2012 and New Beginnings!

We are on the verge of another exciting year!
And with that brings new opportunities and changes. 

Isn't that wonderful!

This is my last post on Curly Willow DIY.
I'm not sad, but excited to start a new adventure of my own. Barb will continue to post here about her home decorating, crafts and travel. She is the reason I started this blog. She has amazing taste and creates beauty all around her and I wanted her to share. And, I know that is what you've enjoyed about this blog. Now that she is up and running and has GREAT followers, she is good to go and be independent.
(I will be still helping her behind the scenes.)

I did start my own blog, www.vickidesigner.com.

I will sharing about art, fonts, crafts and things that inspire me. This will not be a home and garden blog. I will still be offering freebies and great paper printables to keep you inspired and organized. So, if you enjoyed what I've shared in the past, I'd love for you to join me at www.vickidesigner.com.

Here's a screen shot on what you will find.

So, I hope you stop by my blog and check it out.
You can subscribe via e-mail or RSS (in your favorite reader.)

I wish you abundant blessings and prosperity in 2012!

God Bless!

Vicki

Baby's First Christmas

Four more days. Are you ready?

I just want to share, really quickly, a little Christmas keepsake
I made for our new niece, six month old Laurel.

 

So sweet for baby's first Christmas.

I'm wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Barb

Putz('n) on the Glitz

I couple of weeks ago I was perusing Pinterest and came across this image.

                                                Source: allyscrapsblog.blogspot.com via Jean on Pinterest

Be still by heart! Are you kidding me? It's everything I love!
A glittery antique looking gem of a Putz inspired house with over-the-top whimsical humor.
I HAD to make one of these!

I popped over to the website Ally Scrap, the blog to check out the "how to" instructions.
Ok, it looked easy enough, so I went for it. After all, it's just paper, paste, glitter and some
sparkly embellishments, right?

I pulled out my craft drawer, took a mental inventory of what I had on hand, and then rushed to the craft store to buy wooden bird houses (yes, I cheated and used paper to cover small bird houses), some little plastic deer, and a variety pack of bottle brush trees.

First off, I soaked the bottle brush trees in a bowl of bleach to strip the dark green color.
The result of the bleaching gave me a variety of different colors for my forest of trees.
Then, I spent the next couple of hours cutting, glueing, trimming, and glittering.

This is a lot bigger than I first intended to make it, but I will store the bottle brush trees in the base
(a shoe box).

I made a second little house that I will display in the living room.

So, although these aren't exactly Putz houses, I think they're fun and
funny little additions to my holiday home.

Crafty?? I'd love to see what you've made for this season.
I'll be linking up to these terrific parties this week.

Holiday Home Link Parties @ Centsational Girl

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Open House Thursday @ No Minimalist Here

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Hope to see you around.

Cheers!

Barb

2011 Tree

Hey! How are you all doing? I've been making the rounds and visiting some really fantastic holiday parties this week. I've shared my dining room tablescape and my decked out mantel, so today I'll show you my tree.

Last year I used pipe cleaners to make spirals and stuck them on the ends of the branches. I like them because I think it gives the tree a whimsical look.

I made glitter letters a couple of years ago and used them as place setting tags. I stuck them on the tree last year because I needed a little "filler" and I'm using them again this year. Turquoise, green, white and silver ornaments keep the theme light and beachy for this coastal home. White lights and a couple strands of silver garland give the tree sparkle.

There's a pickle hidden in there too. Can you find it?

Cheers!

Barb

In keeping with the holiday spirit, I'll be joining these parties:

Honey We're Home - Christmas Cheer to the Blogosphere

2805 - Christmas Blogger Block Party

Bottle Brush Trees and Mercury Glass, Please!

Oh, yes please! I love glittery antiqued bottle brush trees at Christmas time and I especially love them paired with mercury glass candle sticks. I'm not usually a flashy or sparkly kind of gal but this year I felt the need to glitz and glam things up for a change. My mantel this year is really over the top for me. But, I must say, I'm really digging the way it looks.

The rusty ceiling tile and flanking sconces are always there. Generally, I have the short skinny candle sticks on the mantel, too. The center piece changes often, at the very least, seasonally.

My mother made that turquoise tureen in 1969.

She used that groovy mottled finish on several different pieces. I used to think it was hideous, like a psychedelic nightmare, but now I love it. Actually, that tureen was the inspiration for decorating my living and dining rooms. I also painted the two canvases in my entry way that color.

I filled the tureen with bulbs I swiped from the Christmas tree.

Cheers!

Barb

I'm getting my linky parties on at:

From MY Front Porch to Yours

Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Christmas Blogger Block Party

A Thoughtful Place Christmas Cheer to the Blogosphere

Southern Hospitality Holiday at Home
Home Stories A to Z - Christmas Mantel Link Party