December 31, 2013

Favorite Projects of 2013

Looking back on 2013 for the Miss Kopy Kat blog,
here are my favorite projects that were done
(more in chronological order than anything else):
click on highlighted text to go to the actual blog post

For January, one of the coldest months of the year,
 I copied the cute idea of  "Making Sweaters For Your Vases" .
I am looking forward to getting the vase sweaters out again soon.


 My church sponsored a fund-raiser right before Valentine's Day last year.  I made these Soda Can Candy Bouquets for the sale.

 They make fun, inexpensive gifts or even party favors.
The colors can be adapted for certain occasions or holidays too.  

Also around Valentine's Day I made several paper wreaths
that I had been "pinning" the tutorials for.  My favorite one

If you want to see the other wreaths that were also made
of aged book pages, click on "Vintage Valentine Mantle".

Also for Valentine's Day decorations, "lollies" were
made of the aged book pages.

In March, I wanted to do a project that featured 
St. Patrick himself.  I try to change out the artwork in the
frames in the living room and dining room seasonally so
this faux stained glass piece was made for the dining room.

 I accidentally left the memory card out of my camera
 while I was taking photos of the actual making of the
 "stained glass window" (it is just craft paints on an
 acrylic sheet) so I couldn't do a tutorial on that part.
 All I was left with was photos of how to enlarge an 
 image using a great website (also good to know).  The
 title of that blog post is "How To Enlarge An Image".

The post does have good close-up photos of the finished
project.  It was WAY more time-consuming
 than I thought it was going to be but I think
 it was my "personal best" project for the year. 


For my first guest post ever ( over at
Amanda Jane Brown's blog), I developed at wreath
that looks similar to a burlap wreath but is made from
a brownish deco mesh (that holds its shape well)
that is a base for seasonal decorations  to be added
 to for a quick and easy "Wreath For All Seasons" .

The wreath has come in SO handy for me during the year to add 
a few decorations on when I needed/wanted a wreath quickly
or for a few days for a minor holiday. 

In June, I posted "How to Make a Custom Color
Chalk-y Paint".   It shows how an Ikea particle board cabinet
that was a "roadside rescue" piece was revived with layers of
paint made with a "recipe" of easily found supplies so that
 you don't have to have multiple cans of expensive paint to 
achieve a multi-colored piece of furniture.

This piece of furnture also maked a turning point in my year
as I took on the responsibility of moving my elderly parents
to my city and assuming the task of providing their care.
It is a very time-consuming but rewarding job.  

Since I already have a full-time job too, there isn't much
time left for blogging.  About the only post I got done in
 July was "How To Make Beach Bottles".

In looking back at the beach bottle post, the actual craft is
not that unique but the post shows pictures of how I used
other summer home decor items (made in the past two 
summers with highlighted links to the tutorials that are
 more creative) in new ways for the summer of 2013. 

In August I finally got around to actually completing an
idea that I had started in the summer of 2012.  I wanted
to see if flattened and dried cedar branches could be 
painted to look like sea coral.  The branches got dried in
2012 but they didn't get finished till August 2013...almost
missed another summer to post "Make Your Own Seafans".

Although I am no expert with deco mesh, I do like to
try using it in new ways.  One day while I was out shopping
I saw a deco mesh wreath that was made in a way I had
never seen before.  Trying not to be too obvious, I studied
the wreath's construction and then tried to copy the store's
wreath technique in "Make a Deco Mesh Ruffle Wreath".

For Fall decorating this year it was pumpkins, pumpkins 
everywhere.  The unique pumpkins that I bought at the
farmer's market provided the main decorations inside the
house for the whole months of October and November.
To see how they were used click on "Fast Fall Decorating".

A couple of ideas that were begun in the above post and then expanded 
upon later on the outside of the house were "Almost Instant Pumpkin Patch"...


For December my big project was to make new decorations for
 the front of the house.  Departing from tasteful and subdued
 outdoor decor, I went with a fun and whimsical bright green
and red candy theme in "Make Big Candy Decorations".


Other tutorial posts that went into making the new outdoor decorations were





Miss Kopy Kat blog has been a joy to me and a great
creative outlet for the time I can squeeze some projects in.
See the side bar for the most viewed projects (since I 
started the blog).  There are some oldies but goodies there. 

A couple of things that I am looking forward to in 2014 is
the arrival of a new grand baby in April and going to the
 Academy Awards ceremony in March. 

Happy New Year to YOU!!!

I'm sharing this post over at
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
Your Best Posts of 2013 @ Southern Hospitality

December 25, 2013

Christmas Home Tour 2013

Merry Christmas to you!  
 
Come on over and take a tour of the decorations at my 
house this year.  Let's start at the front door:

This year I made new decorations for the front of the house
in bright greens and reds in a candy theme. 








The front windows had new wreaths made also.






The candy theme continued to the mailbox area.








Inside the house most of the decorations are things 
that were made last year like the "Miracle" angel...

...miniature white houses, silver objects, and bottle brush
trees in the dining room...









...in the living room snow scenes in various vases and
jars made from bleached bottle brush trees, epsom salts, 
and purchased figures.




















We have found that the Christmas tree works best in
an area of the kitchen since it is out of traffic patterns
but is easily seen from the living room area too.

This year the tree has mostly silver and white ornaments
with the exception of special ornaments like the one from
my grand daughter, Lilly...

...a some that were made on a special outing to a glass
glass with my middle son and his wife.

The kitchen table holds bottle brush critters from last year
with the addition of some slightly darker critters made more
from tiny twigs...they all get along well. 



Finally got all the presents wrapped just in 
time for Christmas morning!

If you are interesting in any of the "how to's" that went into making
 the decor ,here are the tutorials:

I hope that you have a blessed Christmas Day!

I'm sharing this post over at
Be Inspired link party @ Common Ground 
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

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