Sunday, May 09, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

  Beautiful flowers 
from one of my sons!

 A delicious breakfast I was so looking foward 
to since I'm on Weight Watchers,  I tend to eat 
pretty much the same breakfast every morning...
Kashi cereal and fruit. 


MENU
Low Fat whole grain waffles
Veggie Sausages
Fresh Blueberries
Fat Free Cool Whip
Coffee

Did I mention how 
delectable it was, yumm!!

Click HERE to read past Mother's Day Posts


Artistic Inspirations to help you create!
 

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Blog Giveaway!

 

 I'm offering the above
mini sketchbook as a blog giveaway.
Here are all  3 WAYS you can enter:

1. Post a link back to this blog giveaway 
on your blog and leave your LINK 
including your NAME and EMAIL. 
2. If you haven't already-Become a 
 fan of this blog by clicking  
<---- over in the sidebar. 

3.  Post on Facebook this 
blog giveaway with the link.

*Remember if you don't leave your 
EMAIL I cannot contact you if 
you've won.  A name will be drawn 
on Sunday, May 23rd Oops meant 
Sunday May 30th, 2010.


Artistic Inspirations to help you create! 

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

How does your garden grow...

 


I'm really not the gardener in our 
family but I thought I'd share pictures 
of this years garden of course giving 
credit to my husband and son.  I will 
though take credit for cooking up 
the bounty they bring in :-)

 Above is a pic of some of our bamboo 
growing...and growing it does!
Artistic Inspirations to help you create!

 

Day 120 Erosion Bundle Project

  I previously posted about the Erosion Bundle Project    
started by Kris Henderson back in November and 
most recently in April when I took down two 
of my bundles and opened them.

   The above package I didn't hang up until 
January 4th, 2010 so I decided to leave 
it up longer.

In April when I took down my other bundles 
(You can click HERE to view them) I was a little 
disappointed that not a lot of erosion happened 
because they were too well wrapped.  The above 
bundle is definitely deteriorating much better 
being open to the elements like it is.

Here is the backside of the bundle and you can 
definitely see the copper against the metal 
mesh is causing some definite deterioration!

Artistic Inspirations to help you create! 

Sunday, May 02, 2010

More Mini Sketchbooks

 
 Here's a couple more mini 
sketchbooks I finished.  If 
you'd like to see my previous 
ones click HERE

Artistic Inspirations to help you create! 

Crafty Blogger Blurbs

 


Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make beaded gift wrap from the lovely book The Art of Gift Wrapping by Wanda Wen.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Looking for some Mother's Day crafting ideas? Tammy suggests making a resin pendant.
 
About Family Crafts
Find out how to make a May Day cone basket to hang on a neighbor's door and several other related crafts.

The Artful Crafter
How to make your own puzzles.
 
Mixed Media Artist
Design a small mixed media quilted collage around your favorite poem or lyrics!

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Madge shares a how to for teens in this quick and easy jewelry project for ILoveToCreate
 
 Cross Stitch at About.com
About.com Cross Stitch Forum members had a go at the free Day Complete Band sampler and now you can see their results and get the free pattern yourself. Not only does it have a stitching theme, you will also get a chance to learn lots of new stitches.

 Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside's got a tutorial on how to crochet a picot cast-on, turn a catalog into a journal from the new book Creative Wildfire from L. K. Ludwig, a free pop up bird card template, a cool free bird image and fun pictures from Unique LA with a "celebrity" sighting!


Artistic Inspirations to help you create!
 

Friday, April 30, 2010

Enchanted Adornments Book Review

 
 Now days when it comes to book and magazine buying I'm much more selective on what I actually buy.  Gone are the days where I had to have any new book that came out. More often then not I will look through the book or magazine at the bookstore and feel inspired but not usually enough to purchase the book.   Not because they are bad books just because I've gotten much more selective on my book buying.  It has to have more then one project I feel compelled to make or have several techniques that I really want to learn.  So when I picked up Cynthia Thorton's Enchanted Adornments book I was  very drawn to it but reluctantly put the book back.  When after the third time of going to the bookstore and feeling myself drawn to her book again I decided I HAD to get it!

Enchanted Adornments is a wonderful addition to your book collection if you're a mixed-media jewelry artist looking for something uniquely different.   It offers polymer clay, precious metal clay, and resin jewelry projects.   Is it for a beginner?...no I would say not.  If you haven't already worked with these mediums or at least a couple of them I would recommend getting some more experience under your belt (unless your one of those people that can pick up on things quickly).  It is also not a step by step manual but more an inspirational magical whimsical book of ideas!  Cynthia combines her love of storytelling with her love of creating enchanted jewelry beautifully! I've found it to be very inspiring for me.




Artistic Inspirations to help you create!
 

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Freebie Spinach Recipe Card


Yum! Fresh spinach picked from our garden this afternoon!
Below is a great recipe you could fix for Mother's Day 
& combine it with my Strawberry Spring cake!

Don't plan on cooking? Instead download my recipe cards 
I've created here and find other places online that offer them.   
Print them on heavy cardstock then you can put together 
recipes for someone special in your life to gift to them.


 Double click the recipe card above, 
download to your computer and print.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Mini Sketchbooks

  Mini Sketchbooks
Here's a great Mother's day idea! Create a one of a kind 
sketch/notebook for the mothers in your life. 


The mini sketch/notebook I created by embellishing 
pre bound sketchbooks that are 3x5- 50lb weight paper 
with 100 micro perforated sheets.  They're the perfect size 
to carry in your purse. I always carry my favorite 
drawing pencil and fine black pen in my purse but 
I never have paper (I've been known to draw on
napkins or whatever scrap paper 
I find in my purse LOL).  I'm excited to 
have my own snazzy mini sketchbook now :-)
3 of the books I used background paper I created 
using my Electric Neon Color Mists
black gesso and or black spray webbing. 


Artistic Inspirations to help you create!
 

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Crafty Blogger Blurbs



Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make recycled sweater tags inspired buy the one in: Hand-Me-Ups By Lorine Mason

The Artful Crafter
This week Eileen is offering some free striking vintage photos from the 30s and a chance to win the eBook “Altered Ancestors: 50 Techniques for Using Vintage Photos in Art”.

The Crochet Dude
Drew's crochet purse designs are super cute, and now he's got a crocheted Purse Pattern of the Month program? You've gotta check it out!!!

Mixed Media Artist
When dumpster diving fails you, here are some great online sources for cool stuff!

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
A hot topic Facebook thread leads to a post about valuing your work. Madge ponders the problems of discounts and freebies.

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Linda's finally going to intentionally make a quilt for herself! She's picked the pattern and is using fabrics she collected years ago.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Connie made an oops with a stitching project when she laundered an item that wasn't colorfast. Have you ever had an oops like that? Vote in the poll and let us know.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy has added another charm discovery to her sterling silver charms and pendants sale page, 2 gorgeous mermaids.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a sneak peek into the new book Mixed-Media Dollhouses, how to draw a Zombie Voodoo Doll, make 2 types of paper flowers from recycled book pages, and how to use white glue and tape as resists in fabric altering.

About Family Crafts
If you are looking for a special, home-made gift for Mother's Day, check out Sherri's collection of 100 gifts to make for mom.


Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Mother's Day Banner Project


Mother's Day Banner
momban
Make it a banner day for mom by making this
funtastic paper banner for her!

Canvasette  Background Technique
This is a very simple yet versatile background technique that can be used for creating backgrounds for cards, scrapbook pages, ATCs, Pages, and Journaling pages.  First let me explain for those of you who might not be familiar with canvas or canvasette paper (Paper Canvas is a heavy paper with the surface texture of canvas its very durable and has the feel of canvas and wet strength to it).

Supplies Used
Canvasette Paper
Acrylic paint (a great way to use up your craft paints)
1-2" Brush
Foam Roller or Foam Stamps (your preference)
Old Toothbrush
Newspaper (to cover your work area)
PYMII

step1
Step 1.  Dry brush your main base color leaving white areas.  Allow to dry part way.
step2
Step 2.  Add your next color filling in some of the white areas you left previously. Again allow to dry part way.
step3
Part 3.  Add color #3 dry brushing a cross hatch pattern here and there.
step4
Part 4.  Here I've used a sponge roller that came sectioned out to add stripes...I've rolled it in different directions to help distribute more of the paint...be careful not to over mix the colors though.
step5
Step 5.  Next I stamped randomly using a foam stamp a green color.
step6
Step 6.  I stamped using  white & a flower stamp and then yellow and a triangle foam stamp.
step7
Step 7.  Using an old toothbrush and some dark pink that's been watered down flick sprinkles onto your paper...careful you don't overload the brush.
step8
Here's two finished
backgrounds.
bk
step9
Once completely dry I've cut the paper up to use for a project.  Notice how different each piece looks cut.
bkside
Here's the backside of the paper I dry brushed with the left over dark pink...once dry I then used the stripping roller to roll some bright green stripes.

Once your background is dry I spray PYM II on it to protect and keep it from fading.  I then cut into rectangles or triangle shapes to the size you want (mine is cut to a 4x6 size) embellish it and add ribbon to tie them together.  Its a great way to use up your embellishments you have from other projects.
Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Calendar Grlz April 2010

April Calendar Grlz

This month's Calendar journal theme is Garden.
magazine images, and Color Mists helped create the above page.

The above left hand page idea I borrowed from Kari over at the Backporch Artessa from a page she had created for me for a book I was gifted.

This particular calendar journal's original theme was sexy Vintage noir/pulp fiction babes..it was quite a challenge to change the image from sexpot to the respectable lady she is here LOL
I find that gouache watercolor paints work great for this type of cover up...they're opaque and yet if I make a mistake I can easily fix it.

Napkin background adhered over journaling.

All pages my are always sealed with  PYM II
it's such an awesome product!!

 Click HERE to view my past 
art journal spreads.



Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!