Three Things for July

Oh July, you're here! 

July means picnics and barbecues and eating outdoors. I'll bring a cake to the potluck and dress it up with whipped cream and berries...TADA!

July also means road trips and stopping by flea markets to go thrifting. I love the hit of nostalgia when I see little toys like these that I used to collect: the Trolls, Muppet Babies, E.T., Ziggy, and Monchhichi. It brings me back to a simpler time...TADA!

July also means weekends at the beach for rest and relaxation...TADA!

I hope your July will be filled with all your favorite things!

Art Journal: Inspired By Peonies

Hi there! Have you been relishing the weather and doing lots of fun activities outdoors?

I've been taking a lot of walks in the park and I'm loving the peonies in different stages of bloom. 

Thrilled to have captured them with this veil of early morning dew drops.

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers -- they are like pink cabbages when in full bloom. They really command attention!

I hurriedly went home to make something peony inspired!

I used cling stamps, an acrylic block, and ink pad to make these peony prints on a security envelope. I used colored pencils to add just the right shade of pink. 

I painted a page of my art journal black. While the paint dried,  I cut out the peonies with a pair of scissors and eventually glued the peony cutouts to the page.

I added details like leaves and dots using a white pen. 

I may not have peonies all year long but I was able to preserve their beauty in my art journal!

And that is how I turned a blank page from blah to TADA!

As a bonus, here are ways to use the peony cutouts:

Peonies as a cover for a greeting card...TADA!

Peonies to turn a plain paper bag from blah to TADA! 

Peonies to embellish a notebook cobbled together from paper remnants...TADA!

*****

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Treasures from the Trash: A Comfy Chair

Thanks guys for stopping by today!

In the past, I've shown you "treasures" I found in the trash like this chalkboard easel, bookshelf, side table, doors, and rolling cart, plus ideas on how to turn them from blah to TADA!

I found another item:

It's a side chair. It's looking a little tired but it's still sturdy and in good shape. I couldn't take it home with me because I have no room in the apartment. But if I did, here's what I would do: 

I would give it a new coat of paint or varnish update and some new upholstery to make it look new again...TADA!

Here are my fabric options:

via Fabric Worm

Something from Rifle Paper Company's fabric line. All the prints are pretty, it's really difficult to choose. Here are my favorite ones:

via Anthropologie

via Anthropologie

via Anthropologie

These will look good in a craft room, a girl's bedroom, or home office.

Another option is to use androgynous fabric.

via Spoonflower

Like these ones from Spoonflower that are timeless and can easily be mixed and matched with other pieces of furniture.

They'll look something like these:

via West Elm

via Anthropologie

via Apartment Therapy

Before getting rid of your chairs, why not find ways to turn them from blah to TADA! Otherwise, you can donate them to a thrift shop like this one or this one...it's the responsible way to help both the environment and those in need.

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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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