The Wannabe Artist

Being the daughter of an artist can be...well, inspiring, sometimes frustrating. Occasionally you watch him paint and it makes you think "hey, I can do that!"...but you can't. Nope, you never can. It has given me a healthy appreciation for having art on my walls however.
Now, I'm desperate to find the perfect stunning piece for my high living room wall, something that your eye is drawn to when you enter the room, something that sets the tone, and the pallet just tumbles off of into the rest of the space. 
Then I saw this gorgeous painting by Emily Jefford... 

...and now no other piece will do! Bummer! I can't have this specific piece, I can't afford to commission a piece...uh oh, I feel that artistic pull again, you know what this means.  I have fallen back into that fantasy, that somehow I can "do it myself". So here we go again...
And because I am dedicated to sharing all the details and how-tos, artist or not, fail or succeed, I'm sharing how I created this piece for my living room inspired by Emily's perfect piece. 

My Studio
Just kidding, I don't have a studio, just my living room. I wanted to paint the piece in the lighting from the room it would hang, so a piece of cardboard atop the coffee table is my station for today. And by the way, you shouldn't try this at home! When I wield a paint brush or roller, I'm meticulous. Crazy as this sounds, I don't usually use plastic when I paint walls, I never drip, and I don't get paint on my clothes unless I intentionally used them as a brush cleaning tool. Accidents can always happen, so I should have at least protected the area from spills, but I confess I didn't. *shrug* Let's paint!

My Paint Materials & Tools

Much like my studio, I admit my supplies are a bit...shall we say ghetto creative? *grin*
We've got wall paint, craft paint, and real painters paint half dried up! I'm using paper plates and bowls as my art pallet, and my kids paint brushes from their school art set. Yep, nothing too fancy here!
The most profession items I am using are these leftover gouache paints my dad sent me years ago, most of them were dried up but some were still viable! I read up on gouache paint to make sure it would mix with the other paint types, which they do with the exception of a couple possible colors/brands.  If you are afraid your leftover paints won't react well together, test them before use. 

As I mentioned, I am also using a wall paint sample I got free from Lowes (after coupon), and a small assortment of acrylic and "craft" paints (which I just realized are actually just acrylics labeled for the consumer).

However the star of this show is going to be the metallic gold paints. I am mixing my greens with a very buttery gold to get more sparkle, and I'll be using other golden hues for my mountain ranges.

Let's Talk About "How"

First let's talk about my mistakes. Hopefully you can avoid them and get a leg up on this project.

Mistake #1: I wish I had prepared the canvass with a couple layers of gesso before painting. I prefer a smoother, less canvass-y texture.

Mistake #2: I should have laid down a better paint base. Once my first painting attempt dried, I realized I could see white canvass spots peeking through at me. Basically I dived right into "detail" without starting with a base. Big no-no, I should have known better. I had to go back and paint over top a second time. 

Mistake #3: I was timid with my colors and brush strokes. When I look back at the inspiration painting, I see a greater use of colors to create dimension. For example: when non-artists like you and I paint a tree, we think brown for the trunk and green for the leaves. In reality, artists understand that there is a much greater range of colors that make that tree realistic. They will use purples to make the shadow, leave smudges of yellow and grey to make reflective spots, etc. If you want to imitate a painting, look at it for what it is, then take a more literal look at the colors actually used. You might discover that your favorite painting of a tree didn't have any brown or green. Neat right?

Mistake #4: Not keeping my brushes moist enough. Whether not using enough paint, or not keeping my brushes wet, somehow I had a lot of dragging brush strokes to correct. Almost as if the paint lost steam across it's stroke and puttered out. Not the effect I was going for. 

One of these days I'll get a professional on the blog to show you (and me) how it's done. In the meantime, you want the deets on how I managed my novice version? 

Here are the basic strokes I used... 

1. Lots of sweeping strokes. Especially using curved sweeping strokes for my sky. 

2. Let's call this motion dabbing. I wanted to use the brush to create the subtle texture of bushes and grass.

3. I like to call this the drag and drop. I wanted the light areas to associate a little more with my dark areas, and would occasionally drag my brush from one hue into another and drop it there leaving a fanned brush imprint.

Well, I've learned from this experience that I am no skilled artist, but I can sure enjoyed painting! I learned a few things, and as they say "practice makes perfect". 

Now have an art piece that I can call my own, and a few hundred still in my pocket (or being spent on our heating bill).

Always saving a buck (or yet another $50!) I had to be a little "creative" with the matte and frame to house my new piece, but I'll share more here. *wink* 

Chair Happy...

Ladies and Gents, we officially have a Living Room! Because without great seating, you just don't have a living room. 
Remember a week ago when I said I didn't have much luck with seating in my house? Well it seems my luck has changed. Oh happy day! I joined a local Facebook garage sale group and I've been on cloud 9 ever since. No seriously, I'm so happy I've broken out in song, dance...dude I did the moon walk last Sunday when I got my dream couch. Be glad you weren't here to see that, my kids were wide eyed. *giggle* 

My Dream Couch For $400? Pinch Me!
My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw this couch listed for $400 on Facebook. Yep, I said $400!!! Yes, it had a few stains I had to get out, and a couple tiny ripped seams in the upper back corner, but I've already repaired them. I discovered muscles I never knew I had cleaning this couch...turns out the Rug Doctor works better than the YMCA...who'da thunk? 

Choices, Choices...
Not only did I manage to score a fantastic couch, I found two swoop armchairs via Meijer online for under $100 each. I wasn't particularly fond of the print, but to pay $100-$300 less per chair, I'll sew a cover for them and call it a day. Then I found these awesome mid-century modern chairs via the Facebook garage sale group for $30 each! Now I have this tough choice:

I like a classy transitional look, but I'm all about shaking things up a little and being my eclectic self as well. I love the swoop armchair, but I'm leaning pretty hard toward the mid-century modern chairs in this particular space. The mid-century mod chairs are undeniably the most comfortable chairs we own, plus it looks more natural next to the couch. The swoops will lock this room in as traditional, and almost makes it feel more show-roomy and less live in. I think I may put the swoops in my sitting room or possibly dining room as they are a bit "stiff" looking. 
I can't believe that inside of a one week period I've gone from icky couch, and no chairs, to style  making seating! 
This living room has hope now people! Next I have some ideas about art and lighting...

Pinspired Living Rooms

The blogosphere is chock full of gorgeous living rooms... sadly none of them are mine. Well not yet anyway.
It is ironic, I've spent all my time on the little rooms (closets, bathrooms, laundry room, etc.) because I just haven't been inspired when it comes to my main rooms. Of course, when you have a ratty couch with holes in it, it is hard to be inspired. Now that I'm ready to give my living spaces a little TLC I'm also ready to look at other peoples beautiful spaces and be inspired rather than pick sadly at my old couch. *wry grin* *shrug*

Some Gorgeous Inspiration

This first picture is from the talented Julia Ryan, see her entire show stopping home here. Tell me this couch doesn't say statement! It takes skill to work a curvy couch into a rectangular room...oh to have a sensational piece of furniture! Admit it, this is where many great rooms begin, with fundamentally great pieces!

I love bold color, patter, and texture that work together. I can't say that I'm naturally bold, if I manage to bring anything bold to my space it will be after along drawn out fight with myself. This family room from House Beautiful proves that color is not our enemy and if we are afraid of it we may miss out.

This photo is from a blog that is new to me Cuckoo 4 Design and am I glad I stumbled across it! How pretty is this room?! I think I'm in love with grey's, blues, and silvers. I know I know, last month it was a passionate affair with gold...do you think I'm ready to go back to silver? We'll see... *saucy smile*

I know this is not a picture of a living room, but I have a piano in my living room and am in need of piano styling inspiration. This decor by Emily A. Clark (and the photo) is absolutely stunning. Occasionally I hold the laptop up in front of my own piano wall so I can imagine this is my house. *chuckle* *blush*

Who says small spaces can't be stylish? Michelle from Iron & Twine has taken a simple palette and created a beautiful living space. This space really feels homey to me, not stuffy or over stylized...I feel like I would be very comfortable walking into this space and having a cup of tea with her. That is a feel worthy of creating!

See more inspiring living spaces via my Pinterest board. And please remember to pin these gorgeous photos from my Pinterest board or from the source! Thank you! 

Follow Home Made by Carmona's board Living Spaces on Pinterest.

January Highlights & Happenings

This has been by far the craziest strangest month! 
The frigid cold we have been experiencing around the Great Lakes has put a bit of a hamper on my projects. Without the ability to work in the outdoors (or at least allow for some ventilation), not a whole lot is getting done around here. Anything that requires sawing, painting, sanding, or building is pretty much out. Yep, I am definitely ready for a warm up! I think I'm experiencing project withdrawal.

Thank You For The Feature!
The bright side of being stuck indoors during this cold snap? Well, I've been spending more time on small (but necessary) projects to help streamline life. This month I did pieces for SheKnows, Buzzfeed, and One Kings Lane. Not only were they a lot of fun to do, but it allowed me to finally tackle some projects that have been on my mind for a while!
In case you missed it (but how could you miss it? I think I talked about it twice already)...another exciting feature that came out this month was my storage solution in Good Housekeeping magazine!! Can you believe it?? Someone pinch me! No wait don't do that, if I'm dreaming I don't want to wake up. *grin*

I also want to give a big thank you to AKA Designs, Mommy Page, and Apartment Therapy for the features this month! You guys make my heart go pitter-patter!

January, My Month For Love (and a great gift!)
Many of you are gearing up for Valentines day in February, but January is my month for love. My hubs and I just had our 10th anniversary last week! I've always hated that joke about men giving women appliances as being the worst thing they could do. We're both so cheap we try to make things last as long as possible, and we don't usually put money toward unnecessary items. So it turns out that the one thing I've wanted more than anything for the past few years is a new vacuum. After fixing, patching and MacGyver'ing this vacuum long past it's life expectancy it finally died....and it was a rather long, painfully drawn out death. *grimace* 

Happiness is when your husband says affectionately that you can buy a vacuum, and it turns out to be the BEST anniversary gift you could ever desire! No seriously, it hurt spending that $179, but once this puppy was in my house I ripped open that package like a kid on Christmas morning, eagerly assembling my new toy! I confess, I can be such a man sometimes...there were quite a few parts and I ran into a small hitch figuring out what went where, but could I take two minutes to look at the instructions or the diagram? Oh no...that would be too logical. *grin* Don't worry, I got it put together eventually.
Now I can't seem to stop vacuuming...which is ironic because I don't like to clean. It's like a new toy I can't put down, and it is a bit disgusting how much dirt I've gotten out of my carpet. I think maybe my vacuum stopped working long before we stopped using it. So far I love the way the Shark handles, waaaay better than the Hoover I had before, but we'll see how well it stands the test of time. *fingers crossed*

What To Expect In February
I'm doing it, I'm taking the leap and attempting to tackle the living areas in my house. I say "attempt" because as hard as one may try to bring a room together, without the proper key pieces (or any idea what to do with the space) it can be a slower process than anticipated. 
Let me show you what I mean. Here is the living room which opens to the sitting room, before the previous owners moved out: 

Well, the previous owners seem to have found a way to make this long dual space work for them. But what happens when you first move into a space and then try to make your pre-existing (hand-me-down) furniture work? Meh...that's what happens. It looks meh. 

This may take a couple few months. You know me, when there is a lot to do I'm dedicated to showing you the ups and downs, the how-to's, the organization, and making it happen with extreme frugality! 
Well, wish me luck...I'm going to need it. 

One Kings Lane & My Statement Chair

If I had to choose the one feature that I felt made the biggest impact on a room, it would be the the seating. There is something so satisfying about falling into a perfectly cozy, gorgeous come-hither chair. You can walk into a room, and admire it's beauty, but unless you are enveloped in comfort, it just doesn't feel homey.
So when One Kings Lane contacted me to feature a statement chair from my home as well as share their new Home Decor Resource Guide, I took one look around my house and realized (much to my dismay) that I didn't own a single good piece of seating furniture I loved. As much as I adore well designed seating, I can't say I've had much luck in the past with finding good seating... Whether because of cost, design, or the disagreement on what qualifies as "most comfortable", my husband and I had yet to find seating we both love. A big part of the fun of the Home Decor Resource Guide was learning what style we each prefer, and a little bit of the history behind each style. I learned that my ideal sofa would be the Tuxedo sofa, and that I am a bit more classic than modern in my taste in chairs.

Thankfully my luck seems to have changed, because the other day I ran across what could be my perfect corner chair at Goodwill! 

My Statement Chair (to be)
The moment I spotted it I knew I had to have it, and when I saw the $15 price tag, it was over. Now, I'm not usually keen on bringing home upholstered goods from thrift stores, but I knew I could reupholster this baby and wash the cushion within an inch of it's life! 
Look at that gorgeous tufting! I will do my best to see if I can replicate that same tufting with the new fabric!

Help Me Decide!

There are so many fantastic things I can do to update this classic chair, and I have three fun upholstery options I'm hoping you'll help me choose between! The fabric choice will also help me choose what finish I should do on the wood and caning, if any at all!

Which do you think I should choose? Cast your vote here:

My Tip Is In Good Housekeeping Magazine!!

What do you do when you've been blogging 7 months and you get an email from Good Housekeeping Magazine saying they want to feature something from your blog?? You die. Yep, your heart leaps in your throat, and you die of amazement and happiness. 
Well, it took several months to come out, but it's finally here!

Granted, it's a small feature...but Good Housekeeping magazine?? I feel like I just gained a seal of approval! *giggle*.
Remember my daughters pretty-in-pink bedroom, and her pink organized closet? Yep, her organized purses and the "Smart Solution" that keeps it that way got featured in the newly released February 2014 issue! I just can't believe my little project is in print!! *happy sigh*

You know what my daughter said when she saw the feature? "Those are my purses! I'm famous!!". *Chuckle*.

The No Effort Mailing Plan & Address Organizer

**In case you missed this project I did for Buzzfeed DIY, here it is with all the details! Or see it, and all the amazing projects in the Buzzfeed article "50 Clever DIY Ways To Organize Your Entire Life"**

Why oh why do I make the same mistake every year? I procrastinate and procrastinate until Christmas has gone by and no letters have been sent out, then New Year, and still no letters, and the next thing you know years have gone by and family is still wondering if perhaps I've fallen off the face of the planet. No my darlings, gravity still works. 
Last year (after 4 years of intending to but never doing) I managed to mail some New Year letters. It barely made it...several days after the New Year had already begun, and I've done it again this year! *Sigh* I'm a bit "challenged" when it comes to keeping in touch. I hope they love me anyway.
One morning this month, after forgetting to mail thank you notes for the lovely gifts we received over Christmas, I woke up with a brilliant notion to overcome my tardy letter writing. Yes! I would eliminate the things that seem to stop me short of getting the letters to my mailbox, then hope for the best! 

My Letter Sending Hang-up
The Problem: Who loves having to address 60 different envelopes? (Put your hand down you enviable people with gorgeous handwriting, and a love for calligraphy...grrr). It doesn't help that my address book is an urban legend, there are rumors that it exists, but no confirmed sightings. So off I go to call the mom and mom-in-law for addresses, THEN I am required to write until my hand is burning...*humph* I should only get these kind of hand cramps from blogging or painting! *dismayed expression of remembrance* The longer I write, the more my handwriting mocks me as it becomes less and less legible. And you wonder why my good intentions wane each year...

The Solution: Create a mailing book of label templates with the addresses on them! Why didn't I think of this simple solution years ago? Don't write addresses in an address book, create a label template with all the addresses stored readily available for print! The great thing about this "address book of labels" (if you will) is that it can be used for upcoming parties or showers, Thank you notes, Christmas Cards, New Year letters, business contacts, bill pay, weddings, even on Christmas gift packages...pretty much wherever you use snail mail, you can use your address book of labels!

Creating Address Label Templates: Begin by deciding what size you want the address labels to be, and your return address labels. I chose 1-1/2 x 4" for my regular address labels, and a smaller 2/3 x 1-1/4 for return address labels. Purchase a variety of labels in your desired size: white, clear, designed & colorful. Download the label template provided by the brand (in the size) you chose.  

Use the provided template to type up your contact's addresses. Rather than inputting by alphabetical order, organize your sheets by relation. Use categories such His Side of the Family, Her Side of the Family, Friends of the Family, Church Friends, Business Contacts, etc...  This way, when you need to mail invitations or thank you notes to one specific group, you can print the addressed labels for that particular group alone. 

Do not print addresses directly onto the labels. Save an electronic and printed version of the address label templates. When you are ready to do a mailing, take your printed address template, and use it in your copy machine to finally print onto actual labels. This prevents wasted labels if someone moves and you need to change the address in your computer.

Now rather than writing numerous addresses, just print, stick, and send!

Assembling your Address Book/Organizer: Here is the fun part, stocking your address book! Besides organizing the address templates, you can use clear poly dividers or poly envelopes to store your labels and stationary. Keep cute stickers, and craft paper to print letters onto.

A beautifully organized Address Book binder makes sending out letters for any occasion a breeze! Now if only there were a zero effort method of getting them to the mailbox (I suspect I may be a teeny bit lazy).

Linky Love

The 36th Avenue