Easy Painting Projects Fit For Royalty: A Royal Tee, Crowned Pillow, and Game Tote with a Crown on One Side That Flips to Checkers-2-Go

I designed patterns for years and years for the arts and crafts industry. I tried hard to create versatile patterns, patterns I loved myself. The best part about creating the patterns was hearing from customers how much they enjoyed them; whether for gifts or for creating things they could sell at craft fairs, or just for their own home and personal use.

I've been working on some patterns to offer on my Many Shades of Shabby Catablog. I'm working on several at a time, and hope to fill it up soon.

I just added this first one that I had so much fun creating. It's for fabric painting, but of course, it's easy to see that the design might go on many surfaces.

This pattern begins with a glitzy crown loaded with sparkling gems. It's really simple to use the pattern - on most medium or light weight fabrics, all you have to do is slip it beneath the pattern and trace it before you paint it. Above, I'm marking off the squares for the pillow cover and you can see the design beneath the satin fabric.

I made the pillow out of scraps of an old vintage wedding gown I purchased at a thrift store. It really turned out elegant and I love it. But the pillow is just as elegant made of plain old muslin.

What I really find a delight to do was the Game Tote.

I thought the game tote would make a great place to store all those little things it takes to play a game. I couldn't help but think what a sweet gift this could make as a set for a little princess-who could sleep in the tee, pack overnight things in the tote, and she and her friends could play checkers right on the bag. How much fun would that be?

These look lovely in different colors. Now why does pink and silver glitter come to mind?
The crown is shown on a tee and a hooded sweat here, but wouldn't it be sweet on a night tee, the long ones?

Poll Results: Edenism Thumbs Down; Treasure Hunters = High; Garden Chic = Low

Two polls running simultaneously on the blog have ended and the results are in!

First, I'm happy to confirm that the results were unanimous ( 100%) that the term "Edenism" didn't have a chance to replace the term French Chic. In case you missed it, and don't know anything about the term, Edenism, a reprint of that post may be read below:

Interiors Design Intelligence is putting out the word that one of the hottest new trends for 2008 is Edenism ( as in the Garden of Eden). The look is described as dreamy with pastels (blue, mauve, pink) surrounded by dazzling sparkle and metal tones in gold and silver - a catalyst for a Marie Antoinette Moment. There's a pop-up slide-show at this link that shows one room evocative of the Marie Antoinette movie set. Oh my, this is sumptous stuff. But can we even remember Edenism long enough to make it a household name?

Psst. We already know it as French Chic; so, French Chic + Marie Antoinette Luxury = Edenism. (Taking French Chic over the top?)

The second poll helped to identify the motivation behind preferences for romantic shabby chic decor. It was titled: What Kind of CHIC are You?. The highest percentage of participants indicated they were Treasure CHIC-ers ; and, Garden Chics, surprising to me, scored next to the lowest percentage. Comfy Chics was the lowest percentile.

Complete results in percentiles are as follows:

• I'll never give it up. This trend has opened a treasure trove of potential decorative possibilities for me -and on a budget I can afford. Call me Forever Chic.(51%)

• This trend nurtures my feminine soul. Definitely, Romantic Chic.(48%)

• I love using family heirlooms, old family photos, anything that I remember from my childhood. I'm a Nostalgia Chic.(48%)

• It's the thrill of finding a vintage piece of anything to be refreshed and saved, I love the hunt. At heart, I'm a Treasure CHIC-er.(64%)

• I love the pastel colors, the ambiance of tranquility I create for my own little tranquil retreat from the world. When I'm there, I'm a very Serene Chic.(51%)

• I have a little bit of shabby, a little bit of country, and a whole lot of family. It's cozy, warm, and easy to live with and keep. I'm one Comfy Chic.(40%)

• It's the roses and florals. I have them everywhere. I'm a Garden Chic.(44%)

• I love white, glitz, and sparkle and lots of shabby architecture. I'm a Glitzy Chic.(48%)

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