Pink Cheeks Studio

It's rare when I get really excited about an Etsy feature.  Have you heard of Pink Cheeks Studio?  This shop makes softies, mobiles, and pillows.  Nichol, the owner and designer behind Pink Cheeks Studio, is very talented with, what I am guessing, a great sense of humor.

All photos came from her Etsy shop and belong to Nichol Brinkman.   Please make sure to stop by!


This mobile is so freakin' adorable!  It makes me laugh too because you can look at these little monsters two ways.  Either the kid is dressed up as a monster or is being eaten by the monster.  You pick.

Pig ballerinas???  Love.  I tell Matt all the time that when we move to larger land, we WILL own a pig.  And that pig WILL live inside with us like a dog.

To visit her adorable shop, please click here.

On a side note, I wanted to let you know that I am participating in Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day this coming Monday.

Still not sure what I am making.

Still not sure how I am going to reach out to my two different kind of followers - the home design loving folks and the sew loving folks.

Yeah, yeah.  I know.  Sew something for the home, but this gal's heart just ain't into that at this particular moment.   Someone want to come over here and kick me in the hiney?

Have a good weekend!  It's going to be in the 60's.  Yeah, you can be jealous.

Coastal Waters in Top 10

I've been busily preparing some sewing projects these last few days.  I've also started my DIY light that I blogged about here.  So far so good, but I can't wait to actually finish it to see the final product.  It's in that "I'm not sure where this is going" stage.  

I also did some Black Friday shopping, which I will share once it comes in the mail.  Unfortunately, I didn't score any good home item deals.  What about you?  Any luck?

Awhile back I entered my Coastal Waters bundle, and it made the top 10!  If I win, this means I win the fabric bundle!  Could you take a minute and vote for me?  The more votes I get the more chances I have to share the love back to you.  (hint. hint.)  Voting ends on the 30th.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR COASTAL WATERS.

Thank you for taking a moment of your time to help me out!

a small collection

license plates

books via StellDirVor

arrowheads

morbid anatomy

stamps via eklektick

fabric

Willie Cole

dolls

antlers via gretha scholtz

pyrex via pyrex collective

knitalatte

When Matt and I first married, we  I decided to collect magnets of all the places we have been together.  As the amounts of magnets and my distaste in a cluttered refrigerator grew, I realized this was no longer feasible, so I stopped collecting them.   But this feeling of wanting to collect something was still within me.  It was not to fulfill the need to buy something, but rather I just wanted to have a collection.   [Maybe I need more hobbies?]  I think most people collect things, and generally, they collect things they love or that intrigue them.   I have a fondness towards small white bowls.

They are functional and can be exceptionally cute, and I think that may be a particular reason why I started to collect them.  I enjoy things that serve multiple purposes.  My bowls can be used for decorating, serving food, and for holding smaller items like jewelry or my small growing stash of washi tape.    I love the simplicity of white with a possible unexpected dose of color, and I make sure to choose bowls that are unique.  Right now, my bowls sit in my library cabinet, but maybe I should pull them out to hold my magnets.

Do you collect anything?



My bowls are from Pier 1, Target, West Elm, and World Market.

coastal waters bundle || guest curator contest + no more linky followers

I stumbled upon this contest kind of the last minute.  I'm glad I did though because who doesn't love the chance to win fabric, right?  Entry is simple.  Collect 8 prints from Sew Lux Fabrics and link it up.  This closes in a few days, so get your bundle together quickly if you want to participate.

My inspiration came from an old bundle I put together.  I really loved it, and I wish I had bought all the fabrics when they were available.  My old bundle was called Coastal Waters, so I thought it was only appropriate to call this one Coastal Waters too.  Well, let's admit it.  I'm just not great at naming things.  Honestly, I would just call it Bundle 1, Bundle 2, a1, a2, etc.   When looking at this bundle, I think of the sea with a dark storm approaching in the distance and the warm rays of the sun after the storm.

On a side note, I am removing Linky Followers from the blog.  If you are a subscriber that way, I recommend following through GFC located on the upper left hand side of this blog or by clicking the "Subscribe" banner, which allows you to follow owen's olivia via email.  Linky Followers does not do automatic updates like GFC, so I easily forget to log in and post my posts there as well, which is why I have chosen to no longer use it.  I apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused.

Have a good day!

How to remove rust from metal || A ridiculously easy tutorial

Earlier this week I shared with you my new-ish dining table.  When I had bought it, there was some rust on the legs.  The owner said she stored the table outside, which explained the rust.  I didn't let it deter me from buying the piece though because I knew that it could be easily remedied.  You can apply this quick trick to anything that has metal legs.  I'm sure this could also work on just about anything metal as well.

Supplies needed:

• Steel wool in medium and fine grade  (If there is a heavy amount of rust, you may want to try coarse.)
• A mask.  Steel wool releases the tiniest of particles when used, so it freaks me out that I could be inhaling it.  
• Gloves if you cannot handle the way steel wool feels between your fingers
• Damp and dry cloths for cleaning afterwards

Step 1 - If you can, take your project outside.  To remove rust, simply take your medium steel wool and rub it against the metal going in all sorts of directions.  Up and down, circular, side to side.  Scrub until you have removed all the rust.  After the rust is gone, you will use the fine steel wool and repeat.  This fine tunes everything and makes it all shiny and pretty.

The left leg is done.

Step 2 -  Take your damp cloth and wipe down your project.  Steel wool releases small particles, so I like to know I'm not taking this back into my home.  Dry your piece well to insure no rust will form again.


This is why you should wear a mask!

A brand new looking base.

That's it!  Told ya it was crazy easy!  :)

To see the tripod dining table in my home, please click here.


xx nancy


My quilting book released Sept. 24, 2015 and is on Amazon.  Check it out!

goodbye card table . . . hello tripod legs

yes, i ate on a card table, and i would have continued to do so if this sweet, little table had not entered my life.  thank you craigslist for being so awesome.

before with card table:

LINK what you've done PARTY || anything goes

Last week I shared my quilt with you, and now I want to see what you all have done!

LINK UP ANYTHING!

Home decor, DIY, sewing, cooking, art, crafting, tips, etc.

There are NO rules to this party!  Please be kind - visit other people's projects and leave lots of comment love!

Have fun!










* I do not host a weekly link party but just when I complete something big.

quilt finish || #2 + link party for monday

*To see if you won the Spoonflower sampler, click here.

It's here.  My number 2 quilt is done.  It's actually been done for awhile, but I just haven't gotten around to taking photos.

This quilt is actually for my sister, but since she doesn't read my blog, it's okay to post it early.  She does not like modern things like I do, so I chose to do a simple pattern.   By making some of the blocks wonky and the quilting not straight, it allowed me to impart a little of my modern taste.  I really love the backside, which can stand alone.   It does not need the front to make an impact.

Warning . . . lots of yummy photos ahead.

pom poms in the kitchen

It is no mystery that I love pom poms.  They are so much fun to use and decorate with, whether it's for a party or just year round.  I love 'em, which is why I had to make another strand but for the kitchen instead.  I think this is all the color I need in my kitchen with my island.   This is one of those posts that photos don't really do it any justice.  It's really great in person.

I believe I have a hard time incorporating color into my home because I really love the simplistic look.  When I pin interiors, I tend to lean towards white everything.  BUT I am an artist too, so I find myself wanting some pops of color here and there.  Finding balance in my home that I am comfortable with is a difficult task!

I have plans to remove my Pier 1 painting and replace it with something graphic and possibly sophisticated to help balance out the poms.   Most likely, that painting will live on my bedroom wall since we have no art in there at the moment.  I moved my pear light (still loving it) to my hall bath, which gives off the warmest glow.  Just love it!  When it is on and I walk down the hall, I can't help but glance at it.  I also have been toying with idea to continue the chalkboard paint on that wall.  If you don't have a chalkboard wall in your home, it is so much fun!

I feel the pom poms brightened up my kitchen a little.  What do you think?

*To read more about my window treatments, click here.




PS- I had enough balls left over for an extra garland, so it's my shop.  I only have one available. Today is the last day to enter my giveaway.

For Judy

When Judy saw my son's acorns hanging in his room, she contacted me to make her a red strand.  I was thrilled!  She sent me a photo of them hanging on her beautifully decorated mantle.  It's so great to see the things you made in someone else's home and know that it's being cherished.  Good day, good day.  Thanks for sharing Judy!

spoonflower's open house + a little giveaway

*****This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for entering!*****

Spoonflower is a design and print your own fabric company.   They recently moved to a larger space in Durham, NC and opened the Greenhouse, an area for crafts and sewing.  Their open house was this past Saturday, and I got to tour their facility.  I am really fortunate to live so close to it because in the near future they are offering classes and craft sessions in their Greenhouse.  The people were really nice, and they are small company with 42 employees.

If I could work, Spoonflower would be a dream job.  They are seriously casual, laid back, and the work space itself is clean, bright, and spacious.  I got to meet Stephen, one of the co-founders of Spoonflower, and he was collected and cool.  His personality was warm and inviting, which was the only reason I approached him.  I knew he was not going to look at me like, "Why are you talking to me?"  Overall, I am guessing he makes a killer boss.

I got to touch large samples of all their fabric choices, which was really nice.  I really like all of their fabrics except for one, which is the basic combed cotton.  It just felt inexpensive, a little scratchy, and reminded me of some of the cottons at JoAnn, so keep that in mind if you are wanting to save a little when purchasing from Spoonflower.  There's a big difference between their basic and Kona, so spending a little extra can go a long way.

Here are few peeks into their workspace.

Lobby

 One of the twenty printers at Spoonflower.

Gift wrap coming soon.

Printed fabrics ready to be shipped.

Cutting stations

I am so glad I got to go behind the scenes at Spoonflower.

====================================================

I picked up a few extra items for a small giveaway for one owen's olivia reader.

This giveaway includes:

• One Christmas tree ornament ready for you to make
• One bear ornament ready for you to make
• One newly updated swatch book showcasing all the fabrics available at Spoonflower and includes a wallpaper and decal sample
• One decal 

I made the bear ornament for my home and stuffed it with fabric scraps.  NO SEWING MACHINE IS REQUIRED.   All you need is a needle and thread to make these ornaments.

Just leave me a comment letting me know you'd like to win.

Other stuff:  This is open to anyone anywhere.  Giveaway closes this Thursday at midnight EST.  Winner will be chosen at random and announced this Friday.  Please make sure I can contact you or else a new winner will be selected.  Package will ship the following week.

Congratulations to Oh My Word!?!   I sent you an email.  Thank you to all who entered!