Recycled Baseballs - Americana

I found patriotic inspiration on Flickr looking at Kelly Cottrell's photos.  She painted some paper mache balls in patriotic colors...

I love how these look.  Thank you so much Kelli for the inspiration!

You've heard the phrase "as American as baseball and apple pie"...right?  So, I decided to incorporate some old baseballs I had in my painting stash ....

Still playing around with different ways to display them...

Linking this idea with Be Inspired's link party and CSI Project and
A to Z's Vingnette Party!

And this display has been featured on Someday Crafts, too!  Thanks!

Patriotic Nesting Boxes - Before & After

I found some great inspiration at the Traditions Year Round Holiday Store including these patriotic nesting boxes...

I've been wanting to create my own set, so not long after I found my inspiration pics, I set out to do just that.  I purchased a set of paper mache nesting boxes that started out like this...

I painted them a parchment color and then used a brown paint wash technique to make it look vintage.   I added some red stripes to the lids for a punch of color and then glued a different image to each side.  The final result ....

I had more fun painting these than I thought I would, and I love the results!

More patriotic crafts coming up soon!


Linking up with Metamorphosis Monday, check it out!
Also linking to Be Inspired's party!
And Just A Girl!
And The CSI Project!

An Easy Way to Frame Artwork!

On occasion, I find the perfect piece of wall art, but it's not a standard size and I'm left wondering how to frame it. A custom matte can be pricey, and I don't always find one I like.

Here's an idea that I've used a few times now when my artwork is a non-standard size and I can't find a matte to fit it.  I just take my print to the craft store and pick out a coordinating piece of scrapbook paper.  Something to complement the artwork as well as match the frame I intend to use.

Next, I cut the scrapbook paper to fit the frame.  Then I adhere my print to the center of the paper before framing it.

Here are a few examples of non-standard size artwork where I used scrapbook paper as the "matte" before framing...

I purchased these prints online for my laundry room.  Unfortunately, they were not a regular size.  So I used some black and white scrapbook paper which I had on hand.  I taped the print to the paper, then framed the paper. 

Bonus:  I picked up these matching frames at Goodwill and spraypainted them black.  Both prints got framed for less than $5! 

These do have black mattes in them that came with the frames, but the scrapbook paper helps fill the space.

Here's a few painting I framed for my daughter's room.  They are 9x12 canvas sheets framed in big 12x12 square frames.  The frames are garage sale finds that I painted white:

This is a small picture that I put in a large frame. I made a matte by layering several different sheets of scrapbook paper:

I created these HIS and HERS signs for our master bath.  I printed the words using a cursive font directly onto scrapbook paper.  Then I centered them onto a coordinating scrapbook paper and framed them:

Here's a close up view:

These custom silhouette profiles were an odd size.  And I wanted them framed in oval frames.  This black and white scrapbook paper was the perfect solution for a matte.  I just taped the profile pics to the paper which I cut to fit the frame.  Easy peesy!

Original mattes for your artwork!  At the cost of a sheet of scrapbook paper!  Sweeeeet!

I'm linking this idea to Room To Inspire's Inspiration Party!

Hope this tip was helpful! Thanks for checking in!