stampin machine

I've been so excited to post about this project, but because this little labor of love was producing Christmas gifts I had to hold off.



Once again Lindsay stepped up with the cool idea about making stamps. To actually design and freehand the pieces, cut them out and choose the ink. Lindsay researched and purchased all the supplies, we didn't have much of a clue, but dove it and let loose.

We decided that we would use the stamps to make our own stationary. So we did. Using an "artists block" as the stamp we cut out designs created a 'handle' for them, dipped them in ink and voila.






We cut out the paper, created the ivory inserts and flew through over 100 designs: all different, all unique, and personalized. We made sets of 12 for each person, tied them in twine and wrapped them up.







We are quite proud of our work, they were a hit as a gift and I've got a feeling this is something we'll keep on creating and passing on.

baby shower party

We had a party at our house. A party to celebrate chris, sarah + baby baker.
This was their Nashville "shower" and was set to be co-ed, and full of dudes who had never been to, as they liked to say, "one of these things"...and I didn't want it to feel like that. So from the beginning we never called it shower...it's always been a baby party!

*I'm going to tell my point of view as a planner and host but let Sarah share the details and her side of the story on her blog, if she wants!

This party took place on a Sunday afternoon, and more than anything I wanted it to be casual, fun & laid back. I knew the flow of the crowd would be inside and outside, as our front porch is the most popular gathering place and it ended up that our fire pit was lit nearly the entire time...which was a great touch for an October afternoon.

The party started at 3pm so as I began to think of themes, foods and decor, the usual thoughts went through my mind: it wasn't a meal time and I didn't want to feed everyone a feast; typical "shower" food {petit fours and cheese straws} wouldn't cut it for this crowd and I just wasn't feeling like doing something just so ordinary...

So after some brainstorming with my mama, the menu was planned. Then after sharing that with Lindsay, the decor and 'feel' came to life....

we had a popcorn bar
three salty flavors {butter, cajun + italian}
and two sweet flavors {caramel + cinnamon n' sugar}.


This hit the spot! There was a variety, it was filling, a good balance of salty & sweet and it took the pressure off getting a cake or cupcakes!

I made all the popcorn about an hour before the party so it would be semi-warm and most of all fresh! I found recipes online, used microwave popcorn then just followed instructions

{brown paper bags are the trick and please disregard the Bama apron ;)}

popcorn cones
these cones avoided the use of plates, bowls and utensils. guests just refilled their cone or used another one as they switched flavors.


these were made with heavy stock paper and we added decorative paper embellishments.


float station
complete with orange crush, root beer & RC Cola soads
vanilla ice cream & whipped cream

they were self serve, inexpensive and a delightful sweet treat with a lot of charm!


decor
we decorated with burlap and galvanized tins, simple groupings of flowers in blue mason jars and paper garland {made with twine, paper, clothespins and safety pins}

. . . . . . .

it was perfect for the occasion. perfect for the crowd.
and perfect for the celebration of the best of friends
and one little dude who is about to steal all of our hearts.



{pictures courtesy of lindsay mcmullen. She was my gracious co-host and I couldn't have done it without her!}

Freezer Paper Paradise

Freezer paper stencils aren't new to the craft scene, but Lindsay and I have been dying to give em' a whirl after we saw a blog feature on the technique, so we bought the materials and dove right in. The materials are simple, not intimidating and can be bought in one quick trip to the craft store and grocery store: freezer paper, fabric paint, paintbrushes, an iron, cardboard, an exacto knife and a variety of cloth material.

Ultimately, we dreamed up and drew {freehand} each of the images on the freezer paper, taking into account positive and negative space then cut out the image as a stencil. The stencil is ironed onto the material, the paint is applied and laid out to dry for an hour or less.

This was our first go round so we experimented with t-shirts from my closet, a few from goodwill and leftovers from our tie-dye soiree. We also put our mark on a few teeny-tiny baby-onesies and a set of goodwill place mats that Lindsay masterminded. The possibilities are endless and we have the dream of our own line of stencil clothing ready to roll...but we do dream alot!

"handmade" + custom onesie for friend

"handmade" detail {outline of LMc's hand & crooked pinky}

Ode to the Foggy Holler Front Porch Jubilee Jug Band
jug + washtub bass


brown & cream jug detail

washtub bass detail {our favorite design!}

"tap water y'all" {faucet w/ text drip} + rooster onesie

"tap water y'all" detail

rooster detail

four place mats

place mat detail
{Lindsay perfected every groove of the fork & notch of the knife}

blue bird onesie

blue bird detail

"handmade" {outline of my hand} + washtub bass in cream on brown

We got lost in this craft and can't stop thinking and sketching new designs. For the first time whirl, it was a heckuva success. A few flubs and flaws and some stray marks to fix. But this is one craft we're hanging on to tightly. We're hoping to dive in to freezer paper paradise again this weekend for round two...stay tuned.

life with gills

life with gills: 20 x16

this piece started with the idea of these guys being layered on top each other scale-to-scale as "today's fresh catch". but the first dude turned out smiling, too damn life like & cute, so i had to change my pace and bring these fishies to life.

thrift store shuffle

I had a delightful Tuesday thrift store shuffle with my Mama when I was home in Georgia last week. We got the keys to our family friend's antique shop even though she wasn't open and had our own little private shopping spree. We left with an arm full of goodies, a hand written IOU and a renewed love for small town America. Then we hit up the cutest antique shop, Feather's & Twigs, in a town about 30 miles away. I have a couple really fun pieces being delivered this weekend that I can't wait to arrive, but this little basket o' beauties sure is something to smile about.

The retro overnight bag I'm totally going to rock as my new briefcase and laptop bag.
The coral vintage Threrm-a-Jug is in tip-top shape, but like leave it to Lindsay to leave the image in my head of it overflowing with blackeyed susans or wildflowers...done & done.
The little green ceramic bowl is interesting, cute, functional and was 50 cents.
The turquoise mugs: simply delightful.

My mom laughed when I picked up the yellow wire basket and I wasn't really sure what I was going to use it for. But I knew I kinda loved it, and I knew it couldn't cost much. Turns out that so far, it's been my most functional and favorite piece yet.

I love my summer veggies and they are a staple in my house. So I loaded them up in the basket which keeps them in an airy place, but contained and temperate.


The display is functional & colorful.



It keeps the veggies at my fingertips.
{i.e. easier to opt for a veggie plate rather than a frozen pizza}



And it's the perfect 50 cent addition to my kitchen.

chandyland

formal leather: 20 x 16

hive trio: 20 x 16

bubble: 28 x 22

I have a thing for chandeliers. Classic, modern, or designs that materialize on my own lil mind. I've had these three pieces done for several months but have just neglected to share them. I'm working on several more chandelier pieces currently that I will be sharing, soon I hope.

buggin'

dragonfly: 20 x 16

this little dude has no significant meaning or importance other than offering a pure and happy splash of color and delight to any wall, shelf or surface he graces...

bringin' back: tie dye

tie dying ain't just for hippies and summer campers, y'all.

we had a tie-dying party in our backyard (TDP09) last friday and it was a hit to say the least. a highlight of the summer, would be an understatement.

this was the brainchild of me and lindsay, of course, as we are the creative freaks that come up with these ideas for ourselves then they undoubtedly turn into a reason for a party. our friends were excited about the idea, as this group is up for anything, but my expectations were slim. I truly thought it would be lindsay and I geeking out over our pieces and a few other girls fiddling with some shirts.




boy was i wrong. about a week before the party we were on a camping trip and I overheard a conversation between collin and several of the guys as they were discussing tie-dying "game day shirts" {with their favorite college team colors}. while I thought that was kinda clever, I didn't know what we were in for.

several of us sat down and just started throwing rubber bands on our duds with a mindless plan, a wing and a prayer, letting our creative juices flow...then we look to our right and there sits collin with his laptop open and a gaggle of guys watching a tie-dye tutorial on youtube.

we died. it was hysterical.

they researched techniques.


and conquered them.

{this was my reaction that was captured when collin stood up & showed off his first shirt which was perfect; thanks to the creepy guy on the YouTube tutorial}

from then on everyone was unleashed. folks were timing their dye dips, comparing techniques, helping each other out, and looking for anything made of cotton to dye.





this went on for about four hours and folks kept coming over and joining the fun...the brews were flowing, we had grub on the grill, homemade ice cream churning and fresh peanuts that had been soaking and boiling for two days.


we ended up with about 40 pieces total completed that night; everything from t-shirts and cloth napkins to sports bras and summer scarves...


and the masterpieces dried in our backyard over night.

then naturally, we moved our gig to the front porch. enjoying a good friday night in Nashville never complete without a good guitar pickin' and singin'...

we finally got to eat our homemade peach ice cream but the real treat was that we were joined by nashville legend, Mr. Johnny Rose and our own front porch legend, Drake White.

The night came to and end and we all went to bed with stained fingers and ruined clothes (!) but how convenient that two of the guys were hosting their annual Fish Fry the next day....so it was only the perfect excuse to showcase our new piece of art....and oh, did we!

as you can see, this was a hit with our rockstar group of twenty-something outcasts we call friends! but no matter your age or the extent of your creativity, this is an awesome project for the end of summer or just to bring back some good childhood or free-lovin' memories!

go get a few boxes of $1.50 rit dye, gather a few friends, let your imagination loose and you're guaranteed a good time.


photo credit: lindsay mcmullen