Amber Rohrer :: studio AR

DIY PAPER CUT INSPIRED FABRIC ART

I love all the beautiful cut paper artwork I see on Pinterest and wish I had the patience and the skill to attempt to make one of my own. Hence where this super fast and easy diy artwork inspiration came from! Seriously, I should label this as "10 minute, even your husband can make it, art." ha!

This project is not the first nor the last version of some type of cut out artwork or banner you will see. It's just MY version of all those other beautiful works of art that I thought others might want to attempt. So lets get going!

First: Gather your supplies. You will need:

• 2 fabrics of your choosing ( mine is a hot pink cotton/linen blend for the art and a simple white cotton ducking for the background ), 1/2 yard of each for this 16x20 sized peice of artwork (less if smaller frame, more if larger)
• a very sharp pair of fabric scissors (although I'm sure scrapbook or craft scissors would do the trick)
• a pencil or fabric marker ( i have a white fabric pencil shown below, but a standard No. 2 pencil works even better! )
• a frame for your art work (mine is a 16x20 ribba frame from Ikea)
• optional: spray adhesive

Second:

Measure and cut your fabrics to fit into your frame. I cut mine slightly bigger than 16x20 to have a little extra just in case. you can always trim excess later!

Third:

With your top fabric facing up, trace your phrase or words onto the fabric with a pencil or fabric pen. Again, I found a No. 2 pencil worked best for my fabric.

I chose to use my One Little Word for the year, and matched it with a phrase you see everywhere on Pinterest these days "Be Brave" I simply eyed the size of the letters and the positioning toward the center of the fabric. I liked the quirky look of it being free handed. You could certainly print out letters and trace them as well.

Forth:

Cut out your letters. This takes the longest, depending on your phrase.

Fifth:

Voila! Admire your handy work! Ooooooooooooo Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Sixth:

Place your top fabric onto your backing fabric and frame!

Optional: Spray adhesive onto the back of your top fabric to help glue it to the backing. I didn't do this, but wish I had as it would have helped keep everything aligned properly.

Customize: Add a print behind a solid color of fabric or use a print and place on top of a color piece of fabric. The possibilities are endless!

Whew! Look at all that hard work! Now go find a perfect place to hang it on your wall or wrap it up as an awesome and thoughtful gift!

BABY GIRL'S NURSERY TOUR

Welcome to the best room in the house!

Leave it to me to get Noi's nursery tour photographed just in time for me to start packing it up and move to a new house! This is certainly the nicest room in the house right now and will probably be the nicest room in the next house.

A few months ago, back in january, I posted my plans for the nursery. I kept pretty close to that plan. I love the way it turned out. Simple, fun, girly and budget friendly!

We love the Ikea Gulliver crib and for only $120 it was a great buy. We ended up buying the matching mattress to go with the crib, instead of ordering a different one. We are very happy with the whole setup. Noi naps here during the day and sleeps in out room in a Baby Home bassinet at night. The turquoise polka dot crib sheet is from Target.

I'm in love with the Sharon Montrose Animal Print Shop baby zebra and giraffe prints framed in an Ikea Degeron frames. The stuffed letter "N" is something I saw on Pinterest and sewed up one afternoon. I love the way it turned out. 

The gold polka dot wall is another Pinterest inspiration. I used my Silouette machine to cut out 3" dots and stuck them randomly on the wall. Super easy.

 

The Ikea malm dresser is the perfect size for the space, holds a ton of baby clothes, diapers and other items. I ended up buying some drawer dividers from Ikea as well and love how handy they have turned out to be. They are perfect for holding diapers onesies, socks, swaddle clothes and other misc items. I love that with all the stuff that comes with babies, everything has it's own place.

We went with a Keekaroo changing mat in the nursery. It is on the more expensive side of the changing pads, but I thought it was worth it, as I wouldn't have to worry about accidents and adding one more item to the laundry. So far we are loving it. It does tend to get a little cold to the touch sometimes, but we add a swaddle blanket under her head if it's super chilly. Bunnies hanging over the closet are from Target and artwork is from Noi's Kitty (grandma).

I actually have several pieces of artwork that I didn't have wall space for, so I hope to have some more room in the next house to hang those. I also plan on adding a larger bookshelf in her next room, but love this small one from Ikea up  on the wall. It's filled with smaller board books, a few toys and some artwork. Flower Lion from ChipmonkCheeks, Fierce print from Ella Jane Studio, Elephant art from Freya art & Design, Dalmatian toy is vintage, Licorice the Dog from Blabla Kids and Lion from Sass and Peril.

I talked about the Ikea Rast makeover earlier. It's perfect for storing all the little misc. toys and gadgets. There are even a few EMPTY drawers in these two dressers for anything extra that may need to be stored. Yay! Pegasus pony artwork is painted by me several years ago.

Also, there are so many stuffed animals. We could stock a toy store!

I went with a knock off version of the Eames rocking chair. It's actually very comfortable and within my budget. Why are nursery chairs so expensive? It's nuts. This one is versatile, as it can go from baby room to the living room effortlessly. I also picked up that awesome Moroccan poof at Ross over Christmas for only $25. The bin in the corner that is stuffed with animals was a thrift find. I still havn't found the perfect end table to place beside the rocking chair, so for now it's just a simple pink stool from Ikea.

That's the room! We have thoroughly enjoyed this space so far and I hope to recreate the same feeling after the move to SC.

*links throughout are affiliate.

BABY GIRL NURSERY PLANS

So after venting talking about the completely undone nursery the other day, I wanted to put together a little mood board to show my plans for the room. The theme is simple, clean and modern. Something that can be easily transitioned to the next phase of life or put to use in a completely other room of the house. A lot of white with pops of color is the plan right now. Also, IKEA. 

Because we are renting AND we know that when our lease is up in June we will be moving again, I am very hesitate to go all out with the design. My on going fear of not decorating at all because the house you are currently in isn't "perfect" or "permanent". But if I'm going to have to replace a light fixture before we move ANYWAY, then the one hanging up on the ceiling during those 2-3 months we use the room should be the one I want, right? I'm going with, sure why not.

When we first found out we were expecting, I went crazy over on Pinterest with possible nursery ideas. I had grand plans! I was going to paint a campaign dresser! I was going to reupholster a couch! Sadly, as you can see, these things have slightly changed now that we are 9 weeks out and the energy required to do such things seemed to fly out the window. BUT that's OK. Those ideas are still there, ripe for the picking when I want them.

A | Gulliver Crib: from IKEA. After weeks of agonizing over the perfect crib and the incredible price tags that accompany them, we landed on the most affordable and very highly rated options. Under $150 and with great reviews and a clean, modern look. We were sold.

B | Ikea Aina Curtains: I really would have preferred to install Enje roller shades a long with these great linen curtains, but decided against it for the time being. These curtains are the perfect shade of pink, break up the white of the walls and offer a feminine touch to the room as a whole. I plan on jazzing them up a little bit as well. Pom poms maybe?

C | Artwork: I have so many ideas for artwork and so many pieces I would love to purchase for baby girl's room, but at this house, the wall space is limited. So far I have decided on Sharon Montrose's Little Darling Prints and The Print Annex's Digital "Fierce" print. I also have ordered Chipmunk Cheek's "Flower Lion" print. All prints will be placed inside IKEA Ribba or similar frames. Simple and clean.

D | Keno Nava Trellis Rug: We plan on making this room a "puppy free zone" so i wanted to actually splurge on a great rug, something I never do. I spotted this one on Lay Lay Baby's blog several month's ago and during Thanksgiving it popped up on Rugs USA's website for 75% off. SOLD. I'm in love with it and cannot wait to unroll it in her room.

E | Ikea Malm Dresser: Again, IKEA. I had grand plans of refinsihing a vintage campaign dresser ( I had at least 3 in my possession at one point, all sold now) but ended up with this simple but sturdy beauty. It will transition into a toddler and teenager room well and the height is perfect for a changing table. Again, under $150 and with many available via Craigslist, it was an easy purchase.

F | Ikea Torna Floor Lamp: This was an impulse buy from IKEA months ago (it was on clearance for $29.90!), but I am loving how nice and tall it is and that it turns on with a tap of my foot instead of having to have a hand free. Seems it is no longer available in this size online or in store, sorry!

G | Tord Boontje Garland Light Fixture: I've had this light fixture for years. Never been unpacked. Sad, I know. I'm dying to use it in Baby Girl's room. I think it's a nice balance to the pink and more straight lines of the furniture.

H | Braxton Studio Cradle Chair: Why are glider's and chairs for nursery's so expensive? I'm planning on buying a reproduction version of the iconic Eames chair, which will transition well into the living room when we are done with it in the nursery.

I | Footstool : A great find at a local HomeGoods, this was a fun piece to rest my tired feet when I'm nursing.

 Whew. There are so many options out there for babies! It takes at least 6 months to just weed thru and find the ones you like! Even though this might not be my "dream nursery" design, I am super happy with how it all looks together. I really think it's going to come together really well. As of today, most of the pieces have been purchased and even put together! Hopefully I'll be back very soon with another update with real nursery pictures.

This is turning out to be fun!

GETTIN' PLANTY

I've fallen in love with plants. Well this isn't a new event. Waaaaaaaaaay back in college is when I was bitten by the plant bug. I had all kinds. Gladiolus, roses, annuals and perennials. I had a mini little garden of flowers in my rental on James Island. I wonder if I can find a photo of that?

Fast forward a few years and here we are. I'm starting to acquire more and more plants than ever before. It started with a hibiscus tree and roses then succulents and recently house plants. I've never had house plants before, so this is new territory for me.

If you remember, earlier this year I built a raised bed and planted tomatoes and herbs. Alas, I had to leave that behind when we moved into Clearwater (I still have plans of building another one at the new house).

I'm sure the trend will continue. I'm drawn to Lowe's plant section and the nurseries around here are insane.

HELLO, MY NAME IS AMBER & I HAVE A FEAR OF UNPACKING

I love moving. Not the process of packing the boxes or bubble wrapping my wine glasses and praying they don't shatter, but the possibilities of a new house, a new HOME, brings. So many new ideas! So many new things we might need! The perfect opportunity to purge and organize!

But that's just it. Once all the boxes are in the garage and the furniture has been moved I get stuck. Mill around the house, gaze longingly at the boxes and get nothing done STUCK.

Why? I think it's a few reasons. One is that a new house, empty except for just a few key pieces of furniture is so.....peaceful. Clean. Bright. Quiet. There is a special aspect about a nearly empty house with just a bed, a couch, maybe a TV or kitchen table in it. It's like I don't want to screw up the stillness with all our junk.

Another reason is my constant want to be organized vs. my inability to remain organized. I see a new house/move as a fresh start. A way to purge items that are useless to me (which I have to say I am better about, but that's another post) and to organize and beautify everything else.

I yearn for pretty baskets to place in the closets to hold our pillowcases. I drool over the thought of a new china cabinet/hutch for the dining area to display my glassware and store extra pantry items. I obsessively scroll thru craigslist for a new dresser that will fit into our new bedroom and then dream about the paper I will line the drawers with.

I am awful at room arrangement and can never decide on where to put what in my new office. Should this blue bookcase go in here or the spare room? Will my desk look best in this corner or over there by the closet? I am paralyzed with fear that I will somehow fuck mess it up.

I know this is totally irrational. I should just grab a box and start shoving items in designated areas and then plan on rearranging/moving said items later if they don't find a home in that area. BUT I CAN'T DO THAT.

So I sit and stare at the boxes. I buy liner paper for the kitchen and put away a few kitchen related items. Eventually I break down. I place furniture in a semi-understandable place settings and I start grabbing boxes. Some items move from box to box as they have yet to find a home, some find a home right away. It's a process.

I'm in the break down phase. Just get it done phase. We will buy a bookcase for that room later phase. If we don't have a place for it, I'll just keep it packed phase.

Am I the only one who suffers from this disease problem? Please tell me one of you lovely readers out there are sitting in your chair nodding your head in agreement. Maybe we could start a support group? Unpackers Anonymous. 

[before & after] library card file

i'm not a talker. my husband on the other hand, has the gift of gab. he can talk to the chik-fil-a drive thru girl or the old man walking his papillon down the sidewalk. it's kinda amazing really. i on the other hand like to talk, but only when i want to and only about things that interest me or if i'm pissed/aggravated/annoyed by something. this translate to paper/type as well. jason can BS with the best of them. i have seen him rock a paper or e-mail in record time typing out of his ass. it's REALLY amazing. i can rock a paper or e-mail but i tend to check, backspace, delete, re-type A LOT. i edit too much and am always so worried about what people will think/say that i hold back. A LOT. the point of this opening paragraph Amber? just to let you know that i appreciate you reading/looking/glancing at my little blog and i hope we can grow a little as writers and people. ok. enough sap. on to the good stuff. BEFORE & AFTERS!

this is what i am assuming (and yes, i recognized assuming just makes an ass out of U & ME but hey what the hell) is a very small version of a library card file. it's metal. i bought it at a goodwill in NC about 2 YEARS ago. i know. i think i paid $2.50 for it. i finally got around to using it to store misc, easy to reach items (this bookshelf is right beside my computer) and got sick of looking at it's brown nastiness. time for a facelift!

in comes my trusty spray paint, in GOLD. *bling!* my favorite brand of spray paint is Montana Cans. it's expensive and i tend to buy it only for special projects. i had a bottle of this laying around and i liked the idea of a gold file cabinet.

the handles are very cool but the dull silver didn't fit well into the new gold facade so i painted them with nail lacquer. yes, you heard right and it works GREAT. i used China Glaze Flip Flip Fantasy. i topped it off with a top coat glaze. something i had laying around.

i sprayed the entire file first AFTER taping up the handles with washi tape (again, it was the closest thing at hand to use, but you can use any tape that's not super sticky). after letting the spray paint dry, i used post-it-notes (yes, i am like macgyver) to outline the handles in order to paint them with the nail polish. the nail polish took about 5/6 coats. there are some small peeling spots after drying, but for the most part i think it looks great.

all in all it didn't cost me a cent to perform the makeover as i already had all the items needed but if you are capable of finding a cool library card file and want to replicate the DIY then it would cost you around $18 but you would have PLENTY of gold spray paint and fancy neon nail polish to use anywhere else you wanted!