I wanted to share a project I made for GreenCraft Magazine. It’s a cardboard portfolio for pretty papers, important papers, artwork, or whatever you like.  Above is my portfolio before I sent it off almost a year ago. I had almost forgotten what it looked liked.

It is completely made of cardboard, cereal box board, maps and old papers and scraps of ribbon, fabric, fringe and buttons. Oh, and a bit of paint and glue.

I really love this magazine. Beautiful photographs, and so many wonderful ideas and contributors.

I am also in the new issue of Somerset Home, but I haven’t seen it yet!!  I’m hoping to get my copy in the mail soon or I may just have to go out and get it myself. I’ll wait a couple more days…

What’s on the table besides food?

I wanted to fancy up the table a bit since my roses stopped blooming. I really do miss having them on my table for the last 4 weeks. Rocky is missing his rose petal salads too. So, I had to make some paper ones, at least for the color.  I made them from a Martha Stewart video. They were fun to make while watching play-it-now movies on Netflix.

After I made them, I needed vases to put them in so I spray painted some bottles from the recycle bin. I followed Blaire’s advice for the painting.

Well then, I couldn’t just place the bottles (now vases) on  a plain, bare table, now could I?   So, then I had to paint a table runner. I have a huge roll of primed canvas that I cut, hemmed and painted (copying my pillow design). Then I sealed it with a few coats of matte gel medium.

Now if we (I) could learn to keep the table cleared and clean.

This is an awesome time of the year for us south-westerners. It’s getting warm, but not too warm. No mosquitoes, yet. Lots of sunshine. It’s been so great. It’s hard to not want to be outside. We’ve been eating all our dinners outside, planting new flowers and herbs.

I saw this inverted tomato planter and went out and bought the supplies immediately. I would LOVE to have some yummy sweet cherry tomatoes.  On the top is oregano, lemon thyme and rosemary.

I also planted some sweet basil, pineapple sage and cinnamon basil.  They smell divine.

I got the paints out once again so that I could write Rocky’s name on his home archway.  I think he likes it.

Hope you are enjoying some nice weather too.

When we moved in this house, almost 3 years ago, there was an old bird bath in the yard. Concrete, painted white with a squirrel, it’s not something I would have picked out, but we would clean it and put water in it frequently for the birds.

Over the weekend we bought some native flower and grass seed mix for Rocky and spent a good amount of time pulling weeds, trimming the roses and looking at this awful bird bath.  Then I got to thinking about changing it.  I didn’t like it already so what was the worst that could happen.

I cleaned it and got out my crafting acrylic paints, probably not the best paint for an outdoor piece, but it didn’t matter.  First I was just going to paint yellow petals on the bowl, but then I got out the green, the red, the blue and well, I just got a little carried away. Then, the hubby suggested that I make the squirrel into a lizard. I scoffed and said that it couldn’t be done.  Then he chipped away the squirrel’s ears, making it look a little more lizard like which gave me no other choice then to go with it.

I think it’s fun and colorful, the kids love it, the birds love it and our back yard is better for it.  It goes nicely with the rose blooms and hopefully soon, some native grass and flowers.

A few people asked if I would show how we made our caterpillar book. No problem, because the whole reason I started trying to figure it all out, was so that I could keep a little inspiration book in my purse.

I made mine out of a paper bag, because I knew I was going to paint it and the brown paper holds paint well.  Any kind of paper can be used–scrapbook paper, text weight paper, cardstock…

1.  Cut paper into 4 x 4 inch sheets. The end booklet will be 2 x 2 inches.  Any size will work, as long as it is square and all sheets are the same size.  You can make the booklet any number of sheets. I will show how to put 2 together,  but my end result is 5 sheets long.

2. Fold each sheet in half both ways and in half diagonally. Pull diagonal fold inward as seen in photo. Repeat with all sheets.

3. Glue sheets together, with glue stick, so that one sheet folds inward and the other outward.  Continue adding more sheets if desired.

4.Fold booklet closed, carefully creasing each fold with your nail or bone folder.

5. Open and decorate whatever way you see fit.

Here are some other ideas in case painting isn’t your thing:
* Make one to tell a story. Write your birthing story, engagement, or something totally made up.
* Make a mini photo album. This would be a great gift for the grandparents.
* Make a birthday or anniversary card.
* Keep it blank and make lists and/or doodles.
* Make it inspirational.  Add photos, quotes, images from magazines.

Have fun with it!!

I’ve been saving up my paper rolls in hopes of making something with them.  I decided to make these little ornaments after folding, bending, cutting and just messing around with the rolls.  My little guy helped me out.

Here’s what you need:
paper rolls
craft acrylic paint
ink marker (optional)
hole puncher
strips of fabric, ribbon, yarn, twine (whatever you like)
water-based, nontoxic satin varnish (optional)

1. Fold  paper roll as seen in first image.
2. Match points up and press together.
3. Repeat on other end.
4. Paint.
5. Decorate.  You can paint something directly onto the roll or glue images from books, fabric, wrapping paper, etc. Use small drawings that the kids have done on paper and glue them on, or a photo would work great too. Add a little glitter or stickers. Sky’s the limit.
6. Give a light coat of satin varnish (optional).

6. Punch holes into each point and tie together with twine, ribbon, strips of fabric or yarn. Repeat on other end.

fronts

backs

7. Add another string for hanging on your tree OR use as gift packaging for a small treasure (jewelry, small toy, money). Wrap the small gift in tissue paper and stuff inside.  Use a long piece of ribbon that you can tie the bottom ends together in a bow so it can easily be re-opened for a surprise inside.

8. Enjoy!

Here in the southwest desert of Arizona, we don’t really have a typical autumn.  The weather is cool, which means that it is finally in the 80s, but there are no scarves, jackets or changing leaves.  It’s the changing leaves and Autumn colors of the higher elevations that I love most.

On our trip up to Northern Az last weekend, we had meant to collect some leaves. We came home with only a few, which are pressed in my moleskine journal.  I had wanted to make some kind of Autumn decoration for the house,  so with some creative thinking, the boys and I decided to make our own leaves.

Now, you may have beautiful leaves that surround your home, but the great thing about these is that they don’t crumble, you need paint, and they involve making a mess.  The ingredients for a fun activity with the kids.

Here’s what you’ll need:
A brown paper bag
acrylic craft paints in assorted Autumn colors (yellow, orange, green, red, brown, copper, gold)
paint brushes, sponges, old toothbrush
blow dryer (optional)
scissors
twine

1. Take one brown paper grocery bag, tear it open into one flat piece. Tear into 3-4 large pieces and crumple into a ball to give it lots of texture. Flatten out.

2. Prep paints by diluting with a bit of water

3. Slop paint all over paper.

4. Allow to dry. Use a blow dryer to speed the process (optional).

5.  Lightly sponge on metallic gold and copper paint

6. Spritz some diluted brown paint with a toothbrush to create speckles.

7.  Admire your pretty paper.

8. When paper is completely dry, cut into leaf size squares and cut out leaves (this is where the kids lose interest).  If you are lucky to have sizzix machine with leaf shapes, that would be a really easy way to make leaves. I don’t have one so I cut them all by hand. It wasn’t as hard as it may seem. I stacked several squares together and cut several leaves at the same time while watching Glee (again).

9.  Glue stems onto twine and hang your pretty garland on a window or around a door.

I haven’t been thrift shopping in ages.  It’s just been too hot.  But the heat has finally started dipping into the low to mid 90’s.  It’s an improvement, believe me.

So I came across a few AWESOME finds.

This little suitcase for $3.  It’s in great condition and now houses all my art paints (which kinda makes me want to paint it).

An organ sheet music book for my art, journal and collage needs.  It’s a thick one and should last me a while.  Only a quarter.

And lastly, the pièce de résistance, Charlie Harper’s Giant Golden Book of Biology!!! This little beauty cost me a whopping $.69!!!   I couldn’t believe I found it.  The cover is dirty and drawn on a bit and one of the pages has scribbles, otherwise, it is in beautiful condition. The illustrations are AMAZING!! I will cherish this book forever!

I bought the Green Craft Magazine over a week ago with my 40% coupon at JoAnn’s.  It was hidden under a bunch of other magazines so I was thrilled to find it. I couldn’t resist, especially after seeing it on so many other blogs.  It’s right up my alley, with the whole green theme.

It inspired me to use two thrifted tshirts to make this polka-dot tote for my friend Alexandra.  She’s been away with her family up in Oregon and I was so happy to see her, I showered her with gifts and yummy food. The bag? It’s double layered with reverse applique for the dots.

Here are some of my favorites from the magazine.

Since I had the sleeves left over from the thrifted tshirts, I decided to try making the tshirt necklaces.  It’s soooo fun.  I just cut several rings from the sleeve and gave them a good pull.  It’s like magic.  Perfectly tubular!  I tied a bunch together and that’s it.  I’m not sure If I could pull off wearing this, maybe with the right shirt?  Hmmm.

I hate it when I forget my fabric grocery bags!!  URGH!!!  I try so hard to remember. They are hanging right by the door!  But, it happens every once in a while.  I’ve been known to shove 10 lbs worth of groceries into my purse, just to avoid a plastic bag.

Well, it happened again, on Sunday. A trip to Trader Joe’s resulted in lots of yummy food and 3 stuffed paper bags. After we put the groceries away, I was folding up the paper bags and was noticing how thick the paper was. Then the creative wheels started turning and because I’ve been reading A LOT about art journaling, well…

I was able to get 2 small journals (4 x 5 inches) and one large journal (8 x 6 inches) from two brown paper bags.

Here is a quick bit about how I made them:

For two small journals cut 16 pieces measuring 5 x 8 inches. Eight sheets for each journal. For the large journal, cut the paper into five or six 8 x 12 inch pieces. I ironed each sheet with steam to get them flat and then folded each sheet in half. Then I hand stitched the binding using THIS TUTORIAL. For one of them, I hand stitched a straight stitch.

You can paint the pages with one or two thin layers of gesso to make the pages thicker and stronger and to give you a clean, white page.  Just make sure to use a dry brush or very little water with the paint to keep the paper from getting too soggy.  From there on out, the sky is the limit!  Paint, draw with pencil, charcoal, chalk, oil paintstiks, crayons, pens, markers, decoupage with paper, photos or fabric, use stamps. I use mat gel medium for all of my collage needs (or you can use modge podge)

Ideas for your journal:

*Color study, paint a different color on each page and then write feelings or draw pictures that each color evokes.
*Words.  Write a random word on each page then paint, draw something that is associated with that word.
*Copy old black & white photos of family members and paste them to your journal.  Paint colorful hats, dresses, vests on everyone.
*Use pictures from magazines and paste them in your journal.  Fancy them up with markers, pens, paints, colored pencils.
*Make a numbers or alphabet book with the kids.
*Themes:  Pick a theme , make a list then and fill your journal with each listed item.

• ~things that make you happy
• ~wishes, dreams and aspirations
• ~pet peeves
• ~goals
• ~favorite things
• ~travel journal
• ~favorite place(s)
• ~favorite people

The great thing about these journals is that they are a really inexpensive way to get creative with art. There is no pressure to make a masterpiece, just a really fun way to get ideas down on paper and experiment.

P.S.  I thought I’d see if anyone else had done this, and because this is an amazing and huge world full of a gazillion creative people, I found that my idea wasn’t all that origianl after all.  Ah well.  I can happily say however, that I learned more and was inspired by the following three really cool paper bag journal makers:

Yoli’s Sacred Journey: Brown bag art journal
Journal Junk: Paper Bag Journal (video)
Judy Wise: More Stuff

*********************Cheers!!*********************