WELCOME DESIGN MOM READERS!

It’s so nice to have you here. If I could I would serve you refreshments and cookies. With sprinkles.

Did you know that pineapples are a symbol of hospitality? Amazing paint-by-numbers pineapple wallpaper from 2Jane.

Helsinki based artist Jonna Pohjalainen was inspiried to make this pencil sculpture during a summer Environmental Art workshop at the Open Air Art Museum in Pedvale, Latvia. Found via The Jealous Curator.

If you are crazy about Jonna’s sculpture, you can buy a mini Colored Twig Pencil Set at A Toy Garden. Via Ohdeedoh.

 

And if you are really obsessed with colored pencils, you can subscribe to 500 Colored Pencils. You’ll receive 25 pencils for 20 months.  I love this quote describing it: It’s about enjoying an unhurried creative process and the artist, that over time, you become.  The names of the colors are amazing, like Tea with Milk, Autumn Fog, Miss Muffet, Pretty Polly, and 496 more!

As an individual, I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day traditionally. But as a crafter, I simply can’t avoid it. It is a holiday ripe with creative possibility! And, I’m a bit of a sap, so one small gesture per year is allowed.

If you are in need a last minute Valentine for the significant other in your life, this one packs a big punch. Last year, I made a numbered list of each day that I had known Michael. I know, it sounds daunting, but with auto-type on Word, it’s super easy. I figured out important dates (like when we were in Argentina, I wrote in Spanish) and described them accordingly. To make it easier on myself, I often copied the same sentence over and over to complete the list. I rolled the scroll and tied it with twine.

So for this Valentine, you just have to have patience and math skills.

(Love to you all.)

   

I saw this amazing cabinet over on Joglosmart Furniture Design and it got me thinking of how inventive we can be with skyscrapers.

Goody bag display painted in the form of a cityscape from the May 2009 issue of Parents magazine.

Adorable skyscraper family Halloween costume from Martha Stewart.

February may seem to be a strange time to blog about wreaths, but lately I’ve become a big fan. Having grown up in a home where we didn’t celebrate Christmas, wreathes were the equivalent to having a tinseled, lit tree in your living room. But today I’m declaring that stigma over. For good. These delightful examples prove my point…

This beautifully crafted wreath would be amazing on the door at an intimate wedding. Felt flower winter wreath from The Purl Bee.

The color choices here are phenom. Felted ball wreath from Pickles.

Paper Wreaths by Haru, via Craftzine.

Paper circle wreath from Crafty Stylish.

Tie Wreath from Good Housekeeping.

Nature wreath from Parents magazine.