Coordinates and Longitude/Latitude Art - Valentines Day Gift for my Husband

Long time, no post! I know I have been absent for a long time. I would like to apologize and give you a valid reason but I can't. Life has been busy, so my blog has been ignored but not forgotten.

I have not stopped doing the things I love, I just haven't had time to share them with you. I will stop by Full of Great Ideas every once and a while to share things. I won't promise I will be consistent and I will say you will see more 'art' style of pieces, since I make loads of them for gifts.  I hope you can understand and stop by every once and a while to see if there is anything new.

For those of you know have followed me for a few years, you might remember my $0 spending months (if you want to see how previous years went, check it out here) Well we are officially 19 days into our third spend free month and it has been going well. My pantry is not overflowing anymore, I have purged three rooms and we have saved loads of money. I will admit it is very difficult to do this in January when you find all Christmas stuff on clearance for 90% off, but we are staying tough and sticking to it.

Valentines day is quickly approaching, so I thought I would work on something for my husband. We don't normally buy each other gifts but I thought it would be nice to make him something using a frame I had kicking around the house.

I had seen on Etsy various coordinates art and immediately knew I had to have one and thought they wouldn't be difficult to make.

I designed my version of the coordinates art using my personal favorite tool, Microsoft Publisher, but you can use almost any other program. It is really just a box in background filled with a solid color and a text box over it with the coordinates. The entire thing will only take you 10 minutes to design! Honestly, it is that simple.

Start by determining what size frame you want to use. I used an old IKEA Ribba frame I had laying around the house. I will explain how I altered the mat later in this post, but I knew my image had to be 6.5x17.  Since Costco will not print that size, I designed my image as 12x18 and cut away the excess. You can see in the image below the inner box (it doesn't show when printed) is what I needed for the frame but the entire image is much larger.

Important: Photo developers will only print standard size images (for example - 8x10, 12x18 etc.). What will happen is if I design my image to my frame size and it will be stretched or shrunk to fit within a standard photo size. So, I will be stuck with a image that won't fit into the frame. What you need to do is find the a standard size that is larger than the size you need and use that for your design. Therefore, if you have a frame opening that is 6x7 and you create the image as that size, when you print it, it will be stretched to 8x10. Instead if you design your image as an 8x10 and make the text fit within a 6x7 box, then when you print, you can cut off the excess and your finished product will fit in your frame. Confusing I know...but I hope you understand what I am saying :)

Once you get your design to be the correct size, Insert a box for the background. You can fill that box with whatever color you like.

Then Insert a Text box to the size you want your image to be. Set the background color for this box as Transparent and make sure there is no boarder. You can center that box in the middle of the overall design size by moving the box around.

If you have issue with wrapping, select the text box and select no wrapping and bring to front.

The fonts I used are Euphemia (coordinates) and Jayne Print (saying).

I found a website that gives you the exact coordinates location. Simply visit the iTouch website, enter the street address and the site will automatically generate the longitude and latitude for you. If you don't have an exact address (i.e. the middle of a park, lake etc.), enter an address that is close and then move the marker on the map to get the exact coordinates.

For this example, I entered New York City. To get the coordinates numbers, you will use the digits on the right side of the image above. The coordinates would be 43 degrees 18' 76" N and 79 degrees 38' 04' W. If you have a negative in the first number, you would switch the N (North) to S (South) and a positive in the second number, you would switch the W (West) to E (East). In order to get the degrees symbol, you will have to select "Insert" and then "Symbol" and find it within the library of symbols.

Once you are happy with the design, save the image as a high resolution JPEG (to do this in Publisher follow theses steps: 'Save As', 'Save as type', 'JPEG', 'Change...' (Resolution), 'High quality printing or commercial printing (300dpi)') .   Then upload the image to your favorite photo developer and you have a beautiful but very cheap reasonable Valentine's Day gift!

I thinks this would make a great wedding gift, anniversary gift, birth announcement...the options are really endless.


This image has a digital frame added to my final image since I can't print my creation until February 1st (when my spend free month is over).  But you get the idea how it will look! AMAZING!

For how I addressed the mat issue:

I knew the frame I had from IKEA Ribba had 3 5x7 openings in the mat but I wanted a long image.

Source Ikea

 So I trimmed the mat using an exacto knife and metal ruler.

Since the mat is cut on an angle, I scored the mat in two places (for each cut). The first score was inline with the outside of the mat angle and the other is inline with the inner side of the mat angle.

 

 I then cut through the mat on the inner most line.

Once the inner divider is removed, you can cut with a sharp exacto knife to follow the angle of the mat.

I will say if you look really, really close you can see where I altered the mat, but it does look good. If people want to look at anything in my house from a few inches away...well they are no friends of mine :)

Do you have any DIY Valentine's Day gifts planned?

Do you think you can use this for a gift idea? Let me know what you think!
Stephanie

DIY Large Burlap Star on my $0 Budget

This project was inspired by two posts I pinned a while ago. The first was Choose to Thrives DIY tin stars. I have wanted to make one for a long time but just never knew how I wanted to finish it. Then I stumbled upon my second inspiration The Douglas Family where she took a metal star and covered it with burlap. I knew I had a DIY project merging the two ideas together.

I made this star using a tin oven liner I purchased at the Dollar store months ago and then covered it with burlap I had left over from my custom burlap covered cardboard storage boxes.

Using a 12 inch star I cut out on my Cricut as the shape, I added 1.5 inches around the outer edges to enlarge it. I traced the star onto the tin, plus the width of my ruler, with a scoring tool that came with my Dollar store craft knife kit.

 

Here is what the scored tin looks like.

I then cut along the lines with my craft scissors; I thought I might have needed tin snips but the scissors did a great job.

I had to unravel a couple of the edges of the liner to get the points.

Here is what it looked like after it was cut out.

Using a good ruler, I scored from the center of each star point to the middle. By scoring it you can see how the star is taking shape.

I then flipped the star over and scored the lines from the center to where the two points meet. I made the shape of the star by using these score marks as the creases.

I decided to give the outer part of the start a quick coat of white spray paint so that I wouldn't see the shiny tin through the burlap.

 I covered the entire outer star with ModgePodge and flipped it over to stick on the burlap.

I cut around the star leaving about 1/2 an inch of excess burlap to fold over the back. Here is where I had to play around for a bit. I had a few failed attempts securing the excess burlap but eventually got it to work.

First I tried ModgePodge to secure the excess burlap on the back. That didn't work at all. Then I thought I would use a little clear tape to hold it until the ModgePodge dried...well the tape could not stick on the ModgePodge. So I puled out my favorite backup tool...duct tape :)  Yes, it worked but it looked horrible. I know that no one will see the back but I just couldn't live with it.

I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but hot glue worked the best. I ran a bead of hot glue and folded the burlap over. Stuck instantly and gave nice clean edged.

I had a ribbon and bow saved from a Christmas gift I got; I love to save these because the bows are perfect (something I can never seem to master). I glued the bow to the middle of the star and then the ribbon to the corners.

I had made the star to hang over one of the most difficult spots I have had decorating in my house, my three sided fireplace. This fireplace is huge and such a focal point in our family room and kitchen.

Here is what I have so far. I moved my toilet paper art from the dining room to here. I am still not 100% happy but feel I am getting closer.  Please HELP if you have suggestions.

 

Please don't mind the plastic on the candles, I am not sure if I love them so I refuse to take off the plastic :)

What do you think? Any suggestions?
Stephanie

Delicious Rotisserie Chicken on my $0 Budget

Sorry for the limited posts lately. I am having a tough time balancing work, home, being a mom, exercise and my blog.  So the blog has fallen behind. I have a huge backlog of posts on my $0 budget so they will continue to come well into February. Please stop by and see what I did with my $0 budget over the next couple of weeks.

For those of you who know me this is not something new, but for everyone else...I hate touching meat. I do not like thinking about where it comes from; I would love to believe (and I do try to convince myself this) that meat grows in those white Styrofoam containers with plastic wrap around it :). I am not a vegetarian but I can understand why people are. Unfortunately, I also hate most types of beans so that definitely eliminates vegetarianism for me.

Why am I telling you this? Well with my $0 budget month, I cleared out the majority of my freezer and ended up finding two whole chickens. Do not ask me why I bought the stupid things to start out with, when I had no clue how to cook them and absolutely no desire to touch them. I do actually know why I bought them and this will just reinforce to you how cheap I am...the grocery store was having a sale for $4 for the ugly things. I saw it as though, I could buy one boneless chicken breast for the same price and this would feed the 4 of us. So I snatched up two..because dealing with the thing wasn't enough once, I had to do it twice :)

I am honestly proud of myself and thrilled with how they turned out. So thrilled in fact, I took pictures when I made the second bird. I am by no means going to start sharing my daily recipes and photos of my cooking with you. So don't worry :) I officially am not a food photographer! My photos look horrible but this was the best chicken I have made so I had to share. I will never buy a store bought, precooked chicken again!

Source Food Network- you can see my finished photo later. It isn't this pretty.

I got a new toaster oven about 6 months ago and it came with a rotisserie feature in it. At the time I thought it would never be used...but I love it now. I have made these chickens and the best pork roasts with it. Yum.

I go this chicken recipe from the food network here.


Recipe:
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole chicken


Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Rub dry mix over the entire chicken.

 Secure chicken on rotisserie spit. Cook on the rotisserie (I broiled at 450 degrees) until fully cooked (180 degrees internal temperature) for approximately 1.5 hours. 

I cannot describe how good this was!

See this is why I will not post recipes...that chicken looks pathetic :) Doesn't the Food Network photo look so much more appealing.

I am just happy to be able to use those chickens up from the freezer. Had I not have done my $0 budget month, they would have sat there and never been used. Now I know I can do it and I might try some other recipes.

Do any of you have great rotisserie recipes? I would love to hear them!

Have a great day and happy cooking,
Stephanie

$0 Budget Month Guest Post: Smart n Snazzy

Hi there!  Thanks so much, Stephanie for having me guest post during her fabulous $0 Budget Month series!  I'm Lia from Smart n Snazzy, where I focus mostly on DIY, fashion, beauty, and decor, but I also post about whatever strikes my fancy.  I'm a wife and mother of two beautiful kids, and I work full time as a Data Analyst in Denver, Colorado.

I like to say that I have expensive taste but a limited budget.  Having a family to help support doesn't really allow for us to buy what we desire, so we have to make do.  I like to invest in classic pieces, and skimp on the trends.  A lot of the time, I'll make pieces inspired by high-end designer items for only a fraction of the cost.  And sometimes, I make things using what I've got on hand!  Here are a few examples.


When I laid eyes on the beautiful Kate Spade City Lights Bracelet, I knew I had to have it.  But its price tag is not anything I'd be willing to spend.  So I made it instead.  Here's my version, and here's the original post:

Inspired by this gorgeous Dannijo Studded Stingray Cuff Bracelet, I created one in a similar fashion to that of the City Lights bracelet.  Click here for the original post:

Finally, and yes I know I was on a TOTAL bracelet kick, I saw the whimsical Anthropologie Earbuds Bracelet and was completely enamored with it!  So I rounded up the supplies and made my own.  Here's the original post:

I hope you love and have been inspired to recreate some of your favorite pieces using some unconventional materials!  I always try to think outside the box and am so proud when I do!

A huge thank you once again to Stephanie for having me on Full of Great Ideas!  Please stop by Smart n Snazzy and say hi!

$0 Budget Month Guest Post: I Think I Can Squared

Just call me cheap. Or the lady that ends with WAY too much stuff from buying sprees at Hobby Lobby.

 Ok, cheap is easier.

I love crafts that don't cost a fortune. Blame it on my days as a daycare teacher where I had to pay out of pocket to keep the kiddies entertained :) I also go for cheap fixes for decorating because I'll admit, I hate doing it.

Here's some of my faves(ok, my faves that I actually blogged about)
 Reused candle holder  

Door wreath

Redoing a picture frame

April is a stay at home mom of 3 kids, ages 14, 12, and 5 and a zookeeper to an assortment of pets. She enjoy saving money, reading, sleeping, and doing way too many crafts. In her spare time, she blogs at I Think I Can, I Think I Can.

$0 Budget Month Guest Post: NMCreatrix

I am an artist and recycler, and I have taken a pledge (from Full of Great Ideas) to not make any non-essential purchases during the month of January. I will be retiring in February and think that going a month without any non-essential purchases will be a way to get ready for it. I have been gearing down for this for all of 2011, but the holiday season got me a little off track.

Part of the process is deciding which things are essential and which are non-essential. I am sure that it will be an on-going issue. Since creating art is an essential for me, I plan to use what art materials I have on hand and not purchase anything. That also helps reduce my stash!

Some of my ideas include making postcards, ATC {artist trading card) Buisness Cards and product hang tags for my wares. I use recycled cardboard boxes, paint and embellish them, and then cut to the size I need. I apply tags that I downloaded  that I have customized with my company information. This gives the recipient both a small work of art and my business information. See my prior posts  here and here for July.

These are postcards for a mail art swap that I was involved in for October. These use recycled materials and supplies that I already had on hand. Only cost was the postage.

Shari Adkisson
http://nmcreatrix.blogspot.com/

www.etsy.com/shop/nmcreatrix

$0 Budget Month Guest Post: Never Home SAHM

I would like to welcome Mikita from Never Home SAHM to Full of Great Ideas.  Here is Makita's great frugal idea for organizing those dreaded headbands..perfect for all you who have daughters!

Here is what Mikita had to say:
"I was recently having a chat with another Mom of girls and she said, there is really no good way to organize headbands.  I agreed, as I remembered how my daughter's headbands have taken over the dresser and floor and bathroom!

I also took this conversation as a personal challenge to find a way to organize them.  Luckily, I have fallen in love with a little site called Pintrest.  If you don't know about it, send me your email and I will invite you to join. *Warning* the site is addicting, seriously, you will be hooked!  You've been warned!

Anyway, so I can't take credit for the idea itself, but I can take credit for my version of how I did it.  You need rings that are hooked together, any rings.  I used a silver looped belt that was in my daughter's closet.  You could use shower curtain rings, linky baby toys that most people use to hang toys on a car seat.  Just hook them together and hang them on a wall, I used push pins and put one of the loops on the pin.

My loop organizer holds headbands and scarfs by threading them through the loops! So easy.  I also tied a ribbon on one of the loops and clipped on bows and barrets!

Publish Post

So easy and free way to organize them!"