Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Create and play tag...



Chalk art is hot, hot, HOT right now, and I am incorporating some wood tags from Unique Laser Designs into the trend.  


I covered the tags with 4 coats of  chalkboard paint and let them dry for a few hours.




To decorate and give them that "chalkboard" look, I used white acrylic paint and a white gel pen.  You can also spot that there is an adorable red heart from Unique Laser Designs that I pre-colored/scratched with a burgundy gel pen and then pressed into a red ink pad.  The "mom" and the "Jennifer" on these tags are written with real chalk and can be erased and re-used.  So cute and perfect timing for Mother's Day--don't you think?  I'm going to hang that "I (heart) Mom" tag on a big hanging basket of flowers for my mom.

Have you made your mom something yet?

~Kelly

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Create for a teacher...

We are taking over my mom's blog today just to show you our creation using the large size "ballerinas" set from  Unique Laser Designs.  We painted a rectangle canvas (I think this is 12"x24") with swishes of white, purple, and pink acrylic paint. There are black and white rectangles on the outside that give it a fun edge.We painted the ballerinas with black acrylic paint and glued them onto the canvas after it dried.

We made this as a gift for our most awesome dance teacher Emily. The quote reads, "We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once"~Nietzsche

Remember to join in the April challenge at the Unique Laser Designs blog, you can find all the info HERE.  You can play along even if you do not have any wood embellishments from Unique Laser Designs (yet!)--just use wood or chipboard on your creation and link it up HERE.

Katie and Rachel

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Create in a circle...


I have been on a "wreath kick" lately.  Some of my door decorations have seen better days and I decided that I needed to add something fresh and bright since the calendar says SPRING (I am trying really hard to ignore the snowflakes blowing through the air today).  

I added some ribbon and material scraps to an embroidery hoop (this one is 10 inches in diameter) and it makes a happy home for these decorative bunnies from Unique Laser Designs.  I just added some bright spring colors (sage green, coral, orchid, and periwinkle blue) with acrylic paint and then hot glued them onto the grassy hoop.  A lacey bow finishes it off and my door has gotten a much needed spring makeover.  This project is so quick and easy and you could do this with any of the adorable shapes from Unique Laser Designs (like the bees, butterflies, or birds)--check them out HERE.


Don't forget about the April Challenge on the Unique Laser Designs blog.  You can join in the fun by showing us your creation made with any wood or chipboard embellishment.  You can play along even if you haven't ordered anything from Unique Laser Designs (yet!).


So, does your door need a makeover?  Please share--I'd love to see the "big reveal"!


~Kelly


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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Create with a song...






















It's been awhile since I have worked on my "Songs in My Heart" art journal.  There are lots of songs in my heart, but not a lot of 
time in my life.  But, I made some time for this song creation so that I could share this one with you as my last post on the Linnie Blooms Design Team.  I want to thank Linda Barutha for giving me the chance to play with her canvas shapes and for giving me inspiration to jump into mixed media art.


The song is "Ribbon in the Sky" (by Stevie Wonder) and it is one that right away popped into my head when I first got the idea for this song art journal.  Ribbons in a sky...

My first step was to use some water-downed inks to water color with a checkerboard stencil for the sky.  I added in some free-hand clouds using white gesso.


Next I added my rainbow ribbons that don't end in a pot of gold, but rather a shiny heart with rays shooting out.  Are you wondering what those rays are?  They are upside down birdies---Linnie Blooms shapes are so versatile!  I colored these shapes with more inks as watercolors and added some Stickles to the heart.



"This is  not a coincidence 
and far more than a lucky chance
but what it is
that was always meant
is a ribbon in the sky for our love
from now on it will be you and I
and our ribbon in the sky"


I sure had a blast playing with my Linnie Blooms shapes and I am certainly going to keep playing.  Here is just a little peak at all the FUN!





















 ~Kelly

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Monday, April 14, 2014

Create what fools the eye...



Who says that you can't celebrate April Fools Day during the whole month of April?  Over at the Chicagoland Scrapbooker blog today, I am fooling everyone with this faux-leather technique.  

It is easy peasy.  All you need is cardstock, ink, and plastic wrap.  I told you it was easy!  Squish up your plastic wrap, dab it on your ink pad, and then stamp it onto your cardstock.  The card on the left is Iced Spruce Distress Ink on gray cardstock and the card on the right is Chocolate Chip Ink from Stampin' Up on brown Kraft paper. I created the shading just by adding more or less ink and varying the pressure when I stamped.


This adorable bike is from Unique Laser Designs.  I just pushed the bike into an ink pad to get some distressed color on it.
Since I needed a masculine birthday card, I decided to hide the basket behind the cutout on my card window.  I added a clock stamp and the sentiment "time for another birthday?"...inside it says "enjoy the ride".

Have you checked out the Unique Laser Designs website yet? What are you waiting for?  Also, there is a challenge for the month of April.  You can play whether or not you have ordered from them yet?  Just show us your creation with a wood or chipboard embellishment.  You can find all of the information HERE.

Enjoy the ride!
~Kelly


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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Create for a challenge...



No fooling...I've been creating a lot!  I'm kind of addicted to these wood shapes from Unique Laser Designs.  And, it's April!  That means it is time for a new challenge over at Scrap it Girl too.  This month's challenge is "Tags or Bags".  I was going through my stash of "scrap" and found this cute board bag/box and thought it would be perfect for a surprise spring gift for a friend.  

This cute bunny is just simply colored with a white gelato.  I like how he looks a little shabby chic.


The eggs are painted with acrylic paint and then I added some Rock Candy Stickles.  I used a Fiskars border punch for some grass and it is all ready for filling with some sweet treat surprises.  


My favorite?  Starburst jelly beans.  Or Reeses Peanut Butter eggs.
How about you?  What is your Easter candy indulgence?

Also, I joined the linky yarn party over at  bugaboominimrme with my spring yarn wreath from the other day.
Join in the fun, by clicking HERE





~Kelly


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