Every Mom Needs a Hobby...or 3: Quotes on a mixed-media canvas

I recently saw an amazing tutorial that inspired me to try my hand at mixed-media. I found a quote that I thought Kiddo2 would like and decided to make a picture for her room.

Stage 1: Conceptualization

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I started by crumpling up some crepe paper and then gently painted on some watered down white glue. Then I took a piece of lace and scraped some "wall filler" that we'd gotten at TESCO over the lace. I allowed it a few minutes to start to dry and then removed the lace to expose the lovely pattern left behind. 

I then rummaged through all my various collectibles to find bits and pieces to use as decoration.   

Step 2: Giving it life

I wanted to give the piece a very bright and hopeful look, so I chose a lovely shade of sky blue ink paint and (with a lot of water mixed in) placed color here and there between the textured bits. I then mixed a little acrylic red with some gold shimmer powder and (again very watered down) applied the pink/red to the left side. 

I finalized my arrangement, wrote the quote on the wooden thingies that come with the canvas (no idea what they're called...) and then proceeded to glue everything on. I actually ended up using white glue for everything, which sticks well enough, but not sure how durable it will be in the long-term. 

Step 3: The final touches

et voila: the completed piece. 

-The heart is a piece I made years back when first learning to use polymer clay 

-The dark key (also polymer clay) was made a few months later 

-The flower I'd crocheted and the center of the flower is a button from my collection 

-The butterfly is a piece of lace pinned together to form the shape. The rest are pieces of jewelry from my "art" bag (also known as junk bag) 

-The blue charm is a semi-precious stone that I wrapped with silver wire back once-upon-a-time when I dabbled in wire-wrapping

-and the curly thingie up top is from a bag of potpourri (Kiddo2 think it looks like a caterpillar and decided it fit the quote splendidly). 

Nursery set-up

Just 3 days to go. It's all ready and waiting for the little man to show up.

As a family of (soon to be) 5, currently living in a small apartment, we've done our best to turn a corner of our bedroom into a cute little nursery without making the rest of the room feel claustrophobic. Making the best of #smallspaces.

What do you think? 

Banish Hair-brushing Blues

Neither of my girls relish having their hair brushed, I'm sure many moms out there can relate. It starts with some groans and once we're full swing into de-tangling, there's no end of "ow", "you're hurting me", and yelps that sound like they're getting tortured;  no matter how gentle I am trying to be.

After one particularly noisy session which left me worried about what the neighbours would think, we came up with an idea that would banish the hair-brushing blues.

For every "ow" they would get one kiss.

Now they count very carefully each and every "ow" to ensure that they get all the kisses they're entitled to. Hair brushing time has become fun and hassle-free. 

Every Mom Needs a Hobby...or 3: Digital Art

Our fourth hobby post centers around a fantastic creative outlet. It's not something you can do while watching TV, such as crocheting, it's less hands-on than creating jewelry and it doesn't get you out doors like photography, but it certainly has it's own appeal and a special place in my heart: Digital Art.

I've had a relationship with Photoshop every since my dad brought it home on his new computer back in the late '90s. It started out with basic color adjusting and morphed into minor and major touch ups, photo manipulation and an attempt or two at an actual painting. Here are a few samples I've created over the years:

Give a Candle a Makeover in 3 Easy Steps

3 easy steps to turn a plain, boring candle into something beautiful.

Step 1: Start with a plain candle and using a paint brush, cover with white glue.

Step 2: Fill a plate with large grain salt and roll candle over (add some glitter for extra sparkle).

Step 3: Leave to dry for a few days.

It's that easy!

Seriously Stunning Easter Eggs

#1. This fantasy/medieval creation:

Found here

Super Moisturizing DIY Honey, Sugar, and Vitamin C Face Mask

Are you looking for natural, healthy skin masks or scrubs that work beautifully? Why not try this honey, vitamin C and sugar face mask/scrub.