Mixed Media Steam Punk Painting - "Dream"

I love how mixed media allows you to express the exact mood your in. Yesterday's project was whimsical, and fun with it's pastel colors. Today's project is magical, and dreamy. I had so much fun putting this canvas together. Isn't that texture amazing? I started by painting my canvas black, and then added a little bit of gold, purple, teal, and blue. Going through my stash, I noticed I had a ton of little glass beads that haven't been touch in years. I added mod podge to the entire canvas, and just dumped the beads onto the canvas! They stuck pretty well - especially after I used the heat gun.

I poored paints, all over the beads. I let the paint "goop" up in some areas, and I spread it out in others. I used some of my Heidi Swapp sprays to get that beautiful older copper look. I wanted this paiting to have a steam punk swist to it - so I cut out a few gears and stars using my Silhouette Cameo, and painting them with told and teal. The title is made out of thickers.

This canvas ended up being a surprise gift for my hubby, and he loved it. I hope you all loved it just as much!

Altered Canvas - Make Today A Sweet Memory

This little mixed media canvas came together pretty quickly. I started by covering my canvas with Webster's Pages' Color Chalk Prints 12x12 paper. Although you can't really see it - it's what inspired my colors. I knew I wanted this canvas to have plenty of texture, so next I mod podged a napkin to the canvas. After adding the fun pastel colors with some of my paints, and gelatos, I used my mdeling paste with a Heidi Swapp Honey Comb Stencil.

I went through my embellishments to see what I had to work with. Once I laid eyes on this little sentiment piece from Echo Park's So Happy Together collection, I knew I had to use it. The colors matched perfectly! I spiced it up by adding a little bit of bling. The So Happy Together collection also came with a few adorable little houses, and a cute little cloud. I thought it would be cute to have the houses floating on top of the cloud. So dreamy! I had colored the edges of the painting black - so to incorporate the color better, I added a little butterfly and heart. I think the black offers a nice pop from the pastels.

Thanks for joining me today. Happy Crafting!

DIY Layered Embellishments

I love the look of layered embellishments. They give so much dimension and interest to your project (whether it be a card, layout, project life, etc.) The premade ones, however, can get a little pricey. So why not make your own with all the supplies in your stash? They're fun to put together and always comes out so beautiful! Don't know where to start? I have a TUTORIAL on how to make these cute little embellisments over at the Pretty Little Studio blog!

SUPPLIES USED: Pretty Little Studio's Sand Castle collection, Pretty Little Studio's Birthday Cake Collection, Silhouette Cameo, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, My Minds Eye Enamel Dots

"Oh Snap!" Wall Hanging - PLS

Working with bright colors of the Birthday Cake collection and some funky Zebra print ribbon, I was able to make this fun little wall decor. I cut the camera, the title, and the film strip out with my Silhouette Cameo. I knew before I started this project that I wanted a picture to be on it somewhere. The middle of the camera worked perfectly!

 

 I stitched a few Pretty Little Studio paper strips together and tucked some pennant banners underneath. I think it came out pretty cute and it was fun putting it together!

Supplies: Pretty Little Studio's Birthday Cake collection, Silhouette Cameo

Happy weekend, everyone!

Owl Love You Forever - Mixed Media Painting

The Easter Bunny and I almost have Charlotte's Easter Basket all finished. We tend to go all out with her Easter basket because Easter is my absolute favorite holiday. One of the many things that she'll find in her easter basket is a giant owl pillow. It's the cutest little thing! It's huge, fluffy, and it's fuschia pink and green.

 I wanted to make her something by hand as well...something a little personal. So...to go along with the owl theme, I did a little mixed media canvas for her. This was only my second attempt at mixed media so it's far from professional...but all in all...I think she'll like it! Now if only Easter would hurry up and get here. ;)

 Thanks for reading!
 

My first mixed media/she art project - "She Embraced The Imperfect"

I've always wanted to give mixed media a try. I just never thought I'd be good at it. I don't have an artistic bone in my body! A friend started to post her mixed media projects on facebook after taking Christy Tomlinson's "She Art" class. With every gorgeous project she posted - I became more tempted to give it a try! Christy's class is about $50, and although I wanted to take it badly...I just couldn't afford it along with supplies. Luckily, Christy is kind enough to also provide the public with a few of her youtube videos. I watched her channel for a few days, went out to Michael's, and gave it a try. I loved it! It was so much fun and I think I've found another creative outlet. ;)

Isn't she a cutie? She is far from perfect but that is exactly what my "she" message is about. Embracing the imperfect! This mixed media project was hard for me at first because when it comes to my art, I am a perfectionist. With mixed media and she art - mistakes are a good thing!

Although I admit I need a little practice making the girls and figuring out how all of my different types of paints work, I love how my first girl turned out!

Thanks for reading!

DIY Toddler Friendly Valentines

 The supplies you'll need are a heart shape (I cut mine from my Silhouette Cameo but you can also cut one by hand. There are even printable templates on the internet), pom pom balls, feathers, sequence confetti, glitter, and non-toxic glue.

 Help your toddler sign the back of the card.

 Now it's time to put down some glue. Just squeeze it directly onto the heart - a little bit here, a little bit there. My toddler wanted to do this on her own so I got her to help me by holding the bottle.

 Let your toddler go to town with the glitter and other goodies! The glitter I bought was in a shaker so it was easy for her to apply. Make sure you show your toddler how to press down on the feathers and pom pom balls to get them to stick to the glue.

 Make sure to remind your little one to stop and admire his/her work. ;)

 Once your toddler is done - take the heart and give it a little shake. Any excess that isn't stuck down will fall off.

All done! A fun "mommy and me" project. Our Valentines is going to a very special person but you could always hang it up to be displayed as well. This project is great for all ages!

Hope you enjoyed!

Altered Clear Christmas Ornaments with Echo Park

I had to be a frugal girl this year for Christmas. That basically translates into being a crafty girl. I made three gifts for three individuals with a set of $6.00 ornaments and my scrapbook stash. I was originally inspired by Garden Girl Wendy Sue for this project. I made three sets of three. Six dollars for three gift? It can't get any better than that!

For the first and third set I used Echo Park's Very Merry collection. For the second set - I used Echo Park's Winter Wishes collection. For the main ornament in each set - I wrapped a band of pretty paper around the bulb, filled the bulb with glass beeds, and added festive stickers from the collection. For the partner ornaments I simply rolled up pretty paper and stuffed them in the bulb. I added Doodlebug Twine to the top of each ornament for that finishing touch.

So if you have someone to buy for and you just don't have the money - go grab a set of clear ornaments and have at it! It's a nice gift and you'll have fun making them.