Happy Crafting

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Well, I have been happily crafting away while on break from school...my kids are running wild around the neighborhood, while I putter around in pj's pondering ribbon and paper combos!

I will post a few pictures of some things I've made...a few got away without being photographed!

 This cute snowman was made for my sons extra credit math project, he is a polyhedron-thingy

This was made with another son for his math project, I have no idea what this shape is called, but it involved perfect circles and equilateral triangles...harder than it looks, lol!

I tried several Pinterest projects, this cute Christmas tree from old book pages...and I also tried cooking the chocolaty cupcakes made with brownie batter, snickers, and cookie dough...well they tasted better than they looked...Snickers melts with yucky looking white goo...my sons classmates didn't like them at all...





 More Banners! I made several book page banners this season...

 This banner was so fun to make, it is constructed of all reused items...The snowflake letters were part of a banner I got on sale last year, and the rosettes are made from old sewing book pages; the tinsel came from my Aunt Jane.

This are just a few of the Christmas ornaments I made. Sorry for the poor quality picture, it was taken with my blackberry right before they were given away... 

Now I have moved on to Valentines Day projects!!

This refurbished candy box was done as a gift for my mother...I am going to fill it with pictures of her children and grandchildren as toddlers.

I have always wanted to do one of these, so this was my first Valentine project, lol I had been saving this candy box for years! I used "My Minds Eye" papers and embellishments.

This is an almost finished banner...just waiting for the glitter glue to dry so I can string it together.

It is for a very special girl in son number 4s life. I hope she likes it!

 Pinterest projects...




Button bracelet...I love old buttons!

Valentine Bookmarks made from paint chip samples! Next planned project...

Well hugs, kisses and Happy New Year!

PK

PS: The Valentine Box was shared on I Gotta Create Wildly Original Link Party
Stop by and check all the Wildly Original links, some pretty cool stuff over there on Christinas Blog.

Taking a break from Studying!!

Hello Blog Friends!

 

Busy semester, mid terms are over...so I took a craft break

 

 Here is what I have been up to...

 

 I created this soldered charm with my Grandmothers button collection.

I slid it on a simple leather cord, and wear it every day.

 These charms show my learning progression, soldering is fun, but takes alot of practice!

The charm on the right you can see is soldered too thin, it has sharp edges and rough spots.

 

The middle charm is a little better, however you can't see the major problem in this pix, which is that I used too much heat, causing the foil to rise, letting the flux leak through,which ruins the paper.

 

The charm on the left, while not perfect, is much better. The solder is more evenly applied, which makes it smooth and shiney!

 These two pix above are of Christmas ornaments I am making.

I used several types of ribbons above, trying to see which looked best...I'm thinking

a trip to Hobby Lobby is in order for silver ribbon!

What do you think?

I have also been spending quality time with my 3 year old grandson and granddaughter!

 

Budding Artist



Some very creative play going on here, playing in the mud!

 



And picnicing at the park!

 



 

 

Luv ya!

PK



Hello!

Hello Blog Friends!

 I want to say a big THANK YOU to all my followers!

It is thrilling to see visitors and comments!

 

I have been on an unplanned bloggy break!

 

Lol, the start of the new school year has really blown me off course creatively.

I am enrolled in our local university, as some of you know, pursuing a new direction, career wise.

 

My goal is to become a Speech Language Pathologist.

I have learned some interesting things about language. Phonetics, tongue placement, articulators, and the pharyngeal cavity and I are on intimate terms.

 

My favorite class is American Sign Language. I come home and practice on my kids!

 

 

Hopefully, soon I will have a creative streak and have something to post!

Until then I invite you to check out my Pinterest Board Mixed Media Inspiration

 

xoxo

PK

Mini Art Journal

The start of this school semester started with a bang!

 

I found this cute mini composition notebook at Target, while shopping for school supplies

 

 

It is sitting on a regular sheet of notebook paper, so you can see how small it really is.

 

Since I couldn't resist buying a couple, I decide could use it

 to jot down reminders of assignments, to-do lists etc...

 

But I also found it makes a realy great pocket art journal!

 

And for those of you who know me well...you can see in the background real school work...

so I am only doodling between classes, lol, see I know what yall were thinking...

This page is a little bland, but it has alot of journaling...I decided to keep it simple and just utilize pen or pencil...I considered trying to prepare the pages and spray them with colorful inks... 

 



But, that just seemed like alot of work for such a small booklet, and besides, by then I had already started to scribble lists and notes inside...above is the school supply list for one of my high-schoolers.

 



 

On this day it was raining...lucky for me, ALL my classes are in one building!

 

 

I like this page the best...

as I was waiting for class to begin, sipping my coffee,

 I thought of my son Evan...we stop at the corner store every morning

 and he gets my coffee for me so I dont have to get out!

 

xoxo

PK



Week 2 of LifeSimply Art Journaling

Here are a few of my Completed Art Journal Pages

This page started out with a layer of gesso, pink and green acrylic, and the bubble wrap for texture...I love bubble wrap!

I added washi tape, stencils in black ink, rub on's, chip board letters, and text.

 

This page started out with a gesso base, then Glimmer Mists {a pink and silver} were sprayed over the background. I then added pink, red, and white acrylic paint, hand drawn black marker doodles, washi tape, collage items, and hand lettering along with stamps and rub on lettering...I also added a picture of my Mother and I.

 

So for Week 2 {a little late} our Inspiration

 is "Back To School" with a simple Crayon Resist Technique

 My kiddos are already back in school, and most everyone will be in school within the next 2 weeks...so we are all out bargain hunting for new school supplies.

While you are are snapping up those bargains, pick up a few new items for yourself to use in this weeks inspiration and technique.

 Because for this week, I will be using an ordinary white crayon to make a really cool background for my next page.

I love a new box of crayons

On this page I simple made a grid, using a stiff piece of craft paper as a guide, with a white crayon...I went over each line several times...them brushed away the flakes of crayon that are left when you press hard...

I then sprayed the page heavily with Glimmer Mist...and let it dry.

You can see that the crayon lines resisted the mist, and saturated the squares inside the crayon lines. And because it was Glimmer mist, it left behind iridescent spots also...however, you don't have to use Glimmer Mist, that's what I had within reach...watercolors, or thinned acrylic works well also.

I am having fun with my journal, making a few "mistakes"...

I got really messy with my red paint and managed to get on pages I had not intended too...but ya know, I just let it go and added red to all the pages...see above, the red splotched on top and bottom, so added the red circles on the left bottom...

There is no right or wrong with Art Journaling!

xoxo

PK

Summer of Solder

Several years ago, I bought an inspirational craft book,

Pretty Little Things 

by Sally Jean Alexander

Actually, I was intrigued with the cover and art, not realizing it was a how-to for soldering charms and all manner of beautiful things.

I eventually bought a soldering kit

But was afraid to use it...I was scared, actually, of trying something new.

So the book, and kit sat un-used until this summer, when my Uncle David Chris offered to teach my Aunt Jane and me how to solder.

Uncle David Chris was an excellent teacher, and soon we were happily soldering away.

One of my first pieces...not perfect but, 

Soldering is addictive, the more you do it, the more you want to.

Which is a good thing because soldering takes much practice, practice, practice.

My son Evan has the soldering bug also!

I hope to eventually be proficient enough to make charm bracelets with my own art.

xoxo

PK

More Blue Jean Journals

Using all my blue jean pockets making more cute Blue Jean Journals

See how {here}

These were made for my blogging friend,

 Kimberly Sminkey over at Tiaras and Bowties, and her daughter, Alexis.

I had a really good time making and filling these with lots of journaling spaces!

xoxo

PK

This project linked with these linky parties:

Life on Lakeshore Drive

Sew Can Do

Brag About It

Denim Re-do's

I gathered up my denim and old blue jeans and got busy making a few of my favorite projects from my Pinterest board {Upcycled Denim} and Blue Jean Top Ten to do list.

Above, I created two Blue Jean baskets from blue jean legs...I pilfered a few toile scraps from my mother for the lining. I really like how they turned out, although I didn't follow the tutorial to the letter, mainly because it was a little too involved for me as a beginner.

They do stand up nicely, even without the batting I left out. I plan to utilize the baskets to store my markers and pencils within easy reach on my desk.

I also made a bag out of a blue jean mini skirt with a kitchen towel for the lining. I picket up both pieces for 2 dollars at my favorite thrift store, Treasure House, in Beaumont.

I love the colors in the towel, red, blue and yellow...although this picture isn't the best.

 The skirt was a junior size and just right for a purse.

I utilized a pair of boys size 12 jeans also...the legs became the baskets above; the waist band the shoulder strap; and a pocket went inside for keys, etc.



Here you can see the lining and inside pocket.

What projects are you completing before school starts?

xoxo

PK