Loaded Down with Inspiration!

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

I just got back from the Stampin' Up! convention in Salt Lake City!  Wow!  What a great time I had with my dear Friend Diana!  (We celebrated our one year anniversary of our friendship while standing in line for the Make-and-Takes.)

I was loaded down with inspiration and ideas while I was there, and I can't wait to get busy stamping, and share with you what I come up with. But right now we are getting ready to walk out the door for another family vacation in about 10 minutes.  Before I go, I want to share with you just a tiny snippet of some of the fabulously spooky projects I saw there.

Enjoy!

This Little Piggy...

Late last Saturday night I realized that I was supposed to give a lesson to the teenage girls at our church the next morning. Yikes!  Usually I like at least 2 weeks to prepare!  The topic was "Choice and Accountability."  Thinking quickly, I remembered these cute little piggy banks I had picked up a TaiPan a month or two ago.  They were only $0.91 each, so I picked up several, thinking I might be able to use them for just such an occasion.  I also picked up the bigger one for all of two bucks.

It wasn't hard to figure out how to make piggy banks work to teach accountability - the root word is 'account', as it 'bank account' or 'accountant'.  There you go!

But the piggies were plain white, and I tried to figure out how to make them a bit more, well, darling.  I tried stamping on them with Staz-On, but the stamps kept slipping on their shiny round little rumps, so that was not going to work.  Then I remembered my rub-ons!  They worked perfectly!  I quickly rubbed some little flowers onto their little ham hineys, and they were done!  

Then using the printer, and some stamps and punches, I quickly made some little "coins" to stick in the coin slot that say "Choose to make deposits in you Celestial Account daily."

For my lesson I hid the little piggies, and just had the larger one on the table.  I had a bunch of coins and bills, and talked about how there is an accounting made of each of our choices, and when we make good choices it is like putting money in that account.  We talked about different choices we make, large and small, and with each suggestion, I put a coin or bill in my piggy bank.  We talked about how fast you can fill up a piggy bank with just small change - the little good decisions we make everyday - like obeying our parents, being nice to you siblings, or smiling at someone.  It worked out great.

Then I revealed the tiny little piggies.  The girls were delighted!  They loved them!  I told them that every time they get handful of pocket change they need to remember that all those little everyday choices add up to a lifetime of happiness!

Don't you just love it when you get a bit of inspiration after you've completely blown it?

From Ho Hum to Wow!

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

While I was visiting Santa Fe with my family last week, I happened upon a camera store, and since I have become somewhat of a amateur photographer as of late, I slipped inside.  The lady there was very nice and suggested I try a circular polarizing filter for my camera.  I had heard of them, and understood already the concept behind them (how they cut glare by blocking out all light waves except those traveling in one direction), but had never actually tried one.  So on a whim I said, "I'll take it."  I was a bit surprised when it rang up to be over $100!  "Oh my," I thought, "It better be worth it,"  and slipped out into the sun with my new purchase in place.

Just a few minutes later I came upon this great old church and took a picture.  Then remembering my new polarizer, I simply turned the filter and took another shot.

Wow!  I was shocked at the difference, even viewed from my small camera screen.  Before, the picture did not capture the great colors and textures that I saw with the naked eye.  But as soon as I applied the polarizing filter, the old church really popped!  The cross became much more visible, and the interesting old textures were clearer (I am a texture buff!)  Pretty exciting, if you ask me!

Here is that same "after" photo with the colors digitally punched up a bit.  I just love how it turned out!

Here is another view of that same church before a twist of the polarizing filter, with the filter, and with the colors digitally enhanced.  Spectacular difference!

Within minutes I knew I had made a wise purchase.  That filter was the only souvenir I bought on that trip, but the pictures I brought home that I took with my new filter are priceless!

I just love a new toy!

Quaint Quilts

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last week on our family vacation I attended a quilt show in a tiny southern Colorado town of my ancestry called Sanford.  The quilt show was just part of the town's extensive Pioneer Day celebrations.  One way they felt to honor their pioneer heritage was to display 100 quilts made or owned by the people of Sanford.  

The quilts were not for sale, but displayed with the names of the quilters, owners, dates, and most had stories to go along with them.  Some were very, very old, and many had been made just this year.  There were scraps of vintage fabrics and fraying old silks, along side funky contemporary prints.   There were machine-quilted quilts and painstakingly hand-stitched quilts.  Some were the work of beginners, and others were finely crafted with intricate hand stitching, and artistic color choices.  It was fun to see how quilt styles had changed through the decades.  There were special family quilts, where every member decorated their own square, friendship quilts, and even a quilt done entirely of prize horse show ribbons.  I was excited to discover a few old quilts that we very much like some that I own (garage sale finds all).

My sister who is a seamstress, really appreciated the sewing skills of these talented quilters.  My mom and I, who love anything old, really enjoyed seeing the terrific vintage fabrics, wondering about all the people those old quilts have warmed through the years, and the various beds that they have adorned.  We were all amazed at the creativity and artistry of these women through the ages who put their time, talents, and hearts into these quilts, and we pondered on the thousands of collective hours put into piecing and stitching them all!

I love quilts, and I found this quaint small town quilt show simply inspiring.

Every Time I Turned Around

Attic Gal Alysa says:

Last night my family and I arrived home from our vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was absolutely beautiful there and the weather was fantastic. I loved being outside every day -- unlike our desert here. While visiting Gatlinburg, I realized that every time I turned around there was a church. There was a church at one corner and then across the street there was another one. I fell in love with them and really wanted to take pictures of them all but ran out of time. I did capture two of my favorites.
This is the actual size of this "small church in the country" church. It was on a main road amongst bigger, modern buildings. Charming, isn't it?
This Roaring Baptist Church we saw every day driving down the mountain road from our cabin. I love the stonework.
There is something wonderful about old churches and their architecture. Since our area is newer, we don't see these beautiful pieces of art. What neat churches are in your area?

What Would You Do With a Free Quart of Paint?

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

Last month I discovered that Glidden had an offer for a free can of paint.  All I had to do was pick a color and go online and give them my address and color choice, and they would send it in the mail absolutely FREE!  Well, the only thing I love more than cheap is free!  So I picked a color that I loved, eggshell Vintage Yellow.

The little box arrived in the mail this week containing a shiny green can of yellow possibilities!  Yippie!

I got started right away.  Wanna see what I did?

I have this old hutch that I found at a garage sale years ago for like $20. It holds all my table linens nicely. I just love the shape and height of it, and it fits perfectly in a spot in my family room.  But, I'm embarassed to say, it has been in my family room, in this condition, this whole time - a beat up, scuffed up mess.

Until my free can of paint arrived...

I quickly sanded then carefully painted it the creamy Vintage Yellow.  Four coats.  But in the morning light I wasn't quite pleased.  It was too pale, too pastel, too pretty.  It looked like it belonged in a baby girl nursery, not a family room.

So I bravely pulled the sander back out and gave it a good roughing up.  Hubby and kids all thought I was crazy.  I had just carefully painted it to make it look new, and now I was beating it up to make it look old again.  Then they really thought I was insane when I pulled out the antiquing glaze and started to rub brown stuff on it to make it look dirty.  Kids rolled their eyes and Hubby kindly said, "If you like it, then I like it."

They really should learn to trust me. (Plus, I could always repaint it, right?  Except I'd have to actually buy the paint this time.)

No need to repaint.  It worked out beautifully!  The free paint really transformed the piece, and the antiquing gave it a golden warmth. The yellow hutch really brightens up the whole room.

Here is a close up of the pretty detailing that was not really noticeable before it was painted.

And this morning when my Hubby walked in the room he said. "Wow, it turned out really terrific!"  I knew he'd come around.

So thanks to Glidden for the free paint.  It is a smooth and easy to use paint.  Very nice!  And an offer of free paint was just the motivation I needed to get this project done.

So, what would you do with a free quart of paint, or a purchased one for that matter?  

Great idea!  Now go do it!  Nothing brings such quick satisfaction than a little paint. (Just ignore the eyes rolling at you, and for heaven's sake don't roll them at yourself.  Trust yourself!  It will be terrific!)

Priceless!

Attic Gal Rachelle says:

The perfect pair of red patent leather pumps from the Rack: $40

A matching patent leather red belt from the Rack: $14

Strands of glass beads and a pendant from Michaels: $18

Feeling totally put-together: Priceless!

 Yes, I did pay a whole $40 for a pair of shoes at Nordstrom Rack, which seems like an awfully lot for a garage sale fanatic, but please know that I wear a gargantuan size 12 - a size seldom to be found at many stores, let alone garage sales.  So when I found these precious ruby red pumps and they actually fit my honking feet, I HAD to get them.  I love shoes, and whenever I find a fabulous pair of size 12s (a rare, rare treat) I snatch them up and worry what I'll wear them with later.  And when I found the belt, I knew it was fate - and a call to assemble the perfect ensemble.  I knew I had to have the perfect jewelry (shiny and red, of course) to balance out the shoes.  But I didn't run around the mall searching for the right bling. I went to the craft store instead where  I found some great beads and the fantastic glass flower pendant.   Perfect!   Now there was no doubt that fate was stepping in.  So I made the necklace, watch band, and even a pair of earrings.  I just love that with so many terrific beads out there, we can make jewelry to match any outfit with just a few simple skills and a little creativity.  And that, my friend, is...

PRICELESS!