PagesPat's Ponderings

Monday, March 18, 2024

Another One Bites the Dust


 Today's decluttering produced 7 cards and a bookmark. The only reason I stopped was to feed and walk the dog, then jump on my spin bike! I now have two large bags of craft supplies for a budding new crafter, a full recycle bin, several more empty containers/drawers, and less anxiety knowing that my basement has a chance to be a livable space again.

I started with the bookmark since I found a watercolor that I had made last year. When I'm not happy with my watercolors. I cut out the part(s) that I like and keep them for future projects. Using leftover die-cut stars, macrame string and a die-cut butterfly, I finished off my bookmark with a sticker that reads dream.

I had two pre-cut cards and envies that I discovered in my decluttering and used leftover papers as card fronts. I cut out the birthday cake from a transparent sheet of scrapbook paper and added small paper flowers and a sticker  reading wish; I used a stamped Thanks sentiment on the other large card and added a die-cut paper butterfly.

The card in the very front has a pop-up vase of flowers in the middle. I created this card from a leftover card kit I had made for a workshop before Covid. The others are card and envie sets that I used patterned papers, ATCs, stickers and flowers to create feel-good note cards. The one on the very left is actually a three-fold; I decorated the front and left the inside clear in which wo write a note to someone special...

During this declutter so far, I have learned that:

I buy supplies impulsively, mostly when things are on clearance or offered at thrift stores. 
I am a paperholic and since decreasing the number of cards I make after Covid, is not a good trait.
I save too many "pieces" and "ripped" or "broken" supplies thinking I can find a use for them.
I don't have as much space as I have craft supplies.
I should have bought real crafting storage i/o thrifting for furniture/bins/shelving haphazardly.

Does this mean I won't visit a craft or thrift store or buy supplies before I really need them? Probably not, but I will have a good think before I get to the cash register and hand over the cash for it all!!

Keeping it real, crafting peeps!


Friday, March 15, 2024

Birthday Cards Today

 

Today I'm showcasing the birthday cards I made from the misc. stash leftovers I've been cleaning out, organizing and donating. Again, I mostly used die-cuts and a few pre-colored images I had from leftover projects. It was a quick and satisfying chore. 

I also managed to go through a few small tubs of trading cards o take to Geek Toys, whose owner bought a nice amount from me earlier in the year. They are all from my mom, bless her soul. She loved non-sport trading cards, especially of her favorite sci-fi shows, like Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Stargate. Unfortunately, they didn't generate as much cash as I had hoped, but I got rid of another bin taking up room in my basement. Yay me!

I have another appointment with my Whole Health coach. I'll continue to work on decluttering my craft supplies (Lord knows I have enough to keep me busy for another few weeks). My next target is punches and scissors and wooden-block stamps. But I'm seriously trying to get my A1C numbers down as well as cholesterol, which ties in with weight loss. Luckily, I have access to a dietician, kinesiologist and my very own spin bike (okay, the spin bike is an old Schwinn without a working display, but I can still pedal).



Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Using My Stash

 

Today I created 10 notecards from a pile of misc. crafting supplies I left out on my desk last week. I mostly used die-cuts, ATCs and stickers, so it went pretty fast. The history behind the cards is interesting...

I have a habit of naming the New Year. 2024 is the year of Whole Health, I joined a program offered by my hospital and they offer so many programs that touch on the concepts of whole health: physical health, emotional health, personal development, weight loss, mindful meditation, sleep therapy, spiritual awareness, kinesiology, surroundings and social activity.

I even have a coach who guides me to plan out how to reach my goals, which also means accountability. If I don't reach my goals in the time allotted, we revise the steps I need to take to succeed. For the next two weeks, I'm working on my surroundings. 

My house has become a storage building, holding furniture, collectibles and items from my mom's and my gram's houses, which my sisters and I cleaned out and sold after their deaths. Most of my basement and garage are filled with furniture and things that my sister can't let go of, but doesn't have room for.

I admit that the rest of the overcrowding is from my ever-growing stash of craft supplies. This situation is making me feel overwhelmed, anxious and depressed. My mission is to declutter, organize and label my crafts, creating order out of the chaos. I listed the craft supplies by category; for instance, this first week I went through my alpha stickers, printed images, 12x12 papers, diecuts, lace, ribbon, trim, buttons and envelopes.

I emptied 12 containers and bins, and found a ten year old girl whose passion is crafting. Her mom works with my sister, and she has received a large bag of craft supplies from me. She and her mom created a vision board together and had so much fun. I have filled another large bag with papers, stickers and card kits I made for some workshops. And I am just beginning!

So now you know how I came to create these notecards. I also made 9 birthday cards which I'll post another time. Meanwhile, happy crafting, y'all!

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Gearing Up for Spring


 I have a bone to pick with that groundhog! He said we can expect a mild winter. Yes, it has been mild...until last night!! I spent yesterday wearing a light hoodie outside while running errands and walking my dog. This morning I wake up to SNOW!! I had to dig out my icy melt and throw it on a couple icy patches of sidewalk! It's cold out there. I heard we got 2 inches; not a lot, just enough to remind us that it is still February and the groundhog is not always accurate...

Meanwhile, my crafting mind hsas already turned to Spring projects. I pulled out a rusty metal wall decor from my garage yesterday (pre-snow). I had bought it sometime last year and forgot about it until now. I had to sand it, using WD-40, and clean it well, before applying gesso and paint to it. My front porch is painted blue, and the railings are white. So that's the colors I chose for this project.

I used spray paint as a base, then went over areas of the leaves with acrylic paint in a few shades of blue for some depth. After I got the effect I wanted, I sealed it with gloss varnish so it can weather the weather. It looks great on my back door right now, and as soon as it warms up a little, I'll place it on the front of my house.

Oh, forgot to mention the wire butterfly I added to my decor. I actually used gloss varnish on it as well in hopes of making it last long into the Spring and Summer. Have fun crafting, peeps, and don't trust that groundhog!!

Saturday, February 10, 2024

From Thrift Store to Living Room

 


Another day, another thrift store upcycle. I had stored this credenza in my garage, where it waited for inspiration to come. It came to me this week, so I had my daughter help me move it into the house, where I assessed the damage. Dirty, of course, with a few tears.

I decided to paint it white as a base color, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, purples splotches and dots, as if someone had shaken a bottle of purple hair dye and the cover slipped off! That dye or whatever it was bled thru three coats of white paint!!

I knew I had to either paint the whole thing purple (ugh) or figure a way to conceal the splotches. I had previously purchased some colored wax for just such an occasion, but did I have a viable color?? I found a teal wax. Wow, my living room furniture is teal (2 chairs and a couch), and the artwork on my walls have some teal in it.

I chose to try the teal wax, It came out lighter than expected, but it worked against the pale yellow walls. So now I have a credenza/cubby unit for my living room. The two bins on the right hold our winter accessories (top) and Honeycomb's winter wear (bottom). The rest of the bins hold our art supplies (pens, pencils, markers and assorted).

I originally had a four-cubby unit, which is now stuck behind one of the LR chairs awaiting its fate. Now I have storage for all the bins I keep in this room. And I am happy, which is what I strive to achieve on every art project I create. Does your artwork and crafting make you happy? I hope so!!





Thursday, February 8, 2024

Another Thrift Store Furniture Upcycle

 

Having some time on my hands, I brought up a small vertical shelving unit from the basement. I found it years ago and did nothing with it except use it in the laundry room to hold detergent, dryer sheets, etc. While my gf gave me her double-shelved shoe rack when she moved, it just took up so much room by the front door. So I finally got to work on this skinny set of shelves.

It had gathered a lot of dust and stains from being the "laundry cart", so the first thing I did was to clean it thoroughly. The cleaning was not enough, so I brought up my paints, brush and a sponge. I decided to try my hand at mixing colors to give it a marbled effect. My colors were black, copper, rose gold and silver.

I'd never tried this painting technique before, so I came into it blind. I chose to go from dark to lighter colors, and it paid off. Using a damp art sponge, I dabbed on enough black to almost cover the surfaces (I started with the top). It was still almost wet before I added the copper and then gold.

When it came to adding the silver, I lightly dabbed the paint on, not only filling in unpainted spots, but going over the whole surface o blend in the colors. I really like the outcome. When it came to the inside of the shelf area, I used black. After all, our shoes would be going in the cubbies as we go through the front door, as well as guests.


My next furniture upcycle is a credenza with cubbies for those fabric bins everyone loves. I have an overabundance of these bins, and will replace a smaller unit with the one I'll work on. 

Bonus photo: I'm stopping here at my computer personalization project with this result:




Monday, February 5, 2024

My New Project for the Year


 A new year, a new project! I've always wanted to personalize my keyboard. I had started last year with my old computer but it died. Then I was hesitant about trying it on my new one. But what the heck! Might as well fulfill my dreams, even tho my BIL will give me grief for "defacing" my computer. LOL

I'm starting in the safety zone. A simple Bee drawing for the letter B, and a simple House drawing for the Home key. I used Posca paint markers, and had to cover each key with white to get the colors to be true. What do you think? To me, I am really pushing my creativity limits. Painting and upcycling thrift store finds is one thing. My computer is another. But so far, I'm happy with the results!