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This is what I like to call a lazy DIY. You buy a pre-packaged kit with all the things you need and don't have to worry about running out of materials or buying too much and never using them again. 


A friend and I got this from Target to paint and gift to one of her friends who just had a baby. We thought it would be 1. a cute way to give a personalized gift, and 2. fun to paint, so it was my favorite kind of DIY: a practical one. There's one piece missing from the picture above- an elephant we decided to paint the baby's name onto.






this place is a zoo

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Finally learning how to use a sewing machine has made me sew happy (hehe), because it opens up so many more DIY possibilities. This social media-inspired pillow was made upon my brother's request, and I obliged only if he agreed to get the materials for me. He wanted to spruce up his apartment, and I guess this is what guys find aesthetically pleasing? 
 It makes a fun addition to any room for the technology-savvy person in your life!


Materials:
  • 1/2 yard blue fabric
  • white and blue sewing thread
  • 1 sheet of white felt
  • Poly-Fil pillow stuffing 
  • Sewing machine

1. Trace the Facebook logo onto your white felt. I made the logo almost the length of the whole sheet. Cut out the logo and be careful to not have any pen/pencil lines showing. Set aside.

2. Cut out 2 equally sized squares of fabric for your pillow. I made mine 13" x 13"

3. Using the sewing machine, sew the felt Facebook logo onto one piece of the fabric (using white thread). 

4. Place the 2 sheets of blue fabric together so that the side with the logo is facing the other piece of fabric. We will be sewing the edges like this because we will eventually flip it all inside out.

5. Sew 3 sides of the squares together using the sewing machine (blue or white thread). I gave myself 1" margins all around so the final product would be ~12" x 12". You should now basically have a big square pocket with only one side open.

6.  Sew the open side halfway. You don't want to sew the whole thing because you still need to stuff your pillow

7. Turn the pillow inside out. You should not be able to see any of the thread, and the logo should be facing outside now

 PS- if my sewing instructions are terrible, here is a good guide

8. Stuff the pillow to your desired fluff level

9. Using blue thread, hand sew the remaining open part with a hidden/blind stitch


 Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter-inspired pillows to come!

DIY Facebook pillow

Monday, August 10, 2015

With the alarming news that monarch butterfly populations are rapidly decreasing, I figured I could pay homage to these pretty creatures with a post featuring them. 


I used a combination of regular Prismacolor colored pencils and Prismacolor watercolor pencils. The watercolor pencils are like using watercolors (as the name would aptly suggest), but with the precision and control of a pencil. Simply sketch with the pencils using varying pressures (a light hand for a hint of color, and more pressure for more vibrant colors), dip a brush in water, and bleed out the colors.



I used a Chuck Close-inspired pattern with regular colored pencils that blended into areas where I used the watercolor pencils. The only downside to using the watercolor pencils is you have to be extra careful to never get water or raindrops on the piece.

The monarch butterfly

Thursday, August 6, 2015


This huge piece was inspired by a bouquet of anniversary roses that my dad had given my mom. The bouquet was so beautiful, and I wanted to try my hand at a new medium, so this was my first attempt at using Prismacolor Chisel/Fine Double-ended Art Markers.


 These markers, like almost everything else Prismacolor makes, were amazing. It's hard to explain- they are like markers but some colors are also transparent enough to layer, creating new colors. The entire bouquet was done with the markers in vertical lines. I found this was the easiest technique for me to use them while simultaneously exploring their versatility. I wish these markers were a little more affordable ($600 for a 200 ct. box), because they are so unlike anything I have ever used. I could go on and on about how much I love these markers, so I'll stop.

The rest of the piece, including the vase, table, and background of swirls was done using acrylic paint.




 

Roses are red

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

This piece was a still life I did using Prismacolor colored pencils. I also used multiple layers of different colors of paper to add contrast and more depth to the piece, using contrasting colored pencils as well. Because of the nature of the intentionally-imprecise work, it was a million times easier than doing a realistic piece. My favorite part in the drawing is actually not in the focus of the piece. I love the detail in the wood pattern of the table and pattern of the tablecloth.











glass + reflections in stainless steel

Monday, August 3, 2015

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