Painting Pillows

My creativity has really been sparked this year, thankfully, as it is one of the things that I've written in my journal at the beginning of the year that I would like to use more frequently this year.  Ever since I put up those floating shelves in the dining room/sweat shop, I now have things within an arms reach.  Like those paint brushes...

...the only thing I have done with the paint brushes in the past 7 years is move them from one place to the next....6 times....I have moved 6 times in the past 7 years and the paint brushes have managed to stick around despite my love for purging items every-single-time I move.  I find that is the case with most of my CREATE stash.  I won't throw any of it away...(oh except for thousands of dollars worth of fabric that got ruined in the basement of one of my dwellings....sigh....I'm still having a hard time with that almost 6 years later...) but anyway....what was the reason I am here posting???.....oh, right, the paint brushes....so yeah, I haven't touched those things in 7 years!!!!  Well, I found some time to start a little project that coincides with wanting to add more color to my place AND the use of my creative abilities.

I was in Wal-Mart the other night and was inspired by the design on this throw pillow

so I snapped a picture of it with my trusty camera phone and headed to the craft section for some fabric paint.    I figured I'd use some of the table cloth I had purchased 2 years back at a Goodwill in Savannah as the cover fabric since it will coordinate with the table runner I recently made for the dining room table and this other pillow I recently made using the same table cloth and some leftovers from the Duff Dress.

I'm not sure if I am in love with it or if it looks like a kids craft project.  It's now sitting on one of the dining room chairs until I have enough pillows made to throw them on the couches making it all look like I meant to totally throw things off by combining bright/loud/colorful throw pillows to our 1990s navy, hunter,tan, burgundy plaid sofa and love seat set BF purchased from a garage sale for $50 that we are happily working with until we can afford some new couches in a color and fabric of our choice.  I am hoping that by doing this, your eye is drawn to the bright and colorful pillows and you don't even notice the couches...we'll see if it works.  It's not like anyone comes over really, and if they do, they are coming to see us, not our couches.  :)

So anyway, back to the painting project (sorry A.D.D much?)...here's what it looked like Sunday night:

I have a long way to go before it will be finished.  I've already added another band of dots in orange since snapping this low-quality camera phone picture. (Sorry, my Real camera is busted.....I can't justify purchasing another one at this point, we just got over Christmas!)


So, I'm already having fun and being creative in 2011, but I can't believe that January is almost over with already!!!!  YIKES!!!

Oh and on a Weight Watchers side note, I'm down 5 lbs!!!  W00t!

AND  I love BF more and more everyday, it's amazing how much we grow on a daily basis...It's great to grow together with someone, instead of growing apart.  :)

Life is great!

Charlotte Weekend

Baby Face and I headed up to Charlotte this weekend to visit the Fam.  I took Friday off and we headed up early enough to get there by 6pm because we planned to go out to a comedy improv show with Jess.  I traveled dressed and ready to go with just a make up touch up before we got to the venue.  We had a great time at the show, it reminded me a lot of "Who's Line is it Anyway".  It's all about being quick witted...I can't do that on command.  After wards we headed out to another bar down the road with several of the comedians who had performed.  It was an out door patio, no live music, but the tunes that came through the speakers were decent.  After we left the patio bar, we crossed the street to an area where a number of local artists were selling their stuff.  I picked up a gift for Katt as a thank you for watching the cats MJ and Coco.  I also picked up an acrylic on canvas that spoke to me as we were standing there looking at everything. 

When I made the purchase, the artist was thrilled and mentioned how he was so glad that he didn't pack it up earlier as he had intended to do.  I was happy for him as well as for myself.  Oh, I even got him to sign the Eye Magnets that we got for Katt, only he wasn't the artist, he was the husband of the artist, so that what I had him sign "Husband of the Artist" I knew Katt would appreciate that. 
Saturday I had no intentions of doing anything other than visiting Mary Jo's cloth store which is about 35 minutes south of Mom's.  I had heard great things but had NO IDEA!!!  This place is ginormous and had everything I could ever want in the way of fabric!  I felt like i was in Disney World and BF even mentioned how I was Lit up like a kid upon entering this place!  If I hadn't been with Jess and BF I would have been there until they closed, but I knew I had to go and find only what I had intended to buy.

The first 2 fabrics were picked out by BF.  That green texas hold em print cotton is going to be Boxer shorts for him and the blue next to it is Mesh for Basket Ball shorts for him.

The next 4 fabrics are all going to be made into......SWIMWEAR!  and I am too excited to get them started!

I plan to use black stretch as a contrast band for some of the suits.  I loved everything they had, and it was hard to walk away with only 4 yards, 1 of each color.  But there will be plenty more visits to Charlotte and plenty more visits to Mary Jo's now that I know about it and it's along the way to mom's.  I need to get started on what I've got and then replenish when I am running out.  I no longer want to hoard fabric, but rather use it and execute all of the ideas in my head.  BUT MAN....I can't believe I have been driving past this place for 6 years and not knowing a thing about it!
The last fabric in the bounty is a black Stretch Satin that I intend to make a corset for Jessica.  I've already made a flat sketch but need to make some changes.  I've never done corsetry before, but I am confident in my abilities and will see what turns out.
I hung the artwork in the sewing/dining area.  Actually it's no longer a dining area...at least it hasn't been since I broke out the sewing equipment a month and a half ago....oopsie!  That's the life of apartment dwelling.

The new art could really use some company.  I haven't decided what yet, but it's garage sale season, who knows what is out there and ready for me to take ownership of?
I just lazed around the rest of the time.  My allergies hit me while there and so I was headachey and drowsy...but it's always a great time, regardless of whether I am active or lounging.  OOOH OOOH and I got some great unexpected (cause it's not my birthday or Christmas) gifts.  I got a pink reptile embossed granny chic wallet/case as well as a Tote bag!

Both from 2 different people and I love how they are not the same shade of pink yet coordinate so well!

I also managed to convince my mother that the Camper in the backyard is rotting away and that I would put good use to it since I am a lover of camping.  She agreed!  YEAHY!  So now I have a fun new project!

Updating a 1981 23ft Shasta Camper!  I just need to get some new tires for it so that I can get it down here to GA.  This is not the actual camper, I found this picture online, but it's very similar to the one rotting in mom's backyard that I intend to enjoy in the woods.  It's in decent shape for being  nearly 30 years old, but definitely could use some updating as you could imagine!

Sunday was a BEAUTIFUL day and as much as I hated wasting such a beautiful day driving back home, I'd rather drive in beautiful weather than crap, it just makes the 4 hour drive much nicer!
It's a new day and there are so many possibilities!  I can't wait to get home from work today and get started on something fun!!!