Lovely Spring Ideas

I think I can say, we all feel a need to refresh when Spring rolls around.   Here are some ideas and images to spur your creativity.  Try something new, the Dutch Spring Stencil is darling and can be used many ways.

Add this to a card and include a seed packet.

Rainbows of color make smiles happen!

Easter and Passover are some of the things we celebrate in Spring.

Happy week to you and yours!

Do these flowers make my butt look big?

Easter is coming and the St. Pats Day decor is being replaced with bunnies and chicks and eggs and flowers.    Sadly this bunny lost his ears in the storage container.   Emergency surgery was required.

His ears were completely separated when I found him and he looked so sad.   Super Glue to the rescue.

Why stop there, any time is a great time for embellishments!  I used Memento Inks and Petaloo flowers.  Ink pads aren't just for stamping!  I wet the flowers and swiped them with ink, mixing the colors to match the bunny.   I think he looks better than before surgery!   When you unpack your Easter and Spring decor remember - Flowers make everything more beautiful!

His feet were even graced with flowers. 

      

Handsome guy is ready to display in his new improved Spring glory!

Masquerade...

This post is all about how to get the younger generation in on crafting. 

This piece has been created by Gabi...a 15 year old lover of everything individual. And she proves it with the mask she has created for her High School French class.  Each year her French Class has a masquerade competition coinciding with Fat Tuesday and the 1st place winner not only gets bragging rights, but they also get a pretty sweet Amazon gift cart. This is what Gabi made for the competition with some help from DIY Design Studio products, paint, stickles and bling. 

This consisted of a Dollar Tree mask as the base, florals, diamond wrap, Stickles and plenty of imagination.  

The "wings" as Gabi called them were created by using manila file folders cut to shape, painted with jewel tone blues and purples. She added florals, diamond wrap and stickles to embellish the "wings".  

This is the base mask being altered by Gabi 

with individually and hand placed placed sequins 

 The next stage was to add florals to the manila folder that she created with paint and hot glue to both sides of the mask.  One side was organic shape and and one was more flared shape. 

Here you can see how she used TONS of hot hot glue to attach the manila folder sections to each each side of the mask.  She really needed to reinforce this part of the mask for stability. 

The pic below shows the mask in class in competition with the other entries.
Gabi was thrilled when she found out that that her entry was a finalist.  She waited for days to find out the results....  
She was overjoyed to learn that she won first place.  She not only won that Amazon gift card, but she got those all important braggin' rights! Here is the mask in class on display in the classroom. 

Gabi came home elated at the win and could not have been more proud.  Her first words were, 

Mom, I gotta find a way to top this for next year. 

And, so it begins..... 

I made this for a friend

I had one in my house for St Pat's day and she admired it. So I made it for her.

I added a twist on hers, it's two-sided so she can leave it up for Spring and Easter if she wants to.

I started with a dollar store plaque with a wire hanger.  I applied a base paper and an image with a solid mat.  I inked some of the edges for definition.  I graced it with fun embellishments.

Decor can be affordable and creative with our Digital images and embellishments: flowers, ribbons, trims, and fibers.  I will make more of these for friends and other holidays.  

Digital Art
Embellishments
INKS

Happy St Pat's Day to YOU.

The Postcard Twitter Art Exhibit

I found this organization by accident.  And I'm glad I did.   I am participating.

There is a little time for you to register.  Proceeds go to Charity.   The sponsoring City is Edinburgh.  You can host an event in your city.  I will explore the possibility as we have a GREAT art community here in Phoenix.

#TwitterArtExhibit founder, David Sandum

“Through art we can change the world.”

#TwitterArtExhibit utilizes social media and public engagement to generate income for charities and nonprofit organizations. In the past, #TwitterArtExhibit has generated funds for a library suffering from deep funding cuts to purchase much-needed children’s books, for an abused women’s shelter seeking to improve the lives of the families they serve, and for an arts organization mentoring underprivileged young adults in preparation for careers in the visual arts.  Artists, worldwide, donate postcard-sized, handmade original artwork to the TAE.

Artists worldwide donate postcard-sized, handmade original artwork to the TAE
TwitterArtExhibit organizes a local, physical showcasing of the art.
The public is invited to buy the art at an affordable, flat price.

This provides artists with new exhibition opportunities, new audiences and benefactors, and appeals to art enthusiasts all over the world.

http://twitterartexhibit.org/

Springing Forward, Sleepy Head

No one is sure just how much daylight is saved globally each year, though Physics indicates NONE. 

• Daylight saving was ostensibly started to save energy, but it turned out people enjoyed having an extra hour of daylight after work. Except in Arizona, where sunlight only extends the heat-related misery.

• The Navajo Reservation observes daylight-saving time; the Hopi Reservation does not. The Navajo Reservation surrounds the Hopi Reservation, so if on Monday you drive from Flagstaff to Gallup through Tuba City and Ganado, you'll change time on four occasions.  

• Western Indiana used to be even more confusing as some counties and cities observed daylight saving while others did not. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 put an end to that foolishness, leaving Arizona as the only two-timing state, so to speak.

• The U.S. first adopted daylight-saving time, called "Fast Time," in 1918 in support of the war effort. It was repealed seven months later.

• On Feb. 9, 1942, Americans set their clocks an hour ahead and kept them there until Sept. 30, 1945. It was officially War Time, with zones reflecting the change (Arizona, for example, was on Mountain War Time).

• China may or may not manipulate its currency, but it does mess with the clock. Though spread over five time zones, China recognizes only one, Beijing time. It is supposed to promote unity, but tell that to those who live in the far west when the summer sun sets as late as midnight.

• If the U.S. observed the one-time-zone policy (Washington D.C. time, of course), the summer sun in Arizona would set as late as 10:42 p.m. and weather-related crankiness would hit an all-time high.

• In 1991 and again in 2014, a few lawmakers floated the idea of having Arizona join the daylight-saving parade. Republicans and Democrats were united in their rejection of such a proposal, offering brief and shining moments of true bipartisanship.

• Daylight-saving time could be harmful to your health. A 2014 study led by the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center found the number of heart attacks goes up 24 percent on the Monday following the spring-forward. One theory is that the increased risk may be linked to that lost hour of sleep.  

Each of you who comment will receive clock themed digital stamps.

A Month for Rest and Retreat

March is not only National Craft Month but the energies right now have us all having unsettled sleep and seeking rest.  So it's a good thing I guess that I am about to go away and host a Creative Escape Weekend Retreat.  Where we will be getting both our craft on and a little R & R.

I haven't been doing too much creatively over the last few weeks but am planning on giving our attendees a journal so they can take notes etc from our events proceedings which is all about exploring the feminine archetype of the Sovereign Queen.

These journal are cut from thick cardboard that I save from the backs of my Water Color Paper Pads with a Sizzix Travellers Journal Die.

Because we are coming into Autumn here and the Archetype we are exploring is connected to this season I have used a Autumn color palette and leaves as my inspiration.

I chose to cover my journal covers with paper rather than apply paint directly to the cover.  I used my Gel Plate to apply the paint to my paper for the cover.

Starting with Autumn tones of Red and Orange and a Leaf Stencil.

Further Detail was added with a assortment of leaf stamps and colors of Distress Oxide Inks.

Brown Ribbon was added to tie around my journal and keep them closed, and this also gives the particpants an opportunity to add more decoration to at a later date.

I simply painted the inside covers and then added two signatures of Water Color Paper inside my journals to finish.

This now gives my participants the opportunity to write and create throughout the weekend in  between our two main creative tasks.

I am looking forward to this weekend to get my Craft on as I didn't have much time to do so last month.

What are you creating this month?  Be sure to check out all the wonderful products you can be creating with over in the DIY Studio Store and we'd love to hear or why not share your creations with us in the DIY Design Studio Facebook Group.

Danie xx