silhouette – A Diamond in the Stuff

Kitchen Conversions Chalkboard Sign

Courtney Carmean — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:00:52 +0000

In my effort to spruce up the house (I’m in a MOOD) I am re-doing my dining area. We have built new shelving and I will be blogging about it soon! But in the meantime I needed to decorate my new shelves. I mostly shopped my house for items but I needed to fill some gaps, so I decided to whip something up. My Kitchen Conversions Chalkboard Sign to be specific.

I happen to be perusing Michael’s the other day and came upon a clearanced out chalkboard. It was dark blue (which doesn’t go with my decor at all) but it was adorable and $1.99. So into the cart it went. It just took a little bit of white chalk paint and it was already looking more like me. I knew I wanted to do something more to it though so I grabbed my Silhouette and got to work.

I created a file of kitchen conversions using my Silhouette Cameo. I may be the only one out there, but I can never remember all of those conversions! Now I have a cheat sheet!

I cut the file out of white vinyl and placed it on the chalkboard surface. Then I used a piece of chalk to rub all over the chalkboard to make it look used. I love how the sign has a vintage-y look to it.

The Chalkboard sign looks absolutely adorable on my shelf and fits in so perfectly!

So are you just dying to make your own KITCHEN CONVERSIONS SIGN now??? Well…..if you have a Silhouette I can help with that! Simply click HERE for the file and download it! Am I favorite person today or what!?!?

Have a great week everyone! Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Looking for more kitchen inspiration? Why not come take a look at this pretty Vintage Drop Leaf Kitchen Table?

DIY Window Frame Art

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 01 May 2015 12:00:11 +0000

A couple weeks ago I created a Window Frame Wood Art piece that I just loved! Making it opened up a lot of ideas and possibilities when it came to old window with missing or broken glass. I have made so many different things with old windows and I’m always looking for new and fresh things to do with them! I feel in love with the idea of using the old windows as “frames” and creating one of a kind DIY Window Frame Art.

For this beautiful window art I created a vinyl stencil using my Silhouette to design and cut. I stenciled the wording onto a thin piece of stained plywood and attached the wood to the window. Pretty simple. Now working with a stencil that big wasn’t so simple, but man was it worth it.

I don’t have an actual tutorial for you today but you can find my technique HERE. With this window though, I decided not to paint it and leave it with all it’s chippy goodness. I did clear coat it though to seal in the chippiness. The wording was down with two colors of chalk paint and my vinyl stencil.

I made this one for the last show I did with A Diamond in the Stuff Boutique and of course it sold. I had a hard time even putting in my booth to sell and I had a hard time watching it walk away. But I knew it was going to a new home with someone who loved it! Doesn’t get much better than that!!!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Earlier this week I shared a cool salvage project. Before you leave, make sure you check it out!

Family Rules Window

Courtney Carmean — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 13:00:12 +0000

When it comes to old windows I am obsessed. I love them so much. Partially because they have endless possibilities. I recently posted 6 Totally Awesome Things To Do With Windows. One of the awesome things I talked about was creating your own wall art by adding vinyl to an old window. I dug this large window out of my garage and created this Family Rules Window.

This window is a big one. Its about 2ft by 4ft. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it for a long time. The glass was intact so I really didn’t want to remove it. I decided that I wanted to attempt a huge family rules subway art using my Silhouette and vinyl.

It was a big undertaking to get all that vinyl cut and on there straight. I ended up applying it to the window in sections because it was just too overwhelming to do all at once.

The window was all chippy and discolored to perfection! I did add some polycrylic to the wood frame to prevent flaking paint. The clear coat allowed me to keep the shabbiness of the window without having to worry about lead paint.

Is it just me or is this window simply stunning????

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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What else have I been up to lately?

Check out my super cheap and easy version of a wood arrow……

Silhouette Black Friday Deals

Courtney Carmean — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 05:00:30 +0000

The moment you’ve been waiting for…..SILHOUETTE’S BLACK FRIDAY deals are HERE!!! Yes they’ve been brought to you early for all your Christmas crafting needs!!!

Okay are you ready??? Here they are……

Portrait Bundle

Portrait machine & 1 free year to Club Silhouette for $179.99

CAMEO Bundle #1

CAMEO machine, Designer Edition software upgrade, Dust Cover, 4 Tools and $25 Download card to the Silhouette Design Store for $269.99

CAMEO Bundle #2

CAMEO machine, Design Edition software upgrade and 1 free year to Club Silhouette for $299.99

CAMEO & Portrait Bundle (One for you, one for a friend!)

CAMEO machine, Portrait machine and 2, $25 Download cards to the Silhouette Design Store for $299.99

Already a Silhouette user?

Use my code for 40% off at SilhouetteAmerica.com (*excluding machines, design downloads, download cards, subscriptions and gift cards) PLUS Free Shipping on orders over $25 for the lower 48 states

50% off all designs at SilhouetteDesignStore.com – no code needed!

Awesome right? Go to the SILHOUETTE BLACK FRIDAY PAGE to cash in on all these deals! Make sure you enter the code DIAMOND to get these great deals on Silhouette’s site.

Simple Fall Wood Blocks

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:00:04 +0000

In the not so distant past I’ve fallen in love with making wood block sayings. They are such an easy and simple way to make a cute statement. I’ve made ones for everyday decor and now I’m branching into some holiday themed blocks. Today I’m sharing my Simple Fall Wood Blocks with you.

I had some 2×8 boards cut down to about 6in. The size is perfect for any table, shelf, or vignette.

I stained the blocks with some Minwax wood stain in Dark Walnut. Then I sprayed a clear coat over the wood stain once it was dry. I often find that when I do wood stain it stays slightly tacky, the clear coat takes care of that and protects the nice new stain.

I bought some super awesome shinny gold vinyl and knew I had to use it on my Fall blocks!!! I designed and cut out the gold vinyl with my Silhouette.

So simple right?

I love love the dark wood and gold vinyl. The Simple Fall Wood Blocks turned out perfect, perfectly Fall.

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Looking for some more Autumn and Fall inspiration? Check out my Autumn Wood Pallet Sign and tutorial……

Faux Etched Glass Front Door

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:00:08 +0000

When we moved into our new home there were a few things that I wanted to change. I really wanted to make these changes immediately but it has taken time to make it through my list. One thing that I knew had to go was the rattan shade that was hanging on our front door.

It’s not horrible. It’s just not my style. Add that to the fact that every time the door is swung open or closed the shade would swing back and forth. Basically it had to go, but I still needed something to cover the glass in the door up for privacy reasons. I got a little crafty and created this Faux Etched Glass Front Door. Beautiful and functional.

I really didn’t want to do anything permanent to the door because you never know when a redecorating urge will take over. While I was browsing a vinyl site I stumbled upon some Etched Glass Vinyl. I knew that I just HAD to find something fantastic to do with this stuff.

I used my Silhouette to cut out a beautiful quarterfoil pattern. At first I was a little nervous how it would all turn out but it actually ended up being pretty easy.

The first step was to make sure the glass was super clean and lint free. I measured each piece of glass and just set my cutting area to those measurements. Then I used some transfer tape to apply them to the inside of the door. I had a few bubbles pop up so I used a needle to “pop” them and push the air out. I’m showing you what it looks like from the inside as well. A lot more light is coming in through the door, which I love, but looking from the outside in it really provides a lot of privacy.

When I ordered the etching glass vinyl I was a little skeptical, however the effect is awesome. It really does look like beautifully etched glass, just without the commitment. I also feel like it has really brightened up my door too! Instead of the dark rattan shade looming behind the glass there is the light etched vinyl.

Ah I just love love LOVE it.

I’m so happy with my Faux Etched Glass Front Door, so glad I finally tackled it! While it took awhile to complete, it turned out to be so much easier than I thought. It also turned out so much more beautiful then I thought it would.

If you noticed my Summer Lemon Wreath on my door and want to read more about it, you can HERE.

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Last week I shared my latest completed project. Come see my Bright Living Room Wall Gallery and a peak at what it started off as.

Have a great day!