Favorite Projects from 2014

2014 was my very first year blogging.

It was fun, hard work and scary.

I have learned so much and I am looking forward to all I will learn this year.

I shared some special places and some of my favorite  projects.

To remember the year, I wanted to review some of my favorites.

So here are 29 of my favorite posts from 2014.

This post was one of my very first sharing something creative with you.

It has some sweet wind chimes for the garden made from recycled goodies.

I had a summer workshop with my good friend and then shared what we did.

This post brings back memories of those days of fun for me and hopefully some inspiration for you.

Click here to see.

I love dress forms.

Just ask my family.

I made a bunch of them.

This gal got a new perch and a fancy raggedy skirt in this post.

This was one of my most popular posts of the year.

I can thank Hometalk for that.

You can see all of my projects over there if you look here.

The full blog post can be found here.

 It is still one of my most used studio storage pieces.

This is one of those projects I always wanted to do and am thrilled that I did.

While it was not highly viewed, it is one of my most treasured projects.

Please take a look here.

This is another workshop/project that went viral thanks to Hometalk.

For a month, my daughter and I mosaic-ed anything we got our hands on.

Using unconventional materials was fun and caught on.

We had three posts to cover the whole process.

Starting.

Continuing.

Finishing and tips.

A trip to the thrift store provided the materials and inspiration for these Glass Garden Mushrooms.

You can make your own by following our tutorial.

This was our most popular post of the year.

This fun rug was made from recycled sheets that my daughter dyed herself.

While these are very costly to buy, she made hers for about $3.

For instructions to make your own, check here.

I shared one of my very favorite necklaces with you.

To see more, check here.

These just make me smile.

Crafted from left over scraps from my daughter's raggy rug, these bracelets are easy and make great gifts.

Tutorial here.

I already mentioned how much I love dress forms.

This summer I finally made my own from chicken wire.

They are perfect (to me anyway).

If you would like to try your hand at making one too, click here.

My daughter made her own magnetic memo board for her dorm room by painting this great antique ceiling tile.

To see the transformation, look here.

A rescued cart from my neighbor got a French makeover.

I use this all the time.

Tutorial.

I transformed a stack of clearance bangles with washi tape here.

These necklaces were made with shotgun shells and over-dyed silk strips.

I show you how to dye the strips here.

This burlap wreath found a great home on our porch this fall.

I love that it looked great from September until November.

See how we did it here.

This step-by-step tutorial for making this Spider Spells book shows how easy it is to create an aged spell book for Halloween.

Find it here.

This post has a whole bunch of wool projects ranging from felted wool bracelets you make from yarn to this sweet machine felted purse bag made from thrift store clothing.

Find these projects here.

My felt mushroom cups make me grin.

This particular photo is so special to me that I use the picture as an avatar sometimes.

You can see the post here.

What can you make from old book pages?

Dozens of things...

Check out this post on Book Page Dresses...

While this post was not as widely viewed, the finished project was special to me and my co-worker whose shower they adorned.

Her baby boy arrived in November.

Her mom says these are in her nursery.

I later made a pink set for another colleague whose baby we are still waiting for.

See the post here.

My Spooky Doorside Vignette had several of my favorite projects featured.

You can see it here.

These Waterless Mason Jar Snow Globes were easy and gorgeous.

I think those crystals on the top made them special.

You can check out how to make them here.

These burlap roses used up some pieces of burlap ribbon I had from the fair this summer.

They are sweet with French book page leaves.

If you would like to make some too, you can see how here.

This cinnamon stick star ornament was created for the Christmas Craft Lightning.

All the crafts there can be completed in 15 minutes or less.

I love that!

Check out my post here.

While this post was not exactly a project or tutorial, it does have some of outdoor décor decorations that make me smile.

You can see all the outdoor touches here.

Even though this ornament post did not appear in time for Christmas, the snow globes from recycled light bulbs is one of my very favorites.

You can see the tutorial here.

These pinecones have not been transformed yet but I love their natural beauty.

Beaching them was easy and lovely

See how here.

While I removed color from some pine cones, I added color to others.

Check out how here.

My goal for my first year was 100 posts.

This is post 101...

It has been an awesome year.

I hope you stop by in 2015 as well.

If you don't want to miss a single post, sign up in the side bar with Blog Lovin' or have new posts arrive directly in your email box.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with many of my favorite blogs.

2014 Summer Studio Tour for Artistic Endeavors 101

Well, here we are.

If you have been following me, you know this has been a long journey to get to the point of the tour....

Lots of reorganizing which you can see here and also here.

I worked long and hard and celebrated little victories and clean work surfaces.

You might have been here along the way.

If so, some of this will look familiar.

My main studio space is my garage.

Not very romantic.

But it is dry and heated.

It is not far to carry things is I want to work on..

It has a lot of storage....

which is good....

because I have a lot of stuff.

Here is my main work area...

My husband bought the cupboards from an ad in the newspaper and we painted them...twice....

Because the first coat just peeled off.

So we did the necessary prep and painted them again.  

They were in my studio at the previous house.

We moved them with us when we moved.

Inside the cupboards, most things are stored in vintage mason jars...

I can easily see what is inside.

Some cupboards just contain supplies.

Resin stuff, chemicals, molds...

But I actually know what is in these cupboards....

I have a couple magnetic boards that I keep things on.  

Also, a tie rack is screwed to the wall for jewelry.

That area changes frequently. 

 Sometimes the rack is full of supplies, sometimes finished pieces waiting to be priced.

This summer I reorganized above the cupboards....

A prettier way to house yarn and fibers...

My fair ribbons are on the cupboard doors.

I already sent this year's application in...

Under the cupboard I have lights which are invaluable.

You can see the difference with them off.

Beyond the counter is a sort of alcove area.

I have to keep it clear so we can get to the fuse box.

It's a rule.

My husband helped create this awesome ribbon storage.

The wooden vertical pieces have hooks.

  We slid clear dowels through the hooks and then all the ribbon spools are on there as well.

It looks so pretty, sometimes I don;t want to use the ribbon.

Across from the ribbon wall is an old dining room buffet set from my husband's grandparents. 

 I painted it white.  

It moved with us as well.

It houses books, ribbon, paint, and lots of those divided storage boxes full of what-nots....

Here is an area I showed you before.

The curtain I made covers the chaos...

Fabric, Sizzix stuff, tools, soldering stuff, old LPs.

The printer's trays get fuller and fuller every day.  

I love having these goodies where I can see them.

The awesome industrial storage piece from Lucketts...

 As you can see from this angle, it really is a garage...

In the summer, the door is open most days.

I love that.

My other main work are is this table.

It is very seldom clean like this.

You can read more about it here.

Love this new little cupboard for often used goodies...

My newly created tiered storage is here.

You can make your own by following my tutorial.

And next to her is my transformed candlestick.

If you spin around, you can see some more ribbon stored on spring curtain rods.

One of my all time favorite pieces in my studio is my card catalog drawers.

This is actually 3 units.  

Two on top were given to me by my husband's uncle.

I love them.

The big one on the bottom was in the Bargain Sheet.

Turns out it was only about 2 miles down the road in a guy's barn.

My husband bought it for me and loaded it in the truck by himself.

Have I mentioned how awesome he is?

I love him like crazy.

They hold a TON of stuff....

Stampers, stamp pads, felting supplies, markers, magnets, beads, glitter, etc...

They are all full...

 Next to the card catalog is another of my favorite features. 

 It is dirty.

It is grungy.

But I love it.

My utility sink.

It gets a work out every day.

Washing hands and brushes.

Cleaning pond filters.

Getting water for the dogs and the plants....

My studio at the old house did not have one so I really appreciate it.

At the end of the work table is a bookcase for paper supplies.

My husband helped with the stacking of other shelves on top to maximize the space.

He always says to go UP to gain extra storage.

The POOH curtains were from the thrift store and veil the supplies within.

On the sides, my husband added long aluminum bars for hanging things.

I use them for jewelry on this side.

The other side is ties, belts, and wire.

Each hook on this side holds specific jewelry.

One hook is to be submitted to magazine.  

One hook is back from magazines.  

Two hooks are to be priced.

The back wall of the garage has more shelves. 

Like my helium tank?

Everyone needs one....

I love my enamelware saucepans.

They just make me smile.

Your studio should have some things that just make your heart happy.

Aren't they fun?

These two posters are on my door. 

 Daily reminders.

On the other side of the door is more shelves...

 Lots of reminders that this is a garage..

extension cords, potatoes, onions, coolers....

I bet my studio has something that almost no other studio has....

Sure, some people may have a fridge...

But how about a full-size popcorn machine...?

I always wanted one.

Have I mentioned how awesome my husband is?

We got it for parties...

 and then we are back up to the front corner....

You can see more of it here.

So much stuff...

So many projects...

So little time....

Thank you for visiting my creative space...

It may not be a dream studio for everyone but it is a place where MY dreams are realized.

Linked up with Where Bloggers Create 2104...

Be sure to head over to visit all the other great creative spaces....

Thanks for stopping by....