Blog 901 - How to draw: A Hippo
"This drawing series is turning out to be a whole lot of fun. I am rediscovering some of my lesser used mediums and learning why I enjoyed them so much in the first place. In today's blog, I show you how to draw a hippo step by step. We then use watercolours to paint the hippo in. However, our watercolours come in the shape of pencils. I use Derwent Aquatone pencils, but feel free to use any watercolours or watercolour pencils of your choice."
Blog 902 - A Summary with References of Blogs 851-900
"A number of people have mentioned that they find it difficult to find specific blogs among the growing list of published blogs. This gave me the idea of publishing a summary of previously published blogs, with links and photo references. This way you only need to save a handful of blogs which can easily be accessed to navigate to the blogs you are looking for. This is the eighteenth of these Index Blogs."
Blog 903 - How to draw: A Triceratops
"Dinosaurs weren't as commonplace as they are today, when I grew up. I think for this reason, these giant creatures that once roamed the earth, still hold such fascination for me. Stephen Spielberg did nothing to squash this fascination either! In today's blog, I share the steps for drawing a Triceratops with you. We then use soft pastels to colour it. These can be slightly messy and tricky to work with, but I'll show you how to do so without too much hassle."
Blog 904 - How to draw: A Chicken
"We have not drawn any birds yet, and I think it foul. Therefore, I shall start us off on a fowl! In today's blog, I will show you how to draw a chicken in a couple of easy steps. We want the chicken to be perceived as being white, so we will not need to add a lot of colour. This is the ideal drawing with which to introduce you to graphite bars. Graphite is the stuff that is put in grey pencils. However, it is also manufactured in bars, without the wooden casing. This makes it brilliant to use on the side, or to draw straight lines with, etc. I'll add a couple of colour bars into the demonstration to boot."
Blog 905 - Chicken Love - A Mixed Media Project
"I bought these two large round canvasses a couple of months ago and I could hardly wait to get started on them. Then, quite unexpectedly, my life took a strange turn as the relief post I was teaching in became more fixed. I also had to move house and settle in the town I was now working in, rather than stay in the temporary accommodations I had been occupying. The canvasses took a back seat to all of this. However, things have finally calmed down enough for me to throw myself back into that which I love to do - art. I had a lot of fun with this project. A little bit of decoupage, a bit of drawing and a tidbit of paint; it all makes for fun and relaxation. I show you step by step how to go about creating these canvasses yourself, in today's blog."
Blog 906 - Bacon & Corn Muffins
"It was time for a tea party to celebrate the fact that I had moved into a new place. Who better to invite than the friends who have been a part of my life since varsity? We got together one Saturday morning, and I quickly rummaged through the house to find something to bake. My thoughts settled on Bacon and Corn Muffins. These turned out very deliciously. Fortunately, I had taken photos of the steps and am therefore able to share this recipe with you."
Blog 907 - Chocolate Squares
"One of the all-time favourite hits in our house, are these delicious chocolate squares. I have to make them every so often. One thing I have found with them, is that they really are best when I use certain brands of ingredients. I will share my favourite ingredients for this recipe with you in today's blog."
Blog 908 - How to draw: A Spider
"Today's drawing exercise is a little more interesting, as we will be working on black paper, which we have not done until now. We will be using a chalk pencil to draw with, and white pens to outline our drawing with. We will then cover most of this white when we use the water-soluble Aquatone we used in a previous blog, to colour the spider. However, this time we use the Aquatone dry!"
Blog 909 - How to draw: A Parasaurolophus
"I recently went shopping at the famous art shop in Rosebank, Herbert Evans. They were having their annual sale, and a friend and I made an outing of it. When I arrived home with some newly purchased pens, I could hardly wait to put them to the test. My disappointment was great when I discovered that most of the pens I had bought were dry! Today's drawing of a Parasaurolophus was intended to be coloured in a great many shades, but I could simply not get the rest of the pens to work. The restrictions aside, I show you how to go about this simple pen sketch in today's blog."
Blog 910 - Cardmaking: Flowers from Circles
"A circle is such a simple shape, and yet it is one of the most versatile to use in arts and crafts. I decided to do a short series on making cards, using simple circular shapes. I was inspired by some of these ideas from Pinterest and other sources, while some are entirely my own. The grouping of it together here in one place, makes for a fascinating collection. In today's blog, I will show you how to use simply circular cut-outs from cardboard to make cute flowers, using only pens to complete the picture."
Blog 911 - Cardmaking: Cats from Circles
"I continue the series on making cards using circular shapes, in today's blog, when I use semi-circles to make a trio of cats from paper cutouts. I then add some detail with a pen and, in no time at all, I have an inexpensive and cute card, to present to one of my many cat-crazy friends on their next birthday."
Blog 912 - Cardmaking: Poppies from Circles
"We are still busy exploring how far we can take the simple shape of circles in making cards. In today's blog, we will cut blood red poppies from the red cardboard and stick them down on the green to make a beautiful field of remembrance for a loved one."
Blog 913 - Cardmaking: Lilies from Circles
"In this fourth card that we are making in the mini series on using circles to make cards, we will be using an unexpected item from the vanity to form our circles. We use the round cotton pads that we use to remove our makeup with, to form the petals of our lilies. I show you how in today's blog."
Blog 914 - Cardmaking: Sweethearts from Circles
"I started this little mini series off with six sheets of cardboard. In today's blog, I show you how to make the fifth, and last of the cards from the original six sheets. We once again use circles to make this card, although this time our circles come in the form of buttons. Buttons, cardboard and a black marker is all you need to make this sweet and effective sweetheart card."
Blog 915 - Cardmaking: New Beginnings
"Today, we are going to make a card for someone who is standing on the verge of a new phase of their lives. I love the idea of using a caterpillar for this purpose, as caterpillars are soon to turn into the most beautiful butterflies, spread their wings and fly! Let me show you how to go about this in today's blog."
Blog 916 - Art Journalling: Smell the Roses
"I am very excited about today's blog. It started off as me just fooling around with my art materials, but quite unexpectedly turned into an art journal. Then, as I was processing the photos for the blog, I decided to fool around with the video making tools on my computer. The result is the first ever blog in video format! I still posted the stills and the steps, as usual, but at the end of this blog, you can find a video with all of the pictures sequentially arranged in it, for easy viewing pleasure."
Blog 917 - Decorating a Book Cover with Paint & Decoupage
"I recently bought a drawing book with black pages to doodle in. However, when I removed the plastic film around the book, I discovered to my horror that the ugly green paper with the manufacturer's name on it, was in fact a sticker! Try as I would, I could not remove it. I decidedly did not want such an ugly cover for my book, even though I only intended to doodle in it. I figured I could do better than to simply cover it. The result was a cover that was decoupaged and then painted with a cute motif I found on Pinterest. I show you how to do this in today's blog, so you can do the same with your own books."
Blog 918 - Art Journal: Basking in the Sun
"I am thoroughly enjoying the black drawing book I bought myself recently. Today, when I returned from work, I was slightly upset by something that had happened. I decided to sit myself down and focus my mind on more positive matters. I found a picture on the internet that appealed to my state of mind and immediately decided to do a short journal on it. I walk you through the steps in today's blog."
Blog 920 - Art Journal: Bloom in the Rain
"It is a bit of a rough time at work and I have very little time to be creative. Yet, these are the times that I find that I need most to relax with my art supplies. I am therefore not coming up with anything original at this stage, but I am taking time to recreate pictures and ideas that have left an impression on me when I discovered them on the internet. Today, I share another one of these that made it into my black drawing book. Somehow, this once again turned into a mini journal page."
Blog 920 - Art Journal: Bloom in the Rain
"It is a bit of a rough time at work and I have very little time to be creative. Yet, these are the times that I find that I need most to relax with my art supplies. I am therefore not coming up with anything original at this stage, but I am taking time to recreate pictures and ideas that have left an impression on me when I discovered them on the internet. Today, I share another one of these that made it into my black drawing book. Somehow, this once again turned into a mini journal page."
Blog 921 - Art Journal: God's Promises of Rest & Peace
"Last night, as I was praying, a picture of a dragonfly on a waterlily leaf came into my head. I felt an immense surge of peace as I became aware of the picture and knew that I could sit back and trust God to keep His word and promises in my life. Today, the image remained in my head and I decided to draw it. It became the next page in my art journal. I show you how to draw a dragonfly step by step in today's blog, before painting it in soft pastels and charcoal."
Blog 922 - Art Journal: Uniquely Talented, like the Ostrich
"I love drawing and painting ostriches. They are such unique creatures, as they are all bird, yet no flight. I was pondering this idea today, when it occurred to me that I could do a page on this for my art journal. I share the simple steps for drawing the ostrich with you and then take a passage from the book of Job to reinforce the sentiments I had been toying with in my mind throughout the day."
Blog 923 - Sew Your Own Lace Curtains
"On my way home from work today, I made an impromptu stop at the fabric store less than a block away from my house. All of a sudden, I knew I'd had enough of my exposed windows. Then and there, I decided to buy netting to make inner curtains for the large windows in my lounge/studio. I bought 18 metres of fabric and managed to hang the curtains that same evening still. In today's blog I show you how easy it is to sew your own lace curtains."
Blog 924 - Art Journal: Life's Simple Outlines
"I found two pictures on Pinterest where the original artists have made use of the absolute minimum lines to create very effective pictures. These always fascinate me endlessly, as I can not help but to marvel at how easy the brain finds it to associate these few lines with their actual real life counterparts. Today, I was contemplating how often in life we do not have a clear idea of what is expected of us. Instead, we get only a bare outline and it is left to us to fill in the detail. I decided to use the two pictures I found on Pinterest to create an entry for my art journal in which I explored this idea."
Blog 925 - Art Journal: Life's Exciting Moments
"Have you ever blown a huge bubble when chewing gum. I'm not talking about the kind we blew as kids, when we trying to outdo each other. I'm talking about now, in your adult life, when you were absentmindedly sitting and chewing and without even planning it, you blew this bubble that caught you completely by surprise and left you in awe. And perhaps slightly embarrassed. I was thinking about how often we forget to enjoy these little moments of excitement in life, being too focused on what others might think of us. I decided to journal these thoughts of mine and share the steps with you in today's blog."
Blog 926 - Art Journal: All Children Matter
"I discovered this cute work of art on Pinterest a while ago and saved it to my PC, not knowing if I would ever use it. Today, I was contemplating the important role that we as adults play in children's lives, especially me, as a teacher. It reminded me of this picture and I went in search of it. I decided to use this in my art journal for the day. I show you how I went about it in this blog."
Blog 927 - Scooter in Multimedia
"I am not a biker. I do, however, love a scooter and have had one on and off since my high school days. Oddly enough, they have always been in warm reddish shades. In today's blog, I show you how to go about recreating a memory painting in which you get to celebrate a memory you hold fondly. For me, it is a scooter. For you, it may be something else altogether. I start you off with some ideas of my own."
Blog 928 - Art Journal: Praise Him!
"Today I once again became aware of how much our Father does for us, how much Jesus has sacrificed so that we could approach our Father without hesitation, and the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who strengthens us, gives us peace, and teaches us of love. The art journal blog I compiled is a result of the awe I felt at these thoughts which inspired me to praise Him."
Blog 929 - Art Journal: Fishers of Men
"It occurred to me today that I sometimes get so busy living an everyday mundane life, that I allow this to swamp the Life I am actually aiming for, and that is eternal life in Jesus. We do need to check every so often if we are not perhaps too busy with the things of this world. Take a step back and reconsider your own priorities today, when I take stock of mine. While we're at it, let's remind ourselves that we are also supposed to make time to do some fishing, especially the kinds that catches man for God."
Blog 930 - Cardmaking: Butterflies on Black
Blog 922 - Art Journal: Uniquely Talented, like the Ostrich
"I love drawing and painting ostriches. They are such unique creatures, as they are all bird, yet no flight. I was pondering this idea today, when it occurred to me that I could do a page on this for my art journal. I share the simple steps for drawing the ostrich with you and then take a passage from the book of Job to reinforce the sentiments I had been toying with in my mind throughout the day."
Blog 923 - Sew Your Own Lace Curtains
"On my way home from work today, I made an impromptu stop at the fabric store less than a block away from my house. All of a sudden, I knew I'd had enough of my exposed windows. Then and there, I decided to buy netting to make inner curtains for the large windows in my lounge/studio. I bought 18 metres of fabric and managed to hang the curtains that same evening still. In today's blog I show you how easy it is to sew your own lace curtains."
Blog 924 - Art Journal: Life's Simple Outlines
"I found two pictures on Pinterest where the original artists have made use of the absolute minimum lines to create very effective pictures. These always fascinate me endlessly, as I can not help but to marvel at how easy the brain finds it to associate these few lines with their actual real life counterparts. Today, I was contemplating how often in life we do not have a clear idea of what is expected of us. Instead, we get only a bare outline and it is left to us to fill in the detail. I decided to use the two pictures I found on Pinterest to create an entry for my art journal in which I explored this idea."
Blog 925 - Art Journal: Life's Exciting Moments
"Have you ever blown a huge bubble when chewing gum. I'm not talking about the kind we blew as kids, when we trying to outdo each other. I'm talking about now, in your adult life, when you were absentmindedly sitting and chewing and without even planning it, you blew this bubble that caught you completely by surprise and left you in awe. And perhaps slightly embarrassed. I was thinking about how often we forget to enjoy these little moments of excitement in life, being too focused on what others might think of us. I decided to journal these thoughts of mine and share the steps with you in today's blog."
Blog 926 - Art Journal: All Children Matter
"I discovered this cute work of art on Pinterest a while ago and saved it to my PC, not knowing if I would ever use it. Today, I was contemplating the important role that we as adults play in children's lives, especially me, as a teacher. It reminded me of this picture and I went in search of it. I decided to use this in my art journal for the day. I show you how I went about it in this blog."
Blog 927 - Scooter in Multimedia
"I am not a biker. I do, however, love a scooter and have had one on and off since my high school days. Oddly enough, they have always been in warm reddish shades. In today's blog, I show you how to go about recreating a memory painting in which you get to celebrate a memory you hold fondly. For me, it is a scooter. For you, it may be something else altogether. I start you off with some ideas of my own."
Blog 928 - Art Journal: Praise Him!
"Today I once again became aware of how much our Father does for us, how much Jesus has sacrificed so that we could approach our Father without hesitation, and the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who strengthens us, gives us peace, and teaches us of love. The art journal blog I compiled is a result of the awe I felt at these thoughts which inspired me to praise Him."
Blog 929 - Art Journal: Fishers of Men
"It occurred to me today that I sometimes get so busy living an everyday mundane life, that I allow this to swamp the Life I am actually aiming for, and that is eternal life in Jesus. We do need to check every so often if we are not perhaps too busy with the things of this world. Take a step back and reconsider your own priorities today, when I take stock of mine. While we're at it, let's remind ourselves that we are also supposed to make time to do some fishing, especially the kinds that catches man for God."
Blog 930 - Cardmaking: Butterflies on Black
"I was inspired by a card I found on Pinterest for today's blog. I just absolutely love butterflies and tend to use these often in my art and crafts. As a matter of fact, the main characters in my first children's story, were also butterflies. I show you how to make this simple and cheap card in today's blog. This is a very versatile card that can effectively be used for birthdays, to say thank you, get better, to declare your love for someone, etc. I love having handy cards like these at the ready."
Blog 931 - Art Journal: Wading Through Deep Waters
"I have discovered in life that most of life's challenges are easier to face if we don't have to do it alone. Having a friend or two at your side when you are facing deep waters, makes the wading through seem so much easier. Today's art journal blog is a tribute to great friendships and good friends."
Blog 932 - Art Journal: The Birds & The Bees
"Being alone is not the worst fate in life. Too often I speak to people who are caught in abusive relationships which they struggle to escape from. Yet, I also see relationships that make me long for someone I can call my husband and partner in life. In today's art journal blog, I take time to acknowledge this longing for someone special."
Blog 933 - Cardmaking with Cricut & Stamps
"It has been years since I have had space to unpack and use my Cricut machine. The result of which is that I had to refresh myself on exactly how the machine works. I found it was like riding a bike; slow going at first, but I soon got the hang of it again. I cut four sheets of 12" x 12" papers which I will be converting into projects over the next few blogs. For today's blog, I use only one of the shapes to make a card. I combine this with some very simple stamping. I borrowed this idea from Pinterest."
Blog 934 - Summary of Food Blogs 201-250
"I have had numerous requests from individuals for recipes that were published in the past. A couple of people have asked that I publish all of them in a book, and others have suggested a compilation blog, with links to the kitchen blogs only. I'll keep the book idea on ice for now, but here is the fifth installment of the summary blogs in the meantime. Links, photos, and introductory paragraphs all included. Enjoy!"
Blog 935 - Cardmaking with Cricut: Circles
"I have cut designs from four sheets of craft paper, using my Cricut Expression 2 machine. I decided to use these cut-outs in a series of cards, that I will be blogging about. In today's blog, we use simple circles, and a single heart to make a very elegant card which can be used for any occasion."
Blog 936 - Cardmaking with Cricut: Hearts
"I am still using a range of cutouts, that I have cut with my Cricut Expressions 2 cutting machine, to make a series of cards. I rather fancied the idea of using hearts and played around with the pre-cut hearts. The result is a very simple and stylish, yet playful card that can be used for any occasion."
Blog 937 - Cardmaking with Cricut: Flower Petals
"What is more lovely than a flower? And what says I appreciate you better? Flowers will always be popular motifs to use on cards and it is small wonder considering the beauty that they bring to the world. In today's blog, I continue with the range of cards that I am making using shapes cut with my Cricut Expressions 2 machine. This time we compile a flower from a number of petals and circles."
Blog 938 - Baby Advice Album
"A friend dropped by the other day with the most wonderful idea of compiling an album with parental advice for a first-time parent and colleague at work. She had no idea how to go about it and had never done something like this before. I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the fun that this promised to be and over the span of two afternoons and nights, we had the album ready. She then went off in search of advice from those who knew the father-to-be, and pretty soon the album was done. I show you how we made this album in today's blog."
Blog 939 - Cardmaking: Heart-Air Balloon with Cricut
"I made today's card while I was waiting for the members of my home cell to arrive. It was done with the cutouts I had made with the Cricut Expressions 2, earlier, which I have been blogging about for a while now. Little did I know, that the message I wrote on the card would become central to the evenings proceedings. In the end, I sent the card home with one of the home cell members, with the instructions to write her own story inside - a new definition of herself. I share the steps for making this card with you."
Blog 940 - Re-Decorating A Store-Bought Cake
"My mom had turned 70 and I had every intention in the world to spoil her on her big day. One of the ideas I had, was to get my nieces to help me bake her a special cake for the day. To my great disappointment, I arrived home to find that the oven was no longer functional! I had to come up with a very quick alternative. I opted to buy two rather plain-looking store-bought cakes and splashed out on things to decorate these with. I show how I transformed two ordinary cakes into a 70th birthday cake, in today's blog."
Blog 941 - Cardmaking: Butterflies Cut with Cricut
"It should not surprise any regular followers of this blog, to learn that I am fascinated by butterflies. As a result, they keep making an appearance in my arts and crafts. Today is not an exception to this rule. I have cut butterflies on my Cricut machine, and used these to make a lovely card. All I needed to finish the card, was an ink pad and stamps. I show you how easy this card was to create in today's blog."
Blog 942 - Cardmaking: Mannequin Dress Cut with Cricut
"In today's blog, we do something somewhat unusual. We use the petals, that we've cut with the Cricut, to create a skirt to put on a mannequin. This petal dress has a bodice that was also cut on the Cricut. We then use our stamps to put a couple of finishing touches on the project, but not before we have drawn the mannequin by hand."
Blog 943 - Cardmaking: Heart-Petal Flowers Cut with Cricut
"Heart shapes make some of the prettiest petals for flowers. That is exactly what we use to make today's card, but instead of using solid hearts, we us the outlines/borders of the hearts that we've cut using the Cricut Expression 2. A bit of stamping and some bling is all that is needed to put the finishing touches on the card."
Blog 944 - Cardmaking: Hearts on Edge Cut with Cricut
"We once again make use of the hearts we had cut, using the Cricut Expression 2, earlier. This time we arrange them every which way on the edge of a card to mimic the craziness of falling in love. We cut some coordinating paper strips to ground the hearts, before splashing it up with some rhinestones. I show you the tricks for making this card in today's blog."
Blog 945 - Cardmaking: Welcome Newborn Cut with Cricut
"I have a colleague who is expecting her firstborn, after years of struggling to carry a baby full term. The due date is around the corner and it is time to think of celebrating with the new mommy-to-be. What better excuse to make a special card with which to welcome their pink bundle of joy? I used the Cricut to cut the squares for this project."
Blog 946 - Cardmaking: Heartbeat Cut with Cricut
"For today's project, I use a single heart, cut on the Cricut cutter, to declare my love for someone special. Some string and a couple of strips of coordinating paper is all that I need to make this dramatic card successful. I do add a small gel sticker at the bottom of the card as well. This is done so that I can avoid adding complex wording, letting the image speak for itself."
Blog 947 - Art Journal: Rest In God's Provision
"I am on leave. It is a wonderful time of rest and silence after a very busy and hectic term loaded with conflict upon conflict. I have to marvel at the amount of conflict teachers are confronted with. It is conflict with the learners, conflict with the parents, the system, the school management team, and then, as if this wasn't enough, there are the internal conflicts with peers. I had to contemplate whether this was all worth it. Today's art journal is a comment on this. I suppose a shift in focus is necessary. I take my lesson from the birds."
Blog 948 - Art Journal: Celebrate Life & Mourn the Dead
"There seems to be a tendency these days to acquire accolades without putting in the hard work. We start this at school level already, when we give kids medals and trophies for simply participating, instead of motivating them to put in the discipline and to practice so that they can attain an award on merit. We do the same thing when we loose someone. Nowadays, we get invited to Life Celebrations, instead of a gathering of friends and family at the church after a funeral or cremation. It is as if we wish to skip the stages of grief and head right on to happiness, in the process neglecting to acknowledge our own feelings, or those of others. I contemplate this in today's art journal blog."
Blog 949 - Putting Water Mixable Oil Paints to the Test
"Today, I am putting a brand new medium to the test. Well, it is not a new medium altogether, but it is one that I have never used before, and therefore it is new to the blog as well. The medium I am referring to is Water Mixable Oil paint. The idea behind this product, is to make it possible for people who are sensitive to sharp odours, such as turpentine, to be able to use oil colours. It is a great product, as it makes it possible to work across mediums, into both acrylics and oils. But let me not give too much away. Today's blog is a technical one, in which I try to answer all the questions you may struggling with regarding this product."
Blog 950 - Water Mixable Oils: Guitar
"In the previous blog, I put the water mixable oil colours to the test to see what I could do with them and what I could mix them with. In today's blog, I attempt my very first ever project with the paints left on my palette after I had concluded the tests. Let me show you how I mixed oils and acrylics on one canvas."Blog 931 - Art Journal: Wading Through Deep Waters
"I have discovered in life that most of life's challenges are easier to face if we don't have to do it alone. Having a friend or two at your side when you are facing deep waters, makes the wading through seem so much easier. Today's art journal blog is a tribute to great friendships and good friends."
Blog 932 - Art Journal: The Birds & The Bees
"Being alone is not the worst fate in life. Too often I speak to people who are caught in abusive relationships which they struggle to escape from. Yet, I also see relationships that make me long for someone I can call my husband and partner in life. In today's art journal blog, I take time to acknowledge this longing for someone special."
Blog 933 - Cardmaking with Cricut & Stamps
"It has been years since I have had space to unpack and use my Cricut machine. The result of which is that I had to refresh myself on exactly how the machine works. I found it was like riding a bike; slow going at first, but I soon got the hang of it again. I cut four sheets of 12" x 12" papers which I will be converting into projects over the next few blogs. For today's blog, I use only one of the shapes to make a card. I combine this with some very simple stamping. I borrowed this idea from Pinterest."
Blog 934 - Summary of Food Blogs 201-250
"I have had numerous requests from individuals for recipes that were published in the past. A couple of people have asked that I publish all of them in a book, and others have suggested a compilation blog, with links to the kitchen blogs only. I'll keep the book idea on ice for now, but here is the fifth installment of the summary blogs in the meantime. Links, photos, and introductory paragraphs all included. Enjoy!"
Blog 935 - Cardmaking with Cricut: Circles
"I have cut designs from four sheets of craft paper, using my Cricut Expression 2 machine. I decided to use these cut-outs in a series of cards, that I will be blogging about. In today's blog, we use simple circles, and a single heart to make a very elegant card which can be used for any occasion."
Blog 936 - Cardmaking with Cricut: Hearts
"I am still using a range of cutouts, that I have cut with my Cricut Expressions 2 cutting machine, to make a series of cards. I rather fancied the idea of using hearts and played around with the pre-cut hearts. The result is a very simple and stylish, yet playful card that can be used for any occasion."
Blog 937 - Cardmaking with Cricut: Flower Petals
"What is more lovely than a flower? And what says I appreciate you better? Flowers will always be popular motifs to use on cards and it is small wonder considering the beauty that they bring to the world. In today's blog, I continue with the range of cards that I am making using shapes cut with my Cricut Expressions 2 machine. This time we compile a flower from a number of petals and circles."
Blog 938 - Baby Advice Album
"A friend dropped by the other day with the most wonderful idea of compiling an album with parental advice for a first-time parent and colleague at work. She had no idea how to go about it and had never done something like this before. I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the fun that this promised to be and over the span of two afternoons and nights, we had the album ready. She then went off in search of advice from those who knew the father-to-be, and pretty soon the album was done. I show you how we made this album in today's blog."
Blog 939 - Cardmaking: Heart-Air Balloon with Cricut
"I made today's card while I was waiting for the members of my home cell to arrive. It was done with the cutouts I had made with the Cricut Expressions 2, earlier, which I have been blogging about for a while now. Little did I know, that the message I wrote on the card would become central to the evenings proceedings. In the end, I sent the card home with one of the home cell members, with the instructions to write her own story inside - a new definition of herself. I share the steps for making this card with you."
Blog 940 - Re-Decorating A Store-Bought Cake
"My mom had turned 70 and I had every intention in the world to spoil her on her big day. One of the ideas I had, was to get my nieces to help me bake her a special cake for the day. To my great disappointment, I arrived home to find that the oven was no longer functional! I had to come up with a very quick alternative. I opted to buy two rather plain-looking store-bought cakes and splashed out on things to decorate these with. I show how I transformed two ordinary cakes into a 70th birthday cake, in today's blog."
Blog 941 - Cardmaking: Butterflies Cut with Cricut
"It should not surprise any regular followers of this blog, to learn that I am fascinated by butterflies. As a result, they keep making an appearance in my arts and crafts. Today is not an exception to this rule. I have cut butterflies on my Cricut machine, and used these to make a lovely card. All I needed to finish the card, was an ink pad and stamps. I show you how easy this card was to create in today's blog."
Blog 942 - Cardmaking: Mannequin Dress Cut with Cricut
"In today's blog, we do something somewhat unusual. We use the petals, that we've cut with the Cricut, to create a skirt to put on a mannequin. This petal dress has a bodice that was also cut on the Cricut. We then use our stamps to put a couple of finishing touches on the project, but not before we have drawn the mannequin by hand."
Blog 943 - Cardmaking: Heart-Petal Flowers Cut with Cricut
"Heart shapes make some of the prettiest petals for flowers. That is exactly what we use to make today's card, but instead of using solid hearts, we us the outlines/borders of the hearts that we've cut using the Cricut Expression 2. A bit of stamping and some bling is all that is needed to put the finishing touches on the card."
Blog 944 - Cardmaking: Hearts on Edge Cut with Cricut
"We once again make use of the hearts we had cut, using the Cricut Expression 2, earlier. This time we arrange them every which way on the edge of a card to mimic the craziness of falling in love. We cut some coordinating paper strips to ground the hearts, before splashing it up with some rhinestones. I show you the tricks for making this card in today's blog."
Blog 945 - Cardmaking: Welcome Newborn Cut with Cricut
"I have a colleague who is expecting her firstborn, after years of struggling to carry a baby full term. The due date is around the corner and it is time to think of celebrating with the new mommy-to-be. What better excuse to make a special card with which to welcome their pink bundle of joy? I used the Cricut to cut the squares for this project."
Blog 946 - Cardmaking: Heartbeat Cut with Cricut
"For today's project, I use a single heart, cut on the Cricut cutter, to declare my love for someone special. Some string and a couple of strips of coordinating paper is all that I need to make this dramatic card successful. I do add a small gel sticker at the bottom of the card as well. This is done so that I can avoid adding complex wording, letting the image speak for itself."
Blog 947 - Art Journal: Rest In God's Provision
"I am on leave. It is a wonderful time of rest and silence after a very busy and hectic term loaded with conflict upon conflict. I have to marvel at the amount of conflict teachers are confronted with. It is conflict with the learners, conflict with the parents, the system, the school management team, and then, as if this wasn't enough, there are the internal conflicts with peers. I had to contemplate whether this was all worth it. Today's art journal is a comment on this. I suppose a shift in focus is necessary. I take my lesson from the birds."
Blog 948 - Art Journal: Celebrate Life & Mourn the Dead
"There seems to be a tendency these days to acquire accolades without putting in the hard work. We start this at school level already, when we give kids medals and trophies for simply participating, instead of motivating them to put in the discipline and to practice so that they can attain an award on merit. We do the same thing when we loose someone. Nowadays, we get invited to Life Celebrations, instead of a gathering of friends and family at the church after a funeral or cremation. It is as if we wish to skip the stages of grief and head right on to happiness, in the process neglecting to acknowledge our own feelings, or those of others. I contemplate this in today's art journal blog."
Blog 949 - Putting Water Mixable Oil Paints to the Test
"Today, I am putting a brand new medium to the test. Well, it is not a new medium altogether, but it is one that I have never used before, and therefore it is new to the blog as well. The medium I am referring to is Water Mixable Oil paint. The idea behind this product, is to make it possible for people who are sensitive to sharp odours, such as turpentine, to be able to use oil colours. It is a great product, as it makes it possible to work across mediums, into both acrylics and oils. But let me not give too much away. Today's blog is a technical one, in which I try to answer all the questions you may struggling with regarding this product."
Blog 950 - Water Mixable Oils: Guitar
Follow these links to previous Index Blogs:
Blogs 1-50
Blogs 51-100
Blogs 101-150
Blogs 151-200
Blogs 201-250
Blogs 251-300
Blogs 301-350
Blogs 351-400
Blogs 451-500
Blogs 501-550
Blogs 551-600
Blogs 601-650
Blogs 651-700
Blogs 701-750
Blogs 751-800
Melette Els (Clinical Social Work) can be contacted via the webpage www.m-e.co.za, or by email at melette.els@gmail.com, or by phone at 082 776 1536.
Melette Els B.A. (SocSc) M. (Th)
BHF Pr Nr.: 089 000 00 28754 SACSSP Reg.Nr.: 10-17310
Melette Els B.A. (SocSc) M. (Th)
BHF Pr Nr.: 089 000 00 28754 SACSSP Reg.Nr.: 10-17310
Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
You can follow Miekie's daily Bible Study blog, Bybel Legkaart, here in English & Afrikaans.
You may prefer to follow the traveling blog, A Pretty Tourist.
For more crafty ideas and great product reviews, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
If you are in a literary mood, follow Miekie's musings, stories and poetry on A Pretty Author - Miekie.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making life PRETTY.
You can subscribe to any of these blogs and receive regular updates by email. Simply register your email address at the top of the applicable blog.
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
You can follow Miekie's daily Bible Study blog, Bybel Legkaart, here in English & Afrikaans.
You may prefer to follow the traveling blog, A Pretty Tourist.
For more crafty ideas and great product reviews, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
If you are in a literary mood, follow Miekie's musings, stories and poetry on A Pretty Author - Miekie.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making life PRETTY.
You can subscribe to any of these blogs and receive regular updates by email. Simply register your email address at the top of the applicable blog.
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