Say "no" to boring purses with your sharpie and mad doodling skills

  So my beloved old canvas purse was dying and I needed a replacement and I was lucky enough to find this fab red bag.  A fine enough bag, but ultimately lacking in pizzaz. Something had to be done.
  Not to brag but I'm somewhat of a master doodler.  When I was still in school and almost everyone else was dutifully taking notes, I was busy honing my craft.  Maybe you were a diligent doodler as well?  Well here's a chance to show off.
  If you're feeling a little rusty or in need of inspiration, do check out my doodle board on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/zendances/doodle/.

  

Prosecco cocktails !

Two very refreshing Prosecco cocktails with sparkling cucumber water and either St.Germaine or ginger liqueur

  It's hard to believe that the fun-filled effervescence that is Prosecco could be improved upon.  But thanks to an enlightening night of research and development with my crack team of intrepid explorers, we may have stumbled upon a refreshing twist on said bubbles for those steamy summer nights.  (Thanks to my R & D team, Heintz, Julie, Duane, Betti, and of course, Rob.) By the way, the ginger liqueur is from a local distiller here in Portland, http://www.newdealdistillery.com   and it is fabulous.  Here are the recipes:

Up-cycling 0ld 70's Art

What to do with those old 70's style brown metal sculptures one finds at a thrift shop, garage sale, or perhaps on their parent's wall.

  So I got the idea for this after "enhancing" some semi-tacky butterfly shaped metal sculptures I literally found lying on the side of the road.  Which was really a cool story in itself as it came at a time in my life when I was going through a major transformation and I needed a little confirmation that I, myself was succeeding in the process of upgrading some of my internal semi-tackiness into something more cohesive and beautiful.  Anyhow, I mentioned that I wanted to do more of this "enhancing" to my friend and ace thrifter, Rachelle, and she immediately found this spectacular ship. (thanks Rachelle!)  Rumor has it that this beauty came out of an old bar in Astoria on the Oregon coast.  Judging by the nicotine stench I find this story to have some plausibility. 

   Step 1) hose down your sculpture.

   Step 2) just start splashing paint around and decoupaging the heck out of whatever metal sculpture thingy you've managed to get your hands on.

             Some More Random Tips

   I found it helpful to lay down a light base color on the entire thing. But I kept it fairly painterly. I like that some of the metal showed through. 

   Fan brushes and a spray bottle.  Fun to play with and great for the textures and drips I love so much.

So much fun!

   I used scrap booking paper, newspaper, and old wrapping paper for the decoupage part.  In retrospect, maps would have been cool too.  Mod-podge is my adhesive of choice.

   I also used some stencils and just regular old painting in case you were wondering.   The sky is the limit.  As I was working on this, I really wanted to let it unfold in the present moment, in the lightest and most joyful way I could muster.  No mulling or planning allowed!  Just being.  It felt really good and it still feels really good to me when I look at it. Tall ships have made appearances in my work in the past.  I think they appeal to me as symbol of the soul with each sail unfurled representing a another lifetime.  Each lifetime providing experiences that propel your "ship" across the multiverse.  Each experience (no matter how "good" or "bad") adding more interest, beauty, and power to your voyage.  Um, at least that's where I went with it.

   

D.I.Y. Upcycled Patchwork Scarf

D.I.Y. Upcycled Patchwork Scarf
So easy!

 Do you have a stash of old scarves that you don't wear anymore because they just aren't the right size for that insouciant, devil-may-care, fling-around-your-neck-in-a-daring-jumble,sort of way?   Well here's your solution!  

 I obviously used three scarves but I think it depends on  the dimensions of the scarves you start with and what you like.  Then find some complementary trims.  Pom-pom ball trim must be all the rage as I was blown away by the range of colors and sizes at my local fabric store.  Fringe, beaded trims, and sequins should be considered as well.

 OK, confession time, The two smaller scarves already had trim.  Which was a great time saver.  Which was fantastic because I had to hand sew the whole damn thing. Actually I find hand sewing quite meditative and relaxing.  Also I don't have a sewing machine.  So there's that.  I'm sure if you had a machine you could kick this out in no time.

 Happy sewing!