Book Page Blackout Poems

Recently I have linked you to the "How to Steal Like an Artist" article and the Newspaper Blackout Poems books both by Austin Kleon. I have never been one for much poetry, but decided to give the newspaper blackout poetry a try. Please go read about it but basically you take a written piece (newspaper article or in this case book page) and blackout the words that you don't want to make a poem.

I gave it my own spin by using book pages and paint rather than newspaper and Sharpie.

I am a little embarrassed for you to read my poems so hopefully my experimentation with my new camera lens make them too blurry to fully read. : )


If you choose to use the paint method, be sure to use a very small brush to go around the words you want to show. I accidentally painted over some of the words I was planning on using. Oops.


I am planning on hanging these in my craft room, but I am not sure how yet. I think it would be cute hanging from some clothespins. Any ideas?

This isn't my usual type of project, but it was fun to try something a little different! Let me know if you take a look at the Newspaper Blackout website and/or try your own!

I link up to these parties!

Craft Room: Book Page Collage Art (and a peek at the room!)

This craft room is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I am usually a person to jump in and get a project like this done. It's fully functional and put together, but not completely decorated. I just keep collecting ideas and items and slowly but surely am adding them to the room.

The best part is that last week, husband got everything that was ready hung up on the walls! Wahoo! Keep reading to see the photos.

I have had a big empty space on this shelf next to the dress form for quite a while. I didn't know how to fill it. I needed something tall, but should I go with color or neutrals? I made my choice when I saw these free printables from Simply KellyB. If you have been reading for awhile you know I love book page crafts and have already used one for the craft room so it was meant to be!


(The directions given on the blog for downloading the printables didn't work when I tried. Instead I copied and pasted the picture into Word where I resized it.)

I had an extra 11X14 frame lying around so I dug through my paper scraps to make a collage. I originally intended to make something colorful and maybe even 3D but found these two papers left over from this project (and another one that I guess I never posted) that matched the dress form. I simply cut the pages up into squares and rectangles, arranged them, and glued them to a paper that fit the frame.

Below the tall shelf, I made a little one for ribbon storage. I intended to do this but the curtain rods I found were too big around to go through the ribbon spools. I like the appearance of the rainbow order and it will be easier to replace a roll when it's empty.

I love these bird cages! So cute, so me! We got these hung up over the sewing machine for necklace storage. LOVE IT! (They are from Rodworks, just FYI if you are a Utah local and want to go looking for them).

My mom gave me the other bird wall hanging (also from Rodworks) so this wall is almost complete. I need to finish the lower book shelves still. I am also up in the air about the tissue paper puffs on top, however, when I take them down, the shelf looks so bare. What do you think?

And finally, the spools I made are hung up and are so fabulous for hanging headbands!

Click here to see everything I have done for my craft room so far.

Did you see that I have new clothes for you to Shop My Closet?

Video: More Book Page Crafts

Click here if video isn't displayed above.

I love the vintage dictionary pages and the folded book pillars. I want to make both for my craft room. One day it will be all finished and I can show you... One day...

Craft Room: My Inspiration Board

Do you have an inspiration board? Besides Pinterest I mean. As great as that website is, I still love my 3D tangible collection. I have had this board for awhile, but I recently painted the frame white so it would pop against the green walls of my craft room. I like it.

Here are some of my favorite "pins."

My favorite thing is literally a pin. I have a big collection of pins. This one was purchased at Disneyland about a year ago. It was just me and husband and it was an amazing trip. It was the first time I had been to Disneyland since I had started crafting and blogging and selling on Etsy and it was tremendously inspiring.

You guys, I can't draw. At all. I am not being modest. During this same Disneyland trip we discovered this great place in the California Adventure park that gave drawing lessons. I drew this Minnie Mouse all by myself. I was so proud! I had to bring it all the way home.

(I also love the dress and outfit in the top corner.)

This outfit inspired the skirt I made. When I saw the fabric on sale at Walmart for $1 per yard it reminded me of this picture on my board so I bought it. Aren't those necklaces amazing?

It's good to inspire yourself, right? This is a flower that I made.

There are still blank spaces on the board because it is continually rotating. I can add and subtract as I feel like it!

Giant Paper Flower

I made this giant "wallflower" as a decoration for my craft room. I love the contrast of the pink and the bright green (although on my monitor it's looking a little olive green... you?)

I used the same technique that I used in the Valentines' Day book page flowers. Just cut all of the circles a lot bigger. I used 12 X 12 cardstock and traced a mixing bowl. Also be sure to get the cardstock moist (not completely wet) so it scrunches up.

You can see how big it is in comparison to the spoon. I think something like this would be really pretty as a center piece for a wedding or similar event- super cheap and easy. It would be even better with nicer paper, maybe two kinds of paper with contrasting textures...

I think I (husband) will hang it up by putting a nail through the center of the flower where it can't be seen.

If I can ever decide where I want to hang everything.

Don't forget about this week's Shop Your Closet challenge! We are wearing something hardly ever or never worn. I have already worn my outfit. I'll give you a hint... zebra print. Come link up on Saturday!

P.S. I am linking up to these parties.

Craft Room: Scrappy Bird Garland

I made another garland to go with the CREATE one I made earlier.

It's super easy. Find some scraps of paper and cut shapes out them.

I cut these birds with a Silhouette machine.

Sew the shapes together.

Hang and admire.

I love what it added to the window! It was the perfect addition to my room, especially since I love birds so much!

Craft Room: "Create" Garland

As part of my craft room redo, I made this garland to hang over my window. I love how it turned out!

I used the same process as I did with the Valentine's book page garland. You can click here for the instructions on how I made it. There are actually quite a few ways to make these pinwheels. Just do a Google search to find instructions if you don't have any wire on hand and don't want to do it the same way I did.

I used random scraps of scrapbook paper for the background. I will be making another garland or two to hang here as well so it will all come together better soon.

Hanging each letter individually was a lot easier for me than trying to string all the letters together to hang it horizontally.

Slowly, but surely, the room is coming along! It's all put together and usable now. I just need to finish all the decorations before I can show you the whole room!

Craft Room: Quick and Simple Vintage Inspired Spools

As part of my craft room makeover I made some really simple vintage inspired spools to hang necklaces and headbands and stuff on. Want to make your own?

Save a bunch of cardboard ribbon spools.

Go to KMcKay Designs and download the spool printables. Print on your choice of paper and cut out.

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Glue to the top of your spool. If the hole is only on one side be sure it is exposed on the back so that you can hang the spool on the wall.

When my room is finished I will hang them on the wall.

They will not only be decorative but useful for hanging up necklaces that are waiting for customers to take them home.

These could work in a bedroom for jewelry, scarves, headbands, and other accessories too. Obviously if you want to hang up something heavier you should use wood, not cardboard.

Have fun!

I finally got the painting done today. Long story short, we ended up having to paint all the bead board and chair rail too. But it's nice and shiny bright white now so I am not complaining.

Craft Room: It Begins

I cannot believe how fast summer has gone by. This has been the fastest summer yet. I always start out the summer with this grand vision of what it will look like. I have all sorts of goals and plans for "the best summer ever." Then I reach the middle of July and I realize that school is going to start again soon and much of what I envisioned hasn't happened and I am about out of time. So I immediately turn my attention to fall and do the same thing. But with fall, I am usually able to have the season I want. It's my most favorite season and I start itching for it right after the 4th. I even spent time online today looking at lookbooks for 2011 fall fashion.

But I am getting off the subject. One of my plans for the summer was to redo my craft room. Rather than the semi organized (until it's not) hodge podge of randomness, I want to make it a designed and decorated space. It was supposed to be done in June. But due to illness, classes, vacations, etc. it's July 11 and I just started today. Better late than never.

So this is what I am starting with:

It's a disaster. And I hate the yellow. I chose it, but I hate it. When we first moved into this house the walls were hot hot hot pink so I painted over them with this pale yellow. I do not like it at all. So today I cleaned most of the stuff out of the room to be ready to paint.

I'll give you some teasers on what I am doing:

The color I chose is Rolling Hills by Behr.

I have a pin board with ideas on decorating.

I'll keep you updated. Wish me luck!

(Wahoo! 400 followers! I am flattered! Welcome!)