A Fun and Easy Birthday Card Craft

What you'll need:

Card stock in several colors 

Photos: you can find photos like these at antique stores or download the ones below.

Fun decorative papers in small prints

Small point Sharpie

Glue stick

                                                        Use your browser to print these

                                                 Cut your photo out and glue it in place.

                                                 Then just cut out your hats out and glue in place.

                                Now take your felt pen and draw frames around your photos.
                                                                       Have Fun!

PS: Here's a time saving idea. Instead of trying to remember everyone's birthday buy yourself a monthly birthday calender and fill it out. Then each month write all your birthday cards on the same day at the beginning of every month. Address them and stamp them. Place the date it's to be mailed near the stamp. And you'll never forget a Birthday again.

Tim Walker a Great Photographer

One of my favorite photographers, Tim Walker was born 1970 in England. I love his work it's magical, full of whimsy with a touch of fairy tale.


He has created layouts for Vogue UK, Vogue Italia and ads for companies like Mulberry, Juicy Couture and Prada. Also portraits of people like Madonna.

As adults we don’t often get to indulge in fantasy so when I see his work it usually makes me smile and dream. Here are some of my favorite photos. I hope you enjoy his strange charm and the enchanting beauty of his work.

                           To learn more please check out his website by clicking the link below.

                                            http://timwalkerphotography.com/portraits.php

Sketching

Sketching can be so relaxing,it you don't worry about getting it perfect. I have been sketching a lot and decided it would be fun to share some sketches with you.  On my website I have some Masters' sketches. It's fun to see all the different ways you can sketch.
                                                      Click on the sketch below to see more

Daughter of Jacob Meyers

                                                                  Vincent Van Gogh

Iris 

Alphonse Mucha

I also have added some sketching hints and one of my sketches in stages on my website page Let's Paint.

        

 Click on the sketch below to see them 

                                       

Elaine's Summer Garden

It's the middle of winter and I saved this walk in the garden so we could see a little sunshine on this dark and cold day. I hope you enjoy it. 

                                                             

                                         To see what's in my Etsy store click on the hen below.

Trumpeter Swans

Each year the Trumpeter Swans fly over our town to winter in the fields of Skagit Valley. They are so beautiful and fun to watch that they brighten up our northwest grey winters just a bit. My mother and I spent the day taking pictures of the swans so I could share them with you.

                                               I had to wear my swan hunting sweater.

                                               Click on the photo to hear their trumpeting.

                                              This is a swan mosaic I made for my porch.

                                      Here’s a link to learn more about the Trumpeter Swan.                        

                                      http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Trumpeter_Swan/lifehistory

Happy Valentine's Day!

To see more Valentine's Clip Art click on postcard below.

Valentine’s Care Package

Now that my boys are both off at college our traditional Valentine’s dinner (all done in heart shaped foods) has changed into care packages. This year I made these large sugar cookies covered in Royal Icing.

The heart cookie has I love you written in a red food coloring pen.

 The O has X’s and O’s written all over it in blue.

 And the X has all the things I love about them written in green.

Then as I stated in my last blog I make each of my boys a special gift, this year I made a sketch of their favorite animal and put it in a mat. Then on top of the mat I placed a piece of acetate (A clear plastic sheet you can get at a photo copy store) which I decorated with a Valentine message.  Later the acetate can be removed so that they can keep the sketch.