Art Journal Friday

Went all week with hardly anything to show in my art journal.  Week two would be way to early to flake on this commitment, so I grabbed some watercolor paints and dusted off the chalks to create a couple of pages:

First, I need to say that I can not draw for beans (ok, maybe I didn't really need to say that, you can see for yourself).  It makes me sad to think that as child I really didn't care for art class.  There was a lot of drawing involved, and drawing frustrated me.  My eyes played tricks on me and my hand wouldn't listen.  I could never get my drawings to match what I saw in my head.  I gave up on "art."  As an adult, I still can't draw, but I have learned to embrace my non-drawing-self.  And every so often I'll put pen to paper and attempt a little drawing.  I've learned to be OK with whatever the outcome is.  Maybe someday I'll take a drawing class...

 
Tried out some new Smooch Spritz earlier this week.  Did some drips and some ink blowing, splatted a bit of metallic and pearl alcohol inks.  Really just throwing some mess down.  Just a little experiment.  Got me thinking about these mediums a bit, and got me inspired to try out some other ideas I have.  Sometimes you just need to play with no real concern for the outcome--that's the beauty of an art journal.

Happy Friday!  Hope you will take some time to play with your creative side this weekend!

Valentines for Kids

Every year, the boys and I make handmade Valentine's for them to hand out to their classmates.  And every year, they're a little bit older and can help a whole lot more with the production of said Valentines.  I will be sad when they become too old for this tradition.

I got the idea for this year's treat in an email from Northbridge Media.  Roree Rumph made these adorable Valentines:

I just loved them to bits! 

Nothing says LOVE like a handmade Valentine, and nothing says "handmade Valentine" like glue, scissors, paper hearts and doilies!  So we improvised and used some doily paper hearts from the grocery store to make pop holders in the same design as Roree's.

If you can spare a few minutes before Monday, it's not too late to whip up some homemade Valentines of your own.  Here's what you'll need

 All it takes is 5 easy steps:

1. Glue the doily to some cardstock for added stability.  The cardstock also provides a place for the giver to sign his/her name (or write "secret admirer!").  Trim around edges.
2. Glue patterned paper heart to center of doily.  (I made a quick template by tracing the inside of the doily and cutting it out of cardstock.
3. Adhere punched hearts (or you could substitute stickers).
4. Punch holes to thread ribbon through.
5. Tie knot around pop stick and adhere Valentine greeting.

Happy Love Day!! XOXOXO

Girlie Birthday Invites: Cupcakes!

I love when I get to go all out girlie, especially when it's for a little one's first birthday party.  I finished these up for a client a few days ago and want to share them here.  If I ever open an etsy shop, these custom invitations will be my first listing!

The top of the frosting lifts up to reveal the party details.

 Some stitching, a ribbon bow, and "piped icing" complete the look.

These cuties measure 4 1/2" by 5 3/4" and fit in a standard card envelope.

Another Crochet Ear Warmer

Took a little break from paper this weekend to organize my yarn stash a bit.  I realized that my small collection of yarn had spread into two bags, three baskets, and a closet.  Time to reign it back in!  And of course, the mere act of touching the yarn and I had to dust off the crochet hooks and put together a little headband ear warmer:

I came up with a pattern for this one.  It's a bit thinner than the one I made here.  I'm using the word "pattern" very loosely here.

Row 1: ch5, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each chain across (4sc)
Rows 2-3: ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across (4sc)
Row 4: inc 1 sc by sc 2 stitches in one sc from row 3 (5sc)
Rows 5-6: ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across (5sc)
Repeat this pattern, increasing by one stitch every third until your piece measures 3 1/4" wide (not long).  For my somewhat chunky weight yarn and J hook, this was at 10 sc.
Continue sc without increasing until piece measures about 15 1/2" long.
Decrease every third row by one stitch by sc two stitches together until you have three rows of 4sc.  Fasten off and weave in ends.

Flower:
ch5, join with sl st in first ch to form ring
Round 1: ch 1, 12 sc in ring join with sl st in first sc (10 sc)
Round 2: ch 1 sc in first st *ch3, skip next st, sc in next st; repeat from *4 more times, ch 3, skip last st, join with sl st in first sc (6 ch 3 spaces)
Round 3: *sl st, sc, 3 hdc, sc, sl st in each ch 3 space around.  sl st to first st to join.

Art Journal Friday

I am declaring Friday to be Art Journal day on my blog (at least for February).  I like to take these things in small doses.  I know I can't last with the photo a day thing, so I do it for a month.  Or the word of the year, mine is a month.  It's not that I'm easily bored, or that I might run out of ideas.  I guess I'm kind of a commitment-phobe.  Or, there are just too many ideas out there and I like to try as many as I can, and let's face it 24 hours in a day is just not enough time!  Anyway, onto this week's art journal.


I was super inspired by the new SMASH product from EK Success Brands, and their super cool video, so I made a smash page of stuff from my desk.  I didn't get up from my seat (rare for me, I usually create standing up), everything was within arms reach--it was helpful that my desk was a mess when I made this!

Lot's of little pieces of creative nothingness.  I love that most of the stuff on this page would have been tossed in the trash, but now it has a forever home.


I actually did two pages this week, in my effort to catch-up from a bad art journal January.  This page's background is torn from an Anthropologie catalog, dry brushed with white acrylic, and then I wrote and doodled around the edges.  My doodles are a work in progress.

If you are looking for more art journal inspiration, visit Julie Fei Fan Balzer's blog.