A Message in a (Parchment Paper) Bottle

Hello, hello!

Today I am inspired by this greeting card that I saw at a store:

It's a message in a bottle...TADA!

The bottle is made from acetate (stiff plastic) and is filled with tiny strips of paper printed with "thank you." Isn't it cute?

Here are a few versions I made:

My bottle is made of parchment paper that I rescued from some food packaging. First, I cut out two identical bottle shapes. On one sheet, I glued on the words magic (made with rubber stamps and an ink pad), confetti hearts, glitter confetti, and a cork shape (cut out from brown paper). I sandwiched this with the second bottle shape, using white glue to keep it in place. 

The bottle is attached on blue card stock with a random coat of metallic paint. Inside the card, I wrote the message, "May your days be filled with magic!"

This second version follows the same steps as above and this time, I use affirmations like "Trust," "Inspire" and "Believe." It's a thoughtful card to give a friend who is going through some uncertainty.

Finally, this bottle is filled with wishes and the message inside says, "May all your wishes come true!"

And that is how I turned some paper remnants from blah to TADA!

*****

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My First Craft Supply Swap

Hello there! Have you ever been to a craft supply swap? I went to my first one recently.

It took place at the Riverview Fisk Park in Jersey City Heights, New Jersey on a sunny spring day. It was organized by the Riverview Neighborhood Association (RNA) and the Jersey City Crafting Circle.

The call was simple: If you've got craft supplies you are no longer using, bring them to the supply swap at the RNA's art and flea market.

Tables were set up in a corner of the park and each section was clearly labeled. This is the knitting and fiber art area.

This area was for paint, markers, and other coloring materials.

And this area was for books, stickers, paper, adhesives, and miscellaneous stuff like stamps, popsicle sticks, stencils, and DIY ornaments. Everyone was free to browse and take what they needed. Anything left over would be donated to charity. 

I rummaged through my craft stash and found a few items that deserve a new home, including fluffy pipe cleaners/chenille stems, balls of yarn, a jar of glitter, a bundle of paintbrushes, little packets of cards and collage papers that I put neatly in a tin basket...TADA!

This is my haul: rubber stamps, a tiny pair of scissors, a sharpener, Prang watercolors (really good quality for a beginner or student), a few colored pencils, a foam pouncer, a needle-tip glue bottle (just what I really needed), some pearl buttons, and bar pins. 

I am pleased with what I found because I use these often. Here, let me show you what I made:

I used the rubber stamps to make some greeting cards...TADA!

I used the paint, colored pencils, and rubber stamp to decorate this postcard...TADA! 

The foam pouncer came in handy to make these bookmarks. They are just plain cardboard with a repeating star pattern created with paint, stencil, the pouncer, and some ribbon...TADA! 

I decanted all purpose glue into the needle-tip bottle and added a label. This will be useful for precision work. The small size also makes it handy to include in my pencil case, together with the tiny pair of scissors...TADA! 

I'm using the sharpener for my crayons. I love the crayon ribbons and shavings left behind after sharpening. I'll definitely save them for a future project...TADA!

I'll be using the bar pins for DIY brooches made of felt, sequins, beads, crochet, and Shrinky Dinks.

I have yet to use these pearl buttons. Let me know if you have suggestions.

And that was how my first craft supply swap went. I look forward to joining more!

*****

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Three Things for June

How is it the middle half of the year already?

As we kickstart the month of June, here are a few green-spirations (green inspirations😉) that are turning my days from blah to TADA!

Matcha Latte is one of my favorite beverages. Lightly sweetened and topped with beautiful latte art by my favorite neighborhood cafe. It's definitely a cup of warmth and coziness...TADA!

An all green floral arrangement that Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) would approve of. I've heard her recommend using different types of flowers but in one color and I can see how the muted palette is not distracting, looks very elevated, and turns any table from blah to TADA!

A green choice: recycling a gum container for my paint water...TADA! A sketchbook is one of my favorite art practices and my preferred medium is watercolor. When the weather is nice, I take my supplies with me and let nature be my inspiration. 

Wishing you all a lovely June!

Art Journal: Watercolor Faces

Many years ago, I bought this children's book from a thrift store:

I really bought it for crafting purposes. I christened it as my art journal and the pages are filled with collage, watercolor paintings, and even blackout poetry. 

The inside pages make for a fun background, as I did here:

 

The text behind my cherry blossom painting add some dimension.

However, with a layer of gesso (I put a small amount on the page and spread it evenly with an expired gift card).

This is what the page looks like with a layer of gesso...TADA! The text is still visible but tamed down.

One of the recurring themes in my art journal are watercolor faces: 

Repetition and practice help improve my work. These sketches are a mix of techniques I learned from Jane Davenport, Dina Wakley, Amarilys Henderson and the classes I joined on Workshop Week, Summer Creative Retreat, and Sketchbook Revival through the years. 

I'll keep at it and maybe someday, I can create more lifelike portraits.

Who knows, my work can become surface patterns like the ones I see at the shops:

T-shirt designs, perhaps?

Or pillow covers? 

That's how we can turn our everyday sketches from blah to TADA!

*****

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A Painted Gift Pouch

Last week, I featured the many ways we can wrap gifts using fabric. 

Let me continue that theme today: 

This fabric bag was packaging for food. I just had to save it and turn it from blah to TADA! 

I'm adding a band of paint at the bottom of the bag. I marked the area (where the paint should end) with some masking tape. I also put some newspaper inside the bag to absorb excess paint, and another sheet of newspaper to protect my work surface. A few binder clips keep the bag from moving around.

I choose a pink paint that I applied with a paintbrush. I applied two coats, making sure to get into the sides and edges of the bag. 

Once dry, I painted the other side, too. 

Here's what the bag looks like with a new coat of paint...TADA!

The creases were tough to iron out, but I think they add a rustic charm. 

All I need to do is to add a gift inside, tie the built-in ribbon, and add a personalized gift tag. This gift is ready to be given away!

Here's an alternative look: add some wooden beads to the ends of the ribbon (knot the ends to keep the beads in place) for added color and decoration. 

That's how I turned a plain fabric bag from blah to TADA!

*****

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Gift Wrapping with Fabric

I just love the idea of gift wrapping that can be used over and over again, specifically gift bags made from fabric. They are reliable for wrapping odd shaped gifts (no need for boxes), they can be used to wrap a gift for the next big event, there is less harm to the environment, and if we make these gift bags ourselves using fabric from our collection, that's blah to TADA! all around.

I appreciate how department stores like this one encourage the use of fabric gift bags during the holidays. 

Here is another shop that has fabric gift bags available all year round. 

Here is a pouch I made from fabric remnants and decorated with an iron-on patch...TADA!

This is a gift bag that I made using my sewing machine...TADA!

I also made a pouch using the same fabric...TADA!

A similar pouch made from plain fabric and decorated with Indian block printing...TADA! 

If you're not keen into sewing but would still like to use fabric to wrap your gifts, use a handkerchief or a bandana like what I did here: 

A handkerchief with a block print...TADA!

A classic bandana, embellished with a handmade gift pendant...TADA!

A dinner napkin made of cloth...TADA!

And this is a new dish towel...TADA!

These are just some ideas to turn gift wrapping from blah to TADA!

*****

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