Winter Wonderland Cookie Pops

I made these for gifts for Christmas.  They are birthday cake oreos, covered with white chocolate and decorated to look like a winter wonderland :)

Tissue Paper

What a fun holiday season and I have enough tissue paper to show for it!  With about 8 sheets of tissue paper fold it like an accordion and tie a string in the middle. Cut the edge in round shapes.

 

Then gently pull away the layers and a flower is born!

 

- JM

Planetarium

I made this by popping holes into the bottom of a disposable tin pan.  I put white Christmas lights underneath and shaped it into a dome...very pretty!  

Festive Paper

It is so much fun shopping at craft stores during the holiday season.  At Paper Source I found festive paper which I cut out in different shapes and pasted on simple drawings or made collages for holiday cards, etc...

  - JM

Recycled crayons

I have been saving crayons that my kids used while at restaurants.  I melt them and put them into molds.  These ones are for a little friend of my daughter :)

Spritz with Paint!

Using a spray bottle, fill it with watercolor paint and a little bit of water.  With a real or stencil leaf, spray the paint on a paper bag.  Once dry, put an electric candle in the bag and a lantern is now created,  Place bag(s) on a window sill, deck rail, door steps, etc. and have a festive time!

Here is the link of a similar project I posted on You Tube two years ago on watercolor paper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCSaJruNxJE

~ JM


.







 

Robin eggs in nest

   I made these mini Robin's nests with acorn tops and dried grass.  For the eggs, I painted soy beans.  I used a hot glue gun to hold it all together and attached very thin string so they will hang.  I found an idea similar to this on Pinterest.

Photoshop, etc....

I am so lucky to have an art gallery/school in my neighborhood.  Browsing the course catalog I found a class dealing with Photoshop and another class using art apps on your iPad.  I took Photoshop.

The four day class focused on all the nifty things Photoshop can do like layering and filters. I created something that Andy Warhol would have done.  The Adobe website has great tutorials.


Photoshop Before

Photoshop After

Also, I researched "art apps" to see what the class was all about.  There is a whole universe of apps out there for the iPhone and iPad that are helpful to artists or for those who just want to have fun.

A free one I downloaded to my phone was ArtStudio Lite.  One can draw, paint, filter and photo edit.

ArtStudio Lite

JM



Pencil Cozy

August 2013

.

This month my goal was to learn to knit and I did this by taking classes at a cute yarn shop,  I  am not yet very good at the knitting part, but I have mastered the part of the beginning, called casting on.  I decided to swap out a knitting needle with a pencil to make a cozy pencil for winter!

Muslin Bags

There is a Paper Source store in my neighborhood and I love walking the floor looking for creative ideas.  Lo and behold, I spotted muslin bags!  There is so much to do with these!  It is porous enough to use embroidery thread and that is what I started!

 

-- JM

Hanging photo frame

I saw a similar frame at a store and thought this would be easy to make.  I used an old frame and mini clothes pins.  Nice and easy to switch out photos too!

Pictures Above the Sofa

What a great time flipping through the catalogs of Crate & Barrel and West Elm.  I tend to look at the decorative wall art above the sofa.  Here is my attempt:


My Version

Crate & Barrel

My Version

West Elm

 -- JM


Outdoor project

I have wanted to find a way of water proofing painted projects for outdoor use.  I made these signs for my kids to use in forts we made in the trees.  I used water proof modge podge, which dried nice and clear after 2 coats.

Fun With Tape

Using tape that does not have a strong adhesive is a wonderful way to create negative space with paint! 

   JM

Pipe cleaner flowers

I was looking for a fun project idea for the kids to make for Mother's day.  I came across some ideas on Pinterest such as this.  Flowers that never die :)

Pointillism Art

I remember this idea from an art theory class I took as an elementary education major student. Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Supplies include: watercolor paper, watercolor, and cotton swabs.  Lightly outline with pencil a picture you want to fill in with the dotted colors of your choice.  Below is my sample.  (It's suppose to look like an apple, pear, and orange.)

Another example is A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

~~ JM

Design Class

My goal for the longest time was to take a design class.  I just started an eight week course called "Understanding the Design Process".  It is basically a beginners class in graphic, web and multimedia design.  I am learning the theory and elements of design along with the type of computer applications that are in popular use, such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe InDesign.   These applications are expensive but it is nice to know there are other options, like using the student rate, rent by the month, or download a free 30 day trial.  This way you can practice and explore before investing in such a product.

Below is a logo I made in Adobe InDesign.  I highly recommend the 30 day trial.  Photoshop can be a lot of fun!   www.adobe.com/downloads

~ ~ JM

Hand prints

I saw something similar at Michael's craft store.  I liked the look of the black and white and I always love my kiddos hand prints :)

Edible tabletop secret garden


I made a cozy garden for our table.  The plant on the right is fresh mint and I plan to add a basil plant on the left side.  Then it will be nice and handy to snip off and add to recipes!

Violin

My creative goal this month was to learn how to play the violin!   I have always wanted to learn and now is the time.   Having experience with piano and guitar made the new instrument not too overwhelming.   Don't get me wrong -- I think it is hard. I just had my fourth lesson. Practice makes perfect!  Here is a video of my performance of  Au Claire De La Lune.
~ JM

 

 

 

Special date penny key chain

I saw this idea on Pinterest.  I found 3 pennies....one from the year my Husband and I were married and then one from the years our children were born.  I used my Husband's drill press for the 1st time (with his help) to drill the holes in each penny, which was fun!

Paper Art

I LOVE reading decorating magazines and imagine my house will look like the one on the cover.  Anyway-in the magazine there was an ad for fabric and they displayed it in a circular fan-like way.   I thought to myself, "I can do this with paper!"  Of course, I learned the hard way.  The only color paper I had was thick cardboard construction paper which made it hard to manipulate, fold and staple together (as the picture indicates I didn't quite complete--but you get the idea).  I recommend regular paper or perhaps tissue paper.  With about 8 pieces of different color paper fold them in a fan and staple until you get a full circle.  This would be great to hang from a ceiling with string for parties.

~ JM

Yarn Pom-Poms

Yarn, yarn everywhere yarn!  I searched the web under "yarn crafts" and liked the idea of pom-poms.   You can do so much once the actual shape is formed; for instance, stringing along the ceiling, sewing them on sweaters, etc...  I decided to use green wire to make flowers.  Basically wrap the yarn around like so. Once the middle is secure you cut the ends to have fray edges.

~ JM

Magnetic race track for kids

January 31, 2013

I made this surprise for my son with an old tin I had.  I glued a paper clip to a tiny car and he will be able to drive the car around the track by holding a magnet under the tin. I used scrap paper to decorate the inside.  I found a similar idea on Pinterest that had an ice skater in the tin which was very cute.  This will be a handy toy to bring to restaurants and in the car.