I am very excited! This weekend I will be hosting a crafting retreat at my home. It’s a celebration of friendship. Eleven of my friends will be spending the weekend at my home where we’ll be eating, crafting, getting pedicures, laughing, and hanging out. Everyone is bringing something to share such as food, a craft project with all of the supplies, or planning a short hike.
I have set the table for lunch as you can see in the photos. Party favors are always so much fun. I made a package of special gifts including a favorite book, a journal, a beautiful candle, scent sticks, and a personalized t-shirt.
Below are the three images I made for the personalized t-shirts. I simply scanned in my drawings, added text and printed them onto iron-on transfer paper.
Stay tuned – in upcoming blogs I will show photos of the projects we made including instructions. Think about hosting one of these joyous parties for you and your friends. It will be a weekend to remember!
Posted by: Dena in Craft Projects on
Jan 05, 2009
Happy New Year!
I hope you all had great fun this holiday! 2009 has begun, and it's time for resolutions. My resolution is to post more in this blog. I've got exciting events coming up that I plan on sharing, and plenty of do it yourself projects that I want to show you. After all, the main theme for 2009 has got to be more crafts! What are your resolutions for 2009?
Here is a project that is great for any time of the year:
Scraps, scraps, scraps. What to do with all those scraps?
If you’re like me, you’ve got a stash of leftover fabric scraps, bits of trim, pieces of ribbon, odd buttons—the list goes on. They’re too pretty to part with and too small to use on a big project. Well, it’s time to open that drawer, pull out that basket, or take that box off the shelf. This month’s project is the perfect opportunity to give all of your washable embellishment scraps a chance to be seen when you turn them into patchwork pockets for fabric napkins.
For best results, start with linen or cotton napkins. I’m a huge fan of dressing up things I already have (and this project is perfect for that!), but you can of course buy new napkins or sew your own. You have options!
Gather:
Cloth napkin
Fabric marker
Scraps of fabric, trims, ribbons, etc.
Sewing machine and thread
Create:
1) Fold the napkin as if you were setting your table. (For some, this will be in half or first in quarters, then in half, etc.)
2) Using a fabric marker or chalk, mark the spot where you’ll want to place your pocket. Set it aside.
3) To create the pocket, stitch together various scraps and washable embellishments. Frayed edges look great with this project—the looser and more creative, the better!
4) Stitch the bottom edge and sides of the pocket to the napkin.
5) Tuck utensils into the pocket when you set the table.
One fun variation of this project is to customize the patchwork pockets for the members of your family with their favorite colors or add embellishments that have personal meaning to them. This can make an everyday dinner table even more welcoming.
How do they look? Post photos of how your personalized patchwork pocket napkins came out!
Stay tuned for new updates to the Dena Designs blog.
Most people have hallways in their homes and don’t know how to make them visually appealing. Hallways that are ignored can look dull and bare, but with such a small area it can be easy to over-do it. I have learned that a little goes a long way when it comes to this space. For my own dull hallway, I was inspired by this piece of silk fabric stitched with birds, vines, and florals.
When painting your hallway, keep in mind which room it’s going to open into. The colors should transition nicely and complement each other. I decided to start by painting the walls of my hallway a solid buttery yellow because it transitioned nicely into my kitchen and living room. The bird fabric inspired me to paint a pattern of vines and flowers. Whenever I paint a pattern on my walls, I will quickly sketch out my ideas first in pencil. Then I paint each element of the design one color at a time. I started with all the green vines since they are all the same color, and next the flowers and so on. Grouping what you paint by color saves so much time!
After I had the vines and flowers painted, I stopped for a few days to see if the hallway needed anything more. At first I thought I would be adding painted birds on the walls, but I decided that would be too busy. Instead, I painted a single bird with vines and flowers on my closet door.
One important thing to remember is that every room can always be a work in progress. I think my hallway is complete, but I could always change my mind tomorrow! Things can be added and subtracted as time goes on. I would love to hear the creative ideas you’ve used in your hallway. Photos welcome!
Summertime is the fun and relaxing part of the year when we can go on vacations, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the outdoors. But it doesn’t always work out that way! Having kids off from school often means parents have even less time to do errands, clean, craft, or just plain rest. Depending on where you live, the heat and humidity could be too much to bear. And with traveling becoming more expensive these days, summer can be a particularly stressful time!
Whether or not you feel this way, it’s always nice to slow down, even if just for a few minutes, take a breath, and give yourself some well deserved you-time! I’ve collected some of my favorite ways to make each summer day special.
Plant flowers and herbs for your kitchen. The flowers will make the room brighter, and fresh herbs add a gourmet touch to your meals (not to mention your kitchen will smell great). For an extra sunny touch, paint, collage, and embellish your flowerpots before planting. They can coordinate with the colors in your kitchen or pop with different lively colors. This project can also be shared with the entire family! Go shopping for seeds together and each person can choose which small plant they would like to grow. Then everyone can paint and embellish their personal flowerpot.
Brew sun tea. Sun tea is so simple to make! Get a pitcher or jar with a lid. Clean it with soapy water – this step is important even if the container looks clean because leaving dirty dishes in the sun can get you sick. Fill it up with cold water and dangle in the tea bags. Any tea will do, simply use as many bags as directed for the amount of water in there. If you have fresh mint growing, you can put some crushed leaves in for an even more refreshing summer taste. Close the pitcher or jar and leave it in a sunny spot like a windowsill for the day. When the sun goes down, pour your tea over ice and enjoy!
Light a candle in the daytime. Sit in a cozy chair and fill your home with a calming scent. There is no reason to keep candles confined to the nighttime. A perfect pairing for this activity is fresh summer fruit. Watermelon, honeydew, blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, and nectarines –just some of the fruits of the season I love to have for snacking. Maybe you have a local farm, a friendly neighbor, or a tree of your own to supply the freshest fruits.
Set a themed dinner table. Every so often create a theme look for your dining area. It can be created around a color, like a sunny yellow energetic table or a soothing blue one, or a motif like a certain flower or something fun your children will enjoy. It’s your choosing! During the week you can create embellished napkin and candle holders. If you can, buy fabric and sew your own tablecloth. Make it a fun night with friends with personalized name tags and take-home goodies. Pick your own flowers or branches and display them in a lovely vase. Treating yourself to this beautiful night will lift your spirits and make the night memorable.
There are so many ways to make summer days unique! No matter how busy I become, staying relaxed and keeping my environment enjoyable are key to good times. What are your favorite ways to make summertime special?
Ruby, Daisy, and Buddy are my three dogs, smallest to largest. Since they influence my designs, I thought it would be nice to introduce them. They are the reason I started my Shaggy Chic pet line. I have always loved dogs -- the more the better! Each has their own personality that I often use as inspiration for when I paint doggies, trying to capture just the right expression.
Ruby is a tiny Teacup Poodle. She is my fluffy, white diva of a dog. The saying that the smaller the dog, the bigger the personality definitely rings true with this little lady! I have had Ruby for four years, since she was small enough to fit in one hand (now she has only grown to the size of two hands.) She has always loved getting all the attention, especially up in my arms like a baby. I used to take her everywhere with me in my bag – even to the movies! While I am at work in my studio she sleeps on a daybed next to me amongst so many pillows that she almost gets lost in all of them.
Daisy is a medium sized Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and is nine years old. She is the protector of my house, ready to sound the barking alarm when anyone approaches. Once she meets you, she is a shaggy bundle of love. She will run up to people and pop her head between their knees, looking up to have her chin scratched. The funny thing about Daisy is the way she likes to spend her day relaxing: she will go to the backyard and dig a hole in the shade and sleep in it! Her favorite spot is right next to the glass door where she can watch the entrance for guests and stay cool at the same time.
Buddy is my big yellow Labrador. He is my oldest pooch at eleven years old. Like all three of my dogs, I’ve had him since he was eight weeks old. He’s my gentle giant, taking his time and enjoying his good life. Taking a cue from Daisy, he will often come in from the yard with a brown snout from digging around. Now that Buddy has aged, he has one funny quirk: he asks for permission before walking down the stairs! He will stand at the top, give a little bark, and won’t go until I say, “It’s ok, Buddy! Come on down!”
Below are photos of my dogs with a little character I designed while thinking about them. Ruby is taking a mud bath in a flower pot (a spa day, of course), Daisy is wearing a dog collar and tag I made for her, and Buddy is relaxing as usual.
Posted by: Dena in Thoughts from Dena, Business on
May 29, 2008
Hello!
Two weeks ago we exhibited at Surtex and the National Stationery Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. We have not exhibited at this particular show in a few years – and what a good idea it was to go back! Going to shows like these is one way that I find companies who want to collaborate and license my designs. The booth looked like a jewel colored tent. I hand painted bright marigold and fuchsia colored silk and hung hand painted Chinese lanterns from the ceiling.
We were jam packed every day meeting wonderful manufacturers who produce all kinds of innovative products. Because of this show Dena Designs has landed a major retail promotion so lots of fun new product will soon be out for you to enjoy! More information on that to come.
Blog 
