Year End Review

by Tahira Designs on January 2, 2013

There is nothing like the fear of failing to light a fire under your butt. While I didn’t get everything done I wanted to, I am pretty proud of myself for the things I did. In the past four days, I finished the “easy” projects that I had been putting off.

I got shelves put up in my bathroom.

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Before

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After

I refinished my chandelier in the foyer. When I bought it, it was the lovely 8Os brass. I painted it a golden color, but it was still too brassy for me. Now it’s a deep bronze. Not only does it just look better, but it matched the chandelier in the adjoining room better.

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Before

chandalier

After

I have a great kitchen, but there was no place to put the trash can. I had thought about cutting out a drawer and doing the cutting board over the trash (which I might still do) but for now, I installed a slide out trash can. My friends hate me for all the storage space I have in my pantry/kitchen, I still have empty cabinets.

trash

Before

trash can

After

I started to refinish my breakfast table, but that’s a several day project. It’s almost done, I’ll post how I did it when I finish.

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Before

table

So far…..

I bought doors to go on the laundry room, but I’m waiting on the hardware to come in to hang them. I still have to decide how I’m going to finish them. Oh, and I’ll also be making stained glass panels to go in them.

doors

I have finally found the fabric to reupholster the couch in, now to get the fabric and make the cover.

blondie-red

I printed 101 pictured from my European trip about 5 years ago. My brother got me this great album, so it was about time I filled it. Only problem with that, now I HAVE to go back!!!

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pictures

I also lined the laundry room cabinets, hung a basic towel rack (still plan on changing), and am 75% done with the Peacock Stipple.

All in all, I’m pretty happy that I got most everything done on my list. Just because the year has ended, doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working on the list. After all, my list is constantly growing!!

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“Just The Right Shoe” Risers

by Tahira Designs on December 27, 2012

A long time ago I started a collection of these little shoes call “Just The Right Show” by Raine. As you can imagine, it soon became an obsession! I got them for birthdays, holidays, basically any special occasion. Then came eBay came along, and talk about going overboard. I think I bought 25 of them in one day. Hey, they were only about $1.00 each.

I had these little beauties sitting all around the house. If they matched the décor, that’s where they went. Fast Forward five years and my new house has these great built-ins, so I decided that I needed to group them all together. The only problem there was you can’t see them all. That’s when I decided I needed to build little risers for them. They are little pieces of art, and they deserve to be shown off properly.

The first thing was to measure the space, no point in building something that doesn’t fit, right? Because the space isn’t that deep, I could only go up three rungs. Since I don’t PLAN on buying anymore shoes, this should be enough. I took the total depth of the shelf and divided it by three to get even spacing.

I used the shelf as the first rung, which was simple enough. Then I started the building. I cut four pieces of plywood of equal width and length. Since these shoes don’t weigh a whole bunch, I didn’t need to use heavy duty wood or nails.

I didn’t want to show the raw edge of the wood, so I put the horizontal piece behind the vertical piece and nailed it in that way. I think it gives it a better look than seeing the multiple layers plywood has.

For the second shelf, I put the horizontal piece on top of the vertical; it faces the back, so there’s no need to worry about the edge. Also, this makes up for the ¾” you lose when the horizontal piece is lower than the vertical piece. Add the final piece and you’re done with that.

For extra support, I cut a couple of support pieces to go under the risers. I wanted to make sure that they fit tight within the shelf so these pieces will be hidden under the risers. Again, this gives it a built-in look.

I secured these with the same nails, and Voila! You’re done.

I have been seeing a bunch of pictures in design books that have been coloring the inside of the shelves/bookcases with an accent color. That’s what I did here.

What do y’all think? I’m pretty happy with it.

Before

After

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Now once I figure out what colors I’m going to do in this room (reupholster couch), I plan on painting the inside of the cabinet a color to match.

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Custom Bulletin Board

December 25, 2012

In an effort to be better organized (hence The Projects Project) I needed a bulletin board, but I had NO idea how expensive they can be.  Aside from the price, I never really saw any I really liked. Then one day while at Target, I found this roll of cork for $2.00 sitting next to […]

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Stuff Embroidered Pillows

December 24, 2012

Twelve years ago, I spent three months with my family in Pakistan. Some of my best memories of my AMMMMMMAZING grandmother were from then. Since there isn’t much to do there, I learned many of my craft during this time. One of the things my Aunt taught me was embroidery. One of the many things I made […]

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Non-Slip Hangers

December 7, 2012

When I moved into my new house (18 months ago) I decided that I wanted to have a “grown up” closet. That meant, matching wooden hangers. I saw these Dark Wood Hangers at Target. They were the best price, but only one thing, now grip. I have some shirts that have a wide neck, or […]

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Studio Shelving Part 1

December 6, 2012

So I know it’s been a while since I posted, and I apologize. Opening a studio is A TON of work!! With that said, I’ve reviewed a few more products for you guys. The first one being an Edsal 36 in. W x 60 in. H x 18 in. D Steel Commercial Shelving Unit I […]

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Remove Grease from Green Dress

August 17, 2012

I bought this dress a couple of years back, and I absolutely LOVE it. It is one of my favorite things to wear, especially in the summer when it is so ridiculously hot out. I wore it on my 35th birthday, and somehow I ended up with grease all over the bottom of the dress. […]

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Fire Block

August 16, 2012

I have tried several types of Fire Brick, and each has served its own purpose. There is the traditional firebrick to help conduct heat and provide a sturdy work surface. There is the ultra-soft block; I’m not sure what it is made of since it was given to me. I want to say its Gypsum, […]

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Realspace® Clamp-On Magnifier Task Lamp

August 15, 2012

I have tried several things trying to find the perfect lighting situation for my workspace. I’ve tried different bulbs in the overhead lights, I’ve tried Ottlite clamp on lights, and now these. Realspace Clamp-On Magnifier Task Lamps. I was very happy with the Ottlite Clamp On light, but I still couldn’t see the pieces I […]

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Bead Stopper

August 14, 2012

As some of you may know, my adventures in jewelry making started with simple beading. I wish I would have found something like the Bead Stoppers I bought from Fire Mountain Gems back then. I say like, because I was not happy with these. Sorry FM, but these are going to be the first product […]

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Catch Pan for Workbench

August 8, 2012

I am lucky in the fact that I have some very handy friends. When I moved into my new house, I was set on making a workshop in my garage. I needed a place to work on my metalsmith projects, and open flames in the house were just not going to work. My good friends […]

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Rosewood Large-Hole Woven Wire Drawplate

August 5, 2012

One of my favorite techniques in making jewelry is the Viking Knit. I’m not sure why I love it so much, but I seem to not be able to get enough of it. It’s so simple to make and looks so elegant.   I use 28 gauge fine silver wire, an old wooden spool (trick […]

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Xuron Maxi-Shear Flush Cutters Without Retainer

August 4, 2012

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Crimping Pliers

August 3, 2012

When I first started beading, I bought the minimum tools needed, but man how I wish I had bought these Crimping Pliers from Fire Mountain Gems all those years ago.   My life has not been the same since I started using these. Before, I would just use my flat nose pliers and just smash […]

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Tool Magic Pliers Coating

August 2, 2012

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Stainless Steel Fine-Tip Pliers Set

August 1, 2012

One of the first pieces I bought was a Stainless Steel Fine-Tip Pliers Set from Rio Grande.   In the past I had purchased a couple of other “all in one” pliers when I started making beaded pieces, but there is no substitute for the right pliers for the right job. These were fairly in […]

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Custom iPad Case

July 24, 2012

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Ayaan’s Blanket

July 23, 2012

Eight years ago when my sister told me I was going to be an Aunt, I was beyond excited. I immediately started to think of things I would make for the newest addition to our family. Did I want to start a collection, make a blanket, or start a savings account? So many choices, I […]

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Magnetic Strip for Pliers

July 22, 2012

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Laundry At Tiffany’s

July 21, 2012

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Repair Glass Fruit

July 20, 2012

Not all the “projects” on my list are difficult, they just need to be done. This was one of them. I received these fruits as a house warming gift when I moved into my first house. Not long after, the tops of them came off. I have been putting off fixing them for five years […]

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Refinish Dining Room Chairs

July 19, 2012

I found this amazing table at Ecletic in the Heights in Houston, but it didn’t come with any chairs. I had four existing chairs that I was able to use, but I still needed to end chairs. I went to one of my other favorite places in the Heights, Alabama Furniture. A great little consignment […]

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Repair Bracelet 1

July 18, 2012

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Fuzzy Furry Hooded Vest

July 17, 2012

I can think of no better project to knock off my list on this cold rainy Saturday then to make this vest. I’ve been eyeing this for a few months now, and decided today would be the day it got done.   I found the lining fabric about four years ago and was just waiting […]

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How to Make A Shelf with Mitered Corners

July 16, 2012

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Create a Gallery Wall

July 15, 2012

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Paint Dining Room

July 14, 2012

One of the projects I’ve been putting off is painting my dining room. When I moved into this house about eight months ago, everything was “canvas” tan. While that’s a pretty color, it’s very bland. I have to have color in my life, and the dining room was the first to get a makeover.  Before […]

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Travel Shoe Bag

July 13, 2012

What do you get the man that has everything? That man would be my Dad, and since my Dad does a lot of traveling, I figured I’d make him some shoe bags. I hate going somewhere and having to pack my dirty shoes along side my clean clothes. To avoid that, I have started using […]

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Glitter Votive Holders

July 12, 2012

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