6 DecClever and Witty Holiday Gift Tags

I want to believe you are the kind of person for which “to” and “from” just isn’t acceptable when it comes to your gift tags. I also want to believe that you are the kind of person who is taking advantage of lots of creative people plugging away making some freebie products for you. I want to believe that you understand and “get” my quirky sense of humor. OMG… You are that person?! Fabulous!! Then by all means, download my super adorable, designery and fun printable gift tags! You deserve it. Delight your gift recipients this year! What can you do for me in return? Nothing. What, you insist? Okay how about liking my Facebook page? Follow me on Twitter? Done and done.

Download your free tags here!
Just load your printer with card stock and send the file to print! Next, use a paper cutter, blade or scissors to trim out the tags. Either tape them to your presents or punch a hole and tie with ribbon. Have fun and enjoy!

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4 SepChalk Paint Coffee Table

If you’ve seen my recent post on the before and after chalk paint mirror you know I’m a big fan of the stuff. I decided to try to paint our old living room coffee table, which was in need of a facelift. What’s important to know is that this table is from Ikea. Can you say laminate, anyone? My point is, chalk paint has no problem sticking to that kind of surface and my prep included wiping down the top with a little cleaner just to get the dust off of it. So, I’ll walk you through this project step by step. Here is the living room before with the fake wood table.

I knew you’d want a better look at that owl pillow! Adorable, huh?

So my next move was to choose a color and get painting. A normal person might choose a neutral considering there is a lot of artwork in this room and there’s already a bright green wall. But, I’m not normal so I chose to go with red, green’s compliment.

With the paint in hand, I lugged the coffee table outside onto a tarp and got right to painting!

Chalk paint takes about a half hour to dry. To completely cover the wood surface, this project took about three coats. But the paint dries so fast, it really takes no time at all. Here’s the painted piece!

After painting furniture with chalk paint, it’s super important to seal it with soft wax. It’s easy to do. Just rub a bit on the surface with an old t-shirt and you’re done!

Speaking of done… Here’s the finished coffee table in the living room! I love the way it spices up the room. Chalk paint is a fantastic way to give new life to old furniture in a super easy and inexpensive way! Ta-da!

For more info on chalk paint and where to find it. Go here.

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21 AugWhere can I buy cool paper?

Finding awesome paper is not easy. I know this from experience. When I ventured out to design my first wedding invitation requiring cool paper (my own) I realized it wasn’t easy to find neat paper in small-ish quantities. Yes, craft stores have paper, but you’ll pay an arm and a leg for 12 x 12 sheets, typically meant for the scrap-booking crowd. So what’s the solution? The average Joe doesn’t have mill swatch books laying around the house and your average printer may not have the time and patience to sit down with your bridesmaid dress swatches (you know who you are, girls). Well, I’ve got a solution for you! If all you need is neat-o paper and pockets… look no further than the Envelopments website. While I’m not at all advocating DIY design projects, there are times when you just need some sweet paper. Of course, most of the time, you need to hire a sweet designer, like me. But in the meantime…

When you click here you will be taken to the Cormier Creative Envelopments site where you can shop till you drop. Make sure you give Cormier Creative credit at the checkout. Show a girl some love! Have fun shopping all of the colors, patterns, shapes and sizes. It’s easy to get carried away! (I’m always here to help!)

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8 AugChalk Paint Project

Okay folks! I found some gems and I want to share them with you. And if you stick around long enough this post ends with a super cute project. Gem #1: Winsome Cottage in Waynesville, OH. I discovered this shop a couple of weekends ago. While I am a super modern, city girl, there was still something about this “shabby-chic” place that struck me. I mean look… super cute right? Party bonus… the owner is a sweetheart!

So, what was it that I liked? Drum roll please… Gem #2: Chalk Paint! Okay, so take a close look at those photos. Pretty much every piece of furniture you see there has been redone simply by applying chalk paint! Pardon my french, but this shit is like magic. It can coat just about every surface (fake wood veneer, yes!) goes on nice and thick and dries in 30 minutes to a lovely, buttery matte texture. You can paint on metal, glass, dark wood… you name it! So are your wheels spinning yet? Got something in your house that’s a little outdated and drab? Chalk paint it, baby! That chest of drawers that you neighbor left on the curb… swipe it at night ’cause you got chalk paint, and the neighbor doesn’t have a clue!

Alright! Are you ready for my first attempt at chalk paint madness? I swiped this mirror from my late grandmother’s house. It’s Gem #3 in my book. A gem because it belonged to my Grandma G. who I loved very much. And, frankly, it was the only thing in the whole house that was worth taking in my opinion. The mere fact that I found it was a feat in and of itself.

So, I’m going to walk you through my first attempt at using chalk paint. I chose 3 colors of paint at Winsome Cottage (yes, they sell it) seen here. It took me FOREVER to decide.

For the mirror, I chose to use “Florence,” a lovely, bright, turquoise. Then I got to work!

Looks like I need another coat!

Much better! I’m still keeping a bit of the weathered look.

That’s a shot of me through the Windex on the mirror… kinda neat! Had to clean it up!

So, here’s the final piece in all of its glory! Complete with a reflection of my beloved Shepard Fairey limited edition print of Cincinnati’s Contemporary Art Museum. Ta-da!

I’ll keep you posted on my chalk paint projects! Next up: Antique sewing cabinet!

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