Sketchbook Practice: Paint Blobs to Birds

I'm happy you're here today!

Over the past months, I've shown you pages from my sketchbook where I make art just for myself. I've tried out collage, developing a color story, and drawing everyday objects like fashion accessories. It's a sketchbook practice to exercise my creativity and to make time for mindfulness even on a busy day. 

The empty page is always very daunting, but here's a new way to turn a blank sketchbook page from blah to TADA! I learned it at Sketchbook Revival from visual artist and creative encourager Terry Runyan. Her style is simple: make a blob and turn it into a bird.

On a blank page, Terry makes different blobs using a paintbrush and watercolors.

Then she adds more defined blobs like heads and tails.

Once the paint is dry, she adds more details with a black fineliner pen. She starts with the feet...

Then adds wings, feathers, eyes and beaks...TADA! That wasn't hard at all. Anyone can easily do this.

Below is my attempt:

On a page of my sketchbook, I made a few blobs. I was intentional with the shapes because I wanted to make different kinds of birds.

I added a second layer of paint and slowly, each bird began revealing its character.

I limited my color palette to blue, blue green and purple.

Following Terry's steps, I completed their looks. I used a black pen to draw feet, faces and fashion. Notice that each bird is wearing an accessory? 

Earrings, sneakers, a basket, a choker, a brooch and a scarf for each of these feathered friends.

A printed dress, a bowler hat, crown, sweater, headband, beanie, gold cross on a chain, eye glasses and bow tie combination, and  a pearl necklace...TADA! These birds are the fun and fashionable kind!

I'm proud of this new addition to my sketchbook practice and can't wait to try it out with other animals. I hope you enjoyed this and if you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.  

Treasures from the Trash: A Coffee Table

I'm delighted that you're here!

In previous posts, I mentioned that I see furniture on the curb ALL.THE.TIME. From benches, to chairs, shelves, more shelves, a side table and doors, they are no longer needed in their homes and are free for the taking. Most of them are still in good shape and if I had a warehouse to store these, I would scoop them up and transform them from blah to TADA! 

Another option, for all of you planning to get rid of furniture, is to donate them to The Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They have trucks that can pick-up the furniture from your home and they sell these pieces at their thrift stores. The money they raise goes to their different programs helping the underprivileged. Isn't that a thoughtful way to help?  

Here is my latest find:

It's a black, oval coffee table.

Except for a few scuff marks (that some buffing and cleaning can fix), it doesn't look bad at all. Maybe the previous owners wanted something more streamlined?

Anyway, here are a few ways to give it new life:

via Pinterest

Turn the coffee table into an altar, a special area that will both ground and energize you, where you can meditate, practice gratitude and your faith/spirituality. Learn more about creating an altar here and here. 

via Pinterest

Create a lounge area in a corner of a room and push the coffee table against the wall so that it's not in the way.  Use this area to read, listen to music, play your guitar...things to help relax and unwind. Fill the coffee table with a stack of books, plants, scented candles and favorite nibbles and beverages.

via Pinterest

Turn the coffee table into a low dining table. Use ottomans or pillows as your chairs. It's okay if the elements are mismatched -- they give a carefree, bohemian vibe.

via Pinterest

Since the coffee table is low, turn it into a kiddie table by adding small chairs. Assign this as the area for learning and doing arts and crafts.

via Pinterest

How about turning the coffee table into a Lego table? Attach the Lego baseplates on the table's surface and have bins of Lego pieces close by for afternoons of pure building creativity! You can find how to build a Lego table here.

via Pinterest

The coffee table can also be transformed into a jigsaw puzzle station in one area of the family room. No need to remove the jigsaw puzzle while it's being assembled.

via Pinterest

The coffee table can also become an official game table for card and board games. The game boxes can be kept underneath for easy access.

via Pinterest

And finally, extend the life of the coffee table when you have parties outdoors. Use it as a buffet table for snacks and drinks or turn it into a Jenga table for everyone to participate in. 

That is how we can turn an old coffee table from blah to TADA!

I hope these sparked new uses for the old pieces of furniture you might have. If you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.  

Handmade Bookmarks for Little Free Libraries

Howdy, I'm happy you stopped by! 

One of things I love to transform from blah to TADA! are cardboard and scrap paper. With some glue and simple craft materials like washi tape, rubber stamps, and yarn, I am able to make different kinds of bookmarks:

Some bookmarks I keep for myself and the others I include in my snail mail as an extra surprise for dear friends. But there will always be extra bookmarks to share. 

So I put a handful of handmade bookmarks inside a deli container, topped it with a lid and a sticker label saying: Free! Take a bookmark. 

If I find a Little Free Library in neighborhoods that I visit, I make sure to leave a container of bookmarks so that whoever takes a book can take a bookmark, too.

Since I always have cardboard and scrap paper, I'll keep making bookmarks that book lovers can freely help themselves to and keep using for every new book they read...TADA!

Don't you just love crafting and reading?

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Five Things for May

 Hey, hey, it's May!

One of the things I look forward to is seeing peonies bloom! Peonies are one of my favorite flowers because they can be as big as cabbages and their colors are vibrant, they unapologetically declare, "Look at me!" When I see them in a neighbor's garden or as bouquets at the supermarket, I really stop and admire them...TADA!

On May 12, we celebrate Mother's Day here in the U.S. Above is quote from the book "The Expatriates" by Janice Y. K. Lee, a book I thoroughly loved reading (and is now a drama series). Doesn't this sentence capture the essence of a mother?

To all mothers and mother-figures, thank you for your deep love and sacrifice! You all deserve a long rest on Mother's Day.

Apart from Mother's Day there are many other occasions in May. Did you know that there is a Lost Sock Day, Paper Airplane Day, and Talk like Yoda Day? You can find the full list of May celebrations here. I wonder who comes up with these? They definitely turn an ordinary day from blah to TADA!

Do you like washi tape? I have a collection and I like using them for my paper crafts. I thought this was a clever idea to keep tape rolls organized (c/o Yoseka Stationery). It's a wooden rack for plates or cooking pan lids but repurposed to house washi tape...TADA!  

Speaking of washi tape, does it ever happen to you that the washi tape has stuck to the roll, the edges are ragged from the effort of detaching, and you don't get a smooth peel? Many of my washi tape rolls suffer this condition and I found out that you can loosen the adhesive with concentrated heat. In this photo, I'm using an embossing heat tool but you can use a hairdryer, too. Apply direct heat to the tape for a few minutes (I hold the washi tape with a pair of tongs so that my fingers don't scorch) and set aside to let it cool. Magically, they heat loosens it up and it will be good as new...TADA!

Wishing you all a memorable May!