fashion friday- beautiful boho

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a peek inside the studio- delicious details

in totally unrelated news....

I've had two last minute spots open up in my Sketchbook Adventures class this Saturday. If there are any Oregon or Washington creatives out there looking for a last minute reason to escape to the Oregon Coast for some sketching and art journaling with me- head on over to my SHOP for all the details!

NEW summer online classes!

I've been hard at work creating some new online classes and with summer right around the corner I've structured these classes for fast and accessible creativity and inspiration so they fit into busy schedules. I've also created them for all ages - so if you have a house full of kiddos on summer break- feel free to have everyone join along!

Over the years I have received lots of requests for a photography class and to honest I've been a little shy about putting one together. While I love photography (I have been taking photos since high school yearbook class) I am not a professional and much of my photography process is self taught and very unconventional. But with summer around the corner I was inspired to put together a little online class with my "spin" on photography.

Photography is a HUGE part of my creative process. I carry a camera everywhere I go hoping to discover and document inspiration and capture the things that make my heart sing. From color and pattern to texture to simple moments and milestones- the process of looking through my lens to see the world around me is a profound part of my life as an artist. This class is not about camera settings and technical information- instead I have put together my favorite tips, unconventional tricks, prompts and all kinds creative ways to use your camera as a part of your creative process.

Snap Shot Delight is the perfect little class for incorporating accessible creativity into your summer activities. All ages welcome!

For more information you can head on over to my shop HERE!

Summer is my favorite time of year- it's when we play outside, stay up late, soak up the warmth and watch the sun set! It's also a perfect time to break out your sketchbook and utilize all those activities and inspiration. I've put together this fun class with the hope to keep you sketching all summer long. Summer Sketch is structured to fit into those busy summer days- join me for drawing and doodling prompts, ideas, techniques and ways to turn those warm sunny days into inspiration and subject matter for your sketchbooks and art journals. 

All ages and skill levels welcome!

PLEASE NOTE- while this class will include lots of techniques and demonstrations the core of the information is about inspiration and jump starting your own sketching process.

For more information you can head on over to my shop HERE!

noodle beads

Lately it seems like a lot of my art and craft inspiration revolves around a taking care of a toddler and instead of wishing my process (and time) were different, I have been choosing to embrace this chapter in my creative life! 

Recently a "lets play with noodles" project with Lucy ended in a TON of inspiration for me. I was suddenly inspired to transform pasta into beads. Yes I know its been done thousands of times in kids crafts but I wanted to make noodle beads for grown ups. My goal- try to make them NOT look like pasta!

I knew right away that I would be using spray paint to "prime" my noodles.

Tip- whenever I spray paint something (objects) I like to use a piece of painted canvas- I have found that things don't stick to the canvas like they would to other surfaces (like cardboard, paper or plastic) plus you can use all that color as a layer in a canvas painting!

Then I got busy altering the surface of the noodles!

1. I used permanent markers and paint pens to add lines, dot and designs. 2. I used acrylic paint to add large areas of color. 3. Using all purpose craft glue, I wrapped the noodles with colorful twine, floss and yarn. 4. I covered the surface of the noodles with fabric and then added a layer of gel medium to seal. 5. I wrapped the noodles with wire.

The result are unique and colorful beads! While they are not perfect I love that they have a or boho and tribal look which fits my taste when creating  beaded jewelry.

While the spray paint seals the pasta, you can go a step further and dip them in gel medium or polyurethane gloss.

I used my noodle beads paired with colorful seed beads to create colorful bangles and necklaces!

beautiful decay

fashion friday- glue resist altered tunic

I love finding ways to alter clothing that would otherwise end up in the back of my closet! Recently I did some cleaning and organizing and was inspired to turn an old white tunic into something new.

A glue resist is a SUPER easy way to create pattern on the surface of fabric when working with dye. In my book Sew Wild I talk about all kinds of ways to use Elmers Glue on fabric and one of my favorite ways is to actually use stamps (or anything that can be used to create an imprint). 

FYI- When using stamps with glue you will NOT get a clean detailed imprint but that is part of the fun! Instead you will get an obscured version of your stamp that looks more like batik.

1. I started by laying my tunic on a flat surface. 2. Next, I selected my stamps (I used my own Doodle Flowers rubber stamps). 

3. I used a brush to cover the stamps with glue. 4. And then pressed the stamp into the surface of my tunic. I covered the entire surface and let the glue dry completely (typically over night).

5. After the glue was dry I used Tulip's One-Step Dye and completely saturated the tunic and let the dye soak according to the recommended length of time (6-8 hours). The last step was to wash the tunic in washing machine- this is the cool part- the dried glue washes out and you are left with your imprint!