Create your own personalized journal

Journals are the perfect companion to keep us all organized. For years I have been looking for the perfect journal and it was quite the impossible task. As a scrapbooker for years I have lots of leftover paper scraps and decided to put them to good use.

I got inspired by this pretty paper and stickers by K&Company, one of my favorite scrapbooking supply brands.

Then I proceeded to create dividers with my own personal interest in color coordinated paper, using stickers and other embellishments for each section.

With the help of my Cricut, I made tabbed labels and titles to decorate my pages.

Each section is unique but still follows the same coordinated design.

I also included some of the same decor in inside pockets and dividers.

Inside, all my creative ideas and inspirational pictures found a home.

For the cover I used the same inspiration paper and decided to use my monogrammed initial. And voila here is my own personalized journal.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to comment.

Artsy work station

My daughter was running out of space to store all of her art supplies, so we decided to add some shelving above her desk. Now her paints, brushes, canvases, pastels, and chalks have an organized section that also doubles as decor. We decided to go for a raw wood and iron look. The industrial look didn't make us scared to spill a little paint on it.

Here's a close-up of the first shelf. We got a vintage tea set in a thrift store to hold all her brushes. And an old mail filer became a home for her paints. The frames I got from Ikea, they're old pastels and brushes, perfect for the theme.

For the second shelf, we wanted to make all the chalks, pastels, and paints look uniform. They all came from different stores and brands. So I cut open the center of each box for more display area, and spray painted the boxes a glossy black. It really made the colors of each medium pop more.

Here's one of the original boxes for her watercolors, and the spray paint process.

And we also picked up an awesome ceramic owl from Target to house her organic wood color pencils.

Thanks for reading and for your comments.

Filing cabinet makeover

I found this filing cabinet in a thrift store this week, for just 10 dollars. It was in pretty bad condition, but all it needed was a little TLC.

As you can see, the top layer was rusted pretty badly. 

After sanding it down until the top was smooth, this is what it became.

To get rid of the uneven discoloration, I used a coat of Rust-o-leum spray paint, in a glossy white. The Rust-o-leum also helps prevent further rusting. It definitely transformed the cabinet.

But then I decided that I hated the handles on the cabinet. So I drilled holes above the old handles, seen in the picture above. I got handles at Lowe's for $2, and spray painted them gold. Later I changed my mind and ended up choosing the white for a more uniform look. 

The cabinet still looked a little plain though. So I decoupaged fabric onto the front portion to make him more "fabulous". Just a third of a yard did the trick, and it cost only $2.

Here's the finished product, perfect for storing all your crafting supplies!

Trip to my favorite store: Ikea

I can't get enough of Ikea. Every trip brings a new idea to incorporate in my home and especially into my craft room. Yes, I'm still in the renovation process of my craft room, and its taking me quite longer than expected. While in the store some great ideas came to mind.

This can be a great storage solution for all your sewing needs:

Remember to keep your mind open for different styles and color options.

I fell in love with this white desk:

Don't be afraid of visiting the children's department, where there are some great and affordable storage solutions.

For those finishing touches and pops of color pick up some accessories to match your decor like these chairs and wastebaskets (only $1.99).

And finally, don't forget to visit the as-is department. It has great discounts on lightly used floor models, like these chairs I purchased for $15 each  at a 40% discount.  They will be a wonderful addition to my craft room.

Thanks for reading and I'm always happy to get your comments

Thrift store find

In a recent trip to my favorite thrift store my daughter found this piggy bank.  He was not in that good condition, but at a great price. She insisted in making him gold. (Hint: a little spray paint goes a long way). Here's his transformation:

Before:

After:

Now that's what I call a golden investment!

Transforming a 99 cents paper pad into a beauty

I recently visited a 99 cent store and found this package of note pads which are incredibly handy for those crafting ideas. I'm in the process of reorganizing my craft room and trying to get my decor to follow a single theme.  Sometimes some items are fine the way we purchased them, but other times they aren't. When that happens don't be afraid of transforming them. Paint, paper, decoupage, or ribbon are some of the ways you can repurpose your items.

Here's an example of my latest transformation. Using the bind it all machine, cardstock and some pretty scrapbook paper.

My daughter is a great Dr. Seuss fan. This one was created for her:

Thanks for reading and I'm always happy to get your comments.

Things I'm loving right now: Burlap

Burlap is one of my new best friends in the crafting world. It can be used for so many projects from bulletin boards, bags, cushions, curtains, tablecloths and so much more. It gives this rustic and natural look that can not be achieved with anything else. Some pretty examples: 

And here's one of my completed projects... an inspirational bulletin board. I used an old frame, which I painted black to match my decor, used burlap as my base cover, and then added some of my favorite stamp images, quotes and products.