Back to School 3x4 Lunch Notes

It's that time of year again! Back to School is in full swing in our house right now. It has been a blur of activity the past two weeks as we adjust to our new non-relaxing, non-flip flop wearing, missing summer schedules. :) It has been a bittersweet return to the hustle & bustle of school. My youngest entered Kindergarten this year, so I am missing my little constant companion. But, let's be real....I know I can find things to fill my "alone time" pretty quick. 

One of the things I love to do during the school year is sneak little notes into my kids lunches. I don't add a note everyday, but when I do I know they love the reminder that I am thinking of them. 

So last week, during my "alone time" I started making a bunch of cards with some school themed me & my BIG ideas paper and goodies. Here are a few that will make their way into a lunchbox soon!

The base of each card is a folded piece of white card stock. I like to make the finished card to measure 3x4 so it can slip right into my page protector in my Project Life album. 

The construction of each card is very simple. I don't want the card making to become too time consuming. All the fun products makes it super fun. All I do is jot a sweet note inside & pop it in their lunch. I think my son will love seeing this one!

My daughter, who has officially become a "big kid" in fourth grade (where did that time go!?) loves getting a little message from Mom too. Man oh man, do I ever have to savor these elementary school years! Don't you feel the same way? I know pretty soon I will be sticking notes in her purse as she drives off to college. Yikes!

Also, I LOVE just using a 3x4 journal card like this one above that has a great message on it. I can just turn it over, write my message, and pop it in. Either way is special. Either way let's my kiddies know that I am thinking of them. Either way - they both know they are special. That makes this Mommy very happy!!

You can check out all these fun products in the mambi shop right HERE.

Happy Creating,

Art Journaling with Stickers - mambi Monday

I always LOVE adding words to my art journal pages. I don't always add words or quotes, but more often than not I feel the pages are not complete until they have words. One fun and easy way to do that is to use stickers. Now, I don't know about you - but I have a ton of stickers. It also doesn't help that my favorite place is the scrapbook aisles at Michaels.

Today I wanted to share some of the different ways I have used stickers in my journal. Since today is Monday, I thought I would use some fab mambi stickers. :)

On this page I created a background using acrylic paint and doodled with some pens (Pentel & Gelly Roll). I loved using my new favorite paint colors - Navy Blue & Gold. The Follow Your Heart is a clear sticker from me & my BIG ideas. These stickers come in black & gold too!! 

I can't wait to use more of these on my pages. I would suggest using some gel medium or Mod Podge under & over the stickers. Although they really stick well, this will help them stay put for the long run.

I have been wanting to use these super large letter stickers in my journal for a long time. I love their size! Of course they come in all sorts of fonts and patterns, but the ones I used today were plain white. Perfect! I could make them any color I like. First I painted them with two shades of blue. Once that was dry I painted some gold over top. To add a bit of depth, I went around th edge of each letter with my black Pentel pen and a light brown Faber Castell Artist PITT pen.

I think these letters would be perfect for a home decor sign or some subway art, don't you? Hmmm, maybe I need to add another project to my list. :)

Finally, I added this really cool Choose to be Joyful sticker to this sweet girl. I cut the sticker apart because I didn't like the way it looked on the page as one piece. Don't be afraid to whip those scissors out and snip away. 

 

Once the sticker was Mod Podged down and dried, I used my favorite black pen again to add some interest around the edge. I don't want the page to look like a completed page with a sticker slapped on top. I want the sticker to blend into the background. Using pen or more acrylic paint always helps!

There it is! Three pages, using three different kinds of stickers  - and making me super happy. :)

You can find the stickers I used right HERE. 

Happy Creating,

The Journey of the Mixed Media Mini

Yes! The journey of the mini book. I call it a journey because it has taken me a bazillion years to get it put together. (well, maybe not quite that much...but you get the picture) I initially painted these cute girls like a mad woman on a mission. One page right after the other. I was inspired. Then they just sat...and sat...and sat. Does that ever happen to you? I mean, I guess I know inspiration can hit like a tornado and create intense focus. BUT, I didn't want to loose steam on my little whimsy girl book!

SO, today I wanted to share some of the pages. Each page is made from some recycled food boxes like cereal or crackers. I busted out a ton of backgrounds, having a blast playing with different mediums. Then I would sketch and work on the girl. Finally I added a quote, scripture, or words. 

When I started the book, it had been awhile since I had my hands messy with paint. It felt SOOOOOOO good to sling some paint again. :) Seriously... my art table is my Happy Place. 

Grace Girl
I love her pink hair. I love the words too. Don't you? True love never really works without giving other people grace. It's hard for sure. Sometimes they don't deserve it. Sometimes I really have to dig deep in order to give someone else grace. AND...they have to do the same for me. Thank goodness I have such amazing friends and family. :)

Truth Girl
Hmmm, more pink hair. Maybe it's the secret desire that I want cotton candy pink hair? I don't know. It always shows up on my girls. Hmmm, maybe a pink wig for Halloween. 

Believe Girl
This sweetie is a bit different than the others. I just went with it. I was feeling something quirky. The great thing about doing a book like this - all faces - I really got a chance to play, try things, and enjoy my creative time. 

Dream Girl
Her dreams were BIG. Oh, yes! Don't you love that? I am no stranger to massive self doubt. SO the thought of BIG, monstrous, scary dreams makes my stomach quiver. In a good way though. You know the "loose sleep because I am so excited" kinda way...Or the "shout from the mountain tops" kinda way...the scary good way. :)

Loved Girl
She is my favorite. I love the way she turned out. She gets simple words. But, words that are so important. I have to remind myself all the time. That despite my faults & numerous imperfections - I am enough & I am loved. 

And, so are you...
Enjoy your weekend Lovelies!

Happy Creating,