Reader Showcase: Fall 2013
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you may have blinked and missed that as of last Saturday, it’s officially winter. Cold, snowy, frosty, windy, bone-chilling winter.
“Wait a minute, Lauren. I thought you lived in Florida….”
Yes, yes. I do. I’m just using my vivid imagination to paint a picture of the winter I crave around Christmas-time; a sliding-on-your-belly-in-the-snow kind of winter.
And while the change of seasons may come without much fanfare here in this latitude, you know what does bear fanfare? Like trumpets tooting and confetti tossing? YOU!
Yes, you! Because as I sift through the emails you’ve sent me and the posts you’ve written over the past few months sharing photos of your beautiful creations that were somehow, in some way inspired by a visit here to The Thinking Closet, well, I can’t help but do this:
And there was a lot of smiling to be had because, my goodness, y’all have been busy! This is by far the grandest Reader Showcase to date. In fact, it was so grand, I even went so far as to add headings for each category: crafting, gifting, Silhouette-ing…to name a few.
So, sit back, relax, and grab a Snickers as I turn the spotlight on you, dear readers, and feature the wealth of the crafty goodness you’ve been up to this past season.
Reader Showcase: Fall 2013
Note: If you’d like to pin some of these projects, please click through to the blogs from whence they came to honor the original source (if there’s a post on it). Also, I’ll link to the original tutorials in case others would like to give some of these a try, too. Now, let the good times roll!
Crafting
Meimors found inspiration in my Color-Blocked Bobby Pin Tutorial to not only DIY her own…
…but she also created this cute-as-pie stop motion video using her painted bobbies!
I love how blogging has connected me with so many creatives across the globe…including Katja from Germany. She used my Wood Pallet Sign Tutorial to create this beauty:
My jaw dropped to see Nancy‘s take on my Burlap and Book Page Pumpkins. I love the cardstock she used on the leaves!
And how gorgeous are these pedestals that Amy DIY’d after seeing my Faux Mercury-Glass Pedestals? The white is so chic!
For so many of these reader projects that I showcase, I’m in love with your creations more than my original! And that is no exception for Denise’s version of my Twine Ball Ornaments. Aren’t these simply stunning? She used them as part of her Thanksgiving table centerpiece this year.
And my college friend Stephanie made some, too, at a “Craft & Beer Party” with her friends!
Gifting
My Instagram Advent Calendar was re-imagined in the form of a 30th birthday gift Holly made her boyfriend. She even managed to find a way to include more than double the amount of photos I did…and did this ALL without a Silhouette or advent calendar kit. I know. Amazing.
I love that Anne has a “Pin to Present” series on her blog – – and I was fortunate enough to have one of my projects, Burp Cloth Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist, pinned, created, and gifted by Anne!
Cassie fell in love with the elephant onesie from my collection of Gender-Neutral Onesies…and decided to make her expecting friend a whale version, without a Silhouette or HTV, but instead using fabric and fusible interfacing! And she DIY’d a whole lot more while she was at it.
Silhouette-ing
Freezer paper stenciling is something I really had fun with this past year. And I wasn’t the only one! My Freezer Paper Stenciling Tutorial inspired a few others. Like Dori with this super fun onesie…
…and Meredith! She used the tutorial when painting the details on the burlap squares for her lovely fall wreath:
This same, creative Meredith also used my Sketch Pen Place Cards Tutorial to tackle her own version…but instead of using plastic animals for the holders, she had pumpkins! Perfect for a Thanksgiving tablescape.
Speaking of sketch pens, Virginia pulled some tips from my Mason Jar Sketch Pen Art to create a stunning work of mixed-media art we’re all drooling over.
My Silhouette buddy, Toni, tried her hand at my tutorial for creating a letter-sized “A Thousand Thanks” card. And she created some additional cards using the same method! Aren’t they nifty?
Briann used my free cut file from my Gender-Neutral Elephant Onesie and made this cutie:
And get this: my own sweet Mom was so enamored by the Frosted Vinyl Anniversary Gift & Round Up I shared, she had me cut her some frosted vinyl decals to embellish the vases at her hospital’s Physician Awards event. Here are some photos of the crafternoon my Mom planned with her co-worker Yocasta and her kids to apply the vinyl to the vases. I love how they turned out!
Christmas-ing
Meredith and her Silhouette are at it again! She took some ideas from my DIY Photo Booth Props and created her own Christmas props! (My favorites are the “Naughty” and “Nice” signs.) Visit her blog for the full run down, including a free cut file.
My Haven buddy, Candace, found a spark of inspiration in my Glitter Glam Pumpkins. The thumb-tack pumpkin I created got her thinking about creating a thumb-tack Christmas tree…and those thoughts manifested into glorious gold thumb-tack reality!
Here’s another fantastic example of a reader finding some inspiration and running with it. Gabby recalled my DIY Wedding Invitation Ornament from last year and decided to use the same notion, but instead of a wedding invitation inside the glass ball, she typed up highlights from their year. Wouldn’t that be fun to do as an annual tradition?
This one cracked me up. So remember my parody music video, “All I Want for Christmas…is a Silhouette Cameo”? Well, my Florida friend, Sarah, caught the parody bug as a result and wrote her own comical rendition of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Check it out for a chuckle!
My Washi Tape Christmas Tags inspired a few others this holiday season. Meredith (yup, this is her FOURTH feature in this post! I need to send her a pie!) used my free cut file to create some tags for the gifts under her tree this year. You can spy ’em in her Baby Made Bows post.
Michelle used the same method to create the most darling Christmas tree cards:
And Christy created some “Joy to the World” cards using her scrapbook paper scraps in lieu of washi tape. So resourceful!
One of the first times we had our church small group over our house, our friends Julie & Brian asked us about our Pallet Christmas Photo Display. When we explained how easy it was to make, they were all over it like white on rice. And a few weeks ago, Julie texted me a photo of theirs in action!
Even though I created my No-Sew Burlap Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt over a year ago, folk still manage to find it! And I loved the renditions I saw this year. Dollie used some printed burlap sacks from a flea market to create her tree skirt…and the finished look is divine!
And Becky creatively used the silver ruffle on the outside of her original tree skirt as the first row of ruffles! Genius.
Blogging
My Friday Five buddy, Thalita, was inspired by My New MOO Business Cards that I created for Haven blog conference this past summer. So check out these lovelies she created for her first blog conference this past fall:
ChiWei was motivated to give her blog’s “About Page” a major overhaul after reading my post on How to Revamp Your “About” Page. Although we’ve been blog buddies since early summer, I learned so much more about her from reading her entertaining new page! My favorite is this collage of ChiWei as a little girl with her multiple pairs of Mary Janes!
Phew! I’m exhausted just looking through all your creative creations. Seriously, y’all have been busy! I hope you can take some time this weekend to take it easy…relax…and indulge your inner cat-lion.
Rawr!
If You’ve Been Showcased…
…feel free to grab a featured button!
For More Reader Awesomeness…
…take a look back at the Spring Reader Showcase & Summer Reader Showcase! They’re just as awe-inspiring as this one was.
A Call
The Reader Showcase is quarterly series in these parts, so at the end of each season, I’ll be posting more of your projects inspired by The Thinking Closet here for the world to see. If you’ve ever created something in the past that was inspired by something you saw on this blog or if you do so in the future, I’d love it if you’d send me a photo or two of your creation to thethinkingcloset {at} gmail.com. And if you have a blog or are on social media, I’ll be sure to link to it! I just love promoting y’all. Plain n’ simple.
Over and out.
I can’t believe I am just seeing this now! Thanks so much for the feature. Those cards are one of my favorite projects so far. Thanks for the inspiration!
This round up is just gorgeous, Lauren! I’m just now returning to the land of wifi (yes, dial-up still exists in parts of the country) and catching up on blogs from the holidays. Thank you so much for showcasing my tree skirt. Your creativity has influenced so many of us! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2014. Best wishes, Dollie
I am still behind myself after taking a little break over the holidays, so you don’t need to explain a thing! Just glad you saw the post at all (as I was remiss to notify everyone they had been featured…dope!). I’m also delighted that you did find my tutorial in the first place, so I could connect with you and visit your lovely corner of the blog-o-sphere. Looking forward to getting to know each other even better in year 2014! Hope it’s a fantastic year for you, Dollie. {Hugs.}
WOW, what talented readers, Lauren. I’ve found so much inspiration in this post….thanks for sharing!
So much awesomeness!! There’s a lot of inspiration to be turned into action here for 2014!
I’m inspired, too, Emily! It’s a wonderful never-ending cycle…and you’re always a part of it with your creative posts and projects, Emily!
This is so cool Laur! So inspiring that you’ve inspired so many others.
Thanks, Jaybird. Tell Andrew I want to feature the Instagram gift he made for my next one. Maybe he can send me a pic? Love you guys and wishing you a very happy 2014!
Hey Lauren,
Merry Christmas! I’m so happy to connect with you here. Thank you so much for sharing my Magic Pins Stop-Motion Video! Thank you again for inspiring me with your lovely homemade projects. I hope to see more from you soon! Do visit me sometime 🙂
Mei
You are so welcome, Mei! The stop motion video was just too cute ‘n creative NOT to share. And one of my goals for 2014 is to make more videos including a stop-motion one…so I may be picking your brain for tips ‘n tricks! Have a very happy new year.
No, lady, I think I owe YOU a pie!! Thanks for all the features! And I think this post speaks immeasurably to what a great blogger you are – how inspirational AND accessible your projects are, and how motivational and easy-to-follow your tutorials are for so many people to be able to (and WANT to) attempt them on their own. I have a feeling I will continue to be inspired by many more Thinking Closet projects in 2014!
Aw, shucks, Meredith. You’re the sweetest! I’m humbled by your words and also REALLY looking fwd to 2014 and all it holds for unOriginal Mom, the Silhouette Challenge, and for us as friends! (Possibly a meet-up…eek!)
Awww thanks for the business card feature!!! You totally DID inspire that one. 100%! And isn’t it amazing to see how many people feel SO inspired by your awesomeness that they create their own!?!?!
Awwww. What’s amazing is how God has blessed me with readers and friends (like you) who are such go-getters! And who wow me on a regular basis with their creativity and gusto. 🙂
Here’s to hoping we can swap biz cards face-to-face in 2014! Eeska!
So much inspiration here! I am loving the about me page revamp. I may just have to tweak mine! I loved the smile graphic- oh to write like that 🙂
Thanks, Tricia. And isn’t that handwriting pretty incredible? Mesmerizing…. Have a happy new year!
What an inspired group of followers! And YOU inspired us!
Thank you for featuring “my” project which was really a TEAM project, since you kindly cut the frosted vinyl and Yocasta and her children helped apply the vinyl cut-outs. The finished vases were a big hit! Thanks for the feature!
It is really interesting to see how each person added their own unique touch to your original inspiration. Those of us here at 319 loved seeing the cat-lion and we do plan to relax a bit this weekend as we await the arrival of two very special people!
This is amazing! And so uplifting to really see how much our community inspires and supports one another 🙂 Thank you so much for including me!
And can I just say… I watched that “Smille” graphic about 23 times… How is it so mesmerizing??? I’m determined to learn calligraphy.
How wonderful to see how you’ve inspired others to create such wonderful projects. Your ideas are just so creative that people can’t help themselves. Love your blog!
Aw, thanks for the feature! They were so fun and easy to make!
You sure do have some crafty followers! Love your projects; keep em coming!
Thanks for the shout out, Lauren! We’ll have to get together the next time I’m in FL!
So many incredible projects! It must feel great to know you’ve inspired so many people. I had the kind of Christmas you were dreaming about – skiing in the mountains surrounded by snow. Thankfully it had warmed up to almost 0 (we had a windchill of -54 celsius a couple weeks ago) and was perfect Christmas weather.