in need of inspiration

i have a room in my house that has many purposes.
just before the holidays i decided to make abbey's play room into a permanent place to do crafts.
she is getting older now. i have big plans for this room.
this room has done it all playroom, sewing room, scrap booking room, guest room, storage, painting with oils/watercolours, gift wrapping station for christmas, place to play with photographs...

...i have had many different visions for this room...sometimes all i might need is one thing to inspire me...ok
change the lighting...i have a thing for chandeliers...can one have too many.

this one was purchased at a local lighting store, Graham's, that carries both antiques and new...

i love it...next add an inspirational chair...a found object of desire at a local art show held on the historic house and land of "now and then antiques"...
there were two and i bargained down to what i thought was a fair price...done. i love them.

an inspirational pet you say...jade...well yes she is a bit more of a

distraction...but those are the kind of distractions i like.

i have so many ideas floating around in head for this

room...those will have to wait...now to do something crafty in my craft room...i actually still need

one more christmas present... for a well deserved ballet teacher.

this year i was trying to be frugal and creative at the same time.

they go hand in hand sometimes.

i saw this on a blog and i can't remember where...but blogs are inspirational.

i have made several sets of these given at christmas to teachers, house cleaners, friends.

HANDMADE COASTERS

# 1 you make a trip to your local do-it-yourself store. i went to the big orange depot.

find the tile of your choice to make attractive and useful coasters. they do hold the moisture.

my choice antique gold. they have a rough elegance. the cost for 9 tiles is under $6.00.

#2 buy clear coat rustoleum painter's touch...i like the matte finish. i think it was $2/3.

#3 you will need feet or cork for the bottom of your coaster, so they won't scratch furniture $2.

# 4 you will need ink which i purchased at target for around $3.00 each.

i personally like this brand because i use a lot of her stuff for scrap booking.

#5 you need some beautiful stamp pads. i have had these for years...i believe i originally got

them from michael's. a wonderful place for every craft imaginable.

i use a self healing mat under most of what i do just because it protects the table.

i lay out my tiles to decide which ones i will use...the ones to the left were my mess up ones

from christmas time...which in the end i managed to salvage by re-stamping and giving them to my son, david for his apartment...he was very happy.

then you just pick your colour ink and stamp and start having fun...these

will work nicely for abbey's ballet teacher.

while i was working on them another son, ethan came in and wanted a set for his room...

those are his on top...

now they dry for several hours and i will spray them with a clear coat of rustoleum.

drying time on this is suggested 24 hours.

paint on a protected surface and a well ventilated, humid free area.

now you just add the feet and a pretty ribbon...

voila...an inexpensive gift... for all those many people in

our lives that do so many valuable things...like teach our children.