Archive | crafts & DIY

Watercolor Painting


Watercolor painting by Hannah

A pretty watercolor painting by my daughter Hannah along with few of her and her sister’s favorite things.

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Watercolor painting

It was a gray and drab day outside and Hannah was working on her drawings and paintings just for fun.  I casually mentioned to her that  she needed to paint me a pretty spring picture.

Watercolor painting by Hannah

A few hours later she handed me these simple pastel watercolor pictures, just a perfect addition to brighten up the day.

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Watercolor painting title

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Watercolor painting supplies

Watercolor is one of my favorite mediums to paint with.  I will be sharing a few basic and simple ways to paint.  Things to keep in mind before getting started; be patient, stop painting when it becomes frustrating {continue later} and  remind yourself that sometimes less is more.
Now let’s get creative…

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Watercolor painting title-3 watercolor paper {cold press/140 lb}
basic watercolor paint tray
watercolor brush {round/#2}
palette/tray {for mixing paint}
paper towel {to dab off excess paint/water}
container with water
a scratch piece of watercolor paper {test paint colors/brush strokes}

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Watercolor Painting.

step 1:  With a pencil, lightly sketch out a rough outline shape of an object {the sketch above was done intentionally darker for viewing purposes}.

step2:  Mix the paint with water to dilute and make it very light and transparent. Before applying the paint to the paper, make a few test strokes on the scratch piece of paper.  Put just enough paint on the paint brush {dab any excess that’s dripping on the paper towel}. Apply it to the object and leave some areas white {as if the sun was shining on it}.  Let the paint dry.

step 3:  Repeat step 2, but darken the paint slightly.  Apply a little more paint to the darker side of the object still leaving some white and lighter areas alone.

step 4:  Darken the paint a little more.  Add texture to the plant by gently dabbing it with tiny dots with the tip of the brush.  Paint the shadow at the bottom of the pot.  Let the paint dry.

step5:  Repeat step 4

step 6:  Add a touch of black paint to the color and repeat step 4.

Note:
It’s optional to continue painting the picture from step3 – step6, this will depend on the amount of details to add or not to add… it’s up to you.

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Watercolor painting title-2

watercolor painting

To paint flowers, apply the same techniques for painting the topiary plant starting with a simple sketch then apply a light layer of paint, let it dry {repeat and repeat}.

Hannah & Dad

A great picture of Hannah and Dad – Bill was trying to stand as tall as he could next to her. How fast the years {16} have gone by and seeing our oldest growing and maturing into a young lady.

Thank you Hannah for sharing your beautiful paintings with everyone.
Print a copy of Hannah’s flower painting.
{click Here}

Watercolor painting  by Hannah PNG-1

{all printables are for personal use only}

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posted by: Kay & Hannah

6 comments

Spring, Forcing Blooms from Flowering Branches

Spring flowering trees & shrubs

Bill and I {mostly Bill} have been pruning and trimming the trees surrounding the area around our house to get them ready for the Spring season.  These beautiful white flowers in the pitcher was taken from the discarded pile of cut branches of our plum tree.  They weren’t blooming yet, but I “force bloom” them to get the result that you see above.  The process took 3-4 days and here are the steps on how to do it.

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Valentine’s Day Ideas

Valentine's Day ideas

Pinterest is a great place to find ideas and inspirations for Valentine’s Day, here are a few that I’ve gathered together to share.  You can see more on my DIY & Crafts Pinterest Board.

Neon……… wrap simple gifts using bright pink twine and hearts, KROnPRINSEESSENE.

Straws……  red heart paper straws, Borrowed Blue Wedding.

Rings…..…  DIY candy rings, Sweet Lulu Blog.

Lips……..… DIY lip balm, Style Me Pretty Living.

Garlands…  paper heart garlands made from pages of an old book, dottie angel.

Envelopes..  Customize envelopes with poster paint markers, Martha Stewart.

Arrows……  Made from pretzel sticks and candy hearts, Organize & Decorate Everything.

Bags……… Mini treat bags made from notebook paper, White Gunpowder.

Charms ….  DIY sweetheart charms, The Purl Bee.

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posted by: Kay

2 comments

Valentine’s Day Printable Cards

Valentine's Day printable cards

Get a start on Valentine’s Day cards for special people in your life.  This was a fun project for me to create and design. These cards are simple and sweet, but still express a lot of love.    To make it “sweeter”, I enclosed a few chocolate kisses with each card in clear cello bags.

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Valentine's Day printable cards

To download and print Valentine’s Day cards, click HERE.

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Valentine's Day printable cards
To give sparkle to these cards, a little bit of glue and pink glitter were added.

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Valentine's Day printable cards

Another idea is to send them out in the mail dressed in red or bright pink envelopes.

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Valentine's Day printable cards

Have fun!
{print cards HERE}

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{all White Gunpowder free printables are for personal use only}

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posted by: Kay

2 comments

2014, Happy New Year!

2014, Happy New Year

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2014 inspirational words & quotes

Encouraging words for the new year!
Print a copy {Here}

A new year’s resolution … or not?  Personally, I tend to stay away from doing that because the chance of me sticking to it will be short.  As a result, I decided to create a mini bulletin board full of encouraging words to share.   I first thought about making this for my kids to have and post it where they could see it often.  The messages they hear and see on the internet, television and other medias can be negative and discouraging.  This is my little way to lift their spirits and let them know that they are special to us.

Start the new year with a fresh positive attitude!

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2014 inspirational words & quotes

Here I’ve slipped the printed paper with inspiration words  inside the 3-ring binder plastic cover.

 

2014 ~ Yeah!

 Print a copy {Here} for yourself or to share with others.
I hope this will be encouraging for you in 2014!

{all printables are for personal use Only}

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posted by: Kay

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