March 1 - Painted Frame Wall Collage

I'm not a big fan of talking about my personal life - I like to keep it just that, personal. Which is why I've never kept up on the blogs I've started. So today I'm starting fresh. Since I no longer have my web design company and no longer work an ungodly amount of hours each day (yay!), I've challenged myself to get into my scrapbook room for at the least a few minutes everyday and MAKE SOMETHING EVERYDAY. Whether it is a bigger project or just a card or embellishment that takes a few minutes, I'm going to do it. It makes me happy to create fun things, so even on my worst days I'll have at least a few minutes of happy! I've started this blog to hopefully inspire you to do the same, and maybe give you some ideas along the way. I won't be talking about my personal life or anything like that on here, only fun creative projects EVERY DAY.

My latest project is a photo frame collage in my dining room. I ran to the grocery for a quick shop the other day and walked in just as they were marking these cheesy looking pictures down 75% off. The photos inside weren't anything to write home about (probably why they were on sale) but the frames they were in definitely had potential. They had all different sizes - even some 12" x 12" frames! So I bought a bunch of different frames and sizes for about $1 or $2 each.

I came home, emptied my dining room wall, and have been painting the frames all eggshell white. Then scrapbooking the insides with my favorite family photos. I've got 3 done so far (left), and will just keep adding more until it looks "done". So far it has been a blast. The header of the blog above has a close up of one of the 12" x 12" frames that are on the wall already. And the one I did yesterday is posted below with the "ingredients" - it was a super-fast frame! If the frame is fancy enough like the frame below you really don't need a whole lot of embellishments, just a good photo and a few extras to jazz it up a little!

There are SO many ways and places to find cheap frames that you can decorate - try checking your local dollar store, or thrift store and garage sales and flea markets would also be a perfect place. Antique frames would obviously be very cool, but they tend to be expensive and I would find it hard to convince myself to do anything destructive to it. Even the cheesiest looking frame can have a COMPLETELY different look to it once it has a fresh coat of paint - then you also have control over what color(s) it becomes. And don't forget to check your basement, attic and closets! You never know what frames you may uncover that you aren't using any more!

You Make Me Happy Painted Frame

Ingredients:

• 8" x 10" Frame
• Making Memories Manila Scrapbook Paint
• Fancy Pants Patterned Paper
• Crocheted Ribbon
• Stampin' Up! Love & Happiness Rubons

Instructions:

1 - Take the back out of your frame and paint the frame with your scrapbook paint. This frame was darker so it took 3 coats of paint. Use as many coats as needed to have the effect you want.

2 - I cut my paper to an 8" x 10" size, and adhered my photo.

3 - Laying the glass on top I then rubbed on my rub-on ON THE TOP of the glass. This gives the frame a cool 3-D effect by creating a little bit of a shadow under the rubon.

4 - I adhered my ribbon at the bottom of my paper and added the rubon caption right under the photo directly on the paper.

5 - Once the frame had completely dried, I assembled it all and hung it on the wall.

See you tomorrow! :)