Does your Art match your Nursery?

One of the most exciting things about being pregnant (other than the impending baby) is designing and decorating the perfect nursery for your little one. You may have already purchased your ideal bedding, or a rug that really sets the mood. You may have chosen a theme but can't find anything within that theme that matches your colors. You may have even selected a paint color for the walls, and if you are really organised those walls may be freshly painted. So now you need the perfect artwork for those walls and you have found the perfect prints..... BUT

The colors in the artwork don't really match your bedding and are not really what you had in mind. Or you have found some artwork that is close color-wise, but doesn't match your theme. You can always get your artwork customized so that the colors coordinate and it doesn't mean that you pay a fortune either.

WallFry has always offered the option to customize colors on any hand-painted canvas for the same price. In the example above, a customer sent me a photo of their bedding and I used coordinating colors for the four backgrounds in her set of dog paintings (she chose her dogs too).

Great! But maybe you would prefer prints instead of canvases, because you want to be able to frame them? You can customize the colors in your prints too!

Color options are endless and again it costs no extra to customize the colors. You can coordinate with any bedding or color scheme:

Have fun with your nursery designing.

50% off ALL PRINTS

WallFry is now on Facebook and Twitter and in celebration I would like to offer a massive 50% off all nursery art prints in the WallFry Shop!

I will have regular awesome giveaways and discounts like this one which I will post on my Blog, Twitter and Facebook for all my readers, followers and fans.

To receive the 50% off, simply enter the coupon code FOLLOW when purchasing your print or prints from the WallFry Shop.You can use the code as many times as you like before then and feel free to share it with your friends!

Offer ends Sunday 26th June 2011 AEST.

PLEASE NOTE - the 50% off applies to PRINTS only and does not apply to canvas paintings. If you are unsure at all, send me a message.

Some examples of the range of prints by WallFry:

  

DIY Personalized Wall Letters

One of the biggest selling items in my nursery art store WallFry are the custom, personalized Wall Letters. They are different from a lot of the other wall letters for children, in that you only need one! They are perfect for hanging on the door to a child's room (this is where I have the letters for each of my boys) as a name sign, above a bed or even sitting on a shelf.

How does it work? I make the first letter of your child's name with their name on the letter:

This is such a popular and unique concept and yet simple and straight-forward to make. It is a little bit fiddly and if you are like me, your hands will get a bit dirty, but they can be fun to make. So here is a step-by-step tutorial with pictures on how to make your own personalized letter:

What you will need:

• Papier Mache letter - in Australia, I buy mine from Spotlight, but similar letters can be purchased from any number of craft stores including the Hobby Lobby or Joann.
• Colorful paper - there are some beautiful gift wrapping papers out there which work really well. I also use vectors which I can match to my customer's decor and print off myself.
• Mod Podge - this like a decoupage/glue sealant that I use as an adhesive and sealant for protection. If you know a similar product then you are welcome to try it. I use the matte.
• Acrylic Paint - in the colors of your choice.
• Craft Letter Stickers - I use foam alphabet stickers that are actually intended for children's crafts. You can get something similar at any craft store.
• Standard crafting supplies - scissors, pencil, ruler, paint brushes, fine sand-paper etc

How to do it:

The first step is to paint your letter in the color of your choice.
TIP - I find it works best if you pick a color from your patterned paper so that it is coordinated. If there are any bumps on the papier mache use a fine grade sand-paper to gently sand them back first:

Paint both sides and once it is dry you can attach your paper to the sides. I use Mod Podge for this (although I am sure you could use any crafting glue).
TIP - apply the Mod Podge to the side of the letter then attach the paper, don't be tempted to put the glue on the paper first (otherwise it will curl up and be harder to manage):

Once you have attached the paper to all the sides, allow it to dry. Once it is dry I then seal the whole thing (over the paper sides and painted faces) with Mod Podge. This protects it, stops the paper peeling away over time and gives it a nice finish. Mod Podge goes on milky, but dries clear so don't be concerned by this (I was a little bit the first time!). Just make sure it is smooth and consistent, then allow it to dry:

Once the Mod Podge is dry, you are ready to attach your letters for the name. Peel off the backing first (if there is one) and glue it on.
TIP - even though the letters I use are stickers, I secure them on firmly using a PVA glue.

TIP - These types of foam letters come in a range of colors, but if yours don't match the color scheme that you have chosen, you can paint them in advance using acrylic paint. This can be a little fiddly so if you can get away with the letters as-is then I encourage you to do so. I do paint the foam letters most of the time, to get the best color match.

I then paint the foam letters with Mod Podge for extra protection but this is not necessary unless you want to.

Here are some examples of the finished product, your options are endless:

Or you can add embellishments, as well as or instead of the name:

I sell them with a small 'A' hook at the back but don't find it necessary for the ones that I have used in my own home. As they are very light, I adhere them to the wall with Blu Tak (removable adhesive putty).

These are a fantastic gift idea for:

• Baby Showers
• Newborns
• Kids Birthdays
• Naming Days
• Christmas etc

I have even used them for ABC letters in the kid's playroom:

Have Fun!

So Sophisticated!

You may already be familiar with hoolaboola, a fabulous nursery design blog which has provided inspiration to many in those months leading up to and after the birth of your baby. I especially love their 'Get the look' section which shares great inspiration and ideas, whatever your color preferences and choices, and puts them all together on a design board.

I was so excited when I stumbled accross this:

It's fantastic to be able to see someone elses nursery vision, especially when it includes art by WallFry .

So cool (or should I say Sophisticated?)! A whole design board dedicated to art by WallFry! You should check hoolaboola out

Nursery Design by a Real Mom

I am always so grateful when one of my customers sends me a photo of their completed nursery. I have kids, so I know what a busy time preparing for and looking after a new baby is and I am always so impressed when someone does their nursery design well:

I love this modern yet playful look. The orange, gray, blue and green all works so well together and there is just the right amount of each. This stylish customer ordered a custom set of dog canvases from WallFry and selected her background colors which I was able to match to coordinate with her nursery. I think they pull everything together beautifully.

DIY Photo Frame Collage

... OR Photo Editor for Dummies.

Have you ever wanted to do something with all those photos from a special event, trip or baby's first year? They sit in boxes or photo albums and never get looked at. None of them are really good enough to warrant a frame or spot on the wall of their own, but together they could be awesome!?  I have recently created a collage frame with the photos from our wedding reception and want to share with you how I did it:

I made a large frame with 35 photos, however you could go smaller:

 Depending on your frame size and your number of photos, your options are endless.

Our wedding was nearly 5 years ago now. After 2 kids, 2 countries and building a house it all seems like a distant memory. We have some photos of the actual wedding around the house, but none from the reception. It was such a fantastic night, a fun party shared with family and friends that we didn't want it forgotten.

We had a disposable camera at every table at our reception and invited guests to take their own photos of the revelry throughout the night. This was such a successful idea as the guests loved it and it captured the fun of the party which is often missed after the professional photographer goes home. We had heaps of photos, the only problems were:

• They were poor quality
• They were all taken with a cheap and nasty flash
• As guests got merrier the composition got worse

 To salvage the photos I found the most amazing free online photo editor recently added by Pixlr called Pixlr-o-matic which adds retro and vintage effects to your photos. So easy to use, so many effects and options (literally thousands of looks for each photo) and best of all - Free!

Here are some before and after examples

This gives you a pretty good example of some of the effects & frames that they have. They really add to the party atmosphere of the night that I was trying to capture and I loved the retro feel of some of the effects.

They do also have a standard photo editor, which I didn't use (I used photoshop) but you can try it if you don't have photoshop or something similar.

Once I had all my photos edited and effects added, I printed them (it is cheaper if you get them printed in a standard size eg. 4x6 and then trim them yourself) and arranged them in the layout that I wanted. Your options are endless here, you don't have to use squares, be creative and create your own collage style!

I covered the backing board of the frame in butcher paper which I crinkled up for effect. Again be creative eg. for a first birthday you could use colorful scrapbook paper, or for a wedding you could use the fabric from your bridesmaid dresses.

I then secured the photos to the board (I simply used glue as these were digital printouts. If you are using original photos you might want to use something a little less harsh).

To coordinate with the effects that I had with the individual photos (jagged edges etc) I used torn masking tape along the edges (painted black) to give the actual frame a similar effect.

Here is my end result:

This idea is not limited to weddings. Imagine your options:

• First birthday party
• Baby's first year
• Family holiday
• Family Reunion 

The possibilities are endless...

Clearance Sale

The time has come to shed some of my stock of paintings (ie we are running out of room for storage) so I am having a clearance sale in my WallFry store for all of my ready-to-ship canvases. Here are some of the paintings that are on sale:

I am adding more every day until they are all gone. To find them all just visit the CLEARANCE / SALE section in the shop.

Upholstered Drawers

I have had so many questions and requests about this so finally I am going to let you all know how I made this dresser:

I made these quite a while ago, before baby 2 was born and absolutely love them. They are so bright and colorful I use them in heaps of my display shots for the artwork in my WallFry store and customers have been asking me where I got the dresser:

So, this will be a restrospective tutorial and forgive me if I don't pull the things apart to show you the nuts and bolts, but hopefully you will get a good idea.

What you will need:
Dresser - (any set of drawers where the face of each drawer sits outside the drawer cavity)
Wadding - (I used thin pieces of Dacron)
Staple gun and staples - (I used an electronic staple gun because it was sooo much easier)
Fabric - (of your choice, match your bedding or color scheme, your options are endless)
Tape - (I used black duct tape which matches the drawers and has stayed secure)
Scissors

I started off with a set of Ikea Malm Drawers:

Then some wadding:

• Cut your wadding to the same size as the face of each drawer (it does not need to go around corners, this will be too bulky). You should have 3 rectangular pieces the same size. I only used quite a thin layer.
• Cut your selected fabric larger than the drawer faces (leave enough space to come around the edges on every side, about 5cm). You don't need to cut any allowance for corners as you just fold these over like sheets on a bed when you attach them. If you cut them, they may fray.
• Don't stick or glue your wadding to the drawers in any way. It isn't necessary and may make the wadding bumpy.
• Lay out your rectangle of material on the table, then center a rectangle of wadding on top. Then place the drawer face down on top of the wadding.
• Using your trusty staple gun, bring the edges of the fabric up onto the backside of the drawer and staple in place.

• Fold the fabric over in a hem before stapling to prevent fraying. I used an electronic staple gun, but you can use a manual one too.

The backside of the drawers should look like this:

You can see that my staple work is not that crash hot. This is ok, as long as the fabric is fixed securely, because you will cover it later with secure tape. You can see how I have done my corners too (like sheets on a mattress) they have held really well for the last 2 years.

• Tape over the staples. This makes it look nicer but is also a good safety measure if any staples happen to come loose. Make sure you use a tape that will hold. I had previously used masking tape on another set of drawers and this has peeled off over time. The duct tape I have used on this set seems to have worked a dream.

When the tape is in place it looks like this:

It is really quick and easy too. I did this when I was 8 months pregnant (hey you get creative and industrious at the end of a pregnancy, I think it's called nesting) and got it done in one night.

I love them, they are so bright and colorful and still the highlight of the room.

***TAKE A MOMENT FOR SAFETY - Take care when crafting and using things like staples around children. It is imperative that they are fixed securely and that your children are not allowed to play with the drawers unattended. Keep checking that your staples are safely secured over time, even as your children get older. Thanks!

I welcome your questions! If there is anything I haven't covered (no pun intended) then leave a comment. I read them all and will reply to any questions.