Quick and Easy Painted Bunnies

Hello everyone,

It's been awhile. Sometimes I just need to step back. Take a break, breathe, have some "think" time. I've been extremely busy teaching this semester, and doing lots of my own writing as well. For a few weeks, I kept thinking, "I just can't do this blog thing anymore, it's just too much." Now, I think, for the moment, I want to continue. But my posts will be a little less frequent for the time being. Sanity throughout the semester is important. 

This project was a wild goose chase. I had this great idea that I would paint plastic bunnies shiny and gold and use them for crafts this spring. So I go looking for plastic bunnies and couldn't find them anywhere. I checked Target, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc, and couldn't find small plastic ones, only plus bunnies. Finally, I found some at Wal-mart, who knew, right? Then I went to paint them with my favorite gold paint, Liquid Leaf, but the bottle had self-sealed and I couldn't open it. I was about to give up on the bunnies when my sister suggested nail polish. Genius! So, the DIY was still on. Enjoy the pics! These cute little bunnies have so many possible projects waiting on them! I decorated a candle (see pic above), but there are so many more DIYs just waiting to happen!

1. Prep: I used white polish to paint over the bright pink and black details.

2. Painting the bunnies took about 2 coats each. I painted them neon yellow, pink, gold, and mint. (My current favorite colors!)

 3. Let them dry between coats!

A Guide to Storytelling

Once upon a time...

Good morning everyone,

As you know, this week's theme on my blog is writing and being better at it. I'd like to take a moment to encourage you, especially if you think you aren't a good writer. There are lots of different types of writing; finding one that works for you is the key to thinking and feeling like a good writer. Today, I'm talking about storytelling. This is not something we typically think of when we talk about craft blogging, but it certainly can be a fun and important part of your writing.

This infographic on the left is Pixar's Guide to Storytelling, which I found both highly creative and inspiring. Often when we start to write something personal or story-like on our blogs, we don't know where to begin, what to share, what not to share, and so on. I wanted to share this infographic because it includes some important steps in storytelling and more importantly, in what order they should go.

And they all lived happily ever after...

 I think it's extremely important to know the outcome (the ending) before writing the body of a blog post or a story. It's easy to get off track or distracted without knowing the outcome and when this happens, it means the reader will get just as lost as well. Lost readers are bad...lost readers lose interest, which is exactly what we all want to avoid.

Write just to write. Nothing more.

It's also important to realize that not every story you start will be finished. And this is okay. Finishing is, obviously, the goal, but sometimes it's more important to simply start and practice your skill rather than to have a final product. Writing is a process, one that is repeated over and over, and really requires no ending to still be considered good writing. Writing without an ending will help you push your boundaries and make you more comfortable telling stories on your blog or in your other writing.

Share your stories...

Having just said it's okay to not finish a story, I'd like to say at this point, that you really should finish and publish your favorite stories. If you love them, chances are your readers will too.

Don't be afraid.

It's often scary to put our most beloved projects out on display for fear of rejection or even simply disinterest. I know in my own experiences, I often feel that with such a new blog my posts are wasted because so few people read them and I receive so little feedback. But I have to remind myself that if you write it they will come (quality writing that is). New blogs often struggle in this way. It takes time. But this time can be easily used as a way to practice and hone your art of storytelling and writing.

When you write your stories and share your words you are writing something that no one else can. No one else will interpret an occasion the way that you will and no one will express creativity exactly the same as yours. Take courage in the fact that everything you write is uniquely yours.

Be brave and be brave often. Write often.

-Taylor


Interested in other writing articles? Scroll down to see previous posts from this week about writing, including my best tips!

Be a Better Writer: Tips for Writing Better Posts Part II

Below is the second part of a series of articles I've written about writing better blog posts and becoming a better writer in general. I write these tips form my experiences as a both a graduate student who writes papers regularly and as a teacher oh reads and grades what other people write. Use these tips to help you write in ways your readers will enjoy!

Write an Outline

     The concept of internet blogging started as a way to express thoughts and present them to other people. However, blogging has become much more than that and now we, as readers, want and expect the blog posts we read to be organized and flow smoothly from beginning to end. As a writer, this means you should have an outline of your blog post. It will help you write logically, keep you on track, and allow you to finish faster, making you more productive. 

Check for Sufficiency

     Whether you are posting a recipe, a crafty DIY, or a personal story on your blog, you should be reading through what you've written to decide whether or not you've included enough information to get your point across. A recipe or a craft tutorial can fail if you've missed a key step in the instructions. A personal anecdote won't make much sense if you've left out too many details. Be sure what you're writing is sufficient to the reader. 

Be Relevant

     Now that you've worked on writing sufficiently, read your posts again to make sure you aren't going overboard. It's easy to accidentally include too much information. Maybe you've got a really funny story about your child or your pet that you want to share. This is fine of course, but share it at a time when it's relevant. Make it a separate post; don't let too much information overwhelm the high quality work you've written. 

Proofread

      Good writing does not come instantly and it does not come on the first try. Good writing is a result of good editing. I cannot stress this enough: PROOFREAD your posts and your readers will thank you. Use a spell-check, and then read through your posts to check for grammatical errors that the spell-check does not pick up. Mistakes in blog posts are signs of a careless writer and they are a distraction. Good writing, free of proofreading errors will allow your readers to focus on your content.

Enjoy these tips? See Part I of this series, posted yesterday. Check back tomorrow for even more tips! -Taylor

Be a Better Writer: Tips for Writing Better Blog Posts Part I

Below is the first part of a series of articles I've written about writing better blog posts and becoming a better writer in general. I write these tips form my experiences as a both a graduate student who writes papers regularly and as a teacher oh reads and grades what other people write. Use these tips to help you write in ways your readers will enjoy!

Make Lists of Ideas

    To be a better writer, you should take a look at the topics you're writing about. Making lists by topic or season will help you focus your ideas and determine what goes into each post. This technique will also help you brainstorm new topics to write about and help you when you're in "I don't know what to blog about" panic.

Start Small

    To practice better writing skills, work on improving your posts in small doses. Really focus on improving the smallest topics you write about first, and then tackle the larger ones. Pay attention to what your weaknesses and strengths are in your writing.

Take Time to Write Your Posts

    The steps that go into writing well (outlines, content, proofreading) take time and if you want to write well, you can't rush through them. Take some time before you begin to figure out what you want to say, this helps prepare you for the actual writing. 

Write Quality, Not Quantity

     The key to good writing is not to write as much as you possibly can. It's also not to find as many sources to discuss or the be as funny, or serious as you can. The key to good writing is to write something that you would read and think," this is really good quality." Don't focus on writing long posts, focus on writing something worth reading.

Enjoy these tips? Stay tuned for more tips all week! 

Valentines DIY: Jar O Dates

Need a quick, last-minute gift idea for valentines? I've got one for you today! Whip up a jar of dates to last a whole year! See the tutorial below.

Supplies:

Popsicle sticks (I bought my pre-printed at Michael's).

Ribbon Scraps

Empty Jar

Stickers (for decoration)

1. Tie all your ribbon scraps around the rim of the jar. This is a super fast way to decorate!

2. Write fun date ideas on your Popsicle sticks. I had five different kinds of sticks, so I made these types into categories, weekend dates that require planning, stay at home dates, etc.

3. Decorate your jar and you're done!

4. Take pictures...get photo-bombed.... (this is obviously not a step, but, my cat frequently does this so I thought I would share a photo).

Following the Color Trends: Lavender

One of the prettiest colors this spring is Lavender. This lovely shade of purple is currently a hot spring color, but the truth is, lavender stays in style. Lavender has been a popular color in just about every style decade (from pale 1950's dresses to boxy 1980's suits). It's super pretty right now because it compliments the other popular colors right now-mint green, pale pink, coral, and sea foam green. 

How do you work lavender into your lifestyle? It goes really well with soft skirts and I love the idea of wearing lavender ballet flats with my outfits. It would also work well in beautiful spring artwork to display in your home. Pair it with bright whites, mint greens, and other bright colors. Avoid black and dark colors; this season's lavender should stay bright and cheerful.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Real Places to be Inspired

So many of us crafters tend to find inspiration by looking on the internet. We use blogs, product websites, social media, etc. It's fun and fast-we like finding instant inspiration gratification. However, sometimes it's not so instant and we wind up spending hours browsing Pinterest or a craft website and still don't stumble upon the 'Aha!' moment we were looking for. Using the internet to find inspiration can be extremely frustrating, which brings me to the point of this article: R-E-A-L brick-and-mortar places to find inspiration. Places that require you to get up and go. Sometimes a little movement is all we need.

The Library

Has it been awhile since you've been to the library? Believe it or not, your library is a hotbed of crafting inspiration. Most libraries have copies of all the latest craft books available for you to check out. In addition, take a look through photography books, back issues of magazines, find a new type of craft to try, pick up some interior design books.

Take a Train Ride

50.5% of the world's population lives in urban areas. Chances are, you're one of the 3.5 billion people who live in the city. Public transportation in the cities is cheap and you can get to many places. However, the idea here is not to get somewhere, it's just to ride the train or the subway. Grab a notebook (no iPads or laptops-no electronics!) and hop on the train and just write, doodle, make lists, whatever could jump start your inspiration. 

Coffee Shops

The title of this source of inspiration is pretty obvious. A hot cup of coffee, a fruity smoothie, bubble tea; whatever your favorite drink is, it's bound to make you feel better. Instead of making it your reward, just for a day, make it your motivation. Not to mention, coffee shops usually have great art, great music, and a fun and inspiring atmosphere.

College Campus

Does your blog or your craft involve fashion? The your local college campus is the place you should go to people-watch. College students will always be wearing the latest trends and it's fun to be inspired by what people are wearing. Want to find hipsters, athletes, girly-girls, business professionals, nerds, etc, all in one place? Campus is the way to go.

Quilt Shops

A quilt shop is a fantastic place to find inspiration. Now, when I say quilt shop, I don't mean a craft supply store like Michael's or Hobby Lobby, I'm talking mom-and-pop quilt and fabric shop. They tend to be super quirky, full of cute little grandmas, and gorgeous fabrics from ceiling to floor. Even if you're not someone who works with fabric, pop inside to take a look at patterns and color schemes.

Thanks for reading, I hope this inspires you to try a new source of inspiration! Where is your favorite place to go? I'll shamefully admit to Starbucks :) but I also l-o-v-e the library and riding the train. 

-Taylor

Fun Little Valentines

This week I whipped up a couple of cute little valentines. I mailed some packages recently and slipped these in. The print-out stickers I used are downloadable bonus items from Katie's "I Heart Art" Valentine's Day class and I love them! They are beyond cute.

Interested in taking an online class? I recently reviewed Katie's "I Heart Art" course. Check the review out here!

Saturday morning project: Heart Print Jeans

This week I stumbled upon a dangerously cute DIY. Heart-Print-Jeans. I was instantly in love and I had to make my own (see pic above!). Anyway, I found the tutorial at My Little Secrets. The tutorial is easy to follow and completely inspiring, I would love to make other prints as well!

 Today I'm heading off to Miami for a shopping trip with some friends, I hope you've got something fun planned for today! Enjoy your weekend! -Taylor

Painted Polka Dots Chair Restyle

This chair is part of my living room makeover. It's an IKEA Poang chair that has been claimed for cat naps by my kitten Sisko. It started out black and I simply painted white polka dots onto it with acrylic paint and a pencil eraser. Note to all who craft with cats: This is a really fascinating project to cats and was interrupted by a flying kitten who landed in the white paint and attempted to leave white paw prints all of my apartment..so be careful :)

Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you, and will feature pictures of the whole living room soon! My inspiration for this project was to create an "ombre of polka dots" and I think I succeeded!

-Taylor

Adventures in Nail Art Part I: Easy Peasy Polka Dots

So, I'm jumping on the nail art bandwagon, want to join me? Here's a quick tutorial to get you started. Polka dots are easy and fun, especially if you're new to swiping more than just a coat of red polish onto your nails as you head out the door.

 First, you need to dig into your sewing supplies and pull out some pins. The brush of your regular nail polish is much to big to make consistently nice polka dots. The pointy end of the pin won't pick up enough polish to create polka dots, so you need to use the head of the pin. Flathead pins are best for small dots, and ball head pins can be used for large dots. 

  I recommend that you place a small spot of nail polish onto a piece of aluminum foil to transfer the dots to your nails. Trying to dip a pin into the bottle of polish is very messy, so let's keep things nice and neat. I used gold, blue-gray, and hot pink just for some contrast. Below is an example of large dots:

 Small, teeny, epic-cute dots: (I love things in miniature!)

 Once you've mastered how to print dots onto your nails, it's really easy to get creative! There are so many fun patterns you could make with dots- rainbows, stripes, holiday colors, dots to match your outfit...the possibilities are definitely endless! 

This post is the first part of a series of nail DIY's so keep an eye out for some more adventures in nail painting! 

DIY Jewelry Organizer Wall Display

Supplies Needed:

3 small unfinished wooden frames

3 sheets of glittered scrapbook paper

bits of ribbons and string

Acrylic paint OR Liquid Leaf One-Step Gold Paint (this is what I used)

Hot glue, scissors, etc

1. Trace glitter paper to fit inside the frames, however, BE SURE to cut at least1/8th of an inch outside of your traced shape to have enough room to glue the paper into your frame.

2. Paint frames whatever color you like.

3. Glue ribbons and strings of various widths across the papers. Glue only at each end of the ribbons, not all the way across.

4. Adhere to frames with hot glue or double sided tape.

5. Hang on your wall and enjoy! I'm so thrilled with the way that these turned out <3 I have tons of feather earrings and my cat will take any chance he can to get at them. Hanging them on the wall keeps them safe plus it's super cute art! I love how accessible my jewelry is now and that I can just look at all of my choices all at once.

Note: This was my first time working with a gold leafing paint and I l-o-v-e-d it! I was so surprised by how much smoother and "gold-er" this was than just typical metallic gold acrylic paint. Be warned: it does contain copper and smells very strongly. Work in a ventilated area! I'm super excited to try
this paint on many other projects!

What you'll see in 2013: (I hope!)

1. 1. Cool DIY's inspired by things I've seen on Pinterest. I started a new board for 2013 with crafts that I think are really neat. My goal is to keep this board small and actually DO all the projects on this board. Sometimes it's nice to be able to craft for crafting's sake, instead of trying to brainstorm a great, original idea that no one's ever done before. If you want to see my board, click here!
2.  
3. Recipes for healthy snacks: I got a slicer/shredder for my Kitchen Aid Mixer for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad!) so I'm super pumped to make my own carrot chips, sweet potato chips, zucchini chips, etc. 
4. Photos with my Fuji Instax Mini (Christmas present from Katie!)

I've got big plans to be a better blogger this year. I'm really nervous about fulfilling them because blogging takes a LOT of time, as I've learned. As a graduate student, I stay pretty busy, but I want to make the time to post good quality posts of DIY's, inspiration, etc. As it turns out, there are TONS of posts from other bloggers about blogging and how to do well in it (here's a great list!)...that being said, the information is kind of overwhelming. So, I'm learning. Enjoy this process with me. 

Holiday Decorating: DIY Christmas Art Wall

Just wanted to share my art wall, holiday-style. The moose is always up, but it's been Rudolph-bombed :) I also included my snowman wreath, (click here for tutorial!), Katie's Christmas light art (tutorial), and a piece that I made with scrapbooking papers and pieces. 

I made this by piecing together blocks of red scrapbook papers onto a canvas, and then taking green strips and trimming the ends to look like ribbons. This was a super-fast project and could easily be translated onto holiday cards or gift tags. I think it's a pretty bold statement piece when combined with the other pieces on my art wall. All in all, I'm thrilled to have this display for Christmas!

Holiday Decorating: Photo Gift Tags

I just finished my gift tags for holiday gifts and I am so excited to share them with you all. I had been flipping through the Nov/DEC issue of Creating Keepsakes and saw a beautiful two-page photo of Christmas presents topped with photos. This totally inspired me to create gift tags that instead of the classic "to:, from:" are addressed to each person through a photo of me and them. For example, gifts for my dad have a picture of me with my dad. 

These pictures are also of my Christmas display. Having a kitten makes decorating difficult, so I'm super happy with my little bit of holiday magic that is generally cat-proof. Does anyone else have an alternative tree this year?

Monochromatic Holiday Cards

I made these cards today, I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out. As usual, inspired by Christmas things seen on Pinterest. If you haven't jumped on the pin-ALL-the-things bandwagon, you're missing a lot of recipes, crafts, holiday things, etc. Anyway...I'm not sure who these cards are going to, but I wanted to play around with stamping in all one color. What do you think?

-Taylor

DIY Paper Christmas Tree

 My Christmas tree this year is pretty unusual. Last year my tree was black and silver and green, the year before was Star Trek themed I believe. But this year, I had a feeling if I put up a real tree, every day would be 6 month old kitten vs. Christmas tree and the cat would win. That being said, I still wanted something....So, I made a cat-proof tree. I love how it turned out. See the pics and instructions below if you've got a pet that is the mortal enemy of any holiday decorations!

1. You will need to cut 10 circles (or whatever shape you like) in green patterned papers. I used my Cricut, but you could easily cut by hand. The bottom row is 10 inches, and the remaining circles are 9 inches.

2. Cut a large rectangle for the tree trunk and a star for the topper (my star is 7 inches). 

3. Highlight your topper by running a glue stick along the edges and dipping in glitter.

4. Adhere to the wall with a tape, sticky-tack, etc. 

5. Pile the presents underneath!