Handmade Mother's Day Project

With everyone's busy lives, I'm glad the calendar tells us to take one day to celebrate Mom.  However, my Mom says "everyday is Mother's Day," and I tend to agree with her.  Hopefully, your kids tell you how much they love you more than just one day a year!

However, next Sunday, go ahead and lavish your Mother with more than a hug and kiss--give her several! And if you still feel like you want to give her a gift, make a handmade one that she will treasure always.

Here is an art canvas I made for my Mom several years ago.  It's still one of my most favorite projects ever. Even though I've posted this before, I'd like to share it again in case you missed it the first time.

 8" x 8" and 8" x 4" canvasses tied together with ribbon;

each canvas painted and then decoupaged with designer papers;

Photos added.

Yes, that's really me, just minutes after I was born.

Note the year:  1956

(Ohhhhh!  Am I THAT old?)

Scrabble tiles spell out "DAUGHTERS"

Chipboard used to spell "LOVE" 

Additional embellishments:  chipboard scroll, button and

silver heart charm tied to "E"

Then added ribbon, brads and flower

Finally, current year of bottom photo:  2010

I had so much fun creating this wall hanging canvas for my Mom.  It still hangs in her kitchen so she sees ii everyday.  

Every few years, I update the bottom photo of my daughters and me and change the date.  So this year, when my daughters are home, we'll snap a few new photos, and decoupage it to the canvas when we visit my Mom.  

Sharing at these parties. and

Moonlight & Mason Jars

Welcome 2012: Enter at Your Own Risk

Happy New Year!  Hope you had a wonderful and creative holiday season. 

Have you packed up all the holiday decorations yet?  We did.  It's always so nice to bring them out from the garage every year.  Then it's a chore great putting them away. 

Our home always looks so clean afterwards with just one exception:  my craft cave.  [I call it a cave because it is slightly larger than our master bathroom.]  It is currently a dangerous "Enter at Your Own Risk" space with craft supplies everywhere except where they should be: spread out on the floor, piled high upon the chair, and strewn across my desk.  Everything needs to be organized.  Ugh!  All I want to do is create new altered art projects.  However, I cannot even walk into the room without tripping on a cutting board and hundreds of ribbon spools.

So in the spirit of recycling, and in avoidance of the inevitable purging and organizing that awaits, I offer you my first post from last year as the first post of this year!   However, I've left out the rhetoric.  I'm not going to even pretend that I achieved all my goals.  That's what January is all about. It's the start of a new year. Everyone gets a clean slate to tackle the old and bring in the new resolutions, goals, aspirations and ideas.

So good luck to me, and good luck to you!  Ready, Set, Go! 

Calendar & Photo Canvas

Material List:

• 9" x 12" and 6 x 8" canvas panels
• coordinating scrapbook paper cut 8-1/2" x 11-1/2" and 5-1/2" x 7-1/2"
• acrylic paint & foam brushes
• Acrylic adhesive sealer
• Binder clips
• Buttons
• Spiral paper clip
• Hemp cord
• calendar, cut to fit smaller canvas (I found these for 50 cents at Michael's)
• metal label holder & brads
• 4" x 6" acrylic flat photo frame
• photo (which is interchangeable)
• double-sided foam tape
• assorted ribbon, ric-rac
• silk flower (cut from stem and backing)
• number stickers
• hot glue gun

If you like the bright color combination used for this calendar canvas, click here to see the matching mail & note holder I made last year.  Also, I have a written tutorial available.  If you would like a copy, just leave me a comment with your email address :) 

And here's another calendar canvas created with a different color scheme:

Editor's Note:  I plan to clean up the craft cave this weekend, and create something new, and post it next month sometime week.  Also, for those of you keeping count, I admit to only posting four Chanukah projects in my Eight Projects of Chanukah series.  [sigh]

Doreen

Attending these wonderful parties:  Oopsey Daisy, The Answer is Chocolate, 504 Main,

Serenity Now Weekend Blog, Tatertots & Jello, House of Hepworths, I {heart} Naptime,

Positively Splendid, Flamingo Toes, Making the World Cuter Craft-o-Maniac, Project Queen, Today's Creative Blog, Rook No.17, Someday Crafts Whatever Goes Wednesday, Oopsey Daisy, Ginger Snaps Crafts, Passionately Artistic, The Girl Creative Lil Luna, Dumpster Diva, Happy Hour Projects, A Glimpse Inside, Saved by Suzy, Katherine's Corner, Homemaker in Heels, It's Overflowing with Creativity

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink & the hairspray I use

Before I saw this retro card with the quote, "I am only as strong as the coffee I drink & the hairspray I use," it didn't occur to me to put the words "coffee" and "hairspray" together in the same sentence. Maybe it's the image that makes it work -- take a close look at the stylish woman with the fancy  hairdo and a cup o' joe in her hand. And get the pearls! I always thought pearls went more with martinis...what do I know.

Well, the card became my inspiration for a new project, a collage canvas. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know of my affinity addiction with coffee. So I just happen to have a few coffee-themed embellishments sitting around just waiting for their name to be called! 

Here is my list of "ingredients" for this canvas collage (or is it a collaged canvas?):

6" x 8" canvas panel, scrapbook paper, acrylic paint, foam brush, Mod Podge, hot glue gun, ribbon, ric-rac, coffee stamps, brown Staz-on ink pad, tab punch, coffee sleeve, canvas sticker, pearl and rhinestone bling, flowers, brads, metal label holder, acrylic clear tag, buttons, hemp cord/floss, cute paper clips.

And the instructions are so E-Z:
1. Paint the canvas edges about 1/2" in and along edges of panel.
2. Apply scrapbook paper, using Mod Podge.  Let dry.
3. Position card at an angle and Mod Podge in place.
4. Mod Podge over entire surface.
5. Add embellishments, using hot glue gun and Mod Podge. 

Here are a few close-ups showing details.

Stamped image onto clear tag.  It reads:

Let's do...

coffee 

lunch

[I placed a rhinestone to check coffee.]

Acrylic tag tied to metal paper clip, added buttons.

 Layered flowers, metal tag, "Born and Brewed in California"

cut from a coffee gift card holder;

"Coffee Run!" stamped on canvas striped ribbon; buttons.

 Ribbons and torn gift card holder layered under flowers and brad;

Pearls added to woman's image to accent necklace and earring.

Tab punched from coffee sleeve, embellished with ric rac and brads.

Stamped coffee definition and cup image onto canvas sticker;

metal coffee cup button added.

And now it's ready to hang on a wall or place on a small easel adding a flair to any coffee room! 

In fact, I decided to add this collage to my Etsy shop. 

If you're interested in purchasing this one-of-a-kind art collage,

please visit

Altered Art by Doreen. 

I'm linking up to some fun parties.  Hope you'll join me at:

Linked Up to:

answer is chocolate bff-open-house-link-party)

Made By You Monday

Market Yourself Monday

Craft-O-Maniac Craft Catwalk
Get-your-craft-on-tuesday
rookno17
abowlfulloflemons one-project-at-time-tuesday-link-party

primp-your-stuff-wednesday
bluecricketdesign show-and-tell

whatever-goes-wednesday

handymancraftywoman wicked-awesome-wednesday

homemaker on a dime creative-bloggers-party-hop

the diy club diy-project-party

lil-luna-link-partay-43

thirtysixthavenue

crafty-scrappy-happy-me-thursday

delightfully-inspiring-thursday-party

chiconashoestring decorating flaunt-it-friday

shabby nest frugal friday

serenitynow weekend-bloggy-reading-link-up

Keep Calm [and Ride On]

[This post originally appeared as a guest blog on Positively Splendid.]

Being a student in a small college town has its perks -- like riding your bike from your apartment to class, meeting friends downtown for coffee, and stopping at the library for a study session, and then cycling back home, all while exercising your brain and your body. 

In June, our older daughter graduated from this bicycle-friendly academic world that she enthusiastically embraced for four years.   Is she ready to go out and make her mark on the world?  Well, ready or not, here she comes!  And in this day of high unemployment and economic despair, I am happy to report she just landed a professional job in her field of study. 

As a mother, it is nerve-wracking exciting to cheer from the sidelines, as one's children take their first steps towards becoming self-sufficient in the "real" world. I know she'll be fine. I'm not so sure about me. Thank goodness I have my creative therapy. Thus, I present my altered art canvas entitled, "Keep Calm and Ride On."

                                          

This two-piece canvas uses the college graduation announcement and one of my favorite photos from that special day.  The photo captures her walking away, while taking a quick glance back.   I love how this represents her moving forward with her life, while always treasuring her wonderful college days. 

The supplies:

12" x 12" and 12" x 4" artist canvasses

four eye screws

acrylic paint

cardstock - two solid colors and coordinating paper [I used the college colors]

chipboard letters

large and small Prima flowers

Buttons and hemp cord or embroidery floss

2011 tassel (found at Dollar Store)

decorative pearl brad

3 different coordinating ribbons, 16" in length

acrylic parentheses

bicycle stamp and black Staz-on ink

college announcement

photo

The process: 

Paint both canvas pieces.  Let dry.

Cut solid color cardstock 1/2" smaller than larger canvas.  Cut coordinating papers to fit accordingly.

Decoupage cardstock and coordinating paper to canvasses.

Stamp [bicycle] image onto printed paper.  Trim and mat with solid paper, adhere to canvas.

Mat photo.  Position in place, but do not yet adhere.

Apply chipboard letters [I looped the tassel to one of the letters] and acrylic parentheses.

Using hot glue, adhere buttons to wheels on bicycle image.

Decoupage announcement and text onto canvas.  Hot glue layered flowers and small button, slightly overlapping onto announcement and text.

When dry, decoupage entire canvas which adds luster and holds chipboard letters in place.

Using 3D foam squares, adhere matted photo to canvas and hot glue pearl brad.

Measure and mark 3" in from sides on canvas edges [bottom edge for large canvas and top edge for smaller canvas].

Twist eye screws into canvas at marks, so canvasses line up.

Cut ribbon into 8" lengths. Tie three ribbons together, inserting ribbon through matching eye screws.
This connects the canvas pieces.  Trim ribbon ends at a diagonal.

The altered artwork canvas is now ready to display and can easily be mounted on the wall using one nail.

Now one question remains: Who gets to keep it? The proud Mom [me] or the new college graduate [her]?

Linking to some of these crafty blogs and:
That DIY Party
Creative Jewish Mom
Three Mango Seeds
Serenity Now Weekend Bloggy Reading
its so very cheri /its-party-time
homemaker on a dime creative-bloggers-party-hop
a bowl full of lemons
Making the world cuter Monday
Just Something I Whipped Up
Today's Creative Blog
share-wealth-wednesday
savvysouthernstyle wow-us-wednesdays
Flaunt it Friday

Three Cups of Coffee

Coffee.  Caffeine.  Java.

It's not morning in my house until my first cup o' Joe.  After that, you can try talking to me; however, you'll be better off waiting until I've had my second round of caffeine.  OK, now I see you.  Good morning!   Oh, you want to have an interactive discussion?  In that case, pass the coffee pot so I can fill my mug one more time. 

If you are also a caffeine addict, or know someone who is, then this altered canvas project is perfect.  I call it "Three Cups of Coffee."

This project starts with three [printed] canvasses I found in the $1 bins at Michael's (before they raised their prices to $1.50--what nerve!).  Each canvas measures approximately 6" x 6" square. 

I painted the canvas sides and front (1" in on all edges) in French Roast and Mocha tones.  I wanted to go with a coffee theme, so it was easy to choose my color palette.

Once the paint was dry, I Mod Podged my paper (cut just slightly smaller than the canvas) onto the front of the canvas.

I used coordinating coffee-theme paper on the other two canvasses as well.  After the Mod Podge dries, embellish away!  Here is what I did:

Canvas #1 

"Caution HOT Beverage" punched from a coffee cup sleeve, using my tab punch, fastened with two brads; paint chip sample collaged on top of a Peet's gift card; coffee cup images stamped on printed paper, cut out and collaged on top of paint sample; a wooden numeral "3" that I painted, finishing it off with a small chipboard tag painted, stamped and edged with liquid chalk, and tied on with hemp. 

Canvas #2

Embellishments include coffee bean linen ribbon, stacked buttons, a Starbucks gift card, flower transparency and a beautiful vintage floral button. (I have been saving this piece for years!!)   Check out the detail on this exquisite treasure.

Canvas #3

Embellished with strips of coordinating paper (used on first two canvasses), "The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf" gift card, a metal corner, Prima flowers topped with a clear rhinestone, and a clock transparency that I collaged right on top of the word "coffee break." 

And my other treasure is a vintage silver spoon, which I picked up in an antique store many months ago. 

I used Mod Podge and my hot glue gun to adhere everything, and made sure to give each finished canvas a final sealing of Mod Podge. 

And that's it!  What's great about this three-piece set is you can arrange them on a wall in many ways:  horizontal, vertical or on a diagonal. 

You could even stand them up on small easels.

Now that I've finished this blog post, I am craving a delicious latte.

Make mine with low fat milk, an extra shot of espresso and thick foam please!  Now where did I put my gift cards?

Linky parties:

Alderberry Hill Make the Scene Monday

Home Stories AtoZ

Chic on a shoestring decorating

its-hodgepodge-friday

skip to my lou made-by-you-monday

making-world-cuter-monday
just-something-i-whipped-up
TCB Get-your-Craft-on