I'm Undefined

I bought a stamp carving kit a while ago from Stampin' Up! thinking it would be fun to carve and make some of my own stamps at some point.  It reminded me of when I took art in middle school and we would carve our own printing blocks from a picture we drew.  Here's the trouble- you have to know what you want to carve!  SU has a ton of ideas they have been posting online and I've been watching and collecting thoughts and suggestions.  This weekend (or rather very early this morning when I couldn't sleep), I decided to go for it!  Here are some pictures of my late-night escapades with carving.

Here is the first one.  The term YOLO for "You only live once" is all over the place right now, so I thought having a stamp of it would be fun.  If you are curious how this works, you draw the image first on paper with pencil, then rub the image on the rubber.  The kit provides you with carving tools to cut the image out, then adhesive and wood blocks to back the stamp.  I used some scraps of extra paper in coastal cabana and strawberry slush to finish this up.  I love utilizing extra bits of paper, and rarely throw things like that away.

Now for my second set of stamps carved.  I liked the idea of a folk-art type bird and have a local artist I love here named Moni Hill.  She uses a bird similar to this and the saying "Be Tweet" on some of her work.  I thought this would make a cute card!  The bird was super simple since I decided to keep the body solid so I could draw in designs, color him in, or use a "kissing" technique to add a texture to the body.  I drew in the little legs with a stamp n' write marker as well.  As for the leaf, well, I just wanted one and thought it would fit well with the nature theme here.

I had a blas making some things that I was interested in and wouldn't have been able to find otherwise!  Plus, I take a little more pride in my cards shown here because I actually make the stamps too!  Let me know if you are interested in getting a stamp carving kit or want to make a stamp with me- I'd love to play around with carving and creating something with you!

Those leather flowers...

.... are securely fastened using thick thread and several upholstery needles.  I broke a needle for about every two flowers I put together since it took a lot of pressure to go through the layers of leather.  Totally worth it though!  Here are some of the final pieces.  I keep fiddling with them because the leather is so soft!

On to the next project- I currently have paint drying for two wedding signs I've been commissioned to make.  I can't wait to show you once I draw on them!  I also am starting a painted wood sign for an outdoor wedding.  I've found some reclaimed baseboard wood that is sturdy but weathered and will be perfect for a rustic feel.  The long piece is currently by my door just longing for me to cut it up and start decorating it; however, I need to enlist a handyman (or women) to help me cut it first.  I'll keep ya posted on these projects!  Happy crafting!

Hello, Monday

The start to another week!  I find that if I create a to-do list, I am so much more productive.  I get all excited when I cross something off my list (which likely sounds a bit sad, but that's ok!).  Today, in an effort to move some more of my social media outlets to more of a business option for me, I switched my Pinterest page over officially to The Artsy Acorn's Pinterest site.  This is exciting because I had the chance to organize my boards a little more and can better present all the things that I am making as well.

Speaking of making things- here is a picture of the wedding rehearsal dinner gifts I made recently.  Cute, right?  I ended up hand stamping the paisley design onto some white card stock to make a custom pattern for the family since their theme was white and cobalt blue.  I then make a little greeting strip with their theme greeting and wedding date on my printer using card stock.  My stamp came in handy again to add a print to the wing of my blue bird, which was punched out using one of my favorite SU punches.  Last thing?  Some bling!  Silver glitter paint on the eye and around the print of the background finished it all up.  Best part?  The decorations are just a sleeve around the chocolate, so you can slide it right off to save if needed and then eat the chocolate goodness!

Is it August, or October?

I can't tell from the weather outside!  It's the kind of day that makes you want to stay in and snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and a chick flick.  However, today was a special day because it is my mom's birthday!  We had a good day with family and spending some time together.

I will have my newsletter coming out in a few days- be sure to email me at theartsyacorn@gmail.com if you would like to be added to my email list!  I send it out once a month with pics of projects, ideas to share, and of course the schedule of events.

One of the things I will be sharing in my newsletter is that the Artsy Acorn has now opening a shop on Etsy!  I have loads more to add to my shop, but wanted to start with some things I have in stock from craft shows.

Currently, I am finishing up working on some leather flower pins and hair clips to add to my shop.  I found the more beautiful and soft leather at Resource Warehouse a while back and thought of turning it into something.  The pins and clips turned out amazing!  I rubbed paint on a few for a little more distressed look and had the paint really bring out the subtle lines in the leather.  Now my big issue is getting these suckers to stay together.  Hot glue doesn't work- they peel right apart from each other.  Last night I super glued each piece together and STILL they come apart.  Next stop- a tapestry needle and thread.  These WILL work out for me! :)  I likely should have started with the needle and thread to begin with, but as any true crafter will tell you, there isn't much that you can't solve with some hot glue.  Will keep ya posted with the leather flower saga.

Here is a picture of the troublesome pins- they look innocent and cute don't they?  :)

Feeling Artsy

One of the things I love about doing Stampin' Up!, among other things, is the fun I have with thinking creatively.  Today I finished up an order of wedding reception gifts (which I will add a picture of soon), shopped for some reclaimed wood to make an upcycled outdoor wedding sign for another person, and purchased some canvas for a commission on two other wedding gifts where I paint their love story by numbers (date of their first date, date of their engagement, date of their wedding).

Today I also wrapped up a proposal for a contest for illustrated sayings and word puns.  I thought about how popular owls are right now, and out came this idea.  We'll see if I win!  For fun though, here is a sneak peak at what I submitted tonight. :)  Enjoy!

An AA Kinda Day

...AA standing for Artsy Acorn of course!

Mystery solved!  I found my missing punch and guess what?  It was right where it was supposed to be- neatly stacked with all my other punches.  How I missed it in the three times I searched there, I am not sure.   It's good to know I am not going crazy (well, at least not over a punch anymore!)

Here are new pictures of upcoming workshops.  I love sharing the pictures to show you what I am doing rather than try and describe it!  I finished up these projects and now am moving on to finishing up a wedding reception favor I am making for a friend.  I hope to finish those soon and will share once they are completed.

Here is a picture of the "surprise elements" workshop in September.  What makes these a "surprise!" is the fact that the confetti in the background of both the card and the sign on the birthday box move around!  This is all due to using some washi tape and a window sheet to make a little pocket for some confetti.  Its a fun thing to pick the card up and shake it, and most definitely for the birthday package.  Isn't that what we all naturally want to do with a wrapped present anyway? :)

I've also included some pictures for the October workshop, which will get us ready to go for the upcoming holiday season.  The "hello" card is using a sunburst technique, which is super fun and simple.  These cards remind me of fall, but the paper has a retro feel to it, which I loved.

  

Finally, I also included a fun thanksgiving card that will also go with the October workshop.  These great label stamps also include other seasons, so this style card can easy have colors changed out to work for halloween, christmas, or even valentines day.

I appreciate you visiting my blog and your willingness to read my ramblings!

Hide and Seek

I have lost my new punch that I was so excited about purchasing.  The label bracket punch will be featured in my October workshop, but right now it is MIA.  How this has disappeared is a mystery to me as I live alone and know that I am the only one who could have put it somewhere!  I will likely find it in the most unusual place soon.  This is all likely because I am hyped up for a job interview tomorrow and am probably not thinking straight.

Speaking of hide and seek, that's what I felt like I was doing last night.  We had a really awful storm that afternoon- the kind that makes you wonder, "should I be heading to a central room with no windows?"  The wind was terrible and would violently change direction, which lead to power outages and lots of trees down.  I was mid-cut on a banner I was making for September's "Surprise Elements" workshop when the power went off and left me in the pitch dark.  I fumbled for my flash light and started to light candles.  Do you think a little think like no electricity can stop a die-hard crafter?  Heck no!  I finished that project over candlelight.  It was an interesting night, especially since it was getting rather warm and my house started smelling odd... you see, I lit all these candles I had saved "just in case," but they weren't my favorite scents.  So, overpowering "lilac" soon met with "log cabin" and "fresh cut grass."  Fun times in my house, I tell ya.  In case you were wondering, the power came back on about an hour later and I not only finished my project, but I restored the balance of scents in my house.  I think I will invest in some unscented candles for next time!  And, I will let you know when this darn punch reappears (and where I found it!)