Featured artist: Rachana Saurab

Today I want to introduce to you Rachana Saurabh, bloggy friend and an artist. Rachana means "Creation" and I think the name is so befitting!

Her blog is called Creations theEssence of Arts, a place where she shares her beautiful art with everyone. She is from a small town in India called Anand in Gujrat but now lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her Husband.

Here is a small sample of Rachana's art.

This painting is called Maa Prithvi - 'Maa' means mother and 'Prithvi' means Earth. What a beautiful depiction of mother nature. 

Here is a picture of Radha and Krishna and one of my favorites!

This is a picture of a woman playing Holi, the Indian festival of colors.


Good news for everybody! You can now buy these colorful paintings from her Etsy store which is called CreationsArt. CreationsArt was recently featured on the front page of Etsy.

I am sure you will enjoy her art as much as I do!

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Beautiful DIY headboards

I love searching for creative home decor ideas and every time I see something unique I bookmark it! Here are some of the headboards that I came across while surfing the word wide web.

This one is made from tin that I guess is used for roofing cut in a beautiful silhouette. Such a statement piece.

This one is made Styrofoam balls cut into half and stuck on the wall with some tape. Miki used the Braille script to write a secret message on the headboard!

Use  book covers to create a headboard! I would never have thougth of that! You can learn how to make this headboard here.

Create a headboard with moulding! simple moulding and a beautiful mirror can add a lot of impact !

Do checkout the sharpie headboard too!

Join me for more amazing home decor ideas on GFC/Facebook/Twitter!

Photo Credits: YHL, Curbly, Instructables, Google images

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Winner of the personalized Beach bag giveaway from Maurice Monograms

I am sorry about the delay in announcing the winner. My computer was down for the last 2 days. I am so glad that reinstalling the OS has resolved the problem!

The winner is..... Tamiv. Congratulations!

Winning comment: " I followed Maurice Monograms on Facebook(Tami Vollenweider0 & I like the Pink Bag!
geauxtami@yahoo.com"

Note: Winner was selected using Random.org

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The best 4th of July party printables all in one place

The 4th of July is approaching soon! I wanted to share a few free 4th of July party decor printables with you! All you need is cardstock and a printer to make your party fabulous! Could it get easier than that?

You can download this 5x7 printable from Laura Winslow photography.

Lets start with the invite. I love this invite from the sweetest occasion. Perfect for your barbecue party. The set also includes straw flags and buffet labels.

Get everything you need for your party with this printable from Tweedle Dee Designs. This 8 piece collection includes an invite, cake toppers, start spangled banner, stars and stripes straw flags, party labels, mini notecards, bag toppers and bottle tables. All this for free!

 Look at these fun printables from Skip to my Lou. It includes a tags for the straws and thistle and the bag to hold your favors or a cookie. They have detailed instruction on where you can get the bags and how to print on them. Love this design!

Learn how to make these napkin rings at merriment Designs. Think these would pair perfectly with the printables from skip to my Lou.

Love these cake toppers from The long thread. Instructions are also included along with printable!

Thanks to all the creative ladies in blogosphere for sharing these lovely printables with us!

Do check out the idea gallery and join me on GFC/Facebook/Twitter for more decor ideas!

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Butterflies on my wall

 This is snapshot of a wall in my daughter's bathroom. I wanted something that was fun and colorful. What would be better than these lovely 3D butterflies?

Here is a closeup of the butterflies. I got these beautiful butterflies from an Etsy store called Bugsloft. Each butterfly is made from recycled cardstock paper and has beautiful hand cut detail. The butterflies are really easy to stick and can be repositioned easily. I was a little worried about how they would work with moisture but they seem to be doing perfectly fine.

This is another view of the bathroom. I did not want anything else in this room to take away from the butterflies so I went with a simple white waffle curtain from Target and white hand towels with a green trim.

 Some are even perched on the mirror on the opposite side.  The artist who makes these butterflies told me these exact words "I want these butterflies to bring you joy every time you see them" and I want to tell her that yes, they do! My daughter loves them!

Do join me on GFC/facebook/Twiiter for more home decor ideas!

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The versatile Lucite table

 I have started working on our living room and one of the things that we got was this Lucite table from CB2.

I think the Lucite table is a very versatile piece. A lot of people think of a a modern metropolitan space when they think of the Lucite table but it actually blends with any style. Whether you have contemporary taste or prefer a more modern look, it works great in any room. A perfect solution for small spaces! I think pictures speak more than words, so let's have a look.

Modern minimalist.

An example of pairing the Lucite table with an Edwardian sofa.

Works great if you have more contemporary taste. I love the zebra rug. Maybe that is what I am going to look for next.

Do you have a Lucite table in your house? I would like to see the pictures!

Do check out the idea gallery and join me on GFC/facebook/Twitter for more ideas.

Photo Credits: Decorpad, CB2



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Giveaway: Personalized Beach bag and hat set ( available in 3 colors) from Maurice Monograms

I am so happy to introduce to you today's giveaway sponsor.  Janeen has an Etsy shop where she sells all kinds of monogrammed goodies! Maurice Monograms offers personalized items with a wide array of designs, styles & customized work.

 If you are looking for a gift for some one special this is the place for you! A monogram makes a gift all the more special! They have everything from Diaper bags, lunchboxes, totes and beach towels.

Today she is sponsoring a personalized Beach bag and hat set great for a day at the beach or a walk through the park!

I love the stripes and the fun colors that this bag comes in. Great for carrying sunscreen, towels, swimsuits and other things, when you have to take the kids to the pool or for carrying a snack for a picnic in the park. The bag can be personalized with the recipients name. The Bag is 12x15x5, has a zipper closure and can be wiped clean. Available in three color combinations. Orange, Blue, or Pink.

This is how you can get the bag.

Buy it at Maurice monograms. The set retails for $19.00.

Win it:
Mandatory entry
1. Follow Maurice Monograms on facebook and tell me which color bag you would like to receive if you win. Here is the link to their facebook page.
 www.facebook.com/pages/Maurice-monograms/131235086903248
Optional additional entries
2. Follow Maurice Monograms on Twitter. twitter.com/#!/MMonograms
3. Follow House on Ashwell lane on GFC/Facebook/Twitter. Leave a separate comment for each follow.
4. Share this giveaway on your facebook page.
5. Tweet about this giveaway. You can do it once a day.

Leave a separate comment for each entry.

Blogger issues: Blogger does not allow you to leave a comment when you select"Google account" in the 'comment as' combo box.
Work around this problem. Select the option Name/url or annonymous in the combo box comment as when you comment. Do not forget to leave your email id in your comment.

Note: The hat fits kids age 8-16 or even a petite adult head.

Giveaway ends on the 06/17. The giveaway has been extended due to issues with blogger comments.

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Sharpie home decor

The sharpie works on every surface. Metal, wood, fabric, canvas and walls. We saw how some creative people have used the sharpie to adorn their walls.  Let's see what else you can achieve using this tiny little marker.

Photo Credits: DustySusan Flickr stream

Here is what she said " This dresser has some of my fabric stash in there. My son had written on my dresser with a black sharpie pen. Instead of getting mad, I said to myself, "why not join him?". This dresser sits in my sewing/craft room."

Talk about going bold! I bet she gets asked all the time how she did it!

Photo Credits: Sharpie blog

Isn't this table a work of art! It reminds me of a tattoo or a henna design. All this was done with a black sharpie.

Photo Credits: Google images

I am in love with these floors! Who needs area rugs if you can paint the floors like this? The artist is Heike Weber.

Photo Credits: Lindy Cottage Hill

 See how Lindy made this pillow using a sharpie. Such a brilliant idea!

Photo Credits: Pininterest

Paint a shower curtain using your sharpie!  You can recreate these designs using your DIY shower curtain kit found here.

Photo Credits: Google Images

How about using a sharpie to create a headboard!

Photo Credits: Sharpie blog

You can create beautiful plates for display only. This wall of plates has been created by the artist Jeffery Fulvimari.

 

 Photo Credits: Flickr

Use a Sharpie to transform a pain chair from target. Make it your own.

Do you know the sharpie can also be used to touch u scratches on your furniture.

Next time you see a sharpie maybe you will be inspired to use it for more than doodling and writing notes!  hope you enjoyed this post. Do not forget to join me on GFC/Facebook/Twitter.

Do check out the beach bag and hat set giveaway from Maurice Monograms.

http://houseonashwelllane.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway-personalized-beach-bag-and-hat.html

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Quite Unique - Daily deal site for Etsy shops

If you love Etsy, here is some good news for you. Quite unique is a daily deal site, that features great deals on unique products and handmade items. Sign up now!

You might want to check out Heartsy too!

Enjoy shopping for Handmade items!

Do check out the beach bag and hat set giveaway I am hosting (Etsy).

http://houseonashwelllane.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway-personalized-beach-bag-and-hat.html

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Featured: on Apartment Theory's Ohdeedoh

The pegboard organizer I made for Trisha's room was featured on Ohdeedoh. Ohdeedoh is Apartment Theopry's kids design blog!

Couldn't be happier!

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Sharpie wallpaper

Have you ever scolded a toddler for scribbling on the walls? I am guilty of that! After you read this post, you might be inspired to do so yourself.

Sharpie is great for drawing on paper but it works great on your walls too! don't believe me? Look at these creative wall treatments. Mimic the look of expensive wall paper with a sharpie!

Photo Credits: Rethink Design

Trace a trellis using a stencil or draw feehand as done in the pictures below.

Photo Credits:

Photo Credits: Currbly.com

This is inspired by  Frekvenssi wallpaper for Marimekko

Photo credits: Ohdeedoh

This design was inspired by Schumachers Birds and butterflies wallpaper.

Photo Credits: Charolettemann.co.uk

Isn't this a fun design? A great idea for a statement wall. The artist is charlotte Mann. A wall, a sharpie and lots of skill and imagination is required to create this wall.

The best thing is that Sharpie's come in a wide range of colors and unlike traditional wallpaper is easy to paint over!

So get your creative hat on, and start drawing on your walls!

Want more great ways to use your sharpie, join me on GFC/Facebook/Twitter.  Do check out the idea gallery!

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