blog-a-thon

happy friday, cutiepies!

 

and it's time for another celebration of all of you fabulous bloggers out there!  
no better-a-time then to thank you all for coming by & playing here every monday, wednesday & friday!

so leave us a link to your own blog {and/or perhaps another link to one your favourite blogs!} + it'll be a superfun way to meet new folks + share your writings with everyone!

it'll be a permanent, up-date-able feature on my sidebar here, so we all can visit your lovely blogs!

can't wait to visit all of YOUR beautiful writings!

have a great day, sweeties!

{ps: have a gorgeous online handmade shop. too? add your link to *my talented, talented friends* page here for all to see, too! } 

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the amazing 2 dollar DIY bed headboard project!

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it's true!
here's my DIY $2 headboard project.

we've just completed a makeover on the guest bedroom at my mom's home. (more photos on the complete, inexpensive before and after soon!)

our budget to redo the entire room was under $100. crazy right? yes. 
do-able/ (with lots and lots of repurposing?)
yes!

thought you'd like a sneak peek at one of the very best budget-wise projects: the $2 headboard.

i think a headboard just finishes things off lovely-like.
and we needed something extra-budget-friendly at the end of the project. (repurposing an old headboard or door was even over budget! so was buying enough paint to paint a headboard on the wall!)  so we put on our creative thinking caps and came up with this cutie!

here's the secret ...
it's kinda a fake headboard.
what could be lovelier than that?

perfect for a spare room!

here's what you will need to complete this easy project:
(i'm sure you probably have most of them at home already!) 

• 1 roll of con-tact shelf paper in your choice of colours. con-tact paper has a decorative front and a sticky-adhesive backing. it usually comes in rolls.  (i choose lovely & solid bright white!)  = $1.00 at dollar stores. also available at most home or craft stores

• measuring tape

• straight ruler

• pencil

• green painters tape = $1 (it won't leave any marks on your wall)

• level if you have one (i didn't)

• scissors or exacto knife 

...................................

how-to!
1. decide on a design for your headboard. 

i went with the modern & minimalist look of a geometric & straight rectangle. but you could choose any symmetrical shape. (try searching *headboard shapes* on google or take a look at these ideas here. )

 via headboard.co

2. using a measuring tape, decide on the dimensions of your new headboard. 

using a pencil, gently mark how high and how wide you'd like your headboard to be on the wall. stand back and double check that you love it. take measurements.

3. lay out your con-tact paper on a flat surface. using the easy grid lines on the back of the adhesive paper, mark out the dimensions of your new headboard. (i chose to make mine only as tall as one width of the roll, and slightly longer than the bed & matress. this way i only had to make one cut! but you could easily overlap the contact paper to make higher or wider shapes. )

4. being extra careful not to bend or crease the con-tact paper, cut out your headboard using scissors or an exacto knife.

5. rip off a few pieces of the green painters tape. with the wrong side/sticky side of the contact paper facing the wall, carefully use the green tape to HOLD your headboard in place. use the level to check that the headboard is straight. (or eye-ball it!) - erase and pencil marks that you can see off the wall. 

6. once in place perfectly, start in the top corner (i worked from top left to right.) begin to carefully peel off the backing paper from underneath. this part can be a bit tricky. i recommend going as slowly as possible so as to not tear the headboard. peel off a medium sized vertical section, let the backing paper hang, and use the straight ruler to gently push out any airbubbles in the headboard (similar to wallpapering). after that, use your finger/hand to push directly onto the contact paper to increase the bond.

7. repeat step 6 until the headboard is attached fully, with a strong hold, and there are no air bubbles.

8. tada!

i love the look. it's fresh and clean and has stayed put!

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notes: the contact paper i used took on the painterly texture of my wall underneath. i like the look, but if you want a more solid look, try looking for thicker contact paper. (hey - mine was only a dollar after all!)

i considered using mod podge to finish the edges, but so far that hasn't been necessary.it's stayed in place beautifully. 

con-tact paper is a brand name, but i'd guess that any adhesive back shelf paper would do! 

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try it for yourself! the possibilities are endless! 

here's a peek at the before & after for the whole guest room!
what was once dark & dingy is now bright & light!

done any fun before & after projects lately? 

leave me the link - i'd love to see!

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great green-ies: singapore's solar powered supertrees

 {via co.exist}

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have you seen the new supertrees of singapore? 

a magical solar-powered canopy of artificial tall *trees* towering over the urban seaside.

i'm fascinated by the lovely design & shape,  & intrigued by the green-li-ness of the project. the tree-towers also convert sunlight into usable energy, collect rainwater for reuse and act as air-vent ducts for nearby conservatories. cool!

(& you know how i love vertical gardens & that vertical forest!)

what do you think? yay or nay?

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the 3rd annual MEGA birthday bash giveaway!

 

welcome welcome september!

my favourite month.


wanna know a little secret?
it's my birthday this week, nicies! woohoo!


so let's have a party!

i've asked some wonderful handmakers & vintage finders & cratfy supply creators to join me in the 3rd annual MEGA birthday bash-of-a-giveaway! { thanks so much for your kind kind generosity, nicies!}

there are FIVE (that's right, 5!)
amazing prize packs up for grabs! 

each prize pack will have a different funfun winner!

.................................

here we go:

:: prize pack A ::

valued at over $90!

a lovely keychain clutch, a convertible clutch pdf sewing pattern

& a leather accent fold over bag pdf sewing pattern | LBGstudio

a gorgeous gold filled infinity necklace | yanessa b.

your choice of either one custom eco felt stocking OR one month of free advertising in october on the rikrak studio blog | rikrak
 

.................................

:: prize pack B ::

valued at over $90!

a bright & beautiful hand-embroidered hoop of colourful flowers on tan linen | nisseworks

a charming pair of boutique soft soled children's shoes with cream crocheted doily | ruby & sam

lovely mint green glass seed beadwoven copper earrings | balanced

 

.................................

:: prize pack C ::

valued at over $90!

your choice of one cute, colourful, limited edition 8.5 x 10.5 gallery grade giclee nursery print | crazy uncle art

a delightful turned wood bowl of spalted birch crotchwood with food safe finish | wood art for living

a charming large champagne organza flower with gossamer leaves & handsewn beads hair accessory | fairytale flower

.................................

:: prize pack D ::

valued at over $90!

one delightful handmade ceramic *craft* necklace on a silver chain plus an assortment of 3 fabulous handmade ceramic buttons | jangles

a $30 gift certificate so you can choose your own gorgeous beads & goodies | tooaquarius

two delightful handmade phone cases in your choice of colours | spacejam

.................................

:: prize pack E ::

valued at over $90!


a beautiful vintage gold coloured rose pin by coro | lucindas nice things

a charming typewriter key pendant OR ring of your choice: letter, function key or number | buster and boo

a gorgeous free-motion quilted saddle bag in floral & circular fabrics | persimon dreams

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 ..........................

one way to enter is to grab one of my rikrak studio buttons,
like this one for YOUR BLOG! here they are!

<center> <a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiorectangle.jpg" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiosquare.jpg" /></a></center>

and add it to your blog!

{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above onto your blog sidebar! thanks! } 

thanks for playing!

................

RULES:


a) it is possible to have numerous entries total per person.

b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!

c) as always, this giveaway is open to all contestants, worldwide.

d) for this particular giveaway, YOU MUST BE A RIKRAK studio follower or subscriber,
old or new! thanks!

e) the 5 winners of this giveaway will be chosen from random.org on
september 20th,  2012 @ 12:01 am EST.

f) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account
doesn't link to one. thanks.

g) thanks so much everyone! and thanks for visiting the blog!

..............................

 



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meet the superhumans

love this *superhumans* video! thanks to melissa blake

................

ever feel sorry for yourself?

yah.

me too.

ever afraid to face fears?

ever seek superhuman courage to overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle?

ditto for me.

well here's some of my recent inspiration.

holey moley, the paralympians!

honestly. people amaze me.

physical challenge is something oft on my family's mind:

my dad walked with an artificial leg since he was a young teenager.

my mother now depends on her wheelchair to be mobile.

my mother in law painfully awaits a much needed hip replacement.

folks' ability to overcome these physical challenges always amazes me.

and the inaccessability of almost everywhere is something we think about daily. (and we have the priviledge of living in *accessible* canada!) 

and these athletes?!

talk about overcoming obstacles!

wow.

but sadly, we've found it difficult to even find media coverage here in canada of the paraolympics games. here's to working on that in the future!

what's inspiring you these days, nicies?

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the september *i love my sponsors* giveaway!

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yay!
aren't you the loveliest readers around!
thank YOU, sweet nicies.

thanks for your encouraging words & dear dear comments. it's so great to be back here visiting with you! it's a pleasure to read thru your hellos, responses & ideas each day.  i always love seeing what you have to say! and thanks for playing all the little games and activities on the blog, for your warm and wonderful emails too!

AND... thanks so much to all of you lovelies out there who have really made my day by supporting my little adventures, as dear sponsors & advertisers of the rikrak studio blog. you nicies mean the world to me, and i really appreciate it! (this is my *free-to-my-lovely-sponsors* giveaway! interested in being a sponsor? contact me at rikrakmail at yahoo dot com for more info!) 

so with a thankful heart, and a happy focus son the NEW things that september brings (i always feel like it's a brand new year starting in september - time to try great new things!)  ...  a little giveaway for all of you!

september's wonderful sponsors are:

  jacaranda designs 
theme fragrance 
persimon dreams 
tickled pink paper + ink
buster and boo 

tiny happy 
tooaquarius 
lucinda's nice things
la alicia 
baymut

hopeful threads 

the little red door  
ecoetsy

ecokaren

crazy uncle art

everything etsy 

cover my world 

saige wisdom

 

 

{ the prize }  

a fabulous $25.00 gift certificate 

from me to YOU to spend in
ANY ONE OF MY SPONSORS' shops or on their blogs!

that's right...
one lucky winner will get to spend the prize in any of my sponsors' e-shops or blogs!

exciting news, cuties! after the tremendous success the past few months of using rafflecopter, it'll be our fun new giveaway medium! just click away and follow the instructions! 
i'll still be using random.org to draw the winner!

if you'd prefer to enter the way you always have (leaving comments in the notes below instead ) that's superdooper, too! either way is great with me! i'll put all of them together at the end!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

...........................

one way to enter is to grab one of my rikrak studio buttons,
like this one for YOUR BLOG! here they are!

<center> <a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiorectangle.jpg" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiosquare.jpg" /></a></center>

and add it to your blog!

{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above onto your blog sidebar! thanks! } 

thanks for playing!

................

RULES:


a) it is possible to have numerous entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as its own comment. thanks!
c) as always, this giveaway is open to all contestants, worldwide.
d) for this particular giveaway, YOU MUST BE A RIKRAK studio follower or subscriber,
old or new! thanks!
e) the winner of this giveaway will be chosen from random.org on
october 1st 2012 @ 12:01 am EST.
f) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account
doesn't link to one. thanks.
g) thanks so much everyone! and thanks for visiting the blog!

...............

and CONGRATS to the winner of the SUMMERTIME *i love my sponsors* $25 giveaway ... random.org's #626 bohomomma (love your blog nicey - what a great eco-find!) you've won yourself a fabulous shopping spree! 

................

happy september,  sweeties!

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the art of rarity {& the blue moon}

:: the art of the blue moon ::

top collage

round blue circle ring

moon phases cork coasters

1955 original vintage print: phases of the moon

moon phases glass magnets 

moon garland

moon photograph

second collage

full moon necklace

moon calendar

vintage moon chart 1970

moon paper garland

2013 letterpress moon calendar

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i love a little rarity.
like last night's delightful blue moon.
helps me appreciate and value things more sometimes.
how 'bout you, nicies? 

oh rarity: like how i've missed your lovely friendliness, loves.
and how good it is to be back here visiting with you cuties again.
 
 what's something rare you love?

a few of mine:
 red pandas (aren't they the cutest?!)
a good old 80's dance party
 precious time with my wonderful little family
crystal clear blue waters
deep & genuine belly laughs and gigglefests

your turn!

{welcome back cuties}

 





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