Fabulous Custom Chotchkies for Less

Your Gay Husband Tip of the Day :
Make it Your Own - Paint it !

Frog Budah

Fabulous Custom Chotchkies for Less
I have said it before and I will say it again...go buy some spray paint in your favorite color. In this case I used white. I like to have a majority of white with splashes of color added. I only paid $4.99 for this Budah Frog. It made me smile, and for me that is all I need to close the sale. Now every time I look at it I smile. How nice is that especially for $4.99. I had the same experience withe the 3 sided Laughing Budah Head. I only paid .99 for it. I used a $1.99 can of white spray paint and I still have enough left over for my next project.

Before Painting

After Painting

It really helps to have a creative mind to find those Chotchkies that you can make fabulous just by giving them some love and attention. They don'y always look so great to begin with.This one was so little kid looking with funny flowers painted all over it. I saw it's beauty and new how great it could look in or house. I only paid $4.49 for this Snail.

Before Painting

After Painting

Laughing Budah Head

See how a fabulous Chotchkie can really make you eye move from one spot to another. I like having the pyramid shade with only 2 colors and something organic. All these objects are completely different but work well together because of the color and shapes.









I hope this inspires you to always be on the hunt. Whether it is at the $1 store, a yard sale  or even something you have in the Attic, you own it to yourself to MAKE IT FABULOUS. Have fun being creative..and remember it doesn't take alot of money to make it look like it did.
Til Later,
Your Gay Husband

Revamping Vases for Spring

Your Gay Husband Tip of the Day :

Make Something Old New Again

Black to White

Revamping Vases for Spring
It is so much fun doing little things to make a big impact. When using vases I like to usually use only 1-2 colors and let the flowers make the statement. I am sure you have heard this before when using frames. It makes it easier to use the vases in clusters or when setting an entire room to just see a single color when it comes to your vase. Here I used white. I am a HUGE fan of using white and black and adding color from there. Right now I am doing white.
COST - under $10 [.97 plus tax for paint and the rest on pots and plants.
TIME - 20 minutes not including dry time.
Level of Difficulty - 1 on a scale of 1-5

Vases...Before

I found this long black vase at an Estate sale for $1. I just loved it...it was different then most vases I find. I love updating vintage pieces and breathing new life into them. I also painted these other vases using a white gloss spray paint for .97 at Home Depot.

Plastic Nusery Vases

Three of these are plastic pots that plants come in from the nursery. I didn't have any ceramic and they were going on the patio so I decide to paint them white. I put a glass coaster under them and mixed them with white candle holders. They look great.

Kalanchoe Plant in White Pot

It always amazes me with what you can come up with when you have a plan. My plan was to use white vases/planters this spring. From that point it all came together. Think...ReNew - ReUse - RePurpose and see what you can come up with.







I hope this inspires you to add simple affordable design to your home. Have FUN and you may just inspire your friends to do the same. Beauty is contagious.
Til Later,
Your Gay Husband

Easter: Dying Eggs Using Onion Skins

You Gay Husband Tip of the Day:

Being Creative Makes Art

One of a Kind Easter Eggs

Dying Eggs Using Onion Skins
I can't remember where i learned how to dye eggs using onion skins but Thank You who ever you are. I think they are so striking. They look like little organic works of art. Give this a try and WOW your friends with one of a kind Easter eggs. They make nice gifts or if you have kids this would be a great item for show and tell.
COST - $5
TIME - 30 minutes including cooking time
Level of Difficulty - 2 on a scale of 1-5 

What You Will Need

You will need 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 dozen eggs and enough onion skins to cover each egg about 6, 3-4 knee high stockings and an 8 quart stock put filled 3/4 way with water. I used Red and Yellow Onions. The red gives a deeper color [really more of a deep purple].

Wrapping Egg with Onion Skin

Cover the eggs with the onion skins. Make sure to only use the dry skins or color won't transfer. If you miss a spot it will stay white which can be a neat effect.

Ready for Water

Now carefully put the egg in the bottom on the nylon stocking and tie a knot [like sausage] and repeat. You can fit up to 5 eggs per leg, just be careful. I used 3 per stocking to error on the side of caution.

Remove Eggs from Stocking

After they have been in boiling water and vinegar mixture for 15 minutes remove. Let sit for 5 minutes and unwrap the skins of the eggs. You really want to do this when the are still moist other wise the skins might dry to the eggs. Don't worry the stain has already set so you can't mess it up.

Finished Dyed Eggs

Viola ! you just made Art out if Eggs and Onion skins. Who would have thought ? I love all the intricate details in each one and how no 2 are alike. Let me know how you liked this project and what your friends and family have to say.










Hoppy Easter !
Til Later,
Your Gay Husband

Easter Egg Yard Art

Your Gay Husband Tip of the Day :

Decorate your Lawn for Easter

Eggcellent way to Decorate Your Yard

Easter Egg Yard Art
I love this time of year and especially Easter. It is just another great reason for friends and families to reconnect not to mention all the colorful decorations and great food. This is such an easy project and a great one to do with your kids. They can paint their own Easter Egg and save it for years to come. Memories of Easter in your childhood are so important so might as well make it memorable. You can even sign and date them.
COST - $3 I had the paint.
TIME - less than 1h hour [not including dry time]
Level of Difficulty - 2 easy put lots of parts

Egg Template

The first thing I did was to go online and print an Egg Template. Cut out the sizes you desire. I used 3 sizes. I find it gives more of a visual impact using a variety of sizes. Outline Egg on to a piece of foam core board. I buy mine at the Dollar Tree. Just $1 for a 20" by 30" foam board which is a great size. You can get at least 3 dozen egg cut outs using only 1 board. Then just cut out your outlined eggs.

Glue Skewers

Once you have your egg cut out, glue 2 skewers to the back side of each egg and let dry. You can buy these skewers at any grocery store under $3 for 100. I bought mine at the Dollar Tree for only $1. I also bought my Elmer's Glue there. That's why only $3 for this project. The skewers will easily secure the Eggs into your lawn.

Acrylic Paints

When it comes to color for this project get as creative as you want. Make them all the same color for a theme or see who can be the most creative or paint polka-dots on them. What ever you want and what ever you can think of.

Zig Zag Pattern

Have FUN being creative. I always have acrylic paints but really you can use any paint you want to. I have used house paint before or mix media like buttons or add some bling with rhinestones.

Finished Eggs

When making a design or pattern I recommend using a sharpy pen to draw on the design then paint inside the lines. It really gives it a strong look once they are in your yard.

This was a FUN project. I hope you have as much fun as I did. If you have 1 hour and $3 you have to make these eggs. Your neighbors will thank you.







Happy Easter !
Til Later,
Your Gay Husband

Painting a Focal Wall

YourGayHusband Tip of the Day :
Roll in W pattern to avoid Roller Marks


Art-room Silkscreen Zone

 Painting A Focal Wall

We have a room in our house that is dedicated strictly to creating. We call it the Art-room. Our Art-room is broken down into zones such as Painting, Sewing, Jewelry etc.. The room is all white with Birch wood desk. I was thinking of having a blank slate when we first painted the room. We just got a Silk Screening machine so I wanted  to create a Focal wall where we will do our Silk Screening. 

 

Martha Stewart Paint

  I found this Martha Stewart Paint at the Home Depot. It is a latte/ cappuccino color latex, interior, eggshell paint. This paint is great. It is thicker than most paints which makes it 1 coat. No primer was necessary. The idea is to give a wall with a darker color but still a neutral. I want to be able to see the designs and Silk Screening projects up against the wall. This will allow me to see it as if it were framed. Better than another white wall.

Cutting in Outlets

First I made sure wall was clean of dust and that I patched any holes. Once that was done I taped off the section of the room I was painting and laid down newspaper to avoid a mess. I recommend turning up the music and letting it flow. You will be finished before you know it.

cutting in ceiling

The first thing to paint are the edges of the room, around any windows or electrical outlets. Make sure to remove the covers from your electrical outlets so they don't get paint on them. This will give a professional look.

Roll in W pattern

Make sure that your roller is completely saturated with paint before painting. Start rolling on the paint in a W pattern so that you will not get any roller marks.
 TIME - 3-4 hours
COST - $40 including supplies
Level of Difficulty - 2 on a scale of 1-5




  This was a Fun project and got us set in the right direction to create even more. Just because you have an Art-Room doesn't mean it has to be messy and disorganized. Create Zones and have Fun yourself.
Til Later,
YourGayHusband

Black to White Frame DIY

YourGayHusband Tip of the Day:
RePurpose, ReUse, ReNew

"New Frame"
I found this frame on the side of the road that someone was tossing out. I am always on the look out for frames of all sizes. We have so much original Art that it is hard to keep up with the framing.
I needed a White frame for my Bathroom. Even though this was black, it was no problem that some paint, sand paper and Windex couldn't fix.













The first thing I did was clean the dirt off the frame and inspected it for any flaws or scratches. I used 120 grit sand paper and lightly sanded the entire frame. This will make a slightly rough surface which is perfect for the paint to adhere to.

I used Primer and Appliance Epoxy spray paint by Rust-oleum.

I love their products. The appliance paint touts that is is good for wet areas so I thought it would be prefect for the bathroom. The paint as well as the sand paper can be found at Home Depot. Paint in a well ventilated area and use a mask and goggles for Safety.

After sanding I applied 1 coat of primer and let it dry. I chose a grey primer. This would make it interchangeable for other projects. Once dry I applied 2 coats of white appliance paint. Follow directions for dry times between coats. I used less than 1/2 a can of paint. Excellent! I have more for another frame without extra cost. I added a piece of original art that MyGayHusband made.

This was a FUN project.

TIME - 1 hour excluding dry time

COST - $10 and I have extra !

Level of Difficulty 1 - on a scale of 1-5

Just like in life...

re-New, re-Use and re-Purpose

Happy Crafting !

Til Later,

YourGayHusband

Weekly Grocery Bargains

YourGayHusband Tip of the Day:

You have til 02-09-2011 to save on these deals and more...

SunFlower is one of my favorite places to shop. I highly recommend.

Great produce, wine and meats. They make their own sausage.

SUPER CHICKEN SAUSAGE EXTRAVAGANZA

$1.99lb all varieties [bulk up and freeze]

Navel Oranges - .88lb

Bunched Broccoli or Egg Plant - .99 ea

Parsley, Carrots, Radish, Green Onion - 2 for $1

Sweet Onions - .49lb

Tangelos or Royal Mandarins - .88lb

Tom Thumb Has lots of coupons this week. Either print from this link or get them at the store.

Asparagus - $2.99lb [great with pasta, eggs or side dish]

Bag Spinach - 2 for $3 16oz bags

Seedless Red Grapes - .99 ea [makes a perfect healthy snack]

Stoufers Meals - $1.88 ea select varieties

Campbell's Chunky or Microbowl Soup - .99

T-Bone or NY strip steaks - $3.99lb

Kroger offers low prices plus more This is a great weekly stop.

They have .25 boneless wings at the Deli this week

Kroger Cheese - 2 for $3 6-8oz

Medium Cantaloupes - 10 for $10 or $1 ea

Jumbo Mango's - 10 for $10 or $1ea

Fiesta is Having their FAMOUS MEAT MONTH.

They have fantastic saving on meats throughout the month.

Here are this weeks BIG BUYS.

T-Bone Steaks - $2.99lb [you can't beat it ...FREEZE]

Tyson Fryer Chicken - .67lb [cook 1 now and freeze 2]

Pork Spare Ribs - $1.19lb [freeze now for BBQ later] GREAT SAVINGS

Aldi always has great deals on staple items. This is a good weekly stop. This is where I buy my milk and eggs.

Celery - .69ea

Avocados - .45 ea

Baby Carrots - .99 1lb bag

Grape Tomatoes - .99

Albertsons has great weekly promotions. They have a good seasonal section. I only buy here if it is on sale. They

have great merchandising for promotional items.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - $1.49lb [freeze] I freeze 6-8 at at time

Avocados - .39ea can you say Guacamole

Blue Bunny Ice Cream - $1.99ea [my frennemy]

Whole cooked Lobster 12oz or 4oz Losbter tail - $5.99ea

Asparagus - 2lb for $5

Pink Lady Apples - .99lb

Michaels is where Creativity Happens. MyGaySister was inspired at Michaels and bought some paint supplies and canvas' and started painting. She has already started 2 paintings. One is a naked woman and the other is a flower. Go figure.

40%-50% Off Valentines Day supplies

Buy 1 get 1 FREE on frames [ excludes clearance]

Paint supplies - 40% off

Paint canvas and Easels - 40%

Start being creative today and find your Bliss...

I am so impressed with the Healthy choices that are available for this time of year.

Happy shopping and SAVING.

Til Later,

YourGayHusband

One of a Kind Valentines Day Cards

YourGayHusband Tip Of The Day ... Glitter makes life more FUN !



I was so inspired by my Gay Husband, He is so creative and can make something that may seem old and ready to discard into a work of art. He took left over tissue, ribbon and glitter from the Holidays and is making these One Of a Kind Valentines Day cards. Here is how he did it ...

The first thing I do gather all of the tissue I saved from the holidays. I knew I could come up with a great use for it. I ran across some blank water color cards I had in my closet and it was as if a lightbulb went off. Valentines Cards.


To begin I lay out the tissue and decide on a color and pattern. Then take the ends of red holiday satin ribbon and glue in place, center of card. Next,I take my cut outs and lay one on at a time starting with the bottom layer. These layers will become transparent on the end result. I then layer the remaining cut outs using Modge Podge a matte transparent glue that can be use both for gluing or finishing a project. I buy at 16oz bottle at Michaels arts and crafts for under $8. I love this stuff.


Once you have completed gluing down the layers completely, apply one final layer (thin) to project, ensuring the entire surface is covered with Modge Podge.This is key to the finished look.
Lastly, don't forget to sprinkle lightly with glitter while still wet. Life is better with Glitter.
I would say this was a pretty easy project. Rate it as a 1 on a scale from 1 - 5. The entire project including dry time took about 1 hour.



My two favorite things about this project were:
Making something Heart felt for someone I love
Reusing something that still has use and beauty

This Valentine project total cost was extremely low due to the fact that I already had all my supplies. If I were to start from scratch a set of six would be under $10
Please leave a comment or share your ideas.

Thanks again for sharing your talents and inspiration.
Til Later, YourGayHusaband