How To Make Your Own Stencils

 I have been making and using my own stencils for years. One of my friends had asked me where I get all of my stencils from....only when I told her I made them myself did I realize that not every makes their own stencils. *wink* For those of you who never have... and are wanting to try it-- here is a quick tutorial on how to make your own stencil.
The super easiest way is to go online and find a stencil you like and print it out. Easy enough right? I am making some pirate party loot bags and so I chose a girlie looking skull and crossbones to stencil. I found something I could use online---- and I simply printed that onto some card stock paper in the size I was wanting....

I then used some clear packing tape to cover the image completely. You need to do this so the paint you stencil with doesn't seep into the paper and ruin your stencils.

Next, I used a very sharp blade to cut out different parts of the stencil. The majority of this image is going to be pink... so that is the bottom part of the stencil. I didn't cut the bow out, just the parts I wanted to be pink. I then cut out the eyes and nose of the skull stencil, these parts of the stencil I want black. I added some velum to the image so that I could use it to lay across the stenciled image to get the eye placement just right. Lastly, I traced the bow onto some velum and cut that out.
So, here I have the first stencil that will be done in pink....
I used spray adhesive on the backside of the paper. It pulls easily off of the fabric.

 Here you can see the first part of the stenciled image completed...
next, I laid the eyes and nose stencil onto the previously stenciled pink image....

and lastly, the bow stencil was added...
Here it is all completed...

I used these stencils 30 times without any damage to any of them and without having to reapply the spray adhesive to the backsides.

 Put them in a nice safe spot to dry..... away from cats *wink*

It is so easy to make your own stencils. I'm now on the look out for another skull and cross bones to use for some boy loot bags. Fun times- fun times!
big hugs,

Weekend Treasures...

Whoa, what a fun treasure filled weekend.... I found two huge booze bottles-- a must for any pirate bar.... The green bottle stands 20 inches high--- wow. Those bottles filled must have weighed a ton!

 I scored this wine stand for a mere $3.00. It will hold seven bottles in total. I must get the word out to my friends who drink wine to save me the empty bottles so I can fill it. *wink*

I also bought 102 pieces of silver plated silverware for .5¢ each... *score*

This tray full of silverware was a few bucks as well. I love-love-love the old Frigidaire metal tray that they came in- that was a bonus.  The huge spool of  plastic rope was a steal at only $4.00. Pirates go through a lot of rope!

Finally I hit upon some jewelry..... it has been awhile... I got all of this for only $7.00.

 I hardly ever pass up rocks and sea shells...
These white, black and red enamel plates and cups are perfect for my pirate party. This year I'm going to have a "captain's table"... and I think I'll use these exclusively for that table.... or I might use really pretty china-- if I can find some before then.

 I think I must have bought every wooden do-dad there is in town, this little owl surprisingly weighs a ton and I think it will hold up nicely being outside for years and years. The plastic wall sconces and wooden box are all destined to be turned into some pirate prop or another--- thats how I roll.

The weather is absolutely  heavenly this winter.. in the upper 60's low 70's. I am taking full advantage of being able to work outside while I can!
big hugs,

Pink Cabinet Drawers

I love little drawers.... and when they are pink, I am over the moon in love with little drawers...

I bought this cabinet in San Juan Batista this past August at the out door antique fair they have every year. Here is the before photo of how it looked when I bought it... Before I got a hold of it, it was used for holding television components. A quick coat of pink paint and now it holds some of my jewelry pieces that I like to repurpose.
 
The top drawer is for my rhinestones. I have them grouped by color... remember you can click on the photos to make them bigger~

The second drawer has religious items...

Each drawer has slots that I can customize each little compartment  into what ever size I'm needing to hold a particular item.

I didn't realize just how much jewelry I have to pull from--- until I finally had a place to house it all together.

I can now sort by watch faces,

steam punk parts...

Various colored beads....

 Ah.... such pretties!

 Everything has a place now....

 I just love drawers. I have three more empty drawers in this piece that I am still needing to fill up once I get the chance. Goodness knows I have jewelry to fill it-- its just a matter of doing it. *wink*

I also found this fabulous little file cabinet/drawer combo a few weeks ago at our local swap meet. I paid five dollars for it-- knowing full well that once it was painted pink the value of it would sky rocket *wink*
One of the drawers isn't original to the piece, but I am happy to have it since it fits the space nicely.

Here it stands in all its pink loveliness... *swoon* I have this in my grand kids play room/den at my house.

The top is a file cabinet, perfect for holding  paper for art projects...

I have it loaded with some of my grand daughters art supplies that she has free access to when she is at my house. I think it is important to let kids have the ability to pull from art supplies and get creative whenever the mood strikes.

She already likes to journal.....

and has no fear of gluing things on pages whenever she feels it necessary.
 At her preschool she started bringing home handfuls of paper scraps from whatever was left over from the days projects.... Chloe felt she needed the scrap paper to do art at home, but now that she has an abundance of pretty colored paper she doesn't bring home scraps anymore--- BUT... I do see the other kids doing this now! I overheard a grandfather asking his grand daughter why she had a handful of trash... I had to step in and explain to him it was for "art." Cute.
big hugs,
  
 I've linked up to Beverly's Pink Saturday.

Work In Progress

I have begun working on my pirate bar. So far I just have the foundation of the front of the actual bar itself finished. I want to add some trim pieces to it and of course the counter top is needing to be made. I am contemplating either doing a concrete top, or covering the entire bar with pennies. Both ideas I love-love-love.... I am just not to confident in doing such a large expanse with either idea. I may have to try my hand at practicing with each on a much smaller scale first.

I did see a bar sign that I thought would be perfect for my bar area, so I whipped one up...

I also whipped up some candles to sit in the old looking candle sconces that I have on the wall/fence...

I love how they turned out... everything is looking so pirate-y.
 
aarrrrggggghhhh....
big hugs,

Pink Gum Ball Machines

In an ongoing effort to add more pink to my kitchen, I decided to spray paint my existing graduated sized gum ball machines pink. I had these in my studio filled with buttons for awhile until I got tired of that....

I have them on my counter next to my mail slot. I cannot have anything light weight  in this area of my kitchen-- as my mail man shoves my mail with full force through the mail slot daily. I am lucky to get my mail delivered right into my house, which I know is rare these days.  I think the gum ball machines look super cute next to my pedestal stand with the faux cupcakes that I made last week...

I have to buy a lot more gum balls to fill up these machines...

For the smallest gum ball machine I'll add candy sprinkles to fill it up. There are small jaw breakers that are smaller than gum balls made by the Willy Wonka company that I can use in the other smaller gum ball machines to at least give the appearance of gum balls...
 
I should have painted these years ago *wink*
big hugs,

 

I've linked up to Beverly's Pink Saturday.

Weekend Treasures

I spent a few hours on Saturday and Sunday looking for some treasures. Normally when its cold out there isn't a lot to be found, I did manage to find a few though.... I have been on the hunt for a carved bear from a log for some time now, and for only two bucks this little fella was all mine. The coconut was another thing I was wanting to find... the bed pan I must say was never on any "must have" list of mine, but... I did see a game where you tossed toilet paper into a box with at toilet seat attached to it--- so I thought maybe I could make this into a pirate toilet game. The idea cracked up my two grand kids...

I was delighted to come across eight silver plated goblets and some silver serving trays. Just a little bit of polishing and they will be as good as new.
 
I also found some pottery. I am in love with the round one in the back....

 I came across this comical pirate sitting atop a wine cannon. I'll put this in the bar/adult area of course. Little kids just wouldn't get the humor in this *wink*

Well the weather here in central California is to say the least--- phenomenal. The daily highs have been in the high 60's.... I have been steadily working every day in my back yard and the progress is really starting to show. This entire area below was once all brick up to the fence line. I had several chaise lounges next to the pool in this spot. Well, I pulled all that up and I have transformed it into something more pirate friendly....
 
It is an extension of the planter area I had started a few months ago.... I just need to join the newest area to this spot to tie it all together.

Here is another angle. I made a walk way to the hose spigot.... It is still a work in progress, needing a lot of fine tuning and additional plants, rocks and bark. Not to mention more pirate booty~

Here is a close up of my little sea gull, he was a dollar find. I was so lucky and I got the rocks for fa-ree!

As you continue past this area, it will lead you into the bar area on the deck...

I also worked on another area in my yard. This is part of the kids area, it will be where they will play a lot of the party games- I have yet to create. *wink* I had to move everything out and rake up all the leaves and debris from the three trees that over hang this area. What. a. mess.~

 

My reward was that I got to play around with displaying things again. Some people play house--- I play pirate! 

chaste hugs & air kisses,