playing with watercolor markers

I use a lot of different supplies and once in a while I like to share new products and materials that I am currently playing with! Something I am having lots of fun with is the Windsor & Newton watercolor markers (this post is not sponsored). I saw them in a local art supply store and and thought they might be a fun supply to experiment with.

What I really like is that you can buy one at a time or you can purchase them in packs of 6 or 12. I really like selecting my own colors instead of buying packs and there are SO many colors to pick from- over 30 which means you get a lot of variety.

They have are double ended with a fine point and a brush tip.

They work a lot like watercolor pencils where you can draw with them but you can also dilute them with water and brush. 

As my long time readers know, I love using regular markers and water soluble pens for drawing and diluting with water. But these pens were are made to be diluted so they are really rich and more saturated than regular markers.

I've been having a lot of fun playing with them in different ways! They are really fun to use for creating blended backgrounds.

I also like using them to add color to my drawings. 

They are intermixable with watercolor paint so you can use them to add details or pops of color to watercolors paintings.

One of my favorite ways to use them is to create colorful scribbled backgrounds. Lucy really likes this process too!

I fill my background with colorful expressive scribbles and then add water. The result is color but with a little bit of texture.

These are my favorite backgrounds to draw on top of because all that color and texture shows through!

I think it is pretty safe to say that we are totally enjoying these markers and while they are not cheap, even a couple of colors would make a great addition to any mixed media supply stockpile!

leaves like lace

a fresh batch of canvas pouches in the shop

Once upon a time (like 10 years ago) I was attending a wedding. I was wearing a little black dress and needed a colorful clutch to finish off my outfit. I couldn't find anything I liked in stores so I grabbed one of my paintings from the wall, ripped it off the stretcher bars and sewed it into a clutch. This moment changed my entire creative perspective and my business forever!! I went on to write a book about remixing canvas, I taught classes on "redefining" your art and I sold thousands of handmade canvas bags. A few years ago I had to scale back on making bags- I just couldn't keep up with the demand . 

These days I still make them just in smaller quantities and I am happy to announce that I have a big batch in the shop HERE  They always sell out fast so get em' while you can!

In addition to the messy pouches in the shop, I've also got my scarves marked all the way down to $10! They make great gifts and go so well with the canvas pouches that I couldn't resist offering a discount!

LOVE scarf HERE

FAITH scarf HERE

PEACE scarf HERE

yarn wrapped statement necklace

When my friends over at iLoveToCreate asked if I would try out their new product Tulip® Custom Color Lab, I was pretty excited. While I don't knit, crochet or weave, I LOVE finding interesting ways to create with fiber. Custom Color Lab lets you take the art of dyeing yarn into your own hands which means you can create one-of-a-kind yarn to craft with.

iLovetoCreate was kind enough to send me three different types of yarn to play with-  chunk weight, worsted weight and lace weight and a ton of different colors of dye.

DYE THE YARN:
1. I started by mixing the dye- this process is as simple as adding water to the bottles of dye and shaking them up. 

Note: Dye comes with plastic gloves but I forgot to wear my gloves..of course!

2. Next I dampened the yarn with water and laid it out on a work surface.

3. Technically you are supposed to untwist the skein of yarn and lay it in an oval shape but I like to break rules! I actually found (by experimenting) that twisting and untwisting my yarn skein throughout the process of dying enabled my colors to blend and I was able to also hold onto areas of white yarn- something I wanted to achieve.

Note: there are a variety of different ways to dye the yarn- you can dip it into containers of dye, you can space dye it (like I did), use a paint brush to apply dye or even dye projects that are finished.

4. I used a variety of colors on each skein of yarn.

5. Next, I wrapped the yarn in plastic and let it set for about 4-6 hours.

6. Once the dye was set, I rinsed the yarn and let it dry.

I knew I wanted to create a wrapped statement necklace. I loved the warm rich colors of my yarn and I thought they would create a really unique piece of fiber jewelry.

CREATE A NECKLACE
1. Using cotton clothesline rope (you could use any kind of rope), I began to wrap my yarn using small dots of glue about every 1/2 inch. 

2. I alternated colors to create contrasting stripes. 

3. I thought it would be fun to add another element besides fiber so using some sterling silver wire, I wrapped wire over the top of the yarn.

4. I continued this process on five strands of yarn wrapped rope, using different color combos for each strand. Each skein of yarn that I dyed had so many different shades of color (black, grey, turquoise, blue, fushia, brown, etc) so I was able to use a lot different colors and shades.

5. The last step was to add to add a clasp to the back of the necklace. After gluing all of the edges of each strand together, I glued painted canvas over the raw edges.

6. Then I hand sewed silver end bars to the canvas.

7. Last, I attached a lobster clasp to the end bar.

I am so happy with the way that this project turned out! While a fiber statement necklace isn't for everyone, I love how textural and unique it looks!

happy and creative halloween

We really don't do much for Halloween but it has become a tradition around here to play what I like to call "creative make believe" on the blog! This year we had some fun with a woodland fairy theme. When you combine a few photos in the backyard, some photoshop tricks and creativity- you are able to make a little magic! Wishing you all a safe and creative Halloween!    

You can see last year HERE and the years before here, here and here.

To see more posts on what I like to call "creative make believe" head on over HERE

cardamom pumpkin crepes

While I love to cook, Andy does most of the cooking around here and he comes up with the yummiest recipes for our family! One our favorites are his pumpkin crepes with cardamom. Cardamom is an aromatic spice from India and it adds a sweet spicy flavor to food (a little like cinnamon) and pairs really well with pumpkin. These crepes are so delicious and are perfect for a warm and cozy fall morning.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk

2 T butter

2 eggs

1/2 can of pumpkin

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

2 T sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/2 t cloves

1 t cardamom ( keep in mind that a little cardamom goes a long way)

Begin by warming the milk and butter on medium heat until the butter is melted.

Pour mixture into a bowl.

Mix in the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients and spices.

Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Heat a crepe pan or non stick skillet.

Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil.

Pour batter in the pan and twirl or move the pan around until the batter thins out.

Flip and cook the other side.

Serve crepes with your favorite filling or sprinkle with your favorite topping!

chasing fall