BFF Open House Link Party

Happy best day of the week Friday Eve!!! Hope everyone had a good week despite the crazy weather everywhere. The PNW gets a bad rap on rain but I heard last night on the radio that we've had as much rain since October 1 as we usually get in an entire year! Ready for some dry days here. 

Let's see some ideas shared at last week's party: 

Love this wooden backdrop from My Busy Beehives! She keeps it on her mantel and changes out what's on it seasonally. I am also in love with the Spring wreath she has on it! 

There must have been something in the air last week because here's another wreath I am in love with. This one from Maggie Lois. The mix of textures and colors of greenery really come together for a simple but impactful wreath. 

Now I didn't plan on having wreath centered features but it just turned out that way! I also love this Spring Tulip Wreath from Alaynas Creations. Once again common materials and colors make an impact! 

Since tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day, this week's chocolate feature is perfect ( not that you couldn't make these whenever!). 

Guiness Stout Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting! YUM! Thank you for sharing Bird's Party! 

Now let's see what you've been up to this week!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Spring Is In The Air Printable and (Mini) PicMonkey Tutorial

Well it is somewhere right? Not in the Northeast which I understand is expecting quite the snow storm. And here in the PNW it's been rainy and cold. 

The calendar tells me there's a week until the beginning of Spring so I played around with "Dream Bouquet", a collection of watercolor flowers from designbundles.net. It's their freebie of the week (only free  for three more days!!)  and maybe some wishful thinking will speed Spring along? I also made a version with pink text. 

I created them in PicMonkey using a transparent background and then adding the images using the Add Overlay function. PicMonkey's not new so this may be old news but it's one of my go to tools.

Basic steps: 

1.) Go to PicMonkey. 

NOTE: It's free unless you want to upgrade to a Royale Membership which grants you access to additional features and fonts.  I had one, let it lapse and so far I'm good since you can add your own overlays and use most of your own fonts which was my main reason for getting it.  

2.) Select "Try Templates" 

3.) This will bring up pre-populated templates you can play with ( they'll indicate whether they're free or not) but you can also search / select what you want. I usually do printable 8.5x11 so I selected that from the Print Size pull down

4.) Once you've chosen your size, you want to make your background transparent which takes the click of a button: 

Under the "Basic Edits" option ( first one on the left) click on Canvas Color and then click on Transparent Canvas.  Your background will show as a grey and white checked pattern but this will not show once you print or use online. I prefer the .PNG format so that if I want to print on a colored or patterned paper it doesn't obstruct it. Of course if you want your background to be a color you choose that color from the slide bar that's shown. 

4.) Add your images using the Overlay tool. This is the butterfly, 4th option down the left side. There are many many free overlays within PicMonkey so you can mix and match between theirs and your own ; use just your own ; use just theirs. To use your own click on the Add Your Own button at the top and then you can use your library of either png or jpg images. 

From here it's a matter of adding, sizing, and layering your images and adding text. Using your own fonts is similar to using the Overlay tool but instead you click on the Tt on the left, choose Your Own on the fonts menu and go from there. 

C'mon  Spring! We KNOW you're out there! 

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve all! Hope everyone's had a great week. Some fun ideas shared at last week's party so let's take a look at a few of them shall we? And oh ...a reminder that I have a little Spring themed giveaway going on through next week here.

Alayna's Creations shared an awesome  Spring Care package idea.I've been doing care packages for PhD Boy since he was College Boy but I love that she did a whole season!  Hers is for her deployed husband and covers all of the Spring holidays. There are smaller care packages within the big box! 

I'm seeing foxes everywhere lately. Creative genius extraordinaire MichLinLA came up with a fox themed necklace using something you would never guess. Really... you won't! 

My never ending bucket list includes wanting to be able to make gorgeous cakes. In the meantime, I live vicariously through those who can like Paisley and Pugs who shared this incredible unicorn cake. How cute is this? 

And for this week's chocolate feature? What's better than a chocolate chip cookie? How about one stuffed with a peanut butter cup?! You're welcome. From Sugar Spice and Family Life: 

OK let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Lettering Practice : Faux-lligraphy

(Reminder I have a little giveaway going on here)

I've mentioned that I'm on a journey to learn hand lettering and I also mentioned in my 2017 New Year's post "The Stop Doing List" that I would normally not post things unless they were "perfect". This is a combination of those things. 

Sharing a piece I worked on last night inspired by a commerical for the upcoming "Beauty and The Beast" movie. 

I'm not 100% happy with it but the one thing every lettering artist I admire says repeatedly is "practice practice practice" so I'm practicing. 

The style I used here is considered "faux-lligraphy" or cheater calligraphy so if you want to try a calligraphic style, this is an easy way to do it. 

Dawn Nicole Designs has a great video tutorial here, and Amy Latta of One Artsy Mama has a beginner's tutorial here

Since I'm still figuring out how to digitize my projects (eg scan vs photograph) this is going to be the most basic basic how to! 

Lettering vs handwriting is really more about drawing letters so that's why I used the word draw vs write. 

Step 1:

Draw your letter(s). I still sketch out my words in pencil first to get spacing and size right but for this illustration I just went right with the pen!  

Step 2: 

Outline. You want to focus on the downstrokes, so wherever you bring your pen/pencil down, that's where you want to create a parallel line that makes an outline. Make sense? 

Step 3: 

Color ( or I guess fill would be a good term too) . Color in your outline ( doesn't have to be black...the letters look great with different colors too). 

One thing leads to another so while I've been on this lettering journey I started expanding my drawing and doodling skills. It never stops in the creative world right? 

I'm a visual learner so You Tube has been invaluable. This is the video I watched ( several times!) to do the rose. 

Supplies used: 

• Strathmore Multi Media Sketchbook
• Farber Castell drawing pen, slim and medium
• Tombow dual-tip markers 

Here's another piece I did last week: 

Scrappy Spring Tags and a Giveaway

Who else is excited that it's almost Spring? Not that it's been a particularly bad Winter (OK wettest February on record in the PNW)  but there's something about Spring...the sense of freshness and renewal (probably associated with longer brighter days and things sprouting from the ground) that's invigorating. 

One of my 2017 challenges to myself was to work outside my usual color palette. Another was to use up things I have in my stash, especially when it comes to my paper collection and paper scraps. Those came together this weekend when I worked on some tags just because that was what I was in the mood to do. No rhyme. No reason. 

Aren't they Spring-y? 

I went through my paper scraps and pulled out a bunch of coordinating Spring-y scraps to play with. 

Got out my favorite tool for small projects, the Xyron 2.5 sticker maker, and cut out some tags on my Silhouette. 

I think the reason I love making tags so much I there's no plan. I just like tearing papers, seeing what goes together, embellishing them w/ bits and pieces. 

I used some paper flowers, punched some more from glitter paper scraps, added bits of washi tape ( glittery and otherwise) and some adhesive pearls. I think I'm happiest when I'm making for the sake of making. Ya know? These put me in a really good mood. And what's the best thing to do when you're in a good mood? SHARE! 

So I'm giving them away. Two sets of eight. With Spring holidays like Easter and Mother's Day approaching, or Spring birthdays, showers etc. who can't use a tag to dress up a gift? 

Here's how to enter. The giveaway will run through Friday 3/17! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve and Happy March everyone! Been sidelined w/ a virus this week so haven't done much creatively except enjoy looking at your creations from last week's party. Here are a few ideas to share: 

Let's start with this insanely FABULOUS Pottery Barn inspired knockoff from The Navage Patch. I'll take 2 please?!  A Silhouette was involved but not how you think!

Most of the wall decor in our home is DIY and even if you don't "create" it yourself , these days there are so many options where you can have it made easily and inexpensively. Jenny Louise Marie shared what she did with prints she ordered online.

Speaking of Wall Art, Simply September shared this DIY piece which I love for it's simplicity and sentiment. 

This week's chocolate feature combines several favorites in one. Mr. Chocolate's favorite milkshake is hot-fudge banana so I think he'll like this one too. From The Young Mrs. blog. 

Now on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Hand Lettered Cards

When I became intrigued by hand lettering, one of the things I hoped I'd be able to do was to incorporate it into my card making. So when I had a couple of cards to make this weekend, that's just what I did. 

I started by doodling the wreath for each card, then added the initial. It just so happened that both recipients have the same initial. 

I chose some coordinating papers , trimmed the focal piece, matted then stamped the sentiments for each with Staz On ink onto white cardstock scraps. Matted those w/ coordinating paper scraps. As I continue to practics and get better at lettering, I'll do the sentiments too but for now, stamps lol. 

To add some dimension, I dotted the berries on the doodled branches with clear dimensional drops ( Nuvo clear). 

Supplies Used: 

• Decorative Scrapbook Papers: Crate Paper pack ( Michaels)
• Lettering Paper: Strathmore Watercolor 
• Staz On Black Ink
• Sentiment Stamps : Michaels (Impulse buy a while ago)
• Drawing Pen: Faber Castell (my personal fave)
• Coloring Pens: Tombow Dual Tip (my personal fave)

Flamingo Toes Show and Tell