UA-59651954-28 Crafty Allie: 2016

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Mastering the Art of DIY

You don’t have to undergo a major home renovation in order to increase the value of your home. After all, hiring a contractor or a team of construction and design professionals is an undertaking all its own. Not to mention that renovations often run over budget, over time, and can cause mountains of headaches along the way.

If you don’t have the money, time, or the inclination to take on such a project, you can join the thousands of homeowners across the country who have been rolling up their sleeves, dusting off their toolbox, and heading to home improvement stores. DIY is an attractive option for those of us who may not be plumbers, carpenters, or electricians, but can follow instructions and want to keep much of our hard-earned cash in our wallets.


Even if you’re not the handiest homeowner out there, don’t let the phrase “do-it-yourself” scare you. A project can be as simple as painting a door or hanging a curtain. In fact, there are plenty of simple projects that you can undertake to increase your home value, and most of those don’t even require a tool belt.




What’s important to know about DIY is to start small and to not do anything too intimidating. It can be tempting to look at the TV shows, the Pinterest boards, the YouTube clips and the like and think that you can handle it – and if you can, more power to you! – but the last thing you want to happen is to decide you can tackle a bathroom renovation, power through the demolition of the tiles and the dismantling of the sink, and then be at a loss of how to put it all back together.

DIY should be approached like any other project, by looking at your budget, your time frame, and whether or not you have what you need to complete the job. That doesn’t necessarily just mean tools, but also whether or not your skill set is up to the task. If you’ve never laid flooring before, converting your entire living room from carpet to hard wood in a weekend might not be the best place to start. What are the stakes involved if you end up taking a wrong step? If you want to try a funky stencil on a wall, you can always paint over it if it doesn’t turn out right. If you want to or create some holiday décor to deck your halls, you can always trash it and start over again. Paving a walkway, on the other hand, would be a different story altogether, requiring a lot more time, equipment, and manual labor to do the job right.


And let’s not forget that doing the job right is imperative. While cosmetic DIY changes done wrong simply look unsightly, more intensive projects done improperly can cause a lot of damage and can be a danger to the inhabitants of the home, not to mention cost a lot of money to correct the issue. Improper plumbing, for example, can cost thousands of dollars in water damage. Improper wiring can be a fire hazard. Once you have a sledgehammer in your hand, removing a wall can seem like no big deal. But not paying attention to necessary load-bearing supports can compromise the structural integrity of a home.

Remember that DIY doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. If you’re remodeling your bathroom, for example, you can always hire a plumber and/or contractor to deal with the plumbing and waterproofing of the bigger items, such as the shower, bathtub, and sink, while you handle more manageable tasks such as painting and installing fixtures. Small scale renovations can be just as satisfying as large-scale ones, and they can also increase your home value more than you might expect. And if you need a little guidance, don’t be afraid to ask for it! Employees at your closest home improvement store – whether it be an independent hardware store or a big box chain like Lowe’s or The Home Depot – are more than willing to share their expertise with you.



DIY improvements can give you even more of a sense of pride in your home and the work that you’ve done, with the added benefit of increasing the value of your home. Pick a project and dive right in – if you choose smartly, you’ll be happy that you gave it a shot.

You can increase the value of your home too with these easy home improvement ideas. Great ideas that won't break the bank!

Thank you all so much for tuning in today!
Until Next Time...



Tuesday, August 2, 2016

DIY Heat Transfer T-Shirts + FREE Download



I know, I know it's been way too long since my last post!

My excuse... LIFE!

I thought several times of calling it quits. But I love blogging, and I love this blog. And well, I have to live by my motto...
"Crafting is the cure for my insanity!"
And it really is true. I may not be able to blog as much as I'd like but hey at least I can still do it when I can.

This post is even more long over due because

was so gracious to give me a sample pack of their easy weed heat transfer vinyl.



My Cricut cutter had some hiccups, which prevented me from making cool stuff with their vinyl pack. But that's ok, because I finally gave in and bought a Silhouette!

Omg, I love this machine!


I'm a bit of a Silhouette addict.
Hopefully there will be a therapy group soon!{insert giggles}
Ok, so on with the tutorial...
First I designed the image for my t-shirt.

Then using your Silhouette cutting machine,
import the image by selecting open under file.
Then select your image.
Enlarge your image on your design mat.
Then select the trace button, and then select the trace selected area, once you get to that page.




 Once you have selected the area to be traced, then click on the arrows pointing upwards on the High Pass Filter.


Keep clicking the arrow up until you see that there is hardly (or none at all black lines in your image).

This image looks really grainy because I cropped and enlarge the print screen shot.

Next, click on trace.


Click on the image, pull it to the side and right click to delete that layer.



And now your all set to cut the image!

Don't forget to reverse your image.






For this shirt, I chose Siser Easy Weed SILVER color.

I won't go into cutting your image and the heat transfer process (maybe on another tutorial).



But here's the finished shirt!


For a limited time, I'll give away this file for FREE.
Click Here to download the Silhouette file.

Thank you so much Siser for giving me this sample pack to play with!
I have more projects to soon post, so stay tuned.

And thank you all for tuning in today!
Until Next Time...


Monday, July 18, 2016

Funquarium Giveaway WINNER Announcement

Hey Ya'll, happy Monday!

Time to brighten a lucky Crafty Allie reader's day.


Taylor C.

Congrats! Check your email Taylor, I've emailed you!

Thank you to all of you who participated!!!

Stay tuned... I have a fun craft I'll be posting soon!

Until Next Time...


Monday, July 11, 2016

Funquarium GIVEAWAY!


Hello everyone!  I’m so happy and grateful 

to be here with you today. Allie has been very

 kind in letting me share my product with

 you on her awesome blog!


I’d like to introduce to you the 

Funquarium Shark-Shaped Fish Bowl.


It’s a fun and unique way to display fish

(with plants, decorations, etc). 

It can also be used as a candy jar, a bank 

(Sharky is the friendliest “loan shark” you’ll 

ever find), 



 or fill with anything else you can safely

 imagine.


The Funquarium is lovingly handmade around

 a one gallon plastic fish bowl. It’s lightweight,

 but it’s a heavyweight in the fun department.



 It’s great for both those young and young at

 heart. It also makes for a wonderful gift and

 an excellent conversation piece.




To kick off the Funquarium, I’ll be giving one

 of these charming guys away to a lucky

 reader of Allie’s blog!



Please Make sure to check it out 
(with full description, and bonus bowl tips) 
at my etsy shop



See you there, and good luck in the Giveaway!


Thank You Sarah!
And thank you all for tuning in today!


Thursday, June 2, 2016

Your Essential Spring Interior Lighting Guide


Your Essential Spring Interior Lighting Guide


When the spring and summer months finally arrive, we are embraced by the sun’s warm natural rays of light and we delight in the vibrancy of color found in spring’s blooms. Everything else by comparison feels drab and artificial, including our interior spaces.


With today’s interior design developments, we can now bring the light and natural colors of the world into our very own home. Using nature as our source of inspiration, here’s not just a few lighting designs to try, here are some lighting principles to live by.


Getting the Look: Natural interior Lighting
Lighting in the home is as chief a design element as the Georgia O’Keeffe print hanging above your media console. Lighting enriches user experience through subtly telling the occupant how the space should be used, as well as through highlighting the masterful design of the interior. SFGATE writes that a well-lit room is not only more appealing, it’s also more user-friendly.


There are a total of three lighting styles that every interior needs. They are: Task, Ambient and Accent lighting. All three lighting styles when working together craft a space that feels as though it is made out of the very essence of nature. Who knew that lighting design could so easily manipulate our senses and create a space of air and light?


Let’s take a quick look at what each of the three lighting styles does for the interior:


Task Lighting: As you probably surmised by its name, task lighting is necessary for completing certain tasks. Think of task lighting as a spotlight. It casts a steady, current stream of light on your work area. Task lighting is perfect for activities like crocheting, cooking or even just looking through a magazine.


Ambient Lighting: This type of lighting design provides general overhead light in the interior space. Houzz suggests that by pairing ambient light with natural light, you can create the illusion of an open and airy space. This can help you feel like you are sitting out on the patio when you’re actually sitting pretty in your air conditioned living room.


Accent Lighting: To bring the glow of spring into your home, accent lighting should be your design style of choice. Accent lighting, similar to task lighting, shines a spotlight on specific areas in the home. Unlike task lighting, which focuses its light source on user tasks, accent lighting brings into focus particular architectural and interior design elements. This brings user attention to the details of the home.


Lighting Fixture Types
The real question is, what type of lighting fixture would best help to accentuate your space and usher in the spirit of spring?


The first thing to think about is where you want the focus to be in your home. Do you want it to be on your multi-colored Marocco Rug with its floral mandalas, or do you want to shine a light on your succulent-filled retro bullet planter? Maybe you would prefer showing off the geometric pastel graphic printed pillows designed by Alexander Girard sitting on your sofa. Or maybe you just want a room that feels as open and light as your private garden. Guess what? You can accomplish all of this at once with a mixture of task, ambient and accent lighting.


The Chandelier: The chandelier encapsulates accent and ambient lighting through producing an overhead light that illuminates the entire room. The low-hanging tapered design of the Patrona Chandelier by Tech Lighting company has 22 arms that extend and hang from the ceiling much in the shape of a fruit-laden vine. Its 22 bulbs produce a light that glitters as it passes through their crystal shades.


The Wall Sconce: The wall sconce provides task, ambient and accent lighting all in one unique fixture. Hung at any level, the sconce can illuminate your reading material or frame a prized item in light, The Steampunk wall sconce by Boyd Lighting is oval in shape and industrial in design. It’s no nonsense sentiment makes the user fix their mind on the happenings of the space, not the walls.

We all enjoy a good dose of natural light. Now we can bring it into our home by simply arranging our fixtures in such a way as to make us believe the room is an extension of the outside world.

Thank you so much for tuning in!
Until Next Time...

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Worthwhile Wednesday #110


Welcome, Welcome all to the 110th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!



Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Worthwhile Wednesdays #109


Welcome, Welcome all to the 109th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!



Friday, February 19, 2016

Pinbellish #25

Welcome to Pinbellish!

A Pinning Celebration!



There was some fierce competition for the most clicked this week with a tie between 4 great PINS. Take a look at those pins and see why they are the most appealing. What could you do differently to get your pin in the MOST LOVED PIN position?

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Worthwhile Wednesdays #108


Welcome, Welcome all to the 108th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!



Friday, February 12, 2016

Pinbellish #24

Welcome to Pinbellish!

A Pinning Celebration



We're in February already and the Valentines crafts are everywhere!

When you've linked your PIN here I'd love you to pop over and link your Lovely POSTS at the very special VALENTINE POSTS ONLY LINKY.

Just scroll to the bottom to link up.
The party is open right up to Valentines Day so do come back and link all your Valentines day goodies!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Worthwhile Wednesdays #107


Welcome, Welcome all to the 107th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!



Friday, February 5, 2016

Pinbellish #23

Welcome to Pinbellish!

A Pinning Celebration



I'm still finding my groove for 2016. How about you? I love when Friday comes around and all I have to worry about is getting the party ready for you and playing in Pinterest. Pinterest is my guilty pleasure.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Worthwhile Wednesdays #106


Welcome, Welcome all to the 106th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!



Friday, January 29, 2016

Pinbellish #22

Welcome to Pinbellish!

A Pinning Celebration



I'm still finding my groove for 2016. How about you? I love when Friday comes around and all I have to worry about is getting the party ready for you and playing in Pinterest. Pinterest is my guilty pleasure.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Worthwhile Wednesdays #105


Welcome, Welcome all to the 105th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!


Monday, January 25, 2016

Valentines Day Decor on a Budget

After finally putting all of the Christmas decorations away and cleaning up the New Year's confetti, Valentine's Day will be here before we know it. But this doesn't have to be a cause for an alarm – there is no reason to spend an extravagant amount of money on Valentine's Day decor. I did some research and read a Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

Read on to learn more about how to maximize your Valentine's Day décor appeal while minimizing the impact on your wallet.





Heart Shaped Place Mats




This is a great way to add some pizzazz to your dining area, at minimal cost. All you need to get started are some foam craft sheets (red or pink of course) and a pair of scissors. From there, simply trace and cut a heart shape. You can use a gold pen to decorate the heart with romantic slogans and edge it with swirls. Or perhaps you will want to personalize the heart for that special someone...





Candy Coke Bottles




Valentine's Day offers a multitude of opportunities to indulge one's sweet tooth, but did you know that sweets can also double as a great decoration idea? You can use Coke bottles to create some additional decoration or use them as gifts/party favors. Simply fill the Coke bottles with red, white and pink M&Ms and tie a beautiful ribbon around the top. Gift givers can also add a card, if they feel so inclined.





Flowers For Your Dining Chairs




To spruce up your dining chairs and put your living space in the spirit of Valentine's Day, pick up some silk flowers (preferably four to six) and a moderately sized roll of wire ribbon. By tying flowers to the back of your own dining room chairs, you can create the proper Valentine's Day ambiance. By choosing wire ribbon, you can make your bows as large as possible, for an additional eye-catching element.



Floral Bouquets


When you head to your local supermarket, there are a wide array of inexpensive floral bouquets to choose from. To get the most of these floral arrangements, break them down into a series of smaller bunches. Add some of your best evergreen yard clippings and grab some vases and teacups to add some much needed romance to your rooms. A pretty display can be created for pennies on the dollar!





Candles



Candles create a very romantic ambiance, no matter what time of year they are purchased. A trip to your local dollar store or discount shop will provide you with a varied selection to choose from. By shopping for candles at a deep discount, you can create lovely groupings throughout the home and, for example, place them in mason jars, with ribbons tied around the outside.



The ideas are limitless! Even if you're not the crafty type, you can always buy your decor 
pre-made, and save while you're shopping!




Thanks so much for tuning in!
Until Next Time...




Need more Valentine Ideas be sure to check out my Valentines Gift Guide!

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