 If you’ve ever tried to apply shingles in a straight line on a dollhouse roof you know the challenge of keeping everything straight and in alignment! The struggle is real! One of my current craft projects involves applying shingles to a miniature fairy house roof. The rhythmic visual effect of overlapping tiles on a roof is strangely satisfying…but the same can’t be said of the process of applying those tiles! With a little preparation though this activity can go a lot smoother. Today’s blog outlines steps to help make the application of dollhouse roof tiles easy and precise so you can enjoy both the process and the result. 
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 If you are a crafter or artist who would like to know how to create a three-dimensional cone shape from a 2D drawing this article is for you! In today’s blog, I will share three simple ways to draw a 2D pattern for a cone. We will try the following techniques: 1) use a triangle point to draw a circle, 2) use a triangle’s diagonal line to draw an arc, or 3) draw triple triangles. Showcasing beautiful and realistic faux florals from Factory Direct Craft  Coral roses candle holder by Di's Studio Designs. I’m often guilty of not sharing “inside” information about my design process. Like many artists, I keep my inspiration close to the vest. I also get so caught up in creating while working on projects that sharing the behind-the-scenes stuff is not even on my radar! So today I thought I’d pull back the curtain—just a tad—to give you a sneak peek into what inspires me and the supplies that help me realize my finished pieces. I recently became an affiliate of Factory Direct Craft (FDC), and am stoked to start sharing some of the supplies I have been using for many years. FDC has a wide selection of unique fabric florals and faux greenery, and I love that this selection allows me to create whimsical floral designs for my online shop. The crafty people among you may already follow me on my social media platforms (if not there are convenient icons at the end of this post for you to click…hint, hint!) and may have seen my finished faux floral designs. In the spirit of sharing, this article will highlight some of the FDC florals I have used in my favorite spring and summer floral designs and candle holders. So let’s get to it!  Faux roses and florals for new spring decor. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2023. I feel like I’m a little late to the party…It’s already March, and I’m only just now updating you on what’s on tap this year at DSD. I don’t know what happened to January and February…I guess they just got away from me! Honestly, I’ve been keeping my head down and staying busy. Quite a lot is happening, and a lot of projects are either in the works or are slated to get done within the next few months. My goal this year is to fill my online shop with beautiful items for you and pump out all new blog material about some of my (and your) favorite topics. This year I am full on embracing faux florals, fairy decor, and Celtic inspired art. If you like fairies, knotwork, castles, and nature inspired faux floral designs, you’re in for a treat!  Corner closeup of finished stool. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. A few years back I bought a beat up second hand vintage foot stool with the idea that I would reupholster it and give it a new lease on life. Once it was taken apart, however, I came up with another idea…
 Finished and decorated dining room cabinet. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. Overview: Back in mid-Summer I found myself itching to do another DIY project. I had just finished a few other projects and my dining room was beautifully styled—except for this one miserable looking smaller cabinet. This sad looking piece of furniture had been sitting in my dining room for a few years waiting for me to find the time to give it a face lift and some style. We bought it several years ago from someone who must’ve been using it in their garage. It had no feet, no base, and the body was made of plywood with a pine wood top. Despite the haphazard materials, the piece was well constructed with classy looking door pulls and hinges. I knew I could make this cabinet look beautiful for my dining room. Besides, it was only $40 and I desperately needed storage! Fast-forward to this past summer, and I finally got around to giving this cabinet some much needed attention. In Part 1 of this project blog I repainted a frame from a mirror I bought at a local thrift shop for dirt cheap. My original intention was to paint a base coat for the reddish undertones I wanted to show through a crackled gold top coat. The end result looked ok…for a different room. The almost solid gold color just looked gaudy in my dining room, even though I have a lot of decorative things with gold accents. This mirror, unfortunately, was just too over-the-top gold. The end result was me painting over it with a new layer of crackle and white craft paint.  Painted frame from the previous DIY project. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021.  "New" thrift lamp, rehabbed and staged. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2021. While casually strolling through a local thrift shop, I happened to spy these two gorgeous lamp bases. I knew they were just perfect for my dining room vignettes, but they needed a little work first. One was missing the lamp shade and harp components, while the other just needed some TLC. Both lamps needed to be completely rewired to replace the cords that were older than grandma. Don’t need any electrical fires here! So today’s project will be to replace the lamp cord for each lamp.  Fall Foliage Decorative Lantern by Di's Studio Designs. Di’s Studio Designs has added something new to the line of handcrafted decorative candleholders—wooden lanterns!
I’ve wanted to create lanterns for quite a while, but so many other projects and priorities cropped up that I just had to file the idea in the back of my mind to try later. The idea came to me a few years ago when I made an Asian-themed wood decor table tray. I just fixated on the lanterns and thought…“That could be a stand-alone design!”.  The Tree of Life…There are not too many symbolic icons that stretch so far back into the mists of time and mean so much to so many cultures. It’s a symbol that represents anything from the afterlife, the bond between heaven and earth, the connection to the earth, and the cycles of life (birth, life, death, and renewal). The trees were sacred to the Celts, and different trees held special meanings to the people of the time.
So, of course, I had to create an art piece with the Tree of Life! So far, this year has been sad and distressing, but despite all of it, I have somehow found the space in my head to be inspired to create new art pieces. Three art pieces are a work-in-progress, and a fourth “idea” for an art piece in the brainstorming phase. In addition, there are preliminary plans for new candleholder design projects to keep me busy during the summer. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Not to be cryptic, but plans are in the works as we speak to unveil new design options, so stay tuned for that!
I like to draw—particularly Celtic-inspired knotwork and designs—and in the past few years, I’ve discovered an outlet for these drawings through wood burning. As it turns out, wood burning is not much different from drawing with pencils—except you can’t just use an eraser to fix a mistake! But I love the challenge and the beautiful pieces of finished artwork. I’ve decided recently to try my hand at some customized wood-burned designs. Last year, I collaborated with my husband, who does comic illustration. Our joint project was to create a graduation gift for our son, who loves Batman. My husband drew out the basic sketch, and then I took that sketch and “translated” it onto a blank wood plaque.  |
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