potting table makeover

It felt so good to tackle our backyard project and while everything looks AMAZING, we had one big mess left to address- the back of our shed where we have a covered potting area and work bench. Up until now, this area has been the catch all for our tools, scrap wood, piles of weeds and basically anything we didn't want to deal with. So we set out to clean up the area and turn it into a potting table and place to store all of our gardening gear. Our goal was to spend little to no money and use things that we already had on hand!

Here is the before and after! I gotta say that out of all the projects we have worked on, this one might be one of my favorites because it was so simple! Here is what we did:

So we started by cleaning things up and this really made the most difference. Sometimes a good DIY project is as simple as a good cleaning! We pulled weeds, removed the scrap wood, power washed everything, I even added a fresh coat of white paint to the trim. Then we gathered up all of our gardening stuff and made a plan.

We wanted a place to hang our tools that we use everyday and also wanted a shelf to store pots so Andy used scraps of a leftover picket fence and turned them into a storage rack to hang above the work bench.

I love barn quilts and wanted to put my twist on the concept to create a colorful statement piece that could hang at the top of the shed. I used a scrap piece of plywood and painted colorful blocks. I love how much POP this adds to the space!

The last step was to fill the area with all of our gardening tools and supplies. Its so wonderful how just a few simple and creative changes completely transform a space!

fashion friday- coiled rope pouches

When you make craft and DIY projects for a living, you end up with all kinds of excess and projects fails! Back when I made coil rope baskets (you can check out the post HERE) I had to experiment A LOT with different sizes and shapes and I ended up with lots of castaways and scraps. Being someone who can't seem to throw stuff out, I held onto all those scraps and recently had the bright idea to turn those scraps into little purses and pouches!

I used my castaway baskets (they were quite large) and cut them up, like you would a piece of fabric. If you would like to see how I coiled and sewed the rope, you'll have to check out my post on making the rope baskets to see how I coiled and sewed the rope.

Next, I sewed those pieces into simple purses and pouches. I created a cross body bag by sewing up the sides and the bottom of two rectangles and then added rope!

Note- I used cut up baskets but you could also coil that rope FLAT instead of turning it into a basket and then sew with it.

I even used zippers to create really simple pouches out of my little scraps.

Note- the stitched rope is way too rigid to sew things on the inside and then turn them right side out so I stitched everything on the outside.

a family rock garden

After finishing our backyard renovation, we have been working on all kinds of little projects outside, things that will make our garden and yard a little more colorful and creative. My favorite project has been creating a family rock garden- we have a couple of spots with really rocky soil and a colorful rock garden was the perfect solution! 

Painting rocks is nothing new or original but it is truly one of my favorite simple projects for anyone, any age! So over the last month we have been collecting and painting rocks as a family.

We thought it would be fun to incorporate all of our different styles and things that are important and special to us as family- like writing down memories and moments, our favorite quotes, song lyrics or things we like to say around the house, shapes and symbols, doodles and drawings and all kinds of colorful designs.

We've created lots of rocks and have challenged ourselves to continue to create more as the months go by. We even plan on inviting guests and family to paint a rock when they come over to add to the collection. The idea is to have a big rock garden full of color, creativity and memories that can be collected over time. 

Tip- Finish painted rocks with a clear coat of polyurethane to keep paint safe from the elements.

the art of chasing a dream

I can't remember a time in my life without art and around age 7, it was pretty clear that when I grew up I wanted to be an artist and my parents supported this endeavor my entire life. By the time high school hit, I had already been selling and showing my work and my identity was wrapped up in being "that quiet girl that made art". I went on to college to study painting and printmaking, grew my creative resume, continued showing my work and bounced from one creative jobs and projects to another. Insert 15 more years of juggling a day job with making, selling art and teaching workshops and here I am today successfully working for myself as an artist. I've had tons of experiences, lots of ups and downs and learned some amazing lessons. While I am not an expert, I am a determined gal who has spent over 20 years chasing after the dream of being a self employed artist and I have all kinds of tips and advice floating around in my head. Today I am sharing a peek into some of my experiences and sharing some of the most important lessons I have learned about chasing after a dream!

Just a word of warning: There are 9 videos in this post and I talk a lot and share A LOT of information so it might take a while to get through this post :)

    art of chasing 1 from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

identify your gifts and passions from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

its ok to go slow from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

embrace failure from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

cast that net far and wide from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

readjust your dreams from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

forget about money from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

do something from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

art of chasing conclusion from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

to read more about my journey as an artist-

the art of setting goals- HERE 

frequently asked questions about being an artist- HERE

the art of blogging- HERE and HERE

the things I haven't shared- HERE

stronger than I ever knew- HERE

scrap fabric floor pouf

Recently I taught a surface design class in my studio where we spent two days making all kinds of handmade fabric and that means I had tons of scraps left over from all my teaching demos! So I decided to use all those scraps to create a big colorful floor pouf for our living room. 

I started by cutting my scrap fabric into smaller(ish) squares and then I sewed all those squares together to make two large pieces of patchwork fabric- one for the top of my pouf and one for the bottom.

note: I wasn't at all concerned with perfection (cause I never am) or with things being perfectly straight or square.

This process would have gone a lot quicker without a toddler in the mix but projects are WAY more interesting with a tiny helper!

Next, using a paper pattern that I made (simply by tracing a large circle) I cut out two large circles from my patchwork fabric- one for the top and one for the bottom.

Then I sewed the two pieces together leaving an opening for stuffing.

I stuffed the pouf as full as possible with stuffing.

Then I used heavy twine to tightly wrap the pouf 4 times- this immediately transforms a pillow into a pouf! 

Note: For all those sewers out there, this is basically using the concept of making a pin cushion but REALLY LARGE. And while you could use a long tapestry needle to pierce the center of the pouf and then wrap, I found it WAY easier to use my husband's brute strength to tightly wrap the twine!

I finished it off by sewing a button into the middle of both the bottom and the top.

The result is a super fun and colorful floor pouf made entirely from hand painted fabric! I can't wait to make more!

P.S. For those curious about the techniques that I used to make the fabric- I teach an online class called Beneath the Surface that covers all my favorite surface design techniques! You can read more about it HERE

happy 4th of july

The 4th of July....where men, women and children gather for one day to eat and set things on fire! For those readers in the States who celebrate the 4th of July I hope you have a safe holiday filled with lots of fun, family and JOY! See you next week!

mint & basil pesto

Our garden is growing and we have more basil and mint than I know what to do with so I have been making fresh pesto with the two together- the mint adds a little extra zing to the pesto! The flavor is refreshing the perfect summer flavor!

INGREDIENTS:

A few handfuls of basil (measures roughly to about 2 cups)

A small handful of mint (measures roughly to about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup of olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

A squeeze of lemon

A dash of salt and pepper

Note: I make pesto without the pine nuts but you can add a 1/4 cup of pine nuts to make a more traditional pesto

Blend ingredients together in a blender or food processor.

Fill an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

We like adding it to pasta, salads, using it as a marinate or even as a spread for bread. That little bit of mint adds such a fresh flavor that is perfect for summer meals!

pallet table

Now that most of our backyard project is finished we have been trying to decide on an outdoor table. We've looked at everything and really haven't been that inspired or wanted to spend any more money so we decide to transform one of the pallets (from the sod delivery) into a low table. 

Andy, used pieces of 4X4s and screwed them into the bottom of the pallet. 

Note- the slats in pallets are often spaced very far apart and after lots of debate (about filling in those spaces) we decided to keep it as is because our needs for an outdoor table are pretty simple.

He sanded down the top and in a matter of about 15 minutes we had a table that can be used for outdoor meals and entertaining!

I love a low table because instead of chairs you can use pillows! We have been taking our food and snacks outside and making summer meals a little more special!