Card making and entering my first sketch challenge

So, my most recent obsession has been card making. I love it because it lets me use so many of my crafty/artsy interests in on place, plus I get to give my projects away, which is my favorite reason to make anything. I wish I'd been taking pictures of all the cards I've been making to send out, but usually I make a card for a specific purpose then immediately send or give it to the person it was made for. I'll try to be better about that so I can share my work here. I can definitely promise to share the cards I made for Mother's Day after those cards have been given. I'm pretty proud of them.

Well, as you can imagine Pinterest and the internet in general has become my best friend, giving me inspiration and instruction. I'll list a few of my favorite blogs at the end of this post so maybe you can get some inspiration, too. :) I'll also list my Pinterest board and my paper crafts board in case you'd like to follow my exploits.

All that being said, I've been watching some card making challenges recently and really loving seeing how all these designers interpret a given sketch. Then, I came across this challenge: Retrosketches Challenge #111. When I saw it, I immediately thought to myself, "I could totally do that! I could do that right now!" And, I did!

This is what I came up with.

 

 I'm really happy with it. As you can see, instead of a ribbon from the sketch, I used washi tape and instead of a button, I used a flower attached with a brad. I added embossing to the sentiment and a few rhinestones because most things are better with rhinestones. I didn't brush all the stray embossing powder off the card because I liked that it gave it a bit of a vintage/worn/imperfect look. I thought it was interesting, so I left it.

 

 I left the inside blank because I like writing my own personal messages. I also stamped the enveloped with a simple floral stamp to add a little something.

I'm going to enter this in the challenge. I hope to at least get a little constructive criticism. Wish me luck!!

Here are those links I promised:

My Pinterest

My Pinterest Paper Crafts Board

Retro Sketches - I really like their sketches!

 Jennifer McGuire - so! much! to! love!!

Splitcoaststampers - check out their tutorials!

Damask Love - literally everything she makes is gorgeous, elegant, and fun!

Omiyage Blogs - fun with paper and washi tape!

Fiskers - great ideas using their products

My first WhimseyBox

 Today, I received my first Whimseybox. And, oh, what a glorious day it is! I can't wait to tell you all about it!!

First, let me explain a little bit about what Whimseybox is. It's a website that's a combination of fantastic DIY projects that are totally Pinnable, a shop to buy supplies to make the projects they feature, a blog and community to gab, gawk, and gush all things crafty, and (best of all!!) a subscription service which sends a lovely Whimseybox straight to your address. This is perfect for people who want to create, but can't find the time to gather inspiration, instructions, and supplies all in one place. Whimseybox takes care of all of it for you.

Now, what is a Whimseybox? It's awesome, that's what it is. Inside you will find everything you need to make a cool project. In my first box, I got everything I needed (except scissors, but hey, what crafter doesn't have scissors?!) to make two fantastic bracelets. It was packed so prettily, too. I wish I would have been a tad less excited, because I would like to show you a picture of what it looked like before I dug in. Suffice it to say, I felt like I was opening a gift. Everything inside was wrapped in mint tissue paper and crinkly kraft paper shred, all tied up with a mint satin ribbon. Love!

The re-usable box really is a great feature. It's sturdy and you can close it completely. I love that I could take this on a road trip and have everything I need to complete a fun project, with quality materials, right at my fingers tips. The box is good for storage, but also doubles as a clean work surface and would be prefect for re-using to mail gifts.

 Above you'll see the contents of the box (oh, and the bracelet I made draped over the clipboard): mini clipboard, two binder clips, a needle (stuck to the mini clip board with that cute swatch of washi tape), two colors of leather cord, two sweet buttons, 6/0 beads in clear with silver centers, thread, and cement. They also included three really great pencils printed with three crafty saying: DIY4LIFE, MAKERS GONNA MAKE, and STOP PINNING. START MAKING (this one also happens to be their motto, and I love it! Who hasn't gotten stuck on Pinterest, drolling over projects that you'd love to make if only you could tear yourself away from Pinterest?) I want to mention that all the supplies are high quality and full-sized. No trying to squeeze a tiny dab of glue out of a miniscule plastic pouch because they gave you the exact two drops of glue the instructions call for or trying to complete your project only to find out you lack one inch of thread. With a little more cord and a few buttons, I have enough supplies to make another bracelet or two besides the second they sent me.

Isn't this pretty? It's the art print for this month, and they include one in each Whimseybox. On it is printed this:

Full-color, pictorial instructions for making the project in the box. These directions were fantastic: clear and concise. I stepped through the directions and successfully completed a style of beading I'd never even thought to try before.

See what I made? It's a beaded wrap bracelet, and I'm so happy with it! I made it in about an hour, and I have enough materials to make another. After I finished making my first bracelet, I packed everything back into the box. Now, everything I need for a fun, satisfying project is ready when I have a bit of time to dedicate to it. I'm already looking forward to next month's box and I think I know a few people who will be getting a gift subscription for the holidays!

Think you're too busy to create? Think you can't figure out how to make it look like the picture? Think interpreting long lists of obscure supplies is too much trouble? Then, check out Whimseybox. They make creating easy and fun. I'm hooked!!

Watercolor postcards

Watercolor Postcards

Heya! So, today I want to talk about watercolors. Watercolor painting is one of the trickiest art forms to master, yet it also incredibly delicate, beautiful, and satisfying. It requires restraint, patience, a high degree of skill, and the ability to see what your going to paint before you lay the color down.

Needless to say, I haven't come anywhere close to mastering it yet.
 
However, playing and practicing are good ways to dabble and learn! To that end, I started casually painting 4" x 6" postcards. The cards I found are great because the size isn't intimidating, they are quality paper, and all the postcardy goodness is printed on the back for you already. Plus, they size is great for framing, so whoever is lucky enough to receive one of these little beauties can frame it if they'd like.

As I was working on these, I thought others might like to play around, too. I find watercolors a little scary, but with this little tutorial, maybe it won't seem so scary for others anymore!

Strathmore Watercolor Postcards, 4" x 6"

Back, and front.

 So, let's get some materials together!

4" x 6" watercolor postcards
Watercolor paints - I show two travel palettes, this is the bigger one. You can also use tubes of paint.
A palette or plate to mix and thin your paint on
Various brushes
Water
Masking tape
Paper towels and/or a towel
Salt-optional
Masking fluid-optional, b sure you have an old brush to use with this. It can ruin a brush if you don't clean it out completely.
Sharpie, ultra fine-optional
Pencil-optional

Materials, baby!

Masking fluid and an old, cheap brush to apply it with.

 

The next step was to open a file in Microsoft Publisher and find a page size for a 4" x 6" postcard. I decided on the portrait orientation so I could print out these little calaveras I drew and scanned a couple of years ago. Any free line art would work for this as well! There are some great line drawings online of just about any subject you want to paint. Google is your friend in this case! However, if you'd rather just draw free-hand directly onto the cards, that works, too. In fact, that's what I did with the Henna Sunrise card shown at the bottom of the page. I'll touch on that process in a bit. Don't worry, it's not hard.

Ok, so you're ready to print. Go for it! Once you've printed your image, it's time to get your workspace ready to go. Everything needs to be within easy reach. Use the masking tape to fix your postcard to your working surface. Be careful to make this neat as it will eventually make an unpainted frame around your work. Good lighting is important, too. If you can get natural light, awesome! If not, whatever you feel with comfortable works, too. Just make sure you can see where you're putting paint, and can accurately see the colors your using.

Yes, I work at my computer desk. It's the only place I can call my own with two kids in the house! LOL

 If you want to use masking fluid, this is a good time to save any spaces you want to keep white. In this example, I masked several places on the face and in the background area. Paint it on with an old brush and be patient! It's stinky. It can be a bit of a pain. But, it creates a really neat effect, so I hope you'll give it a try.

Taped down, ready to add masking fluid or paint.

You can just barely see the masking fluid on the surface.

 When you're happy with your masking, LET IT DRY completely. Don't rush this. Go get an iced tea and give it a few minutes. It will be worth it.


You're ready to paint! I'm not here to dictate how you color your card or try to teach you to use watercolors. There are some fantastic watercolor tutorials out there that will help you much more than I can. However, I encourage you to play! Try covering an area with water, then dabbing some paint into it. Try blending two colors together this way. Use highly-concentrated color, use very thin color, drawing thin lines or create big blobs of color. Be realistic or crazy. Whatever you do, try to have fun and enjoy it. Reminder: watercolor dries lighter than it looks when applied. Keep this in mind when adding very light colors. In my painting, the "whites" of the eyes are painted a light blue, but it dried so light that, next to the intense colors of the irises, it looks a bit washed-out.

Getting some color laid down!

Dabbing color into a wash of water.

Thrown down some salt!

If you want to create a cool effect, regular table salt is a great way to go. While an area is still wet, sprinkle some salt down. It will push and pull the paint and create a snowflake or crackle texture. Carefully brush off the salt before it's completely dry, being sure to not smear the damp paint. If you let the salt dry onto the paint, it may not brush off completely. However, I've found this leaves a subtle sparkle, which I don't mind at all. In this example, I used salt in the enter of the eye to add a little variation, while the two previous cards got salt on the background.

Salt textures, close-up.

Ok, done painting? Let that baby dry completely! If you're feeling a bit impatient, a blow dryer on low will help you along. Once it's completely dry, gently peel off the masking tape. Then, run your finger over the masking fluid and it will peel right off, revealing gleaming white paper beneath!

A matched set!

Voila!!

The final step is to sign the front and add some info to the back of the card with your Sharpie, so your recipient knows the name of their beautiful artwork! I also add the date and the medium, but feel free to add whatever information you want. You're ready to mail or frame your art work!

Back of the completed card with painting title, date, and medium. I think this adds a nice handmade touch.

 I promised to talk about hand-drawing your line art, and I keep my promises so here goes. The card shown below was created before I got my lovely postcards. I cut out the size I wanted from regular watercolor paper, taped it down like the card above, and got to drawing. I free handed a henna-inspired sunrise in pencil. Then, I painted it and let it dry completely. After it was dry, I removed the tape and outlined it with my Sharpie, adding a few more details here and there. I like how it turned out. :) Because it wasn't on postcard paper, I used a ruler to add the postcard lines on the back. Don't forget to sign your original artwork!

Henna Sunrise

I hope you enjoyed this little post. And, I really hope it inspires you to try something new! If you decide to try making your own, please leave me a comment and let me know! I'd love to know how it goes for you!

BB!
~Jeannie

Make your own bookplates!

Wow, has it REALLY been that long since I posted last. Yikes. A lot has changed since then: my husband and I both got great new jobs, we bought our first house, and life has been hectic and wonderful in the meantime. The kids are GREAT!! and life is good. :) Oh, and we welcomed a dog and cat into our home.

I wanted to start posting again because I'm going through a really creative time, and I'm constantly wanting to make something new. With the advent of Pinterest and my discovery of Craftgawker, I'm finding more and more inspiration. I just wanted to start using my blog again to document some of the fun. :)

So, what have I been up to? The first craft I want to share is an idea for bookplates.

I adore bookplates, mostly because I adore books! While at the store recently looking for labels to use to print my own bookplates, I found these fantastic labels by Avery. These are perfect not only because they are an ideal size, but because you can pull them off the backing to package them as individual bookplates. You can box these up instead of giving a sheet of labels. They come apart very easily and they look pretty danged professional, too, if you ask me. :)

As you can see from my photos, you can use any artwork you'd like (I just picked a couple of coordinating pictures from Publisher that I liked in the first two, and an image from a website I love and wanted to advertise in the second) then personalize it to your needs. Some have the intended owner's name, some have blank lines to write on. Microsoft Publisher makes it easy because it already has the template for the Avery labels available. You just customize and print! You get 8 bookplates per page. Can you imagine all your kids' books with these in there? You could even customize it to look like a library check out list and have your kids sign when they complete a book. What a cute way to save those memories!

Now, you may be curious about the third picture. I'm a member of a website called Bookcrossing.com, which encourages people to share books and track where the books end up by registering their books with the site, adding the tracking number to the book on a label (like mine), and sending it off into the wild. Check them out if you're interested. I think it's a really fun idea, and I just released my first 3 books! I can't wait to see where their travels take them!

I hope you like the bookplate idea. If you try it, let me know! I'm on Pinterest and would love to see what you come up with! See you with another episode in my crafting adventure soon!

Can you help?

Hey there,

As some of you may know, my neighbors were robbed yesterday. The jerk took their computer, their camera, the kids' Wii and all accessories and games, and, worst of all in my opinion, the Christmas gifts for the kids. Check out this news article for more info.

What gets me is that they knew they were taking gifts for children when they stole that stuff. You don't pick up a brand-new-in-the-box toy and not realize that it's meant for a child. I don't know if they are going to sell it or give it to their own kids, but either way, it's just despicable. The neighbor kids and my kids play together, and it just broke my heart when I heard about what happened. Their youngest daughter was with them when they found the back window shattered and the door wide open. She was terrified. I've rarely seen a child that upset.

I want to help them, in any way we can. My husband, Jason, already got them a computer through work. It's not new, but it's theirs to keep and will get them through until they can get something better, if they'd like. I'm going to pick up a gift for each of the kids, but one gift isn't enough. If anyone out there wants to donate a gift card or a toy for the kids, please contact me. Anything at all is accepted and so greatly appreciated. Just drop me a line.

Those of you who know me know my family has been struggling the last two years. I've been out of work and Christmas's have been lean. We're struggling with two cars that are on their last legs and just trying to make it. We know how this family feels. Their story is very much like ours. I know how devastated I would be if this happened to us, and it just tears me up. To know the kids are going to be so sad, that the youngest will wonder why Santa didn't come this year... it just kills me. Please, if you are able, even a $20 gift card will go a long way. Let me know and you can be Santa this year.

BB
~Jeannie

Something Corwin said that I want to share...

My sons (ages 8 and 2, to be 9 and 3 next month. :O!!!!!!!!) and I were watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone yesterday and the scene where Hagrid gives Dudley a tail was playing. Xay asked why Dudley was jumping around when Hagrid zapped him. I explained that it must have hurt. However, Corwin turned around and said, “No! Harry scared the worm out of his pocket!” Clearly, that is what happened. All this time I thought Dudley was growing a pig’s tail, when really, he was harboring a worm in his pocket.

I thought this was hilarious and completely plausible. Good job, Diddy!!

Hard life lessons.

My oldest son, Xay, and I were hanging out in downtown Augusta this past Saturday and we were ardently looking for a place to have lunch as it was 3PM and we hadn't eaten. As we were passing Metro Coffee House, an older man came up to me and asked if we could spare any money. I always feel terrible in these situations because a) I don't carry cash and can't help this person (and I seriously would if I carried cash; just giving it all away though I haven't worked in over two years) and b) I don't carry cash for just this reason and I'm secretly relieved because these situations make me a tad frightened. Especially with my kids in tow. I explained that I didn't have any cash on me and the man then asked if I could buy him a cup of coffee on my credit card. I thought this was incredibly ballsy and in a flat tone, I explained that I was most concerned with feeding my son at the moment. It was at that point that I went from sympathetic to irritated.

However, I could see that Xay was pretty affected. He asked what that man had asked me, and when I explained, Xay asked why he would do that.

I said, "He's homeless, honey."

I don't think Xay thought that homeless people were in our town or that they could look pretty much like anyone else on the street. I explained that I didn't have any cash to give the man. He was pretty shocked and saddened by seeing someone who was hungry enough to beg on a public street in broad daylight. The irony of us sitting in a restaurant (granted a BIG treat for us!) eating after the encounter was not lost on me. I was feeling cynical and upset myself, but I was trying to have a good day with Xay, too.

After we were seated and our Cokes* came, Xay asked if we could go home afterward and he could get some of his allowance money from his bank to give to the man. I said we'd talk about it. And, if he was serious about it, I would have gladly let him do whatever he was moved to do. I want to encourage both of my kids to be compassionate. After a few silent moments, Xay then announces that he doesn't think he can eat his whole lunch. Moments before he was starving; I knew where this as going.

"You eat until you are full, ok? Then, if there is anything left over and you want to give it away, we'll box it up and you can give it to that man if he'll take it, ok?" He beamed and my heart melted.

I could tell he was really serious about this and was genuinely concerned for this man. I felt so jaded and cynical because I don't like to give homeless people money for all the worst reasons: what if they just use it for alcohol or drugs? (So what if they do? It's the act of compassion, with no strings attached, that I should be striving for.) What if they think it's not enough and they try to mug me? (A genuine concern, especially when my kids are with me. Then again, I don't go into scary places with my kids.) Mostly, I'd rather do something tangible for someone in need rather than throw money at it.

So, I decided I would have half my sandwich and cheese fries boxed up for the man. That half would go to waste if it were just me eating it, and this would put it to good use. We added the celery that came with Xay's wings, three wet wipes Xay didn't use, and got a to-go Coke for him. Xay was so excited about giving this man a warm meal that he couldn't get out of there fast enough.

We left, and looked for the man where we left him. I was feeling happy, though a bit nervous, too. I didn't know what to expect of his reaction. We didn't find him for about a half hour; we were wandering around downtown doing our thing and suddenly there he was.

I said, "Xay, is that him?"

Xay nearly ran into traffic to get to him. He was giddy! I was (and am) so proud of him.

Then, everything sort of fell apart. As we were walking across the street to give this man the food we carried all over downtown for him, he walked up to three people leaving a sidewalk cafe and asked if he could have the leftover beer they were walking away from. He was trying to make a quick getaway with an open container when we walked up to him.

"We got you some lunch," I said as I handed him the to-go box. Xay stood next to me, practically bouncing, with a huge, hopeful smile plastered on his face.

The man mumbled, "Okay," snatched the box, then quickly walked away. No thank-yous, no smile, no nothing. Like we were handing out unwanted fliers on the street. Xay stood there looking from him to me, with this confused and stunned look on his face. He was so hurt.

"Mom, what happened?"

I didn't know what to say. So, I put my arm around him and told him that some people, no matter their living situation, don't know how to be polite or say thank-you, but that once he got to eat the food, even if he didn't think of us, he would be glad to have that and that Xay had given that to him.

We walked along in silence for a little bit after that. I could tell that Xay was thinking about it alot. I was angry at that man: he was rude and pushy when he forced his way into our afternoon asking scary, inconvenient questions, then when we try to rise to the occasion and do the hard thing, he brushed past us, grabbing the food we were trying to offer in love and leaving without so much as a hint of thanks. Most of all, he hurt my kid's feelings when he was trying to hard to do something good for someone, to make someone happy, to feed someone who was hungry.

All I could say was, "Honey, what you did was wonderful, compassionate thing to do. His reaction didn't matter, and a thank you would have just been a bonus. You can't let that get in the way of you doing good; you can't let it make you hard-hearted to those in need. You gave a hungry person food. There's nothing in the world better then that." He nodded, and said I was right. I hope he believes it.

My sons make me want to be better, they help me BE better. I hope this doesn't make Xay hesitate to help others. I've emailed a local soup kitchen to see if Xay and I can volunteer. I think he would like that, and it would do him good to see people who sincerely appreciate what you are doing for them. I'll keep you posted.

BB
~Jeannie

*Yes, I had a Coke. My third since giving up sodas weeks ago. I don't feel bad.