Monday, April 27, 2009

look what flew in this weekend...

This guy decided to fly into our kitchen this weekend. It took 3 of us to get him out the kitchen window. I swear at one point (the first shot in the collage) the bird was catatonic - we thought that he was paralyzed with fear. But really, he was just waiting to go for my dh...it reminded me of a scene in THE BIRDS...and thus we got the broom out. It was quite an experience!

This is him afterwards - I think that he enjoyed driving us crazy!


my friend the crow

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Lilac blooming in my garden


Lilac blooming in my garden, originally uploaded by poketypatch.

I think this would make a wonderful painting!

Friday, April 24, 2009

blossom hidden in my yard


blossom, originally uploaded by poketypatch.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

war by any other name - how about PEACE

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Fun with ATCs


Mamma challenge: Stamp ATC, originally uploaded by poketypatch.

I am having a lot of fun making and swapping atcs. It is satisfying to have a way to use of all the odds and ends of recycled things that I have been saving too! I have it bad - I just don't like to throw things away that could serve some crafty purpose. Today I ran across a great use for recycled envelopes...bookmarks at Go Make Something.




There is a wonderful tutorial. Basically, you cut off a corner of an envelope and then decorate it like you would an atc. It forms a pocket that can fit over the top corner of a book page to mark your place. What a great idea!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Easter Bunny Dotee


Easter Bunny Dotee, originally uploaded by poketypatch.

So now I can post this little guy, because I know he got to his destination in Iowa safe and sound. He was really fun to make and extra special because his new owner is Iowa Sunshine who I know will take great care of him!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

TShirt Makeover - Tuesday Tutorial Link

Due to global warming and the fact that it never gets really cold here in the winter, I wear tons of white tshirts (both long and short sleeved).  I especially love some that I have gotten at Target.  They look great and the material wears well in them all for a decent price (ususally under $10).  


This is one of my favorite ones.  I like the long sleeves for warmth in the airconditioning during summer, and cooler warmth during the winter.  

Today, I ran across a great tutorial for making a cardigan out of old tshirts.  This is really a unique twist on recyling old tshirts!

Cal Patch provided the inspiration for my Tuesday Tutorial Link






The instructions look simple enough.  It involves cutting, sewing (with a machine and by hand) and crocheting the edging for the front.  The crochet edging might get a little tricky, but I think I can do it!  

Head over to CRAFTY STYLISH for this great tutorial!

Monday, April 6, 2009

The best thing about a good spring rain...

...is diamond droplets on baby columbine leaves!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Go make a Honey Bunny

     Picture by Orange you Lucky

Here is a fun project for a sweet Sunday, "honey bunny", a free pattern to embroider just in time for Easter.  How cute is that! Thanks to Helen, who is quite a talented gal.  In addition to her blog, Orange you Lucky, she has her own website, One Lucky Helen, which features her illustration, pattern design, paintings, and her toys! She even has published her own book, Embroidery for Little Miss Crafty: Projects and patterns to create and embellish which is out this month.  It looks pretty sweet!



I think I might stitch up my own honey bunny a little later, after I finish cleaning up my garden. Luckily, it won't take too long, since I have a great little honey of a helper.  My very own honey bunny.  He is really an English angora rabbit.  I spin his fur into snuggly soft yarn! I put him to work mowing the grass, since my dh isn't around to do it (like he said he would!).

bunny  

I hope you have a great Sunday!  Here is a little heart for you.  It greeted me in one of my tulips this morning. My flowers have a lot of heart!


tulip heart for you

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Egg Love


natural colored eggs, originally uploaded by poketypatch.

I bought these at a local flea market today. The lady who sold them said that the colors are all natural. The chickens that they came from have blue feet and blue beaks! I am in love with these colors. They are too pretty to eat!


Friday, April 3, 2009

Easter Fun

Putting together Easter Goodies made easy and adorable with help from generous freebies...

Adorable Tags from Tricia-Rennea Illustrator


Scrapbook page from Aussie Scrap Designs

Decorate your own basket from CancerMoon Creations

Artsyfartsy Queen's Vintage Easter Images

Bunny Hand Embroidery Pattern at Urban Threads

Force your own paper tulips tutorial at Cheeky Magpie

Thursday, April 2, 2009

MonoPrint ATC

I joined the "Easy Mono Print" Atc swap on swapbot. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I found that making a mono print that was acceptable for swapping was harder than it looked!

What is a Mono Print?  Well, it is the most basic form of making a print.  You apply color (paint) to the surface of something, then place another surface on top (paper or fabric), press down, remove your paper, and you have a unique painted print!   It has been described here as:

The monoprint or monotype is often thought of as a halfway stage between painting and printmaking. The process is simple: the artist paints, rubs, or wipes the design directly onto a plate, using a fairly slow drying paint or ink. The fleeting image must be printed before the ink dries. Printing may be by press or by hand, and as the name monoprint implies, one can usually get only one strong impression. The effect must be guessed right from the start; there will be no trial proofs or different states unless the design is redrawn for a second impression. This term is used to refer to any print made in one version and incapable of being repeated. A monoprint cannot be editioned.  
Mono prints are supposed to allow for artistic spontaneity which I found out pretty quickly.  In my usual "fly by the seat of my pants" way of doing things, I decided to give this a try using the directions on swapbot:

Use a roller or a paint brush to spread the paint over an area big enough for your work. You will have to work rather quickly before the paint gets too dry. Using a stick or end of your brush or a pencil, draw a pattern or a quick sketch into the paint. It will be printed in reverse so remember this if adding text. Now place your paper onto your glass and give a quick, even rub with your hand and peel off immediately.  
First, I tried flowers.
flower monoprint atcs - help!

This didn't work out so hot.  My designs were too intricate and didn't show up well.  I decided to try something simpler, like an egg.

I used an old ipod box as my glass surface.  It is exactly the size of the atc.  You can see where I scraped off the paint for the print.

monoprint box

I tried this a bunch of times, some worked and some didn't!

chocolate egg monoprint atcs

I let them sit for a day, and then went back to them.  I thought that if I embellished a couple, they would be ok.  So, I picked one and added some glitter, gold and little jewels.  

egg atc for swapbot swap
For the next one, I figured that if I used something wider to lift the paint off the surface, it would make the design stand out more. I found a pencil with a nice round eraser on top and used that. It worked great on this little chick.

Chick ATC

So, this was a fun, get your hands full paint, type of project.  Today, I did a quick search on how to make a monoprint and found some sites that would have been helpful to me before I started this project.

  1. How to make a Mono Print
  2. MonoPrint for Beginners and Children
  3. Janet Clare's Tutorial
  4. Making Monoprint Background Papers - I quickly discovered that all the rejects would make great backgrounds for other ATC's.  This little tutorial will show you how!
  5. Take it one step farther with a Monoprint Mini Book!
If you like to see how rather than read it, you can find lots of tutorials for monoprints on youtube.