Category: DIY

Success with stain — finally!

Posted on June 24, 2019 by

2 Comments

After years of putting a Band-Aid over the problem — slapping on more of the paint-like “stain” to hide the chipped areas — it does feel satisfying to have finally taken the porch boards down to bare wood and done things “properly.”

Category: DIY, My Handmade Home

The (ongoing) DIY deck disaster

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

4 Comments

If, this summer, you are tempted to stain your porch or deck with a very thick non-transparent stain, don’t do it! If you’re considering painting your porch or deck, back away from the can immediately! I don’t want you to be filled with regret like we have been.

Category: DIY, My Handmade Home

The link between mental health and creativity

Posted on June 14, 2019 by

3 Comments

Once I fully understood the connection between my mental health and creativity, it changed my life.

Category: Craftiness, DIY, It's all about me, Life lessons, Mental health, Sewing, Woodworking

I’m Heather Laura Clarke. I’m journalist and blogger in beautiful Nova Scotia, I have an 9-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, I married my high school sweetheart, and this is the story of my handmade life.

I have depression and anxiety, and I fight like hell every day to keep it from taking over my life. Making things isn’t just a hobby — it’s part of what keeps me alive.

Whether I’m decorating a room, busting out my power tools to build furniture, getting muddy in the pottery studio, sewing clothes for my kids, or cross-stitching a swear word, I’m all about using my creativity to craft a life I love.

@HFXHeather on Instagram
Front porch = 😍 . . . As soon as we installed our new @schlagecanada #SchlageConnect Smart Deadbolt and handleset, I KNEW I needed to repaint the teal door. “Coral” in @fusionmineralpaint was the perfect shade to make the aged bronze deadbolt and handleset pop. . . . Today’s post is all about how we redid the porch itself, stripping down years of thick chipping solid stain (more like paint) to start fresh with this sheer one. . . . #linkinbio #frontporch #DIY #homedecor #fusionmineralpaint #porch Ahh, glossy black paint + a brand-new brush 🥰 . . . #DIY #sneakpeek #fusionmineralpaint #woodworking #DIYlife #bloglife Fun fact about me: I always try to keep a stash of fresh 1x2s, 2x2s, 1x3s, and 1x4s in my studio. There’s always a ton of OTHER wood, of course, but nothing sparks my creativity like seeing a couple of fresh new boards and deciding to turn them into something new. . . . #DIY #woodworking #girlswhobuild #sneakpeek We’ve been in deck HELL lately, and today’s post is all about (A) what went wrong, (B) what we’re doing about it, (C) what you can do to prevent our horrific deck/porch reality to becoming your own problem. 😭😭😭 . . . #linkinbio #DIY #porch #stain #theworst #DIYdisaster This was my bedroom when I was 13. I was obsessed with New York City so my mom let me paint murals of the skyline, Central Park, Long Island etc. and it was awesome. . (Swipe for all pics) . This room is super cheerful and happy, but what went on inside it sometimes was anything but. I was hit hard with the first waves of depression and anxiety, even though I didn’t understand it at the time. . When this room was finished, things got bad. I didn’t yet understand the connection between creating + my mental health. More on this over on the blog. . (HeathersHandmadeLife.com) . #linkinbio #mentalhealth #mentalillness #depression #anxiety #creativity #13yearsold I guess there was a big sale on pale blue fabric! 😂 . . . #sewing #handmade #throwback
@HFXHeather on Twitter
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© Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life, 2009-2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.