Uncategorized

Crafts to Make ~ A Shabby Chic Glamper

Our fairy girls have their own glamper now! šŸ˜‰
Over EasterĀ I found thisĀ 
wonderfully cute littleĀ 
woodenĀ camperĀ 
while looking forĀ other craft suppliesĀ atĀ 
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store
with my daughter.




It was sooo cute that I had to get it!
I thought it’d be fun to turn this little cutie
{which is similar to the full-sizeĀ “canned ham” campers}
into a glamorous camper or
“glamper!”

Wandering around, we foundĀ theseĀ 
wonderful Shabby Chic~style
Anna Griffin
papers for small projects.
Thinking they’d be perfect either inĀ sheetsĀ 
or as individual roses cut out…
I put them intoĀ my basket,Ā 
too.
šŸ™‚


Supplies you’ll need

(1) wooden camper
favorite craft paints in water-based acrylic
paint brushes
craft paper
white glue or Mod Podge

If desired

*glitter,Ā silk flowers, small pot for “plants or flowers”
*lace for creating curtains for inside the camper’s windows
*any other trims you’d like

How to Make Your Camper

*First, paint the main body of your camper.
Let dry. Ā {I painted part of the top, too
so that anywhere the paper didn’t stickĀ would show the “base color.”}

*Paint the trim, door, wheels and spindles next.
Let those dry.

*After that, glue on cutouts {or parts of a sheet}
from your favorite scrapbook papers.
Press down hard to make the paper stick.
{This paper I used was pretty thick, so it took a while to soften
and stuck better once it was soft.}

*Brush on more watered-down glue or
Mod-Podge over top of the paper
to create a protective finish ~ fix any areas
that didn’t stick well from beforehand.
Let dry.

*Decorate to your heart’s content!
šŸ™‚

This glamper’s goodies

This little glamper has a miniature license plate,
some lace trim as an awning to protect
these friendly fairies as theyĀ 
come and go about their business,Ā 
andĀ moreĀ 
lace fencing surrounding their
miniature
rose and pearl garden.
Wouldn’t you like a garden of pearls?
Me, too!
šŸ˜‰



These little wood crafts are sooo much fun to
paint and decorate!
As a family we used to make one or two a year
when my kids were little ~ they always
enjoyed painting everything!

I also had a Girl Scout troop for 6 years and
we painted lots of different projects
for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day
and other holidays
over the years.

This little birdhouse in the background is the one I kept ~ I used a lot of my saved-up broken china.
A similar project is the little birdhouse
I made about seven years ago
which I added pieces of architectural
trim to, painted and then used non-sanded
grout to plaster on pieces of broken china
to the roof.
{I didn’t paint the roofs (rooves?) of these bird houses at all ~ just filled in later
with my tiny paint brushes along the roof line.}
I made seven or eight of these and gave
them to the ladies in my tea group
that summer.
They LOVED them!!!

Maybe I’ll make a few glampers
for some new friends here…
and
It has been fun creating this little glamour camper
to share with you!
Sorry a little blurry ~ I am getting new glasses soon!



Blessings andĀ Happy TrailsĀ 
to you,
xoxo Barb šŸ™‚



Sharing with
Vintage Charm ~ The Blue Willow House
This project was featured!
šŸ™‚
Share Your Style ~ The Ā Red Painted Cottage
Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage
Friday Features ~ Oh, My Heartsie Girl!
Wow Us Wednesdays ~ Savvy Southern Style
Sweet Inspiration ~ The Boondocks Blog





Uncategorized

Meet Cindy and Bob Ellis ~ Cindy Ellis Art

Every Spring up in Redlands,
Cindy and Bob Ellis
host an Open House
for friends and family and customers
wishing to see Cindy’s super charming Craftsman~style cottage
and toĀ buyĀ 
Cindy’s amazing rose paintings
and theĀ beautifulĀ custom~built birdhousesĀ 
lovingly created byĀ Bob…



Cindy’s personal birdhouse made lovingly for her by hubby Bob
The Ellis’ home, gardens and art
have been featured in some of our favorite decorating magazines such as
Romantic Homes Magazine
and this is where I first learned about Cindy.
When I found out she lived locally and a mutual friend Julie
had become friends with her,
we eventually got to meet through the internet
{like so many of us have!}
and that was that!

A few years ago Cindy and Bob were hosting their
Open House and I was free that particular Saturday and drove up thereĀ 
to see and meet them in person.
šŸ™‚
Their living room is too die for cute! Ā Can’t you see yourself happily plopped down on the sofa there?
Their amazingly beautiful home,
all white and Shabby
with lace, birdhouses, roses, andĀ 
smartly~dressedĀ mannequinsĀ 
in party dresses
was such a treat for this die~hard romantic!
I had arrived late in the day
getting a bit lost
howeverĀ 
Bob saw me driving by then
stepping out of my car
“just to snap a few photos”
before heading back home ~Ā 
I was late and I was okay withĀ 
just seeingĀ 
their beautiful gardens
out front.
Bob had seen meĀ though
and asked
“Would I like to come inside?”
Yes, please!

Another friend was coming over so we both
were able to see Bob and Cindy’s home
and all of their gardens
at the same time…

It was the perfect dayĀ for a home tour
warm but not blistering hot
and

the front garden bed ofĀ 
rambling roses and climbers
was massivelyĀ blooming!

Heaven on Earth…


The white picket fence and welcoming arbor
were the perfect entryway toĀ come through
as we headed around the side yard to theĀ 
back of their home.

First stopĀ was amongĀ a gorgeousĀ 
Eden roseĀ bush with canes extending 12 feet or better
along the top ofĀ the breezewayĀ pergola
{also built by Bob ~ he’s a retired carpenter by trade}.
In front of us was an outdoor koi pondĀ 
shaded by trees
with
the Ellis’ shop sitting to the left of the yard
and
Cindy’s little studio
{the one featured above and in those magazines}
just to the right and ahead.

Here’s another photo of Cindy in her ethereal studio ~ sigh!…

Views above are of:
Upper left ~ looking from the pergola and outdoor seating areaĀ 
towards theĀ original garage~cum~shop

Upper right ~ the big birdhouse display case I purchased!

Lower left ~ happy koi loving their shaded home.
and
Lower right ~ the outdoor seating area itselfĀ 


Many rose paintings and otherĀ 
rose~painted items
were for sale
along with other treasures.
Cindy’s larger artworks set inside custom~made frames
of ceiling tiles and architectural elements
were also available.


We all visited for an hour
or so outdoorsĀ 
then headed inside
to tour a true
Craftsman~style home
Ā *click on the wording above to check out more about
the Craftsman style and how this style of home came about!
Here’s another picture of Cindy!
She is sooo personable!
If you haven’t visited her website or her Facebook page
do check them out at
by clicking on the words below.
I’ve linked to her website so you can go directly there
from here!
Cindy Ellis Art

Cindy teaches how to paint roses in oil paints
and all supplies are included in the cost of fees
per her website
so…
If you live in Southern California
come take a class!

Here is the Ellis’ powder room with many original
and period~style fixtures.

This built~in cupboard is to the right
if memory serves
as you come in from the backyard
into their home.
I love how Cindy has addedĀ 
wallpaperĀ 
to the back of this cupboard making
the old rose dishes blend in but also to stand out!
Built~in cupboards are so useful
and also great space~savers
in smaller homes.
Something I can really appreciate
just now!

The galley kitchen still has its original hardwood cabinets
and they are just gorgeous!
Much of the cabinets one findsĀ 
at the big box stores today
aren’t made of solid wood and aren’t always built well
in addition
they often just don’t fit nicely into period homes
as originals were built onsite
thereforeĀ 
it’s really nice to find
original cabinetry when purchasing an older home.
Even if adding more cabinets are needed ~
custom cabinets are the way to go
if at all possible!
šŸ™‚
I didn’t take a picture of the other side of the room
or it didn’t turn out
so…
I’m sorry that I can’t share that with you.

Here is a final look at
Cindy and Bob Ellis’ gorgeous home!
I do hope you have enjoyed this tour
as I have enjoyed bringing their home
to you!

I may have done a write~up before when I first began blogging
back in 2014 but it is lost
so…
I thought I’d bring it to you again.
šŸ™‚
Just in case!
šŸ˜‰

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Glad you came!
Blessings to you, always,
Sharing with ~
Create Link Inspire ~ Crafty Blogstalker

Wow Us Wednesdays ~ Savvy Southern Style

Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country CottageĀ