Year in Review // My Favorite Posts in 2013

Yesterday I pulled together the most read, most liked, most popular posts in 2013 by you, the reader. Today, er... Tonight, I'm sharing MY favorite posts of 2013.

instagram photo heart

After 9 months of deciding where to hang this, I finally figured it out. It was almost like giving birth... Er, nev'r mind.  It's nice to look at from afar and when I get close, the photos, and the memories that go with them, just suck me in. Slooop!

faux glass glitter & translucent glitter eggs

So pretty and ethereal... Not to mention economical (epson salts & colored chalk). And you should see the eggs when they light up! hint: click the link!

heart-in-hands gloves

This was a Pin It / Make It project that I put together on the cheap-- $1 gloves and a $.25 sheet of craft felt. So much for my Pin It / Make It "series" though... this is the one and only.  :)

cork letter tack board

I still have this hanging in my office (aka that little desk-thing in the kitchen) and it's very good at keeping track of all the little notes that I leave for myself. 'Cause, you know, if I don't write it down... (sigh)

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Year in Review // 2013 Most Popular Posts

Why hello there! How was your week? I feel like I was in some sort of time warp and can't account for the last several days. It was Christmas, I blinked, and now we're 2 days into 2014. Whooosh! Crazy how that happens.

Whether you're working or taking time off, I hope that the past week has been a good one. We enjoyed some much needed down time at our place in San Diego. It was nice to unplug for a bit and reflect upon the year gone by.

I always like reading "year in review" posts, so here's ours.

bliss bloom blog's top posts of 2013

#1 milk jug votives

I guess you guys like upcycle/recycle projects? This was a fun one and I'm now dreaming up earth day projects for 2014.

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Make // Cork Tree

Before I sneak off for the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I'd leave you a fun tree tutorial. All you need is a little cork, glue and a tree form.

I love the color and texture of cork and this little tree fits in perfectly with my existing collection of cream, gray and natural-colored decorative trees.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Plans for Christmas 2013 Decor...

It's November. Halloween is officially over. I'm gonna go out on a limb and declare that it is now officially okay to start talking Christmas... Mmm-kay?

When I look back upon my last few years of holiday projects, I noticed that each year I tend to focus on a particular material or style.

Christmas 2010 was white felt and silver paint-- It was my first year trying to revitalize our old, tired Christmas decorations.


Christmas 2011 was all things smooth and shiny-- pearls, satin, glass.


Christmas 2012 was natural materials and colors-- burlap, muslin and mother of pearl.


So what's in store for 2013?

Christmas 2013 is going to be the year of faux fur, leather (or pleather) and... metal hardware. Haven't quite figured out how I'm going to fit this in, but... Hey, that's part of the challenge!

Faux Fur Trees coming up soon...

Make // Fabric Pinecone - Pleather & Faux Fur

If you like to craft, but aren't quite ready to go THERE with Holiday projects (I'm with ya, I get anxious just thinking of the holiday madness), then these little pinecones are the perfect project for you. They're great to use in Fall decor and can easily transition over to the winter holidays. I've made several variations over the years--

scalloped lace pinecone | felt pinecone | muslin fabric pinecone | toile fabric pinecone

While these look similar in shape to the toile fabric pinecone, this time I streamlined the process and also experimented with different textures; Bring on the Faux Fur and Pleather!!!

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Decoupaged Butterfly Display Box

After a long delay (four years to be exact), we finally have begun to update our family room decor. New couch- check! Accent chair- check! Coffee table- check! Rug and throw pillows- check! We just need a couple more pieces to finish it off and make it share-worthy.

While I like our new furniture, there's a lot of grey and dark wood and it was starting to look a little too masculine and serious. No-can-do. I need whimsy! I need fun!  Enter the teal chair, bull's-eye pillow and this butterfly display box. 

click "Read more" for the tutorial

Make // Botanic Decoupage Coasters

As a constant crafter and someone who likes to experiment with new techniques and ideas, I'm always on the lookout for quality craft supplies and products. So, when given the opportunity to work with the new Martha Stewart Decoupage line, of course I jumped at the chance!

There are several decoupage formulas available including Fabric-to-Fabric Oil Cloth Finish, Multi-Surface Gloss Finish and Multi-Surface Matte Finish. All formulas are durable, weather resistant, non-toxic and dishwasher safe, all of which are appreciated in my child-centric household. In addition to the decoupage mediums, the line includes a variety of pretty papers and trims that can be used to enhance a multitude of surfaces including glass, ceramic, wood, metal and terra cotta.

I used the Gloss Finish formula and the Butterflies & Ferns decorative paper for this project. The decorative paper is perfect for decoupage-- Thin enough to blend seamlessly into the project, yet strong enough to withstand tearing and bubbling when the medium is applied.

Click "HERE" for the full post

[Make] Decorative Heart Box #3

The last of the heart boxes! Are you tired of hearts yet?  I hope not because I have a couple more blood-pumping projects up my sleeve.  Heh-heh... blood-pumping...  I really shouldn't write these posts late at night.  :)

Anyhow, the tutorial for the burlap and wood heart is coming up after the jump. If you missed it,  the green heart-on-heart tutorial is here and the brass chevron box tute is here.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Make] Decorative Heart Box #1

While browsing the aisles of a craft store (my favorite past-time) I found some papier mache heart boxes. They are sturdy and just the right size to hold a small gift (Valentine's teacher's gift perhaps?) or to use as a trinket box. I purposely tried to make them timeless so, although Valentine's Day is looming, no pink or red on these hearts!

I get fidgety when I have to make the same thing twice, so they are all quite different. After pondering a few of my favorite things-- shiny metallics, wood, geometric shapes, burlap, succulents-- here's what I ended up with...

First up is this 3-dimensional heart box:

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Organize] Where I Blog

In the spirit of the new year, it is time to reorganize and de-clutter our space. This week I looked around our home and it was easy to find the "problem" areas. Although we have some major reorg to do in the office and garage, it's the cluttered everyday spaces that drive me crazy. So we'll tackle those first!

First up is my "office". It's not really an office but the kitchen workstation that measures a mere 36" x 22" and is prone to paper build-up, runaway office supplies and messy drawers.  Time to de-clutter, simplify and personalize.

Due to the brown/gold granite, it tends to be a dark little space. Can you believe I've been living with this granite for almost 10 years?!! I didn't choose it but our old house had the same granite. What are the odds?  Anyhow, a kitchen remodel is not in our near future, so I just work in my dark little space and count my lucky stars that a window (and fish tank) are right next to me!

Click "Read more" for the details

[Make] Cork Letter Tack Board

I'm reorganizing my work space and one thing that I really need is a tack board. Nothing big since I only have about 2 feet of usable wall space, but something fun and stylish since my desk is in the kitchen and in plain view... no closing the doors in this office!

I saw these cork letters from Urban Outfitters and almost pulled the trigger.  But then I remembered the cork tiles in my craft stash and decided to make it a DIY project.  The best thing about DIY is that not only can the size be customized (the UO cork letters are on the smaller side) but you can also select the font of your choice.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Make] Cork Pencil Holder... with shiny polka dots!

The first project of the New Year!  And of course it has something to do with organization. Just like the next person, I'm trying to start 2013 off on the right foot.  And that means cleaning up the chaos that is my desk. I'll share more about my desk reorg later, but here's one of the projects that I have been working on-- a little pencil holder that I whipped together using supplies that I already have on-hand. Another goal of mine this year... to shop my own craft supplies before heading to the store. I have a craft store addiction, so we'll see how well that goes.  :)

it's called a pencil cup... but where are the pencils? :)

click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Round-Up] Holiday & Christmas Projects

Christmas is 10 days away.  Say it with me "What??!!!".  I think I say this every year, but this year seems EXTRA crazy! Self-imposed crazy, of course, but still enough to keep me chugging along late into the night. Anyhow, I thought it would be a good time to do a round-up of my past and present Holiday projects. After all, there are still 10 more days to create!! :)

Hope you're having an awesome weekend!

[Make] Handmade Tree Vignette

Here's my 2012 Handmade Christmas Tree vignette. It's peaceful, it's neutral and little woodland creatures are hiding in there...My kind of decorations!  Many of the trees were used in last year's vignette, but I also added six more. Is there such thing as having too many trees? 

Click "Read more" for the details

[Make] Jingle Bell Burlap Garland

I love the sound and look of sleigh bells, so I decided to incorporate them into a simple, rustic burlap garland.  I toned down the brass and grouped them together to make it visually interesting.  Wouldn't this look great wrapped around a tree or hung from a mantel?

Click "Read more" for the tutorial

[Make] Stamped Burlap Trees

Raise your hand if you saw this one coming.  I'm finding that if I like something in ornament form, that I also need to make one in tree form, and vice-versa.  Come Easter I'll probably make one in egg form too. (??!!)  So bear with me....

Click "Read more" for the Tutorial

[Make] Trees, Lots of Trees

Just popping in to say "hello" and also give you a peek of this year's tree collection...

r to l: muslin tree, felt rose tree, ruffle trim tree and crushed shell tree

I like how they are completely different yet complement each other nicely.  Can't wait to see what they look like with the rest of the trees... I'll be taking those out in December.  Soon, very soon.

Hope you're having a good Monday!

sharing with...

[Make] Crushed Shell Tree

I liked this shell ornament so much that I decided to make a tree version to add to the collection.

Click "Read more" for the Tutorial

[Make] Stamped Burlap Ornaments

With the sparkle and glitz of holiday decor, sometimes it's the simple things that really grab my attention.  And what can be more simple than a burlap-covered ball that is stamped with Christmas cheer?

[Make] Crushed Shell Ornament

I mentioned earlier that I'm adding natural elements to my Christmas decor.  Crushed shells are an easy way to add color and texture while still having a gleam that makes it holiday-worthy.  It's not exactly glitter, but when it catches the light it seems to glow.

Click "Read more" for the tutorial