When you save wine corks for years you tend to create quite the collection. I’ve been collecting for so long that I’ve been able to give away the corks to fellow crafters for DIY projects and to wine bars to use as decorations. If you’re like me and tend to hold onto wine corks thinking you could use them for SOMETHING one day, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Now what the heck do I do with them?!” It’s not rocket science, but wine corks make great, simple stamps.
I’ve been working on some of my printing skills this fall thanks to a favorite new book of mine, Stamp Stencil Print by designer Anna Joyce. As I sat down with the book one night I looked over at the big vase my wine corks are housed in and knew I wanted to print with them just as they were. No carved designs, just a simple circular shape that has just enough quirky character when your favorite paint color is added to them.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it was time for my dining room table to get an autumn makeover. I picked up some harvest-colored paint colors to use on this stamping project. You can stamp plain placemats you find at the store, but it’s just as easy to make them yourself. Here’s how I made mine.
Stitch Lab’s home is a charming bungalow. What kind of work did you have to do to turn it into a sewing studio and store? Oh man. Well, I loved the charm of the house, and loved that we were moving from my own home studio into another homey vibe. I wanted people to immediately feel at ease because learning new things as adults can sometime make you feel insecure and wonky. The space definitely had been “rode hard and put up wet”. I grew up with parents who loved antiquing and refinishing rough pieces to former glory. I grew up with that appreciation of old wood and craftsmanship. Now, when I think back to tackling the Lab building, I was a little nuts about it—I re-painted every room’s walls, doors, windows, baseboards, ceilings, and cleaned up all the wood trim. I even stripped paint from the built-in cabinets, which was crazy hard work, but I couldn’t stand that they had been painted. It all went down very quickly, and I think touching and getting to know each room helped me hone in on each room’s possibilities, make them bright and fresh, and infuse some creative juju all up in there.
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Nothing beats the natural beauty of hardwood floors. Mother Nature is the best artist. Aesthetically, hardwood floors are more luxurious and provide an upscale and rich look. There is natural color and graining variation and the flaws and knots provide character. 
Hardwood flooring is an 
Carpet generally lasts 7-10 years whereas solid hardwood typically lasts 100+ years (and yes, we have refinished many floors from the 1800s and several from the 1700s). While hardwood will cost more initially, it will definitely cost you less in the long run as it doesn’t need to be replaced like carpet does. Generally, by the time you’ve replaced the carpet, you will spend the same amount as hardwood and that doesn’t even factor in the annual cost of carpet cleaning nor rising prices on carpet (especially as oil prices continue to increase).
There is no doubt about it, hardwood improves the value of your home. You should recoup your investment and then some. As more people strongly prefer hardwood (especially younger and wealthier buyers), it should both improve your selling price as well as shorten time on market.
Yes, hardwood is better for those with allergies or asthma as it hold less dust and allergens. Carpet can hold odors (e.g. pet smells, smoking, mildew) and germs. Those looking for better indoor air quality generally seek out hardwood floors (or other hard surfaces.
Maintaining carpet usually entails annual carpet cleaning and of course, ultimately replacing the carpet (which costs more money).
Hardwood flooring is more environmentally friendly vs carpet as it lasts for 100+ years. Most carpet (wool and sisal being key exceptions) is petroleum based and most can not be recycled. So, hardwood is the more environmentally friendly choice between the two.
While most people prefer hardwood over carpet, there are many who do enjoy the benefits of carpet, especially for the bedrooms. While 90% of buyers prefer hardwood for the living room/dining room/family room areas, the jury is more split on the bedrooms, generally with 60% preferring hardwood and 40% carpet.
Many choose carpeting out of budget constraints. While they may prefer hardwood, their budget favors carpet. Carpet is generally less expensive than hardwood…at least initially. In the long run, as carpet needs to be replaced more often, it will end up costing more to buy carpet, but if you are looking at short-term costs (e.g. either because you only plan to live in the house a short time or that is all that you can afford now), then carpet may be a sensible option.
For those that prefer softness, carpet provides a wonderful option. This can be cushy on your feet for bedrooms, or a great option for kids that may play or crawl on the floor. Of course dogs and cats love to cuddle up and rest on the carpet, too.
The majority of homeowners prefer hardwood over carpet, especially for the main living areas. In my experience, here in Westchester/NYC Metro area, customers seem to be a bit split on their preference on hardwood vs carpet for the bedrooms (arounds 60% prefer hardwood; 40% carpet…as it gets colder here in the winter.
