Wall Decals and Stickers from Single Stone Studios

Color Combo Monday #12

2012-01-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

via

::Collaboration::

2012-01-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

image via pinterest

I've always said that my art is a time when

I get quiet and God speaks, my visual prayers.

All artists need inspiration, the word inspire itself

translated in the Greek means God-breathed.

Truly, there is no art where there is no God.

Organizing My Art Studio

2012-01-10T17:34:00.002-05:00

How I organize all

my mixed media supplies.

As you know, mixed media art

is not the art of a minimalist.

When I posted the photo above on our

FaceBook Page I got some questions

about what I ahve in my studio

and how I organize it.

The video goes through all my

bins and baskets and tells you

what is in each of them!

Color Combo Monday #11

2012-01-09T18:51:00.000-05:00

Since it's in the 50's here

in Cincinnati, in JANUARY

I thought some bright, happy

colors would be fun today!

via

New Years "resolutions"

2012-01-05T14:47:00.004-05:00

I always set goals for the new year.

Don't like to call them resolutions though.

Even though I am resolved to make

an honest effort towards achieving them.

I don't beat myself up if I have not achieved

a goal by the end of the year.

If I am working hard at pursuing it,

then I am learning, changes are happening &

you can't really put a timeline on it's completion.

Change happens at it's own pace.

We are to follow it and slow down

or keep up, which ever applies to the moment.

For me, the key is to start. To keep at it.

And that is a resolution achieved even if the goal

is still developing.

That is success.

As I approach this new year I have a

lot of questions and a lot of

"irons in the fire" to be cliche.

The questions have answers,

I just haven't stumbled upon them yet.

They aren't questions with obvious answers.

They are questions with

good answers

and God answers.

Sorting between

the good and the God

is usually a bit challenging.

The good isn't bad

but it's not the God.

It's not the above and beyond.

It's not the exception.

It's not the abundant.

I find myself always living my life in this push.

The push to learn more.

The push to be more.

The push to get beyond myself,

beyond the good,

and into the abundant that is God.

But it is a push. A constant, relentless push.

Going beyond the good is not easy.

It's is not a clear cut path.

There is always a point at which you have to

decide if you're going to keep going when

keeping going starts to feel a bit ridiculous.

And then the ridiculous lasts longer than

you thought it would.

This is when you really need to dig in your heels.

Roll up your sleeves and

find your resolve.

Don't expect others to understand.

Don't expect them to see you the

way you see yourself.

You'll say things they don't understand.

You'll do things they think are ridiculous.

But when you want uncommon results

God will walk you through uncommon places.

And so you push.

You push through

the good.

the ridiculous.

the time.

more time.

even more time.

until you trust in the timing.

then you push

through a little more

time.

and then

just a little more

time for good measure.

and finally

somewhere.

somehow.

you get past the good &

into the God.

You know you're there when the

push was worth it.

If it's not worth it yet.

You're not there yet.

So here's to 2012.

For me it means....

keep pushing.

But it also means

to be grateful

for all the time before

that I pushed through the good

and into the God.

For the understanding that I

have that I can push through to more.

That I'm never ever alone.

That while I'm going

through I'm still walking

with Him.

Like everyone, I like to see my

hard work

payoff in successful results.

I'm an eye-on-the-prize kind of person.

There is always a goal that drives me.

But it never fails that once my

goal is accomplished and I've

reach the next level

the thing that satisfies me most

and humbles me to my knees

is the overwhelming realization

that every goal that drives me

is just a motivator God puts in my life

to make me need him more

and in new ways because

He simply just wants to be with me

and teach me to be with Him.

It's not about the resolutions at all.

They're just the motivators

to help you find your push

that turns your

goodness

into Godliness.

Find this decal in our shop.

Color Combo Monday #10

2012-01-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

We got a little snow last night

so today's Color Combo Monday

is a warm and cute outfit for winter!

via

2012

2011-12-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

If I have been so blessed

as to find

inspiration

for my life

for 2012

this would be my prayer...

Decal art will be in our store for the new year.

Happy 2012!

I hope you use

EVERYTHING

he gave you!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:9-11 NKJV)

Color Combo Monday #10

2011-12-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

A traditional Christmas

via

Color Combo Monday #9

2011-12-12T12:47:00.000-05:00

Art by Christy Tomlinson

FABULOUS Handmade Jewelry

2011-12-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

I must say, I have the COOLEST customers

who do cool things with decals.

I love it when I get photos back!

It's thrills me. Really.

Please send them :)

I have worked with a jewelry designer,

Veronica Riley Martens,

several times for her tradeshows.

She always has cool displays.

Not to mention FABULOUS jewelry.

All handmade. Colorful. Inspired.

This is her latest show display:

Isn't it gorgeous?

And I love the jewelry.

Inspired, I say,

Inspired.

Color Combo Monday #8

2011-12-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

via

Color Combo Monday #7

2011-11-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

It's Color Combo Monday again!

I am loving these - I hope you all are too :)

Since there are only 4 Mondays until Christmas

I thought I'd gear Color Combo Monday to

fun Christmas Inspiration!

I'm particularly loving this combo

and Etsy is a GREAT place to

find unique, one-of-a-kind gifts and decor.

Also for some

gorgeous wreath ideas

check out Jen Swift's blog today.

GORGEOUS, I tell you!

Color Combo Monday #6

2011-11-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

via

Color Combo Monday #5

2011-11-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

image via

Color Combo Monday #4

2011-11-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

Autumn Owls

Pin It -> Do It

2011-11-02T11:59:00.000-04:00

Today is the day:

For all the great entries you have to

checkout Young House Love,

Bower Power, Ana White & House of Earnest

There will be SO many cool projects

to check out. I can't wait to go through the links!

This is my inspiration photo:

You can check out all my pins HERE.

I have a few....hundred.

I chose to do a wall in my dining room.

It's been sitting blank for months since the remodel.

Let me refresh your memory:

This was taken pre-construction.

The walls made the space really awkward

and made the house feel crowded.

So we ripped them out.

Ah, wide open spaces!

Enter the Pinterest Challenge.

And this pic (just a reminder)

My Pattern: Chevron

My Color Scheme: Charcoal, Sienna & White

My Supplies: Paint, Wall Decals, Dishes

First I painted the blue hutch a charcoal grey.

Here's a before pic of the hutch I painted

when it lived in my art studio.

It was light blue and full of yummy art supplies.

But I needed more usable storage and less display

space so it had to go when I rearranged the studio.

While that was drying Billy and I started applying

our new Chevron Wall Decals in Sienna.

Then we slid the hutch back in place and

added the white dishes (a collection from my kitchen -

now I have a nearly empty cabinet - YAY for extra storage)

If you look closely, you can see Mr. Owl

proudly displaying his new, all white coat

in the middle of the top shelf.

Finally, 9 months after the reno, the

dining room looks like a room &

it feel so cozy in there.

Now to find inspiration for the rest of the house!

Don't forget to check out all the great

blogs hosting the Pinterest Challenge!

Pin It -> Do It

2011-11-01T14:33:00.000-04:00

I've been hard at work

completing my Pinterest Challenge Project.

Tomorrow is the big reveal day!

I shared my Pinterest inspiration

photo in my Pin It Do It post last week.

Here is a little sneak peek of

a small detail of the overall project.

Mr. Owl is rather blue

and gets painted into a happy,

pristine white version of himself.

Is there anything spray paint can't fix?

Tomorrow I'll share the full reveal of my project.

I have painted furniture, painted an owl

and applied wall decals!

I can't wait to see what everyone

else does for their project.

ANYONE

can join in the fun!

Color Combo Monday #3

2011-10-31T12:32:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit

I finished up my PinterestChallenge

project over the weekend!!

Anyone else working on one?

Pin It -> Do It

2011-10-28T15:34:00.002-04:00

Next week I'm participating in this

On Weds Young House Love, Bower Power Blog,

Ana White, and House of Ernest

are putting on a Pinterest Challenge.

The concept is to create a project inspired

by something you pinned on Pinterest.

This is my inspiration:

photo credit

No. I'm not making a cake.

Even if I did no one would want to eat it.

You'll just have to wait until Weds to see

what I have planned. And consider

doing something you pinned too!

All of the blogs I mentioned above will

host a link party so you can link your

Pinterest Project along with the rest of us.

It'll be FUN!

Peacock Inspired

2011-10-27T15:31:00.003-04:00

This morning I was in Pier 1 and noticed

peacocks everywhere!

The first thing that caught my eye

(probably because it was just inside the door)

was the peacock selection of Christmas Decor...

wreath and Christmas tree included.

Check out a few pics I snapped with my phone:

The feather wreath was fun but I really

loved the royal look of the tree.

It was very shimmery!

Check out the feather in the bottom right pic -

it was plastic so it would hold up from

year to year but I had to touch it to see what it

was made of. It didn't look plastic.

The teal and purple and gold. YUM!

Then as I roamed the store a bit more

I found a GORGEOUS embroidered

slip cover. More shimmer with that fantastic

gold thread running throughout the entire design.

The dish on the right is really fun and could

be displayed or the peacock could make special

appearances at your parties :)

And Finally, if the actual image of the fowl doesn't

suit your taste, then take some color inspiration

from the peacock. The rich jewel tones
are gorgeous, the shimmer,
the plum, teal, greens and gold

can make for stunning home decor.

Peacock Feather Wall Decal

Color Combo Monday #2

2011-10-24T11:11:00.000-04:00

photo credit

Pin It -> Do It

2011-10-20T12:25:00.002-04:00

So, we're all Pinterest lovers.

If you are not, then you haven't pinned. :)

Pinning is great but

doing is better!

I tried this biscuit pizza roll idea

from my Food board.

The original recipe is by

A Slob Comes Clean.

Here are my thoughts on this idea:

It was quick and easy to make and clean up.

Which in my book is HUGE.

I also used paper plates to serve

'cause that's how I pizza roll ;)

However, if I made them again I'd

use sausage instead of pepperoni,

and I'd use a better dough, even though

both of those things add more time and effort.

I also think this would be really

fun to have the family build their own!

I'll take sausage and banana peppers please,

hold the mushrooms.

Do You Pinterest?

2011-10-19T20:26:00.000-04:00

You can check out my boards by clicking

on them above. If you want an invite to join

Pinterest just drop me an email.

You KNOW you want to!

shelley@singlestonestudios.com

New Decal Art

2011-10-18T13:09:00.003-04:00

Billy and I have been working

hard to get some new art on the

website! YAY! Below

are links to the pieces listed.

Hope you likey :)

Faith Bigger than Fear

Faith Without Action

Forgiveness

Giraffe Family

Impossible Until It's Done

Kind and Truthful

Love Revolution

Modern Circle Monogram

Scribble Circles

Tree of Love

Self Serve Laundry

Cat's Eye Pattern

If in doubt, love

That's 13 new wall decal designs!!

And more to come!

Color Combo Monday #1

2011-10-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

photo credit

real life.

2011-10-11T14:59:00.000-04:00

in real life

it's not as bad as it seems.

confusion is not permanent.

not everything needs to be defined.

sometimes understanding in your heart

is more important than understanding in your mind.

beauty is best found in the broken.

honesty trumps success.

kindness trumps frustration.

meek is not weak.

your hips aren't as wide as you think.

your hair really does have a mind of it's own.

you will mess up.

you should ask for forgiveness.

you should give forgiveness.

above all you should know you are loved.

unconditionally.

love never fails.

god is love.

sleeping on it helps.

kissing your husband helps more.

music is inspiration.

art is fueld by inspiration.

inspired in the greek means god-breathed.

in real life - i need to know this.

Life Mediums

2011-10-05T13:09:00.000-04:00

This morning, as I was driving back to the studio from running errands, I was thinking about art mediums. Not all that uncommon for me. I was thinking about how they excite me, especially when you start combining them. The juxtaposition of leather and metal, paint and paper, burlap and linen. How opposites attract and compliment each other beautifully. That, to an artist, especially a mixed media artist, is exciting. So exciting that it moves us to action. To us everything is an art supply and all objects are meant to be altered.
As I was thinking all these thoughts about art and mediums I started thinking of life and how there are a few specific mediums God gives us to alter the world ithin our reach. He calls them fruits but today I am loving the idea of them as mediums. I specifically thought to myself that I need to allow Self-Control to draw the lines in my life, I need to paint more with Love and allow the gritty texture of Long Suffering show in my work. My life's work. My thoughts turned into prayers and I prayed that these mediums would excite me and move me to action just as much as the supplies in my studio. That my creations with them would be true to even the finest detail.

Art is an expression of emotion. It's the artist transparent on canvas. The deepest most parts of his or her being in color, texture, imagery. What if we lived our lives in the same way? Truly transparent. It does leave a lot for the viewer to interpret - art is always perceived by each viewer in a different way depending on their own thoughts and experiences. But the mediums are all there - love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - the interpretation is not on us. That's for God to give, we just have to have faith in the mediums he gives us enough to use them. Everyday. To create our life and alter the world within our reach. The little opportunities that need just a brush stroke of love, a dusting of joy, touch of goodness and restraint to know how much is enough.

I've said this many times before that the act of creating is when I get quiet and God speaks. It's prayerful and meditative. I try to live my life this way, I really do. Sometimes though, I speak my own words and not God's, I have my own actions and not His. Today was a good reminder to keep these things in check. I've been unusually busy for months and my calendar does not indicate this pace letting up any time soon. So as I go through my days I pray that I create them with the mediums God gives me and the wisdom to know which ones to use at just the right time.

Etsy Interview

2011-09-28T14:23:00.003-04:00

Each week Etsy has a new artist

they interview and promote on the front page.

I love to read them and always find them

inspiring but today while reading

the interview with SlippinSouthern

I had to share and would love

to hear your thoughts.

This is the quote that struck me

while reading the interview.

It's in response the the question

"What does handmade mean to you?"

"Handmade is the way I’m redefining myself.

After 25+ years of using a computer every day,

going back to basics and making things with my hands
again has been so eye opening. I was in school before

Macs were invented, so finding those hand skills

again and rediscovering what drew me to

art in the first place is very empowering."

I loved reading that!

his work is so fun!

As an artist who does a lot of digital work (obviously)

I HAVE to find time to work with my hands

or I am just not fun to be around! There is nothing

that can take the place of making something with

your own hands. It's just so satisfying!

The production process of making a decal is quite

hands on and labor intensive but it is not creative

since the creativity happens digitally.

Though I still enjoy it, it's not my favorite part.

However, applying the decals, for me, is incredibly

fulfilling! I love to go on site and do big installs.

It's thrilling. every. single. time.

Seeing the process through from conceptualizing it,

creating the decals and then installing the designs -

is the BEST!

Working with my hands is why I paint, why I

make home decor items, make assemblage

art, alter clothing...anything I can get my HANDS on!

Do any of you feel that way?

You really have a NEED to create with your hands?

I think it's innate for every human to create in some capacity.

For me, it's a strong connection to God when I express

the inspiration in my heart through my hands

and create or alter a physical object.

The way I feel when I make art and create

with my hands is not a feeling I can get any other way.

I love that God gave that to me!

Leather & Metal Cuff

2011-09-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

As part of the altered fashions

I completely forgot to share my

leather and metal cuff I told you all

about in my videos.

Sheesh, Shelley!

I'm loving it!

So fun to wear!!

Altered Fashions Reveal

2011-09-21T06:33:00.000-04:00

This summer I've been getting into fashion a bit more.

I'm by no means a fashionista but the more and more

I see altered fashions the more I want to make them

and wear them! I love how you get a personal

sense of expression with handmade and altered clothing.

The piece I'm sharing today was

SUPER simple to change.

I bought a bathing suit cover-up this summer

and changed it into a top.

::the cover-up::

I turned it inside out and stitched in some

shoulders and cut out the arm holes.

Flipped it upside down and

now I have a great new top!

For fall I think I'll layer it

with a long sleeve shirt.

I love it!

Now head over to Jen's Blog

and check out her creation.

We've both been so busy this week

I haven't even see hers yet.

I can't wait!!

Share pics of your altered items on

our Facebook pages.

Single Stone FB Page

Bird From A Wire FB Page

Can't wait to see our creations!!

Whatever You're Doing...

2011-09-19T12:58:00.001-04:00

You know, I thought this busy schedule would let up after school started and summer break had ended. Guess not. I've been just as busy with projects, proposals, work, family, blog, all those things. To the point of overwhelmed. Then once I mark something off my list I've questioned it, totally second guessing myself and thinking oh, I should have done this, or thought of that, it wasn't my best work, how do I keep missing the mark blah blah blah...self doubt at its best. I've been pretty frustrated with myself for feeling this way because I know that the things I've been doing really aren't poorly done. It's just insecurities causing noise in my head.

Then, today, while running errands this song came on the radio and I seemed to have found my peace again. So, if you have too much noise in your head, to many things to check off your to-do list take a moment to breath in and let everything out...

September 21

2011-09-16T14:19:00.000-04:00

Please join me and Jen Swift next week

for some fun altered fall fashions!

We'll be sharing our projects

Sept. 21

2011-09-14T16:40:00.000-04:00

September 21

BE THERE!

Altered T-Shirt Challenge

2011-09-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

September 21

Be there!

Mompreneur/Work at Home Mom Thoughts

2011-08-30T23:11:00.000-04:00

These are my rambling thoughts about

working at home and balancing

that with kids/family/marriage/time etc.

Would love to hear any one's thoughts on the same.

WAHM -> work-at-home-mom

2011-08-30T12:14:00.001-04:00

Ok, I've recently met this woman online

through Single Stone and I'm so relating to her.

Especially this video I found on her blog.

I'd LOVE to hear your feedback.

I especially relate to the "working in another zip code"
part. I swear I can answer more emails over a bowl
of cheddar broccoli at Panera faster than sitting at
my desk in my studio! Again, I'd love to hear what
you moms think about this! I'm about 3.5 years into
this work at home gig and me and my family
are STILL transitioning.

http://www.holditbaby.com/

Art Journaling

2011-08-29T14:18:00.000-04:00

I've been sticking with the art journaling thing.

Well, kind of, trying to build at least a weekly habit.

::this week's entry::

Anyone else out there art journaling?

Sorting in progress

2011-08-24T17:12:00.000-04:00

Started sorting everything in the studio today.

After I showed you all what a disaster

my studio is in I thought I'd share

a pic of the progress. It's just the beginning

but it's progress :)

Wood, papier mache, metal, tools and paints. YUM.

Operation Organization

2011-08-23T21:55:00.001-04:00

Upheaval

2011-08-22T11:59:00.000-04:00

I've been doing some rearranging between

my studio and house this weekend.

Everything has been pretty messy.

Back in January I posted this video just before

we started remodeling our house. My plan was to

deconstruct, reconstruct and decorate in 8-9 weeks time.

Easy. Peasy.

HA!

Well, 7 months after the remodel was complete

I'm just starting to get to that decorating part.

I've had a ton of ideas but as I would start

to put them in place something was always lacking.

I couldn't find just the right mix I was looking for.

Finally, this weekend, I found my inspiration

and hit my stride. However, this comes with

a great amount of upheaval in my home and studio.

My favorite corner of my house, which was in my studio,

is no more. It had to be changed.

This hutch was great to use as shelving and I love

that I could display my girls on it but as I've grown

in my art the function of my studio has changed and

this piece no longer worked for me. So, I've repurposed it

in my dining room. I'll share pics when things are complete.

Now my studio looks like this:

upheaval.

Making these changes is quite a task!

The planning, the purging, the organizing.
The figuring our of what new pieces

will work. The purchasing. The heavy lifting.

But as I get to work - I am seeing progress.

I am moving towards my bigger goal of a

well decorated home and a, once again,

functioning art studio.

Growing pains.

I've had a lot of them lately.

This is just the physical manifestation

of what my heart has been going through

for weeks...months.

It will be worth it.

I know it will.

I have pinpointed my dreams.

Made my plan to achieve them.

Gave my plan to God.

And I put action with my faith everyday

on the things I know I can do

to keep moving forward.

Some days it's just cleaning and rearranging.

Some days it's throwing big stones,

which I've done lately.

For these it felt more like I needed a

catapult rather than just a sling but

none-the-less the stones have left my hands.

The upheaval in my heart will settle and God is revealing

just enough light for the step I am on.

Experimental Life

2011-08-16T14:40:00.004-04:00

Today, while emailing a bloggy friend

I wrote something that came

totally out of the blue.

Like God was telling me something.

I'm still pondering what that

something is, or at least the

depth of it.

However, the surface of it felt pretty

revealing. I almost deleted it from the email

but I knew this friend would understand,

even relate.

I've been thinking these last few weeks.

Having traveled 3 of the last 4 weeks I've had

plenty of time to think. In the airport, on the plane,

hours spent driving....there's been time to think,

but no time to do. Now that the traveling

is done, the work is nearing the point

of being caught up, and new art is beginning to

flow out of my heart through my hands in new ways

I started thinking some more.

I keep telling myself I need to develop a

signature style. Something people see and KNOW

that it's my work. All great artists have it.

My bloggy friend has it. She uses texture

in ways that don't even cross my mind

while I'm creating. That's what we were

talking about when I wrote the following

in an email today.

"Sometimes I wonder if art is ever anything

more than a pursuit of constant experimentation.

A way to try new things.

For me it always seems to be the color of life,

the texture of my heart,

the pattern of my soul.

As artist our work coats the surface of a canvas

but expresses the deepest parts of our beings.

With the only consistency in life being change

it's always an experiment to

express the authenticity of yet another new moment."

{my latest experiment}

So what new things in life are you trying to express?
What is your form of expression? I always find my first
efforts of expressing something new to be rather awkward.
I always try to remind myself, no matter what form
the expression comes in, that the only way to find grace
is through the awkward and by going through the
awkward ourselves we give others grace during
their time of being awkward. We recognize they are
just trying something new. We're seeing their first wobbly
steps in a direction they've never pursued before.
These are the moments that connect our
human spirits. The humble moments in our lives
that we struggle to share but make us transparent
to others so they can see that they aren't
the only ones who travel through the awkward to
become graceful. It's a process
we all must endure.

Journal Experiments

2011-08-14T17:18:00.002-04:00

Lately I've been experimenting with journaling.

I took Christy Tomlinson's

Creative Color Class

and it inspired me to try a

journal based on color.

I did mine a little differently than

Christy did in class. I would highly

recommend the class for ANYONE

not just someone who considers him/herself

an artist. She offers a lot of great

ideas for gathering inspiration,

exploring the color combos in your journal

and she does make art with each color challenge

but I kept relating the color ideas to home decor.

I thought it would be a great class for anyone

who loves to decorate or would like to learn to

use color better in their home.

::here's one of the journal pages I made::

Again. you can see how I related the color to

home decor.

As an artist I've been exploring line

and trying to improve my use of it.

So, I've been doodling. And writing.

::here's an entry in my doodle journal::

I think it would be a lot of fun to add

color to my doodles. Maybe I'll give that a

shot soon and share the entry.

I'm loving both styles.

The color journal is very free and I get

to splatter paint and smear on glue and

add paper and magazine clippings

and the text is easy and doesn't dig deep

it's just all very free.

The doodling journal requires a little more attention.

More details in both the design and the text.

I guess I wouldn't have to write more

text but it seems that when I'm doodling and

spending the time to create layers and pattern

and repeating lines it seems to draw out more

detailed journaling entries.

I've always incorportated a lot of

color in my art and now that I'm

getting more comfortable with

line I'm looking forward to adding

some fun doodles into my art more.

Project: Code Orange Part 2

2011-07-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

I would love to tell you I

finished this project but

I have not even touched it

since the last post.

My daughter, however, got

bored one afternoon and

sanded and put a coat of paint

on the beat up old piece.

We love it!

Now to find time to distress it

and add some fun finishing touches!

YAY for progress!

Great Giveaway!

2011-07-11T11:43:00.000-04:00

Check out our latest giveaway at

There are TONS of prizes to win!
You don't want to miss it!!

Use a decal as a mask/stencil

2011-06-29T18:04:00.001-04:00

One of our fab customers

made a great sign for her home

using one of our decals as a

mask. A mask is essentially

a reverse stencil.

Here's a pic of her project

For the instructions on how to make yours own

click on the image below. Don't forget to check

out some of her photography!

Project: Code Orange

2011-06-20T16:28:00.000-04:00

I'm starting a new project.

I pulled an old dresser out of the

room we recently rearranged in the basement

and bought a gallon of orange paint!

I'd like to incorporate our ornate decal pattern

into the design some how. Haven't quite

decided how I'm going to do that just yet.

I also bought some chunky,

square knobs for the drawers.

But first, I must get to the sanding.

TJMaxx/HomeGoods Finds

2011-06-17T13:27:00.000-04:00

Last night I went through my local

TJMaxx and this morning while

Billy was at physical therapy

I went through the HomeGoods

in that area. I found some great things!
Both stores had lots of new items.

Here are a few of my faves

I LOVE the coffee table in the middle row, far left!

And my inner 15 yr old love the big

fluffy ottoman in bright pink :)

(bottom row, far right)

What's your favorite?

Do you have a recent FAB find at

TJMaxx/HomeGoods?

Tell us about it or link us to

the find on your blog.

We'd love to see what you found!

Life in Progress

2011-06-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

Wow, my blog has been

lame for quite a while!

I'm working on projects to share

to remedy the blog lame-ness :)

Here's a pic of my weekend project.

This room was in SAD shape.

It's starting to come together.

The slate blue wall was a dark red,

the white furniture did not exist

and everything in the white cabinets

was all over the floor.

So now we have a place for relaxing and gaming,

and a little desk tucked behind the couch

to get a little work done and watch tv at the same time.

Since we work all hours it's nice to have

a more relaxed spot to chill with the fam

and still get some things done if need be.

I'll be adding some more details to the

room soon and will share more pics. :)

I also have a dresser redo on my list.

I'm looking forward to that!

And I'll reveal some of the after

pics of our renovation that started in

January. Um, those are a long time

coming! Life has thrown a lot at us

this year - here's to hoping it slows down

a little and I can get back to my

regularly scheduled creativity!

Etsy Fashion Finds

2011-05-27T07:44:00.003-04:00

I love Etsy for creative finds.

The artists that make up the community

all add their own flare to whatever it is they create.

Lately I've been looking at fashion.

I am SO not a fanshionista but

I've always loved having a few

unique pieces in my wardrobe.

Usually that consists of old jeans,

a funky printed T and flip flops.

However, in the last couple of years I've

been letting out my inner artist

more and more and find that I am reflecting

that creativity in the way I dress more.

I'll never rival Lady Gaga but

I am falling more in love with creative,

unique, handmade fashion.

Here are a few I'd love to add to my wardrobe.

Mission:Organization

2011-05-16T11:57:00.002-04:00

So, I've mentioned a few times

this year that I am working hard

to organize our home more.

I even mentioned on our

Facebook Page that we were

working on our master closet.

I never got around to posting pics

but have a few from my phone to share.

This is how the closet was "designed"

before. It did not work well, to say the least.

After we removed the existing shelves/racks

we had to patch all the holes, sand and paint.

Our room looked a little something

like this for a few days.

And now...it's so easy to put away laundry!

And easy to find what I want to wear!

We love it!

If you're wondering, we used THIS system

from Ikea and spent about $400.

A day late...

2011-05-09T11:41:00.000-04:00

I'm late with this

but I hope

you all had a lovely

Mother's Day!

Mine was great.

Just an easy day.

Each year me, my

mother-in-law and

my sister-in-law always

make a trip to

a local nursery and

buy flowers.

We could spend hours there

but always make it quick since

we leave the family party

for our trip.

But I love it.

We all love it!

Look at the gorgeousness!

The mini rose bush is from my mom

and the pot of petunias, from Billy's mom

for my Mother's Day Gifts.

The ferns came from my moms yard.

She has a big bed of them in her

front yard and they are so pretty.

I've gotta get those in the ground

today and have just the spot!

There are succulents in the

paper bag which will go in a

shallow dish and live on my

dining table on the deck.

Then I picked up 2 bushes

that are ready to bloom white

flowers all over, any day now.

And that lovely lilac bush!

We had a lilac at our last house

and I love clipping the blooms and

bringing them in the house.

I got a hosta too -

I always have hostas!

I'm so excited for our backyard.

These are the FIRST flowers it

has seen! It's just grass and dirt

back there. Last year we built the deck,

this year we're adding the landscaping.

Shovel, anyone?

I think we have a great start!

Stone Throwing Thursday

2011-05-05T12:07:00.002-04:00

Hey out there - It's another Thursday. It's amazing how quickly a Thursday can come around and I think it's been nearly a month of Thursday's since my last STT post! I've been insanely busy this spring. Working lots of hours, making lots of art, shooting some videos to share with you guys....lots of great things happening! God seems to have stepped on the gas pedal of life and I am doing my best to keep up :)

Besides lots of work and art happening I am SUPER EXCITED to be going to CHA this summer with my fabulous friend Jen Swift!! CHA stands for Craft & Hobby Association and it's a huge trade show that happens twice a year, once on the West Coast and once on the East Coast/Midwest, and is a show I've been following, via many artists blogs, for nearly 10 years! I am SO excited to have an opportunity to attend! There will be lots of new product releases, classes to take, artists to meet - I'm just giddy over going and to be going with such a great friend is the cherry on top! I keep looking at the calendar and counting down the days :) It's gonna be a great few days!

So with my schedule being so full, the work load being heavy and the inspiration for new art flowing faster than I can make it I've really been practicing keeping my peace each day. I cannot accomplish all the things on my list in a day but over the next few months I can. So I'm taking it a day at a time, doing my best to be a good steward with my time, trying to remember that not every minute of everyday needs to be spent working, relaxing is a good thing to, and thanking God all along the way for bringing so many wonderful opportunities into my life!

Today I'm off to record the beginning of a video and take my walk outside instead of the treadmill because it's a GORGEOUS day! No rain! I hope you all have some sunshine today too :)

Celebrate Good Times..

2011-05-04T07:40:00.000-04:00

There's cause for

celebration

around here!

And more cause is

on its way!

First --

WE HIT 1000

FACEBOOK FANS

last night with

the help of

A Girl and a Glue Gun!

THANK YOU KIMBO!

Hurry to her blog to enter

our giveaway for

not 1 but 2

$30 gift cards!

Secondly we are awaiting

something big on Etsy.

Something we consider miraculous

which is always cause for BIG celebration!

See that number circled in red on the

left side of the image above?

(click the image to enlarge it)

That my friends is getting close to

10,000 ETSY SALES!

When we hit that number we

are throwing a blog party!

I don't have all the details

just yet but there will be prizes!
BIG PRIZES!

So you will want to

stay tuned for that!

I must say we are
feeling very blessed!

Thank you to all of you who

read our blog, buy our decals, leave
blog comments, and show your support!!

We hope by hanging out with us

you are encouraged and inspired to

Throw Your Stone!
and not only pursue but attain
your dreams!

You Are Loved

2011-04-26T07:07:00.002-04:00

A fun video of me making

some mixed media art and

including a decal.

Customer Photographs

2011-04-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

I have LOTS of cool

customer photos to share today!

This is one of my

VERY favorite things

about running Single Stone.

I love seeing your projects!

It's so rewarding and you

guys do some of the coolest things.

Thank you for sending me pics!

Art Soul Life

Boxed Monogram

Cherry Blossom

Cooking - Visible Love

Doodle Flowers (set of 10)

Doodle Flowers (set of 20)

Golden Coast Seal

Elegant Chandelier

To the Moon & Back

Jungle Nursery Mural Kit

Modern Nursery Tree

Safari Giraffe Growth Chart

Steampunk Style Clock

Vintage Family Name

**Disclaimer**

We only make the cool decals any cute kids

in the pics were not sold on our website ;)

Quick Change Design

2011-04-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

I got an email last week

with samples of a hot pink,

rocker bedding and

wall paper border

to use as inspiration

to transform my

Music Speaks

decal design.

So we took this very classic style design

Added some stars, hearts, skulls,

and rearranged a few elements

and now the design looks like this...

How cool is that?!

I loved playing with the

piece in a new way!

This is my kind of fun :)

Decorating?

2011-04-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

We are STILL

making our way through

this remodel/decorating.

Last weekend the floor got

completely finished. All the little

trim pieces that needs to go along

the baseboards are done! Whew!

And it looks great!!

This weekend we did a little decorating.

It's a slow go since I can't seem to

get a real vision for what I want so

it's going together a little at a time.

First, I found this AWESOME art

in my favorite local antique shop.

Perfect for my kitchen. Which is still

a bit bare but this piece sure does

jazz it up in there :)

Next is a bit of a decorating oops

or maybe just a change of mind.

At first I planned to make a gallery

wall in our entry and have it turn

the corner into the dining room.

So I started and hung up a

bunch of frames...

It looks fine but left a lot to be

desired in the way of function

for the entry space.

So I took them down.

The holes still need to be filled.

blah.

And now I'm putting them on a

wall across from the dining room

which is to your left as you walk in

the front door.

Only this time I took the time to

cut out a piece of paper in the size of

each frame and play with them

to get the layout just right before

making holes. This is what it still

looks like this morning. Just paper.

I also played with a little springy

vignette on a shelf that is now in the

entry. I'm not showing the whole

thing just yet. Hopefully a little

later this week though.

But I couldn't help bringing

in a little spring!!

So that's a little of what we're up

to with the decorating.

I'm crazy slow getting this house done!

It'll be worth it, right?

Where'd that come from?

2011-04-08T11:14:00.000-04:00

As always I've been making some art

and I made this piece...

and it made me wonder -

Where'd THAT come from?

It's a tad country bumpkin for my taste.

It still needs text but I haven't even

thought about it much since I don't like

the piece and wasn't even planning to share it.

But I thought I would anyway.

I share lots of art on here that doesn't

turn out as I see it in my mind

as I travel towards making the art

I really want to make. So this is just

another canvas along the path.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

We're supposed to have gorgeous

weather here in Cincy!! YAY!

Stone Throwing Thursday

2011-03-24T11:15:00.003-04:00

Today's STT topic is Unity. It is a powerful word and when exercised has powerful results in our lives. It can be applied anywhere. For good. Or for evil. The first place in my life that comes to mind when I think about unity is with God, after that my marriage. In the last week I have seen 5 marriages affected by infidelity. 2 survived but were reminded, 2 fell apart, and the last one still hangs in the balance. My heart has been so heavy seeing people struggle through while the sacred in their lives is abused or they are reminded of a time when it was abused. Even though healing has come to some, the scars remain.

I'm reminded of an old illustration I saw years ago about marriage being a love triangle with God at the top. As we individually draw closer to God we inevitably draw closer to each other in our marriages. It's a simple illustration with powerful results when we apply it.

As we start to understand love for what it really is we start to demonstrate true love through our actions. 1 Corinthians 13, or possibly better known as The Love Chapter explains what love is in a very straight forward way.

^"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails..."

It's a lot to live up to but when we love the way we are supposed to the unity in our hearts is strengthened. Marriages become safe places and something we protect with all the love in our hearts. And unity is in the center of everything.

I know for me and Billy unity is something we've been looking for on a couple of really big decisions we've been trying to make. For instance we've been house hunting for over a year. One reason we haven't taken the step to buy - we can't agree. We haven't argued but we haven't agreed. There hasn't been unity so we wait until we find that place where we both feel that this is what God is calling us to and when we do that - it's amazing. It's right and we both know it. No one is left to wonder if their solution would've been better. No one feels devalued. And when we honor our own marriages with the love and unity we're supposed to have for them, God honors them back in ways we could never imagine. He helps us love in ways deeper than we could in our human selves. He takes away pride and other ugliness that we hide inside that we don't want anyone to see and we don't want anyone to know about but it's there and we don't know how to let it go. It hinders our relationships until .... we love the way Christ loves. When we do that, the ugliness disappears because it cannot exist to where there is love. Love Never Fails.

This was a bit touchier of a subject than I usually write about but I always write what God gives me on these days. I never think that what God tells me to write is for everyone else. I know he's speaking directly to me. I share my thoughts and then maybe, he uses that to speak to or encourage someone else as well. As I explored my thoughts on Unity yesterday I made this art. My visual prayers...

Remodel Update

2011-03-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I totally got behind on

the remodel project, or at least the updates.

Work has been super busy

as well as life

and the remodel got stalled
out a little. Just a couple
more things to finish up.

The walls are all patched & painted,

the floors are down but need the

last bit of trim,

the furniture is in place,

the kitchen cabinets

still need doors and drawers.

Hit a bit of a snag there...

figuring it out.

The fireplace is done.

Backsplash, done.

Really it's just the last bit of

trim around the baseboards

and the kitchen cabinets

to be finished.

Well, and the decorating.

Here's a peek at the kitchen

I don't think I've shown you

much in there.

Hope to get time to do some
decorating this week.
Did I mention it's been
crazy busy?
Must be spring fever or something.

{Stone Throwing Thursdays} Observations

2011-03-09T20:53:00.001-05:00

By now you all know making art

for me isn't just about making art.

I love making art, the process, the

supplies, the end results, well, most

of the end results. But mostly what

I love about art is that it's this special

language I share with God. The one

only he and I speak because this

is the gift he gave me and when I use it

he is glorified and worshipped.
The time I spend making art
is always prayerful and meditative.
A time when I get quiet
and he speaks.

I share that to share this new piece of art.

A piece that came with more insights,

reminders and ideas that I thought would

be great to share on Stone Throwing Thursday.

I was going through all my supplies looking for

something different to use when I pulled out

and old indie art mag from my stash.

The word observation kept reoccurring

over and over and over so I grabbed my scissors

and started snipping all of them out that I could find.

Before I knew it I had them all glued to
a canvas along with a few scraps of fabric.

It sat that way for a couple of days.

I didn't know what to do with it

or if I would do anything with it,

but I couldn't really put it down.

My mind began churning with ideas

so I started working again and this

is what came of it...

I've lived with it for a week or so now

staring at it like it wanted to say more.

Like it wanted to tell me what I should

be observing. As I sat here watching it

and praying I started thinking of

Zacchaeus. Remember the song

from Sunday School - Zacchaeus

was a wee little man? That Zacchaeus.

As Luke 19:1-9 explains

Jesus was passing through his town and

Zacchaeus wanted to see him.

Too short to see over the crowd he climbed

up in a Sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passed.

Unexpectedly, when Jesus was passing the tree

Zacchaeus was in, he stopped and told Zacchaeus

to come down that he was going to his house today.

Zacchaeus jumps down from the tree and takes Jesus to

his home where he repents of his thieving, tax collecting

ways and Jesus states that salvation

has come to Zacchaeus' house.

All this made me ask myself:

What am I observing in my day-to-day life?

Hebrews 12:2 says we should fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith.

When I put that verse together with

Zaccaeus' story it makes me realize

just that much more why I need to

keep my focus on Jesus and what he's

doing and not on the world around me.

If I am always observing Jesus then I

am observing love. And then that

observation becomes my focus and

impacts my actions. It keeps

my art pure. My motives pure.

My heart pure.

And when I'm too short to see above

the crowd, or the circumstances in

my life pile up so high I can't see Him,

I'll look at this art, remember Zacchaeus
and make a conscious effort to position myself,
high up in a tree, if I must,

to make sure I can see and observe Him.

Even simple decisions like keeping our
eyes on God are stones thrown in our life.
It's an action put with our faith that seeing
Him will keep our minds and hearts
in the right place.

She Art Workshop

2011-03-07T13:38:00.001-05:00

It's Week 2 of the

She Art Workshop.

I must say it's so so so

fun to participate in an art class again.

I think the last one I took

was more of a scrapbook crop

nearly 10 years ago.

It's so fun to see what the

others in the class make

with the same techniques.

I did 2 canvases for Week 1.

My 2nd piece is a Stone Thrower.

You HAD to know I would

make one of these fab gals into a

Stone Thrower. How could I not?

This next canvas has a background ready.

Once I get through this weeks class videos

I'll add a girl.

I tried a new-to-me technique of

adding several thick layers of gel medium

over the canvas to give a faux encaustic look.

I might try modeling paste next time - it's thicker

and wouldn't self-level as much.

I love the look on this canvas - not that you

can really see the effects of the technique

in the photo but the background looks

kind of embedded. I'm hoping the girl

will pop out a bit. I might even make her

dimensional some how.

Anywhooo- here's the background.

Any suggestions for the text on this piece?

You know I can't make art without text :)

Leave me a comment. I'd love to

hear your suggestions and work

them into the piece!!

Daily Reminders

2011-03-04T07:32:00.003-05:00

A few things I tell myself everyday:

Can't never did anything.

Only Handle It Once -

meaning finish what you start.

You don't start where you end up.

You have to work hard to get there.

Listen more than you speak.

When you do speak - speak love.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Some of these things do change from time to time
depending on my current short-term goals.

Do any of you have affirmations you say

to yourself each day? I used to have a

couple but they were written by other

people and wanted my own. I've yet to

write a true affirmation but I do say

affirming things each day.

I think it's extremely important,

even vital to living a successful life to

say affirming statements each day.

I'd love to hear your words to live by.

Leave me a comment and

let's share some positivity!

She Art Workshop

2011-03-02T07:43:00.002-05:00

The She Art Workshop,

an online art class,

started this week.

I loved all the video

tutorials and now it's

fun to go through the Flickr

group and see every one's

art as they upload photos.

I love how each artist has their

own take on the techniques.

Each choosing different colors,

and patterns and textures

creating a unique personality

to each girl. It's really fun to see.

I can't wait to see how the

next 2 weeks of the class develop.

This is my first piece for the class.

"She acknowledged her change"

I wanted her to be a bit vintage

and I kept a tight color palette

on this piece - and she has wings :)

PS - I don't know if there are any

Stampin' Up fans out there but I am

loving the watercolor crayons! Had them

for several years and just broke them

out in the last couple of weeks.

What was I waiting for?!!

A case of the not good enoughs

2011-02-28T13:25:00.006-05:00

(via)

Ever have times like this?

You are starting a new venture

or want to start something new

only there is that constant, nagging

voice that says you are not good enough.

Your skill, your talent, your smarts

are not good enough.

I'd like to tell you today that

YOU

ARE

GOOD

ENOUGH.

You can achieve your heart's desires.

You just have to start taking the steps.

The wobbly, uncertain, scary steps.

You'll never achieve if you don't try.

And if you try and keep trying

you will find your success in

whatever it is you are seeking.

You just cannot give up and give into

the not enoughs.

The not enoughs are

unkind,

guilt ridden,

demeaning,

words

say

ourselves!

Yes, sometimes they come

from outside sources,

but mostly they come right

from our own thoughts and mouths.

A friend of mine posted this as her

facebook status the other day and

I just loved it. So true!

"what you think about,

you talk about and

what you talk about,

you bring about!"

So next time you are suffering from the

not enoughs

start thinking and talking about

the truths about yourself.

The ENOUGHS.

You have enough strength to:

take the first small step,

look in the mirror and

smile at yourself,

tell yourself you CAN,

accept your weaknesses

because when we are weak

He is strong,

(PS...he doesn't want to give you

strength he wants to be your strength)

to find your gifts and talents

and know that with work and use

they will be honed and developed,

and finally allow yourself the process.

The imperfect, stumbling process.

With each step taken

the not enoughs

get a little more quiet,

a little less believable

and you begin to take

more confident steps

and trust your own heart.

Because now you've put the

truth in it and the truth sets you free.

Edited to add: I was just at Jen Swift's blog and she wrote a post on this same topic today. We must've been on the same wave length. Too good not to share. Here's the link. Well worth the read!

Remodel Update - starting to decorate

2011-02-25T18:45:00.002-05:00

We are finally getting to the

decorating phase of the remodel.

Of course, we still have a few

odds and ends tasks to finish up

the remodel phase, but that's not

stopping me from starting

my first couple of decorating projects!

My mood board is pretty monochromatic.

Mostly earthy browns and greens.

But now that the things that are

staying in the house are all in -

flooring, cabinets, appliances,

paint, tile, etc. - it's time for some

C.O.L.O.R.

I can't say I'm going crazy with color,

but I am accenting with some

yummy, warm, earthy, spicy

colors. My favorites.

Teals and warm oranges,

greens, reds and deep blues.

So I'm choosing art for my gallery wall

with all these colors in warm tones.

And some of my favorite artists like

Dali, Munch, Van Gogh, Picasso, Escher.

These artists are known for their

impressionist and surreal art.

So.

Completely.

Inspiring.

Very excited to live with

this art gallery every day!

I am also bringing in

lots of color, pattern

and texture with textiles.

I'm loving my collection so far.

So there's a bit of a sneak peek

of the way I'm taking the decorating

phase of the remodel.

I'd love to hear what kind of art and colors you decorate with.

Leave me a comment and share your style with the rest of us!

Off with their head!

2011-02-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite movies is

Alice In Wonderland.

I love the artfulness of it

but there is another reason

I love it so.

It's the simple line of

Off with his/her head!

It excites me every time I hear it.

Not because the Queen of Hearts is...

well, heartless but because

it reminds me that after my giants

have been killed

I must

cut off their heads...
with their own swords.

In the David and Goliath story
David was in the valley with Goliath,
his giant, while the Israelite and Philistine
armies were on the mountains looking down.
Sure they saw Goliath fall to the ground
face down when the stone hit him between
the eyes but they did not know the giant was
dead until David stood over him,
took Goliath's sword from his sheath,
cut off his head and held it up
for all to see. That is when the Philistines
ran in fear and the Israelites charged forth
with a shout and pursued the Philistine army,
killing many and plundering their camp.
(1 Samuel 17:50-53)

For a long time I've thought about this
part of the story wondering how I cut off the
head of my giant since my giant is not
physical. Well, would you know the answer
came to me while watching Alice In Wonderland,
hearing Queen of Hearts shout
"off with his head"?

Crazy the things that will bring understanding.

Here's what came to me.

Even though we are up close to
our giant and know in our hearts
we have overcome it and it no
longer has a grip on our lives,
those around us don't know it.
They are up on the mountain
and need to see us cut off its head
to believe that it's really gone.

The short answer to show them is:

Live it.
Every.
Day.

They need to see a new pattern of
behavior in us. And not just for a day.
This isn't going to happen in a moment
as it did for David. It will take them
a while of seeing this new behavior to
understand that we really have overcome
our giant. That this thing in our life
no longer has a hold on us.
Whether it's something like an addiction,
overcoming behavioral issues of having
been abused, giving up control, not
working too much, or pursuing a dream.

photo credit

At first they will probably question
how real we are about committing
to our new ways. They will need
to see it to believe it.

That's ok.

It's ok because we are real.
We know in our heart
our giant is defeated.
Now all we have to do is walk
in the new freedom everyday.
Allow them to observe.
It may be uncomfortable
and we will have
awkward expressions
of our new ideas,
but eventually they will see,
and we will get better
and better at living this
new every day life.

This is what happens
after
you Throw Your Stone.

I'd love to hear about a giant
you have overcome! Leave me a comment
and share your experience :)

I want to do this in decals.

2011-02-19T10:57:00.002-05:00

image credit

Anyone have a wall you

could lend me?

Trend Alert

2011-02-18T06:44:00.001-05:00

I've been working with

the fantastically creative

Tausha Hoyt

who does TV appearances

in her hometown in Utah

for Studio 5 called Trend Alert.

Her last spot included

some of our decals!

Check it out.

You can also go to Tausha's

blog to enter to

WIN FREE DECALS!!

Check it out by clicking
the image below.

Jonesing for Spring...

2011-02-16T20:22:00.002-05:00

so I made springy art

in gorgeous shades of

pinks and greens.

It makes me want to

see the tulips peeking up

through the soil.

The text reads:

If the sight of the blue skies

fills you with joy,

if a blade of grass springing up
in the fields has

power to move you,

if the simple things

have a message that you understand,

rejoice,

for your soul is alive.

- Eleonora Duse

Searching. Throwing Stones. Daily Life.

2011-02-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

So, I've been skipping

Stone Throwing Thursdays.

Mostly because I keep forgetting.

I seem to remember on Friday

then I think, I'll get it next week.

So today I remembered it

while pulling out of the school

parking lot and thought

I don't want to wait till Thursday

so I'm doing it today.

At the end of the year I

said that getting rid of

insecurities

is my big goal this year.

Of course, when you make

something your focus you

start to see said insecurities

everywhere.

Like the night I went to

bed crying because I swore

I chose the wrong countertops.

They're great but not what I

expected when they came.

They were a total game changer

in the kitchen. I had to go with it.

They were special ordered - no refunds.

They weren't terrible -

I liked them, a lot actually,

they just didn't go with my original plan.

So back to Lowes and Home Depot

for about 20 different tile samples.

I knew there was a solution

but I had to look for it and

it didn't come easy.

Even after I chose the tile

it layed flopped over the edge of the

wall hanging down the back splash

area for a week before I put my

trowel in the adhesive and committed.

I love it now.

It's actually one of my very favorite things.

Maybe it's because I had to figure it out.

My first effort wasn't enough and I

had to overcome a hurdle to find

the right solution. It makes it more personal

and makes you dig deeper to figure it out

and when you see the final result

it makes you feel accomplished.

That's always a good feeling.

I also feel that way about my

most recent paintings.

I've been working hard these last

couple of years on finding my way back

to art and finding my way to the art

I really want to make.

Though I don't feel as though these 2 pieces

are the art I really want to make,

they are closer,

they incorporate techniques that just

felt like home

as I was doing them.

And I really enjoyed the process.

So these are my most recent
Stone Throwing adventures.

Tile and paintings.

What about you? What is a stone you've thrown

recently? Leave me a comment and let me know :)

{heART} & Soul

2011-02-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

Today I'm spreading some

ARTSY LOVE!

1) Single Stone Studios

All You Need is Love

Vinyl Wall Art Decal

You can also check out my answer to

Love is... At the Scarlet Opus Trends Blog

along with a few other artists and get

tips for buying a great Valentine's gift!

2) 2 If By Sea

Be My Valentine Necklace

By Artist Cristi Clothier

She makes AMAZING

one-of-a-kind jewelry!

She also writes a blog.

3) Bird From A Wire

Heart Taking Flight

wire sculpture

By Artist Jen Swift

Win Jen's inspiring book

and fabulous prize package

at Create Mixed Media!!

And read Jen's blog.

4) Catina Jane Arts

Little House Print #2

mixed media painting

By Artist Catina Jane Gray

Catina also makes custom

hula-hoops.

Yes, I said hula hoops.

She calls them Love Swirls.

I dig that!

You can read her blog too!

These artsy chicks inspire me both

artistically and in their love walk of life.

They passionately

create their art,

love their families,

throw their stones,

and I am thrilled to have

found them along my

Single Stone journey.

Thanks gals!

I challenge all of you to

spread some love this

Valentine's weekend.

Not only to your sweetie's

but to those around you

who inspire you!

Fun Links

2011-02-09T12:52:00.001-05:00

I've been scouting out a few new

blogs and websites lately and I

thought I'd share a couple of

my faves with you.

First up:

Artist Christy Tomlinson

I'm loving her blog lately

and I'm signed up for her

She Art Workshop

at the end of this month!!

So. Excited. About. That.

Like. Really. Excited.

I met with this guy a couple of

weeks ago to talk art and business.

He happened to mention

that he and his wife were

unexpectedly expecting

their first child.

He writes a funny blog

from the daddy pov called

Wonderful Whoopsie.

Thirdly:

An interior design blog

that I find so inspiring.

This couple has a wonderful

story and great design sense.

It's a must read!

Kara Pasley Design

Last but not least:

A great new song I

can't stop singing.

Remodel Update and Decorating Teases

2011-02-07T11:46:00.001-05:00

We are getting really close to

finishing up the dirty work

of this 1000 sq ft remodel.

Pretty happy about that!

This morning the UPS

guy dropped off the new

hardware we ordered for

the kitchen cabinets.

{LOVE}

These are 8" stainless steel handles.

We're putting them on all the doors

and drawers for a really clean look.

I'll have a source list for all of our

projects in the final reveal post.

These babies were only $2.80 each.

Did you catch that they are

stainless and 8" long?

Bargain!!

Since we're ready for the

flooring to go in -

the last piece of this remodel

puzzle - I've been thinking a lot

about one of my very favorite things

d.e.c.o.r.a.t.i.n.g.

6th Street Design School

I really am getting excited!

And as of right now,

I'm roughly $400

UNDER budget for

the remodel so my

decorating projects

can come a little

sooner rather than later!

And what might some of these

projects be that I have in mind?

I'm glad you asked :)

These 3 projects I am sure of:

A DIY wood and conduit wall unit

Art Gallery Wall (actually 2 walls)

Making an "old" subway art sign (new decal alert)

My other ideas are still in the idea stage.

We'll see if those come to fruition.

Project:Art

2011-02-06T20:08:00.002-05:00

Picked up a few books today.

Consider me inspired.

TJ Maxx Detour

2011-02-04T12:28:00.001-05:00

Now that the renovation

is coming together and the

finishes are going in, I've

been thinking a lot about

decorating. 

So, while running errands

yesterday I just happened

to pull into the parking lot

of TJ Maxx. My car just

wanted to go there.

I had no control ;)

I did, find a couple

of fun things for the house.

A great little table for my entry,

and a wooden crate that

I think will sit on my coffee table

to hold remotes and a candle.

There's some really yummy

texture on that crate!

Here's a close-up...

Never mind those beachy rope handles

I've already cut those off

(saved them in my stash, of course)

and will replace with something metal.

I {heart} metal

Oh and see that bare subfloor?

It's getting very close to being

finished.. Today I'm putting all

the tools back into the garage!

Just a few more cabinet doors

to paint and the backsplash to

tile in addition to laying the floor.

We. Are. Getting. So. Close.

****************************************************

{IN OTHER NEWS}

Jen Swift has reopened her

Etsy Shop

after taking a winter break.

You can get a copy of her

new book, Creative Bloom

and even some original

projects featured in the book

like this fantastic

Birdhouse Assemblage.

This is so cute!

2011-02-02T13:56:00.000-05:00

I was browsing images

for fun ideas to decorate

my entryway when we

finally get everything

back to normal

when I found this

fantastic photo on

Design*Sponge.

GOSH

IT'S

CUTE!

Color Change

2011-02-01T14:04:00.001-05:00

They say

"The third time is a charm"

and this time, I agree!

I'm on the third paint color

for the kitchen cabinets.

I started with Mossy Gold.

Looked like a muddy brown

with just a touch of green

on the swatch...

turns out it's more like a

deep olive green.

Way too greeeeeen.

Then I thought I'd paint them

the Best Bronze color

I painted the fireplace mantle.

Um, good color but too dark

with the dark counter tops.

Just didn't dig it.

So I pulled out my Sherwin Williams

paint deck, found Best Bronze

and went one step lighter

-High Tea-

Ah, just right!

I have the cabinets painted

and we're loving them!

Even Billy commented on

the "great color".

YAY!

Today I'm finishing up the

doors and drawer fronts.

What a Mess!

2011-01-31T17:11:00.002-05:00

We're still in the middle of

the mess that is renovating.

Dust EVERYWHERE.

Tools, paint brushes,

no flooring, ungrouted tile

cabinet doors missing.

The deconstruction is

getting to us a bit.

We're ready to see

the finished results and

have our house back in order.

This is the first time we've done

such a large scale project.

We have 1000 sq ft of our house

completely torn apart. It's great,

don't get me wrong. We're really

excited for the changes but we're

ready for the changes to be made :)

We are, however, loving the new space

with the walls removed. It feels great!!

Here's a before photo taken
from the same angle so you
can see the changes.

Fireplace Mantle Sneak Peek

2011-01-27T09:21:00.000-05:00

The fireplace is really coming together!

Yesterday we built the very

simple, clean, modern mantle.

As opposed to the busy,

over scaled mantle that came with

the house. It had fluted moldings

on the sides, topped with rosettes,

layer after layer building up the top,

which by the way, stuck out from the

wall nearly 8". It overwhelmed the room

and just wasn't our style.

To refresh your memory...

Oh, and see that horrid gold...not exactly

the earthy metallic I had in mind.

We said good-bye to that with a can

of high heat spray paint by Rustoleum.

Cheapest, easiest fix we've done so far

and it instantly modernized the fireplace.

You can see that all black look in the next photo.

Here's a sneak peek at the new

mantle I designed and Billy built.

ahhhhhh so clean and simple and in scale.

I love it.

And Billy approves too.

He stepped back and says

"you got skillz"

So do you, babe!

I didn't build it alone.

One of the things we disliked

so much about the other mantle

was the depth. So this one is

very low profile. We really love those

zero-clearance fireplaces that "float"

in the wall. Very modern. So that

was my inspiration when designing

this mantle. It's only about 2" deep

which helps contribute to keeping

the fireplace in scale with the room.

It's also about 10" shorter than the

other mantle was.

Now to paint

the walls

& the mantle

& the cabinets.

If you don't hear

from me in a couple

of days I've drowned

in a bucket of paint

but don't worry

it will be one of these

yummy, earthy colors...

Here's a mood board I worked

up real quick last night. It still

needs accessories. I have ideas

but haven't really decided on

those things just yet.

The photo in the bottom left corner

shows a lamp my mom gave me

for my birthday. I love it and it's

staying in the living room. It's got a

great iridescent/metallic finish in the

glazes and I like the aqua accent

as well. It goes perfectly with

the earthy, metallics I have going

with the tile and other finishes.

The fabric however, I'm iffy on.

The colors are right

but it kind of makes me yawn.

Still deciding on that one.

This is the gist of where we're

headed with the renovation.

Open concept,

earthy, warm, metallics,

clean & modern.

Tiling the Fireplace

2011-01-26T07:51:00.003-05:00

We are finally getting

to put some of the new

finishes in place.

I am SO PSYCHED

for this tile!!!

It's earthy,

metallic &

GORGEOUS!

I started with the fireplace.

Just an accent of the tile

around the opening.

I can't grout for 48 hrs so

today Billy and I are working

on building and painting

the mantle I designed.

This is my first tile job

and I was so excited

last night with how

everything turned out!

We chose a dark

12x12 tile for the

floor in front of

the fireplace.

I love the way it

brings out the rich

tones of the mosaic.

I am thrilled with the look!

The mosaic tile is the

inspiration piece for

the renovation. Once I

found it the other finishes

were chosen to coordinate

with it. It's just so gorgeous

how could I not work around it?!

I'm pretty proud of myself :)

Playing Along...

2011-01-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

I was reading Christy Tomlinson's blog today and she did a Top 10 Things You May Not Know About Me and asked for others to play along. And since I'm short on blog material (but looooong on unfinished projects) I thought what the heck I'll join in ;) Hopefully I can think of 10 things...

1. Before starting the big renovation of our house Billy and I were house hunting for nearly 9 months. We couldn't find anything we liked and decided to stay put just a little longer. We still keep up with the market. We love real estate and the house we're in now was bought to become another rental once we decide it's time to move on.

2. The reno is all DIY with some help from Billy's very skilled youngest brother. He helped take down the walls in an orderly, yet extremely dusty, fashion. The ceiling did not cave in. Thanks so much, Scott! We appreciate it.

3. When I was growing up I was painfully shy. In my teen years I had terrible insomnia (my senior year of high school) and would get the occasional panic attack. I was always able to bring myself back pretty quickly but sometimes my mind would get the best of me. Now I have to watch that my big mouth doesn't say something it should think about first.

4. I have a very strong faith but I'm sure you know that if you ever read my blog :) I have very strong convictions of right and wrong. But I think my strongest conviction is that if I know what is right, I should DO what is right. There is never an excuse to do the wrong thing when you know it's wrong. In that, I am a very firm believer.

5. My kids are awesome :) Like really awesome! I have 2. A girl, 14, and a boy 12. They are smart, and kind, and caring. They are held to some pretty high expectations but no matter the outcome of a situation if they did their best and prayerfully made their decisions then that's all you can ask. I've always been a stay-at-home mom. It was hard when they were younger. I won't lie. I never could bring myself to work though. It just didn't feel right. I wouldn't work now if I couldn't do it from home.

6. I married Billy when I was 19. I'm now 35 now and have been married for 15 yrs. Best. Decision. Ever. I love him. I knew then that I loved him and I will always love him. He's 9 yrs older than me. Which sounds really scandalous in our younger years. It wasn't. We met at church. Our mother's sang in the choir together for nearly 20 yrs before we started dating. It was all very cautious. The poor guy even went to my proms with me. I can't imagine how uncomfortable that was for him. lol

7. I had to talk my way into my high school art program. I was turned down. I don't draw well. It's not my strong suit. I am still getting over that hurdle in my mind but you don't have to draw to be an artist. There are lots of avenues in art. I'm still looking for the best one for me but I'll look until I find it. I did always get and A in art - I'm sure my teacher graded me on enthusiasm. She was cool like that. I did win an award for a pottery piece she entered into a contest and didn't tell me about it until I won. She was so proud but I was so shy I couldn't accept the ribbon. She kept it in her office with my pottery piece throughout my high school years. Even at the end of my senior yr I still couldn't take it with me. I have no idea whatever happened to it after that.

8. We also love music in our house. There is always a radio on. Billy is a drummer. For years they sat in our dining room because it was the only space we had for him to set them up. He's always played at church. He's good. It's his art. His worship. His gift. I love hearing him play.

9. I have one, older brother. He's almost 4 yrs older than me. We did not go to high school together. His senior year was my 8th grade yr. Billy is one of 4. He has an older sister, by 18 months, and 2 younger brothers. He is 5 and 7 yrs older than them. My brother has 2 kids, a boy and a girl. Billy's sister has 5 kids, His middle brother also has 5 kids and his youngest brother has 3. We have the least with 2 - once the kids outnumber the parents you have to go to zone defense. We prefer man-to-man combat. lol

10. I don't believe in the glass being half empty or half full. I believe it should be running over. Luke 6:38 says "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” If your cup is not running over then you are not giving enough. Give of your own need. Give of your pain. And watch your cup be filled and run over in ways you could never imagine.

Fears. &. Dreams.

2011-01-24T08:18:00.001-05:00

photo credit

Would you?

I would.

And do.

It's worth it.

It's worth it

because

you're made

stronger,

smarter,

humble.

When you leap

your journey

through life

turns into a

pursuit.

You realize

your greatest

fears are actually

acheiving your

wildest dreams.

You're not nearly

as scared to fail

as you are to succeed.

But do it anyway.

Succeed.

Acheive your dreams.

Be who you

are meant

to be.

photo credit

Remodel Progress

2011-01-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

This remodeling business is messy.

We have dry wall dust

everywhere!

But it's all good.

I'm psyched with the

progress and the

feel the space

is taking on.

We have removed the

stone and mantle

around the fireplace

We have ripped up the flooring...

only to find more flooring.

We ripped that up too.

I'm trying hard to keep us organized

in the remodel chaos. I'm not the best

at doing this on a day-to-day basis,

but I've challenged myself and

am keeping the constant debris

in the garage ready to

be hauled away to the dump.

And I have a tool table

for everything from paint

rollers, to screwdrivers to the

big guns like the sawsall.

So far, so good.

Please Excuse My Amateur Video Skills

2011-01-17T13:29:00.001-05:00

Begin Remodel

2011-01-14T11:32:00.000-05:00

We picked up the

flooring yesterday.

Well, Billy picked it

up. I helped him get

all 44 boxes in the house.

I only smashed one

of my fingers one time.

The nail is a little

sore today.

I'm a baby!

{the scene from my dining room}

I have most of the main

players chosen for the remodel.

Flooring, tile, countertops...

but I seem to be getting hung

up on choosing the paint

colors. I think I am just

not exactly sure of

what I want.

A hint of green,

a little blue?

I just know the

golden tan color

we have now is

grating on my last nerve.

I'm hating it.

So is Billy.

We want something

with a grey undertone

but still warm.

I'm leaning towards

some grey/green tones.

We'll see.

I need to make a

decision soon.

Like this weekend.

So. many. decisions.

But I think for the most

part we're getting a

handle on everything.

We have the new appliances

picked out as well.

YAY!

Not more mismatched applicances!

I'll show some pics on

Monday of the progress

we make over the weekend!

preoccupied.

2011-01-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed

my blog has been

a bit neglected

these last few months.

I've been a bit preoccupied.

I wish I could narrow it

down to a simple explanation

but I can't.

There's nothing wrong.

I just haven't had much to share.

Or maybe I just feel like

what I've been doing isn't

much worth sharing.

Either way

I have a fix to

the lull in my

blogging.

I have a whole slew

of new projects

to bring to you

in the next few weeks.

I must say

I'm quite excited!

We're doing lots

of projects around our house.

Of course, we'll be

doing the work ourselves.

And all of you will

go along on the trip with us.

So, what are these projects?

*flooring

*countertops

*tile backsplash

*painted cabinets

*fireplace rework

*new art by me - decals/painting

wish me luck on that last one

I get scared to hang my own work

in my house. Big step.

Hope I can follow through.

*choosing the right rug

*hoping to rework some furniture

if I can find the right pieces

That should be enough to get us started.

I can't wait to share the process with you!

Today, I'm picking up the tile

and a couple MORE paint samples.

But I think I'm getting it narrowed down.

And just to tease you a little.

Here's a sneak peek at

a few of the finishes I'm

working with.

Pretty Pantry

2011-01-10T10:12:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned

some time in the last

week or two

on my

facebook page

I am on an

organizing mission

in 2011.

I think I said

from my

pantry

to my

shoes.

Well, last night

I started with

pantry.

Like any good tabloid -

let's see that up close.

Oh yeah, that's a

terrible mess of

cans, boxes

drinks and

a few out-dated

bread mixes.

Year-old beer

bread anyone?

So, to remedy my

mess of a pantry

I pooled together my

baskets & jars

and purchased

a few too.

A couple hours

of work later

and my pantry

is all pretty!

Here's her

after makeover

close-up

She cleans up real nice :)

Permission Granted:

2011-01-06T20:19:00.000-05:00

{it's ok to rest your wings}

Some days...

2011-01-04T17:50:00.001-05:00

Some days you

just need a

big sign.

One that

tells you

the truth.

I worked on this

project for weeks

to get it just right

with a caring

teacher, who

is serious about

its message.

It hangs in a school

in Australia

for kids who

have tough

challenges in their lives.

An unfair disadvantage.

The kind that

breaks you

before you

ever had a chance

to be whole.

I pray that this

sign of truth

is seen for

exactly that.

Truth.

And, I pray

that they

accept the

hope

it offers.

Open the door...

2011-01-03T12:51:00.000-05:00

get on the floor...

everybody walk the dinosaur...

I've been painting on the floor.

There is a perfectly good explaination.

We got a new dining room table.

It's just like the one in my studio

only a little bit smaller.

We were going to take my studio table

to the dining room and put the new

smaller table in my studio.

Well, turns out the smaller size is better

for the dining room so I never needed

to take down the one in the studio.

Are you following?

The tables have marble tops

which means they are H.E.A.V.Y.

My sweet man got a head cold

over the weekend and I didn't ask him

to lift the 250+ pounds of table to help me

get the legs on it. So, on the floor it sits.

It was all cleaned off.

Not so much anymore.

I don't care if it's in a closet,

on the floor or with a

dinosaur. A girl's gotta get creative.

So, I did :)

Creativity is best with a

journal full of

scriptures

and thoughts

and a cold Coke.

Here are a couple of

close-ups of what I'm

working on.

I love the text on the last one.

"The Spirit of God

has made me

and the breath of

the Almighty

gives me life"

Job 33:4

Life Maintenance

2010-12-31T13:16:00.002-05:00

I was driving around today, running errands,

listening to the songs on my new iPod touch,

(Thank you Santa) and How He Loves

came on by David Crowder Band.

I've heard the song hundreds of times, I'm sure,

but this one line stood out to me today like
I was hearing it for the first time. It says...

"I don't have time to maintain these regrets

when I think about the way he loves us."

Immediately it made me question

"What am I maintaining in my life?"

Regret or hope?

Love or hate?

The Word or lies?

Hardworking or lazy?

Giving or greed?

Looking down or looking up?

Funny how something you've heard so

many times will hit you in a new way

when your heart is finally open to it.

In 2011 I am no longer maintaining

doubt and insecurities in my life.

Instead I will believe more of

what God says about me than

anyone one else, including myself.