Project : 7 of : 23

I have been working on this project for some time now... I had to do it little by little when I had time. The sad thing is, in total, it only took about 30 minutes of my time from start to finish.  With my son growing SO quickly, I had to hurry up and get this one done!

So without further adieu, Project : 7 of : 23

I started with a raw piece of lumber from Home Depot and painted it white. (I took a photo of the wood before I painted it but accidentally deleted it AFTER I painted... can't go back and start over on this one.)

I brushed 2 coats of white paint with a white paint brush.  I wanted to the wood to look kind of aged, but not distressed.

I have NO idea why this photo keeps posting sideways... so just tilt your head while looking at it.

Next I designed the ruler markers on the computer and cut them as a decal.

I used a tape measure next to the wood as I applied the decal just to make sure I was staying on track, even though I designed the decal with exact measurements.  

 

...and viola!!! A giant ruler in my hallway.  I anchored a wall between the kiddos rooms.

As soon as I stepped back from it after putting it up on the wall, my 2 year old ran over and stood in front of it with her back against it.  How she knew what it was for was beyond me... and when my son woke up this morning and saw it, his first instinct was to measure himself too.   Gotta love it!

Project : 4 of : 23

I am really knocking out projects with my project of projects, Project :: 23

Who would have thought that me posting this idea on my blog would keep me so motivated.  Maybe I should start posting all my to-do list type stuff on here.

Today I knocked out Project 4... although I have been working on it for several days here and there.  I am planning on turning a wall in one of my hallways into a mini museum with my children's artwork. My son is now 13 and I have a large storage container filled with his toddler - kindergarten artwork.  My 2 year daughter is also a little artist.

One thing I thought about adding to the museum wall was some information about them. I decided to make a "stat plaque" for each of them...

 

So without further adieu, Project : 4 of : 23

 

Project : 1 of : 23

Last week I decided that I am going to spend this year (from my birthday October 23rd, yesterday - to October 23rd 2012) with a goal... to complete at least 23 DIY projects. I have dubbed this challenge,  

Project :: 23

So without further adieu, Project : 1 of : 23

I picked up this metal sign last year just after Halloween. It was about 75% off along with the rest of the Halloween clearance at Joanns.  I painted over the seasonal sign with black craft paint and then added the verse (vinyl decal I made).  I bought the 2 frames and painted them black too.  Then printed the photos off on the computer.

The ribbons came from my stash. I glued the black with white trim ribbon to the olive green ribbon to give it a little more character. I made the two little bows and glued them to the frames. After I added the ribbon bow to the top, I let me 13 year old son decide where it should be hung on the wall. He picked a space near the hallway where his room and his sister's room it.

Project : 1 of : 23 - COMPLETE!

UPDATE {Crafty Decal Challenge} 1st Edition

Are you ready to get your craft on and win some decal prizes at the same?  Starting March 1st (today) Ten23 Designs is going to host decal challenges. 

Each challenge will have a decal design featured and offered at a discount to participants.  All you have to do is purchase the design featured, create something cool with it, take a photo of it and upload the photo to me.  At the end of each challenge period (lengths will vary), the fans of Ten23 Designs will select a "fan favorite." The winner will win a decal related prize.

If you are interested in hosting a Ten23 Designs Crafty Decal Challenge on your own blog, hostess rewards will be provided to you (including free items and / or discounted items).

Ready for the 1st challenge?

For the first challenge, you can select from:

a set of 10 chalkboard label decals

OR

a set of 4 - 3" monogram decals.

(Or select both and double your chances)

To enter this challenge, email me at info@ten23designs.com with Decal Challenge in the subject line.  The cost is $5 for either the set of chalkboard labels or the set of monograms. You will be invoiced via Paypal.  After completing the challenge, please email me you nifty photo to the same email address.

UPDATE: The original email link was not setup correctly. Please re-send emails to enter the contest to info@ten23designs.com

Autumn Inspiration Board Challenge

As I walked outside this morning I noticed something different... there was something in the air. No, it wasn't love... it was Autumn. Here in sunny Florida, you do not hear the word Autumn very much. As a matter of fact, only the northerners (such as myself) tend to say Autumn.

I personally miss Autumn. I miss the crisp, clean, chilled air. I miss Mother Nature's painted canvas of leaves changing colors. Oh the beauty of Autumn. Well stepping out into the Autumn air this morning, a monogram design instantly came to me.

I don't want the beauty of Autumn to stop there... so I am challenging YOU to design an Autumn inspired inspiration board (try saying that 3 times fast).

Leave a comment below with a link to your inspiration board & I will post it to my blog for all to see your awesome Autumn artwork.

Brenda's Wedding Blog created this beautiful Autumn board that brings the beautiful burnt orange & brown from the Autumn season.

The boutonniere is my personal favorite from this collection. Although Brenda did not know this when creating this board, I used the same photo as an inspiration for my own board I put together. Smart minds think alike.

Events by Heather Ham put this amazing board together. She highlighted all of the wonderful colors associated with Autumn... including my favorite color, PURPLE.

The candy apple is a fun idea to use as a favor for Autumn weddings & the lanterns really help to set the mood.

CNI Designs, created two great Autumn inspiration boards. The first highlights crimson & mustard colors which are classics to the Autumn season. This one makes a perfect match for the monogram I designed above.

The second designed by CNI Designs pulls out more of the orange from the season's colors. I just love the monogramed pumkin & tree stump candle holders.