Child's Name Plaque

Everything I ever needed to know, I learned....from my hairdresser :)  My hairdresser, Brittany Stanley of Beauty Boutique (check her out if you live around the Murfreesboro, TN area) is always full of inspiration.  Last time I visited her, she told me about a friend of hers, Kim, that paints canvases for children's rooms.  Her blog is called Small Words, and it is fabulous!  She inspired me to do my own version.  I don't have a steady enough hand to paint my own letters, so I decided to capitalize on my mad scrapbooking skills and stash instead. 

I used a white drawer front that I found at our local Habitat ReStore.  I used Mod Podge to cover it in scrapbook paper and used my Slice to die cut the letters.  I had some fabric remnants that I found at Old Time Pottery years ago (and have never used) that matched my friend's nursery perfectly.  So, I cut out some of the flower motif from it.  I Mod Podged it on top of the paper and then added the letters.  Another coat of Mod Podge and a coat of spray clear varnish and this is the result.

A few tips: 

1.  Spread Mod Podge on your paper and let it dry for a few minutes before adhering it to your surface.  This will keep it from bubbling and buckling. 

2.  Let your top layers of Mod Podge completely dry before adding a second layer.

3.  Mod Podge for fabrics is out now and may work better if you are using fabric pieces like I did.

4.  Sand the edges of your paper to give it a softer look.

Check out the Mod Podge Rocks blog for more tips and great Mod Podge projects.

I will definitely be making more of these.  If you would like one for your child's room or any other room in your home, please email me at jenn_seratt@hotmail.com.

Contrast:The Art of Adding a Little Interest

I receive a newsletter from Creatively Fit, a venture of Whitney Ferré, and decided to spend some time on Whitney’s website today. You have to visit her site. She is definitely a seed of inspiration! She got me all jazzed to do some painting. So, I pulled out an old canvas of a painting I had done a couple of months ago just to pass the time. I painted right over it. Here’s the new piece.

I used some of her techniques, such as creating texture with tissue paper that is stuck right on the canvas and using household items as a “stamp”. The whole process was quite liberating, but after it was dry, I realized that there was not enough contrast.

Contrast creates interest. We all need a little contrast in our lives. Food tastes better, your home décor is more striking, your outfit is more memorable, and friendships are more dynamic when there is contrast. Where can you add a little contrast today?

Be sure to post your contrast creations.

~Jenn

Seeds of Inspiration: Taking Time to Create

When was the last time you slowed down long enough to be overwhelmingly inspired by your surroundings? A sound? A smell? The color or texture of a rock, plant, or building? The movement of a cloud?


For me, I never felt I had the time to stop and “smell the roses”. I worked constantly. Even when we would spend the summers on the lake, I would spend my lake time on the boat with the laptop and a calculator. Then, 3 days before my 30th birthday, it happened-- chest pain, shortness of breath, unbelievable fatigue, and test after test after test performed by a myriad of specialists. I was literally stopped in my tracks. Nearly a year later and we are close to a firm diagnosis.

God, in his infinite wisdom, has given me a gift with this illness. Time. I can no longer work in the fast-paced corporate field that I excelled in before. Now, I have time to explore the wonderful world of His creation and the creative drive He has given me, and I am completely dependent upon Him for the strength to create everyday.

My new adventure is inspired by the lowly dandelion. My hubby hates them. They seem to spring right back up before he can even finish mowing the lawn. However, they bring back great childhood memories for me. When the wind blows and you see dandelion seeds floating like little parachutes on the breeze, you know that they will spring up soon in someone else’s lawn. It’s a miracle of design. That little yellow, edible “sunflower” turns into this perfect sphere of hundreds of white fluffy seeds that are carried by the breeze to the far reaches of the land, each waiting for the perfect spot to land and spring up to start the cycle again. Dandelions evoke great emotion as well. They anger and annoy the lawn worker, they entertain children (and the child at heart), they liven up salads and other dishes, and they remind me that I am alive and still have a purpose.

~ Jenn