I am going to get in trouble for posting this!

Dear Chicago House,

As you know by now I am an art snob. I don't like any generic art pieces within your walls. Everything has to be unique.

And how about this for unique.

This lovely little paper-mache cat sculpture sits in my office and was made by Chicago teenager when she was about 10. The thing is she hates it, so will not be very please I have debuted in to the world.

But I love it!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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A walk in the woods

Dear Chicago House,

I have to say the woodlands round here are spectacular in the spring.

I went for a little wander yesterday with my camera and this is a sampling of what I saw.

I am still learning the ropes with my camera but getting there slowly.What do you think?

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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A bling pencil pot for my office

Dear Chicago House,

It seems I never have enough containers to keep my pencils so this week I rustled up a little something for my desk

Welcome to a bling pencil pot! If you think you have seen one of these before, you are right check out another one here.

Want to make one?

It is easy, here is what you will need.

1 clean can
Decorative vase fillers - marbles
Nail varnish
a sheet of white paper
Modge podge
Hot glue gun

1. Start by painting the backs of the marbles with your choice of nail varnish, I picked two blue (to compliment the decor in my office) but any colors will work
2. Cover the tin can with white paper, inside and out sticking it with Modge podge
3. Cover the can with your tinted marbles - use a hot glue gun

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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Make your geraniums last forever and more gardening tips

Dear Chicago House,

I do love a bit of gardening but plants are so expensive.

You have quite a big garden and during my first spring here I excitedly waited for things to burst fourth from the ground, what delights would I see? But alas there was hardly anything, you had been hiding no perennials ...except a single patch of these lovelies...

Beautiful pink peonies.

The single plant was in dire need to splitting so came fall I dug it up, gently split up the roots (tubas ??) and replanted them around the garden ... Now I am in a pink paradise with pops of pink everywhere... and I didn't spend a dime. Score!

But the pink points don't stop there. Take a look at these geraniums

Would you believe me if I told you they had spent the winter in a brown paper bag in my garage? Well that is their story!

Last fall I dug up all the geraniums I had planted the previous spring, gently shook the soil from the roots and then encased each plant in a brown paper bag, stapling it shut. The bags lived in a closet in the garage the entire winter, I didn't open them until a few weeks ago. I must admit the plants looked rather bedraggled but they all had a few green buds. I cut away all the obvious dead bits planted then and hoped for the best. Bingo more free plants!

Mr Chicago House told me his Granny used to dig up her geraniums every year and wrap them in newspaper until the following spring. Her little London garden was overflowing with them.

I wonder how many years I can make these geraniums last?

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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Use a stencil to create wall art

Dear Chicago House,

I am a little behind at sharing a new piece of art that is gracing your office walls, but better late than never.

A few weeks ago I won a shopping spree at Cutting Edge Stencils and this is what I got.

I know the trend is to stencil an entire wall but I thought I'd try something a little different and make a simple piece of wall art. I started by having a a bit of a play around as I decided I wanted a multi colored effect but didn't quite know what direction I wanted to take.

I selected four craft acrylic paints and got to work.

It took me a while to establish the type of design and to optimize the load of paint on my stencil brush so I did not get an edge bleed.

But I got there in the end and went for a color gradient effect going from turquoise blue to a grass green.

And here it is on the wall ...impossible to photograph without a reflection on the glass but that's what you get if your office has a load of windows. I am not complaining! I really like the way it compliments the other art I have on the wall. This office really has come a long way from it's brown days,

I'd like to try creating a fabric with the stencil yet, what do you think?

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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A stencil some fabric scraps = A magic pillow

Dear Chicago House,

Remember that stencil I won and used to create a piece of art work for my office,

well I have been itching to have a go at stenciling some fabric ever since.

When I tore the disgusting drapes down from your windows when we first moved in, I had plans for selling them. But there were no takers ( surprise surprise!) so I salvaged all the lining and tossed the 1980's curtains.
Now this stash of white fabric has been quite useful. I have already used it to make some Word Art pillows and it was the perfect fabric to have a play around with my stencil.

I gave the fabric a good iron and taped in onto a large wooden board ( a piece of crappy old basement paneling) Stenciling onto fabric was a lot easier that working on paper as I suffered no edge bleed.

I worked with just a single color - just a regular acrylic craft paint. Once the paint was dry I gave the fabric another good iron to fix the paint. To be honest I don't know for certain how well this will stand the test of time but what I do know is if I ever get any acrylic art paint on my clothes it NEVER washes out.

I cut out two 19" squares and quickly ran up a pillow cover on my sewing machine.

Pillow magic and as Mr Chicago House said, diamonds are forever, I think he liked it!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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