Holiday Decorating - On the Mantel

I decided to keep our holiday decor simple this year: white and gold accents surrounded by fresh greenery. I'm not usually one for minimalism at Christmastime, but I have to say I love how calm and peaceful it looks. I did have plans to DIY a white wreath out of felt, but I've been too busy to indulge in just-for-fun crafting, and I didn't want to wait until Christmas Eve to put up our decorations. So I bought this paper wreath kit from Paper Source as an alternative. It's so pretty!! I don't know if you can tell from these photos, but half the leaves are made from paper with a shimmer finish, and half from paper with a matte finish. It has just the right amount of shimmer to catch the light, particularly when the candles are lit, without being too over-the-top and glittery.

I'm not gonna lie though, it did take forever to put together. I probably would've been able to design and execute my own DIY in the time it took! But I honestly don't regret it at all; it looks beautiful above the mantel, and I think it fits in perfectly with the decorations we already had.

We've been trying new holiday-scented candles lately too...maybe I'll share some that we've liked if anyone's interested in that sort of thing. I never really thought I'd be a candle person, but it just makes the whole room cozy and warm (especially now that the nights are drawing in), and lighting candles has become a daily habit.

Hope everyone has had a great start to the week! And to my fellow shop owners in the midst of the holiday rush, remember to take a break now and then and breathe. Don't worry, it will all get done. xo, Mary

What's Happenin', Hot Stuff?

This is just a small, prettily arranged pile of what is actually taking over my life right now. I'm basically just floating in a sea of crafty flotsam and jetsam. Really though, I've stabbed myself more times than I can count, and I'm pretty sure I have a permanent hunch in my back from leaning over my desk. BUT! New things are coming soon. :)

What are you guys up to this weekend? I've been busy working on a few side projects lately, one of which was to shoot family portraits for some folks, and I'm trying to finish up editing today. I have much respect for people who do this all the time because going through and editing hundreds or thousands of photos takes sooooo much time, at least if you're going to do it right. That's one of the many reasons why photography is better as a side gig for me.

Actually, now that I think about it, every project I take on is very time consuming, like see-you-in-a-few-months kind of time consuming. One of these days, I'll figure out how to be one of those people who does things quick and easy. Are you one of those people? Share your secrets, please. :)

We are also going to Glenstone tomorrow, which I'm really excited about. It's actually not great timing with everything else we have going on this weekend, but I made the reservation months ago, and I'm not giving up our spots! Glenstone is a modern art museum in Potomac, Md. that's only open Wed. to Sat., and they only allow a certain number of people in at a time. Reservations are required, and you can probably imagine that weekends fill up fast, which is the reason we've never been before. Photography isn't allowed inside, but I'll probably post about it anyway if the show is good.

What are you guys up to this weekend? Oh also, if anyone has any good suggestions for shows to stream while I'm sewing I'd greatly appreciate it! I've been re-watching old shows like Buffy for the millionth, possibly billionth, time. And I'm not saying there can ever be too much Buffy, but you know, I'd love to get into a new show also. I feel like it helps me get into a rhythm when I'm working, and I can challenge myself to try and finish one ornament in the time it takes to watch one episode. For the record, that has never happened, everything I make takes too long, but it's something to shoot for.

Hope everyone has a cozy and crafty weekend! xo, Mary

Handmade Basket and Ukrainian Easter Egg

I shared a pic on Instagram back in April of the Easter basket that Peter gave me, and I've been meaning to do a post ever since! Handmade gifts deserve more than a mention in passing, am I right?

Peter got the supplies and hand-wove the basket himself. He did such a good job!

He bought the Ukrainian Easter egg from Katya Trischuk. Do yourself a favor and browse through her shop. Her work is beautiful!

Several people who saw my photo mentioned to me that they know someone who collects pysanky, and I can see why. The intricate details, patterns, and bright colors are so appealing.

If you'd like to see Katya in action, watch this video. I love watching artists work; I could really watch process videos all day.

Bits of May

Here are a few photos taken with my phone in May:

I joked that if you looked inside my head, it would look something like this, and that's pretty much true...but really I was happily packing up orders; a card I made with cut paper, needle and thread; beautiful pink blooms...not sure what these are (they aren't cherry blossoms but look sort of similar--anyone know?); and having coffee in the sun on one of the first warm days.

A cupcake makes a good afternoon snack IMO; the Kogod courtyard at the American Art Museum is such a nice space to spend time, and the glass canopy makes amazing shadows; an epic-scale battle between a dinosaur and an alien; and a sellout crowd at Nats park.

Taking a coffee break with my new Wyeth book from the exhibit we saw a few weeks ago (will probably blog about it soon); inadvertently blending in with my surroundings on an afternoon walk; pretty row tops; and looking out the window of the train and watching another train pass by.

Lots of leisurely afternoons in May; at the rose garden; the park; the back yard where I found a bird's egg; and walking around Shepherdstown, which I blogged about last week.

We spent lots of time outdoors in May, which was worth it even though I stayed sick because of it. Actually, I'm still sort of a ball of sinus congestion, and it feels like allergy season is never ending, but I'll happily take that over winter colds any day. Spring was beautiful...you hear that, summer? You have a lot to live up to! ;)

Card Swap Photos

Ok, I know it's been a looong time, but some of you might still remember the card swap I hosted a couple of months ago. A few people sent me photos of their finished cards, so let's play show and tell, shall we? :)

Angela's card - I love the layered papers and letters, and the green paper background is the cutest thing ever. Happy spring indeed!

Anabel's card - Anabel's paper art sorta blows my mind. I love the organic shapes and textures and her lovely illustration inside.

Dawn's card - I love the watercolor stripes and hand-lettered "hello." And bonus points for making a cool envelope too!

Emily's card - Emily told me this was her first handmade card, and she actually made two and sent another to a blogging buddy. Isn't that awesome? I love the colors she chose and all the sparkles...I love me some sparkle.

Heather's card - This is just so pretty! Everyone knows I love felt and flowers and this is pretty much the perfect combo. And I love that she included a little handmade tag too.

Deborah's card - How can you not smile when you look at this card? It's so cute! And the bookmark she included is covered in tiny adorable vespas. (I'm thinking I need to find something covered in tiny adorable vespas...I definitely feel like that's been missing from my life.)

Jo's card - Jo was super thoughtful to incorporate wearable art in her card in the form of a bunny brooch. It's like two gifts in one! And I'm all about rejoicing that spring has sprung. I have gladly traded numb toes for allergies and I don't care one bit!

I really hope everyone had fun and maybe found a new pen pal? Dawn and I met when we were randomly paired up in a swap back in 2011, and we can't leave each other alone. Haha. But really, I think finding new friends is pretty much the best thing about the internet. Well, that, and funny animal videos, of course.

**Also, I didn't have links for some of you, so if you happen to read this and want me to link to your blog or instagram, just let me know! xo, Mary

Mother's Day Card

I made this colorful card a couple of months ago when it was snowy outside and I was longing for flowers, but I waited to post it because I thought it would make a perfect Mother's Day card. We all know our moms' favorite gifts are the ones we make ourselves, right? And this card is super simple and quick to make. It would be a great project for dads to make with kids too. :)

What you'll need:
- card stock, construction paper, or a blank card. I used card stock, which I cut to 5x7". (You can really use any paper you have lying around the house, even printer paper will be just fine.)
- pictures of flowers from magazines or catalogs. This time of year, just about every magazine you pick up at the newsstand or in the grocery store will have some floral pictures inside, and a lot of catalogs do as well. (There's no need to spend money though, lots of beautiful magazines are probably sitting in recycling bins right now; just ask neighbors, friends, or coworkers if they have any they don't want anymore.)
- scissors
- hole punch. I used a single hole punch that is cranky and older than I am, but a 3-hole punch will work just fine too.
- black paper (or any color paper that will stand out against your card background...you can also punch holes out of your magazine if you don't have any colored paper)
- glue stick. I used Elmer's All Purpose glue stick, but any kind will work.

Cut out your flowers. I opted for large flowers, all in pinks, oranges, and yellows, but you can obviously do any color combination you like. Any size flowers will work too.

Punch out little polka dots. You only need a few.

Glue everything down, overlapping the flowers as you go. Don't worry if the flowers run off the side of the card; you can trim them to the edge of the card after you've glued everything down.

Why flowers and polka dots? I love mixing patterns in just about everything: clothes, crafts, home decor. Why not? It's fun. :)

If anyone does their own take on this card, please leave me a link in the comments. I'd love to see! xo, Mary

Handmade Swap

I wanted to share what I put together for the last swap I participated in, which was organized by the super talented and sweet Mirta. I know my partner already received her package so I won't be spoiling the surprise.

I made a little notebook with her initial on it (drawn with Sharpies and Microns, if anyone's curious) and included the confetti card I made a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to include a little something from my hometown too, so I bought some locally-made lavender soap. I've never tried this brand, but I love the packaging and it smells great.

I packaged everything up in lavender tissue paper because I was inspired by the soap, and it just felt like spring to me.

My package is on its way too, and I can't wait to get it! I'll blog photos when it arrives. This was a lot of fun, and it might be the last swap I do for a little while as life has become busy again.

Have you done any handmade swaps lately?

Things I liked lately

Good mail this week: a cute card in a popcorn bag envelope from Dawn and felt balls from Benzie.

I thought I'd read The Fault in Our Stars but the hold queue at the library was like a bazillion people long since it's recently been made into a movie. So I went with Paper Towns instead. I don't usually read young adult novels, for whatever reason, but this one was great, lots of mystery and adventure. At times I felt like there were a few too many trendy things or internet jokes crammed in, a little too "of its time" if you know what I mean. But Green is really good at creating characters and scenes that capture what it feels like to be 17, which is no easy task. I really enjoyed it.

And a pretty window, just because.

Other things:

Art - Echo Yang makes art using autonomous machines, really just everyday objects. I love to see artists experimenting with the world around them.

Article - Huffington Post wrote about creative people doing things differently. I don't know if putting this article in a "things I liked lately" post is really the right place for it. Honestly, it was kind of bizarre reading this post because so many things on the list are "so me," it's almost like someone was following me around with a little notebook jotting down all my daydreaming, weird sleep habits, watching people, etc. To read so many of the things I do in a list like that on Huffington Post was just weird and maybe slightly unsettling, as if I had been part of a scientific study and didn't know about it. But anyway, I guess it did make me feel better in a way because a lot of my personality traits or habits, the very things that make it difficult to be "normal," i.e., have a normal office job and a normal social calendar, are according to this article, necessary to, or at least hallmarks of, being a creative person. In other words, I don't think I could have one without the other. And I wouldn't want to be a person who never daydreams and is super efficient and productive if it meant I wouldn't be very creative. Life would be infinitely more boring if that were the case.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! It's supposed to be 60 degrees today! :)

P.S. There's still time to sign up for the card swap. Just email me your address by tomorrow night if you want to join. xo

Let's Swap Cards!

Last week, an Etsy pal left a comment asking if I wanted to swap handmade cards, and I thought, why not see if other people want to join in on the fun too? You can draw, stamp, paint, collage, bedazzle, whatever you want, as long as your card is made by you! No need to be an expert in paper crafts, I'm certainly not and I still have a lot of fun making and sending cards.

If you're interested, just send me an email with your address by the end of the week, say Sunday night, to myhideawaydesigns@gmail.com. I'll swap the group around and email everyone with the address of a partner early next week. :)

If anyone wants to send pics of the cards they make also, I'll do a round up post later on, but that's up to you. This is a totally laid back swap. Just have fun!

DIY Confetti Card

I agreed to participate in a little snail mail project recently, so you know what that means, time to make more cards! Since my last card DIY involved a fair amount of supplies, I paired this one down to just four--simple and easy. In fact, it's so easy I'm not sure I can really even call this a tutorial. But anyway, here's what I did.

What you'll need:
- blank cards. I used Strathmore Stamping Cards, but you can use card stock cut to the size of your envelopes. The most important thing is just that the surface of your paper is smooth, rather than textured (as in watercolor cards or canvas cards).
- circle punch. I used a 5/8" Recollections brand circle punch from Michaels. (To be honest, there are probably better brands out there, but for my purposes, this worked just fine.)
- tissue paper. I used a multi-color pack that I already had. I don't know what brand it is since the packaging is long gone, but it doesn't matter what type you use.
- glue stick. I used Elmer's All-Purpose Glue Stick. You could try liquid glue with this project, but I thought it would be too messy and soak through the tissue paper.

Use your circle punch to cut out a bunch of circles. This part is self-explanatory. The only tip I can give you is to make sure you have several layers of tissue paper stacked up before you try to press down. If your layers are too thin, they will get caught in the punch and tear your paper.

Start gluing your circles in whatever pattern floats your boat. I did rows of overlapping circles, starting about 3/4 of the way down the paper and layering as I worked to the right. After I finished a row, I started on the next row above it, again overlapping. Also, I only glued the top half of each circle. You really don't need a lot of glue and leaving the bottom half unglued gives the overall card more texture.

I finished my card by adding a little "HELLO" to the front, but you can write whatever message you like or leave it blank.

Wouldn't this card brighten your day up a bit if it was waiting for you in your mail box? I love the way the tissue paper looks layered. And I used my favorite Sharpie paint pens again. If anyone's wondering, I'm not getting paid by Sharpie to talk about their markers-haha-I just really like them. Actually, I'd say it's more than like at this point; we've been spending a lot of time together. ;)

If you decide to make this card, let me know! I'd love to see. xo, Mary

DIY Falling Stars Card

One of my goals for this year is to send more cards and letters, and another goal is to make and share more art...so I thought, why not combine the two? Here's a DIY for a "falling stars" painted and embroidered card. The good thing about this project is that you can be a little (or a lot) messy, and it will still look good when you're finished, I promise.

What you'll need:
- blank cards (you can also use cardstock cut to the size of your envelope). I used Strathmore Canvas Cards, size 5x7. (There's a good price at Jerry's Artarama right now.) I bought these because I plan on making other cards with paint in the future, but you can really use any heavier weight paper cards.
- paint in various shades of blue. You can use acrylic or gouache or watercolor, whatever you have on hand. I used Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylics. If you are only buying paint for craft projects, though, you might want to go with a cheaper alternative. You could use just one shade of blue and mix in a little black to get your darks and thin with water to make your lights.
- paintbrush. Really any size will do.
- silver or gold embroidery thread. I used silver metallic thread, but you should know that working with any metallic embroidery thread is a huge pain, in my experience. The individual threads like to unravel and tangle up, and it's difficult to make your stitches smooth and uniform. I wasn't too concerned with that for this project, but just keep in mind that it is more difficult to work with so you may want to go with gold or silver thread that is not metallic.
- an embroidery needle.
- something to poke holes in your card with. They make single needle perforating tools specifically for this purpose, but I've always just used thumb tacks or pins or whatever I happened to have lying about...in this case, hello kitty push pins. If your paper is thin and your needle is sharp enough, you may not need to pre-poke your holes, if that makes sense. (I'm sure there's a more technical term for that lol).
- a palette for mixing your paints
- cup of water
- tape. I used regular Scotch transparent tape.
- silver pen. I used a metallic silver DecoColor paint pen.
Optional:
- a piece of cardstock cut to the same size as your card
- glue. I used Mod Podge; any glue or glue stick (or even double-sided tape) would probably be fine also.

That looks like a lot of supplies, but most of this stuff you probably have on hand, or you can find inexpensive alternatives.

Start by painting a thin wash of blue all over your card. I made long strokes, but you can paint any way you like. Build the color gradually, getting darker at the top. (You're going for an ombré effect here). It doesn't matter if it looks a bit messy.

Take a snack break and wait for your paint to dry. Actually, it's a good idea to clean your brush and palette while you're waiting. I didn't; I almost never do, and always end up washing and scraping for hours trying to get dried paint off. Don't be like me. ;)

After your paint has dried--it shouldn't take very long--take a pencil and lightly sketch out where you want your stars to be. Then, poke holes at all of the stars' points. Don't worry if your stars aren't perfect. I actually think they look better when they're hand-drawn and slightly wonky.

Cut a long piece of embroidery thread, go through the first hole, and tape the end to the back. (Taping is better than knotting in this case because it will lay flatter.) Continue stitching around all of your stars. Make a long stitch from each star to a point near (but not too near) the top. When you've made the last stitch, tape your end again.

I didn't get a picture of this next step, but it's pretty self-explanatory. Take a piece of cardstock cut to fit inside your card and glue inside the front to cover your stitches. This is optional because there's nothing wrong with letting the backside of your stitches show. It will look tidier on the inside, though, and give you more writing surface.

I finished my card by adding some dots with my silver paint pen.

And that's it. Write a sweet note and make someone's day a lot more awesome. :)

Painted Hearts Ceramic Cup DIY

I've been looking for a cup or tumbler to hold my makeup brushes and pencils for a few months without a lot of luck. Everything I liked was either too tall or too wide, and everything that was the right size just wasn't all that cute. So I decided to paint my own, and you can too! It's really easy. :)

What you'll need:
- cup or tumbler. I bought this one from Target.
- rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad or paper towel.
- paint. I used Liquitex Glossies, which you can find at any art supply store, or online at Dick Blick, etc.
- a small paintbrush. (Ignore that foam brush in the photo; I didn't actually use that.)
- something to mix your paints on and water. (optional because you don't have to actually mix colors if you aren't feeling it; they're fine right out of the bottle.)

The first step is to wipe down your cup with rubbing alcohol and avoid touching it as much as possible before applying your paint. You'll also want to take the tops off your paints and stir them really well.

I tried out a couple of patterns before deciding to go with hearts...everyone can draw (or in this case, paint) a heart, right? (And it would be super cute to make this for a Valentine's Day gift too.)

I started painting my hearts with a medium teal color that I mixed using blue green, almond, and white. Then I added red purple and dabs of other colors that I mixed to vary my hearts a bit from light blue to dark teal with touches of purple. You can absolutely just use one color straight out of the bottle for all of your hearts, and it would be very cute, of course! The painter in me just can't help but add dimension and texture to everything, I guess.

Here's a closeup so that you can see the variations in color a little better. You can also see how the paint dries to a high gloss finish. This paint is sort of slippery on ceramic surfaces and takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you're accustomed to "the tooth" of canvas or paper, but it really is a gorgeous paint.

After you're finished painting, let your cup dry for 24 hours. You can also heat set your cup by placing it in a cool oven, turning the temp to 325°F, and "baking" for 45 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the oven cool completely before removing your cup. (It's important to avoid drastic temperature changes and best to let your cup gradually heat up and cool down with the oven.) Make sure the cup you used is oven safe.

I skipped the last step, as my tumbler is only going to sit on my dresser and hold my makeup brushes. (And my cup is not dishwasher safe anyway; the care instructions on my cup are only to wipe with a damp cloth.) It is important to note that this paint is not food safe. It is ok to paint the outside of mugs or bowls, just make sure to leave about 3/4" at the top of the mug unpainted (where you'd actually be placing your mouth).

Here's my finished heart tumbler and the makeup I use everyday. It goes nicely with my cloud tray from oelwein (that you can see holding the rest of my makeup) as that tray has lots of blues and dark teals also.

One day I'd love to have a vanity table, not that I spend very long getting ready; I've never been very fussy about my appearance. Nevertheless, I do love the idea of having a place to sit and get ready for the day. Our bedroom is very small, as are all the rooms in this house, so for now I'm making do with everything atop my tall dresser. It's lucky, I guess, that the mirror happens to be at eye level for me. In the interest of full disclosure, it's not normally this clean up there. I did remove a few scattered necklaces and rings and the random bits and bobs that always seem to accumulate up there. I think maybe I just need a cute jewelry dish to catch it all. :)

As always, if anyone decides to make their own painted heart cup, please let me know! xo, Mary

Vintage Luggage DIY Storage Boxes

I've wanted to make trompe l'oeil vintage luggage boxes to store my art supplies for a really long time. No kidding, I bought these luggage labels in 1998, I think, so I'm only a decade or two behind schedule. ;)

What you'll need:
- storage boxes of some sort (plain shoe boxes would work too). The boxes I used are KASSETT from IKEA. They come 2 in a pack for $6.99 and are large enough to hold a lot. (They are made of paper/cardboard so probably won't work if you need to store something heavy though.)
- markers or paint pens. I used Sharpie water-based paint pens, extra fine tip, because my boxes are made of paper. But if you are using plastic, metal, or wooden boxes, you should probably use all-surface paint pens, like Sharpie oil-based paint pens or DecoColor pens. The white marker I used is Recollections brand that's sold at Michaels, but really any white opaque marker will do.
- vintage luggage labels. As I mentioned, I bought mine a really long time ago, but if you search "vintage travel sticker" or "vintage luggage label" on Amazon, there are similar ones out there. You could probably find them on Ebay too.
- ruler and pencil (optional)

I used a ruler to start out, making a few tick marks with a pencil so that my "leather straps" would be spaced evenly apart, and I made them about one inch thick. Then I picked out two stickers with coordinating colors and affixed them to the box lid.

This is the front of the box, where I abandoned the ruler and just drew everything freehand. I prefer the wibbles and wobbles of hand-drawn lines, but you can, of course, use a ruler to make everything neat and tidy. I suggest looking at photos of real vintage luggage online to get inspiration for how you'd like your boxes to look.

On each box, I used a different color pen (that coordinated with my stickers) to do the "stitching" on my straps, in this case, sort of a minty green. (Also, it's odd, but I think because I do so much hand sewing in my shop, when I was making all of these stitch marks, it felt a little bit like sewing to me. Isn't that funny?)

Here's the green box finished.

Another one with blue stitches.

And the last one with orange stitches. You can certainly embellish the boxes to your heart's content. I decided to let my stickers be the star of the show and keep the rest of the details fairly simple. I have a lot more stickers left, so I might still stick a few more on the sides or perhaps keep them to use in another project...maybe in another decade? Ha.

I'm still rearranging things in the studio and getting organized, but my stuff is already looking a lot better with the help of these pretty storage boxes. :)

If you're curious about the history of luggage labels, apparently they were used primarily between 1890 and 1939. Hotels provided labels to travelers after reservations had been confirmed so that when their luggage arrived, it could be easily identified and dispatched to the hotel. Eventually, railroads and shipping lines started to produce their own labels, primarily as a source of advertising. Soon cities, states, and national parks started printing labels also to encourage tourism. Luggage was an investment that one kept for a lifetime in those days, and the labels became a visual history of one's travels. Today, these labels seem quite romantic and conjure up images of the Orient Express and Grande Hotels. I love them for that aspect, the whole nostalgia for a time I never knew, but I also just think they are examples of great design and like little pieces of art.

If you decide to make your own trompe l'oeil vintage luggage storage boxes, please let me know. I'd love to see! xo, Mary