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Margin is needed for Creativity to Grow

June 10, 2022 By Erica Deuel 4 Comments

Have you ever looked at something and seen it all of a sudden completely different?

I sit in my snow room (which is like a sun room, but in Indiana it has snow outside more than sun) daily. It’s my favorite room to drink morning coffee and wake up for the day. As things have slowly winded down with our Spoonful Studio and the days of it closing are nearing, I have found myself with more and more free time.

One day, I was sitting there and looking at the same mantel that I have every other morning but I asked myself, “when did that turn yellow?” I noticed the stain had yellowed and it now looked dirty and old. I realized that as my mind was being freed up from running a business- it all of a sudden had margin to process other things.

It was such a cool moment to mentally process the margin I was working hard to find-I was finding. If you listened to Matt and I share why we are closing our non-profit Spoonful Studio, you heard that wearing all the hats felt like I had 5 full time jobs. I was working nights and weekends, and I desperately needed to be freed up to be more present at home (physically and mentally) to my fast growing kids.

So, here I am now remembering how creativity is a muscle. It needs space and time to heal, play and grow just like any other muscle. Below are a few very real life pictures of the mess my snow room had become with the busyness of life and my over crowded brain…

I love to work on our house. It is part of how this blog began 14 years ago, by sharing my projects with all of you. Yet, as running an art studio took over my time, I have found I have not worked on or done a project on our house in a long, long time.

Side Rant: Our houses don’t have to have the latest trend or constant projects, but I do believe our houses should be a safe place. I want my house to breathe rest, peace, and love to my family and those who visit. We all know that messes, piles, un-attended decisions can lead to more stress or tension, which is in conflict to what we want our houses to represent. Part of finding margin in my days was to make our home more peaceful as well, which for me is attacking some of the projects.

What began as “I’m going to paint that mantel” led to…painting the walls, painting the trim, painting the doors, ripping up the carpet, staining the concrete, panting the handles on a chest of drawers, washing the curtains, and reorganizing some games we pull out regularly in this room. Here are a few pictures of my process.

This room isn’t very big, so I did half the room at a time. Whichever half was not getting worked on, kept all the furniture piled up.

What I found as I created was I was super rusty. I stepped in the can of paint and literally spilt almost an entire gallon.

I then went to shake the gallon of cement stain and the lid wasn’t on all the way. Stain went flying on my freshly painted trim and walls. I wasn’t even mad though. I felt alive.

As I have been finding more time available in my days, I have done yard work, read and felt rest filtering into my new routines. I was doing things I enjoy, but have not had time to do in a long time. Yet, I did not feel completely like myself. When you change what you have worked so hard to build and have a lot of identity wrapped up in it, I am sure it takes a lot of time to deconstruct and process all the feelings and experiences just lived. Getting messy with paint was one of the first moments I have felt so alive and like ‘Erica’ once again. I needed to create and dive into the process myself.

It didn’t matter that it got worse before it got better.

It didn’t matter that I was rusty and “messed up” a lot along the way.

I was creating, and my heart needed it.

This room reminded me that creating is a muscle and it needs practice and margin to grow. We can’t live extremely stressful and busy lives and expect to come up with our best ideas, most creative dreams, and to see everyday things differently. Just like athletes need to rest after a big game, our brains, souls and creative spirits need to recharge as well.

It took quitting my job to find margin to see this room in a new way and imagine how I could keep my favorite bohemian, colorful vibe but breath new life into it.

For laughs and because it makes me smile, I did leave a hidden footprint in the cement. It’s a reminder to make time to play with paint and not to take anything too serious.

What about you? Do you need to create margin in your life? You may not need to go as extreme as I did with changing up your career. You can form a new habit by switching out an old one.

Go for an evening walk after dinner.

Get off social media, if you can. I did, but that will be another post.

Make a no laptop or phone spot in your house so you unplug.

Sit on the patio, as the day turns into night, being with the people around you.

Tell a few close people what you’re going through. It matters.

We only have one life. I am encouraged how one of my favorite writers, Bob Goff, said “he choose the life he wanted and placed work around it- rather than choosing a job and trying to squeeze a life into it.”

I will always look fondly back on the times Spoonful Studio was open and the powerful work I got to do with it. Yet, I need more life. I want to enjoy my kids and have time to let creativity grow. Because we all know, I believe a Spoonful of Imagination leads to a more beautiful life.

To see more of my room remodel, Caleb created this quick video for me to share with all of you!

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DIY Inexpensive Fur Stool

August 29, 2015 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

repurpose_stepping_stoolWhat do you think about the fur craze?

Do you love it? For me, I like having a few pieces. I don’t want to over do it and look like a hunter’s cabin but a few pieces are fun! I love the neutral color with texture paired with something colorful.

The love of that look gave me an idea a little while ago. I have been searching for the perfect, old, small step stool for a while to use on this project. When I found this little one for $3.oo, I knew I was ready to try my idea.

old_stoolThe first thing I did was use some pliers to pull the little staples out that were holding the cushion in place. I was excited to see the foam was in good condition, so I decided to reuse it. I gave it a Lysol scrubbing to make sure it was clean and set it aside.

old_stool_makeoverI then spray painted thin coats till the stool was covered with a pretty dark teal.

Spray_paint_stoolI bought a couple small faux furs in the craft aisle at Hobby Lobby. If you are a regular there like I am, it is down the felt aisle and costs around $2-$3 a piece. I sewed two pieces together to make one larger sheet of fur.

DIY_fur_stool

craft_fur_project

stool_makeoverI laid the foam back on the stool, figured out where I wanted my seem in the fur to be, and started using my staple gun to attach the fur. After getting one side secure, I stretched the fur across the stool, trimmed some of the excess and then started stapling the rest of the fur in place.

recovering_stepping_stool

craft_fur_stool_project

stepping_stool_makeoverOnce the fur was complete, the stool did not give me the “fun” look I was hoping for. I decided to use some paint tape to tape off paint lines to add gold paint to the stool’s legs. That was just what it needed.

painted_gold_legsI love how it turned out! It is such a fun eye catcher. The mix of texture and neutrals with a pop of color is exactly what I had in mind.

DIY_stepping_stoolReusing a tired old piece to create something beautiful is so fun. It’s one of my favorite crafts to do.
step_stool_makeoverMy little Reagan has currently claimed this stool and moves it from room to room. Today, it lived in our sun room where we do most of our school during the week.

bohemian_roomIf you’ve looked into fur pieces, you know that they can be pricey. I think this stool cost me about $7, since I already owned several of the supplies. Creating something can be so much cheaper.

Have you reused something lately to create something new and beautiful? Don’t be scared to give new life to something old…you never know it just might become your new favorite piece!

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My colorful girl’s bedroom

April 6, 2015 By Erica Deuel 10 Comments

Disclaimer: The wall stencil and stencil brush I received for free. Thank you Royal Design Studio Stencils for so generously gifting them to me. All opinions are very much my own.
royal_design_studio_stencilWhen I started dreaming of how I wanted to create my Reagan’s new bedroom, I knew I wanted lots of color, texture, patterns, and fun. I pictured fun color with pops of natural elements and black and white contrasts thrown in. What I did not take in account was my daughter having an opinion, and she had one.

She wanted a pink room.

What!? Everything in me screamed “nooooooooo!” I am much more a purple mom for a girl. I wanted to fight her, but it’s her room. I love her more than my hatred for pink. Together we decided one purple wall would be fun. So, I painted some samples on her wall and they lived like that for a couple months while holidays and other rooms were completed. Finally it was time to paint her room. She was THRILLED to see that pink go on the wall. I held my breath.

before_paint_jobchoosing_paint_colorlight_pinkIt was really bright. I had to try to envision the end result. I kept thinking this seems like a nursery for a pink ballet themed room. I just kept playing in my head “I love my daughter, I really love my daughter” as I painted every stroke. I fought that picture in my head with what I knew the end result could be.

I loved the purple wall, but it didn’t seem quite right. It was definitely a punch of color, but it was also a little just like a purple wall. I wanted it to have more jazz and fun. I knew I needed to stencil it up, just like I stenciled my boys accent wall.

painted_girls_roomI was so excited when I saw that Royal Design Studio Stencils had so many fun, girly stencils. I fell in love with the Petal Play Floral Damask Wall Stencil. It was the perfect mix of fun and beauty without being a cartoon flower or a formal old floral.

When this stencil arrived, I was thrilled to see that there was a special ceiling stencil included that helped fill in the pattern at the top of the wall. You may remember on my boys wall, I simply cut the stencil to create that piece, but this was all ready for me!

I used what I learned from stenciling my boys wall and just went at it. No fear this time!

royal_design_stencil

royal_design_stencils

stencilingThis stencil was so simple in the fact that I did not worry about it looking slanted when I stood back. Based on the pattern there was no fear of my stencil going crooked. What was a little more tricky was lining up the stencils, and that was only because the connecting pieces (petals) were smaller.

I ended up drawing a sharpie arrow on my stencil to a few bigger, stand out petals. This helped spot the connecting place quicker.

how_to_stencilI decided to use gold as the accent color for this stencil because it’s fun and also subtle. I wanted the wall to ultimately look purple but also fun and a true accent wall. The stencil created that look!

I did the stippling effect again. I loved it with the gold paint because it created a gold leaf look with shimmering highlights of metallic gold.

One thing that I did not realize until this project was what a difference the stencil brush makes! My boys room was the first wall stencil I have ever done, so I just used the same stencil brush I use to create little wood signs. Big mistake. I got my hands on on the 2″ All Over Stencil Brush from Royal Design Studio Stencils, and it made all the difference. This project flew in comparison to my boys room.

wall_stencilingThe process wasn’t fast enough for this sweet, exited girl.

It was worth it though! The wall came out better than I expected. I love it. It is that punch of fun, whimsical, pattern, and color that I was hoping to create in this room.

stenciled_girls_wallI love how this room can grow with her. It’s so fun now, but it can also last for years. I joke with her now about trading rooms. What I love most though, is she loves it as much as me. She calls her wall her golden flowers.Bohemian_decorBohemian_girls_roomAs I painted this room, I realized I really didn’t want to spend the paint or time to paint her closet. It was a clean light gray. It looked fine and was in good shape. There was really no need to paint it except that it would have this harsh line that might look like I took the lazy way out in not painting it, whenever the closet doors were open.

Let’s be honest.

They are open most of the time too. I toy with taking the sliding doors off at some point, but for now they are there. I decided to just make this element creative as well. I used some painters tape and added some jagged lines into the closet to paint the wall.

painted_closetBy doing this technique the wall looks intentional (not like a lazy mom), and it’s also a fun element all on its own! I really love it, and now I want to go back and do the same thing in my boys’ bedroom.

Reagan’s room is so close to being done. I have a window treatment idea still to do, and I also want to sew her a rag quilt like I did for my bed and then I will be ready for a full room tour!

color_is_so_funWhat do you think of all the color and splashes of fun? Does it make your heart go pitter patter as well?

I hope you feel brave and try going for it with color or some other crazy element in your life and home this week. The more I go with my gut and be bold with color…the braver I get to keep trying new things! Who knew you could find such bravery in you by a fresh coat of paint!?

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Yarn Pillow Tutorial

October 9, 2014 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

arrow_pillowMy fingers took one for creativity with this project. There were moments I am sure they were screaming at me to stop and be kind, but I kept telling them this project was worth it. I do believe it was!

I had this old pillow that I no longer really cared for. In our continual task of looking for things to purge rather than pack, I decided to makeover this pillow rather than part with it. I love the small rectangle size.

recycle_pillowI’ve been on a yarn kick with my Adventure Awaits wall art, so I had this idea of using yarn in like an embroidery type way to decorate a pillow cover. I started with a big piece of burlap that I folded in half, so I had a thicker more dense burlap layer for my cover. I then sewed both layers of burlap to an old creme pillow case and cut the newly sewn (all four layer) pillow cover slightly bigger than my pillow. I just eye balled it an inch or two bigger on every side.

thick_pillow_caseThis was a thick dense cover and my fingers felt it as I pulled yarn through it. I learned the hard way, and I have a few ideas that can help you take this idea and make it easier for your fingers.

But first, you need a design. I decided to do something basic and a silhouette or shape to keep it easier to complete. Burlap was the perfect choice of fabric because it gave me a grid of lines to help make my design symmetrical and straight.

drawn_arrowI drew an arrow on my burlap and then picked one color of yarn to sew around the border. I sewed the arrow like I would embroider a hoop. The difference was a thick, strong, sharp needle rather than a smaller needle with embroidery floss.

sewn_arrow

sewing_an_arrowAfter my arrow was outlined, it was time for the fun part. I looked at my huge basket of colorful yarn and started sewing stripes one color at a time.

colorful_yarn

how_to_sew_an_arrow

DIY_arrow

yarn_arrow_pillowA few tips to help you:

  • Choose one color at a time and do all the stripes with that color at one time.
  • Change up the thickness of the stripes and order, so it is not in a pattern or equal strip widths (any slight difference of widths would be very obvious if trying to make them the same). The randomness is easier to pull off and I think the look would be the same.
  • Once I thought I had a wide enough strip, I cut the yarn and knotted the back.
  • The length of stitches can vary. I tried to offset each stitch to have the middle of one stitch hit the end of stitch in the row before it. This created a weave type look and prevented the yarn to look like it was in rows.
  • Use an embroidery hoop to help tighten the area you are currently working on and move the hoop as you progress.
  • Use a thimble (or kiss as Wendy said to Peter Pan) to help pull your yarn through. If you can see how dense my yarn arrow is filled in, the back is that thick as well, but also has the knots, so it is a lot of layers to continually pull your needle through
  • Ice your fingers 🙂 I worked on this an hour or two every night for a few days. It was fun and mindless, but I did ice my fingers a little afterwards and that prevented them from blistering or being sore the next day. I know, I know this is extreme… but hey, a crafter’s gotta do what a crafter’s gotta do, right!?
  • MAKE an EASIER design. I love this arrow and am so glad I went with my gut and filled it in as I saw pictured in my head. If I was to do another though, I would outline the arrow and maybe sew a word in it or just a few stripes. It would be a slightly different look, but use the same technique and be equally cool.

yarn_arrowAfter I finished sewing my arrow, I made an envelope back like I did on my pillow shams. I decided to use my Waverly fabric I received from Online Fabric Store as part of my swag from Haven. I loved the black and white contrast with all the color on the front.  I added a little pom-pom fringe on the envelope opening, so the back is just as fun as the front.

bright_arrowI absolutely love all the color and different pops of textures! It is such a fun element that can brighten up any space. I also love how this project didn’t cost me a thing. I had everything on hand. Recycling an old object can give new life and lengthen the enjoyment of something. That old pillow has never looked better.

bohemian_pillowsRight now I am carrying this pillow with me around the house and playing with it in different rooms. I like it in every single one. I might need to make some more yarn embellished pillows.

bohemian_decor_elementsWhat do you think!? Do you recycle your old pillows too!? Would you add yarn embellishments to a pillow like me?

This world would be a much boring place without color. I love it. I hope you are able to add some color to your life and use your imagination this week!

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