betsy

Last Day of School Sign

I can’t believe that the school year is over! Time really does fly with the little ones. And while I know there are a billion other things going on, one of my favorite things to do is a first and last day of school sign. I’ve been working on my brush lettering and put it to the test with some fun techniques that are super easy to do. so even if you are just writing in two colors here you can get a beautiful watercolor effect too!

What you need:

Thick watercolor paper of any size
Washable markers (I’m partial to Crayola)
Bling Bling – I went with Glitter and Sequins
Glitter washi tape or stickers could be an easy hack for bling too
Paint brush and water or a water pen
Your trusty glue stick

I always write out my type on a scratch piece of paper to see what spacing should look like before getting started – its kinda like a rough draft. If you want to play it safe you can very highly draw in your layout to limit error. Then go for it! I start by doing all caps with one color then adding a complimentary color next to it, or a color that will blend with it nicely. Once you have all your base colors in you can add the water! this is so simple and easy – I love it! All you have to do it add water to the washable markers and they become watercolor… how stinking easy is that?! bend your colors as you’d like, if things get too soupy blot with a dry paper towel to control. if you want some fun effects toss some sea salt on the watercolor while its wet for a star like speckled look.

Now you can keep going or hit that bad boy with a hair dryer so you don’t smudge. Next you can use your glue stick to make your glitter design. I just did some simple lines, but you could draw stars, or even add to your type.

Use the same method above with your sequins. be sure to press down gently to be sure they are adhering to the paper well.

Let your piece dry completely. Once dry curve your paper a bit and dump the excess glitter into the trash (or a tupperware for re-use). And you’re all set! I love comparing the first day and last day too, so don’t forget to do a side by side after your official last day of school shot.

Wishing you all a fun and happy summer!

Betsy

Mother’s Day Crafting Segment on Great Day LIVE Tampa Bay

I had a fun and exciting morning at CBS 10NEWS’s Great Day LIVE Tampa Bay. The team had a great show lined up and we had a blast crafting some handmade Mother’s Day gifts with Michael and Kendall.

Check out their blog post here.

Try out our crafts and let us know how they go – we love to see everyone’s crafting adventures.

Happy Crafting!

Betsy

Painted Pots – Kids DIY – Perfect Handmade Gift

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I wanted to share with you an easy and fun crafts to do with the kids. This is one of those sweet keepsake gifts that will be cherished, and be fun in the making. I like the idea of filling the pot with herbs, so it could live in the kitchen, by a sink… perhaps and if your Mom is anything like me maybe that location will give the plant a fighting chance at life, rather than a quick, and parched death 😀

Lets start off with materials. You’ll need some basic things that can be picked up at the craft store or even hardware store. Check out our list below:

Materials

Terra cotta pots of various sizes
Chalk paint (2-3 colors)
Black sharpie parker, or paint pen
Paintbrush (various sizes)
Masking or painters tape
Cup of water for painting
Paper plates or bowl (to put paint on)
Q-tips
Plants for your pots

To get started, decide on your color scheme. Then using your painters tape, mask off the top of your pot so you can paint it a differnt color from your bottom. Bet sure to press along the edge of the tape to ensure a good seal. To get started with paint, I like to dip my brush in the water before going straight into the paint (it makes the paint go on smoother). Then load up your brush and start painting! I like to put my hand in the pot to hold it so I can easily paint and not get fingerprints on it. Ok, the top is painted, let it dry for a few minutes then remove the tape and paint the bottom portion.

You may need a few coats if you are using a lighter color. I did about 2-3 to get the brightness I was shooting for. The nice thing about the chalk paint is that it dries quickly! So doing a couple of coats is a snap! Now that we have our base colors on its time to “zhuzh”! Get fabulous friends, bring out all the polka dots and lashes!

To get the dots on in an easy way for you or the kids, use the other end of your paintbrush. You can also use a Q-tip, I recommend this for the littles, it makes this job lots of fun. I liked adding hair to the ones we did… gave them a bit more personality!

Now we can draw on the face! Really you can do this at any stage… I like using the paint markers from Sharpie, but a regular Sharpie works great too. Add lashes, freckles, smiles, cheeks and lips to those happy pots. You can add a message on the inside or the bottom of the pot, don’t forget the date too! It’s such a treat to pick up something, like this pot, and remember your baby made it… and then upin further inspection… holy cow that was 10 years ago?! Where does the time go? Anyway, add the year, you or your own mother will appreciate it one day 😉

Like I said earlier, I enjoy gifting herbs that can be used in the kitchen. They are useful and a sweet reminder of your little crafter that made it for you. My son and I chose some “hairy herbs” to use… Oregano and Thyme. You can add a few stones in the bottom of the pot then just add you plant and, wallah! A very thoughtful and fun handmade gift to make your Mom or Grandmom smile.

I hope you all enjoy painting pots together! Happy Crafting And Enjoy!

Betsy

Back to School!

It’s time, I can’t believe the summer has flown by so fast, and I can’t believe how big my boys are… slow. down. slow. down! I try to carry on the traditions my Mom established growing up, that, of course, has become a major thing for all parents. So I put together a back to school chalkboard for the obligatory first day of school photo.

This chalkboard is special. But really, I bought it at HomeGoods for $40, 3 years ago, and it has been used for multiple parties, baby showers, holidays, parties, weddings and both my kiddos weekly belly bump chalkboards. I love this chalkboard!

I’ve used some fun googly eyes and apple die-cuts from Michaels. Have you ever just scanned their sale rack? These apples were inexpensive and made this project a breeze! I will admit I am also the victim of buying so many great crafting treasures and… adding them to by heap of “will one day be used”. I may just do one giant project and use them all!

I used glue dots to attach the googly eyes, and attached the apples to the chalkboard too. I played around with a few type blocks… and always have a handy wet paper towel to clean up or redo sections.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of this chalkboard – I may have to rebuild it soon (she’s spent a few nights outside and is a little warped). Maybe I’ll do a how to blog post about it so you all can have this fantastic board too! Are you interested in that? Please comment below:

About Us, and this box!

This is my very first post! It seemed best to kick things off by introducing myself and telling you about me, my family and why I’m writing to you all. Well, hello there!! I’m Betsy, a full-time working, thirty-something wife, creative, and mom of two wild boys, three fluffy dogs, one stinky cat, and a pot bellied pig… yes… a pig!

You see, I’m a creative and always have been, I blame my amazing mom for all these things. My mom is an incredibly talented and creative woman. She has been a source of inspiration, and one of my biggest cheerleaders. I’ve been fortunate in having a great childhood bursting with creativity because of my mom. We were always working on holiday projects, helping out with school plays, trips, and fundraiser props. As I grew up she encouraged me to pursue my passion of art, and attend art classes, and eventually attend one of the top art school in the US –Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and have been working professionally in the creative field in designing screen printed and decorated fashion apparel for the past 11 years.

Now, I am a mom of two wildly busy boys and trying to find ways to have quality time with them has been my challenge. Time is scarce between work, laundry feeding everyone, and taking care of the kids… there is little time to research plan shop for and prepare crafts… not to mention me leaving the craft store after spending a bundle and not having time to use have the stuff. Lately, I’ve been in the mindset of making my time together count. You’ve all heard it, “be present in the present”… Well, this is my combo platter solution of being present, making our time – quality time, and pulling in some of my favorite memories and creativity into the mix too.

It sounds like a lot, but it’s quite simple – a subscription of prepared crafts! It’s easy, you don’t have to think about it, it comes to you once a month with seasonal themes. Now without the stress and prep-work, you can craft, connect and create together!

I love putting together these monthly packages… and I hope you enjoy them too! Please share your creations and tag us on facebook and Instagram. We love sharings everyone’s creations!