christytomlinson

Spring Clock Mixed Media Tutorial AND HUGE Sale!

Hello Sweet friends! Hope you are all having a fabulous week! We are gearing up for our third She Matters Retreat.. HERE at our home next week! So excited for the ladies to come.. Ive been gathering presents and making garlands and switching out bedding and planning the delicious meals! I can't wait! I still need to clean my art studio.. (UGH I HATE that part! Lol).. why is it always so messy??

Well part of the mess is because of this tutorial l am bringing you today! SO I guess mess is good right? :)

Excited to show you a fun tutorial on this Clock Project I did using the Tim Holtz Assembly Clock!

We got these into our Scarlet Lime Store and I have been dying since November to play around with one. The possibilities of creating with them are ENDLESS! seriously so many themes, ideas you can do!

So for this one I decided to go with a Spring/Valentines Day theme. All the details are in the video, so I won't bore you with talk here..

BUT i did want to tell you that THIS week we are having a HUGE sale in the Scarlet LIme store! a MEGA sale! We just got back from CHA and we need to make room for all the brand new stuff we are bringing in! (our warehouse is only so big lol).. so we are doing 40% of a TON of different products! 

Product on sale are as follows (with links ):

Tim  Holtz Configuration Boxes

(which by the way I did a video Tutorial using these boxes a while ago and they are similar concept to the clock!

To view that turotorial CLICK HERE!

Configuration Box Tutorial

also on sale!

,  ALL paper Pads, All Washi Tape, All embellishments, Stamp Tins by Glitz, All Sew easy Products, All Glitter, Mr Heuy and Heidi Swapp Sprays, all Mixed Media and Papercrafting/Art journaling kits,  (excludes are most recent months Oct 13-present).. but the ones showing in our store are on sale!) 

That is a ton of fun products! Great time to stock up on favorites or products you may not already have! Sale is good until THIS Saturday!

use coupon code: artsyfun14

at checkout (all lower caps) to receive the discount!

Okay now onto the project tutorial! I have also gone ahead and listed and linked  each product used in the video to create the clock, (below the video)  if you are looking for a specific product used! I have put *** by the products that are 40% off as well!

here are some up close pictures of the finished clock!

and here's the video! (product links are listed below the video)..

 

 

 here are the products and links listed below: 

Tim Holtz Assembly Clock

***Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm Paper Pad

Modeling Paste

*** My Favorite Assorted Spring Paints

***Jenni Bowlin Chipboard Hearts

***Mr. Heuy Spray

***Heidi Swapp Sprays

***Washi tape

***Maya Road Chipboard Letters

DecouPage by Deco Art

***SeweasyFloss

Faber Castell Big Brush Pens

***Janaury Mixed Media kit 2013 (for alphabet Letters)

Scarlet Lime Doodle Pen

***Glitz Tin Stamps

***Vintage Glitter

AqauMarine Archival Stamp Ink

***Tim Holtz Bottle Brush Trees

***Melissa Frances Mini Bottle Brush Trees (perfect size!)

Simply Simmons 1" flat Brush

 

Hope you enjoy the tutorial!!

p.s! I have also listed my wavy hair tutorial so many of you requested from me.. you can find it on my youtube channel but I will also link it here next monday!

xoxo

 

 

 

New Behind the Art MixED Media Tutorial AND A GIVEAWAY!!

well hello! First off! Update on The Fund-raising cards! They are being mailed out tomorrow!  ( i didn't realise it but today yesterday was actually the last day to sign up.. so they are getting all of their cards today!)  The  actual card and insert has all the info about the coupons on them AS WELL as the code for our Scarlet lIme store will be SHIPPING out tomorrow!  :) So those who helped out.. AND THANK YOU!! (you helped raise over $4500 for team!!.. INCREDIBLE!), They are on their way! I will also be sending out an email today with the code in it as well. So you have it in both forms. xoxo

So as I mentioned over the last few weeks I have been working on some videos for my blog!
Many of you have asked me why I don't do videos anymore.. however.. I actually do! lol. Since January I have done over 100 videos tutorials! Crazy!!.. but they are all for my online classes, I offer.. which many of you take. However be doing so many, and with moving, etc.   it didn't leave much room or time to do them for my blog as well. I know I've shared written and picture tutorials over the last few months, but not a video one. So i figured it's about time to do SOME! Right?? lol

I am hoping to post one tutorial each week for the next several weeks.. AND when I do post them, I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway as well!! Since I will be making finished canvases with them, I thought it would be fun to giveaway either the finished canvas or a kit!

For this tutorial I would LOVE to give the finished canvas away.. SO all you have to do to enter.. is to post a comment on thIS blog post and you are entered in! Then Monday I will pick a winner! Wahoo!

I like to use the kits from our Scarlet LIme Store and kit club for the videos, because many of you already have the product (you purchase the kits).. or you can go buy it in one kit in the store. So it's easy peasy! But if you don't have a kit (you can still purchase them in the store).. you can easily get inspiration to use things similar that you have on hand!

For this tutorial I used the June 2013 mixed media kit (from the scarlet lime kit club & Store HERE).

 

When I first picked out the products for this kit, I was thinking "banner" project. On canvas! All of the items included in the kit can easily be used to make a "banner" on canvas. So many possibilities with them! Plus of course add texture, and such as well.. this is what I came up with..

 

I used a 10"x10" canvas and also paints, in addition to the pieces in the kit.

These are what I used and are linked for your convenience to our store!

(plus of course paint brushes, my Scarlet Lime Doodle pens,  Faber Castell Pens, DecoPauge, a few stamps and Archival ink for texture. and Paint!)

By the way.. I just got done LISTING my favorite roller stamps (as shown in this video).. in our store HERE.

And remember TODAY we aer still offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $30.00!

Use the code: freeship30  -for US customers.  FOr  international customers you receive 15% off your order: use code: happyday13

note: you can only use one coupon per order so they can't be combined with any other coupons.

here's a little peak below of more detailed pictures!

of course I used lots of doodling as well..

and that's it! Here is the finished piece one more time!

So without further wait.. HERE is the video that shows the process!
Don't forget to leave a comment on the blog to be entered to win this canvas! I will pick a winner MONDAY!!

 

Happy thursday!
xoxo

Christy

 

Behind the Art! A new Mixed Media Tutorial!

wow! it's been a while since i have done a video tutorial! Since January I think!! Crazy!

First off, BEFORE I start in on that.. I TRULY HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU!!!! for the HUGE HUGE HUGE response and support of my products we debuted last week in the Scarlet LIme Store! HOLY COW!! It was INSANE CRAZY! I mean CRAZY.. we sold out of products 4 different times during the weekend and I had to call pink Paislee and make SURE we could get more! I kept ordering a ton thinking it would be FOR SURE enough to not only get me through the sale but for months. and then 6 hours later I would get an email from one of you.. that stuff was out of stock again! I was like.. what? are you sure? I just entered more! I felt bad. sorry it was so crazy for you guys!! Hope you all got what you wanted by the end of the weekend! 

here is a picture that ben took of the orders he printed Friday morning.. not even 24 hours after the sale started.. 

 

  I don't think he quite knew I was doing such a big sale in the store. (keep in mind he is the one who runs the store, prints order, pulls them, ships them. )..

I kinda  sorta maybe.. mentioned to him earlier in the week I was going to maybe do a sale.. I think I did. I was pretty sure I said maybe something about it. :) :) :) But I am guessing maybe he didn't hear it. lol.

so he sent me that picture friday before he left work and said something like " um.. would you mind explaining this please?"

I was like... what? I'm pretty sure I told you I was going to do a big sale? Lol. oh I just love him. He's been working night and day since then to just even print, sort and combine the rest of the orders that came in the rest of the weekend! Yesterday we shipped kit club stuff and today we are shipping all the free kits that went to people who signed up for all three classes!  So they will start filling those orders tomorrow. PLEASE be super patient. This is going to take us at LEAST 10-14 days working non stop night & day to get them all out. So please just know it's coming. :)

Seriously Crazy. You guys. YOU ROCK! I owe you so much!! I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you! Just so blessed for the support you give my family and ME! Someday I hope I get to hug each and everyone one of you!! (getting tear-eyed as we speak).

OKAY! onto The tutorial!! xox

So last week I spent an afternoon at the studio, creating projects with the February Mixed Media kit we offer in my online website www.scarletlime.com . Its part of the monthly kit club (and when we have some left we list them in our store). 

SOME months, when I have time and energy, I like to have fun and play with the kits too and when I do i try and do a video with them, so you can see what I do with the products in the kits.

THIS particular month (february's kit) I KNEW right away I wanted to do a video because I had a certain vision on mind for those products lol.  Most of the products we include are just fun mixed media products you can include in ANY of your mixed media stuff you create. Whether its on canvas, or art journaling, or whatever. Those products are designed for you to use in what you are creating. But For this kit, I wanted to really show you what I used them for and why I included them. :)

SO here is the kit!



As you can see its FULL of alphabets and words. Kinda different huh? I mean totally use-able on canvasses and art journals.. all the time. You always need words and titles on them, so these work great. BUT i wanted to show you some fun and different ways you use them. you might not think about!

So I came up with these (and more!)

Im not going to write step by step what I did, hence the video lol (it explains it all)

but here are come upclose shots of the projects I made using contents from this kit!
(note the videos are at the end)

 

So thats it! Actually there are a couple of more projects I didn't take pictures of.. just too much!

AND guess what else? I try to keep my videos under 30 mins.. so they aren't too boring to watch lol But I did SO many different projects with this kit, it ended up being an hour! even with me on super fast mode (you can tell I am rushing through each one to give you AS MANY Ideas as possible! LOL).

So make sure you watch BOTH Part one and PART TWO!! 

again hope you enjoy!!

xoxo

 

PART ONE

 

Part Two

 

xoxox

December Mixed Media kit fun!

well hello hello from warm and cozy Mexico! I hope everyone is doing well.. hAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Here is to a WONDERFUL 2013!!! 

I have a fun treat today.. A video i did using the Scarlet Lime Mixed Media kit for December! Super excited about this kit because  I included some funky stuff and REALLY wanted to teach you some new things I recently discovered when trying to make my own "clay" look.

This month's kit included a fun configuration box from Tim Holtz, as well as lots of other goodies.. but I wanted to use it in a non conventional sort of way. Most of what you see if also very "distressed".. and I wanted to create something fun and bright with it!  So here we go!

I wanted to make sure that EVERY part of the pieces in the kit were altered in some way of another.. just not "adhered" onto the "canvas". I really wanted EVERy piece to be it's own artsy point of interest.

The clips are from Maya road and were originally grey wire. of course I painted them.. added a book paper behind them and then shaded it and doodles on it.

 

Included some fun embellishments that we altered as well. Painted, stitched, doodled

 

 

 

Even the key was painted and doodled on. really wanted to keep this entire thing BRIGHT! But the best part of it all? Making your own "clay" out of tin foil and book paper!

 

So.. here is the 30 min video that shows you the entire process from start to finish! Hope you enjoy!! can't WAIT to see what you do with the kit! AND YES.. if you are wondering.. WE DO have these kits left in our store! Check out our store www.scarletlime.com  the store part! We have them in the mixed media kit section!

Scarlet Lime STORE

Off to go paint some more with Ben and Jesse Reno! xoxox

 

Behind the Art video.. October MM project!

Hey friends! how was your Halloween? Ours was full of fun and business! Holy cow I filmed all day yesterday for the upcoming Christmas workshop (gonna show you sneak peeks on monday!)

and then trick or treating.. and then went to the warehouse and worked on the studio until 4 AM THIS MORNING!! (WHICh i A MOVING IN NEXT WEEK!!)

wahoo! I will post pics and a video!)  Ben and I both did! By the time we were done.. we were so hungry we decided to go to breakfast at Shari's.. had some good old fashioned pancakes and hasbrowns and walked in the door around 6:00 AM when our kids were just starting to wake up to get ready for school. So we went back to bed for a few hours.. yea.. Im a walking zombie right now! lol

Anyhow.. sorry for not getting this October video posted in OCTOBER.. holy cow.. that whole video editing thing is kicking my butt! I normally use my Imovie program to edit and it was just NOT working and so I finally decided to use my PC and downloaded Sony Vegas Platinum program. While it's pretty cool program.. it was DEFINITLY not straight forward like imovie is.. it took me hours watching youtube videos from other people.. on how to just add music, and pictures, and cross fades, and fast forward. holy cow you would have thought I had never edited videos before! I have been doing it for 2 years.. and it took me forever to figure it out. But now I know and now it should go smoother. Luckily I have hired my brother VK, to help me edit all my upcoming videos for my workshops.. that will help out a ton (since we always do like 15-20 videos per workshop! at least!!)

Okay... so onto today's video! before I start.. wanted to say first off.. THANK YOU for your freaking awesome support of my etsy Store! And an update on the store.. we just got in yesterday all the new Carson products (another manufacturer I worked with).. and So I have added those to the store.. and they were just starting to pull orders at the warehouse from last thursday and friday's orders and I said. wait! give it a day or two.. because I was thinking some of you may want to purchase some of these new things.. and this way I can combine shipping for you and refund some of the shipping and ship them together! So if you want to get some of the things below. I am going to wait to ship orders until Monday of next week.. and if you purchase anything else during that time.. I will ship it all together and refund overpayment of shipping! Just fyi.. okay.. so I have to show you what is new!!!

The absolute favorite thing.. (okay tied with the last thing I am showing you).. are the sketchbook journals! They are about 6"x8" in size.. and have brown kraft paper inside.. oh so in love!

Gorgous new Mugs.. (there are actually only four new mug styles.. but this pictures shows the mugs pretty much all the way around. Carsons did a great job with these! two are girls and two are different scenes (the last mug on the right has a girl on it.. but the picture doesn't show it)

 

 I love shapes of these mugs and that they have so much going on.. but the best part is the little surprise inside..

 

 

 

Dinner Plates! ( or you can use them for cookies, cupcakes, to hold supplies on.. anything really!

Wall plates and platters (again the wall plates could totally be fun to put cookies on, or your mug.. don't have to hang them on the wall.. USE them! lol)

And the my most FAVORITE thing from their line.. (okay.. this and the journals are pretty close..)

the She Art  resin figurines!  They are so cute and have demensional pieces all over them. The words, the flowers, butterflies.. they all are demensional pieces. These can hang on a wall, or they free stand. Just love em!

SO that's fun!  I wasn't able to list the art bags! They came in ( my own company was priting those) but they only printed side?? lol.. I was like.. um no.. these aren't going to work. So sending them back to have the other side printed. AND then guess what! So many of you have asked.. I ordered IPhones cases for the Iphone 5! So those are coming soon too!  We sold out of a lot of things.. Magnets, mugs, mouse pads, frames.. a lot of things.. so those are on re-order now too.

So THANK you friends for your support! oh and since these products just came in.. I am extending the 10% off sale!  the coupon is SHE12  use it at checkout! HEre is the link to the Etsy Store!

okay.. onto the video for October!!

I had envisioned in my mind this fun Fall but bright and bold flower pieces.. I know I love flowers pieces and do them a lot.. but I couldn't get this one out of my head.. (don't worry next month it's NOT flowers.. well and last month wasn't either? so we are doing okay! lol)

Anyhow.. Here is what I came up with..

this kit included fun banner from Glitz, washi tape from glitz (the chevron I used on the stems) and these awesome fun kraft flowers too (which by the way could totally be used as stencils!!) and so much more! I show in the video what is included!

So that's it! Super fun! The canvas isn't included.. it's a 6"x12" deep edge.. but you can use just about anything!

So anyhow.. onto the video! Thanks friends again.. for all you do and ALL your birthday wishes!!!!! truly i freaking LOVE YOU ALL!!! xoxoxox

Happy Thursday!

 

 

New Behind the Art Video! : September Mixed Media kit!

oh yes! oh yes! it's time for another Behind the Art Video..

as you know.. I am gone on family vacation with our kids. We have two weeks of Spud Harvest and apparently we don't partake in the harvesting of the spuds.. because we go on vacation instead. lol

actually to be honest. it's SO hard to get a job working in the spuds in Shelley! Most farmers already have their hired help.. and then usually School Teachers already have the jobs (that they have had for years and years past) .. and then if you lucky enough to be related or KNOW a farmer really well.. then you get a job picking dirt clods off the belt lol.. good times.

So we use this time to always do our family vacations.. it's perfect because everyone else is in school and flights are cheap and it's off season for most vacation spots.

This year we are taking our kids on another cruise. Last year we did a Western Caribbean one.. this year.. we went cheaper.. (well actually last year was free... lol ) so I guess this year was more expensive.. but really cheaper. My Kids loved that cruise so much they begged to do another.. and since it cost WAY too much money to fly clear back east to florida for 8 people.. we decided to go to Mexico. To Los Angeles.. we can get super cheap flights out of Salt Lake city (only abouta 3 hour drive away)

and then they have some pretty cheap cruises out of LA.. and mexico is still pretty this time of year.. so what the heck. We are calling it a "family vacation" Early christmas present! lol

Gonna be fun.
So that is where we are! On a warm (hopefully warm) boat somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.. sleeping and relaxing as the kids run around the ship and play and eat to their heart content!

THIS month's video.. I wanted to do something that was KINDA school themed.. but not really.. and I when I saw the chipboard doors from Maya road.. number plaques from Tim Holtz. I KNEW what I wanted to do.

This was done using the September Mixed media kit.. from our Scarlet Lime Kit club/store.. we still have kits available in our store  here

SEPTEMBER KIT

So here is what I came up with.. it's on  an 11"x14" canvas..

 

a fun house canvas.. using all the different fun things in the kit!

 

I have this SERIOUS problem with the color turquoise.. I mean I swear I THINK the only SKY color I can use is turquoise.. and so THIS time I actually used a medium dark blue.. and it STILL ended up turquoise by the end! lol

the funny thing is, I have seen other artist do outdoor scenes and house scenes with like green backgrounds or yellow or even red.. and why i ALWAYS have to do turquoise.. I have NO idea! lol but oh well. I do.  Promise NEXT MONTH I WON't!!

aren't all those school rubons just adorable!!??

 

and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new SEW STAMPERS we brought into the store.. and this month's kit includes the scallop one!!

They are these cute little roller stamps.. MINI roller stamps.. that have designs of stitches on them.. and doodles. and they are already inked and ready to go! SO fun! watch and see!

okay.. so now for the video!

I hope you enjoy it.. make sure to come back wednesday.. I have something SUPER special to share with you all!!
Happy monday!

  

 

New Behind the ARt Video! August Main kit with Junelle!

Happy monday FRIENDS!!  first off.. THANK YOU so much for the HUGE support of the online workshops class sale! I was in awe of so many of you that took advantage of the sale (We extended it until end of day today.. btw). It makes me so happy and grateful that so many of you are so willing to get come get messy with me.. and to take that Leap into finding your inner artist and truly believing you ARE an artist! Seriously thank you!! CAN NOT WAIT to see what you do with your classes!

so today I am posting the pics and the videos of the art journaling project that Junelle Did using my August main kit for my Scarlet Lime Store. (You can still purchase that kit HERE)

She seriously is just one creative bug.. simply rocks.. not much more to say except that WEDNESDAY I will be debuting the new fall workshops!! Wahoo! can't wait!

So here we go! Junelle's awesome stuff!

 

 She just got back from a trip to New York city and was inspired by everything she saw there.. so her art journal page is based on that!! so fun!

 

 Enjoy the video!

day in the park from Junelle Jacobsen on Vimeo.

 

 

Behind the Art Video: August Mixed Media kit

Howdy Friends! Happy Monday!!! 

my kids are back in school?  They started last thursday.. and it's been a long time since I had a quiet monday! All to myself! Getting so much done.. it's crazy! My NEWEST online class starts tomorrow!! our Artsy Bangles class! COME JOIN ME if you haven't signed up yet! HERE is the info! 

Today I wanted to post the newest Behind the Art Video.. using the August 2012 Mixed Media kit!!

while you can no longer sign up for an august subscription (as subs are closed for august) you can purchase this kit in our mixed media store  HERE.. and if you want, email me and we can get you on the list to start a sub for September!  email melanie at customerservice@scarletlime.com to get on the sub list for September. 

okay.. so this month I had some fun crazy ideas I wanted to do.. really whimsical and different.. I had hearts on the brain.. but didn't want something that everyone always sees.. so this is what I came up with..

 

and NO the canvas isn't upside down.. they are bleeding "heart" flowers.. something kinda fun and different! They were taken from an idea I had recently in one of my art journals..

as you an see on my canvas version I added leaves to the stems.. not sure I like that or not.. but it works :) I also added butterflies to the canvas version. 

 

so kind whimsical and fun.. perfect end for summer right? 

used a lot of texture on this canvas with paints and tissue paper.. so I hope you enjoy it!
See you back here wednesday when i talk about the new fall classes!! wahoo!

Happy Monday!  

  

when it rains it pours... and then there is a rainbow

confused yet at what this post is about? lol.. i know.. im a dork. so this last weekend we had are big huge campbell family reunion.. my aunts and uncles, cousins, second cousins.. and even some third.. and it was a BLAST.. i am sad to report I only made it to round two of the Canasta tournament (last year my partner and I won it).. but that's okay. we still had fun!  Well sunday night about 3 am in the morning.. my daughter calls us from her cell phone (she's 12 lol) letting us know that she was downstairs and had just thrown up. My husband rolls over to tell me and then he jumps up and runs to the bathroom himself. I was like great. What have we hear. Well by noon yesterday all but two of my kids were sick throwing up, including me and Ben.. AND i texted my brothers and sisters to warn them that we were sick and soon the replies started coming in that they too had sick kids and they were also sick. Then texts saying aunts and uncles were sick and cousins lol..  at first we thought it was food poising.. but  a few went to the doctor and no. It is a highly contagious stomach flu. Today we all feel a little better but still dealt with kids throwing up all night long. Today I just feel week.. but not sick anymore. I am just glad this happened before thursday.. as our kids start school thursday!

So that is the rain.. now for the rainbow :)..

Last week I mentioned that Junelle had started doing projects using our main kit.. and showed you her project and video for the July kit.. and THIS week we are lucky enough to get to see what she does with the June kit!

As you might remember she is doing an art journal page using the main kits (from my Scarlet Lime Store)  each month ... here is what she did for june.

I love this girl and how she is got her bags packed and ready to go.. awesome.

 

 

 So fun.. thank you Junelle!!! Here is the video!

 

 

Junelle simply rocks.. 

and SPEAKING of Junelle and workshop classes.. my fall line up of classes will be available for signup starting NEXT week.. I have three we are offering...originally I had planned on doing a full holiday workshop.. including halloween, fall , christmas and winter.. but have decided to divide the class up.. and do the halloween and fall workshop in september and make it just a fun five day workshop.. with whimsical halloween and fall mixed media art projects (including two awesome guest artist who will be also doing some cool projects as well).. and then offering a bigger 2 week workshop for the Christmas/Winter one in November.. since it covers so many more subjects.. 

then of course we have Junelles NEW workshop that starts in October.. and then to end the year we will have another 12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas again this year! With 12 different teachers, 12 different projects for the holidays! So it will be a super fun fall and winter filled with new classes and new inspiration! can't wait! So watch for then news on all of those next week. I am going to be offering a package deal where if you sign up for all three or even two.. there will be discounts given.

anyhow.. okay.. i better head back to bed. Feeling pretty yuck lol.. and need to get better.. my kids need school clothes and school supplies and school starts the day after tomorrow.. so I HAVE to get feeling better so I can go tomorrow!
Happy Tuesday! stay well!!!

creative little souls.. family time and pinterest.. the perfect match.

Hey friends! Happy Wednesday!! Such a beautiful week this week.. really soaking in the fun with the family and enjoying summer like nothing else. My family and HUGE extended family on my dad's side are all coming this weekend for a big Campbell Family reunion! This is my most favorite reunion. My dad had 12 brothers and sisters and most of them had large families as did he and my mom (I have 6 siblings) and so those reunions are just HUGE and so fun. Oddly enough.. though there are hundreds of us.. we are all really close? isn't that so weird? I love it. Family is so important to me.

Anyhow.. Monday we found ourselves at the new/old house again.. (i swear it's a nightly thing now.. just going over to see ben and braden who are always there working away on the house or shipping for Scarlet Lime... and then hanging out on a blanket, under the trees.. talking, laughing, creating something, looking on pinterest.. shooting bow and arrows, throwing the football. Something.)  but monday night we found oursevles there having "family  night".. FHE as we call it.. and after a wonderful lesson on being honest by Preston.. we decided to get a little artsy and have some fun. One of the goals I set for myself in the Living Canvas workshop, to create balance in my life was to do some kind of art project as a family at least once a month (I have actually been doing it twice a month so far). Ben and Braden (who is my oldest, 16 and too cool for just about everything).. also participate. I have to say.. Seriously that class has helped make my life SO much more organized and meaningful Reminding me what matters most (this class is currently closed but opens again next month!)

Anyhow... I am a lover of Pinterest as of late.. and saw this idea Elsie from a Beautiful Mess took a mug from the dollar store and transformed it with sharpie markers. Then you are to bake them for 30 mins at 350 degrees (though I saw on another site it was 150 Degrees..) but  This the example I saw here.. SO if I would have taken the time to read the post.. instead of just look at the picture, I would have KNOWN that they are not dishwasher safe.. but I didn't.. so here is my experience with it.

 

 

So i went to the dollar store and grabbed my buckets of sharpies and we went to town.

 

 

 

The kid really had fun with it.. including ben...

 I wanted to make a set of mugs for my new art studio..so when friends come to play and get messy.. they also have something fun and inspirational to drink out of.. so i took my doodling and went to town as well..

 

 I even wrote a little note in the bottom of them

 

 

 

We had a TON of fun just being creative, sitting on blankets outside on the lawn.. kids truly had a blast.

SO then was the real test. I baked them for 30 mins at 350 degrees. I actually  let them all cool in the oven for another hour.. so I could take them out one by one and make sure they wouldn't smear or brake when I was taking them out. (yeah I am pretty clumsy..lol)

  Then I  stuck them in the dishwasher.

and well..

nope! lol.. it wasn't quite as permanent as I had hoped. While some of the designs still stayed on them, you could see  alot some coming off and since then we have washed them a few more times (because we have been using them) and they have continued to come off.

So then I decided to go BACK to the post and read a little more.. and she did end up saying she tried handwashing and even scrubbing with a sponge and it held up just fine.. however when she put them in the dishwasher it came right off.

SO i learned two things from this..

One: Always READ the research you are doing.. dont' just look at the pretty pictures lol.. and two: pinterest pretty much rocks. :)

I know you can probably also use porcelain pens on the mugs as well. DecoArt makes some that are permanent. I am going to try next time as well too. so we will keep you posted!

Anyhow.. just wanted to share with you!

Next week I want to do THIS fun little project by Chrissie Grace,  I saw on pinterest as well.. a few different version..

 

 but just rocks, paints and probably more sharpies (or even Faber Castell pens!) I loved her idea that she put them on her front table and when people came to visit, she would ask them to take one with them. I also love the idea of randomly leaving them on peoples doorsteps.. as a little bit of love.  Great project for the kids on both accounts.. creating and sharing.

So I will keep you posted on what happens! I have started to pin a ton of project that I "Must create".. so when I do.. whether for family night or just for myself.. I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Have a wonderful wednesday!