BRF day boy

I was so proud of my soon to be six year old when he told me he wanted to draw each invitation to his birthday party, and draw each one he did. The front was the same on all of them. He wrote BRF DAY BOY, but inside was a special drawing designed with each friend in mind. I was planning on taking photos of all of them but he sealed them before I had a chance. I found the least sealed and snuck a couple photos! I love how he added the smily face and present to the BRF. Now I'm planning how to make the requested green ninja birthday cake.

studio set up + stamped valentine cards

It's been a long time coming and finally I have a studio with light (It is a very gray day here in the midwest so please excuse the lack of sunshine). This sun room (next to our living room - see the corner of the couch?) was my kid's play room and I have claimed it! They now have the office for a playroom and it is so cozy and chock a block full of toys, lego and art supplies.

I love setting up a new space as I try to cull out the objects and tools that are obsolete or have just been hanging around too long. I have a much more edited version of a desk now (below) and the trick will be keeping it this way. Any suggestions welcome!

This (below) is my box o' collage goodies. It sits right next to me on the warm radiator, and when the cat is not trying to lie on top of it I can easily access it. 

So far I am loving it, although I think the rules about using this space are still a bit like this day - gray and fuzzy. We'll work on that.

We did make some valentine cards yesterday at my studio table. R + M were so excited to see how I carved a lino heart  and glued it on an old stamp handle we had hanging around in our stamp box.

We used these exquisite name stamps carved for my kids by Molly Carlson of Emerson Street Creative.
I met her at my kid's school Artisan Fair in December and we talked about what I was looking for. Low and behold a couple of weeks before Christmas she emailed me with photos of these stunning stamps that she hand carves.

You can see more of her stamps in her shop on Artfire. She also has beautiful prints of Gulf coast wild life paintings she has done (they were originally sold for a fundraiser after the oil spill).

R + M are going to write each child's name on a card and hand them out at school. It is a custom that I am still getting used having grown up in England where we did nothing for our class mates for any holiday. There are some very fun and beautifully designed packs of cards to buy these days, but I couldn't pass up a chance to use our beautiful stamps. Thanks Molly.

washi tape cards

"Mummy, where's the tape"? I think I hear this question 25 times every day. I'm not sure if you've found this but kids are addicted to tape like I am addicted to coffee. I could drink it all day and they could stick, wind up, bind and hang tape just as often. 

Washi tape used to be off limits to the kids in our house, but then I thought why just look at it in all it's prettiness on a shelf in my studio when I can have it all over the house? It also doesn't need scissors to cut and peels off walls without taking paint off too. What could be better?

Yesterday we made a birthday card for R + M's grandmother using washi tape, oil pastels and, of course, our current fave - glitter!  Make a simple design with the washi tape on paper or card stock. 

Color with pastels, pens or pencils around the tape. With this heart we also added glitter. We put a thin layer of Mod Podge inside the heart, careful not to touch the tape so that it wouldn't glue it down too.

Carefully peel off the washi tape to reveal the designs underneath. For the letter B we then painted a thin layer of Mod Podge and added glitter to the open area. The kids thought it was hilarious when I wrote on the envelope of the card "Beware: Glitter Galore"!

(I did put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the cards when they were dry to seal the glitter on to the page).

Going in the mail today! Late, but not forgotten, dear B.