2011 in review...

After a nice, long, lovely Christmas vacation with my in-laws in California, I'm happy to be back!  With all of the fantastic "Top 10" and "Project of the Year" posts popping up all over the blog-o-sphere, I thought I should join in the fun!

2011 has been unbelievable for this little blog of mine.  When I posted my first couple of tutorials in December 2010, I had no idea people would actually see them...and keep coming back for more!  I can't believe all of the positive feedback and growth the past year has brought.  I couldn't be more grateful.  Thanks to all of you for your readership and kind words.

With that said, many of you have discovered Stay-at-Home Artist rather recently, so I thought it would be fun to recap some of my popular posts and favorite projects of 2011.  Let's get started!

It seems appropriate to begin with my Stenciling with Freezer Paper/Harry Potter Tee.  This post got picked up by StumbleUpon and has gotten more hits than I ever could have imagined! (Right now we're at +700,000...what?!?)

I still get shirt orders almost daily...

you guys love your Harry Potter, that's for sure. :)

(Convo me through my etsy shop if you want one, too!)

My favorite project from the past year might be my Reversible Sewing Machine Cover.  That colorful bunting paired with polka dots just makes me happy...

This T-shirt Yoga Skirt is a cinch to make and so comfy to wear.

Another popular post is my Concentric Circles Canvas Art.  You don't have to be a great artist to get beautiful results.  (It's fun for kids, too!)

And I happen to be rather partial to this Butterfly Wall Hanging.  

I can't wait for spring so I can hang it up again!

Typography is still all the rage in home decor right now...and making Wood Plaque Wall Decor is inexpensive and simple.  (Plus, this post includes a little image-transferring trick.)

My Candlestick Topiary is such a versatile project.

I've gotten tons of emails and messages from people who have used the idea to decorate for all kinds of events--weddings, parties, anniversary celebrations, etc.

I wear my ModCloth-Inspired Color Wheel Pendant all the time.  I'm an art nerd! :)

This Lace Overlay Pendant turned out really pretty.  I think they would make such great gifts for friends' birthdays.  Who wouldn't love a little handmade piece of jewelry?

And I'm no cooking professional or anything, but I thought I'd throw in a few of my favorite recipe posts, too.  These Lemon-Berry Bars are so SO SO good.  

Once I recover from my post-holiday sugar overload I might have to make myself a batch.  I'm a sucker for anything lemon and anything berry...so lemon and berries with a shortbread crust is irresistable.

And I happen to think this Snickerdoodle recipe is the best one ever. :)

But my favorite dish posted this year has to be my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.  I like to make a batch and eat a bowl everyday until it's gone.  If you look forward to the same meal for a week straight, that has to be a good recipe, right?

Thanks again for all of your love and support this year.

Here's to hoping 2012 is full of even more creativity!

merry christmas!

Wishing you all a beautiful holiday...

May you find joy as we celebrate the Savior this Christmas season. :)

one month to win it...

As if it wasn't crazy enough around here trying to make last-minute Christmas gifts and finish the influx of Harry Potter t-shirt orders, I recently got some fun news...

I'm going to be a contestant for Season 7 of One Month to Win It!

OMTWI is a 4-week crafting competition with voting/eliminations each week until only one winner remains.  I'll be participating in January.  I totally entered my printable ornaments on a whim, thinking I'd never get picked anyway. (10 people are chosen by the judges and 2 competitors are selected randomly.  I think I was probably one of the randoms.  Ha.)   So I'm a little nervous, but it will be fun.

The project categories for each week of Season 7 are:

Week 1 - Vintage Graphics

Week 2 - Decoart Products

Week 3 - Banners/Buntings

Week 4 - Furniture

 I'm pretty excited about the first 3 weeks...but week 4 is a doozy.  I'm not one of those people that hoards thrift store/Craigslist furniture in the garage for future re-finishing projects.  :)  I guess I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.  But I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with each week.  The other participants submitted some great projects.  So many creative people in the world.  Love it.

Wish me luck and (send some creative vibes my way)!

mod podge ornaments with free printable...

It's always nice to have some cute ornaments to give as neighbor gifts or add a little something special to gift wrap.  If they are handmade--even better.  With a few simple supplies, you can make a whole bunch of these fun mod podge ornaments in no time.

I made a free printable to share with you all, so the hard part is already done!  It includes 8 different ornament designs.  Just print on regular ol' paper or cardstock and you're good to go.

Download the pdf file HERE.

Here are the supplies you will need:

the free ornament printable
wood circles larger than 2.5" (mine are just a smidge under 2.75")
scissors
craft paint & brushes
mod podge
mod podge dimensional magic (optional)
ribbon
craft glue

Start by cutting out the ornament designs.
I'll be using these 4 for this tutorial...

Next paint your wood circles the colors of your choice.  I painted around the edges, but I should've just painted the whole thing.  You can kinda see the paint line through the ones with white backgrounds.  It's not a big deal, but it would've been easy to just paint the entire surface.  Silly me.

(And you can paint the backs or leave them raw if you're lazy like I might be.  But there is no photo evidence, so you'll never know...)

Once your paint is dry, it's time to podge!  Spread your decoupage glue all over the surface of your circle, carefully position your paper ornament design, then seal the whole thing with mod podge and allow to dry.

If you want, you can call it good at this point.

I, however, decided to take my little ornaments one step further with some mod podge dimensional magic.  If you follow my blog, you know that I've used it multiple times before to make jewelry--the sparrow pendant, my color wheel necklace, and the lace overlay pendant.  It creates a lovely glossy finish that's a bit more impressive...and it turned out fabulous on these ornaments.

Start by pouring a generous pool onto the surface of your ornament.

Then use a toothpick to work out any little air bubbles and spread it out to the edges.

The package says to let it dry 3 hours, but I always leave it overnight so I know its set.

Once they are dry, glue some ribbon loops to the back to finish.
(Or you can drill holes if you'd prefer to go that route.)

Now you can use them as gift tags or add them to some treats to take to your neighbors...

Or keep them for your own tree.

You can always make more. :)

***
Want to design your own ornament printable?
I used the MyMemories Suite 3 scrapbooking software.
It's rather inexpensive for design software and so easy to use.
Get $10 off the software using coupon code:
STMMMS86047
  (Plus you'll get a $10 coupon for the kit store after purchase!)

mistletoe pomander ornament...

I found a package of very small styrofoam balls at the dollar store and thought, "How cute would some mini-pomanders be?!"  So I bought 'em.  

And came up with this...

A mini mistletoe pomander ornament!

The best part is you can use this tutorial to make one of any size.  The ornament pictured is made using a 1.5" styrofoam ball, but you could easily make a larger version to hang above your door.

(I made my own mistletoe last year, so I'm using my pomanders as ornaments.)

Okay, to make your own you will need...

styrofoam balls

green felt (this moss-colored felt came from Michaels)

ribbon

pearls or tiny white pom poms

glue of your choice

I started by cutting out  2 small circles and glued them to the top and bottom of my foam ball.

Then I cut out a bunch of teardrop shapes for my leaves.  Just cut freehand--the varying shapes and sizes will look more organic.  If they are too perfect they look kind of fish scaly.

I used maybe half a sheet of felt total.

Then I just glued them on willy-nilly.  I overlapped, but avoided perfect rows.  

(Rows = fish scales.)

I just glued until all the foam was covered.  

It kind of looks like a tiny artichoke.  

So if you like tiny artichoke Christmas ornaments, you are done! :)

If you'd like it to look more mistletoe-ish... glue on some pearls or teensy white pom poms for the berries. 

I decided I wanted to add a little somthin'-somethin' to my pomander, so I cut a scrap of fabric and used a sharpie to write a saucy little message.  (But you could leave this step out if you are opposed to sauciness.)

I glued my "smooch!" to the top of my pomander...

...then added a loop of ribbon and a bow.

Finished!

Now this cute little guy is hanging on my tree, demanding kisses from passers-by.