the theme of the room. Come to find out, Sommer’s Mema was making the bedding. Through modern technology, I received pictures of the fabrics that Mema was using! (of course, I have deleted the pic from my phone, forgetting I was planning on using it for a post)

Here are the fabrics Mema used from Jo-Ann’s. I searched high and low and only found the stripes. Have no fear, I did find other fabrics that coordinated beautifully!

No dinosaurs, but isn’t the “rarr!” typography print too cute?  No little dots, but a bolder dot. Orange ric-rac instead of the solid orange.  Put it together, and what have you got?

Mema’s bedding and a coordinating diaper bag!

I filled the diaper bag with diapering essentials, including diapers, binkis, a rattle and wipes (Not everything in this pic is from me… I had forgotten to get pics after I made the gift!). Oh yeah, check out the wipe boxes. While I had my Silhouette out to cut stencils for Jaxon’s monogrammed sign, I cut a few dinosaurs to jazz up the wipes! And speaking of the sign… I stapled some of the left over striped fabric to a canvas, glued orange grosgrain ribbon on the edge and painted the monogram. Easy peasy!

Sommer, the sweet Momma to Be

Sommer, Grandma Barbara (my MIL), and niece Christy, (my flower girl, who is also with child)

Christy’s daughter, Rachel, my 1st Great Niece

What a blessed day we had with family and friends. Now I best be deciding on what to do for Christy’s little one that is due this spring…

Oh and…Thanks Holly for sending me the pic of the fabric! It is so fun to be able to give handmade gifts in the style and design the recipient chose herself!

Have a blessed week. Love, Whyt

 

Linked to:

 

Today Creative Blog

http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/

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One Down

I am about to head to bed after my 1st craft show. There was not much traffic at the show, but I was noticing there was a lot going on around Houston, including the Rodeo. I am grateful for friends and family who came out and supported me. I even finally got to meet a blogger friend who recently moved with her family to the Houston area! How cool is that?!?!

Thank you Lisa from Fern Creek Cottage!

 

Reflections from this weekend

• I LOVE how my booth turned out (and the setup was from things we already had or borrowed from friends)
• I need to figure out how to keep the charm w/o the bulky furniture
• Having my daughter helping me man the booth was utterly invaluable
• I need to show off the fact that my signs are made from used cabinet doors
• I need to make it obvious that I welcome custom orders
• Having items at a variety of price points was a good thing
• I have got to find my plethora of white curtains to hang
• I definitely want to do this again!

I will be looking for more opportunities to show my wares in 2013.

I am excited for what the Spring and Summer will bring!

If you were wandering, I used many upcycled items throughout the booth...

You can read more about the door-shelf here.

The Headboard-Bench

The Hutch

Birdcage Light

Have a blessed week! Love, Whyt



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