DIY Necklace Display

Happy Wednesday everyone!

 I know it's been quite a while since I've last posted, I've just been so darn busy! I'm moving to the great white north in less than three weeks and I can hardly contain myself. I'm excited, nervous and so incredibly stressed. I feel like I'm exploding with projects I need to finish before I leave. That being said, I'm having a massive crafting extravaganza this weekend so many posts will follow :) Yahoo!

You may also notice that I'm switching things up on the design of my blog.. As you can tell it's still a work in progress. I'm not completely happy with it and need to do a bit more tweeking until it's just right. So please excuse the mess!

So to get to the point, today I'm going to walk you through how to make your own necklace display! 

Supplies needed:

- Two pieces of wood (whatever length you desire)

-paint (I used white and turquoise acrylic)

-adorable knobs (or ugly, I suppose. It's your project!)

-picture hangers

First, I cut my pieces of wood to the desired lengths. For this project, I wanted them to be cohesive so I cut them the same. Then, I measured out and drilled four holes (one for each knob, obviously). When doing so, you need to make sure that you match up your knobs with the correct size drill bit. The three smaller ones were about the same, but I needed a larger one for the bird since the screw was larger. 

Ta-da! Okay, next I painted the whole piece white (front and back). I did the same with the larger piece that sits on top and added the script. Once they were both dry, I used some wood glue to secure the two pieces together. 

In case you were wondering, "La vie est faite de petits bonheurs" in french translates to "Life is full of little pleasures." :) 

Once the glue was dry, I inserted my knobs! Since they extended the width of the wood, I grabbed a saw and cut off the excess on the back. It took a bit of muscle, but it's possible! Here's what's left after I cut them down. 

Lastly, I attached hangers on the back top so the piece can neatly hang on the wall. You can get these from any hardware store.

And there you have it! A super cute, personalized way to hang your jewelry, sweaters, and whatnot. I made this piece for my good friend, whom I make many of my creations for so I'm looking forward to making another for myself in the near future! 

Speaking of, here's a painting I did for her just last week!

You may have noticed a theme in colors here. I wonder what her favorite could be...

I can't wait to show you more of what I'm working on, so stay tuned! :)

Have a happy week!

-bunny

New Beginnings

Well hello again! It seems that life has a funny way of getting in the way and totally knocking you off your feet, forcing you to start all over. I know it's a little after New Years, but I'm ready for a new beginning. As you've probably noticed, Thumper's Burrow has a new look! I'm really looking forward to getting back into creating, writing, and posting, so stay tuned! New things are coming...

For now, here's a look at a few things I've done since my last post:

"I have found the one whom my soul loves." Song of Solomon 3:4

"I am yours to keep."

"In the depths of winter, I discovered in me an invincible summer." - Albert Camus
Laptop skin

"Let it be"

Have a lovely week! :)

-Alison

Proverbs 31:25

When my very good friend asked me to do a painting for her dorm room, I was ecstatic! I was even more excited when she gave me the proposition for it:

"She is clothed in strength and dignity, and laughs without fear or the future"

-Proverbs 31:25

I absolutely adore this verse and think it fits her very well. It's also a wonderful reminder for any person, especially a college student where the future can often be unpredictable. I'm always amazed at how verses from scripture can relate to almost any situation, positive or negative.

Here's how it turned out:

She loves the beach and sunsets, so that's just what I did! I used watercolor on canvas for a soft background and acrylic for the words and the girl to give them a little more pop. I love how it turned out, although I wish the colors would have shown up a little more on my camera! Someday I'll get one of those fancy DSLR's so my pictures will look a little better. I'm also thinking about doing more things like this in the future, if anyone would ever be interested. Hopefully I'll be able to build up a collection. I already have some pretty words in mind for them, so keep a look out for upcoming work! :)

Have a great week! 

-Alison

A Wedding Sign

A few weeks ago I was able to witness two lovely people commit themselves to each other in marriage. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and the reception was a blast!! I am so happy for them. :)

I began thinking about what to do for a wedding present right away. I don't typically like buying things like this from big name stores, even though that's what a registry is for! They just seem a little impersonal to me. So.. I decided to make a little sign with a pretty quote.

First, I found some neat looking wood and cut it into 3 pieces. Then, I drilled holes in the side and painted them a flat white. I was actually pretty proud of myself, since it was my first time using a power drill! Now I'm hooked and can't wait to use more power tools in my work. :)

I sanded down the edges to make them look a little distressed and began sketching out the quote, fitting them as evenly as possible on the boards. 

Once they were all written out and spaced the way I wanted, I painted! The colors for the wedding were blue and orange, so I chose an yellow-orange for the words. After the words were finished, I began tying the pieces with a long piece of string. I also added a blue peacock feather and some beads on the bottom to soften the piece and give it some character :)

"There is only one happiness in life - to love and be loved"

-George Sand

I think the feather is my favorite part :) 

Remember how I said I loved painting on wood? Yeah, that's still happening. 

Have a request for a sign? E-mail me! I'd love to make one for you! :) 

-Alison

A Skillful Sailor

As I have often said before, I love finding new and exciting treasures. A few months back my mom and I were doing some late garage sale searching when we stumbled upon a house with multiple items out in their driveway. As we got closer, we noticed a sign that said "FREE" and I was giddy with excitement. That day I brought home a beautiful coffee table, which I will hopefully get started on this week, and this large piece of plywood. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

After a nice good sanding, I drew out my design in pencil. I tried taking a picture of that step, but the pencil didn't show up well :(  Then I got to the painting! After getting the picture done, I got to drawing out the quote. Life has been pretty tough this year, so I decided to use the English Proverb, "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor." It reminds me that without the challenges, we never grow and become stronger. 

Obviously, my photography skills aren't completely up to par yet. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! It also looks pretty rad hanging on my kitchen wall..

I've also discovered that I love painting on wood. So... that's probably what I'll be doing in the upcoming future :) 

Have a happy week!

-Alison