creating with a kid- bubble prints

These days when I plan creative projects for Lucy, I tend to gravitate towards things that we both will have fun doing. Recently we had a TON of fun creating bubble prints. Since I am always look for fun ways to create colorful paper for my art journals and Lucy, well she is always looking for new ways to experiment and make a mess- bubble printing was right up our alley!

The materials for this projects are so basic- dish soap, water and something to add color to the water- I used acrylic paint but you could also use food coloring or even watercolors.

In a container, add water, soap and color- the more color you add, the darker and more saturated your bubble prints will be. Mix everything together.

Now it's time for the fun! Grab a straw and blow bubbles, lots and lots of bubbles!

As the bubbles rise, they will have a slight tint of color to them.

Grab a piece of paper (we used watercolor paper) and press the paper on top of the bubbles.

You will be left with a print. Repeat this process over and over again until the paper is filled!

You can also grab a bubble wand, dip it into the colorful soapy water and blow bubbles onto a piece of paper. 

The bubbles will pop and leave in their place really beautiful circles and splatter.

We had so much fun with this process. Lucy lost interest after about 45 minutes and actually started painting with her soapy water but I made tons of beautiful paper for my next art journal!

handmade paper

I have been making paper since I was a kid and recently after accumulating all kinds of scraps of recycled papers, I decided pull out my paper making supplies to transform all those scraps into something new! Its messy and not the easiest project to tackle but nothing beats the texture of homemade paper!

There are all kinds of ways to create handmade paper (supplies, short cuts, process). The process above is what I use. TIP-I like to speed things up by finishing the drying process in the oven. When my paper is dry enough to peel off the screen, I lay it on a cookie sheet and let it bake in the oven on a low setting until it is completely dry.

 While the natural color of my recycled paper is pretty, I like to kick the color up by painting it.

I use acrylic paint and give the surface a nice thick layer on the front and back.

And while the bright colorful paper is BEAUTIFUL I like to keep going and add pattern to the surface.

I use paint, paint pens, permanent pens, just about anything to add pattern!

The result is beautiful, colorful paper full of texture and perfect to use in all kinds of projects!

marbleize it!

Now that November has arrived the countdown to the holidays has begun and I have all kinds of ideas, projects and inspiration to share throughout the next two months! First up a quick and simple way to marbleize with spray paint.

1. Start with a bucket or vessel large enough to fit your paper (I used large sheets of watercolor paper). Fill with about 2-3 inches of water. 

2. Using spray paint, mist the surface of the water (FYI- this should be done outside with lots of ventilation or while wearing a mask). 

3. Add more color to the surface of the water. 

4. Let the colors blend together, shake the bucket to break color up or even use a stir stick to create swirls and designs. 

5. Place paper onto the surface of the water and quickly remove (I find that using a more absorbent paper like watercolor or card stock works best). Spray paint, even on the surface of water dries quickly so you have to work fast! 

6. The result is a colorful, fast drying piece of marbleized paper to use in all kinds of DIY projects.

The coolest thing about this technique is that it can also be used on glass ornaments and the spray paint will dry permanent and not flake off! Simply dip the ornament into the surface of the colorful water!