Moss and Burlap Rosette Centerpiece

I recently had my first moss experience. It was very pleasant :) I bought a bag of craft moss at Walmart for just over $2, and used only half of it for this craft. I love leftovers!

This glass bowl is one of 12 that we used for our wedding centerpieces. They cost almost $4 at Michaels. I kept two and sold the rest on Craigslist, and finally made use of this one. I filled the bottom of the bowl with dirt, and then topped it with a think layer of moss.

I made a rosette out of burlap. You can see the tutorial for the flower here at the Tatertots and Jello blog site. Notes from the Plumb Tree has a nice tutorial as well. It can be seen here. I added the button, which came from Hobby Lobby. I paid just under $2 for a set of two gorgeous buttons!

Isn't it pretty??? :)

I placed the bowl on a pretty napkin from Pottery Barn and put the whole thing on this bar cutout we have in our kitchen wall. 

Please don't judge what you can see if our kitchen : / It's an apartment kitchen and I haven't quite figured out how to make those ugly cabinets pretty without permanently altering them. (Has anyone ever covered cabinets with removable wallpaper?)

Thanks for stopping by!

Linked at Tatertots and Jello, Simple Home Life, The Girl Creative, Saturday Social, Fabulous Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Feathered Nest Friday, Sunday Showcase Party, Serenity Now, 504 Main,Flaunt It Friday, Creative Bloggers Party and Hop, Not Just a Housewife, Tuesdays Treasures, Craftomaniac, Sugar Bee Crafts, Savvy Southern Styles Wednesdays

Upcycling Plates and Cutting Board

I needed some art for the dining "room" wall (I say "room" because it's really more of a dining area). I had an old wooden cutting board lying around that my mother gave me. I knew I would never use it, and it has been waiting for a purpose. 

So I decided to stencil the word "eat" on it with green paint.

                   

     

I also painted the nails I was going to use green. I planned to frame the board with the nails, instead of drilling through it. I had to dab the paint on the nails using a foam brush. Making actual strokes smeared the paint right off.

I also purchased some plastic plates from Walmart and Target to hang up.

                                      

The backs of the plates were not flat, so I needed something to even them out. I thought about using wood, but didn't want to waste any of my precious materials. I found that folding single sheets of computer paper and gluing them to the back matched the edges almost perfectly. You have to make sure and put plenty of hot glue between the layers of paper, otherwise when you mount the plates, they will droop a little. 

I am afraid I am not very creative about ways to mount things. I am sure there were better ways, but I used mounting squares. Hopefully they don't crash down while we are sleeping tonight! ;)

 These are the target plates. The large one, on the right, was $2.99, and the small one on the left was on sale for $1.79. I love moths, so I snatched them up. I hesitate to use the term "upcycling" in reference to the plates, as it implies they were not worthy of being plates. But they were! I love these plates. They just needed to be on my wall :)

The set of four green plates came from Walmart, and were one dollar and some change. I didn't know it when I bought them, but they are all a different shade of green. It worked out well that way!

And here is everything mounted on the wall!

What do you think?

Linked at 

The Shabby Nest
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The 36th Avenue
Tales from Bloggeritaville
Kissed By a Frog
A Glimpse Inside
Fingerprint on the Fridge

A Word on Keets

You may be wondering what a Keet is.
You are one. You just don't know it yet :)

It all started with our adult Boston, Marla (we also have a puppy named Spock). She has a million nicknames, one of them being Marlakeet. From there, I became Helikeet. Now, everything is a Keet. It's gotten to the point that my husband and I refer to ourselves as Keets using descriptive adjectives. For example, if I am sorry, I wouldn't say it - I would just call myself an apologetic Keet.

Things are getting out of hand.

Momma Keet and Baby Keet

Paula Deen and My New Place

I have an obsession with Paula Deen furniture. Not that we can afford it. But it's just so darn pretty! I mean, look at this bed!

Look at those slats! *drool*

And check out all the storage in this desk...

I just might cry.

Source

Don't get me started on her kitchen utensils...

In other news, we recently (one week and one day ago) moved out of our two bedroom rental house with zero closets where the second bedroom was simply storage, into a larger two bedroom apartment with enormous closets where the second bedroom is my craft/animal room. And the closets have to hold all of our stuff. It's been a challenge. So much work, in  fact, that I haven't had the spirit to craft much. I would rather sit in a vegetative state and watch Heartland on Netflix. I haven't even been able to make much of an effort to spiff the place up. But yesterday I was informed that school starts the week after next, and if we are wanting to have a house warming party, I better get on it. So I will. Any day now. 

Before I post any pictures of the apartment itself, let me show you a few of my favorite things...(the kitchen will not be included in this. Ugly, ugly thing.)

This is our new quilt! It came from Target. It was on clearance, so I couldn't resist.

Yesterday, two of these owls randomly appeared on my dresser. The huz snuck into Hobby Lobby and bought these for me while I was perusing their crafty isles. Hobby Lobby has a TON of owl stuff for fall right now. Plates, napkins, aprons.... they are hard to resist. I am not sure where these little guys are going to end up yet. I have too many nick knacks. 

I need some advice on how to throw things out, lest I become like one of those people on the hoarding show....

You Shut Up!

I finally finished a project I have been working on for a while now - a painting of my dog Marla! The painting itself was done a while ago, but I've been avoiding adding the stenciled letters....

I used Tim Holtz stencils and the only stencil brush I have, which was way too big for the task, but here is the outcome

So, Marla doesn't bark much. But she speaks. If you ignore her, or are talking smack, she will put you in you place. It sounds like she is saying "You shut up!" She is the best.

And here she is telling YOU to shut up! :)

Linked at Passionately Artistic