Significance of the Name


My Blog’s name is a tribute to my Dad & my Husband. My Dad because he used to sing the song to me, "How 'd You Like to Swing on a Star?" It's about reaching for your dreams, you can stay where you are & be safe OR YOU CAN SWING ON STAR. Stars also refer to a difficult night just after my husband died. I was talking to him (I often do.) & said how I missed his "I Love You's". That night he gave me a dream... a gorgeous, bright blue night sky filled with thousands of stars, in the middle the stars formed an "I LOVE YOU"....such a gift on so many levels.

So "follow your own path, & don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest”

Sunday, January 15, 2012

A Friend's Repurposing Inspires a Little Spontaneous Creativity

Polish The StarsSometimes creativity can be such a struggle and other times it can be so spontaneous. 
I LOVE WHEN IT'S SPONTANEOUS!!! 
I have a friend MJ who does needle work among many other creative pursuits.
I noticed she kept her needles in this repurposed vial. 
It was an empty shampoo container from a hotel.....she travels a lot!
 It was a very clever way to repurpose. 
But this is how it looked........

It definitely needed "a little somethin...somethin"!
So the creative wheels started turning.
I asked if she could part with it for a short time, brought it home to my studio. 

I tea-stained some paper and the rest just unfolded!
 Since MJ likes to garden and loves flowers there was no question that I had to use a floral motif. So I painted these Morning Glory flowers, added pen and ink and some crystals.






I added some craft paper on the lid and ribbon. 
I then finished it with a vintage button (with a crystal) to the top of the lid.
What Fun!

I was so excited to give it to her. 
She loved it.
It would be fun to do more, I love when art is spontaneous....when it just flows.

I would love to make more of these and will have to find a source for more of these vials. If you know of  a source please let me know.

I think we should do more things spontaneously. It seems whenever I do I get a different kind of result. The vintage bangles (HERE) I did were done that way. 

Jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down.

~ Ray Bradbury


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Inspiration Post: Art Room/Studio Storage

Ok, ok, I've said it for 2 years now.....going to purge all the built up stuff that accumulates in a home you've lived in for 26 years and GET ORGANIZED! 

One area that really gets out of control is my art room/studio. Between various projects I am working on and the constant additions of my flea market, antique and thrift finds it gets ridiculous. I really do like things in their place it's just that who has time to keep that up when you are working, maintaining a home (for me inside and out), family  and friends, a blog and on an on! Eventually though you walk in the room and it looks like a bomb has gone off and decide it is time. OR THE ULTIMATE MOTIVATOR.....COMPANY IS COMING!!!!

So off to Pinterest I went to seek inspirations. I love finding clever ways to store all the things that accumulate in this area....vintage flea market finds like lace, buttons, jewelry then there's the books, art supplies, papers and on and on. Here are a few of my personal inspirations.......

Ok, not quite sure how this is done, but I like it. What are those metal bands, where to you find them and do I have to have a PHD in Home Construction to do it!????
Ok, this I can handle....hole poking....I can do that without too much self-injury!


I don't sew, but I thought some of you that do may like this inspiration idea.
I have one of these for my acrylics and brushes.... another subject I will be posting.
You've done it... reach in that container to find the zig-zag scissors 10 times before you find the right one.  One exasperation eliminated.

Love this idea of crates on the wall!
Who hasn't already done this, but it IS a great use of space. I've been using these for years...even as far back as when my daughter (now 24) was in her Barbie Era!

Ok...I just had to include this..what an artistic way to organize your colored pencils...trouble is mine would be stubby to tall, slanty and one rush project would have the colors more like a Kandinsky painting....more like this.....
Color coding and canning jars are so inexpensive.
Will show you my version of this ribbon storage.




I'm always looking for ways to organize craft paper and make it easily accessible without shuffling through piles of papers!



This a a great organizing idea for stamps!


Have arts n crafts...will travel....love it!

Paint stirrers...great idea...better than mine:

Handles on cigar boxes...love it!

Think I saw these at Ikea.

Ok here is what I have done so far....believe me these photos don't show all that really needs to be done. I need to paint, but seriously don't know how I am going to be able to move some of this furniture myself. I'm showing you the good, the tolerable and the ugly because I think we all struggle with projects like this. Sometimes you just have to do it in stages.
 I loved finding this old drawer, it's on my drawing table for organizing pencils, markers and tools.
 A peak at my old printers drawer for my vintage jewelry finds....more on that another time.

 Found this old step stool ladder for a couple dollars....great book shelf and table top!

 Old wood box for storage.

Thrift store find...still needs to be given a little somethin, somethin!
$2.00 chair still playing with what I'm going to do with it.
 Big organizing purchase but still got it 40% off at Michaels, 
gotta love those coupons!
 My husband used this for storing nuts and bolts.....now painted and holding all sorts of treasures like vintage chandelier crystals, buttons and skeleton keys.
 My brain-storming board.

Don't laugh...my colored pencil holder...a lot less trouble, Ha!

 I save old brie holders for holding things I may use for different projects. As I go through my storage areas I grab things that might work and keep them in separate ones for each project so they are ready to go when I want to work on them.

I will keep you posted on how I progress. Hope this has given you some organizing inspirations. Please post your own ideas....I would love if you'd share!

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