Blog Swapping with Crafty Cierra

Another Tuesday and you know what that means. . .another fun blog swap with another fun and creative blog.  Blog Swaps are great for getting to know all about new blogs and the talented people behind them :)  Today you are going to meet Cierra.  She is the fun and talented lady behind Crafty Cierra.

Take it away, Cierra!  Thanks for blog swapping with me today!

Hey Everyone! My name is Cierra from CraftyCierra. I am so excited to be here today! Let me tell you a little bit about myself...I am a wife, & a mother. I love to create things, try new recipes, & plan parties, which is what my blog is all about! I love to share my ideas with others, in hopes that they may be inspired by them, as I have by all of your amazing blogs!

I do a Wild Wednesday Linky Party every week, along with a feature. I pick someone from the party to feature the following week! Make sure to link up & leave me a comment letting me know you want to be featured!

Here are a few of my projects I want to share with you today!

Wooden Pumpkins

Hairbow Display

TuTu Cute

Most of everything I make, I also sell in my Etsy Shop. Stop by to see what I have. I also do custom orders, just email me what it is exactly you want & I will get it done! Right now I am selling Kids' activity books I made. The books have 25 different activites to do. Do one a day starting December 1st to count down to christmas!

Thanks for stopping by & make sure to follow my blog for new ideas every day! You can follow me at http://CraftyCierra.Blogspot.com/

Happy Crafting!

Cierra

Thanks Cierra, for stopping by Paisley Passions and sharing your creativity with my readers.  I hope all of you will take a minute to stop by and visit Cierra at her blog and say hi!  :)

I have a couple openings for blog swaps this month: November 23 & 30th.  If anyone is interested, send me an email and we will get you on the calendar :) 

My Picturetown.  Smart Photo Sharing and Storage. Click to find out more!

Blog Swapping w/ Kara @ Kara's Corner

HELLO, Paisley Passions Readers! It's Tuesday and time for another Blog Swap!

Do I have a treat for you! Today on Paisley Passions I am happy to say that I am Blog Swapping with Kara from Kara's Corner. You are going to LOVE what she has to share. Her blog is FULL of FANTASTIC ideas!

I hope you will pop on over to her blog and say Hello!

Take it away, Kara. . .


 
Hi Paisley Passion Readers!  I'm Kara from over at Kara's Korner, and I'm so excited to be guest posting here today.  I love all of the inspiration that I find over here, it's such a fun blog!!  Onto stuff that you don't already know about!  ME!

My husband and I are both 28 year old Electrical Engineers who have a passion for transforming our house into a home, on DIY project at a time.  My husband is currently going to school full time while working full time, which means I generally do most of the home improvement projects semi-solo.

Here we are:

In April of 2009, we left our modest sized first home to prepare for the next chapter in our lives...building a family. We bought a house three times the size of our old one, and we promised ourselves that we'd take our time filling up rooms in this house to make sure our decor was 'us' and not just filler.

Well...as most of you can probably relate, I've got Pottery Barn taste on a Wal-Mart budget. So I get dirty, sweaty, and creative...one room at a time.

Here's a before and after of our guest kids room (or single visitors) (I have lots of nieces and a nephew) :

I am so proud to say that I did almost this entire room all by myself. I painted the floors, built both the left and the right daybeds, refinished an old sewing machine cabinet, refinished a set of old Pottery Barn Shelves that I found at good will, and even made the two yellow pillows on the left daybed and the two flowery matching pillows on the right daybed from napkins using fabri-tac (I am a HUGE fan of that stuff!). Click on each highlighted item to be taken to my blog post where I detail step by step instructions of everything I've done.


For my birthday in March this year, my husband bought me an overpriced Pottery Barn bench that I had been wanting. I found plans to make the bench from Ana-White at Knock off Wood, and asked him to return the bench and buy me a nail gun and lumber instead. I have yet to put my nail gun down. Here's another example of my new love of building : a Mail Holder I built to solve an annoying mail buildup problem:

If you like crafts, I've got plenty of those too. From my placemat pillows:

To my Key Art...

And even to my tutorial on how to make your old gold/brass hardware look like this:

There's really something for everyone.

And I've also got home improvement projects, yard projects, and a few recipes on my blog as well. I think the only thing that limits me is my creativity, and I'm out to test how far I can go! And sleep...the need for sleep limits me some...but that's just life!

Hope you've enjoyed my post, and I hope you'll come by to say hi. If nothing else, I hope I've inspired you to try something new!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to guest post here Lori...I really appreciate it!

I told you that you would LOVE her!!! Isn't it SUPER exciting to find other spectacular blogs with tons of talent? Thanks Kara for swapping today!

Blog Swapping with Crystal's Craft Spot

HAPPY TUESDAY, everyone!!! So glad you stopped by! Today I am blog swapping with Crystal at Crystal's Craft Spot. She has some super cute stuff to share :) To see my post for today, head on over to her blog and check it out.

Now let's see what Crystal has to share with us on Paisley Passions today. Take it away, Crystal!!!

I'm so excited to be here today. I love Paisley Passions and all the inspiration found here. So thanks for swapping with me.

I am Crystal from Crystal's Craft Spot. Its my little spot to share my current craft projects, tutorials, recipes, and ideas I want to use in the future. I have have a craft challenge every Wednesday and Feature yourself Friday that I would love for you to join. I try to post something new almost everyday and I enjoy a variety of crafts. It is my way to relax and take a break from a busy day. If you have little ones you might also be interested in my preschool blog. We post our fun activities and crafts over there. Also I just opened up my own etsy shop called A.O.kay designs. Its not very full but I'll be adding a lot of fun new things as I go so check back often. Here are a few fun crafts you'll find at my craft spot

spooky dry erase board

interchangeable holiday frame

Fabric High Chair

While I was trying to come up with a project for today I ran across this pillow and loved it. It had two of my favorite things...monograms and leafs.

Here's what I came up with

I cut out two 16" fabric squares.

I folded my brown fabric in half and cut out half of a leaf to fit the space I wanted.

cut the leaf on the fold so you now have two halves of the leaf. Pin in place and sew.

Cut out 10 different sized leafs to fit inside your large brown leaf. I use one fabric for all of them but different colors would also be really cute. I also cut out an H (for Harris).

Sew everything into place.

Pin right sides together and sew around the edges. Leave an opening at the bottom to flip.

Flip it. Stuff it and sew the opening closed. You now have a Mod Fall Pillow.

Come by Crystal's Craft Spot anytime for more crafts and tutorial. Thanks again for letting me stop by. Its been a lot of fun!

THANKS CRYSTAL, for swapping with me today! Love your ideas!!! That pillow is absolutely DARLING!!! :)

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Wandering Wednesday Blog Hop and Thursday for another Thrilling Thursday Linky Party :)

Guest Post~Stacia @ Little Yellow Treehouse

I want to welcome Stacia from Little Yellow Treehouse to Paisley Passions today. She has some GREAT eco-friendly ideas to share with us. I think you are going to enjoy her ideas AND her FUN blog!

Take it away, Stacia! :)

Hi there, Paisley Passion readers!

Happy Tuesday and thanks for having me.


I'm Stacia from Little Yellow Treehouse.

This is my family (The Dad, Little C and Me)



Let me give you a quick rundown of who we are...

Who: Little Yellow Treehouse

What: A place for busy mom's to get tips & inspirations for living a greener lifestyle without spending all your green.

When: We started the blog in 2008 but have made the go green pledge this year.

Where: Blog or Facebook

Why: There's no in-your-face 'go green or go home' message here, just one mom trying to do better for her family. You know, real world stuff.


So now that you know a little about me, on to the meat & potatoes.


5 Easy Ways to Eco-fy Your Crafting

I love me some crafting but as I started this eco crusade, I really started to think about ways that I could make changes in every aspect of my life, even my craft projects.

So here are 5 easy ways that you can save some moolah and maybe help save a piece of the world too.


1. Shop from your shelf.

When you find that project that makes you want to run out to the craft store, don't. Instead, head to your craft shelf (shelves, bins, buckets, baskets, etc.) and see what you've got.

Get creative there first.

Below is a project that I originally saw done with magnetic paint, among other things that I didn't have on hand. It took me a while but I ended up only having to buy the magnets.

See? Good for the planet & my bank account.



Dinner Menu Cookie Sheet Calendar


2. Finish old projects.

Pick a few abandoned projects and take another look.

If you stopped because you just didn't like them, see if you can salvage any of the materials.

If you stopped because life got in the way, give it another go. You'll finish in no time.

Here's a baby book I made for my son out of blog posts from Little Yellow Treehouse. I had this idea for months, started many versions, even considered buying a pre-made one and then I bit the bullet.

I am head over heels for this little book.








Blog to Baby Book


3. Get creative with fabrics.

This one is tough for me. I love fabric shopping. A stack of neatly folded, printed fabric is inspiring. Browsing the aisles of the local quilt shops is a weekend favorite of mine.

But when I started looking around my house, I found some great fabrics too (and they were free).

Think sheets, pillow cases, old sweaters, clothes that don't fit

or your hubby's dress shirts that have coffee stains...



Dress shirt turned throw pillow


4. Swap with a sista.

Find a friend who has an excess and arrange a swap. Trade out paper, stamps, fabrics, even magazines.

It's better than shopping the sale racks, because it's FREE and chances are, your girlfriends will have tastes similar to your own.


5. Buy someone's old stuff.

Disclaimer: I'm a newbie to the garage sale & thrift store arena but I have seen evidence of some garbage turned gold. In fact, my mother-in-law recently told me of an estate sale she went to. She brought home baskets full of scissors, sewing notions and more vintage buttons than you'd know what to do with. Vintage Buttons!

If I could get my hand on vintage buttons, this would be the first thing I'd make.



Lenora Dame Retro Necklace


So there you have it. Five easy ways to make your crafting a little more eco-friendly and probably save yourself some money too.


I hope you'll stop by Little Yellow Treehouse and say hi. If you do, make sure to leave a comment with a link to your blog so I can follow along too.

THANKS STACIA for the GREAT post! I think we all learned a thing or two from you today! I hope all my Paisley Passions readers will pop on over to Little Yellow Treehouse and say HI! :)

Blog Swap~ Not JUST A Housewife

When Stacy @ Not JUST A Housewife contacted me about doing a blog swap with her, I was MORE than happy to say yes. If you haven't been over to her blog, you really should. There are lots of fun ideas over there! You should pop on over and see my guest post over on her blog today as well!!

Enough from me.. .let's see what Stacy has to share with us about her blog :)

Hi! I am Stacy and I recently started a blog called Not JUST A Housewife. I am a stay at
home mom to four little boys. Being a mom is the best and the hardest job in the world.

It can be hard balancing being a caretaker and still trying to explore your own interests and
talents. But you need to do it so you don't go insane :) I started this blog to share my ideas and
to hopefully get some from you!

Here are examples of things you can find over at my blog. DIY projects and decorating
ideas like this CLOCK

and this PAINTED FABRIC PILLOW.

Also check out how to make this TOPIARY.

I like to cook and bake. I am obsessed with the TV show Cupcake Wars so I have been making
up recipes. You can get my recipes for these cupcakes (and some more are coming soon!) HERE.

I am always trying to come up with activities for my boys to keep them happy. I have posted some ideas and I have many more I will be posting soon. Come over and leave a comment telling me about the fun things you do at your house!

See the many things you can do with a jar of buttons HERE.

And see how we painted these giant cookies HERE.

I LOVE to garden. The miracle of a tiny seed becoming a plant that produces food will never
get old to me.

Thank you for letting me share a little about my new BLOG today! Go and check it out and
share your ideas too.

THANKS Stacy, for posting on Paisley Passions today. It is always great fun to see all the other creativeness that is out there in blogland! :)

BLOG SWAPPING w/ Young and Crafty

HI Paisley Passions Readers!!! Today I am posting over on Hannah's blog, Young and Crafty and she is over here posting. I hope you will pop on by both blogs and read the fun posts!!! I know you are going to LOVE her stuff as much as I do!!!

Take it away, Hannah!!!

Hello Paisley Passions reader's! I am so excited to be swapping blogs with Lori! You can find her over at Young and Crafty!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Hannah. I have been married for just over a year and we bought our house around the same time. My husband and I both have a love of DIY and I have a love of crafty things! I try to find as much as kind on the cheap! Enough about me, want to see a few of my all time favorite projects?

I recently (like this weekend) made this fall topiary!

Here is a view of where I get my craft on.

We recently finished our kitchen redo! Complete with new countertops, backsplash, windowsill and new floors. Whew was it a lot of work!

I also hold a weekly link party called Scraptastic Saturday where you can link up any project made with scrapbook paper! There are always tons of creative ideas! Click (here) to link up!

I hope that you will come on over to Young and Crafty and take a look around! Pull up a seat and stay awhile :) Thanks so much Lori for swapping with me!

I told you she had some AMAZING stuff to share!!!
Thanks, Hannah, for guest posting today!!!

Guest Post~Meet Doreen @ Altered Artworks~

Hi everyone!  Hope this Tuesday is finding you all well.  The weather here is starting to cool down a bit and we are loving every minute of it!  It is funny when 95 degrees feels divine.  I guess that is what happens after a summer of 108, 110, 112, etc.  95 feels rather cool after a while :)

Today I have a guest post from Doreen @ Altered Artworks.  Doreen is a crafty lady with some great ideas.  I think you will love her stuff as much as I do!

I am sure she can tell you about herself much better than I can!  Take it away, Doreen!  :)

A warm hello to Lori's Paisley Passion readers!  I am thrilled to guest post on Lori's wonderfully inspiring blog.  The blogging world has opened up so many avenues of friendship and creativity.
Ahh, so many ideas, so little time...

Just a typical day in San Francisco

 A little about me: Born and raised in San Francisco, I now live in Southern California. I moved from total fogville to warm, sunny days most of the year. As the song says, “I left (part of) my heart in San Francisco.” However, it’s such an amazing city to visit, and we do so often. After a 12-year advertising career, I have been fortunate to stay home and raise our two daughters. Over the past 16 years, I have served my time as PTA President, Girl Scout leader to two troops, and volunteered on every school committee until my kids couldn't take it anymore and begged me to get a job! (I thought volunteering was a good thing?)

 "If we knew grandchildren were so much fun, we would've had them first!"
My Dad, Mom, Elysa &Kaylee

I am a passionate crafter. My Mom taught me how to sew and knit, and I always dabbled in what is now called altered art. I think one of my very first projects was covering cigar boxes (when the tobacco stores gave them away for free) with wallpaper samples. Fast forward to today. After many years of handmade gifts, I was encouraged to sell my altered art at local craft boutiques. However, I quickly realized that instead of selling my work, I wanted to share my love for the actual process with others. Thus, Altered Artworks was founded.

I host workshops in my home and provide the opportunity and supplies so that people create their own personal handmade treasures and gifts. More important than the artwork itself is the "creative therapy" that transpires during the workshops, where life stories are shared and friendships are made. Seriously, I wonder if we could get closer to world peace if everyone at the table was given some paper, paint and a cup of Mod Podge!

I am a self-confessed crafts hoarder - I sometimes buy duplicates of what I already own. Seriously, how many bottles of Liberty Blue acrylic paint does a girl need?

 I think the 40% off coupons are delightfully vicious. When I'm not buying products, I'm always in search of great storage containers. Save me! My favorite craft must-haves include ribbon, Mod Podge, buttons, paint, beautiful paper, metal embellishments & more ribbon. And I love altered art that showcase photos. My altered art usually transforms mundane items into beautiful and useful conveniences. Here are a few of my favorite projects with links to the specific posts.

An altered shutter becomes a creative memo keeper

Two panel canvas photo frame

Coffee-theme Ensemble

My favorite altered wall canvas
(Above: Me in 1956. Below: Me now.)

Love, love, love altered clipboards!

A Valentine's Day inspired notebook.

Coffee-inspired Post-it Note Holder

My Lemonade Phase

To see additional altered art and a few tutorials, please visit my Altered Artworks blog. And if you live in the Los Angeles area, I hope you can join me at one of my workshops.

Have a great day!

And thanks, Lori, for letting me share my story and love for altered art with you and your blogger friends.

Doreen
http://altered-artworks.blogspot.com/

Thanks Doreen for taking the time to guest post today!  It is always fun getting to know other people out there in blogland with a passion for creativity!

For all you Paisley Passions readers out there, don't forget to join in on THRILLING THURSDAY here at Paisley Passions  and link up those creations you are working on!  :)