winter at the beach

 

digital drawing

I have a confession to make...I've been very resistant to digital drawing, like down right stubborn! I love my good ol' fashion pen, paper and watercolors. But after watching my husband (an amazing artist) draw on his ipad for the last two years I finally gave in and decided to play around. 

Much to my surprise I liked it- in a strange, out of my comfort zone kind of way! I'm not gonna lie, I would rather be drawing on paper but the last few months my ipad has come in handy for those late nights when I can't get back to sleep. I pull it out and do a little drawing in the dark (something that isn't so easy to do with traditional supplies).

1. Paper 53 2. Sketchbook Pro 3. Noteshelf 4. Procreate

There are TONS of applications out there for drawing on an ipad or touch screen- the above are my favorites. They all have different tools and features but I like Paper 53 the best. Its simple and I prefer simple. I don't like lots of bells and whistles and Paper 53 has enough options for my sketching style.

While you could certainly use your fingers to draw on an ipad, using a stylus makes the process much easier. I use a Bamboo Stylus

The drawing applications all have their own version of pens, brushes, tools and color that you can use in all kinds of ways!

You can also keep your drawings saved and organized in sketchbooks or notebooks. 

I have been using this process in the same way that I use my sketchbook- a place to practice and document my ideas. 

I'm not gonna lie, digital drawing takes some getting used to. It kind of feels the opposite of drawing on paper and so far I have't been able to just relax and get comfortable with the process. But I have been embracing the challenge of trying something new!

How about you? Have you tried digital drawing? Do you have any favorite applications?

fashion friday- cozy beanie

1.Billabong Snowden Beanie  2. Billabong Jalone Beanie 3. Dakine Harper Beanie 4. Roxy Northern Lights Beanie

a peek inside the studio

making a house a home

1. faux deer head from white faux taxidermy 2. framed feathers from my collection 3. photo of lucy mounted on messy canvas 4. print from Megan Wells 5. thrifted painting 6. tiny paintings from Tush Tush 7. photo of yours truly 9 months prego 8. print from Monorail (coat hangers from Walmart) 9. thrifted wooden key 10. scrap piece of fabric in embroidery hoop

handmade photo booth

A while back I was asked to create a photo backdrop for the iLoveToCreate booth at the Craft and Hobby Association show (which took place this last weekend). After lots of brainstorming I decided on a fun and simple handmade photo back drop full of layers of garland. Handmade photo booths and backdrops are all the rage, especially for weddings and events but you can use them for all kinds of photo opportunities. Creating a fun backdrop is SUPER easy and a great way to capture whimsical and fun photos!

I used a large piece of pink canvas and started by painting and stamping garland onto the surface. I also used pieces of fabric and and glued them to the surface. Once the surface of the canvas was filled with garland I got to work creating real garland. All of the "real" garland got draped over the top of the painted canvas. The result is layers and layers of festive garland.

I even added a little striped awning to the top!

You can't have a photo booth without some fun props! With a little creativity, some felt and cardboard you can come up with all kinds of props to use in photos!

Then you are ready to take photos!