I’m asking you to use a bit of your imagination for this one.

I’ve been trying to photographically capture the magic of my homemade blackboard with very little luck over the last month. I will do my best to describe it and perhaps you can envision it in your mind’s eye.

This project was done a couple years ago, but since I mentioned it the other day, I’ve been wanting to share it with you. I had originally imagined having a huge blackboard hanging in the dining room. Rather than just painting blackboard paint directly on the wall, I wanted it to be an actual hanging piece. I walked around the corner to the lumber yard (which has sadly since moved away) and requested their thickest MDF, cut down to 6′ x 4′. I chose MDF because of its super smooth surface, normally I’m not a fan. Of course, it hadn’t occurred to me just how heavy this thick piece of lumber would be. Luckily, the lumber yard fellows had more common sense than I and lent me their large dolly to shuttle my heavy load home. Luckily, one of them also followed me home to help heave it up the steps of the porch. I have a long history of lugging heavy things around town.

The huge board was painted with a few coats of black chalkboard paint and then I quickly realized that it was way too heavy to just hang on a wall. Thus, the blackboard simply leans against the wall. If you attempt this project, I highly recommend doing a smaller, more manageable size and forgoing thickness for thinness. I bought a tiny set of twinkle lights from Urban Outfitters and Andrew drilled a series of holes in the blackboard in a random constellation pattern along the top right corner. The holes were then painted in with the black paint. The lights were wired along the back of the blackboard and secured in each hole. Voila! A lovely twinkling night sky in our dining room, upon which we can write our grocery list, draw our Christmas tree and remind ourselves which movies we want to rent next. I wish you could see it in person, my photos don’t capture its charm.

I must wish dear Charlotte, ‘Bon Voyage!’, as she leaves us to go home to New Zealand today. You will be terribly missed around the workroom! Please eat a package of Tim Tams for me upon your arrival.

{NOTE : The type canvases that sit on top of the black board were done by Andrew using Letraset rub on letters. Clever Melinda figured out that they represent our intitials – Karyn, Andrew & Maisy.}

This is me at home in my sewing room aka. the dining room. There’s a huge Japanese pattern sheet spread out on the table behind me. In the background you’ll see a huge blackboard leaning on the wall. I’ll post some photos of it soon, it has a ‘special feature’ that I’m quite proud of. Above the dining room table is a cherry wood veneer lampshade that I made. It’s lined with a beautiful pink & gold paper from The Paper Place.

Dear friends, have I told you recently how much I like you? I love that you visit me and see the things I’m doing. It’s fun to tell you about the things I’m learning, the mistakes I’m making and the ideas I have. Today I’m in the mood to hear from you and I’m ready to tempt you to speak up. I’d like to give away one of the lovely snap coin purses I made over the holidays to a lucky commenter to this post. All you need to do is leave a comment telling me one important thing that you learned last year that has really stuck with you. It could be something little, something crafty, something funny or something scientific!

This contest will be short, it’s really for the people who are here everyday (so flattering) – you have until midnight tonight – Friday January 9th. I’ll draw a number over the weekend and announce the winner on Monday!

One important crafty thing that I learned this year was that Japanese craft books don’t include seam allowance! I will never ever forget that.

Happy Friday, everybody!