My First Blog Hop!

 Today I am super excited to be part of my very first blog hop! Practical Scrappers has paired up with Paper Secrets to bring you a blog hop featuring Wood as a design element!

You should have arrived here from 
Stephanie U's
blog, and I am so glad to have you hop along to my blog! I had a lot of fun creating this great wall hanging with a wood placemat for a base! 

After using stencils to paint the quote, I used Washi tape as a border and added some Little Yellow Bicycle Dimensional accents.

I also have a bonus project for you today!  We moved into a new house and I am trying to find ways to make it our own.  Both of my projects lend themselves to that. 

For this project I took a wooden letter and wrapped it in washi tape.

    

I used glue dots to add the laser cut wooden cross and washi tape to create a hanger with a bow.

I am so excited to be a part of my first blog hop I decided to do a giveaway for one lucky follower! Just follow my blog and leave a comment and you will be entered to win this great prize.  Winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, August 29th and will be announced here on the pspapercreations blog. 

After you signed up to follow along and left a comment for a chance to win this great prize, 
hop along to 
Karen Sessions 
blog to see what wonderful things she did with wood! 

Don't forget to follow the rules at Practical Scrappers to enter to win the Paper Secrets Prize too! 

Vintage Print Tray Heirloom

Here is my feature over at Practical Scrappers today!

About a year ago, I was lucky enough to stumble across an old print tray at a yard sale.  I had a vision for my creation and started to collect little items to fill those tiny little shelves. After much time collecting and finding the perfect pieces for my project, I finally felt ready to CREATE!  I wanted to create a tribute to my family that could be passed along and added to and changed as we grew and changed.  I chose paper, ribbon, fabric, flowers and little items that really spoke to me about our family.  I considered using paint, but decided that was a little too permanent for my vision.

 

 

 You may notice the repetition of the numbers 2, 4 and 6.  My husband and I are the  2.  Our girls are the 4 and the 6 is all of us together.

 There are 6 keys displayed, one for each member of our family.

 There is metal and burlap.

 

 

 A heart for each family member, and a jar full of love too!

 

 

 

 

 The name of each member of our family is also displayed.

 

 

The clocks represent each of our birthdays.

There are a few empty spots to add things later and things can be added and changed as our family changes.

 I love having an artistic representation of what our family means.  Why not find a way to create an heirloom for your family to cherish for generations to come!

Floral Shadowbox Inspiration

It is amazing what a little piece of beautiful ribbon and a few paper flowers and buttons can do to create a gorgeous compliment to great picture!  

 My daughters participated in a back to school fashion show last year and they had an amazing photographer on hand who took this great picture. Check out his work when you have a chance!  Before this event he photographed my sister's wedding and has since done our private family shoot too!  

After I ordered the pictures I knew I needed to get them up on the wall but I wanted them to stand out!  

 I picked up a shadowbox frame and matted the photo.  Them I took some pretty embellishments and my trusty glue dots and went to work!  

I pulled my colors from the picture and did not want to overdo it!

I threaded a few buttons and added them with glue dots.

 The photo is now proudly hanging on my kitchen wall where I can see my girls all the time even when they are off at school!

Give it a try!  You too can create beauty in your world!

Dry Erase Chore Chart DIY

Dry Erase Chore Chart DIY

As back to school quickly approaches, I am trying to get our home organized and to get the kids eager to help out!  We have done chore charts in the past and they were very successful.  (They just typically fall by the wayside when our days are irregular in the summertime.)  So our new chore chart looks like this:

Pretty simple.
I Just took an 8X10 frame I had ready in the gift closet, placed 4 pieces of different colored handmade paper inside.
Added each of the kid's names to their section of paper and a list of chores at the top.

  
Placed it all back in the frame and added the title in stickers.
Each time the kids complete a chore, they get a mark in their section: Dry erase marker so they can be erased and reset each week.

Our rewards for a job well done change frequently.
Right now, they will each earn a dime for each chore they complete.
(We are headed to Disney in a few weeks and want them to have some of their own spending money)

Other rewards might include:
1.  The child with the most points will get to choose a family activity
2. Each point earns a dollar for our rewards closet store
3. Most points gets to choose dessert for one night
4. Child with the most points will get to decide on dinner for one night, and help prepare it.

Now it sits front and center on the kitchen counter to remind us all to help out and keep track of those hard earned points!

Join our Community of Creativity and share your ideas!

Layered Canvas Quote

Layered Canvas Quote

Once again Pinterest inspired me!

Check out the original tutorial.

 I rarely see an idea and copy it as it is, but I try to put my own spin on it and that is what I did with this project.

I started with
-a 16"X20" canvas (which I found at Michael's on sale for 2 for $5 this week! BONUS!)
-acrylic craft paint
-letter stickers
-brushes

  

Layer 1: Begin by painting the entire canvas a solid color including the edges.  I chose a bright pink for my daughter's room. I tried to keep a texture in the paint to add a bit of interest.  LET IT DRY!

  

Layer 2: Next add a design.  I used bright green to pain polka dots.  I am not a very orderly person, so my polkas dots did not have to be in a perfect pattern.  Create the design over the whole canvas, it will add texture to the sections that are not exposed.  LET IT DRY!

Add any quote you want in adhesive letters.  To tell you the truth, I was afraid the color would seep under these letters but was pleasantly surprised that they worked like a charm.  Be sure to press them down firmly, especially along the edges.

Layer 3: Use a stippling motion, up and down, to paint over the entire canvas.  The stippling motion is important so that you avoid guiding the paint under the letters.  It also works to create a great texture.   LET IT DRY COMPLETELY!  (This is especially hard because you will be super excited to see how it comes out!)

Use a knife or toothpick, to raise a corner of each letter and slowly peal the letters away to expose the pattern underneath.

Now, I will never claim to be an artist, well, at least not a painter anyway, as I feel that crafting is an art form in and of itself, but I was SUPER excited with how this came out!  Add a hanger of some kind (I just tied a bow and stapled the ends of the ribbon to the back) and admire your work of art!

    

Join us! Our Community of Creativity!

Going Green for the Red White and Blue!

Going Green for the Red, White, and Blue!

Here is our green craft for the week!  I did not buy anything new for this project!

For our green projects, I use only things that I already have lying around.

I get to make pretties and save a little bit of room in the landfill!

You'll need:

Jars: Any size you like (Label removed and cleaned inside and out)

Adhesive cardstock, stickers, or adhesive vinyl

Stippling Brush

Acrylic Paint

Wire

Decorations

Candles

Scissors

First, decide what you are going to use for your mask.  I used adhesive cardstock but you could use stickers, or adhesive vinyl. I used the Cuttlebug to die cut these stars and a straight cutter for the stripes.

Design your jars by firmly pressing your masks into place.  Be sure to rub the edges to create a tight seal so no paint will seep under.

      

Use a relatively dry stippling brush and dab a small amount of paint onto the areas you want colored.  If you want to completely cover the area it may take several coats. I was looking for a more textured look. Let it dry completely!

      

Carefully remove the masks.

         

Use wire to create a hanger as shown above.

Take some scraps of fabric, ribbon, fibers, whatever you happen to have to "Kick it up a notch!"

Place a candle inside and light them up!

Such a pretty and earth friendly way to celebrate our great U.S. of A!

Check out our other Patriotic crafts!

Join Us as we grow our Community of Creativity!