My Grandmas Teacups

Hubby and I just finished our first major creative project together since getting married, and it is already in the hands of its new owner! We were so pleased with how this upcycled piece turned out, even though there were moments where we worried about meeting our deadline. This dollhouse was commissioned as a special gift. The requirements were specific: it had to be solid wood, at least 4 feet tall, and have doors to close everything up after playtime. With a budget of $500 and lumber prices skyrocketing, we had to get creative. The Marketplace Find We found the perfect solution on Facebook Marketplace: a $40 hutch. It provided the solid wood structure we needed at a fraction of the cost of new plywood. We began by removing the glass shelves, mirrored backing, and old pot lights. Carpentry & Customization James (my husband) is a carpenter by trade, so he handled the structural changes. We decided to flip the hutch upside down to create a more interesting base. Inspiratio...

This post contains affiliate links that if you purchase from I will earn a small commission. Current events have us all scrambling for outlets for our anxiety and uncertainty. The things we took for granted, the guideposts of our day are mostly gone. Using your creativity is a well proven method of calming those feelings. Mixed media gives us the opportunity to be freely creative, to colour outside the lines, to break the rules of how art should be done. I'm not saying completing a complete canvas using strictly oil paints is not rewarding, but for me there is nothing that clears my mind more than playing with textures, colours, finishes and even materials. One of the first steps to immerse yourself in mixed media is to start an art journal. Don't go out and buy a special book, we all have old notebooks and better still old hardcover texts that can be used. Commit to doing one page every day for a month. I suggest using random pages in no particular order so that your book does...