Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Obsessed with the Little Ones

7 comments
Are you thinking that I am talking about my little ones?
I am totally obsessed with these two darling faces...


But, I am really talking about these little heart breakers.


Many of my lovely bloggy friends said that mini canvases had chocolate...
or let's say a crack-like effect.


It's true. Maybe it's their itty bitty cuteness or the ease of finishing them due to the size. All I know is that I am smitten. :) I am putting each one in my shop in hopes of spreading love and raising money for Love146. (I am writing more about that tomorrow.)



Other things on my obsession (To Do) list...
  • Journal pages - working on finishing my current art journal so I can dive into the Visual Journal my hubby got me for Christmas. Any one have this journal? Thoughts?
  • Catching up in Life Book - I know, a month in & I am "behind." (No worries - I have a year to catch up!)
  • Working on some larger pieces for family
  • More blog sprucing and shop cleaning
  • Birthday party planning (Both kiddies have birthdays coming!)
  • Photo editing & organizing - What an undertaking!
  • My son's Potty Training. Need I say more? Pray for patience! ;)
Journal page in the works
 What are your latest obsessions??

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Love is in the Air

7 comments
I love Valentine's Day.
I think it is super fun to celebrate love.
Of course, I celebrate the loves in my life all year long.
But, it sure is fun to focus on them more intensely for a bit. :) 
So, with February right around the corner  
(come on time...slow down a bit...pretty please!)
there are many fabulous ideas floating around out there.

I thought I would share a few cutie things I found and
pinned to my board on Pinterest. 
I have to make something. I vow to make something.
I promised myself I can not just pin things &
not do anything with the ideas or inspiration.
I can not be a pinner (is that a word) & not a doer.
(That word makes me laugh. In high school my BFFs & I used "pinner" for skinniness. LOL. 
For example, "Like, OMG that outfit makes you look so pinner." 
You know, little like a pin and I went to school in the late 80s - everything started with "like.")

Let the heart fest begin....





 






Source: parents.com via Jen on Pinterest







Do you like to craft or decorate for Valentine's Day??
Let me know if you are a Pinner too, so I can add you to my list 
and feed my addiction! :)

XO,

Friday, January 20, 2012

One Little Word 2012

39 comments

I have thought long and hard about my word for 2012.
(Last year's word - Joy)
Initially, I didn't plan to choose one.
No real reason - just wasn't going to pick one.

Then I started writing down my goals for the year and 
reading all your brilliant posts about your words.
Me = Inspired.

So I wrote a list of words.



 Narrowed it down to Simplify, Cherish, and Savor.


 I finally choose CHERISH.
verb
1.to hold or treat as dear; feel love for: to cherish one's native land.
2.to care for tenderly; nurture: to cherish a child.
3.to cling fondly to: to cherish a memory.


I want to treat this life God has given me dearly.
I don't want to take these moments for granted (especially with my kiddies).
I want to care for those in my life tenderly and 
focus on nurturing the gifts my children possess (mine as well). 
I want to cherish the big events, but also the small and 
everything in between.
 I think if I focus on cherishing the moments a by product will be 
a heart filled with gratitude.
That sounds pretty good to me! :)

I made this journal page the other day.
It went through a very ugly stage, a not so bad stage, and finally a 
"Hey, I like you!".
I used acrylics, Caran d'Ache crayons, PITT pens, Sharpies, Derwent Inktense pencils, 
lots of scribbling and lots of finger painting. :) Inspired by Traci Bautista!

I have to say...without that ugly duckling stage - the end result wouldn't be so sweet.  
I hope you have a beautiful weekend & I am wondering what are you 
cherishing these days? 



(Joining up today with Paint Party Friday & Studio Sneak Peek

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Little 4X4 Canvases

33 comments
4x4 Canvas - just getting started

I saw some of these little cuties at Michaels and just couldn't pass them up.
How adorable, right?
Little 4X4 canvases... too cute.


I brought them home thinking they would be super fun additions to my shop.
Small originals that wouldn't take too long to complete and reasonably priced.


I started thinking about Valentine's Day and February too.
So much LOVE in February.
Not just Valentine's Day, but my anniversary the day before, 
my son's birthday, and 
my mother in law's too - 
lots of celebrating.

I started to think that making a series of love inspired mini canvases 
would be a perfect theme.
The attributes of love....perfect!

I started with 1 Corinthians 13 for inspiration.


Love is a beautiful thing.
Real love...unselfish love...the way it was designed.

I am having a great time getting started on my wee little pieces of art.
I will list them in my shop soon!


I am joining all the creativity at Paint Party Friday and Studio Sneak Peek!
Have a loved filled weekend. :)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A Little Jewelry "How To"

4 comments
For Christmas this year I had it in my head that I wanted to 
make the ladies in my family necklaces.
I really wanted to make something handmade & girlie.
When I get something in my head...I get kinda obsessed. :)


My first obsession - hand stamped jewelry.
LOVE it.
But, I wanted to make it myself - and thought 
getting all the supplies I needed 
would exceed my Christmas budget soooo...

My second obsession - pendant jewelry with 
Dimensional Magic (or Diamond Glaze).
They are so fun and easy to make, every girl I know may get one. 
(Friends reading - be prepared!)
Here is a very basic, quick tutorial on how to make your own!!

You will need a pendant of your choice. I bought mine at Hobby Lobby. I know they have them at Michaels, Joann's, and on Etsy. (I wait until the jewelry is 40% off so I can stock up. The cashier at my local Hobby Lobby said that their sales are on a cycle that run every other week. Good to know!) 
Also, you will need a ball chain, scrapbook paper, pencil, 
scissors or punch, Dimensional Magic
a pin (for poking nasty little bubbles!), embellishments, and words of your choice 
(I use my stash of old books or print a bunch out from my computer).

Regular Mod Podge & punch not shown
  Here we go - SUPER easy...

1) After you have chosen your fab paper, use a scrapbook punch or 
template to cut your paper to the size of the pendant. 
The bezels from Hobby Lobby (from the company Findings) have a template right on the back. 
I actually used clear plastic (like acetate) from some packaging 
to trace over the shape so when I cut my 
paper I could see my the design clearly. 
For this necklace a 1" punch worked perfectly!



2) Use all your different goodies, words, and embellishments 
to figure out how you want your pendant to look.

 
3) When you have a design ready to go, use Mod Podge 
to secure the paper to your pendant.
(Make sure it is glued down well. I keep a cloth & toothpick close by so I can wipe away the excess.
I want to keep the top of the pendant clean.)


4) Continue creating your masterpiece and seal the top with 
another layer of Mod Podge. 
Set it aside to allow the Mod Podge to completely dry.


5) Once it is dry, start applying the Dimensional Magic into the pendant. DON'T shake the bottle! Those little bubbles are pretty nasty and can be really annoying. I move slow, starting on the outside, and move towards the middle. Have a pin handy in case you get a bubble. Just pop it!

Don't be alarmed by the cloudiness. It goes away once it is dry!
6) Finally, put it in a safe place and let it dry overnight.
The next day string your pendant onto a chain and 
you will have a beautiful new piece! :)

If you look - you can see the little bubbles I didn't catch. My daughter still loves it! :)

Just a little note...Dimensional Magic reacts to water. It is not waterproof. 
So, don't wear it when you go swimming or while dancing in a rainstorm!
I need to try resin next. I think that it is more durable. 
Have you used it before??

I hope you had a beautiful week!


Saturday, January 7, 2012

Journal Play with Traci Bautista

27 comments
I love taking online courses. Don't you?
This last week I started a FREE (free!) class through Strathmore 
with Traci Bautista called Doodles Unleashed.
Holy Moly, I LOVE her style, color, and teaching.

After watching the videos for week 1, I decided to give it a try 
in my journal. My sweet journal that I was trying to finish in 2011. Hmmm, didn't happen. 
So, I made a little 2012 tab and added it to my book.
Now I have some pages ready to start the new year.


Traci started by using stencils and found objects to create a background. 
Perfect! I have been grabbing little odds and ends around my house and stashing them in a drawer to use. My collection has been growing day by day as I spot things that would work great in backgrounds...some items - 

legos
kids foam stickers
play doh cookie cutters
left over game cut outs or pieces
flyswatter
buttons
ETC

Part of my stash
Here are some process pics for Traci's lesson.
I will admit that I adore her color...but, color - bold color - scares me a bit!

Laying things down before I spray (acrylic & water mixture)
This was left after punching pieces out for a Memory game.
Background before color
The scary color with my coffee. :)

This is where I stopped today. I have many layers to add.
I am excited to see where it goes. That's the fun part right!? 
A little art mystery. 

I am really looking forward to visiting all 
my bloggy friends (I haven't been able to stop by & comment the way I like to), 
Paint Party Friday, and In the Studio. It has been a couple weeks, 
so I am glad I get to join in!!

I also started Life Book (I LOVE Tam!) this week too- more on that later!!
Anyone else on this year long journey??

XO,