Pinterest, my new addiction

I received an invitation to Pinterest about three weeks ago and took my pretty little time getting over there BUT when I did oh boy!! I am so addicted to that site.  For anyone that is remotely crafty and slightly leaning toward wanting to be organized this site is like a ray of sunshine from the Heavens.  I have two computers, in different locations and those two computers have bookmark after bookmark on them of all sorts of crafts, photography, to do list, blogs, you name it but the problem is I always end up needing the bookmark on the computer that I happen not to be around at that time.  I either get frustrated and go find something else to get into or search and search trying to find that cool internet clip so I can get started on creating~

Well be still my little heart Pinterest takes care of every thing for me now.  So no matter where I am I can get online and all my little pretties are right there all beautifully organized into their very own categories ready for me to explore.  You can have as many or as few categories as you like, name them whatever floats your boat and pin an endless about of things that you may or may not ever do BUT atleast they are all there at your fingertips!

Would you like an invite???  

If someone sends you an invitation you can get started that much faster, so drop me a message with your name and email address and I will send one out to you!  And trust me I won't be sharing your email.........I don't even know how to do that~  lol

~Happy Wednesday everyone~ 

~I am making the drapes for my master bedroom redo today~

Midsouth Fair Crafts and Culinary RESULTS!

In all we had five family members enter the Midsouth Fair this year.  Can you believe it?!?  And next year my youngest peep will be 5 and he is already talking about what crafts he wants to make.  Mainly the lego craft and the painted derby car.  It just thrills me to death that my kids have such a BIG heart for art.  Maybe the fact that my husband and I are both photographers, artists and very visual may just have a little, tiny, weenie, bit to do with that...just maybe.

I "whited-out" all our names on the tags for privacy reasons.

Without further ado, I will start with my beautiful, talented daughter:

1st Place: Decorated Bottle
(not sure why they turned the bottle backwards, but the back is pretty too.)

2nd Place: Origami (Lily)

 

 3rd Place: Refrigerator Magnet

2nd Place: Decorated box

2nd Place: Thumb Print Art

  1st place: Edible Party Favors

Working on the Marsh Mellow Pops:

 She loved making these, so cute and so kid friendly to make.
We are making these for her birthday this year but with pink and purple white chocolate!

 2nd Place: Party Cookies (reindeer hot cocoa cookies)

 3rd Place: Decorated Cupcakes (Ladybugs)

 3rd Place: Muffins (Double chocolate)

 BEST OF SHOW

Paper Bag Puppet

She so rocks!!!!!!!

Close-up of her fabulous work of art!

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My results for the fair:

3rd Place: Christmas ornament

 1st Place: Apron

3rd Place: Antique Cup and Saucer

 3rd Place: Antique refrigerator dish (1950's)

 3rd Place: Handmade Christmas Stocking

3rd Place: Handmade Pillow (mine was a tooth fairy pillow)

1st Place: Baby Personality Photo Contest

I have to write just a little side-note about this category of the Midsouth Fair.  I have entered the Baby Personality Contest since my oldest was born 7 years ago.  She won 1st place in her age group that very first year and got to be shown off on stage by her dad.  (That was the last year they had the babies on stage after they were awarded their ribbon.)  Since then I have entered every single year and when my youngest was born his picture also went into the contest.  I have placed and won 1st on almost all my entries in the Baby Personality Contest BUT it stops at age 4 and guess how old my youngest is?  Yep, four so I will officially retire from this particular part of the fair this year.  I am so happy he placed first again this year.  Such a bitter sweet goodbye to the Baby Personality Contest I have loved every year seeing my sweet babies faces get older and older on the walls of the Creative Arts Building .

BEST OF SHOW:

Handmade purse

I say every year,  I'm not sure how I will be able to top the year's before but some how, I come up with a concept that the judges love.  The last four year I have gotten Best Of Show or Chairman's Choice on every purse I have entered.  Can you tell this is my most favorite category for crafts.

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Mom's fair results:

1st Place: Knitted Hat

2nd Place: Knitted baby bonnet

 

 2nd Place: Love Cap

 3rd Place: Knitted Cap

 3rd Place: Handmade Purse

 3rd Place: Girl's clothes

 3rd Place: Handmade Apron

I have to tell you also that the 'Love Caps' gets donated every year to a charitable organization.  Mom always donates all of her caps she enters NOT just the Love Cap.   She donates every single cap she makes for both the Delta and Midsouth Fair competitions.  All the donated caps go to a special person at the Family Cancer Center.

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My brother's results:

(This is his first year entering)

 1st Place: Baby Personality Contest

 3rd Place: Nature/Animal photography

I also have a cousin that entered for the first time this year and she knits and makes beautiful items and she did very well, I mean REALLY well!  Congrats Leslie on all your wins!!

Go here to see how we did at the Delta Fair this year: 2010 Delta Fair Wins!

Between the Delta Fair two weeks ago and the Midsouth Fair that is going on right now; total my daughter, mom and I received:

My daughter's awards:

(1) Best of Show

(5) 1st place

(5) 2nd place

(6) 3rd place

Mine:

(1) Best of Show

(4) 1st place

(3) 2nd place

(6) 2rd place

My mom:

(2) Best of Shows

(1) Chairman's Choice

(4) 1st place

(5) 2nd place

(5) 3rd place

Does this get you motivated to start creating?  Look for local fairs in your area to enter competitions, it is so rewarding and fun to create arts and crafts and you get $$$ too.  And all your hard work is displayed for thousands of people to see.

It's FRIDAY, check out these parties:

Silhouette Picture Tutorial

This is such an adorable art craft and anyone can make one!

Supplies needed:

Any photograph with a side profile
(1) frame any size (depending on what size you want your silhouette to be)
(1) Art canvas, the thin one
(1) Old book you don't mind ripping apart
      Modge Podge
      Paint brush
(1) Sheet matte-finish scrapbook paper/ thick,  BLACK (smooth or textured)  I prefer textured.

That is it, that is all you need!

I was featured on Remodelaholic here: Remodelaholic.com /Silhouette-art-picture-tutorial.

~First time ever being featured~

 Also I am featured on Bobbypins Boardwalk: Thank you so much Jan



Step 1:
Pick your photo, side profiles work best so you get the shape outline of the persons face. 

Example:

Step 2:  Increase the contrast very high until most of the image is black or white.  I use Microsoft Picture It program for all my editing. 

Step 3: Next go in with you freehand paint tool and color in the areas that need to be included in the silhouette.  It doesn't have to be perfect just good enough that you can see how to cut it out.

Step 4:  Add any extras into your picture.  I wanted to add a few more curls to my daughter's hair and I wanted her to have a skirt on since you couldn't tell they were anywhere near the water anymore.

Step 5: Print out your silhouette the size you like and tape it to your black scrapbook paper.  Either use and exacto knife or scissors or both to cut out you image.  I ended up using both.

Step 6:  Start ripping out pages from your old book.  I know that is a huge 'no, no' but I'm sure you can find a book at a thrift store for about .25c that wouldn't mind at all.  I love the ones with the yellowed edges. 

Now lay out your background design, play around with it to see what you like.  You can do them perfectly lined up side by side and precise.  I am not a perfect or precise artist, especially when it comes to my art.  Paint a layer of Modge Podge on the canvas and start sticking down your torn piece of book pages.  Paint each piece down as you go, that will prevent piece from humping up and getting bubbles under it.  

Step 7: I let that layer dry completely and then added another layer of Modge Podge.  Next lay down your silhouette and modge podge over it.  Let dry completely and then add one more layer of modge podge all over your canvas.  Hint: I go in one direction with all my strokes.

Step 8: Let it dry over night and your canvas in done!

Step 9: Frame it up.  I happen to get my frame from Micheal's Craft Store.  It was a graduation frame marked down from $19.99 to $3.99.  I just took all the matting out and removed the glass.  I have seen tons of frames at local thrift store for .50c -1.00 and a quick coat of black matte spray paint will make any frame work for this project.

Making the Page flowers:

If you wanted to add the extra touch to your frame with the page flowers here is how you do those.

Rip another page out of your old book and fold the page from top to bottom like an accordion or fan.  Fold in half and glue together. (I hot glued mine which is so much faster)  Make one or two more depending on how thick you want your flower to be; I used three.  Fold in half and glue the other together.  Now glue each 'fan' to the other one and you will have a pretty fan flower.  I scalloped my edges but you can always just leave them straight.  Now add as many as you want.  I layered mine on the bottom corner, just cut the fans down to a smaller size and hot glue on top of the larger page flower.

Ok, so I am taking the big step and entering this contest:

Go check it out NOW!

Link to these parties: