Artwork for my Boys

So I have been working on creating some artwork for each of my three boys. I love the idea of each of them having something special that I made for them. I am sentimental like that, especially when it comes to my boys. This project was pretty easy to tackle. I was able to finish it in less than two hours. The supplies you will need are as follows:

Art paper

Paint

Paint brushes

Sponge brush to apply mod podge

Decoupage

Scrap book paper

Frame

Pencil

Scissors

The first thing that I did was to cut out triangles, to look like mountains, out of Martha Stewart map craft paper.

I then mod podged the map paper on my white art paper. I always apply the mod podge generously to the back of the paper. Then lay it down, and apply the mod podge over top, trying to work out all the bubbles. 

Next I traced a circle out of a vintage piece of book paper that I had. You could use whatever paper you want, I just felt this worked well, especially since my son is an avid reader. 

I used my Anthropologie candle topper as my guide to trace around. It was the perfect size. 

I also mod podged it on to the art paper. I ended up white washing over top of the book paper so that my words would be more pronounced, and show up better. White washing is simply a technique where you water down your paint, so that you get a washed out look. 

Once all the mod podge dried I hand scripted the saying "Let him sleep for when he wakes, he will move mountains" I really love this quote, and find it so meaningful. I truly believe that all three of my boys have the ability to move mountains, whether it be that they are working in research to help figure out why certain diseases affect certain people, being creative, or bringing a smile to someone's face. My oldest is currently working on research at a local university that looks at how MRI/CAT scans can help diagnose certain diseases which can affect our brain.  My middle son, is so smart and creative, I can only imagine what he will do with his talent one day. And my youngest has the capability to make us laugh and bring a smile to our face at any given moment. He has had a special twinkle in his eyes since the day he was born. :)

Sorry, back to the project, I could go on and on about my boys.

Here is what it looked like after I hand wrote the quote.

I painted the tops of the mountains with white, so they would appear snow capped.

Next I added in some clouds with a pale grayish aqua paint, just to add another layer.

Then I used a dark gray paint to go over my lettering. By writing it with the pencil first, it makes it so much easier to go back over, because once you paint it, it's permanent. ;)

Here is the finished artwork framed. I'm happy with the way it turned out. It's not about creating the perfect piece, it's about creating something meaningful.

With summer vacay just around the corner, I hope you feel inspired to create something with your kids. This is totally a kid friendly project. Make sure they are working both sides of their brain this summer. Have them work on reading, math, and incorporate some art!
Thanks for stopping by, until next time...
XO~Gretchen

LOVE Artwork

Looking for last minute artwork for your sweetie? This one is really easy to make and took me less than 30 mins to put together.
Supplies that you will need:
Frame (I found mine at Walmart. They have inexpensive frames. I know Hobby Lobby does too.)
Hearts (I found these at Michaels Craft Store. You could also cut them out with various papers)
Double sided tape
Maggie Holmes scrapbook design art (This is optional, I just love her designs though.)
Music sheets (I used vintage ones taped together)

The first thing I did was tear out the pages of vintage music sheets from a book. I have a vintage book of them that I use for different projects. If you are ever out antiquing, be sure to pick one up. I promise you won't regret it, they are great for various projects. Another idea you could do is to print the music sheet from you and your sweetie's favorite song. I thought about printing out our "first dance" song from our wedding. Our song was "From this moment" by Shania Twain. I still love that song. :)

After I taped the sheets together, which I needed to do since it was an 8x10 frame, I started adding the hearts. I assembled 5 rows with 4 hearts in each.

Next I used some of Maggie Holmes artwork. She makes the prettiest designs. I snagged this pack of goodies at Archivers before they closed. I used the little love banner, which is so sweet, and coincidentally my one little word for the year. See how this is all coming together ;)

I wanted the word LOVE to pop a little more, so I painted aqua behind it. Shocking that I used aqua, I know.

So here is what the finished product looks like. I am happy with the way it turned out, and love how easy it was to make. I luckily had all the supplies at home. I guess it pays to be a craft hoarder sometimes.

There you have it. Hope you have a wonderful Valentines Day! And if you don't have a sweetie to make one of these for, then make one for yourself. It's the perfect reminder to love yourself, and spread love to those around you. Thanks for stopping by.
XO~Gretchen

DIY Artwork

So I have been really inspired by words and quotes lately, and have been wanting to make some special art for our master bedroom, that would be personalized to us. I also knew that I wanted the artwork to be fairly large scale, and have a quote painted on wood slats. I asked my hubby to take care of making the wooden boards, and I would paint it. :) To my surprise, he came home one day, soon after my request, with the large boards all put together ready for me. This is part of the reason I love him so much. He gets me, supports me, and all my crazy ideas. Now I had the wood, so I had to then figure out the design and the quote. I knew immediately that I would white wash the wood. I love the rustic farmhouse feel, of white washed wood. I was torn over what the quote would be. Here is the list I came up with, in case you would like to use them in your project.

"You will forever be my always"

"I have found the one my soul loves"

"You have my whole heart for my whole life"

"Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite"

I seriously could not decide, so I left it up to my hubby. He chose the first one.:) I think it is perfect, because at the end of the day, he will forever be my always. And I knew this about him from our very first date. God sent me a good one, and I am so blessed to have him as my hubby. I don't want this to turn into a mushy post, so on with the DIY part ;)

So here is what my hubby brought home assembled. He is a builder/contractor so he has access to wood and tools on his work sites. The slats are held together by 2x4's on the back.

So he used a total of 7 boards, then attached the 2x4's in the back to stabilize them. You can make your artwork as large or small as you like. We will be putting large brackets on the back, so that I am able to hang it if I want, or you can lean it on a piece of furniture or mantel.

I first white washed the wood. I did this by using a wet paint brush and some store bought white paint. Make sure you keep getting your paint brush wet, so that the paint goes on thin, and gives you the white wash affect. I like being able to see the knots in the wood and the grain. Next I had to put my math skills to use. This design seemed great in my head in theory, but it is never as easy as it looks. My arrow points are about 7 inches wide, don't ask me what calculation I used to get this, I just thought this looked best. I did measure to get the center of my boards, and made sure that the points matched up there. And I used painters tape to get the job done. It's not perfect, but it is pretty close.

Next I started painting in between the lines. I have lots of paint samples left over from when we built our house. Most of them various shades of aqua and gray. So I just went to my stash, and chose this aqua color.

Ok, so the points are off about 1/4 of an inch, but it's ok. I figured once I started the lettering it would be fine. That's the beauty of handmade, nothing is perfect. ;)

Here is the part I struggled with the most. Do I use a stencil, or just try hand lettering it. I decided to hand letter it, because it is a piece of sentimental artwork and it will be like having a personal written love letter hanging on our walls. I just used a good old #2 pencil to draw the lettering. Not allowing myself to get caught up on perfection, I "eye balled" the lettering. Once I wrote out the quote, I went back over it with a dark gray paint. I used a fine tip paint brush. 

Voila', here is the finished product. I am happy with the way it turned out. I can't wait until my hubby gets home so he can help me put it in our room. I have the perfect spot picked out. This is such a great project for you to try. You can personalize it in so many ways. Thanks for stopping by my blog, and I hope that you found some inspiration.

XO~Gretchen