Grow Creative

Hometown Landscape

2012-01-26T20:29:00.002-07:00

This painting is based on a picture my sister took of a local pond in the small town I grew up in ( thanks Lindsey!) Yes, it is definitely in the desert and most of the time, things are pretty brown, but there are clear blue skies, sun, and good memories.

It was super fun to paint in watercolor and I can't wait to do another version in oils!

Photo of the Week

2012-01-23T07:00:00.003-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted a photo of the week. I've been stuck with my husband's little point and shoot camera since my good one broke last year. Now I have a new one so I'm bringing back the photo of the week with this little shot I took on a walk in our nearby park.

It can be challenging to find good subjects for photos in the dead of winter, but I managed to find a few small weeds that make for some nice close-ups. You can always find some kind of beauty if you look hard enough :)

Tropical Watercolor Cards

2012-01-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have something new in my Etsy Shop.... cards! These were made using stencils, watercolors, and patterned packing tape. Pretty easy to make and super fun.

The tropical theme of these cards makes me want to head to California or Hawaii! Yep, I'll just keep on dreaming.

I'm liking all of them, but I have to say.....the palm tree is my favorite :)

Check out these Tropical Watercolor Cards on Etsy!

Pressed Flower Magnets

2012-01-19T07:00:00.003-07:00

Yes, this is another post about lid magnets. I keep coming up with more ideas for them and they make such nice gifts. I just can't stop making them!

This time I glued some pressed flowers to paper and laminated them. Most of them turned out, but a few of them were too thick and got stuck in my laminating machine. But, I still ended up with five good ones and I'm thinking about selling them in my Etsy Shop. What do you think? Would anyone buy these?

Paper Hearts on Clips

2012-01-16T07:00:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone! I've made a few more decorations for Valentine's day!

I've had these photo clips hanging out in my decorations box, unused and unloved for many years. I re-discovered them as I put away the Christmas stuff and instantly new what I wanted to use them for.... paper hearts!

I think I'll be saving these hearts for years to come- they just make me happy!

Landscape Sketches

2012-01-13T08:00:00.002-07:00

I'm breaking out some old artwork from the archives for today's post. I've been working on getting all my stuff scanned and it is a lot of work, but it's fun looking back at old assignments from my college days.

I drew both of these landscapes at BYU for a drawing class. They remind of the freedom I had then to go out and draw or paint outdoors on my own. Those were happy times!

Buttferfly Lid Magnets

2012-01-10T11:51:00.002-07:00

I've been experimenting with more designs for lid magnets. The possibilities are endless! Since I had taken down my wall butterflies, I decided to use them on the lids. I like these lids so much better than my originals.

In case you missed my previous lid magnets, just click the link to see my tutorial to get started on making your own. I use lids from frozen juice cans, which I would usually throw away. Now I save every last one of them!

Thrifty Framing

2012-01-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

When it comes to art, frames really matter. They can change the whole look of a painting. The whole problem with that is that frames are ex-pensive! yikes! If I bought all new frames, I could not begin to frame all of my paintings. Thank goodness for thrift stores! They really are the best place to get picture frames. Some of them ( ok most of them) need a little work, but it's worth it.

All of these frames came from thrift stores and they work great.

My little Monet study here looks pretty good in this gold frame, even if I do say so myself :)

The frame for my first highschool watercolor painting had got painted white to match the artwork. It's now hanging in my ocean themed bathroom!

And my little orange flower watercolor looks perfect in this square frame I found at the D.I.

L.O.V.E Sign Tutorial

2012-01-04T10:31:00.004-07:00

Since I've taken down my holiday decorations, my house is feeling pretty empty- does anyone else have that problem?!

To fix the problem I decided to get an early start on some Valentine's decorations. That's a first! I rarely decorate for Valentine's Day with anything more than some paper hearts in the window.

Since I'm still collecting frozen juice can lids, I took some inspiration from my Lid Magnets, and made a lid L.O.V.E sign! I just knew those lids had some more potential... and they did!

Here's the tutorial.....

Materials:
clean metal frozen juice can lids (4)
a hammer and a nail
scrapbook paper
letter stencils or stickers
modge podge
tacky glue
fishing line
ribbon

Step 1: Place a lid facing down on a hard surface and hammer a small nail into the edge to make a small hole. Hammer another small hole strait across from the first.

Step 2: Repeat step 1 for 2 more lids. Only hammer on hole for the 4th lid.

Step 3: Using a variety of patterned papers, cut out four small circles the size of the inside of the lids.

Step 4: Place lettering for the letters L.O.V.E. You can use stickers if you have them, but if not... stenciling works just fine!

Step 5: Coat your lettered circles with modge podge and let dry. Make sure not to let them stick to the newspaper while drying! Note: this step isn't exactly necessary, but I find it's nice to give them a coat of something to make the paper more water proof and durable.

Step 6: Line up the lettered circles with the top of the letter next to one of the holes in the lid, and glue them to the lids with some tacky glue.

Step 7: Once again, this step is just for my personal preferences. I stacked the lids together while the glue dried because the paper tends to curl up when I put glue on it.

Step 8: Thread some fishing line through the top hole on the "L" lid. Tie it together to make a small loop.

Step 9: Tie fishing line through the bottom of the "L" lid and through the top of the "O" lid and tie together to connect the lids. Tie the remaining lids together to make a long chain reading L.O.V.E.

Step 10: Cut small strips of ribbon and tie them onto the fishing line at the top of the lid chain and in the spaces between the lids.

Hang it your sign up on your wall, door, or wherever and you're done!

Dripping Fruit

2012-01-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

I'm trying out a new technique with my watercolors- dripping! It's so much fun! I'm still pretty new to watercolors and I still haven't found my "style". Maybe this will be it. I like it a lot!

I just put this one up for sale in my Etsy shop - take a look.

Beach Scene

2011-12-29T19:45:00.002-07:00

Did you know there was such a thing as a paint-able wall heater? Well, I sure didn't- not until my mother-in-law asked me if I could paint hers for her bathroom! It's called an eco-heater and I think it's made out of ceramic tile, but I'm not completely sure. If I ever need to have a wall heater in my home, I will get one of these!

The beach scene I painted should go well with her ocean-themed bathroom. The only part I'm not so happy about is the white circular dial in the corner. That part is plastic, so I wasn't sure I could paint on it.

Watercolor Landscapes

2011-12-27T14:00:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm back to blogging after taking a nice little break for Christmas. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

I was going to share the most recent birdhouse gourd I painted for someone for Christmas, but I didn't finish it until Christmas Eve and forgot to take pictures before I gave it away- sigh. This gourd was the hardest one to paint. It was a prairie scene with a windmill and trees. I had such a hard time getting it done, but I finished it and was happy... until the person it was being given to decided not to join us for Christmas. That was disappointing. So the gourd was left there and I still don't know if it is liked or appreciated so I think I'm taking a break from gourd painting for a while.

So... onto happier things..... watercolor landscapes! These three scenes I painted years ago: two while I was in college and the other while my husband was still in college. I have all three hanging up in my bedroom and they never cease to bring me joy :)

Grey Crochet Earmwarmer

2011-12-22T15:31:00.001-07:00

So, I ran across a couple more free patterns for crochet ear-warmers and of course, I HAD to try one out! These patterns are much cuter than the one I came up with a few months ago. Nothing can beat the shell stitch with crochet- it's my favorite :)

I actually used two separate patterns to create this ear-warmer. The pattern for the band comes from

tangledhappy.com.

The pattern for the flower comes from Melody Maria Fulone on Ravelry.com. Check out her Cozy Flowered Headband. I haven't tried out the headband part yet, but the flower pattern is awesome!

And since I won't be posting again until next week, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

A Look at my Sketchbook

2011-12-20T22:25:00.002-07:00

I'm still struggling to get those birdhouse gourds painted for Christmas, even though I only have a few days left to do it- yikes! So for now, I'm leaving you with a sketch from last summer. I was sitting on a beach in San Diego at sunset and it was heavenly. I can't wait to go back someday!

Three of a kind ornaments

2011-12-17T11:13:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is.... proof that I did finally make something this week.

I bought some mini styrofoam balls at the dollar store and covered them with left over craft stuff with the help of some hot glue. At first I tried spray painting one and that did not go well. Spray paint actually dissolves styrofoam- who knew?

Carmel Corn

2011-12-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

This delicious treat is brought to you by my husband, since I have failed to make anything of consequence this week. I have some more gourds to paint for Christmas gifts, but I am seriously lacking motivation.

So check out this recipe for My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn found at allrecipes.com. It takes some time to make, but it is really yummy- especially when your husband makes it for you :) I love that guy!

Pine Cone Garland Tutorial

2011-12-10T22:22:00.002-07:00

I love pine cones! They are beautiful, free (if you live any where near pine trees) and are great for decorating. Here's one idea I came up with to put pine cones to use for the holidays.

Pine Cone Garland Tutorial

Materials:
Pine Cones, washed and dried
String
Ribbon
Spray Paint
Push Pins

Step 1: Cut a long piece of string and wrap one end around a pine cone. Tie it off leaving a little tail at the end.

Step 2: Continue wrapping pine cones down the length of the string leaving even spaces in between. Tie a knot around each pine cone to hold them in place. When you get to the last pine cone, leave another little tail at the end.

Step 3: Grab your paint and beautify your pine cones. I used some gold metallic spray and it looks ama-zing on pine cones!

Step 4: Cut small strips of ribbon and tie them in bows or knots in between each pine cone on your garland.

Step 5: Hang your garland on your walls, hearth, or wherever you like. I tied little knots at each of the ends and stuck them with push pins to hang on the wall.

Happy decorating and Happy Holidays!

Pink flowers make me happy

2011-12-06T19:53:00.001-07:00

This painting makes me happy! Well, pretty much all flowers make me happy, but I'm even happier when I can capture one in a painting. Especially since flowers are kind of scarce this time of year.

You can also check it out at my Etsy Shop.... yep, it's for sale!

When I see fruit

2011-12-03T19:44:00.002-07:00

When I see fruit... my first thought is not to eat it (although I love fruit). My first thought is to paint it!

Call me weird, but I actually pick through the pears at the grocery store to find the ones with the best shapes and colors. And then once I get them home, I don't want to eat them right away. I've had many pears go almost rotten because I didn't want to eat them until I had painted them. I guess I'm hopeless. I think about painting stuff A LOT. It's my passion!

So enjoy more delicious fruit paintings by me :)

My first attempt at painting an orange in watercolor....

And yet another pear... I think I've painted at least 10 of these now.

Painted Birdhouse Gourds

2011-12-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a few gifts for family.... painted birdhouse gourds!

I painted some with my family earlier this fall (check them out here), but this time I got my husband to drill holes in them so that they can be used for actual birdhouses.

With a little acrylic paint and a final coat of polyurethane, I think they turned out quite nicely :)

Photo of the Week

2011-11-28T08:19:00.002-07:00

Greetings!

I'm back from a trip to Southern Utah and I have a photo to share- yay! I don't get many good shots with my husband's little point-and-shoot camera, but a little photo editing helps. I'm hoping to get back into photography soon. I have a feeling I might get a new camera for Christmas ;)

Metallic Pumpkins

2011-11-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

I know it's a bit late to be decorating pumpkins, but I bought this gold metallic spray paint and I just had to test it out. The stuff turned out to be AMAZING! I can't wait to get spray painting some pine cones with it for Christmas!

I bought these mini pumpkins way back at the beginning of October and they are showing no signs of rot yet. My son and I "decorated" these little guys for Halloween.

Here is the before:

And the after:

I may have to keep these around after Thanksgiving too :)

Crochet Infinity Scarf

2011-11-16T09:58:00.002-07:00

So, I found a great crochet pattern for a scarf using a variation of a shell stitch in Reader’s Digest “Crochet in No Time” at my library, but I wanted to change it a little bit. I made my own variation by joining the ends to make an infinity scarf! Yea! Just in time for winter too :)

Sketches of the litte guy

2011-11-11T07:30:00.001-07:00

Here are a few sketches of the little guy I spend all day with- everyday! I've been sketching from photos of him to get in some drawing practice and man am I out of practice- yikes! Back in my college days when I was taking figure drawing classes, this would have been much easier.

I got a little frustrated with this drawing here below. It is easy for me to draw a person, but it is soooooo hard to actually make the drawing look like them. This has some resemblance to my son, but there is something about the eyes that makes him look different. I admire any artist who can really capture a person as they are.

Straw Painting Art Tutorial

2011-11-09T07:30:00.001-07:00

Well, hello everyone! I hope you are ready for another abstract watercolor tutorial! I just love doing these. I think what I like most is (hopefully) inspiring others and helping them to discover that they can be creative :)

Materials:
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor paints and brush
Straw
Stiff board to tape your paper too (optional)
Masking Tape (optional)

Step 1: If you would like a nice border around your painting, tape your watercolor paper down to a board with masking tape.

Step 2: Choose your color palette for your painting.
If you aren't quite sure how to go about this you can pick colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. You could do: yellow, green, blue or red, orange yellow.

Step 3: Load up your paint brush with some nice water-loaded watercolor paint. You need the paints to be really runny for the straw technique to work.

Step 4: Drop some wet watercolor paint onto your paper and blow the paint around with a straw.

You can drip paint randomly all over your paper or try a more planned technique. For this painting here, I dripped the paint most heavily at the bottom of the paper and blew it upwards with the straw. You could also try dripping your paint in the center of the page and blowing it outwards in all directions. Just experiment and have fun!

Step 5: Continue to drip more paint onto your paper, alternating colors as you go. You can drip layers onto other wet drips or wait till the first drips dry. I did a little of both. If you drip wet paint into wet paint you can watch the colors mix on the paper! I find this fascinating!

Step 6. Keep layering until you are satisfied with the look of your painting, then let it dry completely. A blow dryer will speed up the process, but be careful. The air from the blow dryer may move your wet paint around.

Step 7: Carefully peel off the masking tape from the edges of your painting. Go slowly- the tape tends to rip the paper if you're not careful.

Sign your painting and enjoy your new abstract artwork!

For another abstract art idea, check out my Abstract Watercolor Tutorial.