creativebug :: free pass

If you all have not checked out my classes on the creativebug site .....now is the time! Part 1 and Part 2 are available now...and in a few weeks Part 3 will release.. and it is all about wallpapering on furniture!There is a free pass promotion going on now, so click here and enter promo code SUMMER2015 to take advantage of the goodness! There are so many things to see and learn on the creativebug site! Fill your summer with creativity and make beautiful things!

FrogTape® earn your stripes contest :: enter to win $5,000

I think most of you know about my love story with FrogTape®, but if you do not, I would like to give you a little refresher and then tell you about an awesome contest!When I first started painting furniture I used painters tape. It said painters tape on the label and so I bought it and used it, but I always had bleed issues and was never really satisfied with the results I got. So, I didn't use it a lot except to mask off drawer sides and runners. In other words...I did not use it creatively in my work.Then one day, I was in Home Depot and I saw this new tape that promised no bleed marks and clean edges. I was intrigued, and so I bought a roll....and the rest is history. I was so impressed with this tape, that it became the only tape I used. I was never paid to endorse it or talk about it ( even during my book Furniture Makeovers) ....I just used it and talked about it because it is truly superior to other products out there.Fast forward to last year around Christmas. FrogTape® contacted me and asked me to become part of their blog squad. This collaboration made sense to me because it is a product I use weekly in my work and it would not be hard to use it, promote it, and love it since that was already happening. So, even though I am now a blog squad member and I do receive compensation for my work with FrogTape® nothing has changed on my end. I still create when I want, what I want, and FrogTape® is an extremely wonderful and generous  group of people to work with. I'm thankful to be part of the team!Now for the good stuff! FrogTape® is running their annual Earn Your Stripes contest! (please visit the website foe all of the entry details!) All you have to do is create something amazing with FrogTape® and send it in by the July 1 deadline! Seriously guys.......a $5,000 grand prize! Transform a room in your home, take beautiful images, and win yourself some dollahs!In honor of this awesome contest, I am having a little giveaway on my Facebook page which includes 4 rolls of FrogTape® to get you started! So head over to the Knack Facebook pg to enter! xo,Barb( images via earn your stripes pg)

this week :: happenings

It is hard to think that another week has flown by yet again. So often I am reminded of how fleeting life is and how quickly it moves.This week was full of challenges and blessings, which is what all good weeks should be full of....right?There was coffee with dear friends....twice....at Methodical coffee and The Village Grind.There was the Makers Summit, which filled me to the brim with happiness for the creative community that I am so blessed to be a part of.There was brunch with a new friend (pictured above, Rachel Faucett) and then an after hours visit to my shop with that same friend where we talked more about how much we love our kids than what was in my shop....and that is a treasure for sure. Most people think I want to talk about the shop most of the time....but even though I am proud of that and love it.... I really want you to know me for who I am outside the shop.There were moments of greatness at the shop where I sent in proposals for new opportunities, met with artists about collaborations, ordered new product, and sent off all of the content for the new Knack website! (yippee!)Now it is late Friday afternoon....I am home.....and there is a pork tenderloin in the oven for dinner tonight which I will make bread, salad and roasted asparagus to go with. I will sit around the dinner table and catch up with my sweet family as we have all had a busy, and full week. Then it will be pajama time.....and maybe a movie.....or two...or maybe some reading....Happy weekending...and much love to you all!( UPDATE: if you would like to buy a t shirt like the one I am wearing, here is the link: www.lovethyhaters.co )xo,Barb 

plywood wall shelves :: weekend project

We just made these awesome shelves for display at the shop, and I absolutely love them! The tools, materials, and time needed to make these beauties is so minimal but the end result is something so aesthetically awesome and functionally quite perfect.The full tutorial and materials needed for this project are available over on the FrogTape® blog! Check it out, and spend a couple hours this weekend creating fun new shelving for your home or office!xo,Barb

fun with FrogTape® :: geometric wall

I love sharp lines and geometric patterns....of this I am sure. So, it should come as no surprise that we created a colorful geometric wall at Knack, to brighten up the shop...and  to serve as a backdrop for this beautiful new bed!Hop on over to the FrogTape® blog for the full tutorial, and step by step photos!

Decorate with Flowers || A Book Review

It comes as absolutely no surprise to those who know me well.... "I LOVE FRESH FLOWERS!" {yes, I am yelling that as I type it} To me, flowers make all the difference in the world. They add color, freshness, beauty, green..... life to every photo, room, or nook and cranny they are placed in. There is simply nothing better....So, when my friend Holly Becker and stylist Leslie Shewring teamed up to produce their new book "Decorate with Flowers"...published by Chronicle Books.....I knew I would be first in line to add it to my collection. I also happen to love having beautiful books in my home, that not only make my book shelves and coffee tables look fantastic, but that I can go to over and over for inspiration and relaxation.As I initially flipped through the book {because I was too excited to sit down and read it} I was drawn to all of the beautiful color, perfectly styled environments, and bright photos. Then, when I got home and actually sat down to spend time pouring over the book....I was absolutely thrilled that Decorate with Flowers is not only pretty styled photographs and beautiful color.....it is also FULL of tutorials and sweet DIY projects! Double goodness indeed.I was so inspired by all of the projects in this book, that I went out and bought a bunch of succulents and flowers to plant at the shop. Gracie and I spent a whole afternoon planting and creating with flowers....and now the shop is brimming with beautiful Spring arrangements.Thank you, Holly and Leslie....for a book that is beautiful and inspiring!Well done!xo,Barb 

Let's try this little DIY again....

The hubs and I installed a new mailbox a few months back, and there was a piece of 4x4 post left over.....so, I had an idea to turn these scraps into candle cubes. Crazy...I know...but here's how I did it:

1. Cut your 4x4 post into even portions using a saw. Disclaimer: Please use all safety precautions when operating a saw

2.Your blocks should look something like this when cut

3. Use a 7/8" drill bit to cut a circle in the top of your cube. This will need to be to the size of the candle, so measure accordingly. I just usually eye ball the center and go for it, but measure if you must!

4. Sand your cube until it is nice and smooth 5. I then taped off my cube in a striped pattern and painted away. 6. I also stamped the word "shine" on one of the cubes. Let your lights shine friends! For the final step I sprayed a couple coats of lacquer on for extra protection....and there ya have it! I had a friend walk in the studio, see these, and purchase them immediately.... so these guys are already taken but I will make more, so if you would like a set just let me know! xo, Barb {It took me forever to get Blogger to upload these photos. I sure hope this gets fixed soon! If any of you have found any other solutions besides switching from old to new editor and buying more storage on picasa...let me know!}