Make Your Own Mixed Media Business Cards

I was shopping in a local Seattle thrift shop a few weeks ago and found a package of printable business cards. In my mind, the line between art supplies and office supplies is blurred, so I grabbed the business cards and brought them home.

I shared in this post on how to create your own mixed media master board, that I sometimes use master board to make business cards. I decided to treat the business card sheets as if they were master board substrates, and use them to create... wait for it... business cards!

Secret Sisters and Book Exchanges and Field Trips, Oh My!

I shared last week about what to expect when you attend a blog conference.  Today, I want to share a little about the "extracurricular" activities at SNAP conference in 2015.

Several weeks before the conference, registrants had the opportunity to sign up for a Secret Sister (or Brother). We were tasked with stalking (in the nicest possible way, of course), our secret pal, by following their blog and their various social media accounts.

What to Expect When Attending SNAP Blog Conference

It's that time of year again! Bloggers everywhere are making plans to attend their favorite blog conferences. Last year I finally decided to join in the fun, and I have to tell you, it really was fun!

I decided to attend the SNAP Conference in Salt Lake City, since it's only a short flight away, and I tend to wilt on long plane trips. Getting to the hotel from the airport was a breeze -- there is a light rail stop about a block from the conference. It's pretty much guaranteed that you will meet new blogger friends on the train ride!

How to Decorate When You're Broke

We've all been there. We want to freshen up our homes, but our home decor budget is non-existent. Here are some ideas that you can use to decorate your home when you're broke.

What to Do With Unfinished Holiday Projects?

Lots of times, when I'm working on craft projects for the holidays, I don't finish them all in time for decorating and gift giving. For years, I felt like a failure when this happened, but now days, I realize I'm just "ahead of the game"!

It's okay if you don't finish everything before Christmas. You can always pack your incomplete projects away with your Christmas decor, and finish it up next year -- but a better idea is to go ahead and finish now (or during Christmas in July). You will be able to go into the next holiday season with lots of handmade gifts ready for giving! If you're a blogger, you can go ahead and write a post about it, and schedule it to be published during the holidays, freeing up your holiday time to spend with family and friends.

 Over the 2014 holidays, I made lots of these icicle ornaments, that I blogged about here. I went ahead and finished them up (mostly) in January, so they would be ready for decorating or gift giving in December.

In 2015, I experimented with some papier mache Santa ornaments I saw on Emi's (Hectanooga) YouTube channel. Those didn't get finished, either, but I went ahead and got them all gessoed and ready to paint. I will finish them up as I have time, schedule a blog post about making them to be published during the 2016 holidays, and have a ready supply of gifts!

It's okay that these projects didn't get finished before Christmas. After all, it's just a matter of perspective, right?  You can look at those unfinished projects as failures, or you can look at them as being "ahead of the game"!

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to House Revivals in the sidebar, so you won't miss the fun projects we have planned. Find us on Facebook, too, so you can catch all the "in between" stuff, and see what I'm working on daily on Instagram. Feel free to link today's project to your favorite social media sites.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Amanda

Creative Blog Business Card Tutorial

A few weeks ago I was able to attend Snap Conference for bloggers. It was tons of fun -- there were lots of conference sponsors who gave out lots of swag, and let us try out lots of new products!

I ordered a new set of blog business cards for the conference, but when they arrived, I realized the fronts of the cards were off-center. It bugged me.

2015 Word of the Year

Is it really 2015, already?  Every year, it seems the days fly by more quickly than the year before. 2014, for me was a year of much reflection. I had been thinking of it as a "lost year," in terms of career and personal growth, but as I look back on it I realize it was a time when I was advancing by leaps and bounds.

In 2014, my Word of the Year was Acceptance (not to be confused with complacence). Things got off to a rough start, when a dear aunt passed away. I did not want to accept that. I was really hoping to get through an entire year without anyone dying, but maybe that's not realistic in this life. Every single person we know will eventually move on.

My Favorite Projects and Posts From 2014

Okay, I've already shared your favorite House Revivals posts of 2014. Now, here are my favorite posts!

In 2013, I was dealing with a copyright (copyfraud) bully, and decided to share a bit about my experiences and research in What Crafters Need to Know About U.S. Copyright Law.

10 of the Most Popular Posts of 2014

Wow, it's hard to believe we're bringing 2014 to a close!  Here are a few of the most popular decor and craft posts from House Revivals this year.

While my vintage book page projects, especially the woven stars and snowflakes, are my most popular posts from year to year, these are the most popular new posts from 2014:


17 Pretty Ways to Decorate With a Brown Sofa was the most popular new post of 2014.

Another hugely popular post was Super Amazing Ways to Up-cycle Filing Cabinets.

Painting Interior Doors Black is another post that has been popular this year.


Five Reasons to Shop at a Thrift Store Right Now has been a big hit -- if you've read my blog for long, you know I'm a fan of up-cycling, re-purposing, and living a creative lifestyle on a budget.


How to Make Gorgeous Pendants With Dollar Store Supplies was published in December, but it has already become one of the most read new posts on House Revivals this year!

I made a lot of paper beads in 2014, and got really sore hands and wrists, so I devised a way to make a Paper Bead Roller with supplies most of us already have on hand.  How to Make Your Own Paper Bead Roller is a reader favorite!  I still use my bead rollers all the time, and they have saved my wrists and my sanity!

Apparently I'm not the only one who must live with dated colored bath fixtures! When timing or finances or life situation is just not right for a remodel, sometimes you just need to work with what you have.  Decorating With Colored Bathroom Fixtures should help you through your bath decor dilemma!

You were all interested in How to Dress Up Those Plastic Nursery Pots!  I simply do not have the storage space to keep lots of decorative pots and vases, so I turned to one of my favorite materials for this five-minute fix-up!

The Barn Door Hardware Guide started out when I was researching hardware for one of my own projects, and has been a favorite with my readers.

Earlier this year, I found a leather recliner on Craigslist.  It was the wrong color, so I researched DIY leather furniture dyeing. Ultimately, my husband decided he didn't like sitting on leather -- it was too cold and slippery in winter, and too hot and sticky in summer, so that recliner is now headed for the Goodwill. This is why we opted not to spend the big bucks right away on a new leather recliner or on a professional dye job -- we needed to know if we liked lounging on leather. I shared my leather dye research in this post, How to Dye a Leather Sofa or Chair.

These were your favorite House Revivals posts from 2014. Thank you all for visiting this site this year! Your comments and emails are so important to me.  If you had a favorite post that wasn't on this list, let me know in the comments!

Thank you all for sharing links to my posts on your favorite social media platforms in 2014 -- you are the reason House Revivals exists.  If there is a design, art, craft, or decor topic you would like to see covered in 2015, let me know in the comments.

Here's wishing you all a safe and happy New Year, and a fabulous 2015!

Beach House Deck Renovations!

It seems like forever since we've blogged about our beach house renovations!  After collecting many bids, and interviewing many contractors, we are ready to renovate our main ocean facing deck.

After the initial craziness of buying the partially gutted and dilapidated house, and having it raised nine feet, and having the gutted portion remodeled, we "chilled" for a while -- at first, so we could enjoy time with our daughter and new grandbaby, who were staying with us while our son-in-law was in Afghanistan.

Then there were job and life changes that made it impossible to spend as much time at the beach house as we had initially planned.... We keep plugging along, however. We made masonry repairs to our fireplace, and patched the flagstone floors. Read about our flagstone floors here.

Last year, we did an energy audit, and made lots of changes based on the report we received.  Most of the changes involved copious amount of caulk and foam, but we also added outlet gaskets and lots more insulation, and we replaced the rest of our windows.

The house is now really comfortable, and not drafty anymore -- we can even walk barefoot on the flagstone floors, and they aren't cold!  Read about our energy audit here.

Plans for this year include finally renovating the last of six decks!  The other decks were either removed, replaced, enclosed, or repaired during the first phase of the project, but this last deck was quite a bit more complicated, and got shoved to a back burner when the grandbaby came along... then winter came, then a renovation of another home, then another.... and the poor, sad neglected deck just sat there!

We've made some changes to the design, since I drew up this early concept, but it will still be a lovely place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea... or a nap... or chat... or a good book.  Here's a secret about beaches in the Pacific Northwest: they may be cold and dark and wet and windy all the long winter, but they are amazing in the summer!  Shhhhhh, don't tell, okay?

I cannot begin to tell you how I look forward to being able to spend summer weekends enjoying this deck!

Next project: Exterior priming, painting, and staining (I'm sure the neighbors will be glad)!

Have you lived through a renovation?  What tips and advice do you have for others who are contemplating going through the remodel process?

Awesome Projects to Make With Recycled Newspapers

Continuing the Earth Day theme, here at House Revivals, I thought it would fun to share some ways to use recycled newspapers in our homes and our gardens.

Even if you subscribe to all your papers electronically, you probably have friends and neighbors who would be more than willing to donate their old papers to your recycling projects.

(This post is participating in the Blogging A to Z Challenge. N is for Newspaper. See the link in my sidebar.)

Cool Stuff Made From Reclaimed and Recycled Materials

Just for fun, I've been going through the archives here at House Revivals.  Here are a few fun projects made from reclaimed and re-purposed materials, in honor of our upcoming Earth Day!

(This post is participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. M is for Made. See the link in my sidebar.)

This burnt edge peony is perfect for spring!  It was one of my first tutorials, and has been especially popular with readers who are planning weddings.  It was created using recycled textiles.

This oval wreath made from vintage book pages, jute webbing, and felt roses was made as a gift for a friend. The wreath form was cut from cardboard in the  recycling bin, the book was rescued from the Goodwill Outlet (often the last stop for Goodwill merchandise before the landfill). The roses were made from an old felted wool sweater.

This decoupaged Union Jack with these faux tin letters -- made from recycled newspapers -- spelling LOVE, is one of the most popular projects on House Revivals. The Union Jack was cut from old shirts.

This square wreath is one of my very favorite projects -- in fact, it still hangs on my front door.  Although I glittered the leaves and made it specifically to hang over the holidays, I think it looks great all year long. and it makes me happy. Learn how to make your own wreath using all reclaimed and vintage materials!

Another "early blog" project was this Wild Pants Lamp! It was a little crazy, and I'm pretty sure my husband hated it, but I loved it. It was made using..................... wait for it............................ Wild Pants!

The lamp didn't last too long, however, after our daughter's sweet pup, Dexter, arrived in our home!

His mommy tried to fix it.... with duct tape. We actually used it like this for several more months, while our household goods were in storage!  Lately, it has been stashed in a closet awaiting a proper repair.

Who can stay mad at a face like that?

Do you like to make things?  Do you enjoy working with reclaimed materials?  Be sure to leave a comment, so I know you stopped by!

Jonathan Adler, I Love You!

There. I've done it. I've professed my love to the world. While most of you are crushing on some hunky movie star, I'm crushing over a potter. Of course Jonathan Adler is not just any potter -- he's an amazingly gifted potter who branched out into furniture design and now has a chain of boutiques that bear his name.

Oh, Jonathan, I know you are in a relationship -- and I have been married for nearly thirty years, and raised three children with my husband, but he just doesn't understand me like you do! The color, the glitz, the glam, the retro-but-not-kitchy, the handcrafts, the art, the warmth -- you get me. Oh, how I love you.

Garlands and Buntings for Spring

Garlands and buntings are a really strong decorating trend right now-- they are great for parties, seasonal decor, and mantels.

They are easy to DIY and give you a lot of bang for your buck.  Here are ten especially pretty garlands and buntings perfect for your spring decor!

What Crafters Need to Know About U.S. Copyright Law

I allowed myself to be bullied.  Fortunately, on my long drive out to the beach house, I was able to "get into that place" and think things through.  (This post is participating in the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  B is for Bully.)

It was early December of 2012 and things were good and I was happily going along, minding my business and doing my thing, when I got a strange email. A woman claimed to own the copyright to the designs for some popular star weaving craft tutorials I had written for my blog.

2013 Favorite Projects

Sometimes I feel like a really lame blogger.  I wanted to do a post of favorite projects shared on House Revivals Blog this year, and realized I have close to twenty painted furniture projects that just never got shared. How sad is that? It seemed like one of those years when I was trying so hard to get it all done, the extras (like writing about what was getting done) fell by the wayside.

I did manage to eek out a few furniture posts, and several craft tutorials.  Here is a recap of some of the most popular projects on House Revivals in 2013:

Stolen Blog Content

It happened to me.  I have discovered that content from House Revivals has been hijacked by one of those "fake" blogs.  As I look around this fake blogger's site, I am finding lots of what appears to be stolen content from other blogs, as well. 

This is the blog that contains the hijacked content:

http://howtomakecraft.blogspot.com/

Has any of your own content been hijacked?  If so, be sure to use blogger's "report abuse form" to submit a complaint. 

C is for Under Construction (or how to add some tabs)

 source

We are under construction at House Revivals, but here is a sneak peak of the final reveal.

I realized, when I was having a hard time navigating and finding old articles on my own blog, that I needed to do some serious renovating!  This is definitely a work in progress, and won't happen all at once, but I like the direction it's going.

Be sure to check out the new Blogger tabs and pages.  It used to be, that to create tabbed pages, you needed to create a new post and link it to a tab (lots of bloggers just used a text gadget to create their tabs/ links).  Now, Blogger lets you create static pages.  If you want to try this for your own blog, click on "design" in the upper right of your Blogger bar (or click on "design" from your dashboard).  Now, click "add a gadget".   Choose the "pages" gadget.  You will be given the option of changing the name of your "home" tab -- I kept the name "home".  Save the gadget.  Now you should have a tab bar, but it will only have one tab.  You can  have up to ten tabs.

 Adding tabs is like adding on to your house -- you might be 

satisfied with your "home", just the the way it is, or you may 

want several additions! It's all a matter of personal taste.

To create a new tab, just click on "new post", either in your dashboard, or on the blogger bar on the upper right of your blog. The familiar composing box will open up, but you won't use that one to create a page.  Instead, click on "edit pages".  Next click on "new page".  A new composing box should pop up.  Now, you can type your text, or add photos or links or whatever you want.  How about a tab for thrift store finds?  Or one for craft projects?  Or Salsa dancing tips?  Favorite recipes?  You can do anything you want -- your blog, your rules!

This post is being linked to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.