Mixed Media Art Snowmen

I love the internet. Where else can you meet crafty people from all over the world and learn about different types of art projects? My friend Jennifer does some amazing mixed media art and she was kind enough to give me a few tips.

Mixed media art is where you use several different types of materials. I purchased a few fun things at a craft store sale and played around with it. 

This project was easy enough to include my 9 year old's "help." She did make an adorable paper girl all by herself. But of course, like everything, I get to clean up the mess!

Materials

Tsukineko Fireworks Spray Blue set of 3
Perfect Pearls mists
Faber-Castell Color Gelatos & clear stamp in pinks, greens and orange/yellow. 
White, black, yellow and brown acrylic paints.
Modgpodge
 Tulip metallics paint
 Glitter glue
 Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue 
 Regular white printer paper 
 Blue card stock paper
 Canvas



paint brushes
paint sponges
Stencil brushes

Fiskars snowflake punch
Paper Doily
Stampers 
Folk Art Painting Stencil - Curly Tree

Sheet Music, Baby Its Cold Outside, Frosty the Snowman 
The Poem, Night before Christmas. I printed out the sheet music on the blue card stock and poem on regular white paper.

Background
This was the first time I ever worked with Tsukineko Fireworks Spray and Perfect Pearls mists. Wow they are amazing. The fireworks give a really cool effect and are perfect for a background. I just spritzed it on the canvas and waited for it to dry. Once completely dry, I stamped on the curly tree stencil with brown acrylics and then filled in the snow on the branches with Tulip Metallics paint. I punched out some snowflakes on the white paper with the fiskars punch and then glued them on the canvas. I also used my stencils with white acrylic paint to give the back ground some additional texture. 


Snowmen
I used the perfect pearls mists on the blue sheet music for a fun shiny effect. Punching out the snowflakes left a stencil, so I used the paper to stencil on snowflakes in different places. I cut out the snowmen from the paper and added additional white acrylic to make it seem more like snow. I painted the edges black and let it dry.

Hats, scarfs and evergreen trees
I randomly rubbed the Gelatos on the white paper over the poem "The Night Before Christmas." Gelatos are fun because you can blend them in with your finger, or you can wet your paint brush and get a water color effect. After I colored in the paper completely, I laid my doily down over the Gelato colored poem and blotted on the white acrylic paint with the stencil sponge.  I cut out hats, scarfs and tree triangles then painted the edges with black.

Once everything was dry, I glued the snowman and triangle trees together on the paper and used the black ink to stamp in "Snow" or "Let It Snow". Once everything was dry, I painted it over with Modge Podge. I also decided to add a little embellishments like Christmas buttons and gems.

Grade: A
Skill Level: Moderate-High
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Frustration Level: Low
Cost: Pricey $$ 

Creating the perfect picture frames to hang your favorite art

Last year I was happy Hanging Kids Artwork with a bulldog clip. Now I've decided to get some inexpensive frames and hang the kids art on the wall. 

The problem with cheap frames is the flimsy hardware attached. So you'll have to purchase a frame kit that comes with an assortment of hardware including, sawtooth hangers, hanging wire, strap hangers and associated nails.You will also need a tape measure, Philips's head screw driver, pliers and hammer. 

Remove any staples from your frame with pliers. Also, remove any hardware that doesn't look sturdy. Usually cheap frames come with a strap hanger that can be bent with little effort with your bare hand. I personally don't like strap hangers on picture frames smaller than 2 feet wide, I find the saw tooth easier to work with.

Whats great about putting on your own hardware is that you can attach it in the exact same place on every picture frame to make hanging the pictures easier for you. 

I mostly use sawtooth hangers. Use the tape measure to find the center of your picture frame. You can put the sawtooth hanger 1/8 inch to a 1/2 inch below the TOP of your frame, with the saw pointing down. Once you found the correct location, then nail it in. The problem with the nails is that they are teeny tiny and you may have to try to push them in with your thumb a little before you use the hammer because they are a sucker to to hold. You can also try using a tweezers to hold the tiny nail, but I never had good luck with that.

I use the strap hangers on large frames for a sturdy hold. Once they are screwed in on either side of the picture, fish through the picture wire and then twist it around itself. When you put on the wire, make sure to test how high the wire will go once the picture is hung, you want to make sure that taught wire is the same distance from the top of the frame as where you put your sawtooth hanger on the other pictures.

My favorite art is from my kids! I took a photo of all my art on the walls and it looks like i'm using a fish-eye lens. I don't know what is up with my camera, those pictures are STRAIGHT. You'll just have to trust me.

Spooky Eyes

My 7 year old nephew has a paper towel cardboard tube collection.  Every time my sister finishes a roll of paper towels he insists that the cardboard tube MUST be saved for his collection. Luckily my nephew's quirks are my gain. He is generous enough to share his collection with me so that I can come up with some fun crafts. Awesome kid!


I came up with an idea to make spooky light up eyes with these materials:
    paper towel tubes
    white paper 
    markers
    black paint
   Christmas/Halloween lights or glow sticks.

 This is a simple craft for kids.

1) Cut the paper towel tubes in half and cut the eyes out of tube. This part should probably be performed by an adult or a child with solid cutting skills.

2) Paint the tube with black paint and let it try.

3) Cut the white paper into 8 strips and slide these strips of paper into the dry tubes.

4) Create Eyeballs with marker

5) Slide lights through the rolls and you have spooky glow in the dark eyes!

Grade: B
Skill Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Low
Frustration Level: Low

Spookie Pictures

Sometimes you are bored at work, do something extremely silly and come up with an incredible idea for home. This happened to my friend Natalie. She started messing around with the copier at work and started copying her face. Turns out it this makes a very spooky Halloween decoration. You can give it a try at your local library, but you may want to have your kids do it so you don't look like you've lost your mind.

      

The next time Natalie is bored, I'm sure I'll be getting some pictures of her tush. My friends are funny!

Indie Films

This blog isn't just about crafts. Its about attempting new things. You just have children, your life isn't over! There is no better time than now to experience life and attempt the things you want to do. I want to make sure I try new things that I would personally find fun, so you are not going to find me jumping out of any planes. I find that terrifying. Noooooo thank you.

Sometimes its hard to get motivated and that's when you need support from your friends. Encourage each other. One of my best friends, Natalie, keeps me going and trying new adventures. 

The other day I didn't want to go out "My house is a mess, I need to clean it." 

Natalie yelled at me, "Now, do you really think that would be interesting on your tomb stone? - Had the cleanest house in town? Or would you rather be remembered as an adventurer?"

I picked adventurer.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to have a part in a movie? I did. Last summer, I went for it and got a part in an Indie Film with the help of my friend Natalie. No. I didn't get paid, that is not the point. I have no experience as an actor, but I did have experience as a mom and that was all I needed to play the part of Ben's mom. I'd like to thank Jason Heffner, the director, for giving me the opportunity to cross this off my bucket list.

Here is trailer:

If you want to see the entire short click here :Short Film


Now I have an IMDB credit. I'm checking that off my bucket list!!! Next I'm trying stand up comedy!!!! In the mean while, I'll still continue to do crafts because I just can't stop!

Here I am on the red carpet!

Minion Cupcakes (without Twinkies)

I've got to learn to remember to bake birthday cakes and cupcakes two days BEFORE I need to send them to school. But yet again, another birthday, and I'm up until 2:30 in the morning. Although I was a zombie all day at work, at least my kid was smiling all day at school.

I saw a lot of recipes for cupcakes on the internet for Minions using a Twinkie but my kid didn't want that so I had to come up with my own ideas. After inspecting the candy aisle at the local supermarket, I decided I could work with white lifesavers for the eyes and black licorice for the hair. In retrospect, I should have used chocolate sprinkles for the hair, but I was hormonal and craving licorice. So I used 4 pieces of licorice for the hair, and the rest went in my mouth. 

Materials
Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Icing 
Yellow gel Food Coloring
Betty Crocker Easy Squeeze Icing (Chocolate)
Cake Mate Decorative Icing (Black)
Life Savers (Pep O Mint)
A bag of Black Licorice
Dry Fondant (any will do)

All of the ingredients with the exception of the fondant, were found at my local Acme Market. I acquired the dry fondant from Michael's Craft Store. I've actually had it for months not knowing what to do with it. 

First I baked 50 mini cupcakes for school and the birthday party using two box mixes. After the cupcakes cooled I mixed a tiny bit of yellow gel food coloring in with the Betty Crocker frosting until I got the desired color yellow. Any frosting product that is white or cream color will work perfectly.  

After I iced all the cupcakes with the yellow frosting, I mixed the fondant with some water and a couple of squeezes of the the black icing to give it a gray color that would be similar to the color of the silver minion goggles. You have to mix in the fondant and water so that it is the texture of play dough. Add a little water at a time to the dry fondant and mix it with your fingers until it is the right consistency. Then add the black icing, knead it in, and keep adding the black icing until the fondant is the correct color gray.  I rolled the fondant into a thin snake and wrapped it around the outside life saver, pressing the gray fondant into the side of the lifesaver. 

I put a pea sized drop of chocolate easy squeeze icing on the yellow icing then pushed the minion goggle on to the cupcake with the Lifesaver hole over the chocolate frosting dot, to create a brown eye.

I pushed the cut up licorice into the icing at the top of the cupcake for minion hair. 

I used the black icing to make the goggle straps and the mouths. I just cut the tip off the Cake Mate Icing, I didn't use any special screw on tips.

Ta DA! Minions!

Grade: B+
Skill Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Low
Frustration Level: Moderate (You have to work with the fondant quickly because it dries fast. If it starts to crumble while you work with it, just add a drop of water and knead the fondant so it is easier to work with.)

Bad Minions! No smoking!

I know I have a sick sense of humor, my excuse is that I didn't get any sleep!!!

Marble Mosaic Bird House

I've missing the summer months on this blog because I've been a little busy taking the kids to water parks, the beach, paddle boarding, boating, museums, NYC, fishing, swimming, surfing, national parks, picnics, nature hikes and other family fun events... And when my kids go back to school this September, when the teacher asks, "What did you do this summer?" My kids will respond "Nothing."

I would have completely blown off my blog in August if it wasn't my friend Angela's birthday. What do you give the girl who has everything? A craft from your heart of course. 

The materials 
   Any A frame unfinished bird house found at the craft store
   Aleene's - Arts & Craft Glue
   Mosaic Tile Craft Grout (use any craft grout found in the store)
   Apple Barrel Color Mosaic Green 20792
   Apple Barrel Color Berry Red 20525
   Apple Barrel Color Antique Gold 20506
   Glass marbles (found in the floral section)

Did you ever walk through the floral section of the craft store, see flat, pretty, assorted color, shiny glass beads and really really want them, but you don't know what you need them for? If your answer is yes, you are a magpie like me. I finally found an excuse to use them. They happen to make a striking mosaic tile.

I used the tacky glue to place the glass beads on the bird house. 

Let it try overnight. It is best to glue the beads on one side, wait about 30 minutes, then glue on them on the other side. You have to keep the beads flat or they slowly slide off the A frame house. After I started this, I realized that it would have been easier to use a hot glue gun.

I mixed the grout with a little paint then spread it on the birdhouse with my hand. It is much easier to use your hand to navigate around the smooth round glass beads. I would never use my hands for square glass tiles because I would surely cut myself. And blood is not a pretty color on a birdhouse.

After about 15 minutes I wiped it down with a damp sponge to clean the grout off the glass.

After it dried overnight, I scraped off the excess grout around the beads with the back of a paint brush.

I found that if you water down the paint you can spread it unevenly over the grout with a paint brush to give it a nice textured look.

I painted a couple of flowers on the front and back of the house to draw in the reds, golds and greens in the glass beads. The finished product makes a nice porch decoration!  Maybe I'll keep this one for myself !

Grade: A
Skill Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Low
Frustration Level: Low