So Easy!

These are the easiest magnets to make. Grab some clear stones (not iridescent) and a sticker, some E6000 glue and a heavy-duty magnet. Glue the sticker (can also use photos, art, etc) picture side down. Glue a magnet to the back. Allow to dry 24-48 hours. That's it. I told ya it was easy!

Cards & Paper Projects

Front, opened up inside, and back of my brother Josh and his wife Stacey's wedding card, complete with a miniature, readable wedding invitation. PS-they met over a CTR ring.

Christmas 2007 cardmaking.

Miscellaneous Projects

Here are just a couple of the projects that I've painted for my house over the years. Can you tell I really like wooden trays? -They're cheap. ;)

Family Home Evening chart from years ago. Once we had our last baby, we combined Mom & Dad and added a heart for Gabby. That marker faded though, so I'm going to have to re-touch it someday. The hearts are attached with Velcro circles.

 

Easy Light Switch Covers

These are really so easy to make. Get an inexpensive plastic light switch cover plate. With tacky glue (may have to thin with water a bit) cover the light switch cover plate with a plain coffee filter, generously glued on, making sure to get out all the bubbles, and cutting/poking out the holes

for the switch and the screws. Be sure to overlap on the back side and glue that down well also. Once it's dry then you can paint whatever you'd like on the switch plate cover and it won't rub off with use thanks to the coffee filter. When your design is dry, coat with a varnish or sealant. :) FYI-I like to make sure it's very dry before I

mount it to the wall...or it's almost impossible to take off the wall later.

Words of Wisdom

This quote hangs outside our front door. It is a really beat up piece of wood.

Our bishop was giving a talk in sacrament meeting and he read a portion of Thomas S. Monson's First Presidency Message found in the April 2006 issue of The Ensign. "It is in the home that we form our attitudes, our deeply held beliefs. It is in the home that hope is fostered or destroyed. Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells."

I went home from that meeting and could not stop thinking about that, that our homes should be a place where the storms of the world are left outside. The chaos. The contention. The discord. The despair. The filth and the ungodliness. I painted this sign so all who came here would see what we are trying to stand for. But ultimately, what I really hope for, is that we are actually living it.

These are scriptures I painted on my bedroom walls a couple of years back. All I did was pick a font I liked on my computer, print out the scriptures, chalk them on the wall while looking at the print-outs and then use some water-based tole paints to "write" them up there. They aren't perfect, but I really like them a lot anyway.

This first one is for husbands and wives. It reads, "Remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another. D & C 90:24". In the temple we make sacred covenants with Heavenly Father and with our spouses. We don't make covenants with anyone else. Ever. I picked this scripture so that I could see it when I woke up every morning and remind myself that Rob comes first above everyone else in this mortal life.

This second one is found in 3 Nephi 22:13, (also Isaiah 54:13) "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord: and great shall be the peace of thy children." This is a commandment and a promise. I love that. It was painted near the baby photos of my 5 precious children.

I wanted a scripture that could be a family motto so I also chose to paint 2 Nephi 5:27 on my walls. "We lived after the manner of happiness." While we don't always have peace at home, at least it's our goal and I think we actually do pretty well. :)

My Mom's Bathroom

A few years ago as a mother's day present to my mom, I painted her small downstairs bathroom. I started with a sunflower yellow paint color and sponged it all over the wall. Then when that was dry I mixed about 3 parts glaze to 1 part rose colored paint and sponged/smeared that into the edges/corners. It created a nice effect and my mom still says she feels like the sun is always shining in that room.

I also made a 16 x 20 faux stained glass sun with a poster frame (so it would be light-weight) and we hung that on the wall.

I took watercolor paper and made two more little pictures, with my watercolor pencils and a regular ol' black permanent marker, one of a sun and one of a moon to complete the theme.

Mom says it's her favorite room in the house. :)

Football Room

Some wall murals I painted for the boys football themed room.

As a family we love the Redskins, always have, always will. They are Corey's favorite team also so they got top billing in the room as you walk in.

Tyler likes the Patriots, not because he cares in the slightest bit for football, but because he thinks it's patriotic, so I painted the Patriots logo for him on one wall.

Ryan loves the Giants. Don't really know why, we don't know anyone from New York, but at least they are doing really well this year!

Some early sketches.