Hobnail HEAVEN!

Make sure to check out my UNO card Birthday Centerpiece  on Paisley Passions today, as well as my Lace Halloween Wreath on C.R.A.F.T., my Eat Drink and Be Scary printable at A Few of My Favorite Things, and my Headband-that-was-a-Handbag on The Train to Crazy. There is so much inspiration to be gleaned from browsing around these awesome blogs!

So I've mentioned I love damask. And I also love toile. And the color pink. And quatrefoil. And tiny dogs (digressing now...) but I REALLY LOVE hobnail milkglass. Love it love it love it. Might possibly want to marry it if Dave hadn't just made me lunch and also helped clean the house on his lunch break. (Seriously. Whatta guy.) So you can imagine my rapture when in the space of one week I found two hobby nobby hobnail lovelies at two different thrift stores!!!

The first was a vase. A gorgeous 12-inch hobnail milkglass vase for just $2.99! *Insert romantic sigh*

The next was a hobnail mirror, so lovely in its oval-iness, so pretty with its nubbly nobs!

I bought it thinking I would put it in the baby's vintage-themed nursery, but once I got it home I wanted it out in the open where I could stare at it all the time! So it found its home above an antique ice-box that has been in Dave's family for generations. Perfect spot!

Key Rack Make-Over

I absolutely love the blog Under the Table and Dreaming, as you probably do too! Click on over there to check out my Dollar-Store-Mirror turned Shabby Chic Chalkboard and the other cool crafts Stephanie rounded up from all over blog-land! Speaking of round-ups, Tater Tots and Jello featured my Eat Drink and Be Scary printable again, in a Halloween printable roundup, so check that out too for some really fun digital images!

So I can't get enough of damask. It's like I'm addicted. After I made the mod podge frame with some damask wrapping paper for Annalise's little friend, I knew I wanted some of it hanging in my house too!

I began with a key rack that I bought several years ago from Ross for $9.99. (I know that because I always leave the price tags on the backs of my bargains so I'll never forget what a good deal I got!)

I always liked the shape and size of it and how it was a distressed black. I will loudly announce that I never liked the rooster though. (That's a lie. I totally did. I'm embarrassed.)

(Kindly ignore the hideous switchplate. We have the replacement. Sitting uselessly in the garage in a Home Depot bag.)

To my surprise, the rooster was actually just printed on some kind of paper that could be peeled off. I did just that and went to work and came up with this!

To make it, I cut a sheet of the wrapping paper to fit on the backdrop and mod podged it right on. It took me a while to decide what else I wanted to do with it after that. I thought about putting on it a big monogrammed 'F' for our last name, but it just didn't look right. I would have liked to put a quote on there but the whole thing was too busy. I considered putting the word 'Keys' on there somehow, but it seemed stupid to write Keys. Then while I was browing the dollar bin at Michael's I found the perfect thing! Antique key rub-ons! And I knew just what to do! I picked up a small plate from Big Lots for $1.25, applied the rub-ons onto it, and glued it right in the middle.

MUCH better!!

linkys! http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/ http://itssoverycheri.com/ http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ http://www.thegirlcreative.com/ http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/ http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/ http://madincrafts.blogspot.com/ http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/ http://craftomaniac.blogspot.com/ http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/ http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/ http://craftingreallyawesomefreethings.blogspot.com/ http://sewcando.blogspot.com/ http://www.skiptomylou.org/ http://www.yesterdayontuesday.com/ http://www.craftedition.blogspot.com/ http://www.luckystarlane.com/ http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/ http://imtopsyturvy.com/ http://allthingzrelated.blogspot.com/ http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/ http://www.beckieandbrad.blogspot.com/ http://www.thethriftyhome.com/ http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/ http://733blog.blogspot.com/ http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/ http://meandmybucket.blogspot.com/ http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/ http://www.creationsbykara.com/ http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/ http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/ http://alittleknickknack.blogspot.com/ http://alittleknickknack.blogspot.com/ http://www.somewhatsimple.com/ http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/ http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/ http://www.paisleypassions.blogspot.com/ http://lifeaslori.blogspot.com/ http://www.houseofhepworths.com/  http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/ http://funtocraft.blogspot.com/ http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/ http://tidymom.net/ http://thehillsarelivin.blogspot.com/ http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/ http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/ http://itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.com/ http://froufroudecor.blogspot.com/ http://decormamma.blogspot.com/ http://punkinseedproductions.blogspot.com/ http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com http://www.kojodesigns.blogspot.com/ http://becca-homeiswheremystorybegins.blogspot.com/ http://www.justagirlblog.com http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/ http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/ http://nv-craftenvy.blogspot.com/ whilehewasnapping.blogspot.com http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/ http://iamonly1woman.blogspot.com/ http://lambaround.blogspot.com/ http://www.bystephanielynn.com/ http://blog.kuzakscloset.com/

Free Keep Calm and SCARY On Printable!

Today I had the great honor of having my Eat, Drink and Be Scary printable featured on one of my favorite blogs, One Pretty Thing! Please click on over there to check out her roundup of inspirational Halloween ideas! All Thingz Related is featuring my UNO card First Birthday Party  and  The Brambleberry Cottage is featuring my Mod Podge Frame and Handbag-turned-Headband, so stop on over to these awesome blogs and say hello!

Additionally, I received so many requests to create my husband's idea for a printable, 'Keep Calm and Scary On', that I had to make one to share with you! (He is extremely pleased with himself about this. :) )

Click on the image to get it at full resolution and then right click and save and it's yours for free! If you do, please become a follower by clicking the 'Follow' button in the upper right column of the blog! :)

Bakerella Comes to Portland!!

The wonderful ladies of Under the Table and Dreaming,   Lil' Luna,   and The Crafter's File Box are each featuring my Eat, Drink And Be Scary Printable today, so go check out these three awesome blogs and leave some love notes!! And tomorrow it's being featured on One Pretty Thing's Halloween Roundup, so click on over there too for some Halloween inspiration!

I absolutely love the yummy Bakerella blog, full of recipes and tricks, creative baking inspiration, and delicious eye candy. I am fascinated by how Bakerella (Angie) can turn a cake pop into any character or shape she desires, with the cutest results you've ever seen. So I was thrilled to hear that on the book tour for her new book Cake Pops, there was a stop in Portland, ten minutes away from me, scheduled for today!

It was perhaps not my smartest moment when I decided to take a thirteen-month-old walking climbing running falling screeching squirming tornado-of-a-toddler along with me, but I couldn't go if she couldn't, so I decided to brave it! Luckily, we got there pretty late and only had to wait about an hour, during which time Annalise cried and screeched and writhed and ran away and fell down and cried and attempted to escape approximately three million and eight times. STRESS. But in the end we got to meet the famous Bakerella, have her sign our copy of the book, and get a nice picture of the three of us together.

In this picture, I am thinking: I forgot to brush my hair! Where did the baby's headband go? Should I take the lens cap out of her mouth?

Annalise is thinking: Touch my lens cap and you die.  

Free Halloween Printable- 'Twilight'-Inspired!

We've reached the end of Week One! I want to say a big giant THANK YOU to everyone who has visited my new little blog, become a follower, and have been thoughtful enough to leave such kind comments. All of your sweet words make me feel so good. It truly warms my heart and I appreciate it so much.

At the end of week one, Craftily Ever After is nine posts strong, has received 4300+ hits, has 129 followers, has been featured seven times, and has absolutely encouraged me to keep sharing the projects I love to do!

I've had the honor of being featured three times today! Make sure to click on over to Craftgossip.com to see my Damask Mod Podge Frame as well as some other great decoupage projects, and also head on over to Tatertots and Jello and Someday Crafts where they both featured my Eat, Drink, and be Scary printable!  On Thursday my UNO card First Birthday Party will be featured at Paisley Passions, so don't forget to click over there too! It floors me and I am so humbled at the recognition from these amazing bloggers.

As a celebration of the end of a great first week in the blogging world. I thought I'd create another printable Halloween freebie! Again along the lines of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters, but this time with a little 'Twilight' twist! Here's a little something for all the Edward-lovers!! :)

Click on the image to get it at full resolution and then right click and save and it's yours for free! If you do, please become a follower by clicking the 'Follow' button in the upper right column of the blog! :)

Shabby Chic Chalkboard

In perusing my local Dollar Store the other day, I came across a truly hideous pink wooden princess mirror. The painted design on the frame was some stripey orange and yellow hair with a crown on top so when you looked in the mirror YOU could be the princess with the worst 'do in the kingdom! Well, no matter! The mirror had a great body with scalloped edges that appealed to me and since I really love the trend I've been seeing of children in photographs holding up chalkboards with messages on them (such a cute way to always remember what was going on the picture!) I decided a refashion was in order.

This is what I started out with:

It was a well-made little piece for a dollar, with metal tabs that could be rotated to release the mirror itself.

After two coats of chalkboard spray paint for the mirror, some decoupaged pink toile scrapbook paper for the frame, and a handmade flower to boot, we had a much prettier specimen!

The flower was made just like the one for my Damask Mod Podge Frame- I cut circles from a polyester blend fabric (a clearanced remnant from Joann's! 75% off!) and held their edges over a candle flame until they melted and curled upwards. Then I attached the circles with a jeweled brad and hot-glued the whole thing to the frame.

I chose the pink scrapbook paper because the edges of the frame were already pink, so that meant I didn't even need to paint them!

The best part is that it's been put right to use!

Free Halloween Version of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' printable

My little craft blog is only five days old and I'm DELIGHTED to report that my projects have already had the honor of being featured three times!!! Over at Finding Fabulous you can find my Damask Mod Podge Frame and click over to  Moo Moos and Tutus for my Lace Halloween Wreath and  Tatertots and Jello for my UNO card First Birthday Party. UNBELIEVABLE!!!  I feel so overjoyed for this encouragement- please hop on over and leave the lovely ladies of these blogs some comment-love!

I really like those Keep Calm and Carry On posters that are everywhere and since I'm decorating for Halloween, I decided I needed a Halloween version. I didn't want to have to pay for one though, so I hopped into Photoshop and created my own!

If you would like one too, it's yours! Its dimensions are 8X10. :)

For the record, my husband really wants me to make one that says 'Keep Calm and SCARY On". So you might see one like that coming soon too. :)