Number Art--guest post by Maggie from Midwest Sewing Girl!

Meet my Co-host of the Week and Guest Poster Today: 

Alright friends I am beyond excited that the wonderfully and super talented Maggie from Midwest Sewing Girl is here today!  And what is even better she is co-hosting the crafty scrappy happy party tomorrow!!!!  Maggie is one of my most wonderful blog friends I would pay about a million dollars to have her living next door to me----this gal is beyond talented and sweet!  Go and check out her amazing blog---Midwest Sewing Girl! 

 I won't babble anymore for now, but please plan on coming back to party tomorrow!!!!  

Yayyyy I can hardly wait!

-Jaime

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Eeeek! I can't tell you how excited I am to be co-hosting Crafty Scrappy Happy me Thursday!

If you are reading this blog, then you already know what I'm about to tell you...Jaime is AMAZING. She is one of my dearest blogging friends & I'm ALWAYS completely blown away by her projects...I consider it a HUGE honor to be included in her new linky party...truly.

Let me introduce myself...my name is Maggie & I write a little blog called Midwestern {Sewing} Girl.

There you can find diy & makeover projects, sewing tutorials & scrapbooking stuff...basically all things crafty with a few family posts thrown in. I'd love love love to have you come visit...

Now, I know Jaime loves to create things that hold special meaning to her & her husband, so I thought this would be the ideal project to share with you today...

Each row of numbers on this canvas is important to the members of my family (they are all of our birth dates & our wedding date)...but what I like best is that the meaning isn't overtly obvious...in fact, it's subtle enough that I don't feel weird about hanging it in my living room...

First, let me show you where I got my initial inspiration for this project...

from source via  Pinterest 

As soon as I saw this art from Andrea Steed, I knew I wanted to do something similar...

So here's what I did...

I found an old canvas that I bought a few years ago...mine was 24"x30"...grabbed some white, black & grey (not shown) art paint...and got to work.

First, I quickly (really quickly) painted the entire canvas with a coat of grey paint. It wasn't perfect, and it didn't need to be...you'll see why in a minute.

When that dried I went over the grey with white - this coat was even sloppier than the first...I didn't worry about completely covering the grey, because I knew I wanted the grey to show a little...

Then I marked off the canvas into equal parts with a ruler & pencil, making sure I had enough room for all of my dates...don't worry about the pencil lines...they'll be covered...

Next I used my Silhouette to cut out the numbers I needed from vinyl...but you certainly don"t need a Silhouette for this project. You could free-hand the numbers or print them out in a font you like, then cut them out for the next step...or you could buy the numbers from a craft or home improvement store...

I took my numbers and placed them onto my canvas...making sure that all of the edges were firmly pressed down...

Then I took my black paint and went over the entire canvas...I made sure the black completely covered all of the grey/white areas, including all of the edges of the canvas, but you could choose to give it a little more worn/shabby look by just doing a sloppy coat over the numbers...

When the paint was completely dry, I simply peeled off the vinyl numbers...

I love the way it looks in my living room...it reminds me of the old arrival & departure boards at the airport...I think it gives just the right "urban" touch to this space...and it's wonderfully personal...bonus.

If you have any questions about this project, please don't hesitate to ask me! I'd love to hear from you...and don't forget to pop on by Midwestern {Sewing} Girl for a visit!

Thank you so so much, Jaime, for having me co-host/guest-post this week!!!! You are best.

Coat hanger display from cabinet doors

Well this has been on my list of projects for a LONG long time!  

And I am happy to report that it is finally finished!!!!

My goal was to created a place in my laundry room (which also serves as the entrance into my house through the garage) where coats, purses and just about anything could be organized and hung without taking up much space.

Another requirement was that I could not drill a million holes in the wall since this is only a rental home!

Since the holes needed to be few I knew I would need to mount my coat hooks onto something....

why not use the old cabinet doors I picked up from a building re-sale shop months ago?!

Here is the final product

And here is how I got there!

I painted each of the cabinet doors duck egg blue (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) then distressed and finally mounted the hooks.

I like how the cabinet door give the hooks more of a decorative look versus just being functional!

Oh and I should mention in case you are wondering I found the hooks on a half off sale at Hobby Lobby so they were only $2.50 each!

For the next two cabinet doors I used some vintage door knobs I picked up from a garage sale a couple of weeks ago as addition hooks!

I just bought a dowel that fit snugly into the existing holes on the door knobs and then drilled the same size hole in the cabinet door and coated the dowel with wood glue and then placed the dowel in the hole.

I like the look but I think more than that I really like how functional this project is going to be for me and my husband!  My goal is to no longer have coats and bags piled on the nearest chair when you walk into our house!!

And I should really give you a more realistic view of the coat/purse hangers in use

:o)

How do you keep your coats and purses organized??  Have you ever used vintage door knobs in your crafts?  

I hope you are all planning on linking up this Thursday!!!  I Can't wait to see what you guys have been up to this week!!!  Is it weird that I am already this excited?!!!!

And don't forget to enter my wonderful giveaway going on this week----you could win a super super cute printable---I am a more than a little jealous!

Click here to check it out and to enter!

I will be sharing this project at a couple of the following parties!

A Giveaway with Bates Mercantile Co. Etsy Shop

Hello friends I am excited to host a sweet little giveaway with Bates Mercantile Co. Etsy Shop!

I have had the honor of getting to know Pam the brains behind this wonderful Etsy shop and WOW is she just great!  In fact we are lucky enough to have Pam here next week with a guest post!  

But for now Bates Mercantile Co. is offering up a printable to a Crafty Scrappy Happy friend.

Here are a couple of my favorites!

Aren't these 3 little birds just the sweetest thing ever?!

Andddd I for sure think this one would look great in my crafty room!

Buttt I have to say this one is actually my favorite! 

I just think this would be so darn cute printed and placed just about anywhere in my house----

Pammmm I might just have to make an order!

I have done quite a few "chair" decor projects so I am drawn to this guy too!

Alright here is what you do to enter:

1.  Follow Crafty Scrappy Happy and comment letting me know you do!

2. Like Crafty Scrappy Happy on Facebook and comment letting me know!

3. Tell others about the giveaway and comment here letting me know you did!

2. Check out Bates Mercantile Co. and leave me a comment about which printable is your favorite!

I will pick a winner Tuesday Sept. 6th!

My crafty scrappy happy place!

Happy Monday friends!  I am so excited to finally feel like my craft room is ready to be shared...

are you ready for picture overload?

I must warn you, it isn't perfect, it isn't crazy organized....

but I am working on it, and I am happy with what I have...

I mean lets face it, until this point I have never had my very own crafting room---it is my little piece of heaven!

So all I want to say is----do you want to come over and craft with me?!?

Here is a look at my craft room from the hall---I want to share how blessed I feel that my wonderful husband let me take over the first floor room as my craft room---it is a huge and well lit room and I am sure he would have been happy to use it for a million man things but instead gave me full reign!  

p.s. my pups look thrilled about my finished craft room right?!

This is the project that has taken FOREVER to finish, but now that it is done I am super super excited! 

I first bought this cubby from ikea at the beginning of dental school 4 years ago... it was stuffed FULL of notes and books and well all things school related... when I was down sizing my school stuff and moving on from my life as a student I was thrilled when I realized the cubby would be amazing for my future crafty room!

Now here is where the problem comes in, you see I think these cubbies are great when they are beautifully and sparsely decorated... 

BUT I am not about decor I am about function when it comes to my craft room....sooooo I started planning for doors!

I am humiliated and a little blown away by how horribly unorganized my craft cubby is/was---please don't judge, but I think you need to see the before photo to appreciate the after!  And to understand why doors were so necessary! 

So initially I made plans and took trips to the hardware store trying to work out how to do the doors, but eventually my hubs kind of took over----

I really didn't mind, he drilled and cut wood and I worked on other projects 

***We did decide to keep spaces open for the baskets I had already purchased from ikea years ago---they are functional andddd they were about $15 dollar each so I just couldn't see not using them!

:o)

Anyways, when it came to the decor I was all about it!

I painted each door with duck egg blue (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint)

And since I am all about function I decided to decorate blank clip boards with scrap paper and then attach them to each door----a simple way to organize contents of the cubbies, or bookmark inspiration!

So here is the final product.....much more functional and organized if you ask me!

And I am sure if you have looked around my blog at all you know how in love I am with blue ball jars...soooo of course I use them as storage for small craft supplies all over my craft room!

I should also note that I had first purchased the card catalogue label holders months ago specifically for this project (I know I have since used them on a couple of furniture re-dos) but I got them from Van Dyke Restoration Online....just and FYI!

Aren't those doors just a life saver?  I totally needed a way to hide my "stuff"!

Anyways on to the rest of the room!

remember my typewriter that I love to use for crafts and my buckets for organization that I shared awhile back?

This is where things get a little busy and a little less pretty....

buttt they are still organized in my own way and I don't just want to show you the pretty parts of the room!

And plus I LOVE these wire baskets...!  I think they are a great way to store fabric for sewing projects!  I can see through the sides so it makes life easier when the fabric I am looking for is at the very bottom! 

I did add a sheet of scrapbook paper to the front of two of the wire baskets just to add a little pretty detail as well!

I found a couple of cabinets this summer at garage sales and decided they are a great addition to my craft room---they are just sitting on top of my craft table---I added some scrapbook paper to the windowed part so you can't see my mis-matching craft toys in there :o)

Ohh and I store ribbon and leftover fabrics in this fruit stand I picked up awhile back at TJ Maxx....

I just use clothes pin to keep them organized.

I even had fun with some of the little details of the room----I don't have a million dollars to buy matching containers for my craft room so instead I added scrapbook paper to the base of most of them to kind of unify them in a fun way (I just mod podged them on).

I really think that work space is key...anddd a view is always a bonus....I am SO lucky to have both!

And it wouldn't be right if I forgot to show you my "dream machine's" little home---- I thought it was just right for storage!

(I found the container last week at a thrift shop and painted it right up to match the room!)

Okayyy and just a few more practical things I wanted to point out----

I LOVE using the magnetic board I refinished this past winter as a way to collect pins and other sewing goodies....

All I did was stick a magnet to the board and then the container of pins literally just sticks right to it---no magnet on the pin case needed.

Anddd then there are my buttons---I love them in this blue ball jar, buttt....

I also like them pinned up on my cork board!  The are super easy to see and get at this way!

So thank you for letting me show you around! 

Would you like to come over and craft at my place?! 

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I must mention that I am also beyond excited already for this coming weeks link party----I would love to see you there this Thursday!

Maggie from Midwest Sewing Girl is my wonderfully talented Co-host!

I am linking up to a few of these amazing parties also---check them out, they are great places to be inspired!

Featuring YOU and YOUR amazing party highlights!

I am BEYOND in love with all of your projects from this weeks Crafty Scrappy Happy Me. Thursday.  

I have enjoyed stopping by your blogs---I am blown away by the talent.

I can honestly say I have learned so much!  

Sooooo although I would love to feature each and every one of the projects this week I am going to have to stick with my few favorites!

Do you know Craftyberry Bush?  What an AMAZING blog!  And this is just a sweet sample of how Crafty and Scrappy this gal is all while putting her Happiness and beautiful family first!  I really don't think I can say enough about how much I ADORE this piece!  Can you believe Lucy made this beautiful farm bench from palates?????  Drool!  Ohhhhh how I wish this was sitting in my house right now!  Talk about inspired!

And then there is this beauty from Lovely etc.  I LOVE everything about the vintage music sheet graphic that she added to this beautifully stained birch plywood inset on top!  She found this treasure from goodwill which means it absolutely qualifies as a Scrappy treasure which I absolutely adore!!!

And thennnn you should see this amazing project by Hobbies of a Homemaker.

Ahhhh and wow was I instantly smitten by this bench up-cycle.
I just don't know where to start....I just love everything about it.
First of all it was a SUPER steal of a deal which makes me ADORE it,
but I have to say the part that really gets me is that this Crafty gal finished the seat with free craiglist wood someone was getting rid of---completely Scrappy if you ask me!
The best part about the wood is that it was "stamped" with Grand Rapids, Michigan and since this gal is from Michigan she specifically used the stamped pieces----I love that (maybe because I used to live in Michigan and still have a huge soft spot for it!!!)
And finally I have to say I really adore this up-cycle because I own is exact bench and lets just say I am inspired to do something similar!!!!

Anddd then I must take a moment to point out these AMAZING shoes....they are very cleverly spray painted-----I love that!  So Scrappy of Lindsay from  Southern Lovely I have to I have a few scuffed pairs of heels I am going to for sure be doing this to!

Pressed down, shaken together Shared this amazing idea---a photo calendar made out of an ikea frame.  I adore this!  A photo calendar that you can change ever day I have never thought of that----with Christmas coming this might be an amazing gift idea.....orrr maybe I will just make myself one for every room of my house :o)  So so so Crafty!

And my final inspiration for tonight is from My covered bridge.  I have to say I don't think I would have grabbed these from a garage sale prior to their Crafty make over....buttt now they sure do make me Happy!  So simple so sweet and pretty little addition to anyones decor!

Amazing features for this week friends I am so glad to get to "know" you better!!!

Featured friends please feel free to grab a button---you earned it!!!


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Thank you all for being part of this weeks party check out the other creative link ups (and add your own!!!!)
And please plan to join in again this coming week!!!

And finally---meet this weeks Link Party Co-host

I must highlight this weeks co-host Maggie's addition to my first linky party ever----
Isn't this just the most wonderfully Crafty thing you have seen?!
She made these school year scrap albums for her little cuties teachers!
Maggie from Midwest Sewing Girl is AMAZINGLY creative!
Like I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing she is----
And how lucky am I that this week is all about highlighting her talents :o)
Stay tuned!
Yayyyy for a GREAT co-host!