Momentum Challenge: Create and Share Art

I have been participating (kind of) in a wonderful Momentum Challenge focused on moving your business forward. I say kind of because I have missed a few days! But I plan to do every step of it, just in my own time. That might take away from the whole mission of it but it's just how it has to be. Here is the art I created to share:

Day 11 #momentum challenge 

I put this together in Photoshop layering textures on the sky and adjusting the colors and transparency until it was just right. The phrase is from a very inspiring conversation with a good friend. It seemed to be just right for this challenge. Hope you enjoy!

DIY Leaf Prints

Printing with leaves is easy and fun. You can use almost any kind of leaf or plant but some worked much better than others so be sure to do test prints. The kids went on a scavenger hunt for leaves and grasses to use. 

We used acrylic poster paint on white drawing paper. Other ideas would be using newspaper, cereal boxes, old cloth (substitute fabric paint), paper bags, etc.

• Use a wide brush to paint the leaves with a light coat of paint
• Lay them carefully onto the printing surface, paint side down
• Put a piece of lightweight cardboard or folded newspaper over the top of the leaves
• Apply firm pressure—be careful not to shift the leaves or your image might blur
• Remove the top paper and slowly peel leaves up from the printed surface
• Hang to dry

I loved that we could do this outside on a folding table. Very little mess over all and the kids had a great time making these. 
For the best results I suggest doing a few practice prints before printing on your final print surface and adjusting the amount of paint to your liking. Too much paint will not produce a crisp image. For a much bolder image, use dark paint on light colored paper. Happy printing!

Words to Inspire

2012 has been challenging. I have found the need for countless reminders and quotes to help me keep focused and energetic and positive. Words can be very powerful. When used in a positive way, they can be just what a person needs to make a change, finish a project, take a chance, maybe even just smile. . . I have been creating mini posters with some great quotes and simple sayings. Here is one of them.

Simple and true. Right click on this image and save it for yourself.

Heirloom Tomatoes

I picked several Heirloom tomatoes yesterday. I grew these last year, this year, and will definitely next year. They are delicious and beautiful. I made the mistake of caging them and some are getting squished. All my tomatoes have ripened early this year. Last year I had nothing but green tomatoes in late fall. It's amazing how different each year is!
These are Livingston Seed Co. Old German Tomatoes, the beefsteak variety. They are very dense and AWESOME! I like to slice them thickly and slide an egg, sunny-side up, on top. So good!

I also grew eggplants this year for the first time. While not as successful as my tomatoes, they've produced a couple fruits. I did have a lot of beetles in my garden in early summer. The eggplants, pumpkins, and squash were beaten up a bit. Below is my first ever photo of an eggplant blossom.

Harvest Time

The garden is going off and I can't keep up. I've got pickles soaking in salt water and a counter full of heirloom tomatoes. I've done two batches of green beans (into the freezer after a good blanching!) and my husband and mother-in-law processed 10 dozen ears of corn. So glad I didn't have to help with that!

This will be the first year I've made pickles from Lemon Cucumbers. They're growing like mad right now, I've let a lot of them get too big. The skin is a little tough but they taste great. And they are an array of beautiful citrus and golden yellows.

 Took a quick drive to Mayflower Lake and cast a few at sunset. The kids ran up and down the pier and managed to catch a pan fish before getting in the water.

Burning Cold Beer

A recent birthday present project went very well. It involved my burning tool, wood pieces and a fun font. Take a look!

I traced and transferred my chosen phrase via pencil rub. Nothing fancy here.

I traced as carefully as I could finding out those E's are maybe a little too curvaceous.

Add shading and distressing and a hanger on the back.
Happy Birthday Dad!
He's leaving the less finished one to sit in the sun for a while. We'll see how it looks later on.

Create a Graphic and Sentimental Piece of Collage Art

I've seen this Helen Keller quote illustrated a lot on Etsy. I decided to do my own version using some of my Alaska papers (guess I hoard paper a bit!) I've got a few Anchorage Weekly's, tourist mags, news articles, etc. etc.
I bought this frame for a poster and it didn't fit so I just used the cardboard backing and placed clippings from some of my fave places while living in Alaska. I used acrylic medium to affix the papers and let dry. I then placed my text and painted it, threw it back in the frame and hung it on the wall. Total time = 2ish hours. It's amazing how much this energized the room. 

Supplies needed:
Acrylic Matte Medium
2 Paint brushes (one for matte medium, one for painting) 
Fun papers, pictures, etc.
Frame
Cardboard
Acrylic Paint

You could also paint a background and cut out letters and paste on. The next one I do will be on canvas. I think the cardboard will hold up for a while but it did warp a little bit, fyi.