Family Christmas Card 2009

After having so much fun doing my card last year, I've decided to make these cards a tradition. This year's Christmas card took a little more work since someone was a little uncooperative in the photo taking process. A big thanks to my brother for taking the pictures, my mom and sister for helping to keep Calvin entertained and laughing, and my husband for putting up with my crazy ideas and keeping up his eager sledding face in all of the shots (he was threatened with his life to do so ;). So after combining 4 pictures and a lot of photo shopping, I was able to put together something that worked. See below:

Photo 1 had the most naturalistic sledding poses...I mean what can I expect when we have a sled set up on a couch covered in batting? So using the bodies from one photo, the 3 heads from 3 different photos I got to photo 2.

In photo 3 I added some snow, and a blue blue sky. Then finally in 4, some trees and more shadows. When that was done I was finally able to make the dozen steps it took to cartoon it, add some snowflakes and words...Done! It was fun and I ended up pleasantly surprised.

Wild Things

This was my project for the month, and I've think I've done enough Halloween costumes to last a lifetime now. I have yet to decide if the dedication and lack of life thereof was worth it. And a huge gigantic thanks to my mom (the Koolaid Mom), that also dedicated her life these last 3 weeks to helping me :)

Our inspiration: Calvin's favorite book!

The masks: Originally I had decided that paper mache was going to be the best route on this, but then I found this and decided to head that direction. So essentially the head was first made out of a cardboard base and then built up and stuffed like crazy. I covered the whole thing in fleece. The eyes nose and ears are made of fleece as well, and then the teeth were made out of felt. The hair on the girl is a wool fiber that I used red hair spray on, and the guy is rabbit fur from hell, with black wool fiber glued underneath the edges to make it look more natural.

I was please with how the pants turned out. I just bought a pair of white scrubs and drew the scales on with a black sharpee.

The Wild Things and Max.

Calvin doing his best Max impersonation, although sadly it comes way too naturally for him. There was a reason I decided Calvin should be Max for Halloween.

Boo at the Zoo

Since this month has been busy with working on Calvin's big boy room and making our costumes, I'm doing a little blast from the past...

I did this piece for Zoo Boise a few years back. It's acrylic and colored pencil on art board.

Yudu Skate Painting

OK so I complete my first Yudu project. I've been busy working on Calvin's big boy room, so I had this idea for a piece of art in it.
First I started by mod podgeing newspaper onto a canvas. Then messily painted some color...
Then I created my overlay in illustrator using one of my favorite type fonts from Lettering Delights called LD Remington Streamline. And lastly, used my new favorite creative tool (the Yudu) to silk screen my final image on top.

Finished project!

The Yudu is here...stay tuned!

New SNF Font Family

Check out this great new font family available at Scrapnfonts! A simple, but cute page made digitally using the SFN Sophia font family and clipart from the Hello Cupcake Collection from Lettering Delights.

Painted Pianos

Ok it's a little wild and crazy, but I had fun with it...check out my piano. After 3 years, it's finally done! I sanded, added molding, painted, antiqued, glazed and then also recovered the bench. Whew! It was a lot of work.

Before: (well not actual before, I forgot to take one, so I found this on the web, mine looked like this only in a lot worse condition).

After:

My friend Angee sent me this piano she found from Design Mom. I'm in love, I wish I had seen this before I started mine.

Using Digital Brushes...

Check out these digital brushes on sale now from Scrapnfonts. A great way to make a fun digital page. Right now you can get the CK Sampler Set FREE!

A Valentine Project

I originally made this project as a Valentine's for Aids donation that a local coffee shop put on here in Boise. Using pop cans and some scrapbooking metal and letters from Making Memories, I assembled this on a basic wood base that I had previously painted. It took forever and I became really attached to the project. In the end, I was reluctant to donate it. Will and I were dating at the time, and he was really sweet to keep bidding on it for me, however it soon exceeded his budget. I vowed to remake it, and finally did...

Valentine Arsty Mobile

I found this on Melody Ross's (Chatterbox creater) blog, and fell in love with the idea. Apparently its a kit from http://www.scarletlime.com/kits/kits.html, but I couldn't find it so I think it's sold out, but it would be totally easy and fun to create something similar. A very fun and unique valentine!

I love you more than Edward Cullen

For all you Twilight fans! I thought this card was a cute idea.
You can get yours here from Dandee Designs.

And speaking of Edward...

I love my edward shirt!


Here I am thoroughly enjoying wearing mine on our date to the movie, so much that I just had to scrap it. For your digital Twilight clipart, fonts and alphabets click here!

Christmas Card Fun

My dear friend Leslie, asked me to do this customized card for her, portraying them in front of a little street in Paris.

I got this idea from my brothers killer wedding invite from Bryan Niven. It in no way compares to his stuff, but this is my version that probably took 100 less hours to make and was $800 cheaper. The hardest part was getting Calvin to sit for the picture, since he wanted nothing to do with "Santa Claus," even though we tried to show him it was actually Daddy. We got one shot out of 147. All the rest are of him climbing off Will's lap. My sister helped me with my hair, using a video tutorial of 50's hairstyles from You Tube and I'm wearing a bridesmaid dress my mom wore in high school, it's so nice that she saves everything! Then a little photoshopping and viola!