Where I Create, There I am True - Mixed Media Heart on Canvas

This is my newest painting in the, 'Hearts and Flowers' series I'm working on.

I was inspired by, 'Take the Challenge with Mou'

My April prompt for you is CREATIVITY. How are you creative, your favorite creativity quote, is creativity your life style or just a hobby... whatever it means to you, create a project around the idea of creativity. 

I have been wanting to illustrate this quote for some time and this was just the push I needed.

All the shading and details were done with Stamper's Big Brush pens (especially the white one) over acrylics on  canvas. 

This is the Part Where You Find Out Who You Are

One of the classes I took last year had us make a cardboard "canvas" from cereal boxes. To be honest I had little faith in them so I let them 'hang out' in my craft area and suffer some injustices before I started decorating them. Turns out that they are TOUGH and I really like the irregular nature of a hand-formed oval. What do you think?

Here's the back so you can see how I did it:

I made a little series of these and will be sharing more tomorrow.

World Card Making Day: Two for the Time of One

 Happy World Card making Day.

As you know, I like to be efficient and one of my favorite crafty habits is to make more than one of something if I've gone to the effort to haul all my supplies out. In the end you save time and money plus you usually get ahead a bit, especially if it's a card as you make the card you need and a second one for later.

This card is for the SplitCoast Stampers Hope You Can Cling To "Five Words" Challenge.

 

My thanks (and possible apologies) to Kate Crane who was where I first saw the idea of cutting Hunk's head open to let his thoughts show.

And this one is for the Moxie Fab World "Love" challenge.

Dave Ramsey Money Envelopes Collage Style

Do you follow the The Total Money Makeoverby Dave Ramsey? We have for over three years and one of things I love to hate about it is the all cash system. It's THE BEST way to save money. Seriously. The Best! But keeping all those categories straight in those crappy envelopes drove me nuts. So last year I started altering Dave's envelope refills to better meet my needs. I get so many compliments on them whenever I'm paying for things that I thought I'd make a couple extra this time in case any of you would like a set.

Each one starts with a thick piece of cardboard that I cover in a piece of hand painted paper.

Then I trim it to size and Mod Podge it onto both sides of the cardboard. Then it sits out to dry overnight.

 

Then I goof off and play around with the cover until it's just right, in this case I used a print of one of my collages and added a quote.

"Dreams are necessary to life" seemed appropriate for a budget system.

 

 Inside of the front cover:

There are SIX category envelopes for things like groceries, eating  out, gas etc. and then a sturdy zipper pouch which I treat as a seventh category but friends use for coins and coupons.

And behind that is four pages for writing in your purchases. I always rip them out and use the plastic pouch as my back cover. It's nice and sturdy.

Hope you all liked this project. 

I have several more to share over the next few days. 

Available in my shop

Beautiful Young Girl Collage

I made this as a custom order for a very special, incredibly beautiful young girl.

 Her favorite color is teal.

 

And she has the most gorgeous wisps of  gold in her hair. It was so fun trying to capture it with paint.

One of my goals when making collages of children is to make them a little ageless so that the collage will grow with them through the stages where they don't want anything too 'babyish". I want the look to not be adult but to show a glimpse of the woman they will become.

 

My hope is that the recipient to love her art all through the many years and stages of life.

 

What You Do: Modern Girl Collage

*SOLD*

The difference between who you are 

and who you want to be 

is what you do.

So sassy!

Isn't she just the peachy keenest?

Other originals and prints available on Etsy