Colour Me Surprised

In my crafting life, I've come to accept that drawing is my Achilles heel. No matter how many times I try to draw a face or sketch out scenery, I quickly remember that it's not my forte.

 

For Spring Break this year, I have two things on my to do list: re-watch the entire Star Wars saga, and get better at drawing. I’ll tell you more about that first goal in another post, but this week it's all about rehabilitating the pour soul who created this into someone who might be able to tackle this.

First, I dug into my magic box of Klutz and pulled out two kits to guide me in the right direction. I warmed up with Splat Art. This kooky book is packed with all sorts of splatted, stamped and squashed things that you can re-imagine into something new. I made a sponge print into the "Knight Bus," turned some string art into yummy cotton candy and (okay, so technically this one isn't drawing) I transformed an looping ribbon into a miniature royal decree.

Once I had mastered the Splat, it was time to move onto something a little more challenging (relatively speaking, of course.) Because, with pre-printed backgrounds and an amazing fold-out book (so you can flip the drawing instructions right out front of you), it doesn't get much easier than Mix & Match Drawing. Still, this is me we’re talking about, so I was skeptical at first.

Turns out I’m not so bad! I may have struggled to keep things to scale (that knight should probably be a bit smaller than his fire-breathing foe), but the step-by-step, shape-by-shape directions held my hand till the end. I sat back to discover that I had drawn something pretty decent. Sure, there were a couple of small gaffes, but I’m getting better! And that’s more than I’ve ever been able to say before.

One goal well on it's way to completion and one left to go.
What are your goals for Spring Break this year?

Stamp Collector

I fell in love with Stamp Art a while back when I used it to make place cards for my big birthday party. When it came time for me to make valentines for my class -- or the grown-up girl’s equivalent, her coworkers -- I knew that stamp-art cards would be a huge hit. And since I had already thrown down the challenge to banish the box, it was time to put my money where my mouth was!

I got to work, peeling, sticking, stamping and colouring to create a set of too-cute handmade valentines. Flowers, hearts, cupcakes and ice cream sundaes materialized out of the basic rubber stamp shapes, and with just a little touch of colour they were ready for gifting!

Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to a day filled with creative cards, good friends, sugary sweets and lots of love. I hope your day is just as special!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pretty Painted Tips

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Here's a Valentine's treat

That's just for you!

Valentine's Day is all about giving, but that doesn't mean you can't treat yourself too! Why not celebrate with some funky Nail Art? This book is packed with tons of tips and techniques, patterns and designs, plus a rainbow of non-toxic, peel-off polish, so you can change your tips to match your mood. This month, I'm full of sweet kisses, swoon-y daydreams and little love notes. Next month, who knows?

Unless you're ambidextrously blessed you might need some help to make a matching set, so grab a friend and get busy. Valentine's Day is only a week away!

An Ode to My Bestie

I wouldn’t have survived school if it weren’t for my BFF, Lea. She was my rock, my cheer squad and my very best friend. From the moment met in junior kindergarten, we were inseparable. We were Lemon and Lime, Skittles and Chupa Chups, Josée Chouinard and Kristi Yamaguchi, and oh-so-much more, and we had a blast!

Back then, we’d find any excuse to trade tokens of our awesome friendship, from split-heart necklaces and friendship bracelets to our shoelaces! Once, we even broke a pink school eraser in half and swore our everlasting bond on the crumbling pieces. Five days later, mine was lost, but to this day I still think about it and smile.

So I’m celebrating my Best Friend Forever this February, the month of love, with a throwback to our younger days and a modern take on Friendship Bracelets from Klutz. I paired them with our favourite photos to make these super sweet and completely personalized valentines. There were so many fun bracelet designs to choose from, I had to make more than one. Now I can’t decide which one I like best, so I’m giving her all four. Anything for my best gal, because she’s totally worth it!

This Valentine’s Day, banish boxed cards and get creative! Show your loved ones just how much you care with handmade valentines that are sure to make them smile.