Mason Jar Centerpieces

Nothing can brighten up a table like a well put centerpieces. They are the center to the wedding tables, the conversation starter in your living room, the piece you give to a friend as a get well. The easiest way to start is with a vase.
But sometimes these centerpieces can be expensive. A pretty vase alone can cost you an arm and a leg. But what do you always have around? Jars. Jars are awesome because they can be created to be wonderful centerpieces for any table.

Recently my local area had me put together the centerpieces for MOPS Extend Your Reach program. With 80 women attending we had to think of something that we could easily put together, that was pretty, well put and didn't cost an arm and leg. Bring your jars! Mason jars or Prego jars or even baby food jars. These glass containers have many uses.

Nothing a little painting change up. Take your brush and some cheap paint and have at it. Pinterest is chock full of ideas. These jars I simple got cheap paint from Walmart. (The 50 cent stuff.) With a brush I painted on a few layers and got beautiful colorful jars. Some of them I got spunky enough to put a layer of Mod Pog over it and sprinkled glitter all over it.

But don't just stop at the jar add something of interest. Use fake flowers or make your own with coffee filters. I did this one with coffee filters I dyed pink. (Watered down cheap walmart paint.) Then I took an old book and painted it to give it characters. Don't be afraid to try something like painting the covers of old books as well. If you have the tools I would slice your own wood pieces and paint those as well.
 Have fun with it.

Until another day.
Toodles.

The Finer Things

At my little shop we have a man who comes around in his red truck selling different things on a daily basis. He is quite a character and he says the most catchiest (is that even a word?) phrases. One of those phrases is "Remembering the finer things in life." 

Something about that phrase keeps popping in my head. "The finer things in life" are things or situations we take advantage of  and forget about...well finer things. Like how we are so used to fast or instant food, we forget how tasty a home cooked meal can be. The finer things are the little things in life we rarely see. A well make quilt, a family heirloom, wild flowers in jars, just the simple things.

My husband and I escaped from the kids for the weekend to Branson, MO. The town is wonderful. The food delicious and shows amazing. Yet the one thing that bothered me were are the "touristy" type stores. "Branson" t-shirts, mugs and magnets hidden away in large buildings that advertise "Souvenirs" with a neon sign. While I enjoy the cheesy souvenirs, I was determined to find something a little more special to remind me of our weekend trip. Staying at a Victorian inspired hotel that served afternoon tea, I wanted to find a tea cup, a real antique tea cup. 

After many shops, it wasn't until we found a little thrift shop on a back wood road did we find the tea cup. 

Of course I had to take a picture of it with flowers! I wish had taken good pictures with me using it, but I sadly didn't get any. :( But it is just as pretty without tea. Its a delicate cup an saucer, gilded with gold and hand painted tiny roses. Today we grab our paper cups from Starbucks and off we go ignoring the finer things in life. 

We forget how beautiful use to serve a purpose. Use to be enjoyed instead of stored in a back closet or behind the glass in a china cabinet that is never opened. 

Not that we can suddenly stop time and go back to the past. But maybe do something in your daily life that slows you down and enjoy some of the finer things in life. Enjoy some fresh brewed tea in a tea cup. Go out and pick fresh flowers down the street, or just go for a walk, when you usually spend time on Facebook. 

Stay Creative and Inspired.

Nata

Escape to Art

Everyone had some darkness in their life. Sometimes is small and short lived. Sometimes it can consume their entire life, or maybe it was an epic battle that left you with deep scars. As a child growing up I faced many dark places. I wish I could go into detail. I wish I could share more of my child hood, but parts of me are not ready for that yet. Just know that their were certain areas that I wish could have been different. I wish they could have been better. However, those rough areas of my life growing up, help mold me into that person I am today. They pushed me to the world of art, which became such a huge part of my life.

As a child, I couldn't control much of my life. I was pushed in directions, that I knew in my heart was not meant for me. Yet when I was able to paint, it was my escape. I could make and create anything with my own hands. Yes, I still had rules, but rules on how to create something for the effect I wanted in a painting or how to properly secure a necklace. There were not rules on what I could not create. I could go anywhere, I could make anything.

When the world I lived in seemed to be crashing upon me I would turn my blank canvas and paint something else. For a time, my family fell on hard time. They could not afford to by me canvas. So what did I do? I went a found wood boards and kept painting. I took every blank of piece of paper I could snatch and paint something.  Now that I am older and look back to those dark places, I know they help create me.

In a painting, you can't have have all bright colors and light without the darkness to form the details. You need the harsh lines, or the shadowing, or the opposite color which makes the light brighter. The details fuller.

These are just my thoughts for today.

Inspire and Create

Chalk Board and Chalk Board Paint Paint

One of the worst things to happen to me is to run out of an awesome color in paint. So I love to premix my colors to save for future projects. Right not I love to mix chalk board and chalk paint and store them in baby food jars. Now  I should first clarify, chalk board and and chalk are two different types of paint. "Chalk board paint" is like the name says, is paint you use to make a chalk board and

I found my chalk paint spongy after about 2 months.

you use chalk. "Chalk Paint" is paint that has a "chalky" feel to it and used to furniture, jars, etc. It has a vintage vibe to it. The great thing I love it is easy to make both an the recipe has the same ingredients. 

• Paint
• Plaster of Paris or Unsanded Grout
• Water

"Chalk Paint" 

2 Cups Paint

1/3 Water

2 Tablespoons of Plaster of Paris

Mix well and paint what you life. I will warn you that Chalk Paint, at least the homemade stuff I make, doesn't last forever. Eventually it it becomes this spongy like consistency. 

"Chalk Board Paint" 

1/4 paint

1/2 table spoon Plaster of Paris

A little dash of water if you fell like it.

Again, mix well and paint the surface you like. Just make sure you paint something that could really use chalk board paint on it. Its pretty goofy to put chalk board paint on mugs. As cute as it looks, it not fun getting chalk on your hands while drinking your coffee. :P

Tiny and Adorable

Have you ever noticed how this generation goes crazy over tiny adorable things? Not that previous generations enjoyed small adorable things, but it just seems this one enjoys it the most. Everything is about tiny and adorable.

We like miniatures of everything. Look up on Youtube about Tiny Clay Miniatures. Here are a few links to some of my favorites.
Mini Cookies and Sweets

Baby Dragon Charm Necklace

Cinderella Charm Bracelet

These crafters are so talented and I love watching their videos about making adorable tiny clay miniatures.

       

One thing I personally like to make are these mini journals made from scrap leather, pieces of water color paper, and "o" rings. I usually add some sort of charm in the front of the cover. This one I made with just some scrap leather, paper and glue. I wanted to have that thick old book feel, but still being tiny adorable. :)

And then from a  previous posts you have seen my new obsession with painting on tiny canvas. I think these master pieces are just so pretty and the fact they are so tiny make it even more adorable.

How many times have I said tiny and adorable? :P

Anyways, Stay Inspired and Stay Creative

Inspired by the little things.

I think all too often people search for the big "AH-HA" moment which will inspire them. Maybe if you traveled the world you could change it. Maybe if you won a competition you could prove yourself to the world. Maybe if this big, mega, epic thing just happened, you would finally feel like you needed to reach for the stars!...

The problem is though, those are a lot of "maybe"s. That is a lot of waiting. And that is a lot of dreaming without putting actions to support those dreams. It reminds me of when I was teenager, wanting to figure out where I suppose to go in life. I had so many ambitions, so many ideas, but I felt for me to complete these ideas or even go after them, something big was suppose to happen. Like if I wanted to be an artist I had some epic piece worth seeing. It was a perfect excuse for me to hide behind.

I think that is what a lot of people do. They set the bar high, so they can hide. It can be scary sometimes to realize what you have to go through to reach for your goals. Its easy to hide behind waiting for large "AH-HA" moment that will finally push you on your path.

It wasn't until I reached my college years did I start to appreciate the smaller, more finer, things in life. These smaller moments started inspire me to reach for something more. I would see one of my used paint brushes, and be proud because I was using the tools of my trade and it would inspire me to do more. I would sip a cup of tea and that would refresh me again to feel better and go on. It was in college that I started buying myself flowers to keep in my room, just to keep things bright and fresh around me.

It was the smaller things in life that inspired me in smaller steps to keep going. It was song here, a conversation there, a view from my window or a glance at the time. Randomly little moments, I found that kept me motivated and passionate. Instead of waiting and dreaming of a big epic moment to give you that push, start small. Find your little bit of inspiration now. Maybe you wrote a little poem on a scrap of paper. Try finishing it. Maybe you saw a flower and thought about your long passion for photography. Go ahead and go for it. Don't waste time waiting for something you could doing right.

Stay Creative and Inspired.

Mini Paintings Ideas

I am used painting larger canvas. The smallest I usually do is 8x10 inches. But lately I have been painting on these tiny ones that are only 4x4 inches and so easy to work with.

I have a thing for landscapes and sweets lately.

     They are just too cute! They are so sweet and inspiring. I love how you can have a little masterpiece that can fit right in the palm of your hand.  

     You can usually buy these adorable little canvases from a local craft store for a few bucks. I got a package of 6 for about $3.00  from Hobby Lobby after using their 40% of coupon. You can also get them from Walmart for about 97 cents for one. At crafts stores you can also get longer and even smallers, but I prefer this size. 

 I usually like to draw a little something by hand as a guide line, especially for my little cake paintings. It doesn't take much to fill the canvas so something like a little landscape or a slice of cake or cupcake works wonderfully on such a tiny space. 

    When it comes to the landscapes, you can draw a line for where a montain line or tree could be. The middle one in the bottom row in the picture above was rally easy. Just light blue above and some swooshs of white froma tiny brush to make clouds. Then with some dark purple and green, I dotted up and down to make the illusion of distand trees. The front ground was a play of colors with strokes of green, mustard yellow and some purples. 

           With tiny canvases like these don't be afraid to play with colors. I used oil paintings, but you can definately use acrylics or even watercolors for a more flowy feel. And with it being so tiny, you don't have to use to much, which means much less mess. They are just too cute! Try and make your own little master piece. 

Stay Creative and Inspired

~Nata