 These days, there’s a new favorite medium in my tool kit—air-dry clay! The more I work with this product, the more inspired I am to create things with it. It’s so organic! Anyone who enjoys baking can relate to the satisfaction of feeling their fingers push into soft dough, shaping and reshaping it until they achieve just the right texture and form. I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance as I experimented with this clay material. And, since this is a new fascination for me, I simply HAD to include something clay in my new handcrafted fairy houses! Two new projects need a final whimsical flourish, and I immediately thought of miniature clay mushrooms. What could be more magical?!
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 Whoever thought I’d build a miniature medieval house? I certainly never did…But, I did it! A few years ago, I had an idea for a half-timbered-style house. (How very ambitious of me!) A few sketches were made, and then nothing…for a couple of years. Last year, I finally dusted off the idea, reworked the drawings, and set to work building a stylish medieval home for my resident fairy. The Inspiration for this design came from images of half-timbered buildings from places like England, France, and Germany. Photos of The Shambles (an iconic street in York, England) provided plenty of fodder for my imagination. Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at my design process and materials used to create this newest handcrafted fairy house! A behind-the-scenes look at the creative process  It all started fifty years ago with a Fisher-Price bi-fold castle, complete with a drawbridge, dungeon, and a moat featuring a menacing painted alligator. The seeds of fascination were planted, and the love affair with castles began. If only my four-year-old self could see me now! Of course, I was going to build my very own enchanted castle…That was always in the cards. Certain things are simply inevitable! So, call this one a passion project. Today’s blog post is for those who share this passion (or for the merely curious). Are you ready for a behind-the-scenes look at the design concept and materials used to create this whimsical fairy castle tower? Hang onto your dragon…Here we go!  If you’ve ever tried to apply shingles in a straight line on a dollhouse roof you know the challenge of keeping everything straight and in alignment! The struggle is real! One of my current craft projects involves applying shingles to a miniature fairy house roof. The rhythmic visual effect of overlapping tiles on a roof is strangely satisfying…but the same can’t be said of the process of applying those tiles! With a little preparation though this activity can go a lot smoother. Today’s blog outlines steps to help make the application of dollhouse roof tiles easy and precise so you can enjoy both the process and the result.   If you are a crafter or artist who would like to know how to create a three-dimensional cone shape from a 2D drawing this article is for you! In today’s blog, I will share three simple ways to draw a 2D pattern for a cone. We will try the following techniques: 1) use a triangle point to draw a circle, 2) use a triangle’s diagonal line to draw an arc, or 3) draw triple triangles. Showcasing beautiful and realistic faux florals from Factory Direct Craft  Coral roses candle holder by Di's Studio Designs. I’m often guilty of not sharing “inside” information about my design process. Like many artists, I keep my inspiration close to the vest. I also get so caught up in creating while working on projects that sharing the behind-the-scenes stuff is not even on my radar! So today I thought I’d pull back the curtain—just a tad—to give you a sneak peek into what inspires me and the supplies that help me realize my finished pieces. I recently became an affiliate of Factory Direct Craft (FDC), and am stoked to start sharing some of the supplies I have been using for many years. FDC has a wide selection of unique fabric florals and faux greenery, and I love that this selection allows me to create whimsical floral designs for my online shop. The crafty people among you may already follow me on my social media platforms (if not there are convenient icons at the end of this post for you to click…hint, hint!) and may have seen my finished faux floral designs. In the spirit of sharing, this article will highlight some of the FDC florals I have used in my favorite spring and summer floral designs and candle holders. So let’s get to it!  Celtic Mother's Knot Wood-burned Plaque by Di's Studio Designs. Are you new to wood burning?
If you are an artist or crafter who wants to create wood-burned art but doesn’t know what supplies you’ll need, this article is for you! Below is a list of tools, safety equipment, cleaning materials, accessories, and how-to books for those new to the art of pyrography. This should give you a better idea of what you will need for your projects so you can start with confidence! Take a look at my top 17 picks from Blick Art Materials!  Images from Dickblick.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. Spring is around the corner…and that means new craft projects! But you’ll get nowhere fast without the proper materials!
This is the time of year when I plan out the projects for the next few months and take stock of my arts and crafts supplies. The most frustrating situation is when I am working on a craft and realize I have run out of something vital. Everything stops…including the creative roll. This is the life of a creative, right? In the spirit of starting this year off on the right foot, I scoured Blick Art Materials’ website to see what’s new in their spring catalog. I collated 17 handy items for your crafty spring DIY projects. Christmas gifts and stocking stuffer ideas from Blick Art Materials  Images from Dickblick.com. Click the links below to view or purchase. Some of the posts in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I will only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers, so there is no conflict of interest. Can you believe the holidays are almost here? Where the heck did this year go?! With only a few weeks left for holiday gift buying, the pressure is on to find something for the creatives in your life. I scoured Blick Art Supplies for some of the most practical drawing supplies for my artistic readers and YouTube followers! Some of the items below are supplies I own or have purchased for one of the creatives in my household. (We’re all creative souls here!) So, without further ado, here are some of my best picks for drawing supply gift ideas for the artist in your life…  Faux roses and florals for new spring decor. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2023. I feel like I’m a little late to the party…It’s already March, and I’m only just now updating you on what’s on tap this year at DSD. I don’t know what happened to January and February…I guess they just got away from me! Honestly, I’ve been keeping my head down and staying busy. Quite a lot is happening, and a lot of projects are either in the works or are slated to get done within the next few months. My goal this year is to fill my online shop with beautiful items for you and pump out all new blog material about some of my (and your) favorite topics. This year I am full on embracing faux florals, fairy decor, and Celtic inspired art. If you like fairies, knotwork, castles, and nature inspired faux floral designs, you’re in for a treat!  Corner closeup of finished stool. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. A few years back I bought a beat up second hand vintage foot stool with the idea that I would reupholster it and give it a new lease on life. Once it was taken apart, however, I came up with another idea…
In Part 1 of this project blog I repainted a frame from a mirror I bought at a local thrift shop for dirt cheap. My original intention was to paint a base coat for the reddish undertones I wanted to show through a crackled gold top coat. The end result looked ok…for a different room. The almost solid gold color just looked gaudy in my dining room, even though I have a lot of decorative things with gold accents. This mirror, unfortunately, was just too over-the-top gold. The end result was me painting over it with a new layer of crackle and white craft paint.  Painted frame from the previous DIY project. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  Finished painted mirror in dining room vignette. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. During a recent trip to my local Goodwill, I found this really sturdy second hand mirror with a nice wood frame. The mirror was marked 9.99, but I think I only paid 4.99 for it, which is quite a steal because mirrors this size (26” x 18”) go for close to $100 or more brand new. There was just one issue—it was the wrong color for my dining room! But no worries…That’s what paint is for! I love my coffee. It is the nectar of the Gods! You know what I don’t love? The mess! So I decided to jump on the proverbial bandwagon and create a proper coffee bar for my kitchen counter…  DIY kitchen counter coffee bar. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  A few of my "found" decor pieces...Photos by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. I love shopping at thrift and consignment stores. I always find such interesting pieces with which to decorate. Using pre-owned pieces brings an element of surprise and interest to a space. A space filled with all brand new stuff lacks a sense of character, of past stories waiting to be told. And buying pre-owned, antique, or vintage pieces saves a whole lot of money! Sometimes it takes a bit of elbow grease to bring things back to life (as I found out with my thrift store lamps), but when you resurrect an old piece you give it a new lease on life and a chance to tell a new story. And did I mention it saves money?! So far this year I have collected soooo many decor items from my local consignment and thrift shops, and I am just dying to share them with you! I’ll break them down by room, to make it easier for me to keep them straight… Have you ever come across a really amazing old clock that you had to take home with you, but it wasn’t exactly in working condition? I’m not talking about the ones with all the complex gears, but a simple modern battery operated clock that you can sit on your counter or hang on a wall. As it turns out, the mechanisms on these types of clocks are ridiculously easy to replace! So let’s back up a little bit and let me give you the back story on the beautiful clock (seen below) that I found at a local thrift store…  My new kitchen vignette. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  My indoor herb pots on the windowsill. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. This year was the year I decided to take the leap and grow some of my herbs indoors. In the past I planted a few herbs (like chives, mint, sage, chamomile, parsley, cilantro, and rosemary) outside in the garden, but having some herb plants indoors would be so much more convenient when cooking and would provide the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the plants as they grow throughout the year.  "New" thrift lamp, rehabbed and staged. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. While casually strolling through a local thrift shop, I happened to spy these two gorgeous lamp bases. I knew they were just perfect for my dining room vignettes, but they needed a little work first. One was missing the lamp shade and harp components, while the other just needed some TLC. Both lamps needed to be completely rewired to replace the cords that were older than grandma. Don’t need any electrical fires here! So today’s project will be to replace the lamp cord for each lamp.  Bromeliad. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. We’ve all been there…You take down all the festive holiday and winter decor and you’re left looking at a cold empty chasm whose soul left the building! This year I tried—in vain—to decorate and make things look nice, but I needed more. I needed my space to feel alive. I needed something organic and living (besides my cats) in my “living” room. I don’t know why I never bothered to get a lot of houseplants before. I like plants. I like poking at them and watching them grow. I do have a few of them already—they have become sad and neglected, but still alive (well, mostly!). Sure I kill a few here and there, but overall we have a symbiotic relationship. This year—of all years—I decided I had to make a major change. This year I wanted to buy some beautiful houseplants and become a proud plant mom. (Yeah, that sounds weird even to me!)  My finished redesigned dining room. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. For too many years, my family has been living paycheck to paycheck. My husband and I were busy raising children and dealing with mundane day-to-day “stuff”. The years flew by and we “collected” furniture that was cheap, hand-me-down, and functional. Nothing was precious because we had three growing boys—and I’m the only female in a house full of males. (Seriously—even the cats are male!) I always meant to “pretty the place up”, but it just never happened, either due to time constraints or because the money just was not there for extra niceties. Recently, however, our situation has changed somewhat. Our three boys are grown (our youngest is in high school) and we are a smidgen better off financially. |
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