simple Analogy

More Smash

New to Smash Books?  K&Company always comes up with great craft supplies, so it's no wonder I like this line.  Want to know a little more?

What's to love?

1. Each book comes with a gluestick pen.
2. The pages are extra thick.  When you glue and tape they don't warp like the paper in a normal journal would.
3. Each page has a different printed pattern.
4. Spiral binding allows you to open the book flat.
5. Textured cover.

The supplies?

1. Books
2. Stamps
3. Tapes
4. Papers
5. Tabs
6. Clips
7. Bands
8. Pockets

Where to buy?

1. Michael's
2. Hobby Lobby
3. Target
4. Amazon

Monday I'll show you a few of my favorite supplies.  Happy weekend!

I'm Smashing

The boys bought me a Smashbook and some Smash supplies for Christmas.  I've been so busy getting things wrapped up in the nursery and training my replacement, that I haven't had time to even really sit down to play with it.  The other night while Noah and I watched Courageous, I dragged out my supplies to create a fun idea book for the blog and shop.

I'm not much of a scrapbooker, but I am definitely a list maker.  There's plenty of room for me to doodle ideas, add scraps and tear pages, make lists.  I'll be writing down goals and ideas.  It's the start of something good!

Happy Valentine's Day

drawn using Paper 53

Have a lovely day!

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Shop Update:  Red chevron customized initial bags are restocked in the shop! 

Playing With Paper

My sister and her family came for a quick weekend trip.  While the guys played FIFA, my niece and I did a little digital drawing.

HERS

We used the Paper 53 app for ipad.  Way too fun...  The app is free and comes with a pen and color palette.

HERS

MINE

Then we bought the color mixer and watercolor brush for $2 each.  Well worth it!  

Thanks for letting us monopolize your ipad for the evening, Mom!

Blank Canvas Necklace Tutorial

The scrapbook section at Hobby Lobby inspired me this weekend.  I'm not a scrapbooker, but the elements can be used so many different ways.  There's nothing that screams "Draw on me!" like a blank canvas.  So, break out the artist inside and let's make a canvas necklace...

Supplies:

ball/chain necklace 

large jump ring 

charm (optional)

small canvas tag

fray check

sharpie markers

(All of the metal elements in this necklace are from Idea-ology at Hobby Lobby.)

Directions:

Pull all the straggly threads off of the canvas tag.  Run a line of fray check around the outside edge, and let dry completely.

Decorate the canvas using sharpie markers or a stamp and stamp pad.  I stamped an initial on this one and thought I was done.  Later I wanted to add a bit more pizazz, so I drew in the chevron.

Attach the canvas and charm to the jump ring and put it on the chain.

So fun, and almost too easy!  Doodle a design, draw a mini portrait, create a mini landscape...  This would make a great group project at a retreat or at a birthday party with a group of children.  It doesn't take a lot of time, is inexpensive, and will get the creative juices flowing!

Lest You Think This Is Becoming A Food Blog...

The last several months have been extremely busy.  I haven't had a lot of time to sew, but I did make some time to paint. 

Butterflies...

lots of them!  They were gifts for the sweet ladies in my Bible study class.  I've only ever given my "artwork" to my mom, so this was a big step for me.  I think it means I'm getting comfortable with my painting.

I drew them all the same, but each of them turned out differently.

I think that's my favorite thing about watercolors.  You never exactly know how the paint is going to blend, spread, and bleed.  You never know if that dab with the paper towel will leave some texture or make the painting look distressed and faded.

If you use more water the colors are softer; paint dry and the colors are vibrant.  I love the variations!  Each of these butterflies were a metamorphasis of their own.

My Finger Slipped

So I was editing my butterflies, and look what happened.  My finger slipped on the contrast.  I came out with this. 

Hey, I like it!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Winging It

I am not confident when it comes to scketching.  But when I start painting what I sketched, I find that my sketches arent' as bad as I thought. 

Maybe it's because the paint hides all the imperfections that I know are there.

Maybe it's because my scritch scratch comes to life.

Or maybe it's just that it's hard to mess up a butterfly. 

Anyhow, these little guys are making me happy right now.

On A Wing and A Prayer

Spreading my sketching wings...

Mkay

You may have noticed it's been a little quiet here on the blog lately.  Well, it's not because I haven't been doing anything lately.  Actually it's because I've been working on something really fun (I hope) for YOU!  So, be patient, and we'll talk more about that fun next week!

In the meantime, let me show you a new painting.  I did this one a few weeks ago.  One of Noah's science projects was to dissect a flower.  "Can you dissect a flower?" asked Landon who just finished a year of Biology and dissecting all kinds of critters.  You can!  We were supposed to be able to find all the parts of the flower including the ovary and ovule (inside parts).

I was kind of excited about this because I wanted to sketch and paint the cross-section of the flower.  Mkay, our flower had no ovaries - at least we couldn't find them.  So he just found all the parts he could identify, and we left it at that.  In the big scheme of things, failure to find the ovule of a flower will not greatly hamper my son's education.  But I was kind of disappointed that my plan for painting was hampered.  So instead of the cross-section, I focused on different parts of the flower. 

First up, I painted the whole flower.

Next I focused on the stigma/stamen.

Lastly, the stamen.  And that's my "Anatomy of a Lily".