A little artsy

picasso portraits.

2012-01-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

When Jeremy contacted us asking if we ever did "corporate gigs" we said YES! We decided it would be fun for them to all draw names of fellow co.workers and draw picasso inspired portraits of each other for the office. They had a blast and the pictures turned out amazing!

summer camps

2012-01-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

Last night I picked all of our summer camp themes for a little artsy!

We cannot wait!!!!
Each week will be filled with projects that go along with the various themes.

1. dinos and flowers

2. a bug's life, critter week

3. alice and wonderland

4. jungle " animals everywhere"

5. famous artists

6. future and past: fairytales and rockets

7. fish and island fun

8. knights, superheroes and princesses

9. the wild west

10. your favorite characters- (monsters inc, toy story, disney)

11. dr. seuss

12. fruit and food picnic fun!

1/2 art class!

2012-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

get the deal here!

Featured

2012-01-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

You can read the entire interview here!

SHINE in Dallas. Artsy Event!

2012-01-03T18:45:00.001-08:00

I have some incredibly fun news.

You know my sweet friend Ashley?

WELL, she is bringing the SHINE PROJECT to DALLAS!!!

A Little Artsy is teaming up with her to put on an event and we hope SO much that you will come!!!!
I could not be MORE EXCITED!!!!!!!!

Also, we're looking for 5 dallas volunteers to help be project leaders for the event... if you are interested contact ash- (ashley.theshineproject@gmail.com).

We need fleece fabric donations for blankets as well!!!!

we are back! and a project.

2012-01-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

We have made the switch back to blogger and are so excited to keep you updated with fun projects, DIYs, studio news and more!!

xoxo

An easy art project to do with kiddos is anything "artist inspired"...it is a way to incorporate art history with their lesson!

2011-07-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hey there, A Little Artsy readers!

I'm Stephanie from Luxe Boulevard.

Already I'm loving being here today.

I just love that Casey and Chris decided to start this blog for A Little Artsy.

And that I get to share a little how-to with all of you.

I wish I was in Dallas and could take some adult art classes. How fun would that be to do with my husband?

But I will settle for the blog, any day!

We are going to use a really simple, basic method of focal blurring an image with your photo editing software. I do use Picnik and Picasa, and, yes, those have a focal blur options, but it is round, only allowing you to enlarge or decrease the size of the circle. But my object isn't always round, now is it?

And, yes, I know my DSLR does this for me as well. I'm sure Casey's husband, the super photographer!, is thinking this. But I just recently upgraded to a fancy schmancy DSLR from a hand-me-down point-and-shoot and I haven't quite gotten the hang of all the tricks. So it's software to the rescue!

I work in GIMP (a FREE photo editing software program), but these principles are basic, so you can easily follow along in Photoshop. I use a lot of Photoshop tutorials with GIMP.

Open your image, your toolbox, and your layers channel. You can see my image layer as BACKGROUND in the layer box. Right click the layer and select Duplicate Layer. You should now have two layers of the same image, the new one labeled COPY.

Working on your copy, go to Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur. You don't have to use the Gaussian blur, I just prefer it for this. It has a bit of a softness to it.

The Blur Radius will depend entirely on you, your taste, and your image. I use a different numerical setting for different pictures. I always use the IIR Blur Method. Play around a bit, see what you like. Then hit OK.

Now that this is nice and fuzzy-ish, right click your copy in your layers channel and select Add Layer Mask.

Make sure you select White (Full Opacity). Click Add.

You can see in the layers channel I have a white square box next to my copy layer. That is the layer mask.

Turn your opacity down to about 80 so you can see a little easier, then go to your Toolbox and select the Paintbrush, choosing a fuzzy or feathered edge brush. DO NOT use a hard edged brush. Make sure your colors are set to Black as your foreground color. Then just start painting the part of the image that you want to focus on. Don't worry if you go outside the lines a little. We can fix that.

You can see in mine, there are some edges that need a little refining, especially up between my feet. Yes, those are my feet, no comments please. That is why we are blurring this!

With one click we can fix those edges. Click the little arrow between your background and foreground color, bringing the white to your foreground. You are using a White Opacity layer, so reversing the colors reverses the effect. Get it?!

Switch to a small brush size (I used the smallest soft edged brush I had) and go over all of the edges with the white.

Turn your opacity back up to 100 (if you want) and merge your visible layers. You can see my layers channel displays one layer now. You have to merge if you're saving in JPEG. JPEG does not support layers.

That's it, I now have this anklet (actually a necklace wrapped twice) focused in on.

You can use this same technique to do other manipulations. See here I edited my families photo.

After duplicating my layer, I desaturated the image. Then I added my white layer mask and started painting the center of the frame, coloring us. Reversing the colors allowed me to go around those edges and fine tune the whole thing.

Just like so!

Thanks for having me here today, Casey. I'm happy I got to share this. I hope everyone gets good use out of it. Hopefully I will figure some more things out and have more photo editing how-to's for you all.

Toodles!

Plein Air [ Painting ]

2011-07-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

By Allie

Last night i set out on my very first, real, plein-air experience. i feel ashamed to admit it, but even in art school for landscape projects, i would cheat (just a little) and paint from photographs in the comforts of my nice temperature controlled dorm room. this time i was determined to do it right.

my bf and i packed up our truck with the essentials (picnic basket filled with brushes, (oil) paint, palette, palette knife, and a rag & my easel) and drove the 1/2 mile (yes, we are lazy) down to the river.

My Palette ( i just use an upside down glass cutting board): no black, and a whole lotta white. I'm a big fan of whites and grays, and mixing my own black if i ever need it. i think store bought black is way too artificial and overpowering in most of my work.

with my portrait work i love working in thin, delicate glazes, but for this night i went sans any paint thinner, or linseed oil, and instead just brought a ton of brushes so i could just use a different one for each color family and not have to clean them.

things i learned about painting outdoors (in no particular order):

1. don't paint at dusk, just after it has rained (killer bugs)...

2. ... but if you do, DON'T run out of bug spray....

3. ... but if you do, a wet canvas catches gnats and mosquitoes remarkably well ( you can probably see a few stuck in the pic above).

4. i found it really hard to paint looking directly at the sun (it hurts my eyes, and since i was painting at sunset, the sun moved too quickly for me to capture it exactly the way wanted too) so midway through i decided to focus just on the sky, and eliminate the sun in my image altogether.

5. if you're painting at sunset or sunrise (or being attacked by bugs), be prepared to work very quickly, and stay flexible with your desired goal.

6. i was taught this is school, but always forget... to add white last... white and i have a love/hate relationship. mostly love. but i did get frustrated when my colors got just a little too muted and muddied by white. and find that i am most satisfied and end up with the purest and radiant color when i lay down transparent hues first, and then opaques (white)

if i was to become a serious plein-air painter, i think i would probably invest in heavy duty citronella tiki torches, and a nice umbrella or tent to shield the sun. i would love to spend an entire day at the beach, doing a one painting an hour. hmm... ideas, ideas.

does anyone else have experience painting plein-air, any tips to make the transition from studio to outdoors any easier?

its been a REALLY long time since i've tried painting landscapes... especially in just an hour. but for my first one in a few years i'm pretty pleased, and it was suprisingly refreshing to mix up my typical studio practice. try it soon!

i'm planning on doing a series of clouds.atmosphere.skyscapes. focusing on color (or lack there of, and whites), stay tuned!

storage.space

2011-07-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

create new storage space with vintage items

i use this $1 thrifted tool box to store the.littles markers + crayons

old luggage ~ is great for doll clothes and barbies

think.outside.the.norm
~danielle~

displays

2011-07-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

As an art teacher it was always fun coming up with various ways to showcase and display the kid's art!

photography

2011-07-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

BY JENNA

They say “a picture’s worth a thousand words” right?

Well, I think they are worth more. Especially after having a baby and living away from family. Sometimes months will go by where the only way my family can see what my daughter looks like is through photos. I have always had an interest in taking photos. I don’t think I have gone one day in the past 5 years without taking a photo. But it was always the, “hey lets get together and take a photo.” I never thought about taking action photos or just capturing every day life. Recently I’ve stopped trying to get my daughter to sit and smile at the camera, but instead capture what she’s doing in her daily life. Or taking a moment to look at what is around me.

This world can be such a beautiful place and I want to savor that.

I am by no means a professional photographer, and I still have a long, long way to go before I’d call myself good. But this is something that I am definitely passionate about and I am making the goal now to become as good as I can. I’ve never been good with words and I feel like I can better express what I see and feel through photographs.

Photos can make memories last forever. I know that I personally can be forgetful and I want to capture as much as I can so I can look back 20, 30, 40 years from now and remember what life was like at this time.

Casey has definitely inspired me to be better. Her photos are beautiful and you can really see the love behind them. My hope is that someday people will be able to see the love behind my photos, because it is something that I truly love to do.

big boy room art

2011-07-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

4th of July

2011-06-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

holidays are great for mommy + me time.

we painted this flag in 2009 & display it around any americana holiday.

allow them to do most the work on a flat canvas.

FINGERPRINT.STARS

THE MORE IMPERFECT THE BETTER.

love.your.littles

enjoy ~ danielle (changing.lanes)

photography05

2011-06-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

by elizabeth

shooting indoors.. is something I majorly need help with... I have tried to stay on M but have had to flip to green square a few times over the last few weeks, and you know what?? it's almost always indoors. I have a hard time figuring it out!

with that being said, I am so excited to learn more about today's lesson and have a rockin' guest photog to help us out!

you can find today's lesson content here, check it out.. a big thanks to two peas in a bucket too!

introducing emmalee... tell us a little bit about yourself?

Well, I am a mother of little boy named Kristian (who just turned 2 and is a little terror at times). After growing up in Louisburg I moved to Lawrence with my husband of 6 years and at the same time I started my photography business, schaumburg photography I fell in love with photography when I discovered my mom's 35mm in high school and couldn't stay out of the darkroom. I love antiquing and finding new props to work with. I have a slight problem with collecting old chairs, just ask my husband!

what inspired you to become a photographer, and how do you stay inspired?

The whole process of developing film and prints in the darkroom is what inspired me to become a photographer. "Migrant Mother" was also a big inspiration to me. I just loved the story that the photo told, which encouraged my love for photojournalism. Today, I mostly focus on newborn photography, but when I shoot weddings I am still able to capture their story through the use of photojournalism. Another photographer that inspired me was Ansel Adams, I loved his black and whites.

What keeps me inspired? Anything really. Whether it's a new location that I just happened to find, a fun textile print, colors from the 1950s or just walking around antique stores finding new props. I find inspiration in everyday life, it's all around you!

any advice to us newbie's who are just using a dslr camera for the first time?

When shooting indoors you typically don't have enough light, so there are several ways to overcome this.

1. Slow down your shutter speed (use 1/80 sec, 1/125 sec or so). This will allow more light to come in and expose the image, however it won't freeze the action as well as 1/250 sec would, for example. So, if you can get your kiddo to look at you long enough, then you can try for a slow shutter speed.

2. Use a higher ISO. Unfortunately, this will give you grainy images, so you don't want to go higher than ISO 800, but if you really don't have much light to work with, then you will have to use a higher ISO.

3. Another option is to purchase a lens with a large aperture i.e. f/1.8. I just purchased a canon 50mm (fixed lens) with an aperture of 1.8 for about $100. This allows for a ton of light to come into the lens, but it also creates shallow depth of field. {Depth of field is the amount of blurriness to the background of your image or foreground, depending on where your focus is.}

Great rule of thumb: The smaller the aperture (i.e. f/1.8) the larger the lens opening is, thus creating more depth of field (more blurriness), also there is more light that comes in. The larger the aperture (i.e. f/22) the smaller the lens opening is, thus creating less depth of field (less blurriness), also there is less light that comes in. Check out the image below to visually understand apertures.

When using a large aperture (f/1.8) you need to be careful when focusing; it can be really touchy since your depth of field is so shallow. When you think you’re focusing on the eyes you might be focusing on an ear, making the eyes slightly out of focus. It’s best to focus manually, just practice, practice, practice!

4. The best solution for shooting indoors is natural light! Find a window! It’s best to shoot with diffused light, whether that's accomplished with a north facing window, sheer curtains or clouds. The winter time, when snow is on the ground, is the best time for indoor shooting. The snow acts as a natural reflector. Of course you could purchase a professional reflector if you’re serious about reflecting light, or you could make your own with a piece of white foam core. {Check out my shots below from indoor shooting with snow on the ground}

ISO 200, 50mm, f/2.0, 1/160 sec, custom white balance

ISO 200, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, custom white balance

ISO 200, 50mm, f/2.5, 1/125 sec, custom white balance

ISO 200, 28mm, f/3.5, 1/125 sec, custom white balance

ISO 320, 28mm, f/3.5, 1/125 sec, custom white balance

Here a few good examples of backlit window lighting.

any tips for shooting indoors??
Well, I think I covered all my tips above, but another option is to use an external flash. I use a Speedlight 430EX. Just hook it up to your hot shoe on the top of your camera and point it to the ceiling so it reflects off the ceiling and gives you an even light. {this is what I did for the birthday picture below} And it’s what I do at a lot of wedding receptions.

Hope this inspires you to shoot indoors! Happy shooting!

artsy

2011-06-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

There is talk of a new

A Little Artsy location opening in Dallas :)...

want to get involved?

art nights, DFW

2011-06-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

If you live in the DFW area or know someone who does we are talking to YOU!!!! We offer "art adult nights" where a group of your friends could come once a month (or more) and enjoy a night of

creativity,

inspiration,

wine,

food

& painting.

For more information email: caseywiegand@gmail.com

pinwheel themed party

2011-06-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends, I'm Alissa and I blog over at Rags to Stitches. I'm so excited to be sharing this really fun and easy tutorial with you. AND, I'm even more excited to be guest blogging for the amazing and truly talented Casey's blog, A Little Artsy. Eek! I'm doing cartwheels around my living room. Ok, maybe I'm slouched on my couch in front of the tv, but I'm promise, I'm beyond excited! A couple weeks ago we celebrated my daughter's 3rd birthday with a pinwheel themed party. I thought it would be fun to make mini cupcake toppers to share with all my fabulous readers.

Materials Needed:

~ Card Stock Scrapbooking Paper

~ Rhinestones

~ Bamboo Fork Toothpicks

~ Cutting Mat/rotary cutter/ruler or a paper cutter

~ Scissors

~ Elmer's X-TREME Glue

- Hot Glue Gun

Step 1: Cut 3 inch by 3 inch squares with either a cutting mat and rotary cutter or a paper cutter. Since I'm using 3 colors for the pinwheels I made sure to cut an even number of each.

Step 2: Fold your paper square in half from corner to corner on the diagonal.

Step 3: Refold the paper square in half, on the diagonal, the other direction. Tip: When you look at your square there should be 2 creases in the paper. See below picture.

Step 4: Grab your scissors and make a small cut from each corner towards the center. Leave 1/4 of an inch from the center uncut.

Step 5: Fold up every other corner. Make sure you fold the corners up so that the part of the paper that you want to show will show. I made the mistake of doing that wrong the first try. Good thing I realized it before I started gluing.

Step: 6: This is the point where you will need your Elmer's X-TREME Glue, glue gun, rhinestones, and toothpicks.

Step 7: Put the Elmer's X-TREME glue on the first corner you folded up and glue it to the center of the square. Make sure that the side of the scrapbook paper you want to show can be seen once you've glued the corners down.

Step 8: Continue to do this for the other 3 corners that you folded up. Tip: Make sure to hold the the paper and the glue together so that it can dry. It does take a little while to dry completely. Or you can use your hot glue gun just to make sure it all holds.

Step 9: Then use your Elmer's glue or glue gun to glue down the rhinestone, button, or decorative centerpiece you want to use.

Step 10: Use the glue to glue the toothpick to the back of the pinwheel. Voila, you're done!!

One down, now to finish the rest.

Here are all 24 pinwheel cupcake toppers finished.

I really excited about the way they turned out and my daughter loved them!!

Thanks Casey for letting me visit. I hope you will all pop by and visit me sometime.

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painting

2011-06-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

By: Alyss

Above our bed is my favorite painting, Starry Night, by Vincent VanGogh. I love the colors, the lines, the movement. All of it. I wanted to use this painting as inspiration for a more modern piece on another wall.

If you meet any of the following criteria, then you should hop on over to your local Michaels so that you, too, can create this easy-peasy modern art piece:

1. You only have a few hours in the day to paint.

2. You have small children that would like to make their own as well.

3. You have a general color scheme in mind but don't know what to do with it, art-wise.

4. You like surprises... and you'll see what I mean.

Using the color scheme of Starry Night, I turned this white canvas into this craziness. So, how can you do it?

1. Tape off the lines that you want to remain white. Whatever is under the tape will be white in the end. Tape then paint the edges of the tape with the current canvas color, then paint the exposed canvas with your first color. Don't worry about streaks. Most of it will be painted over anyways.

2. Let your first color dry. Tape lines that you want to remain that color. With mine, for example, whatever is under the blue tape will remain dark green. Then, paint the edges of the new tape with whatever color is currently on the canvas (not shown)

3. Paint the exposed canvas with your third color. Let dry. Tape lines which you want to remain that third color. Paint the edges of this new tape with your third color paint.

4. Paint the exposed canvas with your fourth color. Let dry. Tape wherever you want that color to remain in the end. Paint the edges of this new tape with the fourth color paint.

5. Paint your last color choice wherever there is exposed canvas. Let dry. Anyone else think it looks like a sad cheetah at this point?

Now is the really fun part. It's like being a kid again on Christmas morning. You get to peel back the paint and see what you created!

And finally... Boom. Hello crisp white.

Have fun taping and painting! If you create your own, I'd love to see it!

The Beatles- DIY Abbey Road Art

2011-06-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Beatles- DIY Abbey Road Art by Jennifer

Levi's room is music themed, and when I think of music or bands one that stands out is The Beatles. Who doesn't love at least one of their songs? I showed my husband this cool piece of art I found on ETSY.

It's made out of License plates and wood. I loved it but I did not have $1,200 to spend on a piece of art. I don't have $1,200 to spend on anything. I kept searching for through google to find images or art that maybe I could somehow copy in Levi's room. I also found this picture on google and thought it would be pretty cool in a music themed room.

And after talking to my awesome and creative husband we decided to mesh the two ideas together to come up with our own unique piece of art.

I had two canvases hanging in our 1/4 bath that I had covered with fabric a year or so ago. I basically ripped the hot glued fabric off the canvas in order to have a clean canvas to work with.

Next we printed out an abbey road stencil image from google, and cut "The Beatles" out.

I decided to glue the cut outs onto contact paper, and then cute them out using an exacto knife. Once they were cut out we stuck them on to the canvas making sure they went on smooth without any air bubbles.

Then we searched through our stash of paint and went with the espresso brown. We decided to splatter the paint on the canvas using a small sponge brush.

Once the paint was on we hung the canvas over our drop cloth to drip excess paint off and to dry.

When the paint was dry Justin peeled off the contact paper Beatles.

a little artsy footage

2011-06-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Bryelle from Chris Wiegand on Vimeo.

teaching kiddos

2011-06-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Before I had kiddos of my own, I taught art.

My husband and I started "A Little Artsy" the art studio in Dallas and I created the curriculum. The same curriculum was used in a number of elementary schools. It is based on "not about the product, but the process".

These are a few examples of kid's art work...

DIY: Cake stand

2011-06-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

DIY: Cake stand by LAUREN STAATS

Hopefully the relative I made these for won't be checking my blog before Saturday;o)! I saw this idea for these mini cake stands on Whitney's blog a long time ago and cannot find her DIY post. You can buy clear glass glue at any home store or Wal-mart. I bought these crystal votive holders at a garage sale for $.50 each. The plates are from Pier 1, $5 each. Add a little glass glue, let it set overnight, and voila! Personal, homemade cake stands for your mom, sister, neighbor, or boss...Give it to them with yummy Christmas cookies on top for an extra special touch.

DIY: Paint Swatch Valentine's

2011-06-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

DIY: Paint Swatch Valentine's by LAUREN STAATS

First of all, I cannot take credit for this idea! My friend Brianna mentioned to me the other day that she saw a blog somewhere with Valentine's made from paint swatches...I of course thought it was the most brilliant idea ever! They are free! At least I hope it is okay that I took approximately 20 paint swatches from Home Depot...Anyways, I thought it might be nice to use good ole' scissors and magazines and a pen for this project rather than the cricut. Something about cutting into magazines makes me feel like I'm back in high school making mod podge collages for a Language Arts project.

Here is a sample...can't show you all of them...after all, it isn't Valentine's Day yet! Go get some swatches and have a ball!

The Creative Family

2011-06-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Creative Family by LAUREN STAATS

I walked into my neighbor, Brianna's, house for the first time about six months ago and thought to myself, "Where are all the toys?" Brianna has a six month old and a 2 1/2 year old and you'd expect toys to be everywhere, right? She had a playroom with a pretty little painted kitchen and miniature table and chairs. When you open the cabinets of the little kitchen there are a few simple toys such as legos, blocks, books, and puzzles. This was the beginning of my little journey of discovery...does Noah really need all of these toys that are strewn across my house?

Over the past few months, my philosophy has changed on the amount of toys Noah needs. It's so easy when you are a new mom to go a little crazy on toys. Even when you don't have a significant chunk of change to spend, if you are like me, you were first in line at many a garage sale to get the best deal possible. I have a little running list of what I would have done differently as a first time mom, and collecting heaps of toys would be near the top of that list. Don't get me wrong, Noah never had an excessive amount of toys, but the majority of the toys that I did buy for him didn't necessarily benefit his development.

I am reading a book called "The Creative Family" by Amanda Soule, the mama of all bloggers, Soulemama. She lives on a farm, homeschools and lives a really simple life with her four (almost five) children. Now I don't plan on knitting all of my kids clothes and creating my own purified water through some sort of pump in the backyard, but I do love her philosophy on fostering your child's creativity. I haven't read the whole book yet, but she just emphasizes the fact that the less toys you have, the more creative a child will be forced to be. She says to really be careful about the toys you bring into your home and focus on toys that inspire creativity. For instance, a play kitchen, a tent, and/or an art easel would provide a great setting for imaginative play.

She also really encourages arts and crafts time with you and your children. She has an inspiration wire in her kitchen where she hangs her kid's artwork and encourages them to develop their own sense of self through art. She even taught her kids to sew! You have to look at her blog! It is the most bizarre thing to see a little boy at a sewing machine making something for his siblings for Christmas! Anyways, she seems to do a really good job of fostering an environment of creativity in her home.

The book also touches on the value and importance of reading, which is kind of a dying art for children in this day and age of television, video games, media, etc...I examined Noah's little library collection and found myself overwhelmed at how little books he has and how expensive books can be. On Monday, Brianna asked me to go to the library with her...DING DING DING! I realized Noah can read any book under the sun for free through my little local library membership! You can check out up to 50 at a time! I checked out five things (see above pic)...Nelson said my free membership will become rather expensive if I check out 50 books and have to pay late fees for the one's I lose;o)...Anyways, I'm encouraged by the fact that money isn't required to provide an enriching learning environment for Noah or any child for that matter. They even have a story time two days a week and a toddler reading time once a week! I remember going to story time when I was little, do you? I love discovering new and simpler ways to help Noah learn and grow...Do you have any ideas of toys/things that will inspire creativity and imaginative play?

DIY: Bunting on a Card

2011-06-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

DIY: Bunting on a Card by LAUREN STAATS

Remember a long time ago when I posted about my bunting obsession? Well, the obsession hasn't really died down yet! So here's an easy DIY if you can sew a straight line!

Sometimes you want to make a card and you just want to do something a little unexpected...add a little color by sewing a few flags onto your page...there is no right or wrong way. To me, imperfection makes things a little more special. You can leave space between the flags (below) or place them right next to each other (above)...have fun!

DIY: Pinwheels

2011-06-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

DIY: Pinwheels by LAUREN STAATS

Pinwheels make my life a little lovely. Although my instructions may seem a little complicated, it only takes about three minutes or less to make a pinwheel! I just took a picture of each step to make sure you fully understand. Here's how to make your own:
supplies: paper, brads, scissors (a mini whole punch would make things much easier but i just use scissors)
1. cut a perfect square. the bigger the square, the bigger the pinwheel and vice versa.
2. fold over both ways to create your creases
3. cut halfway up the crease on all four sides of square
4. cut mini holes with scissors on every other point
5. cut a mini hole in the middle of your square

6. work brad into the holes, your pinwheel will start to form
7. fasten brad in the back and voila!

pretty pretty pinwheel...use hot glue to add a skewer to the back for a little pinwheel arrangement. see this post for the pinwheel arrangements i made for nelson's reunion!

make yourself a painted lampshade

2011-06-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

make yourself a painted lampshade

by EMILY COVER

there once was a lonely lamp without a shade sitting on our dresser. i wanted to make a shade for it but was just waiting for the right inspiration.  i found a brand new plain white shade at Goodwill for $.99. SCORE.  i came straight home and got to thinking - aka - browsing pinterest and i found my inspiration.

Source: housetohome.co.uk via Emily on Pinterest

 it was love at first sight.  i decided to charge head first into this project.  i picked out 3 colors that would match our bedroom.  aqua, orange, and yellow.

i began by measuring the diameter of both the top and bottom circle of the shade.  i divided that number by 4. ex. bottom measured 24 inches around. so i divded 24 by 4 which is 6.  i then marked every 6 inches around the bottom. then did the same for the top. these were my mark for the first set of 'V's' - where the points would touch.

i picked yellow as my first color and started connecting the points as you can see in the first two pictures.

then i got my second color, aqua, and made 'V's' inside of the yellow 'V's'.

finally orange triangles filled in the aqua 'V's'. and viola....

i love it.  and it fits perfectly on that lonely little lamp!

(disclaimer - sorry for the iphone pics, my camera was dead and there was no time to charge - kids were napping and shade needed painting)

Bath Towel Rug Tutorial

2011-06-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Bath Towel Rug Tutorial
by Ashley Howry

I love this project not only because it's cheap and you can use what you have but also because the possibilities are endless!

And not to mention it's easy to throw in the wash!

Because let's face it...bathrooms are gross.

I like to wash my rugs a couple times a week.
I find that if you wash your big, fluffy rugs a couple of times a week they begin to look like a matted sheep.
Not cool.

Now...on to the tutorial!

Trust me...it's very easy... very forgiving...and the possibilities are endless!

SUPPLIES

*Bath Towel - you can use any size you want.

I chose a regular sized towel because I wanted a rug that covered a lot of my bathroom floor.

You definitely could also use a hand towel if you are wanting a smaller rug!

*Fabric Scraps

*Sewing Machine

INSTRUCTIONS

First start by figuring out what you want the top of your rug to look like.

I had enough fabric scraps to make long strips.

You could also just make it really simple and make four rectangles to cover the top.

Once you have figured out how you want the top to be, cut your fabric!

Make sure that the sides of your fabric hang over the long edges of the towel by about two inches.

Sew your strips together (NOT to your towel yet)

You will end up with all of your fabric sewn into a top piece.

This next step is VERY important. Trust me... I didn't do it the first time ;)

Pin the fabric layer on top of your towel.

Use lots and lots of pins.

You don't want your fabric to slide around while sewing.

Now you will "stitch in the ditch."

Basically this means to sew along any seams that you have made.

For instance: below I stitced the line right between both fabrics.

This will secure it to your towel.

Your top piece should be attached to your towel now.

The last step is to finish up the sides!

Remember how I told you to leave two inches of fabric hanging over?

You will take those two inches and fold them over once and then fold it one last time.

This will give you a nice finished edge. Sew right along the edge.

Doing so will finish the edge of your rug!

Here's the back of the rug below.

Here's the good news... it doesnt have to be perfect.

As you can see below mine isn't.

But that's okay by me because it was free, a fun project and it serves it's purpose perfectly!

If you have any questions please ask!!!

Have a great day friends!

artist profile: birdhouse man.

2011-06-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Birdhouse Man from Chris Wiegand on Vimeo.

DIY: yarn wreath with felt flowers

2011-06-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

DIY: yarn wreath with felt flowers by DANIELLE BURKLEO

i am smitten with yarn wreaths.

i want to just keep making them, you may feel the same after reading this.

supplies: straw wreath, yarn, felt, scissors, glue, and any other embellishments your little heart desires.

step 1: keep the plastic wrapping on the straw wreath. i have made yarn wreaths in the past and taken the plastic off and it is much more complicated, time consuming and MESSY. you can definitely use a foam wreath as well, but i find that the yarn goes on easier with a plastic cover and the foam wreaths usually aren't wrapped.

step 2: wrap wreath with yarn. you will want to keep it tight and keep in mind that it is close to impossible to have the yarn perfectly lined up on the entire wreath.imperfections = perfection. this may take you a while. but you'll get into a groove, don't you worry. simply tie a knot to begin and tie one at the end, as well. i used one entire roll of yarn made by...

step 3: make felt flowers:

cut a circle out of felt. the bigger the circle, the bigger the flower.

cut around the outside of the circle to make it have a waved look.

pick any point on the circle to start cutting the felt. you will be cutting a large spiral shape so that you will end up with one long thin strip of felt.

when you get to the very end you will have a circle or oval shape left that you will want to leave and not cut into. this will be the base of your flower.

take the end of the felt where you began cutting and start to roll. you will want to keep it tight in the beginning so it holds. if you want a smaller more circular flower keep it tight. if you want it to have a more open look you can keep it a little more loose as you roll it (this is what i did).

once you get to the end you will glue the bottom onto the flower. i used hot glue, you can use a strong craft glue as well.
make as many flowers as you'd like. i made mine a few different sizes and used two different colors.

step 4: glue and place them randomly. add any other embellishments that you would like.

step 5: add a ribbon, raffia, twine, fabric, etc to hang your wreath with.

step 6: admire your beautiful, handmade goodness.

my finished wreath along with my mom and sister's wreaths.

my mom wrapped a ribbon around her's and also made felt leaves. my sister used a multicolor yarn, added some fun berries and a dainty little bird. i wanted a more simple look and stuck with the felt flowers.

now...whatcha waitin' for?

diy: bias tape rosette earrings

2011-06-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

diy: bias tape rosette earrings by DANIELLE BURKLEO

if these aren't the cutest things…

supplies:

bias tape

{you can buy this at joann's or whatever your local fabric store is. it is super cheap and a there is a large variety of colors}

earring studs

{$1.99 for 60 @ michael's}

earring backs

{$1.99 for 60 @ michael's}

hot glue or strong craft glue

scissors

step 1:

cut two strips of bias tape about 5-6 inches long.

step 2:

tie a knot at the end of each strip.

step 3:

wrap and twist the tape around the knot, varying tightness.

step 4: hot glue the end of the tape on the underside of the rosette for a base.

step 5: hot glue the earring studs on the back of the rosettes

step 6: put earrings on, look in the mirror, and admire those dainty little things.

DIY: summertime vase

2011-06-22T18:54:00.001-07:00

DIY: summertime vase: by DANIELLE BURKLEO

this little beauty will be my summer centerpiece.

supplies: mason jar, spray paint, fabric, small circle of felt, doily, lace trim, scissors and hot glue gun.

step 1: spray paint your mason jar

step 2: make your fabric flower

cut out seven circles
fold circle in half
fold both sides in
cut off the tip of your folded fabric triangle
use a circle of felt as the base for your flower and hot glue each folded fabric piece to it.

step 3: hot glue doily to mason jar

step 4: wrap lace trim around the top of the mason jar and hot glue in place.

step 5: hot glue your fabric flower to mason jar.

step 6: fill with pretty flowers

and there you have it.

{linking here.}

DIY: embroidery hoop art

2011-06-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

DIY: embroidery hoop art by DANIELLE BURKLEO

so, i guess this isn't your typical hoop art… if there is such thing as a typical hoop art. if i had to name it i would call it hoop art picture displays, or something along those lines.

i wanted to do something to display pictures and little things i love in our house without using frames. here is what i came up with, and i must tell you, i lalalove it.

supplies: embroidery hoops, fabric, yarn or twine, mini clothespins, embellishments for clothespins, whatever pictures or other things you would like to display, scissors and hot glue.

step 1: cut long thin strips of fabric. i cut mine about an inch wide but no need to be precise. mine were also not a straight line in the slightest and, i let them fray a lot. i sort of love frayed edges.

sort of? who am i kidding. i love them.

step 2: wrap your strips of fabric around your embroidery hoop. i didn't tie a knot to start, just laied the fabric flat, as you wrap it will stay in place. i slightly overlapped each time i wrapped so none of the hoop would show through. when you get to end you can hot glue the last piece of fabric down.

all wrapped and prettay.

step 4: take your yarn (or string/twine) and place it where you would like on the back of your hoop. it will be what you hang your pictures and art from. hot glue one side of the yarn down, then pull taught and hot glue the other side down.

i used two or three pieces of yarn on each one of my hoops.

step 5: embellish your clothespin if you desire. i found little paper flowers in the michael's clearance section and hot glued them on to my pins. i also used some little heart clothespins i picked up on clearance during valentine's day.

step 6: hang your pictures and whatever else your little heart desires with your clothespins.

step 7: hang up your hoop art and admire.

i used three different fabrics for seven different hoops. on my hoops right now are: pictures, mini buntings, and flower pins. i love that i can change them out whenever…seasons, holidays, birthdays, etc.

happy hooping!

DIY: ruffle necklace

2011-06-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

DIY: ruffle necklace by DANIELLE BURKLEO

i am so excited to share my first ever DIY that involves a needle and thread. it is actually the first time i ever even attempted to stitch (or sew??)… i don't even know the correct term i should be using for this tutorial. how bout that. that is how educated i am in all things needles and thread.

my friend kate asked me to be a part of her ruffled up series and i could not turn down the offer. it was a challenge i was nervous to take on, so all the more reason to do it.

supplies: felt or fabric, necklace chain, needle, thread, and scissors.

i used a bamboo blend hot pink felt because i am obsessed with it and it is so super soft. i ended up making another ruffle necklace out of fabric shortly afterward because i was so smitten with the first.

step 1: cut a piece of your felt about 4.5 inches by 12 inches and fold it in half. i totally just made those measurements up from eyeballing my necklace. bad blogger who is occasionally crafty, i know.

step 2: place your chain in the middle of your felt at the fold.

step 3: thread your needle. i took me 33 times to even get the thread through the eye of the needle, which i was calling the loop, until my mom informed me it was, in fact, called the eye. try to beat 33, i dare you.

step 5: stitch (sew?) underneath the chain, through both layers of felt, leaving thread at the beginning and end of felt for gathering.

step 6: pull thread at both ends to get your ruffle ruffled just as you'd like.

step 7: tie knots at each end and trim off extra thread.

step 8: put on your pretty new ruffles and smile.

diy: fun fabric pen jar

2011-06-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

DIY: fun fabric pen jar by DANIELLE BURKLEO

pen jar, coin jar, or anything-you-want-it-to-be-jar.

we lose pens (along with socks, keys, glasses and cell phones) every day this in house. so, i gathered up some supplies i had lying around to make a new home for all of our pens. spending no money on this project made it even sweeter. the random tin jar i used was from hazelnut piroulines that i ate too quickly. the lovely fabrics are leftover from pillowcases and an old forever 21 dress that would never ever fit me since having two babies. i'm not bitter.

supplies: random tin jar, ribbon, fabric, needle & thread, button, scrabble letters, glue and scissors.

step 1: cut fabric to cover tin with.

step 2: hot glue (or craft glue) fabric on tin to cover it. i kept the fabric taught and put a line of glue about every inch so it would hold well. don't forget to cover the top of the lid with fabric too.

step 3: glue ribbon onto the rim of the lid to cover it.

step 4: cut three strips of fabric for every fabric braid you want to put on the jar. the strips can be 1-2 inches thick. i just eyeballed it.

step 5: braid fabric together and glue fabric braids onto jar randomly. i used two on the bottom and one on top.

step 5: cut a circle out of fabric for your flower.

step 6: pinch the middle of the bottom side of the fabric circle together with your fingers. it will give it the scrunched/flowery look.

step 7: thread your needle and pull it through the fabric flower a few times so it holds tight.

step 8: glue flower onto jar.

step 9: glue button on as the center of the flower.

at this point i loved my pen jar but, i didn't really love it. it was missing something...and that's when the one too many scrabble board games my family owns came into mind. you could add cardboard scrapbook letters, a word printed out on card stock, or if you're like me and can spare a few scrabble letters, i'd go with that.

step 10: glue scrabble letters onto jar.

step 11: admire your beautiful handmade goodness.

capture the small details

2011-06-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

My name is Danielle and I blog at CHANGING LANES.

I think of myself as a visual artist. I see things as they should be.

Life isn't always perfect...but I like to see it that way.

I began photographing my own children when the oldest was ONE.

I bargained with my J.,

the price of one professional setting ~ for that of a dsl camera.

I am self-taught at manual settings.

Am only a tad bit good at it, but it's what I enjoy.

Today,

I want to encourage you to capture the small details.

Because I believe...

I could care less about when and where we are for a picture.

Trees, buildings, cats, dogs, cows ~ take em' or leave.

I want to find my littles' little parts.

Toes, fingers, bums and curls ~ that's what excites me.

Zoom in a LITTLE, I think you will be happy you did.

thank you to Casey and a little artsy for having me.

i hope to be here again.

until then~

danielle

http://amomseyeview-lulu.blogspot.com/

DIY headband

2011-06-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

The DIY Headband

2 precious blog friends of mine will give you the instructions on how to make these beauties....start here where Danielle will teach you about the roses and if you want to make a beautiful wreath....then head over here and my other darling friend will teach you how to make gorgeous headbands.

photography04

2011-06-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

lesson 4: 12 weeks to better photos

Ok, don't judge me, but... I am totally a slacker today!!!

I didn't get a chance to play with my flash this weekend which is what today's lesson is all about. truthfully, I have been trying my hardest to NOT use the flash and the thought of turning it back on, well, it scares me! so... with that being said, I did not do today's lesson yet, slacker right? I know! but I am going to work on it this week. we have rain in the forecast tomorrow so, I think it will provide the right light I need for the first task in the lesson.

back to your photos... How is everyone doing? noticing some changes in your skills? shooting on M ? posting lovely photos? friends, I am having so much fun with my camera and am really feeling more comfortable with M..

so here's the deal. linking up with the gals from two peas in a bucket, {stop by and check out their loveliness} for their self-paced and totally awesome 12 weeks to better photos tutorials! if you are just joining, catch up and follow along! we have tons of fun stuff coming up that you won't want to miss..

here is the content for lesson 4, check it out and then give it a try!

and keep shooting, keep practicing, and keep having fun with your camera!

and what's a photography post without a picture right?

my little sweetie in her new swimsuit! it was a hot.day, and presley loved dancing in front of this fan..just love this little girl and her fun little personality!

have a lovely week friends, and you will not want to miss next week. I have an amazing guest blogger stopping by to help with the next lesson, she is fab and you all are going to love her!

love,
elizabeth
www.pocketfulloflovelies.blogspot.com

photography03

2011-06-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

lesson 3: 12 weeks to better photos

I have noticed that I am carrying my camera around with me a little bit more and am taking more and more pictures the more comfortable I get. I have been shooting in M, and while challenging at times, I think I can see a difference in my pictures!!

so this week is all about light. and I am super excited to have my friend tiffeny, a amazingly talented wedding photographer here to help us with today's lesson.

here is the content link, go check it out, and meet back here in a few! ready, break!! {again, thanks for the fab two peas in a bucket  for sharing this awesome course}

Alrighty, my friends.. meet.tiffeny!

so, tell us a little about yourself?
About me – uh . . . I cannot spell – I am mother of three, wife to one and an only child – (booo for me)!! I am a self-proclaimed geek. I HATE to clean and I like to make messes – and start lots of projects that sometimes I never find the time to finish, but you probably want to know about why I am relevant to giving you advice in the photography realm. Because it makes me sound fancy, I will start with - I have a degree in photography. Yes – there is an actual degree in an accredited college for photography – but after reading the twelve weeks to better photos lessons I kinda feel like I got ripped off! The lessons are really awesome. I wish I would have known about them back in my “Elementary Photography” Days! So... I started taking pictures in 4-H and I am going to leave it at that, because I would rather talk more about the subject than me – because I am not that cool and light is – or it can be hot – but anyway . . .

what's your favorite shoot?
I like to shoot weddings. I love weddings – I love brides – I love happy couples – I love people in love – I love to make images of people in love – and my most FAVORITE is to create images of people that think they are not “photogenic” and show them how wonderfully beautiful they are in my light!

any advice to us newbies who are just using a dslr for the first time and just want to take better pictures of our kids? families? for our blogs?

Advise for newbie’s – I think I will let you in on the biggest secret my favorite college professor told me . . . wait for it . . . shoot, shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more. The real awesomeness of taking pictures is in light, so you wont be able to completely learn it in one lesson – especially with white balance included. Back when I was learning the fundamentals of photography (and dinosaurs roamed the Earth), white balance wasn’t a big issue – which would be a totally different lesson – the point is with digital images it is harder to get color correct images because you have to factor in white balance. In film days a lab technician did all that fun stuff for you.
give us your take on the lesson: the color of light?

Shooting lots and lots of images will teach you so much, which is one way digital has an advantage over film – you can see instantly what different light or white balance has on your image. My best suggestion would be to shoot lots. Good photographers know light and how to use it in different ways to capture the feeling they want the image to portray. If you learn how to read light versus what the green square tells you – you can create some really awesome images. Green square has a great purpose but you need to know how to use it. I believe it is super, ubber important to know the rules before you break them. Even Helen Keller could happen onto a good image if she poked the button enough times! The real secret to making better images is knowing how to look at light and use it to your advantage.

thanks, tiffeny for the great advice!! so on that note, I think I will grab my camera and SHOOT. take lots and lots of pictures. I have some really fun little outings coming up and am thinking I may just stumble upon many photo ops! but for today, I am sorry to say, that I offer you pictures of blue mason jars. yes, I did my light experiment for today's lesson with blue mason jars. but let me say, on a side note, I am stoked about these jars. I have been looking for blue ones and I have something really awesome planned for them. so to me, blue mason jars can be exciting.

ok here is my take!!!

{all of these I shot on AV with f/stop at 3.5 and ISO at 1600... only difference is the light setting...}

subtle differences.. I think you would be able to tell a little bit better if your subject was a person, although mine does not sit still long enough, so it's blue mason jars. play with the light setting on your camera when your indoors this week. it's kind of fun!!

next week, flash: friend or foe?

until next time lovelies...

love,

elizabeth

www.pocketfulloflovelies.blogspot.com

photography02

2011-06-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

lesson 2: 12 weeks to better photos

hello.there.

how'd you all do this week?? did you stay away from green square?? I am proud to report that I did {for the most part.} yes, one time this week, I did shoot in green square, at a wedding reception. {hey, it was candlelit and I could not figure it out, and I needed some sweet shots of my daughter bustin' a move}

ok, if your just stopping by for the first time this week, you can still join in on the fun, check out lesson 1 here and feel free to catch up or follow along at your own pace!!

so, here is the content for lesson 2 a huge thanks to two peas in a bucket for this awesome introductory photog class... I am also super excited to say that today, my lovely friend, molly, from willow brandt photography, is here to help us out with today's lesson.

meet.molly.as.she.tells.all...
tell us a little about yourself??
let's see. i'm a mom to two littles and one on the way. met my husband on a blind date, we've been married 7 years. i moonlight as a labor and delivery nurse with miss elizabeth. when my first little was born i took lots of awful pictures, truly awful. shaky, blurry and the like. when he was almost a year old i decided i needed some photo album worthy pics and bought my first slr......and that's where my story starts.

what inspired you to learn about photography and what keeps you inspired??
hands down, i was inspired by my first little to want to learn about photography. from there i watched others, did lots of on-line research and took hundreds more blurry and shaky pics to get to what i know now. keeping myself inspired comes easy with my own littles, lots of friends with littles, and all that creativity on the web doesn't hurt either. what i definitely know is that photography is something i'll never stop learning about and the opportunity for growth is endless.

so...tell me, why should I shoot in {M} instead of {green square}??
shooting in {M} lets you get the most out of your camera. it allows you to tell it what to do, down to the finest details that help get those great shots. you know, the ones with the blurry background, the crisp focal point and the right exposure. your camera lets you set all of these things when you use the functions that are available to you while shooting in {M}. when you use the auto mode where your camera tells you what the picture will look like, you have no control over how that image will turn out. it might be blurry, it might be too dark or too bright, or worse yet, you'll miss a great shot waiting for that flash to warm up. it takes a little bit of work, but after you get the basics down it's well worth every minute spent, promise!
I will admit, I was a lot intimidated by this lesson. but, after practicing for a few days, I feel a little bit better and I bet by next week will feel tons better {I hope}

I did the kitchen sink test, just like the lesson instructed me too. here's my take.

ok, so I did the pictures, now what does that mean for me??
when you look at the first picture in comparison to the last picture you can see a huge difference. the faster your shutter speed, the faster the image is taken. in the first picture, there's not much to look at. the water running off the canister is hard to see. when you look at the water running off the canister in the last picture, you can see the bubbles coming from the faucet and the bubbles on the side. much more detail. if you're feeling brave, when you're done with the lesson all together, go back and take the sink challenge again. try once on auto and once controlling all you know in {M} mode and see what you think. you'll be impressed, i'm sure!!

for the second part of the lesson, I shot in M {I feel like such a big girl, yay} and here are some of the shots I took. {my Lilly's really bloomed over the last week. aren't they prettyful?}

so, how'd I do??
you did great! the colors are bright and vibrant, and the detail is perfect.

any advice for those of us that just bought our very first SLR camera and are trying to learn to take better photos??
the best advice that i can give to anyone is to practice and play around. take a day and photograph everything. keep it in manual, and don't worry about what the end result will be. it wasn't very long ago i read through these tutorials, took lots of not so great pictures, and in that mix found a few good ones that i got excited about....and the rest is history! just play and learn. take pics of your littles, take pics of your surroundings, take pics of still things, moving things and silly stuff in-between. have lots of fun, be patient with yourself and just enjoy it. somewhere in the midst of all this, you'll have captured the small things in life that matter in the end.

have a lovely week friends!!!

love,
elizabeth
www.pocketfulloflovelies.blogspot.com

photography01

2011-06-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

basic photog class: lesson 1

while enjoying the nice weather and snapping pics of little miss outdoors, I remembered a gift from my photog friend, ran inside to grab it, and was so excited to start lesson 1. I have been waiting for nice weather to get started on this begginers photo class from 2 peas in a bucket .

I bought my canon rebel xs because I wanted to take sweet little pictures of my baby and wanted to take rockstar shots for my etsy store. I will admit, I had an altered conception of {photography} to say the least. I was under the impression you drop a few several hundred $dollars$, get a nice camera, and all of a sudden your pics just looked amazing. well, imagine my disappoinment upon buying my first slr camera and my photos were not winning any awards. I realized I had a lot to learn but had no clue where to start. thanks to my friend molly, she so kindly printed off all the lessons and put them in a handy dandy little notebook and made it so pretty and gave it to me as a christmas gift.. GENIUS..

so, if you're like me and need some very basic direction to get to know your camera and want to take better pictures, then join me as I do this 12 weeks to better photos. I will link up each week to the content and then share the photos I have taken and you do the same... sound fun?? ok, let's get started.

lesson 1: aperature basic training {click on this here link and it will take you to the content}

I will be the first to say, what? aperature? maybe I should continue to shoot in green square {a term dubbed by my friend jolene} another way of saying automatic. well, I am going to give it 12 weeks and see if I am brave enough to shoot in AV or whatever you photog's call it, or continue in green square.

I did lesson 1 and I vow to shoot in AV all week long. I changed nothing on my camera except the f/stop, like it said to do. here is what I came up with...

gus {the gorilla} is more in focus here, while the plants in the back are out of focus

it seems like both gus and the plants are in focus here...

to me, gus is in focus but not as sharp and the plants are also in focus

is that what is supposed to happen.. I wasn't convinced so I tried a few more times...

I see it! first flower in focus, the rest a nice "blur"

front flower still in focus, background not quite as blurred...

everything in focus!

and again...

front lily's in focus, and bushes in background blurred

front lily's in focus, back bushes more in focus but still a little fuzzy...

mostly everything in focus...

so, play around this week with your camera, but shoot in AV mode only. take some different shots while adjusting your f/stop.. next week, we will add in the next lesson...

love,

elizabeth

www.pocketfulloflovelies.blogspot.com

studio

2011-06-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

made with love

2011-06-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

{DIY: made with love}

diy, bunting painting

2011-06-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am Casey Wiegand and blog over here!

Here is an easy DIY for a child's room!

2011-06-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

HelloI My name is Sam. I'm an art therapist, artist, and I blog at Young People in Love. Whenever I mention my work as an art therapist, I always get a few comments asking what art therapy actually is and how it works. That, my friends, is a good question. No one having any idea what you do is all part of the art therapist territory. This also means that I get lots and lots of chances to introduce people, like you!, to the wonderful world of my work.

Me & art therapy

I earned my Master's degree in Art Therapy Counseling a few years ago and recently earned my ATR (Art Therapist Registered) credential. Basically, the ATR means I'm a legit art therapist now :)

I work in a psychiatric hospital as an art therapist. Most people assume that art therapy is only used with kids. Not so. Art therapy can be used with any age and I get the opportunity to do just that in my work at the hospital. I run art therapy groups with children, teenagers, adults, and families. I work with people who are severely and chronically mentally ill and/or who are dealing with substance abuse issues. I love my job.

What an art therapy group could look like:

My groups can be very different. It all depends on the population I'm working with and their needs in the moment. I think breaking it down by age is the easiest way to see the range and variety of what art therapy can be like.

Children's group:

I'll bring in a great big piece of butcher paper, some markers, colored pencils, and oil pastels and have the kids work to create an island together.

This directive usually brings up a lot of themes that we talk about at the end of group. For example, issues like positive friendshipping, boundaries, communication, and problem-solving show themselves pretty quickly when you're having hospitalized children work together on one artwork.

Adolescent group:

One directive that I do a lot with the teenagers is "inside/outside." Basically, I'll go into the group, we'll do the intros/check-in and then I'll say something like, "Today's theme is inside/outside. Interpret it however you'd like and then make a drawing about it." Once the artwork is done, we sit together in a circle with everyone's drawing on the floor in front of them. Then we go around and each kid has a chance to explain their art, answer other's questions, and get feedback from their peers

Issues that come up from this kind of directive is the idea of feeling one way on the inside but putting on "a mask" or showing a different emotion on the outside. When the kids do the art about this, it gives them a chance to visually explore their inside/outside selves and then safely reveal both sides to the whole group.

Other directives I often do with adolescents include:

draw something that's hard for you to talk about

draw how you are now and how you want to be

free drawing

Working with teenagers is my favorite. They really love being able to express themselves creatively and will quickly grasp onto the art process as a way to address relevant therapeutic issues.

Family group:

I also lead a multi-family adolescent group. So we have the kids with their family members (usually parents) all in one group. For this group, what I usually have the kids draw something they really want to say to their family and, similarly, have the family members each draw something they really want to say to their child. Again, once finished with the art, they get the chance to share the meanings behind their artworks with each other.

Different themes emerge every time with this group in particular. Regardless of the issues that pop up, however, it's almost always very emotional with a lot of crying and hugs.

Adult group:

Once a week I do a group with adults who are either severely depressed and/or are going through medically-assisted detox. I bring in paper, glue sticks, and magazines and have them make a collage about "hope." At the end, we share the finished collages and they talk about things that came up for them during the process.

This is a great directive because it serves multiple purposes all at once. The process of making a collage can be not only fun and creative but also soothing and calming. It forces the person to focus all their attention to what they are doing in front of them. People often comment on how nice and relaxing it felt to do the collage. At the end, they also have a visual, tangible product of personal hope for them to hold onto and take with them. Win win.

More art therapy info:

American Art Therapy Association

art therapy FAQs

2011-06-20T15:59:00.001-07:00

Here are answers to the questions people ask Sam (art therapist, artist, blogger) most often about art therapy!

Frequently Asked Art Therapy Questions:

What is art therapy?

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that combines psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with the creative process. Instead of just talking about a problem over and over again, art therapy gives people a chance to engage in a visual/auditory/kinesthetic experience as an alternative means of processing issues. Art therapy not only uses the inherent healing power of the creative process but also focuses on the idea that art can be a means of symbolic communication.

How did you get into art therapy?

I first discovered the amazing potential for using art in a therapeutic setting when I worked as a staff at an adolescent residential treatment center my last year as an undergrad. I didn't even know about the profession of art therapy, however, until I moved out to Oregon after finishing college and was trying to decide what the heck to do with my life and a BA in Visual Arts.

I think it was my mom, actually, who casually suggested the field of art therapy to me, having just seen it featured on her AOL homepage as "One of the fast up and coming professions" or something like that. When I discovered Marylhurst University offered a great art therapy program and was only an hour commute from where I lived in Oregon, I began researching it all more. I went to an informational open house at the university and was immediately hooked. I started the application process shortly thereafter and, happily, was accepted.

How long have you been practicing art therapy for?

I started working in the mental health field my senior year at BYU, as a staff at a residential treatment center for adolescents. That was over 5 years ago. It's been 2 years since I finished grad school. So, all together, including my work in grad school, I've been practicing art therapy specifically for 4 years now.

How many years of schooling does it take to become an art therapist?

Art therapy is a master's level profession which means that, at the very least, you need a master's in art therapy (or related psychology/counseling field) in order to practice. I got my bachelor's degree in visual arts with a minor in psychology. Most BA degrees take at least 4 years to complete. I actually was able to finish my undergrad degree in 3 years but that's only because I really blew through it. I attended school during every summer as wells as going full-time during the regular fall and winter semesters.

Then there's grad school. Every school is a little different but most programs can be finished in 2 years, if you go full-time. That's what I did. Marylhurst University also offers a 3-year track which is part-time. A lot of students preferred that because then they could actually wok at the same time while going to school. It just depends on what your needs are. For me, living off of student loans and finishing school sooner was the best option.

So total, from BA to MA degree, you're looking at a minimum of 6 years of schooling.

What do I need to know about the application process for art therapy programs?

For art therapy grad programs, the application requires GRE scores, a personal statement, images of your artwork, essays, etc. Also, having previous experience in some kind of human services work is almost always a must when applying for a graduate program in art therapy, or any related counseling program, for that matter. Having previous experience will also help you decide if working with people in a therapeutic manner is something that you actually enjoy doing.

Every school's application process is obviously different. I'd say, however, that either a bachelor's degree in art with a minor in psychology, or the other way around, would be sufficient for any school. The best way to find out more specifics, though, is to talk to the programs you're interested in and do a transcript review. Then you can find out exactly what kind of classes you need to take or have taken before you apply.

The application process is involved and very time-intensive but totally doable. So don't let that deter or overwhelm you. Just take it one step at a time.

What kind of classes did your graduate work focus on?

My art therapy program was great in that it was, essentially, a double master's. I graduated with a master's in art therapy and a master's in counseling. Having a master's in mental health counseling and being eligible for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) can open a lot more doors for you as an art therapist and master's level clinician.

My graduate work focused on counseling theories, individual/group counseling, various specific subjects with counseling (addictions, special populations, ages, assessment, etc.), and then, of course, how to apply the principles of art therapy in counseling practice. It was intense but so worth it.

Are there any universities that offer an art therapy program in Utah?

Unfortunately, there aren't any programs for art therapy in Utah. I went to grad school at Marylhurst University just outside of Portland, OR. Both the west and east coasts have some great art therapy program options for grad school.

How fast did you find a job in art therapy after you graduated?

It took me about 5 months to find a job in art therapy after finishing grad school.

Honestly, it was very nice to have a little break after the craziness of graduate work. I got to have some much-needed "Sam time" before I began, once again, to delve into art therapy after school.

What kind of work schedules do art therapists typically have?

Art therapists can work in a lot of different capacities. Just like any other job, there are full-time positions, part-time, on-call, and contract work.

Art therapists work with all different populations of people and age groups.

What are some key traits an art therapist needs to have?

First, and foremost, an art therapist should have an in-depth and personal understanding of the creative process and how this process can lend itself to emotional healing. Many art therapists found their way to the field of art therapy because, they themselves, had many personal experiences with the healing power of art.

Being able to be genuine, compassionate, a good listener, and a love of working with people and helping others are also common characteristics of those who choose to work in mental health.

How are you doing passion-wise and career-wise as an art therapist? Is it everything that you hoped for and beyond?

Honestly, there are many times when I'm in the middle of leading a group at work and think to myself, "I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this!" Practicing art therapy is a wonderful blessing in my life. Some days are hard- but that's just the nature of working with very acute patients in a psychiatric hospital setting. It can be intense. But you learn quickly how to deal and how to emotionally detach yourself in a healthy way. There are many levels of care in mental health- I just happen to work near the top as far as the most emotionally intense level. But yes, doing art therapy, both group and individual, is wonderful. I really do love it.

Having a master's degree in a counseling field as also allowed me to teach at the college level. I teach Concepts of Stress Management for Utah Valley University's community health department. I never had this in my plans and it sort of just fell into my lap. It's been an amazing experience and I've discovered that I really love teaching as well!

What is your favorite thing about being an art therapist?

I feel like art therapy can be almost like a secret weapon in treatment settings. It can be a much less intimidating and more safe means of exploring difficult emotional material than simply talking about it. My favorite is working with teenagers because they genuinely love the creative process and are willing to go so much deeper, so much quicker through the art than they may otherwise. I love being able to give people something that they can really connect with in a deep way and that helps heal emotional wounds.

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art therapy FAQs

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