What Inspires You?

Good Morning,

I have a few things that I have been wanting to show you. 

Last weekend I went on a retreat to Hobby House Hill.

Again it was a great time with some wonderful ladies.

Sweet Hosts and delicious meals. Well worth a trip.

http://www.hobbyhousehill.com/

The LBH Gals are back from CHA

and have been blogging about their finds.

Check out what they liked from their blogs:

http://luv2cre8joy.blogspot.com/

http://susan-artfulmusings.blogspot.com/

and from the LBH blog:

www.thelittlebluehouseblog.blogspot.com

Since I didn't go to CHA, I was closely monitoring

the LBH Gals on Facebook and the blogs of artists I enjoy following. 

CHA is always a great place to get new and inspirational

 ideas for cards, albums, scrapbooks,journals and home decor items.

With everyone taking fantastic pictures I'm waiting in anticipation

 for each shipment arrival.

 

One day my MIL says she finally found the suitcase! When I asked

her what she needed a suitcase for, she gave me a magazine clipping from a

BHG issue dated several years ago. It was of a suitcase that had legs attached

to it to make a little table.

I looked at it and told her how I had seen these on Pinterest.

Click on this link: http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=suitcase+table

Here is the case she picked up from a local antique store:

The legs were from a dining table she had converted

into a coffee table by sawing off the bottoms of the legs. 

She did this about 12 years ago and saved them for just the right project.

She saved the paper clipping for the suitcase table for about

4 years in a binder with loads of other ideas she's wanting to try,

and found the suitcase last summer.

Isn't it great when a plan comes together???

So after buying the last of the supplies and sweet talking

my hubby into doing the handy work, the result was this cute little blue

suitcase table.(it didn't take much sweet talk, he's always happy to help)

 We may have to replace the elastic for some usable pockets though.

Magazines are one of my favorite places to

get ideas from.  I had made this wreath from a photo I saw in

Country Living Magazine(I think it was CLM) about 9 years ago.

I made one with an Olive branch wreath and this one with English Ivy

woven through. I love them both.

You can see more clay pot wreaths on this Pinterest link:

http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Terra+Cotta+Pot+Wreath

My next inspirational piece was this doily table runner 

I first saw it on Pinterest but was originally blogged here:

 http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2009/12/16/diy-doily-table-runner/

And after reading more I found that her inspiration came from

Country Living Magazine:

http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/decorate-with-vintage-doilies-0408#slide-3

I really like that magazine.

My daughter knew I was wanting to make this and that I didn't have

the doilies to span the table yet. So one of my Christmas gifts

from her was the last few doilies needed to make the runner.

Here is my runner.  I didn't overlap any of the doilies like

Ashley Ann did and that is perfectly fine. 
It always works best to add your touch rather than
copy exactly.

It made a beautiful base for my Christmas centerpiece. 

 When January came I changed to a winter theme.

It may need a few more trees. Hehe.

Either way I like my display.

 

Well, now that I am all chatted out. Tell me what your

favorite source of inspiration is.  I am always on the lookout for a new

blog, magazine or artist to learn from.

 

Until the next post,

Merry Crafting Everyone!

 

Rhonda