Picture Frame Makeover #2

Here's a great before and after project! 

First, a little background -
I love Kohl's; everything about it. I have a Kohl's credit card; and with my statements I often get coupons. One of these coupons was for a free 16x20 print through Shutterfly (score!). Picking out one of my photos proved to be the hard part, but I settled on a close up of a poppy from my dad's backyard and placed my order.

I thought if I could find a thick, purple frame that it would match nicely with the center color of the poppy and make the orange petals pop. However, I had no luck finding what I was hoping for in stores. After scouring the internet, I found exactly what I wanted... for upwards of $50, plus more to ship it. That was a bit more than I was willing to pay, but it got me thinking, maybe I could make my own.

I found this frame at a thrift store, complete with an Anne Geddes poster (that I won't be keeping), for just $2.99! It had a plastic pane that had a crack, but I knew it could be exactly what I wanted once I dressed it up. I found another 16x20 frame with a glass pane that could replace the ugly plastic, for another $2.99. (So now I'm at $5.98 total.)

I was set on having a purple frame; so, immediately following this purchase, I headed over to Lowe's and picked out several purple paint samples. 

Upon arriving home (I'm not sure I even took my coat off, I was so excited), I proceeded to match up the colors with the photo, viewing them under different lighting to make sure the final choice was perfect. I settled on "Royal Plum" by Olympic.
I had to wait til the next day to get the $2.98, 7 oz. sampler of paint. (Total cost now at $8.96 and I'll have a bit of extra paint for other projects.)

With two coats of paint and a little sanding to create a weathered look, I had pretty much the exact frame I had wanted with a whole lot of savings!

Isn't it perfect? I think so! 

I love a great makeover craft; are there any gems you've found at a thrift store and made your own? I'd love to see your story!

Black & White Photo Mat

I found this awesome idea on Pinterest... 

(at least I do [most of] the things I pin)

I had this in mind to make probably as soon as my nephew was born. I loved the idea on pinterest and thought it would be absolutely perfect to make up the mat of pictures from his first year and the main picture from his first birthday.
I made the collage of black and white photos around the colored 5x7 photo using a photo editing program called GIMP (which you can download for free here) It is supposedly similar to Photoshop and definitely takes some learning and getting used to.
I wanted to be able to print it all out as an 11x14 picture, rather than trying to cut out and glue pictures onto a mat. (By the way, my sister made the invitation; she's also quite crafty - she makes beautiful scrap books.)
I also made an 8x10 version with different cake smash photos for 'Mama and Dada' and for 'Grandpa'. The pictures on the mat are all in a line rather than overlapping as they do in 11x14.

The photo collage is a great way to display favorite photos without framing them all.
It's definitely a project worth playing with and a wonderful gift!

Picture Frame Makeover

Just a quick post to show off this picture frame that I have finally finished!

When I moved into my apartment, two years ago, I printed these photos of mine and had the frame that I needed to repaint. It was previously red and not an easy task to cover.

I began my first attempt at covering the red the same week I moved in, The wood of the frame must have been treated. The red was glossy and the paint wasn't sticking. Two coats wasn't enough. And as soon as I peeled the painter's tape off one color it pulled all the paint with it.

I washed (literally, washed in my bathtub) the whole frame and tried another approach - sand the red off until I got to the bare wood. I think the wood was soaked in glossy red evil. I sanded and sanded, but didn't see much of a difference.

To give you an idea, here's the back of the frame - sorry, I didn't take photos throughout the process.

Frustrated, I walked away from the project; and almost two years later, it was still in my basement.

I decided to give it one more try and if the paint still peeled, I would toss the frame and buy a new one. But a happy day for me, the paint stuck and it looked just the way I had imagined!

Some projects get lost for a while, but they're always satisfying to see completed!

Black Bear Sighting

This is not a DIY project, nor a food recipe, but something that just happened to me and I wanted to share.
How often does a person, who lives in a residential area, see a black bear in their back yard?
Click below to see the pictures. (And while you're there, check out more of my photography page on facebook.)

Post by SRD photography.

New Pages

I'm feeling a bit of remorse for not posting a lot so far this year... life is crazy! But I've also been working on a couple of new pages for you!

FIRST

In case you haven't noticed the new link at the top of the blog -

I created a blog page just for the baby crafts that I have done. I wanted to have them all in one blog, so that they are easier to find; and so they don't keep popping up here for the people that aren't as interesting in those crafts.
So far I've shared Receiving Blankets, Burp Cloths, and a Stuffed Octopus; but there will be more to come!
If you've got some new little ones in your life, you've got to check it out! Just click on the picture or the link at the top of the page for Baby Crafts.

SECOND

I have created a Facebook page for my photography and I'm super excited about it! You may have noticed a new link in the 'find more SRD' section to the right of the screen...
I just made it public ten days ago.

Here you'll find a collection of my favorite pictures that I have taken throughout the years, starting in 2009. They are categorized by albums, or you can scroll the page to see by date; however, some albums (like "Flowers" and "Clouds") are left mostly undated.
This page is what has really taken a lot of time! If you like any of the pictures you've seen on my blog, or just like to look at nature, then you should start following me on Facbook!
(On a side note - I'd love to be able to see that you are following me, so please read the Note on my photography page on how to do that. If we aren't friends and your 'likes' aren't public, then I will only see another number added to the total likes.)

I'm so very happy to be able to share the many pieces of my life that excite me and bring me into the present moment of being. Thanks for reading, following, sharing... and please leave lots of comments for me!

Mirror Picture Frame

This is a craft that I made about 3 years ago,

but it is perfect to do on these last dreary days of winter!

For Christmas a few years ago, my sister, knowing my love for photography and crafting, gifted me something incredible - a book with over 30 projects to do with your pictures!

The book is titled Photocraft: Cool Things to Do with the Pictures You Love, by Caroline Herter, Laurie Frankel, and Laura Lovett.
While I absolutely love looking through this book, I am disappointed to admit that the Mirror Frame is the only project I've completed from it... I have a couple others started, and writing this now is pushing me to get those finished so I can share them!

This Mirror Frame is pretty simple and inexpensive (I found this mirror at the dollar store!). Keep in mind, however, that it is next to impossible to get the glass 100% clear. The photo I used here is one of mine that I had edited to look a little scratched and worn. I tried using another photo of mine with a beautiful sky full of white clouds, but no matter how I scrapped and cleaned the glass, it still made the clouds look dirty. This project is probably best used with dark or 'antiqued' photos.

Once you have your mirror and picture picked out, decide what shape and size you want to clear. The frame I used is about 8x10, so I printed a 5x7 of the photo.

Using a single-edge razor, scrape away the section of the mirror's black backing - this part takes a bit of arm strength. I put the mirror face-down on soft surface and really pushed into it with the razor, to the point I was afraid the glass might break, but it didn't!

You can make your edges rough, like I did; or make them nice a clean cut. I think the rough edges work a little better with the overall look.

And that's it - just tape your picture to the back and set it up for display!

I'd love to know how yours turns out! What size and shape did you make? Were you able to get the glass perfectly clear? If so, please share your secret with me!

Wedding Photography

My cousin got married over the weekend and my Aunt asked me to bring my "awesome photographic skills" (gotta pat myself on the back sometimes :-p). They hired a friend who was brand new to wedding photography; admittedly, I am no professional either. My Aunt was nervous about getting good pictures and sent me a message saying, "if I know you will be there with your camera, I will feel much better." Such a nice compliment!
I used my reliable, 4 year-old, digital camera (Canon PowerShot SD890 IS), along with my sister's new-to-me camera (Canon EOS Rebel T3i). We love Canon! My sister's was fun to play with and I got some amazing shots that my smaller camera would be incapable of producing; but I knew every button and setting on my camera to get some other great shots with just seconds to snap.

I thought I would share just a few of the best!

Giving away the Bride

The Rings

A Bridesmaid's Bouquet

Releasing the Doves

The Wedding Cake

The Maid of Honor

My Sister's Family

I helped my sister with her hair. 

(left)

I also got a great shot of my other sister with her husband & son.

(right)