aunt peaches

DIY Confetti Notebook from Office Supplies

Did anyone ever tell you a secret and it made your tongue hurt to keep it inside your mouth?

Yeah. You know that feeling! That’s what it felt like when I made this project last month and had to keep it all to myself. It is so nifty it hurts my soul to keep it inside!

You know what that is? It’s a confetti notebook made entirely from office supplies.

Yup. Office supplies.

I have been working with Pentel for a year now but recently they asked me to come up with some projects that lean a little less craft culture and a little more cubicle culture. This is fun for the back to school crowd, and kids of all ages, and I can’t think of a profession on the planet that doesn’t allow for a colorful notebook tucked into a desk drawer. And did you see the pen loop added to the side? That’s just plain functional. People will see this funky notebook you made with a pen loop and say NOW THERE IS A SOUL IN BALANCE! Also, the pen loop trick is real easy and you’re gonna start adding pen loops to every book in your house when you see how it’s done. Nobody is safe!

Want to make one of your own? Check out the directions over at Pentel. And if you need a refresher on how to make confetti out of tissue paper (or any other paper for that matter) buckle up because I have got the answer for you!

Happy Monday: Decorative Gourd Season

by aunt peaches 7 Comments

‘Morning my friends! It is September and I had to wear a sweater yesterday and every white girl I know is talking about pumpkin lattes. Why, if I didn’t know better I’d say it was decorative gourd season.

Yup. I’m breaking out the rhinestone gourds. The bling will not be contained!

Fall tradition: 9 of the finest corn mazes in Illinois.

How learning to code could level the playing field for girls in Afghanistan.

Speaking of farms… her are the 10 companies that control almost everything we eat.

This is how you teach typography to a 2-year old. Not letters; typography.

A Turkish couple decided to use their wedding as an opportunity to feed thousands of refugees. Wedding of the year!

Love this idea.

NY Fashion week wrapped up and Pantone already has some spring predictions on the hot new colors. I’m feeling navy and nautical.

A terrific podcast for anyone needing some creative inspiration.

Stories like this change my day.

These two teenage girls invented an eye-controlled wheelchair that could change the game for thousands of people. Woohoo!

Any audiobook authorities out there? The chilly weather and a pile of work has me in the mood for some new audiobooks. I’m think murder mysteries. Maybe a scary story or two. Recommendations welcome!

The Little Engine That Could

by aunt peaches 23 Comments

Well folks, this week marks a couple of milestones I never thought would happen.

Current big girl pants status: Overalls.

Here is something exciting – I am typing this post from my new office! I guess you would call it more of a studio, but it’s a work space with a bathroom where I can make a mess or meet with clients or shoot photos without moving my furniture around. IT IS PRETTY NEAT! It’s small, good light, and even though it’s a ridiculous bargain it’s probably more than I ought to be spending when I could work at home for free. But you know what? Working from home has some major downsides. Like what? Productivity.

Man oh man, do I suck at working from home. For as many hours as I put in I ought to have more to show for it. This was never a problem when I worked for someone else so it’s time to throw a new factor into the equation. I need to up my game. My dad always said people enjoy sports more when they have “some skin in the game,” and although I would never put money on a sports team, I have no problem betting on myself. This much I know to be true: I have never lost when I bet on myself.

So. Now I am spending money everyday for the privilege of working somewhere that is isn’t my couch, which sounds nuts, and it scares the crap out of me, but this might be the second smartest decision I have ever made. The first smartest decision I ever made came one year ago this week when I left my job. This week marks one year since I started my own business.

Wooot!!!

It’s weird. Yesterday I got a spam comment on this old post I wrote in March 2014, just about the time I realized I needed to quit my job and was freaking out about what to do next. I had totally forgotten about it. It consumed my soul for a good month back then, but hasn’t crossed my mind in ages. It’s painful to read now. I cringe to think about how scared and indecisive I was, and worse, I cringe at how many comments and emails arrived telling me to STAY EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE! DON’T CHANGE ANYTHING! WAIT FOR SOMETHING BETTER TO PRESENT ITSELF! Which was the same sentiment I got from most folks in real life too. Even some of my closest friends thought going out on my own was a bad idea. When it actually happened in September 2014, I was terrified. Nearly called it off. The thing was, I liked my old job, I really did, but the opportunity for long-term financial growth wasn’t there and it wasn’t responsible to stay another five or ten years when I could be making inroads somewhere else. Even now it’s not like I’m rolling in Scrooge McDuck money but I have laid the groundwork for something bigger and better with endless growth. That’s not risk; that’s common sense.

This is the part where I thought I would write a post with some tips or tricks for people thinking of become creative entrepreneurs, but the fact is that I’m the last person who should be dispensing advice. That said, if you are one of those folks that is still trying to figure out what to do with your life (aren’t we all?) this podcast struck me as crazy helpful at identifying what you love most, which weirdly enough has a lot to do with who you were at ten-years-old. When I was ten I spent all my free time on arts and crafts and redesigning my Barbie Dream House even though I had lost interest in Barbie dolls years before…now I get paid to make art and crafts and take pictures of stuff in my own little dream house. It is a dream. I highly recommend it.

So that is what I know. One year in, I am not where I thought I would be, but where I stand is pretty swell. One year in, I am glad I am here.

None of this would be possible without you guys. I know sometimes my other work slows down my blogging, but often it’s my blogging that spurs the other work, so you can be sure both will be here for a long time, chugging away like the little engine that could.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for following. Thank you for making this dream come true.

Easy Trick: Yarn Wrapped Bottles

by aunt peaches 1 Comment

Four-score and many moons ago I picked up a 1976 copy of a Better Homes & Gardens magazine Year of Crafts book that included an impressive-yet-simple project: A large wine jug wrapped in scraggly twine. It was charming and rustic. I spoke of olden times, a sailor’s voyage, and someone with terrible taste in cheap booze. But I digress…I instantly grabbed a bottle and followed the instructions: “Brush glue over bottle and wrap with twine. Easy!”

But you know what?

It was so not easy. The twine situation slipped and slid all over the wet glue and it was ugly and messy and when it dried there was a bunch of gaps because how were you supposed to see those gaps with all that wet glue and cheap wine? It was not cool my friend, not cool. But you know what?

I found a secret weapon! I secret that will change the history of twine wrapping crafts for a generation, only it’s not twine, it’s yarn, and our generation isn’t that crafty (side eye on you: Millenials). Want to know the secret weapon?

Thought so! Go and get it over on I Love to Create.com.

Silk Scarf Pumpkins

by aunt peaches 14 Comments

It’s the first day of September. You know what that means?

It’s pumpkin season. Heyo!

Michael’s asked me to decorate one of their foam pumpkins as part of their Michael’s Makers program and I was like, No problemo. Bring on the fall!

If you have followed the blog lately you know I got rid of a ton of scarves recently. Most of them are now at Goodwill but I snagged a few last minute thinking they would be great for this project. I have a long history of decoupaging pumpkins with paper, but fabric? That’s new. Turns out, silk scarves are ideal for this type of project. The end result is gloriously patterned and all kinds of festive. Want to make one?

Yeah. You do.

Materials

Foam pumpkin
Mod Podge (I like the gloss finish variety but it’s a matter of preference)
Silk scarf (see note on various kinds of scarves below)
Scissors
Old paint brush

Start by drizzling a generous amount of mod podge over the surface of the pumpkin, then brush it out. I like to let the mod lodge sit out a few minutes before adding the next layer. It seems to make things stickier. That might just be in my head, but I’m saying out loud and on the internet so it must be true.

Cut your scarf into smallish-squares. Mine here are around 4″, but you would want smaller for a smaller pumpkin, and larger for a larger pumpkin. No strict science here, just know that the more severe the curves, the narrower you will want the strips.

What kind of scarf? As thin and silk-like as possible. I started with project with three scarves but ended up only using one because the other two were too thick and did not lay flat, even when soaked with Mod Podge (that’s polyester for you). Also, natural fibers will absorb the glue much easier, so try to find that if you can. Lucky for all of us, thrift stores are usually pretty stacked with old silk scarves. Trust me.

Now brush your silk squares onto the pumpkin. cover completely, then let it dry over night.

After it dried, I decided to add a few sequins with Tacky Glue, but a more tasteful person would probably do without. The pursuit of tastefulness doesn’t really happen a lot around here though…

TaDa! That’s it. A patterned, funky, one-of-a-kind pumpkin ready to rock your socks off all the way through October!

Looking for more pumpkin decor ideas? Good news – here are 49 more!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Monday: Graffiti and Dismaland

by aunt peaches 4 Comments

Happy Monday, friend. I’m wrapping up a glorious weekend with my Aunt Annie, celebrating her 70th birth with maximum gusto. The past 48 hours have been jam packed with sight-seeing, chocolate,champagne, and strange men spitting paint. It is glorious. We are now off to conquer the suburbs and maybe eat pancakes so I’m feeling pretty good. Hope your week gets off to a great start!

A new take on graffiti.

We spend a lot of time talking about glamorous grannies around here, but this gentleman has major swag worth talking about!

Hashtag of the week: #oreoart (PS: Have yal tried the new thin Oreos? Yuh. So worth it.)

The village where men are banned.

Have you heard about Banksy’s Dismaland? I need to go.

Joey Fatone wrote a disarmingly hilarious, sad, and painfully honest letter to the guys in One Direction. Never thought I would enjoy/be uncomfortable reading boy band advice this much.

For the new kids: a back to school love letter.

The evolution of a living room.

A new vision of WWII era photos. Gorgeous!

Flowers for 30 Days

by aunt peaches 16 Comments

Welp. I’ll be a donkey. I just realized it’s been a week since my last post, which isn’t a huge deal but it’s probably the longest break I have ever taken since starting this site in 2010. Hee-haw. I would love to say it was because I’m too busy, but honestly it’s because I’m selfishly devouring every last morsel of summer, being lazy, and procrastinating deadlines. This is also the big ‘pre-season’ for autumnal/holiday bidness, so there are things going on that I’ll publish when the time comes. Nobody needs to see glittered snowflakes in August.

Also. My painting binge continues…

I’m going to be honest with you. There was a particularly bad day last week…negative feedback from multiple directions, a deal feel through, and then technology decided to throw up on me — you know, that sort of day….and normally it would have put me through the emotional ringer, but you know what? I just went out on the porch and painted. For like an hour. And I don’t know why, and I don’t know how, but it made everything okay. Nothing improved, but it untangled my brain enough to straighten out priorities. It was incredible. It was also another reason why I want to keep on putting time and creative energy into my painting. I’m hoping to get a little online store up to sell a few of the better pieces, but in the meantime, I’m just digging flowers. Lots and lots of flowers….

If you follow me on Instagram you know I have been doing this #followersfor30days. It started August 1 with the intention of going through the end of the month, but I’m thinking about carrying it over another month or two. There are a handful of days in August when the work never made it to a photo before sundown, or, I just didn’t feel like sharing (not every day is a winner), and I don’t want to cram it in this week (remember – I’m being purposefully lazy). These aren’t masterpieces, but more elaborate doodles. I do all my work from life observation, which also means I’m giving myself an excuse to keep fresh flowers around at all time. In fact, all four of the photos in this post are taken from the same vase of flowers. One vase – four days. Sometimes I’ll finish a piece a week later, but I’m liking the challenge of doing ten variations of the same scene. My hope was that this exercise would help me build a consistent body of work, but I’m finding that it’s making me generate more variety than ever. We’ll see how this goes…

In any case, if you are on instagram, feel free to follow along. And if you are doing any sort of daily creative challenge on Instgram let me know about it so I can follow along!

On Hairless Cats and the Art of the Purge

by aunt peaches 11 Comments

Oh friends, what a week this has been! This week has been a parade of tiny delights, not least of which is this incredible painting my friend Laura sent me. Look!

Most of you don’t know, I have an obsession with hairless cats. They are my thing. It started years ago when I worked in an office with my friend Noeleen who HATES the very sight of hairless cats, and then when she would get up from her desk I would swap out her screen saver for a photo of a hairless cat in a sweater, or cleaning himself, or just looking plain evil. Sometimes I’d send emails with businessish subject headings and attachments like “monthly report” but then the monthly report would be a photo of…you guessed it: a hairless cat family dressed as Elvis impersonators.

It’s a good thing I no longer work in a an office.

But, my fixation continues. I follow a bunch of hairless cat accounts on Instagram (one of my favorites) and even though my cat is the very opposite of hairless, she is okay with me admiring from afar. As my creepy, and very-much-married, junior high school principal once said whilst ogling the hot moms in the carpool line; “Just because your full don’t mean you can’t read the menu.”

In any case, Laura’s talent for rendering animals is just remarkable. Now that I am getting more serious about my painting skills, I find myself with new admiration for people who can render with such accuracy. I’m okay with style and color, but rendering something to look like that person/place/thing has never been my strong suit. Laura’s cat here has blown me away! I’m still deciding where to hang it. My art situation at home is in chaos right now as is the rest of the house.

Don’t believe me? Look.

Yeah. This brings new meaning to the term “hot mess.”

I could lie and say this was cleaned up shortly thereafter, but no, it’s been like this a few days and will likely be this way at least a couple more. I’m revisiting that Japanese decluttering book I told you about, and I need to do some deep level purging before I can get to the fun stuff like rearranging art. That top bag there – the oversized one intended for fall leaves – is comprised of around 200 scarves. I don’t wear them like I used to, so it’s time to go! Along with a bunch of other stuff. Holy cow is it liberating (or should I say, Holy cats!)

Thanks again to Laura for this treasure. Check out her shop!

Happy Monday: Pompoms and Girl Power

by aunt peaches 5 Comments

Friends, how is it MONDAY? How. That’s not a question so much as a statement of regret and desire for another warm weekend spent in the icy chill of air-conditioning.

It’s the first day of school around here which has me thinking fall which has me looking for new and exciting ways to use yarn. Speaking of which, if you are into eccentric fiber arts, you NEED to follow this gal. I mean…

Okay, here are some happy things that distracted me this week featuring an extra dose of girl power. Yay!

Hats off to this all female team one the hunt for poachers in South Africa.

Remember the creepy baby in the sun on the Teletubbies? Yeah. That was weird!

This DIY leaf catchall project looks like the perfect late summer camp craft.

Never before photos of Charles and Diana’s wedding day.

Why run like a girl when you can code like a girl.

Top 5 pieces of career advice from Anna Wintour.

Another incredible random act of kindness.

Gosh, this must be annoying.

You need to see these grannies upon their first visit to the sea!

Tanzania’s most unlikely celebrities: female farmers.

You need to see this short documentary on the quilts of Gee’s Bend. Thanks to Mary for suggesting it to me – I think you guys will love it!

THE QUILTS OF GEE’S BEND from Souls Grown Deep Foundation on Vimeo.

Hello, Pink Sparkle Pony

by aunt peaches 5 Comments

My love-hate relationship with glitter continues to fester. We had to take a break from each other this spring after I got glitter in my ear that wouldn’t come out and I thought FOR SURE it was going to make it’s way into my brain cavity. The horror. Still can’t say for certain if it did (or didn’t) but my survivor spirit has put me up for another round.

I had this horse head sitting around for over a year. And while it was perfectly nice plain white, it really wanted to be a pretty pink sparkle pony.

No, really. Pony said so.

I used my ultra secret, no-shed, double sparkle glitter technique. I used a similar technique to make these candlesticks last fall, but a little different on the glitter mixing front. Check it out over at I Love to Create!

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aunt peaches