Furious Shirley » creativity

Get Your Craft On!

Shannon Shirley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:49 +0000

I have always wanted to be a crafty person. I suppose if I actually took the time to learn some crafting skills, I could make some pretty rad stuff. Right now, I’m on par with my three year old and I figure we will learn to be crafty together. [Although I am darn good at making things look cool with spray paint - post forthcoming.] The rest of you DIY mavens should pack up your sewing kits, letterpress blocks, scissors, glue, and glitter and head to the Craftcation Conference in Ventura, CA from March 22-25th.

This three day event was put together by the talented duo of Nicole Stevenson [of Random Nicole] and Delilah Snell [of The Road Less Traveled] [both co-produce the Patchwork indie art festival as well]. It’s a smorgasbord of workshops and lectures geared to help you start, improve, and maintain your very own indie business.

Want to make felt flowers? You can do it at Craftcation.

Want to learn to bind books? They’ve got a workshop for it.

Want to find out how to finance your business? They have it covered.

Bake pies, make jewelry, learn wordpress, expand your business, make jam, take better photos, conquer social marketing, and tons more … sounds like a good time. Wish I could make it.

Thanks to Nicole for letting me be a part of spreading the word.

DIY Wreath Roundup

Shannon Shirley — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:40:38 +0000

My family loves wreaths. They are usually stuffed full of fake flowers or wrapped with red, white, and blue ribbon. Ick. I finally found some wreaths that are too pretty to hang on the porch … I’d put any of these beauties on my wall anytime of the year. All of these picks are fairly easy to make, just click on their tutorials for more info!

Left to Right.

Black and White Stripes: Made from an old sweater[!] by Mandi. Tutorial on Smile and Weave [towards the bottom].

Moss: I love almost anything green. This moss wreath is so simple and pretty. Made by Christina of Our Little Box.

Felt: White like snow felt wreath by Laura of Oh Hi. No full tutorial posted, but she notes that if enough people inquire, she will probably put up a DIY post. [Oh, please do!]

Cupcake Wreath [amazing, right?!]: Made by Jen from Tatertots and Jello. Cupcake liners, ribbon, and hot glue – I think even I could pull this one off! She made it for Valentine’s Day, but depending on what cupcake liners you get the possibilities are endless.

Balloons: What a cute idea – perfect for a birthday! Made by Erin of Two More Seconds.

Paper Circles: A fun project to do with kids … very Christmas-y! Made by Beckie of Movies of Myself.

Patchwork: I love patchwork quilts and this wreath looks just as homey and cozy. By Jennifer Casa, of JCasa *handmade.

Yarn: Those little felt flowers really make this wreath. So pretty. Made by Danielle of Take Heart.

Bicycle: Very inventive. No tutorial, but pretty simple – wrap ribbon and lights around an old bike tire. Love it. Made by Megan.

Clothespins: I am beginning to realize that you can make a wreath of out almost anything. This cool clothespin wreath was made by Denise of d. Sharp Journal.

Nature: This one would be really fun to do with the kids – have them run around collecting pine cones and pods, then they can make their very own designs. You could even bring out the spray paint for some pops of color. Made by Maya of Maya*Made.

Windy Days

Shannon Shirley — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:38:31 +0000

It’s been quite windy here in the Windy City and I’ve been trying my best to remain indoors [wouldn't want Ava to blow away -wink]. Here is some blustery inspiration so you can enjoy the beauty of the wind without it mussing up your hair. :-)

DIY Jewelry Organization

Shannon Shirley — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:05:24 +0000

In our old apartment, I had most of my jewelry in vintage boxes and my necklaces hung from two large hooks on the bathroom wall. Since we moved, it’s all still in a box because I haven’t figured out how I want to organize it yet. I started looking around for some good ideas and thought I would share some of the best.

Lori from Paisley Wallpaper stores her jewelry in these cute little molds. Great idea if you have the drawer space!

I love the way an old frame and a piece of screen were used for an earring display. Check out the full tutorial at Restored Style [she also has some other great jewelry storage ideas, so be sure to look around].

Or if DIY is not your thing, you can buy one that someone else made by hand. This earring frame was built from weathered barn wood by Paradise Hill Designs.

This one is yet another great example of re-purposing burlap. Marianne used a coffee sack, a large frame, and a few hooks to make this lovely creation. Read all about it on her blog, Songbird.

Erin from Little e found these antlers at a thrift shop while road tripping through Texas. I love it so much, I might just steal this idea! But be forewarned … Erin says drilling holes in the antlers to hang them releases quite an odor. Thankfully, it goes away and you are left with a really cool and creative way to display your necklaces. This could be great for scarves and maybe even coats too.

If you have a great idea for jewelry organization, let me know! Would love to share it! XO.

My Latest Obsession

Shannon Shirley — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:43:32 +0000

I love Piccsy. It’s a new image bookmarking site. Instead of having a list of bookmarks in my drop box, now I can bookmark images that link to the site they are from. Pretty cool. Not sure when it will be open to everyone, but probably soon.

Cool Find: www.recipelook.co.uk

Shannon Shirley — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:13:19 +0000

While going through my RSS feeds this morning, I happened upon a post from Talk Crafty To Me about one of the coolest recipe sites [Recipe Look] I have ever laid eyes upon. It is the creation of Artists & Designers, Amelie Labarthe and Tom Ballhatchet and filled with readers’ drawings of recipe instructions. So clever – and the drawings are pretty amazing. Many of them would look great as prints to hang in the kitchen …

Risotto alla Milanese by Emilie Boudet

Roasted Potato Wedges by Rachel Rauch

Spring Fever – Art Roundup Inspired by My Longing for Spring

Shannon Shirley — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:10:53 +0000

It may be snowing outside, but I can hear the sweet song of the birds luring spring to come.

You know when you start hearing that chirping that spring MUST be coming soon [please, mother nature, please!]. I am so tired of the color gray – I cannot remember the last time I saw the sunshine or the color green. I do love the snow – especially untouched snow, blanketed over the streets and yards – no footprints, no tire tracks, but I’ve had enough of it and I’m ready for the melting and awakening to begin.

These beautiful and colorful prints are reproductions of artist, Yangyang Pan’s original “Blossom” watercolor series. Originals are also available at the artist’s Etsy shop, Siiso Visual Art.

These prints remind me of these lines from Emily Dickinson’s “A Light Exists in Spring”:

A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.

This gorgeous photographic print is the work of Jennifer Simpson. Her work is airy and has a daydream quality to it – makes me feel like running through a meadow with the scent of blooming flowers at my nose and warm sunshine all around me.

This is a photo of one of Marie Antoinette’s hamlets at Versailles. So romantic and enchanting … like a little secret garden or something. I want to run away to France … ahhhhhhhh. Find this print and more at A La Parisienne on Etsy.

I thought I would finish this roundup with a burst of color and this “Las Guitarras” print almost jumps off of the page! So bright and bold! I love it. Taken by the great eye of M. Campbell – Zurek.

Robot Love

Shannon Shirley — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:38:19 +0000

What could possibly be more romantic than cold, metal, heartless, robots? Well, lots of things … but for some reason robots are cute. At least these robots I found in my weekly Etsy search are …

Robots may not have hearts, but they can give them, as depicted in this adorable greeting card by JulieAnnArt. $4.00

The perfect card for your very own love machine, designed by ArtbyKellie. $4.00

These mini art blocks are the perfect gift for the robot lover in your life. I know they would look great on the shelf in Mike’s office. Crafted by artist, John W. Golden. $48.00 / set of 8

You can customize these canbots or pick out of the many creative designs at Sage12888‘s Etsy shop. Made from recycled cans. Prices vary.

Show off your robot love with this shrinky dink ring from Dillon Designs. $8.00

I love this T-shirt – design by Youngsun Compton, available at the Whootiz shop on Etsy. $18.00

Here’s something for your little love machine – a cute onesie by Give A Good Day. $15.00

I found this zipper pouch at Nancym4‘s Etsy store. It’s perfect for storing loose items in your purse or in your child’s bookbag. Available in a wide range of patterns/styles. $10.50

These robots can get you clean. Robot soap from LoveLeeSoaps is made from glycerin and shea butter with a fresh lime scent. 1 4oz. soap, $5.00

Top your wedding cake with these cute creations from The Junk Bucket. $40.00

I had to include these guys because they are so darling [and inventive!]. Made from vacuum tubes by Justina Kochansky. $10.00 each

I also love this little sculpture made from various materials by Morning Bicycle. $35.00

And even though it’s a dog, it’s still a bot that you can’t help but love. Available at Adoptabot on Etsy. $195.00

DIY Dollhouses

Shannon Shirley — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:55:33 +0000

When I was a little girl, my grandpa built me a beautiful dollhouse. It was blue and had a hinged roof with little wooden shingles. He had also custom made some of the furniture inside and put carpet in the living room and bedrooms, and tile in the kitchen. I loved that house. I have it in “storage” [at my grandma's] and am just waiting until Ava is old enough so I can redecorate it and give it to her. Now, I’m no carpenter like my grandpa was, so I went looking for some DIY dollhouses that pretty much anyone can create …

This felt creation by Melissa Crowe is actually a piece commissioned by the Wintergreen Arts Center in Maine, but it’s a great idea you can make for your own home [little ones old enough to use scissors can help!]. The house is mounted on canvas and decorated in felt and moleskin that can be moved around [just like a felt board]. For more photos [and more great crafts], check out Melissa’s blog, Checkout Girl.

These adorable wooden dollhouses are made from unfinished cd houses that are then painted and decorated to your own liking. I have been dying to make one of these for Ava, but so far have been unable to find the unfinished wooden piece [which is said to be available at Michael's Arts & Crafts ... so far I have only been to one and the hunt will continue this weekend]. Visit Angry Chicken for more info on this piece …

…and Bright and Blithe to check out this version!

I also found several versions of these cute cardboard and foam core board dollhouses. The customization possibilities are endless and it’s super mobile and would be a fun project to put together with your little one. The tutorial for the picture below is available at Cookie Magazine.

That tutorial was the motivation for this super duper dollhouse put together by the obviously crafty Amy of Sweet Sweet Life.

Taking inspiration from the Constantine Dollhouse from Kidsmodern, this creation was born out of a cardboard box, lots of tape, and some magazines. Read the full tutorial from Elsie Marley.

This tutorial for a recycled materials dollhouse can be found at Craftastica, where Kristy and her daughter Eva fashioned this house based on the above idea.

I found this multi-level cardboard dollhouse in a feature on Ohdeedoh. It was made by Adrienne and decorated with scrap fabric, wallpaper samples, popsicle sticks, etc.

This dollhouse gets an A+ for creativity – it’s built on a closet organizer!!! [via Gina2424 on Flikr]

Reuse Those Lightbulbs!

Shannon Shirley — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:40:02 +0000

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I am STUFFED and was just killing some time on the computer when I saw this awesome How To on Instructables. This light bulb vase is such a clever use for your burnt out bulbs [that you are now replacing with CFLs - wink]. The base is just an aluminum ring from a recycled hard drive and they have some other options for keeping the bulb upright as well. They have also made a light bulb terrarium – LOVE IT.