i am an aspiring artist.

Chip-Carved Spritz Cookies

2012-01-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

My dad is a wonderful wood carver (I posted some of his works here, here, here, here, and here). While he could defnitely make money selling his carvings, he does it only as a hobby. He always makes the most gorgeous things.

Several years ago, he gave me this hand-carved cookie press, created with the "chip carving" process. It is my absolute favorite kind of wood carving he does and I just love the intricate designs.

The cookie press works the best for Spritz (Butter) Cookies, because they don't blow up and lose the designs when they're cooked. Aren't they gorgeous??

My view

2012-01-19T16:40:00.007-07:00

I love the mountains out my window. While I'm not making it out much because of my new baby, it is a beautiful view. I love looking at the changes. If I had more discipline, I'd take a picture everyday and make one of those cool GIFs, but right now, I just take a picture when something is new/different with the mt.

This weekend I dropped off one of my paintings at the Church History Museum for the final round of judging for the Annual Art Exhibit. I'm crossing my fingers!

I'm working really hard on creating my new website. Hopefully it will be up and running soon, along with a new version of my invitation website. For now, I have added some new invitation designs to my shop, including this watercolor invite and this gold glitter invite. And, in case you're looking, I discounted all my prices!! Right now, all of my invitations are only $19, and each additional design is only $10 each! Amazing! I know! Well, get it while it's hot! I'm not sure how long these prices will last!

Solo Exhibition

2012-01-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to have a solo exhibit at Cranky Chuckie's, a local restaurant. While my art has been taken down, and another fabulous artist has his art up now, I was able to take some pictures before it came down.

Watercolors

2012-01-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

I started painting when I was about eight years old. My parents set up a private class for me and that's when I first got my very own set of watercolor paints and brushes. I painted with watercolors almost exclusively until I was accepted into the Drawing and Painting Program at BYU. I know, crazy, right. Watercolor?? Well, I love it and I think it's so beautiful.

Last week I finished the very last of the watercolor tubes that my parents bought for me when I first started. Watercolors practically last forever if you use them correctly, and these babies lasted me for 16 years! They will be missed. I had some great times with you :)

Here I am painting with the new baby.

I have been painting a lot of these lately:

And here are some watercolor paintings that I have for sale on my shop: P.S. If you become a fan on Facebook, you can get a code to get free shipping for all of the paintings on my shop. Happy 2012!

Handmade Christmas

2011-12-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

I love making gifts for the holidays. I love making things, saving money, and giving gifts, so handmade Christmases are perfect for me! Here are some of the things (that I have not already posted about) that I have made for Christmas. I tried to include a link to the best page so you can do them yourself if you'd like.

My version of "the backrub shirt" as seen here. -To daddy, but for my little boys :)

Family nest ornaments, inspired by this.

Handpainted glasses/bowls. I used the same technique described here.

And, my own personal paintings.

Little Hands

2011-12-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

I love my babies' hands. They are so adorable and I love their little fingers. For every one of my baby's first Christmases, I make a handprint ornament for them. I also make one for my parents so they can have one as a lovely keepsake.

I have made these with salt dough, but they crack really easily the older they get. I bought some foam clay a few years ago, but due to some really dumb decisions, I accidentally made super sticky ornaments that never dried. This year I re-did the ornaments I made a few years ago, and made some new ones for my little baby. I bought some air-drying porcelain-like clay and it worked like a charm!

Baby Girl

2011-12-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished two baby girl quilts. I made them using the vintage fabric I got from my grandma and I'm so excited to give them to my niece and my cousin's baby!

Christmas Tags

2011-11-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

I have been working on some lovely and unique gift tags for the holiday season. I have 8 different Christmas gift tag and cards available in PDF form in my shop. Great for all the people on your Christmas list without spending a lot of money-- just print as many as you'd like at home.

Also, for all of you, I am offering a Buy one, Get one free deal on all of my Christmas gift tags and card PDFs. That means that you buy one of my PDFs for only $2.99 and you get to pick another to receive for FREE! This offer is only good through the end of November. Let me know when you check out which free design you'd like.

I'm not putting this deal on my shop page, so it's just word-of-mouth/word-of-internet. Feel free to tell everyone about it, but remember-- only through November! Merry early Christmas!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

2011-11-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

This week is Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays! I love Thanksgiving because it's a holiday about family, friends, love, gratitude, and home. It's not as commercially gutted like Christmas is (though I DO love Christmas!), and it's a down to earth, back to home-cooking, wonderful family time holiday.

Last year I make a cornucopia for my Thanksgiving decorations, and I wanted to re-post it for anyone that missed it. Enjoy this week!

Inspiration Board - Orange Blossom

2011-11-13T14:17:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to do this for a while, and I'm just now getting around to it- making inspiration boards for weddings! I love looking at them and seeing all of the great ideas, and with Pinterest, it just gets better!

I'm going to be making inspiration boards for some of my most popular invitation designs. Most of the pictures are coming off of Pinterst, so I'm doing my best to document where they're coming from.
Clockwise from top left: (table settings) Amber Sargent, (orange dress) Kendall Carter, (center, tree) Mindy Andrew, my own invitation design "Orange Blossom," (cake pops) Becca Heistad, (flowers) Jamie Stange, (cake) Ann Rawlings, (table) Jacinta S.

Look what I made

2011-11-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've been a little out of commission with the whole art-making-thing, but I wanted to show you what I DID make recently:

Eye-belly Maternity Halloween Shirt Tutorial

2011-10-22T14:42:00.001-06:00

I have been in search of a fun maternity "costume" (simple and not too dressed up) and while there are some cute ideas out there, I felt that most of them weren't unique enough for me. This is the first time I've been pregnant for Halloween (and very much so!) and I wanted to have fun with it. I came up with this Eyeball belly shirt and not only was it simple, but I think it's pretty unique and fun too.

1. Get a $1.00 t-shirt from a thrift store, or use one you already have. (P.S. Completely blank shirts work the best. I used a shirt that has a logo on it for my little boy --see at the end of the post-- and it can cause some issues if the logo is too big to cut out completely.) Also, cut out the eye shape out of one fabric, and the iris shape (circle) out of a second.

2. I took the sides of the shirt in a little bit too, so the shirt conformed around my belly a little more. Put the shirt on inside out and pin the sides and also where you want the eyeball to be. I put my pin just barely above my belly button.

3. Sew the iris onto the eye fabric. I sewed it on really simply, no stretch stitch or anything. I did quilt it a little so the fabrics were secured together.

4. While the shirt is still inside out, pin the eye face-down right where you want the eye to be.

5. Baste the eye all the way around. This was a super important step for me because the t-shirt was stretchy fabric, and the eye fabric was not. Basting saved me a lot of trouble.

6. After the eye shape was basted in on the inside of the shirt, flip the shirt right-side out and trace over the basting stitch with a stretch stitch. The basting stitch also worked out as the perfect guidelines while keeping the eye in place.

Here's what the eye shape looked like inside out, after the stretch stitch was finished.

And this is what the shirt looked like right-side out.

7. With the shirt right-side out, carefully cut out the excess fabric inside the eye shape. I liked the look better where I wasn't cutting it super close to the stitches. Make sure you're only cutting through the top fabric.

Tada! So cool right?!?

8. Now I added a pupil to my eye, and I used the extra black fabric that I just cut off the eye. I think it looks great and so fun!

In fact, it was so cool, that everyone else wanted one too:

This eye was on the back of my hubby's shirt:

(For my little boy's shirt, I had a huge red and blue logo that I couldn't quite cut all out. Because of it, I had to add some "eye lids" to cover it up. More work for the same look, but oh well.)

I made all three in one afternoon, and I didn't even plan on making them all. If I had planned and organized it all, all three shirt could have probably taken me about an hour and a half. Like I said, so easy. Have fun and make your own eye-belly shirt this year!

October

2011-10-11T15:14:00.000-06:00

The weather is getting a little cooler and the mountains are just as beautiful. We've moved and in the mean time, all of my paintings are staying all bundled up, which is a little bit sad. Hopefully they won't be like that for long!

I haven't done a whole lot of art since the move (I am making a baby after all), but I have still been doing a lot on Pinterest. Follow me and get some great DIY ideas for your home, the holidays (especially Halloween!), and other things.

Stockings

2011-09-28T15:24:00.000-06:00

With all of this busyness and getting ready for Christmas early (because we're moving and I'm trying to finish all my projects before the move), why not make some stockings?

My mom is in town. She made us our gorgeous stockings the year we were married. When our baby was born, she made another matching one. Now this year, with another baby coming, she brought her sewing stuff so we could make another one together. We ended up making two (so we didn't have to pull out all the stuff again next time around), and they are just so beautiful! I love these stockings so much!

I especially love the fun touch of having these unique hand-made bells on each of the little kid stockings. My mom came up with the idea and I love them.

I am so excited for Christmas now!

Sewing

2011-09-26T09:49:00.000-06:00

I've been sewing a lot lately-- "like a mad woman" actually. I'm trying so hard to get all of my projects finished before I pack them and my sewing machine up for a while. Here's what I've done these last two weeks:
-5 potholders
-2 little boy aprons (with cute car fabric!)
-a fitted toddler bed sheet from the same cute car fabric
-a matching pillow case for my little boy
-a few little girl flower hair clips
-3 make-up bags
-a fun purple purse for a 3 year old girl's birthday
-5 "I Spy" bags for Christmas presents

Wedding Stationary - What you need

2011-09-10T17:29:00.001-06:00

"What do I need?" "Do I really need that?" "When do I send these out?" ...are all questions I get asked at lot by brides-to-be. For most of those brides, it's their first time doing it, and they really don't know what to expect and what is necessary vs. just nice to have. Here is a list that I hope you find helpful when planning your wedding (in relative order to when the paper goods need to be purchased and sent out):

-P.S. I have two categories here--

a. for a longer engagement (at least 3 months) with a sit-down-meal, full reception, possible destination wedding with all the works

b. for a shorter, more-budget-wise ceremony and reception/open house.

1. Save-the-Dates

a. A must, especially if you are having a destination wedding; guests need time to save up for the travel costs involved and to get the extended time off work. Most of the people will probably not have any idea that you're getting married until they receive the Save-the-Date, so give plenty of notice for all. Send out a nice card or postcard with the names, dates, and location of the wedding. You'll want to send these out about 3 months before your invitations will be sent out (so about 6 months before you're wedding), or give double the time for a destination wedding (about a year notice).

b. For shorter engagements and a more quiet celebration, Save-the-Dates are not necessary, but are nice. I really like having the option of emailing the Save-the-Date to your guests. This cuts down on designing, printing, and postage costs, as well as time for them to be created and shipped. If you do want to send out Save-the-Dates on this shortened time table, email or send them out about 2-3 months before your invites.

2. Invitations and Announcements

a. The Biggie. There are so many different options for your wedding invitation, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the choices. Most are simply a piece of paper with the bride and groom's names, the wedding location, time, and a few other things, but I've seen some invitations that are entire pamphlets, fold-outs, and even bound books. The sky is the limit and let your imagination roam! Some guests like to see photos of the happy couple, while others tend to go for a more traditional feel. It's up to you, but you'll absolutely NEED to send these, if you want guests, that is. Send invitations out about 3-4 months before the wedding so guests can make arrangements to be there.

b. For smaller parties, it might not be an option to invite everyone and their dog to celebrate. In this case, some brides like to inform people of their wedding without actually inviting them to wine and dine. If you fall into this category, an announcement is more what you need (along with invitations). When you send out invitations, about 1-2 months before the date, you'll also send out the announcements to those loved ones that will not be invited. For those getting announcements, Save-the-Dates are not sent.

*Temple Weddings-- for you LDS gals out there, you will definitely need to include a separate invitation for guest of the ceremony, even if it is just a little business-card-sized paper. Because of the limited seating and other qualifications to attend a temple wedding, guests need to definitely know if they are invited to the ceremony, along with the location and arrival time, as this will be different than the reception location and time.

Inclusions to the Invitation

3. RSVP Cards

a. You'll need these. The last thing you want is to have a caterer plan a meal for 200 people and have 400 show up, or visa versa. Send these simple cards out with your invitations to ensure that you plan for as few or as many people as will actually come to your wedding. RSVP cards are a lot cheaper than empty settings at the table.

b. You probably won't need these. Unless you have a location that has limited occupancy, you can probably get away with the simple word-of-mouth RSVP or just simple guesswork.

4. Reception Cards

I consider these pretty optional. If your wedding ceremony is at a different location or time than the reception will be, and you can't fit all of the information on the initial invitation, it might be nice to include a reception card. While they are an added expense to an expensive day, you might want to consider purchasing them if some guest are included to the ceremony but not the reception. If everyone is invited to everything, then I'd recommend tring to fit all the information on the invite and ditching the extra cost.

5. Insert Cards

These are pretty much whatever you want them to be-- maps, directions, info about parking, accommodations, local sight-seeing, a website address, and anything else you can think of. Some people even choose to have a small insert card tell guests where they are registered for gifts, but others consider this a wedding no-no (it's up to you).

For the Ceremony and Celebration

6. Programs

Let's say that you have a very structured agenda and you want everyone to know that you'll be greeting guests for an hour before you cut the cake, but you want everyone to stick around for the cake-cutting. That would be the perfect time for a program. It's to help the guests feel like guests, and to know what's going on. The same goes for ceremonies that may be unfamiliar to some guests, like an inter-religious/ inter-cultural marriage. Sometimes it's nice to be able to do a little explaining about why you chose to include certain elements into your reception, without going around with a megaphone.

7. Menus

If you're having a sit-down meal, then yes. If you're having a catered buffet, then yes. If you're having a home-made buffet for an open-house style reception, then you can if you want. If you're debating whether to have one or not, it's better to do it, then to have everyone asking you, "What's this?" during your special day. There are lots of options too. You don't have to do the traditional menu that sits on each plate, you could choose to have a big poster with everything listed or little flags in each dish.

8. Table Numbers and Place Cards

For very large crowds and an organized feel, table numbers or place cards are nice. They create a sense of order in something that may very well turn chaotic. Also, it helps to eliminate those awkward one-empty-chair-here-and-another-empty-chair-over-there things that sometimes happen if guests are allowed to choose their own seats. Make sure that whatever you do decide on, the numbers or name cards are easy to see and read.

There are so many ideas floating around out there for every one of these stationary options. If you're looking for ideas, follow my wedding boards on Pinterest for great ideas no matter what your taste.

These are just a few of my wedding designs. You can see lots more, along with photos of my finalized projects on my website.

Cranky Chuckie's

2011-09-03T13:00:00.001-06:00

I am so excited for this opportunity I have to curate a new restaurant that is opening up soon. While we still have a lot of work to do before it's officially opening, I am already starting to look for artists that would like their art displayed. Here is some brief info if you're interested in exhibiting your artwork at this new restaurant!

How to turn a hand-drawing into a digital pattern (originally posted Oct 14, 2010)

2011-08-23T14:28:00.003-06:00

This week is super busy for me and while I'm doing some of my other work, I thought it might be interesting for you to see a post that I did a while ago about how I make my hand-drawn patterns.
---

Today is a really special post where I'm going to show you some secrets of my hand drawings in my wedding invitations. I have a degree in Drawing and Painting and, naturally, the skills and style that I create in my paintings leak into the designs for my wedding invitations. I have always been drawn to geometric designs and repetitive patterns. It wasn't until I was in college that my father showed some of his sketches (he studied art a very little bit in college before switching to be a computer engineer) and surprise! he also is deeply interested in geometry, lines, and patterns! I feel like it was meant to be!

(one of my intaglio prints where I incorporated one of my father's (and my grandfather's) design into my own)

Well, with all of that background, I'll start to explain my wedding invitation designs. While all of my designs are not hand-drawn, I feel I am unique because a lot of the designs and ideas are directly from my personal sketchbooks. It's very hard to find a unique and personal feeling wedding invitation out there, and my hand-drawn designs are perfect just for that! In the future, I will be drawing and producing many more hand-drawn designs for my wedding invitations. I want to have a plethora of great modern and yet down-to-earth designs for all brides to choose from.

A couple years before I started my business, I was sketching all the time, but I was having a really tough time getting my designs to be repetitive. It was a lot of experimentation and a lot of failures. And then one day, I happened upon this miracle of a post by Julia. Seriously, she made my life so much easier, not to mention how hooked I got at creating repeating drawings.

To sum it up, Julia teaches a simple pen and paper way to create a repeating drawing where the paper is cut and taped together. I love using this technique because it allows me to draw the design with my own hands (not relying on a computer to do the work for me). I give me a great sense of accomplishment and I love how it looks. I provided some close-up pictures so you can see how I actually cut and taped the paper back together. The flower pattern is a lot more cut-and-paste than the paisley, but they both use the same basic technique.

After I finish the design, I then scan it into the computer to erase little mistakes and color the design. I could color it by hand, but I enjoy being able to change the colors and modify the design to my needs.

Once the designs are finished, I incorporate them into my wedding invitations. Here are just three of the wedding invitations that use some of my hand-drawings. There are several more invitations on my website that utilize my hand-drawings, and you can look for even more coming up in the future!

University Art Auction

2011-08-20T10:25:00.000-06:00

I was able to participate in the first ever University Art Auction this week. It was a good experience and I hope to be able to participate more in the future. There were so many interesting artists there and it was fun to mingle.

Art Auction!

2011-08-18T05:00:00.005-06:00

I have been painting a lot, and now you can enjoy my efforts! I want to remind all of you about the Art Auction TONIGHT that I'm going to be selling some of my paintings in. The details are laid out here.

Come, enjoy some food and great art! All of the art has been created by students and recent graduates in the area. What a great way to get some original art in your home or give it as a gift for a loved one for a very decent price.

See you there!

Pink and Black (and bling!)

2011-08-17T21:21:00.000-06:00

I finished some super cute Sex and the City themed table cards for a bridal shower. I'm super excited about how they turned out! Aren't they cute? And I love the little rhinestones! These table cards were based on these table numbers on my etsy shop.

Boy Cape

2011-08-16T15:40:00.002-06:00

I am thinking about Christmas gifts and I need to finish some of them earlier (since I might not be able to get to my sewing machine for a while). I made a cute little blue cape for my little boy, and then I decided to make another for one of his little buddy's birthdays.

Here is my boy trying the cape on for size. Now we put it away until Christmas and it will be just like brand new!

I weighted the end of the capes with pennies because I used really thin fabric scraps I had. Then I detailed zig-zags across for a fun generic "superhero" effect.

Baby boy quilt finished!

2011-08-15T15:40:00.002-06:00

I finally finished my little baby boy quilt that I started a while ago. While it's not exactly what I have envisioned but I'm going to have to settle. With the stress of moving and having a baby (among other things) I decided that I can't do as much hand-stitching as I was originally hoping for. I still really love it and I am not sure if I'll hand-quilt another quilt or not; it took a lot more time and my fingers were hurting. I'm obviously not as used to all the needlepoint as some of my ancestors were-- I know, I'm spoiled.

I put a cute little name block on the back of the quilt so baby knows it's his from his mommy :)

Only three months left and it's going to be quite an eventful three months. (moving, changing job(s), new school semester, new church congregation, new neighborhood) Yikes!

Secret Project

2011-08-13T14:00:00.007-06:00

I'm working on a super secret project. I'm busy at work and you'll be seeing more sneak peeks coming up!

Art Auction!

2011-08-12T16:56:00.000-06:00

I wanted to let you know about an art auction that I'm going to be selling these 4 paintings in! I'm so excited and I had the chance to meet some of the other participating artists last week. It's going to be a great auction!

Here's some info:

Thursday, August 18, 2011 from 5-8pm. The auction will take place upstairs in the Bullock Room of the Provo City Library (550 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah).

ALL art is for sale through a silent auction. In order to bid, there is a $3 fee to receive a bidder's number. All art was created by students or recently graduated students in the Utah county area.

Cash, Checks, and Cards (+2% if cards are used) are all accepted.

There will be door prizes and light refreshments.

Visit the website to see a list of artists, as well as their artwork that will be for sale. http://universityartauction.com/catalog.html

A few pieces of art may be previewed at 260 W. Center Street in Provo, UT (across from Taylor Maid).

We'd love to see you (and any of your friends) there! If possible, please RSVP through our Facebook event so we can get numbers for the refreshments and such.
This is during BYU's Education Week, so if you know anyone that will be in town for Education Week, please send them over to buy some art!

facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/nraevsky#!/groups/179818308755772/
facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/nraevsky#!/event.php?eid=243562172342868

Sex and the City Bridal Shower

2011-08-11T17:38:00.000-06:00

Working on a custom design for a client. Love the fun, feminine idea, based on these table numbers I did (also on my shop).

I drew them by hand, scanned them, and now I'm adjusting the design digitally.
-the scanned hand-drawings:

-the proofs (still not quite finished yet):

Also, I posted almost 20 printable baby announcements on my shop. Download, customize them yourself and print! This is just ONE of my many designs on my shop: Cute, isn't it?

Downloadable Wedding Invitations

2011-08-08T12:56:00.000-06:00

I am in the process of making all of my wedding designs available for download. I have many of them on my shop and they're super easy to customize:
1. download
2. customize with PhotoShop or Microsoft Publisher (depending on the design)
3. print!

I'm also going to be making tutorial videos on how exactly to customize your design, so you can watch it and do it all yourself. So exciting!

Right now I have 48 of my wedding designs on my shop! This is a great alternative to expensive designer invitations! I'm so excited!

Inspiration Boards

2011-08-03T10:39:00.001-06:00

I love inspiration boards. I think they are just beautiful and I enjoy looking at the collections that are put together. I also love finding links to my invitations in inspiration boards! It makes me so happy. Here are some that I found recently:

http://blog.weddingwire.com/index.php/weddings/inspiration-board-apricot-pink-grapefruit/

http://theeventstylingcompany.com/blog/2010/12/fingerprint_tree_weddin/

P.S. I'm happy to link back to you if you have a link to me. Just send me a quick email and I'll check out your website/blog!

Templates

2011-08-01T11:18:00.001-06:00

I have been off the grid for a while here, but I have had a lot of things on my plate. Here's just a taste of what I've been doing:

I have just placed several of my wedding invitation designs on my etsy shop to be downloaded as customizable templates! Download the designs yourself for an easy way to change the colors, size, and text, as well as getting my designs at a super great price! This is great news for all those Do-it-Yourself brides out there. I'll be adding more and more this week, but go and take a look!

I pin awesome pictures and tutorials and stuff to Pinterest almost everyday, so follow me! Don't know what Pinterest is? It's a virtual pin-board, where you can keep track of all of those great photos and links to the original websites all in one place, and without taking up space on your computer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

(this is an old picture. I have more boards, followers, likes, and pins now)

I am currently taking students for private and semi-private art lessons. I'm willing to work with your schedule to do lessons every week, once every other week, or even once a month. I will be teaching drawing, watercolor, and/or acrylic painting, just let me know what you'd like to learn! Also, a tiny detail: Lessons will be taught at my home, so you'll probably want to be living in Utah county.

I made some beautiful seashell wedding invitations, RSVPs, and insert cards for a sister of mine! I love the hot pink envelopes! So excited!

I'm getting ready for an art show this month. I have four pieces in the University Art Auction, open to anyone that would like to purchase original artwork from students and recently-graduated students in Utah. I can't wait to see all of the art that is there and you should definitely come if you're in the area. The artwork is bound to be a great price! We have our first meeting this week, and then I can let you know some more information about this upcoming auction!

I'm making a baby and I'm pretty ~~lazy~~ exhausted, but I am still hand-quilting my baby's quilt, but it is looking great and I think I'll be done pretty soon. Pictures to come.

Well, that was my busy week and I'm looking forward to this next one!

Chevron quilt finished

2011-07-25T10:33:00.001-06:00

I finally finished the chevron quilt that I started months ago. I've had the top pieced for a while now, I just needed to quilt it. I love the colors and the zig zags!

New Wedding Designs

2011-07-18T20:10:00.000-06:00

I have several new designs up on my website for Wedding Invitations! Check them out and please don't hesitate to give out my info to any brides you know!

quilting

2011-07-18T20:08:00.000-06:00

I have just finished quilting two quilts and I am so happy to share them! I didn't piece the quilts, I'm just quilting them now that the tops are finished. I just love the bear paw design in the first quilt!

This second quilt I quilted with my signature leaf pattern throughout the whole thing. I'm enjoyed working on these sooo much and I can't wait to see them totally finished (binding).

I do have some of my own quilts coming up sometime in the near future. Hang in there, and make sure to fill out the poll in the sidebar about GIVEAWAYS! -->

Painting Winner

2011-07-13T18:04:00.002-06:00

TIFFANY! Congratulations! I'm super happy to be giving these paintings away to you and I can't wait to see what you do with them!
Also, for all of you who didn't win, don't lose hope: I'll be having more giveaways!

Hand-quilting

2011-07-12T15:42:00.000-06:00

Slow going, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Giveaway and Poll

2011-07-12T14:32:00.000-06:00

I don't have much to show, but I wanted to remind you about my painting giveaway that is closing tonight! Go comment for a chance to win a set of my paintings!

Also, I started a simple poll, in my right sidebar ---------->
that will be running for a while. I just want to get some feedback about possibly starting up a monthly giveaway. Please let me know your opinion so I can make all of my followers happy!

Baby Boy Quilt

2011-07-05T15:35:00.000-06:00

We have recently found out that we're having a boy and so the next step is making a baby quilt! I made a quilt for our first baby, and we were able to bring him home from the hospital in the quilt. I love being able to give my babies something that I made them that they can have forever.

The nice thing about this quilt, made entirely from scraps! And I don't know what got into me, but I'm thinking I'm going to hand-quilt this one, so I'll show you the finished project in, ohhh, a year or so. I really want to have it done by the baby's birth, so November, but I've never quilted anything by hand, so we'll see. Wish me luck!

Also, here's a REMINDER for my painting giveaway! Tell everyone you know!

Painting Pair Giveaway! CLOSED

2011-06-27T13:42:00.003-06:00

I know this is a long time coming, but here it is: a painting giveaway!! I'm excited to give away this beautiful mixed media painting pair.

I created these paintings last year as I was doing a pattern and mixed media study. They were in preparation for a solo painting exhibition.

Both are on heavy-weight arches paper, and have been created with a combination of watercolor, ink, beeswax, and oil paint. They both have actual texture created by the beeswax to make a truly unique conversation piece that will fit in practically every color scheme. As long as the pieces are framed properly and kept out of direct sunlight/heat, they will last forever. I love the rich browns, maroons, and reds that are variant throughout the pieces.

Both paper sizes are about 10x11.5" and the image sizes are 4" x 5.5" and 4x4". They are not framed.

To enter this giveaway:
1. be awesome and leave a comment.
2. follow my blog and then leave a comment saying you did so.
3. invite 5 others to follow my blog, and then leave a commend saying you did so.
4. put my gadget on your blog or website (you can get it in the right sidebar) and then leave a message saying you did so.
(you may have up to 4 comments on this post to give yourself more of a chance of winning)

Things to keep in mind: I will email the winner after the drawing closes. Make sure you leave your email address in the comment section, or check to make sure that your profile is NOT private so I can get your email that way.
- I will only ship these to the Continental USA.
- Also, if I get a lot of good comments and feedback, I will post more giveaways as well as credit toward my shop.

This giveaway will end at midnight on July 12th, so you have two weeks to start commenting, following, and inviting away! Have fun!

Don't forget to check out my shop! I am continuously posting new paintings for sale!

Lately

2011-06-23T21:13:00.000-06:00

Baby and I did some coloring the other day and I pulled out my oil pastels. I LOVE these pastels. I got them from a boy that had a crush on me in my first grade class. He was Korean and brought them back for me all the way from Korea. I just love the Korean details on the paper wrappings and I can't believe that I've held on to them for so long :)

I had the opportunity to make some baby announcements for a friend of ours and they are so cute! I especially love all the pink!

I've been helping friends with their quilts, so I don't have a whole lot to show you that I've done, other than this fun faux lamp! I got the idea and tutorial from here. It's a mini version than the one in the tutorial, and it's out of left-over pearl white Letra paper (thick letterpress paper) instead of the wax paper, but I just love it!

SALE!

2011-06-10T13:17:00.000-06:00

I'm having a fabulous sale! Hooray! And here are the details:

If you order any baby announcement or printed wedding invitations (as single-sided 4x6" postcards) from me before the end of Saturday June 11th, you'll get 30% or more off!!!

Designs are on my website, and here are the prices for designing, printing, and shipping:

100-$42.00
250-$52.00
500-$63.00
more numbers and prices, just ask!

Email me what you'd like to order, and I'll place a listing on etsy.com.

Genealogy of Color

2011-06-01T23:11:00.000-06:00

My latest work:
The Genealogy of Color. 32x36" oil.

I also painted more on this old classic, bringing it closer to being "finished." I've had it hanging on my walls for the last year, and every time I look at it, I think it's not finished. I'm still not convinced that it's there yet.
Blue Closet. oil. 11x15"

Hidden Handprint Tie

2011-05-20T17:02:00.000-06:00

For Father's Day this year, J asked for another matching tie with baby. I was glad for the opportunity to be able to make both of my boys looks cute! And, then I decided to make another matching one for my own Father, hooray! I wanted baby to be able to help with the present, so here's what I came up with: hidden handprint ties.

My first idea was to have baby help me draw on fabric and then make the tie, but I didn't think either one of the grown ups would be happy to wear that tie, so here's my alternative. It's cute, and with the hidden hand-print, baby was able to help make the gifts unique and fun without taking away from the overall traditional feel of the tie.

Simple instructions:
1. Cut out your tie from fun fabric. I like thicker fabrics, but if you do a thin or silky fabric, you'll need a liner in the middle. Hint* cut up an old tie or find a pattern to get the right size and length. I used a thicker, antique fabric from my grandmother that I LOVE. It's more durable (I also made the high chair cover from it), and I didn't need a liner in the tie.

2. Cut small triangles for the insides of the tie. I had baby print his hand-print on them with paint and then sealed the fabric with spray sealer.

3. Sew the triangles to the ties with the right sides in. Then flip.

4. Iron the tie into shape. This is VERY important. I've been lazy in the past and just started sewing, and it didn't work very easily at all.
-Iron a small fold on the longer side. This will fold over and no raw edges will show.

5. Hand sew down the middle seam on the back, making the stitches as invisible as possible, but tucking the stitches into either side, and make sure that you don't stick the needle through the front.

6. Give and enjoy!

Just finished

2011-05-19T20:46:00.000-06:00

Boston. mixed media. 25.5x9"

Family Ties. mixed media. 32x36"

A Whole Slew of Paintings

2011-05-18T16:03:00.002-06:00

are available on my shop. So many of them are brand spanking new, so go check it out!

Also, I've been doing quite a bit of work. Here's a sneak peek:

And one more thing, I'm itching to have giveaway, so stay tuned in!

Getting there

2011-05-13T21:45:00.000-06:00

The chevron quilt I've been working on is almost there! The top is almost finished; I think I'm going to put a white boarder around the outside, and then quilting it!

Also, I'm working on a fun Father's Day gift that I'll post about soon!

Free Mother's Day Cards

2011-05-03T20:17:00.000-06:00

I have posted seven new Mother's Day Cards on my website for you to download, edit (if you'd like), and print at home. I am so excited and I hope you let everyone know about these FREE cards. Perfect to print and send out in time for Mother's Day this Sunday!

Not much

2011-05-03T20:13:00.000-06:00

is going on here, sadly. Except for the big news that we're having a baby! So exciting! But because of it, I haven't been doing much art. Hopefully I'll start to feel better and I'll have more to show you, but until then...

-a chevron quilt,

-gorgeous lilacs,

-and succulents,

-and some close-ups of two of my pieces that hang on my walls.

Remember, you can always look at my artwork on my website. I update it regularly.

Quilting and Getting ready for Easter

2011-04-18T16:25:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've made any quilts and I've definitely been feeling that itch. I got some beautiful fabric for Christmas and I finally made an adorable little quilt from it. It'd be perfect for a little girl!
--Interested in having it for yourself? It's not on etsy yet, but let me know.

Also, I have been wanting a new bedspread. While I absolutely LOVE the one that I made when I got married, I'm just in need of a summer change. I am using more fabric from my grandmother to make a visually lighter quilt for our bed. I feel like I've been cutting fabric ALLL day, and now I'm ready for a break. I'll get to sewing some other day.

I try to sketch quilts out in my little graphing paper notebook. While I could definitely do it from just in my head (like the little girl quilt above), I'm really really really bad at figuring out how much fabric and how many pieces I'll need for a big, queen-size quilt. So I work very hard to get it as close to prefect as I can (I don't calculate in the seams and stuff, that's just too crazy) and then I go from there. Usually it's pretty close, and it's fun to go back and look at all of the sketches I did for past quilts I've made. I also have a quilt journal (keep a photo and info about each quilt I've made) that I love. Do you keep a quilt journal?

Now I'm going to read for pleasure (I just started this fabulous book) and I've been boiling and blowing out eggs to get ready to decorate Easter eggs tonight with friends! We've been reading from our own Easter Advent Book every night to prepare for Easter this Sunday. I just love the history and symbolism of the holiday and the week preceding it. What do you do to get ready for Easter?

Working on...

2011-04-07T21:28:00.000-06:00

and a close up:

Details

2011-03-31T20:13:00.000-06:00

Here are some close-ups of a painting that I'm working on. The weather was gorgeous today so I painted outside!

This and That

2011-03-30T12:38:00.000-06:00

The weather is still being a little finicky, but at least it looks beautiful most days :) I just love the beautiful mountains that I can see out most of the windows of my house. The views are just gorgeous.

I have this wonderful stained-glass in my front window that my mother made for me. I love looking at the different glasses and gazing out at the world through them.

Also, I have made some super simple draw-string bags to hold a lot of baby's toys in; you know: blocks, cut fruit, mega-blocks, and puzzles. I am so tired of them being all over the house even when he's not playing with them, and they fit nicely into this toy box I found at the DI.

Funny thing: the toy box has the initials S.A.R. on the side in cut wood. Coincidentally, the "R" part fits perfectly, so J joked that we might eventually have to name one of our kids with an "S" name and an "A" middle name.

We don't have enough toys (thankfully) for bins, but I'd really like to eventually have our toys separated in clear Rubbermaids. What do you do to organize your toys?

P.S. I watched "Shark Tank" this last week (LOVE that show), and heard about toygaroo for the first time. (Like Netflix for TOYS!) AMAZING! I wish I had thought of it!

No-Sew Easter Baskets

2011-03-29T14:59:00.003-06:00

In my family, everyone had an Easter basket every year. We would wake up to the wonderful smell of breakfast on the glorious Sunday morning, and find our Easter basket, which was hidden (like our stockings at Christmas) and filled with candy and small toys. (We'd also always get a dress with a purse [or church clothes for the boys], pj's, and underwear! So fun!) The best part was figuring out whose basket was whose. Because we sometimes got new baskets (and we always re-used already owned ones) they were never marked except for the tiny presents inside. We'd find a basket only to realize that we think the basket was for my older sister, for instance. It was a wonderful tradition, and one that I'd love to continue when my babies get old enough to enjoy it.

With Easter quickly approaching, I haven't been able to find a basket that I really like for baby's basket this year. So, I decided to make one.

Cut a few different fabrics into 2" strips.

Iron those strips into bias tape (of sorts), so the raw edges are folded in.

For this basket, I used strips that were about 2' long. I used 14 each direction for the base, weaving them together.

Once the base was satisfactory, I continued weaving, bending the fabric up to form a wall. It was a little difficult to get it the right shape, but work with it. I had some trouble so I used an embroidery hoop to hold the sides up for a bit. If my sides were any taller, it would really have come in handy.

As you are weaving, go around in a continuous loop, knotting new fabric strips when you run out. I tried doing it without knotting them (just keeping tucked in), and it didn't work. They kept slipping out, so knot them. Besides, the knots are kind of cute.

On the last pass, tie two of the pieces shooting straight up (to form the sides) around the top most woven fabric. Tie around the entire top. Finished!

I made some adorable glitter eggs for some decorations. I used modge podge and tissue paper on a plastic generic egg. Then before the modge podge dried, I put glitter on them. The glitter is still coming off everywhere, so I'm going to spray a clear coat of acrylic sealer on them. I haven't decided if I'll cut them open to use them, or leave them as is for decoration only.

Enjoy!

This post has been featured on http://www.allfreeholidaycrafts.com/Easter-Baskets/Woven-Fabric-Easter-Basket

Watercolor prints

2011-03-26T20:00:00.000-06:00

I have these very cute watercolor prints up on my etsy site. They would be a perfect gift for a wedding, or a baby shower, or anniversary! Or, if you love them, put them up in your own home!

simple watercolors

2011-03-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

I've been noticing a lot of those graphic posters with the one color and white letters. I thought it would be nice to pull out my watercolors and try my hand at some. They're definitely more painterly then the ones floating around the internet, but I like it better. (photo of them in progress)

What do you think? Here are a few:

I'm thinking of putting them up on etsy. Yes? No?

Working

2011-02-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

getting ready for some upcoming shows...

Wedding Invitations online

2011-02-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, I posted about my wedding invitation website being down. Well, that's still the case, but now you can look at all of the designs on my painting website here. I know it sounds a little complicated, but when is life not complicated?
If you are interested or have any questions, just direct them my way!

Being an Artist-Mom

2011-02-16T14:17:00.003-07:00

Once people find out that I am a stay-at-home mom and an artist, the first question they have (after the inevitable "Artist? Like, do you actually sell paintings?" question,) is "How do you have time to paint?" It's not easy, but I feel like it's well worth the effort.

*Update* After I posed this, I came across this perfect quote:

Being an artist is a scary thing to declare; it's much easier being a plumber or engineer or doctor. Not in doing...but in telling. When you say "I'm a plumber", everyone knows what you do. Same with a doctor or engineer. Most know why you do it and probably how much you make.

But when you say "I am an artist," peoples minds go mad, they twirl and shake and tilt listlessly. You can see the wonder in the air escaping their wordless lips, on the ends of their hair. You can see their confused portraits and the way they shake, trying to stand.

Still, the artist prevails.

source

Most days I don't paint at all. I try to, but it just doesn't work out. Chores, dishes, laundry, errands, and just life get in the way, but I do try to set aside time to my occupation-- because that's what it is. I feel that my occupation is just as valuable as a non-stay-at-home mom's is, and I try to treat it that way. So what do I do to make that happen?

(photo from fall 2010)

-I follow art blogs, forums, and websites. I keep current with what is going on around me, including calls for entries, websites of inspiring artists, even political info that's relevant. This keeps be from being swallowed up in being a mom and actually current with today's events. Not only is art very much about what is happening and fashionable today, but it keeps me motivated and interested (and keeps me from becoming too stale in my artwork).

-I talk to other artists. I love meeting new artists and learning how they use and form their creativity. Their ideas often spur more of my own ideas and that pressures me to keep it up.

-On busy days, if I can't get to my easel, I think about my painting. I don't have a studio (I paint in my basement), and so every time I come down the stairs, I see my painting. Being able to see my painting every few minutes, or hours at the very least, keeps it presently at the front of my mind. When I have five minutes and I don't have time to pull out my paints, I sit and stare at my painting and take note of what I need to work on so when I do have a few minutes, I can jump right in.

-I put on a movie. For my baby that is. My baby doesn't watch a lot of television. In fact, most days the TV isn't on at all. While I feel that it is important to not have the TV on, I value my talents and every few days Baby gets to watch a movie, or just play with toys by himself, while I paint. It gives me about an hour (if I'm lucky) to do something with my art.

-Two words: Nap Time. The beauty of a schedule, as most any mom will tell you and take advantage of it! Even if I don't do anything else that day (aside from motherly duties), I know I can count on an hour or more where I can paint if I choose to. Sometimes I'll take that time to update my calls for entries or website or blog.

There are so many people that I talk to and know that tell me "I wish I had something that I can do from home while being a mom." As an artist, you don't need to put away your art when you become a mom. I feel it is just as important to remember who you are and do things that help your own person flourish, as you do to help your children do the same.

How to follow blogs and still have time

2011-02-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I am an avid Google Reader user. It has saved my life from an excess of unused time and web searching. I don't have a ton of time in a day, and so when I to get a few spare moments, I love to look at all of the wonderful blogs out there. Because I do have a lot to do (other than being a mom), I try to only be on the computer when baby's asleep- aka: an hour or two during nap time, and after 7pm. Even during those times, I need to paint and sew and clean and cook and read and spend time with hubby, so you get the point.

Anyway, with all of that said, right now I am avidly keeping up with over 75 blog subscriptions. I am constantly updating and weeding out boring blogs that are just wasting my time, and a couple months ago I unsubscribed from about 25.

I started following blogs about five years ago. I found that I was spending time looking at blogs more than I was doing my homework. Then I found a professor who worked with me on an independent course where I could clock those hours looking at blogs toward my school work! (I know, I LOVE art). This professor allowed me to think outside the box and let me explore the world more and I haven't stopped.

I also know that this world can become very addictive, or even fulfilling if not used correctly. I have found that my time is more valuable than I initially realized and I am important enough to not spend every waking hour admiring other people's work. So, with all of that said, I have some tips:

1. Don't read every post--While I do follow a lot of blogs, I weed down exactly which ones I'm going to read. For instance, I follow Design*Sponge and while almost every post is interesting to me, some of them just aren't relevant, so I don't spend the time to read the City Tour posts or the cooking posts, but I just eat up the BizLadies and other design posts. Unless you're following your sister's blog, you definitely don't need to feel obligated to read every post, and even then maybe... :) I suppose you only need to feel obligated if you're getting paid.

2. Don't read everything-- Most of the time I just look at the pictures. That's where I get all of my pleasure from. I work and live in a visual world. If I feel compelled to read something, then obviously I will, but most of the time I breeze through posts until I find a picture I like. Some days I have over 100 new posts, but I can easily get through all of them in 20 minutes or less, and sometimes while I'm even talking on the phone too. If there isn't a picture that catches my eye, I'm not going to waste my time.

3. Manage your blogs-- Sometimes there are blogs that I'm super excited to find, only to realize a few months down the line that they weren't as exciting as I originally intended. Don't waste your time looking at anything that is less than amazing. There is so much out there that is perfect for me, I don't want to get cluttered in all of the other stuff. I am constantly adding and deleting blogs.

If you don't like managing your blogs like this, here's another option: If you find a blog that you're thinking of following, take 10 or 15 minutes and click through a good 5 pages or more of the blog's posts. If you're scanning the entire thing only to click on the "previous posts" button, then that's a red flag that you won't be so happy with the blog if you're following it. If there are those few posts that are winners, most likely, if you have a good selection of blogs you're already following, when those amazing posts pop up, your current subscriptions will lead you to them.

When I only have 5 minutes, these are the blogs that I always check first:

Chez Larsson - A blog of a Swedish mom in a small and amazing white house. She writes on organization, cleaning, and Swedish life. This is one of the few blogs where I actually read most of what she writes!

Design Mom - A mom of SIX kids who worked as a designer in NY and just barely moved with her entire family over to France! She writes of high-scale baby clothes, toys and other children products as well as home-made projects and life.

How Does She - A conglomerate of home-made projects and other bits of life. I've just recently started following her, but I LOVE it.

You Are My Fave - A personal collection of things the author loves, and as you will see, so does everyone else. She has great taste and is always spotting the newest trends.

There is so much out there. I could spend all day online, but I like to slim down my time so I can spend more time with baby or on my art. I think if you find that you can minimize your time and effort online, you'll have more to do what you really love!

2011-02-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

I did some more work on the apple and onion alla primas from earlier and I think I like them a lot more now.

My "studio". Another painting in the works:

And I finally framed the small print that I got from Kirk Richards. I just LOVE his work, in fact, I'm pretty sure that he's my all time favorite religious artist (Annie is pretty close up there too). I follow his blog and he always has the most excellent advice and other things to say.

Thing I'm Loving now on Pinterest

2011-01-30T20:40:00.002-07:00

I have fallen in love with this amazing new website Pinterest (thanks to a dear friend for introducing me) that allows me to collect the links and pictures to my all-time favorite things. This is amazing. Now I don't need to use up space on my computer saving photos I like and trying to remember where I got them from, and then not being able to put the correct link to the photo.

So, because it's so amazing, I will be doing all of my "Things I'm Loving" posts directly on my Pinterest board instead of here on this blog. Follow me and you'll keep up to date and tons of "Homemade Gift" ideas and, of course, the traditional "Things I'm Loving" feed.

Parties and Pillows

2011-01-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Simple paper hearts for a small Valentine's party:

Fabric roses I made for an easy Valentine's Day decoration. I saw the tutorial on Pretty Handy Girl (I love her blog!)

After re-making all of my pillow forms, I made some more modern and contemporary pillow cases. Even my husband commented that this was the first time we hadn't had "old woman pillows." Thanks. I'm glad he appreciates my work :)

Also, this chair is one that I re-upholstered that used to belong to my great-grandfather. I did most of the renovations about three years ago, but I can finally say it's finished, as of this last week!

And a fun tiny bunting for a friend's birthday cake. I made the chocolate (three-layer) cake and frosting from a Better Homes and Gardens (I think Jan or Feb issue) recipe. It is the best chocolate cake I think I've ever made so it will definitely be a repeat!

Spring Cleaning Already?

2011-01-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

While most of the country is buckling down for a deep freeze, it's been unseasonably warm here. So warm, in fact, that it's tricking my brain. I haven't worn a coat in um... maybe a week. I am actually rolling down the windows when I drive because it's too warm in the car. I know, Crazy! Anyway, it's also tricking me into thinking it's spring time.

I don't know what it is, but I really get into Spring Cleaning. I think it was made just for me. I love being able to put away all of the nastiness from being stuffed inside for months and air things out. It all started when I came back from the grocery store and as soon as I walked into my home, I could smell it. You know, that musty I've-been-tucked-inside-all-winter smell. I immediately opened out windows and fabreezed everything. It helped, but I still had this lingering sensation in my head that I had to do more.

So today I tore apart all of our couch pillows. They didn't have any pillow forms inside (eww, I know), so I made all new pillow forms out of old sheet scraps I had, washed the fabric, and then cut all the fabric down into fun new pillow cases. I also took off all of the cushion covers and washed them too and then vacuumed the entire couch. I can actually burrow my face into the cushions now and they smell so good! I just love being able to freshen everything. I'm hoping to get to the downstairs couches and the bedrooms later this week!

Onion Alla Prima

2011-01-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

I'm really enjoying all of these alla prima still lives that I've been doing lately.
Here is an onion still life that I did yesterday, but I'm not entirely convinced that it's finished yet.

Easy Homemade Magnets

2011-01-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

1. Collect the free ugly and mostly useless magnets that you receive on your phone books.

2. Use double-sided tape (works the best. Glue soaks through the paper and the tape is more flexible) and place it on the back of blank paper or your favorite photo.

3. Cut down the extra paper and/or the magnet. The magnet is so slim that it's super easy to cut with regular scissors. Draw on the paper.

4. Finished! I made some small magnets to remind me to drink more water during the day--one of my New Year's resolutions. They're definitely helping, and it's a great reminder as I see them every time I'm in the kitchen.

Have fun making your own magnets!

Valentine's Day

2011-01-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: I've had questions about how I made this wreath. I wasn't planning on doing a tutorial because they are so many out there, but it was super easy.

1. Bend a wire hanger into a heart.

2. Knot fabric around the wire hanger.

Done.

If you'd like a more thorough tutorial on it, look at this one but just shape the hanger into a heart before you start.

Fresh off the easel

2011-01-17T20:10:00.001-07:00

two alla prima apple paintings:

Perfectly Paired

2011-01-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

I was able to meet so many wonderful people and artists at last night's reception. Being able to meet and get to know some of these people truly made my day! My paintings were paired up with the sculptures of Dan Toone and Joshua Toone (a father/son team) and not are they super fun and friendly people, their work is magnificent!

I was shocked when I first saw the sculptures that my paintings were going to be paired with, because they go so perfectly with my paintings! It was a truly amazing show and compliment each other very well. The show is up until February 11th-- go and see it. It's even better in person, if you can believe it!

Heart Garlands

2011-01-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have been making some beautiful Valentine's Day garlands from all of the left over scraps, print proofs, and mistakes while I letterpressed wedding invitations. I feel that they are perfect for creating a unique and romantic feel to Valentine's Day decorations.

They garlands are available on my shop.

Monogramed Clock

2011-01-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hand painted on a porcelain plate, dishwasher safe and everything! (well, once you take off the clock hardware)

New Business Cards

2011-01-14T12:51:00.003-07:00

for my painting website. Can you tell they're on shimmery paper? It's Reich's "Shine" paper called "champagne" and I LOVE THEM!

I'm ready to go deliver them at the Bountiful/Davis Art Center reception Friday, Jan 14th! Hope to see you there!

How to Free Float a Painting

2011-01-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

A while ago I had a request to show how to free float a painting. I've been meaning to do a tutorial, but I just haven't done it for a long time and now that I did a TON of them, I finally have pictures to show you.

Supplies:
-mat board
-a painting (preferably one with nice edges)
-rice paper
-wheat paste
-tape (non-acidic double sided works best)
-a frame with glass

*Disclaimer: This tutorial does NOT show you how to completely and archivally frame a piece, it only shows how to get the "free floating" effect.

1. Rip (do not cut) rice paper into strips that are two sizes: two that are about 1x3-4" and two that are 1x2".

2. About 1/2-1 inch from the top of the painting, paint the wheat paste onto one of the long rice paper strips onto the back.

3. Then paste one of the short rice paper strips perpinducular to the first, longer strip. This painting is super small, but even then, you should do at least two strips per painting (so your painting doesn't suddenly tilt inside the frame.) You can see all of the other paintings I did have two.

4. Let dry. If you used a very watery wheat paste, you might need to place weights to iron out any wrinkles in the paintings.

5. While the paste is drying, cut a small slit in the mat board, right were the rice paper strip will be. Make sure this is behind where the painting will be hanging, not too high.

6. Run the rice paper strip through the mat board and pull until the painting is right where you want it to be. Then you can either use wheat paste to glue the rice paper to the mat board, or just use tape.

7. Then frame and voila!

I do this all the time for my watercolors and prints, and because I have a watercolor and printmaking show up in Sugarhouse, I think I did 10 this last weekend. Whew!

Handpainted Nativities

2011-01-11T11:25:00.003-07:00

...in process.

I have made some cute little hand-painted nativities for my family the last two years. I just love painting the cute faces and being able to do a couple different styles.

Last year I gave away Mary&Baby Jesus and Joseph, and this year I gave angels and shepherds. They are so adorable!

You can purchase some of your own here!

Etsy Treasures

2011-01-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just love Etsy and here are some wonderful treasures that I have found:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65386267/snowflake-earrings-silver-with-pink

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62517615/the-missy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62062660/balance-rock-lamp

http://www.etsy.com/listing/56536180/queen-for-a-day

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62444090/kallista-cream-large-flower-headband

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64040866/st-simon-wristlet

http://www.etsy.com/listing/47303734/signature-keepsake-paper-flower-bouquet

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62513491/custom-color-i-am-a-child-of-god-8-x-10

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45453504/star-dancer-original-painting-mounted

There are TONS more on my Favorites.

Cutting Back

2011-01-10T13:45:00.001-07:00

I am so blessed to have so many great opportunities come my way. My husband is so supportive and my baby is great to have around. But while I have so many wonderful things to fill my time, I do need to cut back on some things that are taking too much time away from my family and things that are more important. Here is my plan for 2011:

-I will still continue to blog. I just love being able to show you all of my projects and paintings. And, it is a way for me to relax at the end of the day.

-I am going to be focusing on my painting. I have had a lot of opportunities with my painting lately and it has been so much fun! I just love painting, I mean, it's kind of obvious if that's what I paid to go to school for. And because of how much I love it, I am going to focus all of my professional juices on it, at least for the time being.

-Because of that focus, I am going to be cutting back on my Wedding Invitation Website. While I LOVE doing wedding invitations, I'm going to be cutting back on the website for now. I am still able to help any and all that would like wedding invitations, but you'll just have to contact me personally for now. For you local brides, I have a printed portfolio of many of my wedding designs for you to look at, and if you're a little farther away, we can always do it through email.

Again, please contact me if you are interested in seeing my designs, as I have all of them still. I would be happy to work with any of you any time, and if you have any questions, just email me: nallyanna@gmail.com.

I hope you all have a wonderful new 2011!

Toy Snake- Revised

2011-01-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

I first made this snake for my nephew's birthday a couple of months ago, but I wasn't able to give it to him until Christmas. While it was really long and really cool to look at, the shiny fabric that I used to make the original snake lasted about 3 minutes between a 4 year old and two 1 year olds. In the end, I totally remade the snake, new and definitely stronger. At least the birthday boy loves it!

Exhibitions

2011-01-07T20:00:00.001-07:00

Just because of the medium of writing, I cannot accurately express to you how absolutely insane my life has been. It's been CRAZY, and that's an understatement. Just as a reminder, I have TWO art shows going up this weekend. TWO.

And... Aside from that, I called 911 for the first time in my life, because some crazy person when wacko on the highway. I was delivering all 31 artworks, and he started swerving across all 5 lanes of the highway RIGHT NEXT TO ME, and I really thought I was going to die. Well, back to art, here is just a glimpse of the craziness:

...and you can't even see how full the middle and passenger seats are. Like I said. Crazy.

And EVERYONE is invited to the art receptions! There are two great days/times to choose from:

Sugarhouse (Sprague) Library: Tuesday, January 18-- 6:30-8pm
This is a solo exhibit (just me) in the conference room downstairs. This show is 16 watercolors and unseen printmaking from the last two years.

Bountiful Davis Art Center: Friday, January 14-- 7pm
I am one of many great artists. I got a chance to see a preview of the art that is going to be there, and it looks amazing! The sculptors that are showing in the same room with me (Dan and Joshua Toone), have some truly INCREDIBLE pieces. I am super excited to see my paintings right next to their pieces.
This show is 13 of my oils (and one acrylic) and mixed media pieces. If you already attended my graduation show [and thank you!], this would be a better show to see than the Sprague Library because I have more newer pieces.

Although I am really burned out, I am sooo excited! I would love to see you all next week!

Christmas projects by some of my family

2010-12-31T15:10:00.001-07:00

I have a pretty talented family and it always makes holiday gifts very fun.

My father carves some gorgeous chip-carved plates, using a design that his brother designed:

My sister makes an adorable reversible snake scarf for her 4 year old:

Plus a super fun snake cake for the same son's birthday!

and these are only three of the things that were made/given!

Nostalgia

2010-12-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today I took the opportunity to go to my old Middle School where I participated in Art Club as a seventh and eighth grader. I loved it and was able to do some pretty fun projects after school. One of the projects that I did was a school beautification project, where I painted on one of the stairwells in the school. Ideally, I wanted to paint a ceiling of the school but because of safety reasons, the school authorities wouldn't let us. Instead, we painted a sloped wall that was the underneath of a set of stairs.

Painting a constellation scene, we had a black sky and thousands of stars (dots). We painted all of the major constellations in their actually star formations with a opaque painting of the symbolism of the constellation. For example, one of my favorite executions of this was Orion. On top of the famous Orion's Belt, I painted a scene of Orion pulling his bow back.

I can't remember exactly how the entire painting went, but the whole thing was about 15 feet long (or tall as this case was) and 5 or 6 feet wide. It contained about 10 different famous constellations.
Anyway, a few years ago I was in the Middle School and saw the painting still under the stair well, but was unluckily enough to not have my camera.

Back to today, I went to my Middle school to take a picture of this painting that I had done a decade earlier. After signing into the office as a visitor and noting that a new addition had been built onto the Art wing of the school, I realized that my painting was gone! It looks like someone painted over the painting with plain white house paint. I am so sad that I wasn't able to take a picture of it. It was a great painting and contained lots of great memories for me. I suppose that from now on, I'll just have to remember how great the painting was. :(

So Much Done, So Much to Do

2010-12-17T14:09:00.002-07:00

I am getting ready for my shows in January 2011 and I'm soooo busy. There is just so much to do. I'm working on two larger paintings and numerous smaller ones, but here is a sneak peak into my two larger paintings (both are about 36"x30"):

1. I think I liked it better before I messed too much with it. Now I'm just at the state where I'm disappointed that I overworked it and I need to do something about fixing it, but I don't know what.

oil

2. I really like how this painting is working out and now my next step is sanding. yay! (sorry about the super crazy angle of the photo.)

acrylic

Things I'm Loving

2010-12-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

This adorable baby girl outfit on www.designmom.com

http://www.jwlphotography.com/

Perch Design

www.stylemepretty.com

blondedesigns

oh hello friend

Easy Picture Mobile

2010-12-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

supplies:
1 10-inch embroidery hoop
wood paint
ribbon
hot glue
pictures/artwork

This is SUPER easy and cheap!

Paint the hoop whatever color you want. Attach two lengths of ribbon, both equal length, for the hanging apparatus, by using hot glue.
Then put in your pictures and tighten. I used some of my baby's artwork and foam crafts. The nice thing is, the pictures can be removed and replaced whenever you want!

Perfect for hanging over a bed/crib!

Still Life -> Abstract Mixed Media

2010-12-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

I love being able to use old paintings and studies that are otherwise unusable (aka: hideous) and paint over them. In these two circumstances, I am painting over studies I did of a glass jar. I still have my best one; I just couldn't let myself paint over it yet.

I also enjoy seeing step-by-step photos, and I think that's mostly why I continue to take them. These are not finished yet, but please enjoy them nonetheless.

These pictures are not excellent, in the taking of the photo and the crude cropping, but please look past that for the moment.

And the second painting:

Art Shows in Jan 2011

2010-12-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Bountiful/Davis Art Center: One of two artist exhibits. Jan 14-Feb 11 (oil and mixed media+ new pieces) 745 S Main Street Bountiful, UT 84010

Sugarhouse (Sprauge) Library: Solo exhibit. Jan 9-Mar 4. RECEPTION: Thursday, January 13th from 6:30-8pm (watercolor and printmaking) 2131 Highland Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84106-2806

I would LOVE to see you come and enjoy the artwork. I am super excited for these art shows coming up, but I have a TON of work to do. Here is a little taste of what I'm doing to get ready--

Hand-drawn Porcelain Clocks

2010-12-02T14:22:00.001-07:00

One of the gifts that I am giving this year, are hand-drawn clocks. I've only had one go at this, so I'm sure I'll improve as I go, and because some of the people that may be receiving a clock, I won't post all of the photos until after the holidays, but here is a sneak peak!

1. Get a porcelain plate. I got mine for $.97 at a local thrift store. Drill a hole in the middle with a tile/glass bit. Use a hand drill, because you'll want to swivel the drill a little as you're drilling. Also, put some water on the plate as you're going. It's slow, but I've had GREAT luck. I've drilled three plates and none of them cracked or did anything I didn't want it to do.

2. Use a porcelain marker and draw on your design. As long as you don't wait too long, you can wipe off any mistakes with a damp cloth.

3. Let dry for 24 hours and bake in the oven, according to directions on the marker.

4. Put in the clock mechanism and it's finished! So easy and super cheap!

Options: You could definitely use this to make just beautiful hand-drawn plates to give away. I'm also going to be doing this to some mugs for gifts. Also, there are tons of porcelain marker colors. Have fun!

Remember, if you complete any of my tutorials, I'd LOVE to see photos!

Working away while baby sleeps

2010-12-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Look at all that texture! I know it doesn't look like much, but right now it's about 4 layers of oil paint. I repeatedly HATED what was happening, so I'm starting over again. I'll be posting the full "in-progress photos" soon.

Religious/Spirituality Art Show

2010-11-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we were able to go to the Springville Museum of Art and look at the annual religious/spirituality show, and IT WAS AMAZING. Anyone that has the opportunity should definitely go see it, and admission is free! Unfortunately, we were only able to take pictures of our own artwork, so I only have this picture (of me and baby). (Mine is the bottom painting.) Go see it! The show comes down the end of December.

Keeping myself busy

2010-11-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Working on a potential gift---

And another with gold leaf---

More Christmas stuff--

My beautiful painting apron, well, one of them. I just love the look of painting aprons :)

Getting Ready for the Holidays

2010-11-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Things I'm Loving-- Invitations and Weddings

2010-11-19T13:06:00.001-07:00

All of these photos came from www.stylemepretty.com, www.papercrave.com, and www.ohsobeautifulpaper.com.

Things I'm Loving

2010-11-18T12:57:00.002-07:00

www.bystephanielynn.com

www.stylemepretty.com

www.honeybearlane.blogspot.com

www.oksugar.com

AMAZING!!! www.sewdangcute.com

This is my dream house. www.stylemepretty.com

A gorgeous SLC wedding. I love the photo of the temple. www.stylemepretty.com

Paper pine cone ornament. www.thehybridchick.com

Adorable ASL "I love you" onesie. www.youaremyfave.com

www.oopseydaisy.blogspot.com

Gorgeous necklace! www.stylemepretty.com

www.ohsobeautifulpaper.com

www.paperama.etsy.com

www.theclaystudio.org

Handpainted Wallet

2010-11-17T12:36:00.003-07:00

Do you remember this wallet I made last year? Well, it's kinda falling apart, so hubby needs a new one for Christmas. I thought, what could be better than having baby paint it for him??

I think it turned out really well, and because I made it with thicker, more durable fabric, it should last a while. And, I think it's super cute!

Homemade Christmas

2010-11-12T17:11:00.001-07:00

We are definitely in full swing here, getting ready for Christmas! Here we are getting ready for a very special homemade gift from baby to his favorite daddy in the whole world!

Practically all of our gifts are home-made, and have been pretty much my whole existence. I love it that way. It makes creating the gifts, as well as giving the gifts so much more rewarding. I am planning on having our kids give each other homemade gifts, just like I did growing up. (I'm starting baby out early with this one!) What about you? Do you make most of your gifts? What about your kids?

Things I'm Loving

2010-11-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

beastpieces.blogspot.com

http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com

www.designmom.com

www.youaremyfave.blogspot.com

flickr.comphotosroras_cakes

www.makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com

www.stylemepretty.com

www.oncewed.com

www.sarapartyperfect.com

www.seesaw.com

www.tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com

www.youaremyfave.com

Homemade Cornucopia Tutorial

2010-11-05T10:41:00.001-06:00

I am sooo excited to show this to you. There are hardly any traditional Thanksgiving tutorials out there, especially for decor that is cheap and will last many years, so here is an easy (but somewhat time consuming) homemade cornucopia. I did find a similar project on Martha Stewart, but I modified it, especially by making my own base instead of buying one.

1. The base of the cornucopia is paper mache! It's cheap and super flexible to whatever size and shape of cornucopia you want. Just make the initial shape out of newspaper and tape in shape. Make sure you put a barrier between the form and the paper mache so you can pull it out fairly easily when it's dry.

2. (The next two steps only take about an hour!) Then once the paper mache is dry (mine took about 2 days, after rotating it so the bottom and everywhere gets dry), line the whole thing with burlap, to give it some color. It doesn't have to be perfect, especially if you're good with the raffia (the next step). Hot glue the burlap in place, making sure to flip the burlap around the edges.

You definitely DO NOT need 2 yards like Martha says. I don't know what kind of cornucopia she's making, but I only used less than 1/2 a yard. I did do some patchwork with the burlap, but it doesn't really matter because it will all be covered up.

3. Cover the burlap with a continuous spiral of raffia. Keep the spiral (a small handful of raffia at a time works the best) going from the very top spire of the cornucopia. I discovered that I liked the look better if all of the raffia wasn't immediately stuck tight, so after I wrapped the whole shape, I went back over and added some raffia that splayed out a little. Everything was hot glued.

I actually used a LOT less raffia and more hot glue than I thought I would. I bought a big bag of raffia (for $6 I think) and used less than half of it. I also used up an entire bag of hot glue sticks, just to give you an idea.

Finished!

Enjoy! I'd love to see pictures if you complete any of my tutorials. Just send them my way-- nallyanna@gmail.com

Glitter Pumpkins

2010-11-04T10:49:00.000-06:00

In my search for Thanksgiving decorations, I came across this post about glitter pumpkins into tea-light holders. I went to the store and picked up some pumpkins (for clearance prices!) but not only found them to not be fire-resistant ("extremely flammable, keep away from flame"), but they were hollow, not like the ones from the tutorial. Also, the three smaller pumpkins were in a three-tier topiary set up, so I had to cut them apart.

I decided to paper mache them closed and add tops to the two that were top-less (haha). You can definitely tell which ones I made the tops to. Thankfully the second one got a little better.

Then glittered them all up and voila! Glittery pumkins! Great for Thanksgiving and Halloween! To keep all the glitter from coming off, I sprayed them with glossy sealer, and it didn't damper the glitter at all. I'm VERY happy!

Simple Autumn Decorations

2010-11-02T12:26:00.000-06:00

After putting away my Halloween decorations, I realized how bare the place looked, and immediately got working on a very easy fall decoration. I'm starting from scratch for most of our decorations because I haven't been married with my own place for very long. It's nice to be able to make some simple decorations that don't cost hardly anything!

I used the same technique that I made the bats with. Some of my leaves aren't the best shape, but hey, I can always throw them out and make some more later.

Very easy and cute. Not to mention, you can make a ton of these and they don't crinkle and dry-up like regular leaves to. You can use them year after year, as long as they are taken care of. I pulled out some gold paint, because I thought it might be beautiful, and then forgot to paint some gold! I have some gold glitter spray that I think I'll spray on some of them and see how it looks.

Now, to hang them-- I didn't want to poke holes in the leaves, so I used colored paper-clips and clipped them to some gold beads. I hung the beads up with regular ol' Christmas ornament hangers, and it worked great! I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

Springville Museum of Art

2010-10-29T20:49:00.000-06:00

The Springville Museum of Art has an annual Spirituality and Religious show in November and December. The artwork that shows there is always gorgeous and beautiful as well as inspiring. With all of that said, one of my paintings is showing in this years exhibition. Go see it! It's a gorgeous show!

A Finished Work-in-Progress

2010-10-24T18:15:00.000-06:00

And He Called Me by Name. Acrylic and oil on board. 36"x24"

I "finished" this painting enough to turn it into a show audition, but I don't think it's quite done yet. Here are some pictures of the journey it took so far, from the beginning:

close up of the finished hands--

Mt. Sinai Finished

2010-10-21T22:22:00.001-06:00

Hooray! I finished my mountain painting today. I'm super excited about it.

And, that's gold leaf on the tips of the mountains. I did a little test piece, but other than that, this is my first time using gold leaf and I think it turned out perfectly!

Measures 31x12"
Oil and gold leaf on panel

More halloween costume stuff

2010-10-21T22:18:00.001-06:00

Can you tell what this is?

Well, I'd be REALLY surprised if you could, but just one hint---

Also, (for a different costume) a black and navy super-hero cape:

With some detailing:

Baby Owl Halloween Costume

2010-10-16T15:29:00.001-06:00

He HATES the hood :( Too badly it exponentially increases his cuteness.

The Prairie Points-- disclaimer: I've never done prairie points before, but from what I remember, this is a somewhat simplified version. Great for when you make a bazillion of them, like I did.

Also, sometime the flash washes all the color out, so some of the pictures are taken without the flash, therefore the two different color schemes. The flash photos are closer to the actual colors, but without the flash you get the texture and depth better.

Cut 4" strips-

Cut the strip into 4" squares, leaving a little attached. It makes it a TON easier when doing them in a group--

You can either leave the strips of finished together or cut them apart for more versatility in positioning them. I did both.

The body prairie points: For variety, I combined a few different fabrics.

It created some pretty interesting finished points:

The belly:
Work you way from the bottom up.

The wings: Because I did all of the initial fabric framing with burlap, I had to bind the edges to the burlap didn't fray.

Straps for his little arms on the wings:

Straps for the shoulders:

The hood:

Lining the hood for comfort and adding ties:

The finished costume!

And the subsequent mess:

I'm going to have to re-work the size of the wings so they're not so overwhelming...