Pallet Art

Use wood from an old pallet as your canvas for a nice piece of wall art! Young and Crafty did and it turned out great! Don't you love all the pallet projects around blogland lately?

See the pallet art work.

Washer Monograms, Washer Wall Art

There are so many uses for washers that you buy at the home improvement store. Add this washer monogram to the list. It's fabulous. I'll Get You My Pretties made some other interesting shapes and cool designs with washers for some great wall art.

See the washer monogram and washer wall art.

(Found via Hyphen Interiors.)

Guest Blogger - Lolly jane - Address Subway Art

Hey Someday Crafts readers!

We are Kelli & Kristi of

Lolly Jane

and are just thrilled to be guesting here today!

We ♥ home decor projects and just about anything crafty! We showcase home improvement projects, craft tutorials, furniture & thrift store before/afters and sometimes a recipe or two :)

Take a peek at some of our latest projects:

1. Whiteboard command station 2. Turquoise lamp redo 3. Anthro knock-off zinc letters

Something else we love to do is take a cute idea and make it our own, like today's project, address subway art:

Ours is subway art with heart! ;)

These addresses represent all the places Kelli has lived... and the hearts are symbolic of where she lived as a newlywed {the first turquoise ♥} and the following 4 represent each address she brought the baby home to. Awww!

If you want to make your own, follow these easy steps:

1. Board size: 11x22

2. Paint base color

3. Cut vinyl lettering & backwards weed

4. Apply transfer paper onto vinyl quote

5. Apply vinyl onto board, peel off transfer paper

6. Paint desired color of acrylic paint {we ♥ Plaid brand!}

7. Let paint dry completely

8. Peel off vinyl lettering

9. Touch up & sand edges

That's it!

Your very own personalized subway art with heart:

E-mail us at lollyjane@gmail.com for any questions or visit our FB here!

Hope you'll stop by our little corner of Blogland to say hello :)

Thanks ladies!!!! What a fun subway art to have in your home! I love the touch of blue! Visit Lolly Jane to see more amazing projects.

Alphabet Mosaic

Sprik Space ALWAYS has amazing printables and downloads! This one is absolutely fabulous for so many reasons and occasions. Whether you have little kids, are celebrating back to school or just want some cool, colorful wall art, this alphabet Mosaic is too perfect to pass up. (I would have loved this on my classroom wall when I was teaching school.) It comes in four different sizes you can print.

Get the alphabet mosaic download!

Guest Blogger - Little b - Photograph Painting

Hello all!

My name is Amanda, author of the blog

little b.

I'm a new momma who loves my little family, crafting, and sharing my passions with others. I'm recently new to the blogging world and am having such a wonderful time learning from others and getting to share my new journey through mommahood and my crafting ventures!

I am so thrilled and honored to be guest blogging here at Someday Crafts! Being one of the first blogs I came across when I first was exploring blog world, I jumped at the opportunity to come share one of the things I love creating.

Have you ever had a photo that you would love to see as a painted piece of artwork? Well I'm here to show you how :) For this tutorial I used a black and white photo but if you would like to learn how to do the same thing in color feel free to give me some feedback and I'd love to do a follow up tutorial on my blog!

Here is what you will need:

~ Painting canvas {I used a 9in. x 9in. canvas

~ Your favorite black and white photo

~ A copy of your photo {To fit the size of your canvas and printed onto regular computer paper}

~ A painting tray {If you don't have one a plastic plate or even a piece of tinfoil or wax paper would work!}

~ Various sizes of paint brushes

~ Black and white paint {I used gouache paints}

~ A pencil {softer lead works the best}

~ A ball point pen {you want a pen that will not bleed through paper}

~ A cup of water

~ An eraser

~ Tape





Here is the photo I started with...

First, you want to take the copy of your photo, that you printed on regular paper, and draw a layer of pencil onto the back of it...

Next you want to tape it to your canvas, pencil covered side down {only place a piece of tape on the top of the photo}...

Now you take your pen and outline the various shadows. Outline the darkest part of the shadows first, then the next darkest and so on until all hues of the shadows have been outlined...

Your photo should end up looking something like this {my printer wouldn't print out the photo with out the light lines through it, but those aren't part of the photo}...

Looks a little funny right? To help yourself more when it comes to painting you can number each of these sections to make it easier to match the hue of paint to the section of the shadow {kind of like making your own paint by numbers :)}.

Now you can remove the photo from your canvas and you should be left with faint pencil lines where you outlined your shadows on your photo, looking something like this...

I did not number mine, but I recommend for your first time with this project to help yourself get through it a little quicker :)

Now you get to start painting! Starting with your shadows that are completely black, use your black paint to paint those sections in {use your photo you drew on as your reference, this is where the numbering comes in handy :)}...

Next, move on to the second darkest group of shadows. Add white paint to your black paint to lighten its hue {not a lot of paint is needed to do this}...

Continue repeating the last step for each hue of your shadows until you finish painting your photo.

For the areas that are completely white you can just leave that area blank and not paint it with white {that just takes more time and I think it looks better to utilize the white of the canvas}



Once you finish painting in all of your sections, you can use your original photo as a reference to compare to and add any highlights or lowlights with you paints as you see necessary! You're the artist here :)

And voila!!!

You have transformed your favorite photo into a beautiful work of art!

Want to take it one step further??? You can do this same painting in your favorite color! You can create a monotone photo painting by changing the hue of your favorite color. This is done by adding black to the color to make it darker and white to make it lighter. So follow the same steps, but instead you just use various hues of your color! This is fun if you want to have more than one painting side by side :)

Thank you so much for reading my tutorial! I hope you enjoyed it!

As always I absolutely love seeing your finished products, feel free to send me photos by contacting me here {I'm also happy to take any questions :)}

Come visit me at little b and check out more of my life!!!

Happy painting!

AMANDA, THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT TUTORIAL!!! I love this idea and see so many possibilities. I love the thought of doing a couple different colored paintings of the same picture to match the color of my daughter's room and hanging them side-by-side! Darling.

Go give a shout out to Amanda at little b.

Guest Blogger - 365 Cat Ladies and Friends - Desktop Dioramas

How To Make A Desktop Diorama

Hello fellow Creative Types! What fun to be a guest blogger on Someday Crafts! I'm Susan Faye, an artist and designer living in the Great Pacific Northwest on the banks of Willamina Creek where I love to create with the help of my studio assistant Buttonwillow (pictured right).

I enjoy drawing and painting whimsical illustrations inspired by mother nature and cats, then I use these images to design hand-crafted giftware and jewelry which can be seen in my Etsy shop Susan Faye Originals.



My other passion is my illustrated blog, 365 Cat Ladies and Friends, dedicated to feline fanatics, pet lovers, and nature enthusiasts. I hope you'll stop by and say "hi".



Today I'm going to show how I create my fanciful desktop dioramas, like those pictured here.

A diorama is a "three-dimensional miniature or life-size scene in which figures, stuffed wildlife, or other objects are arranged in a naturalistic setting against a painted background".

For this project you will need to find a small box with a "window" in the lid. I found these stainless steel spice boxes online. Make sure that it is deep enough for several layers of images.

This little box is 3 inches square and 2 inches deep.

You could also use a wooden shadow box like this one that I found at a local craft store.

You can draw and paint your own motifs, use pictures from books or magazines, use rubber stamp art, or clip art from your files. I'm using one of my own illustrations for this project. (It's called "The Garden Shed" and is available as a print in my Etsy shop.)

I've taken motifs from the illustration and reduced them in size on my computer so that they will fit into a 3" square space. Then I printed them on white card stock. If you are using art that is on lightweight paper, such as images from a book or magazine, use a good paper glue and glue them onto card stock or other sturdy, heavyweight paper. I'm going to use that flower patch square that's in the right hand corner for the background, so I made sure it is at least 3" square to cover the back of the box.

Next I place the box on top of the background art and trace around it with pencil.

Then I cut it out just inside of the lines. I cover the back of it with a thin film of glue (I have used both Aleene's Tacky Glue and E6000 Craft Glue and either one works fine) and then place it inside on the back wall of the box, pressing it firmly to make sure it lays flat.

IMPORTANT STEP: Each piece (except for the background square) is going to need a little 1/4" tab at the bottom for gluing. I always draw it in with a pencil so that I don't forget it when I'm cutting out the pieces.

Next I cut out the other pieces that I plan to use. I use small, sharp scissors that make it easy to maneuver around tiny details.

I fold back each tab and crease it really well, then fold it back out half-way so that it is at a 90 degree angle from the front.

I put a nice glob of glue on the bottom of the tab of the first element, a flower, and place it about two-thirds of the way into the box. I tamp it down with my finger to make sure it is firm against the bottom.

I add the wheelbarrow about one-third of the way from the front...

And I add the watering can at the very front of the box.

Next, I round off the edges of the tab on the piece that will decorate the top so that it will have a nice finished look to it.

I place the lid on the box...

...and then glue the top piece right behind the lid and center it. This is where a ruler comes in handy.

And voila! A little 3-D miniature world to enjoy!

I hope this gets those creative juices going and that you'll have fun creating your own diorama with images you might find in a vintage children's book, using rubber stamps, or better yet, using your own drawings!

A big thank you to Mama Michelle for this opportunity to share one of my favorite projects with you. You can see more of my mini dioramas in my Etsy shop: Susan Faye Originals. Enjoy!




THANKS, Susan. I love your art and all the projects you do with them! Your diorama is adorable! So much cuter than the dinosaur diorama I made in 3rd grade!!!!!

Visit Susan Faye Originals and 365 Cat Ladies and Friends today!

Guest Blogger - Sweet Peas & Bumblebees - Pottery Barn Kids' Artwork Clothesline

Hi Someday Crafts readers!

I am thrilled to be unveiling my latest craft project here at Someday Crafts! I love Michelle’s blog and am constantly checking out her newest finds. Thanks to Michelle, I have quite the collection of pins on Pinterest! (:

I’m Briana from the blog Sweet Peas & Bumblebees. My twin sister and I LOVE to blog about all things crafty and thoroughly enjoy spending our time creating! We even have a linky party on Wednesdays where you can show off your craftiness! We totally love seeing everything you all come up with and would love if you would join us!

Now for my tutorial…

Kid’s Artwork Clothesline {Pottery Barn Knock Off}

My kids love to create their own masterpieces, but I have yet to find a great spot to show off their latest art. Before, my fridge was covered in their creations and they ended up getting lost underneath magnets and dentist reminders. I wanted to be able to show them off like the proud Mom I am!

When I saw these super cute artwork displays at Pottery Barn Kids, I knew they would be perfect! The only problem?!? My hubby would never agree to me spending $39….each….$78 total. Yikes!

I knew I could make an amazing art display for just a fraction of that. In fact, by using supplies that I already, I only spent about $4 per artwork display! Love it!

Here are the supplies that I had to purchase:

Picture Wire

I debated on what to use for my actual clothesline. I eventually settled on picture wire. It’s easy to use and very inexpensive. This 25 feet roll was only $2.99!

Wooden Cutouts

I found these already painted wooden cutouts at Wal-Mart for $1 each. Score!

Additional supplies needed:

Gluegun
Rhinestones *optional*

2 Screws

Screwdriver
Vinyl

Clothespins

Once you have all of your supplies, it’s time to start hanging up your clothesline!

Using a measuring tape, start marking the wall with pencil where you would like your screws to go. {I measured 35” down from the ceiling and made a mark.} Make sure your screws are level to each other!

{I used screws to anchor my clothesline because we seem to have an overabundance of them at our house! Nails would work great too!}

Now string a piece of picture wire between your two screws. Another benefit of using picture wire…all you have to do is twist it around itself and it stays! I didn’t leave a lot of slack because I didn’t want it to droop a lot once the weight of the artwork was pulling on the wire.

Add a little dot of hot glue to the top of your screw and attach your wooden cutout. {Don’t worry about it never coming off…it will come off with some tugging when the time comes.}

To dress up your clothespins, pick out some matching scrapbook paper and trace the top of the clothespin onto the back of your scrapbook paper. Cut out your strip of paper and Mod Podge it to the front. Let them dry several hours before you try to use them.

Using my Cricut along with my Sure Cuts A Lot 2 software, I cut out my vinyl quote. Using this incredibly easy software, I was able to use several of my favorite fonts: Digs My Heart, Grace, and His Name Is Honey.

Now it’s time for the fun part…hanging up your little one’s art!

And if you have a little guy in your life, here is the boy version!

Thanks for letting me share my tutorial today!

Come visit me at Sweet Peas & Bumblebees to see some of our other great tutorials like these:

Family Name Stacker Blocks:

Subway Art Flower Pot:

Chewy Caramel Chunk Brownies:

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THANKS, Briana. I love easy knock-offs and this was certainly an easy, cute idea. I have the same situation with artwork EVERYWHERE. I need to get the picture wire out and hang some pictures! I lover your subway art flower pot! Looks like we all need to be hanging out at Sweet Peas & Bumblebees!