What I've Painted Wednesday • My Paper Bomb

Hey guys! Here's my first #whativepaintedwednesday! And also my first ever piece for a painting class. I thought that would be appropriate, although the following paintings for sure won't be in order. I promise I'm not that OCD, haha.  So this piece was done for my Painting 1 class, years back. We had to include a paper sack/bag into the painting some way or another.  I always like these kinds of challenges.  They tend to become very personal.  This piece also had to do with us or describe us in some way.  I remember coming up with the idea, but trying to push it to the back of my mind while looking for something else.  That sometimes doesn't work, as once I have an idea, I just have to create it.  It's a need.  But that's just me.

This painting is about me personally keeping it all in, everything.  Every single feeling, emotion, words, anything and everything, until I just can't. That's how I felt, as if I would just explode like a bomb.  That's how I felt back them.  Of course now I've gotten better.  I've learned ways to deal with things and how to take out my stress and frustration, and worries in a healthy way.

The ribbon in this piece is not only there because I'm known for wearing ribbon on my hair, but also to represent or symbolize the real me. That's always there all along and not lost, I decided to use purple for no apparent reason. It once was my favorite color, but while painting this I just identified with the color.  I did this same thing in a self portrait back in a high school project where I sewed purple thread into the black and white painting.
I later found out a purple ribbon is also worn to raise awareness of several causes including epilepsy, of which I suffered from until about the age of 15. Coincidence? I think not.

Through some of my upcoming paintings you'll be able to see that the background of my pieces tends to be one color with no actual background to the picture. It's as if the object is floating in the air and I've thought about this several times.  I  do this without even thinking. I get an idea and think only of that object or scene, but not of what's happening around it.

I really enjoyed this project and will maybe continue with more pieces for some sort of series.


♥Angie 

What I've Painted Wednesday -

I've decided to start a #whativepaintedwednesday segment with some of my past paintings! Each week I'll be posting a new piece up and talking more in depth about it: the process of completing it, the thinking process behind each one, and any other extras I come up with.
Of course, I'll still be adding more DIYs and all sorts of posts during the week, but Wednesdays will most likely be for older painting projects.
Expect it really soon! I can't wait!

♥Angie

Centerpieces

Flowers, flowers, flowers! Ahhhh! it seems like this year I'm just obsessed! I've liked anything floral since I can remember, but this year, it's hit to the top!
So the months of April and beginning of May were very busy ones. I started working on some centerpieces for an event at our church. I was happy with how they came out, and most of all they were very inexpensive.

All of the materials were bought from different dollar stores including: the Dollar Tree and Just a Dollar.  (Not going to lie, I go in there probably 2-3 times a week. Just because. You can find so many cute things in there for "Just a Dollar.")

So I've had to do this years before, making centerpieces and such for this event. This year I got to thinking about it and right after I had my mind set on what I was going to do.  It came to me that it's really interesting how every year my ideas are pretty different. And that I mean I could just do the same thing year after year and no one would say a thing.  But no. My mind is set, and I must do something different. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. People have told me.  I hate to admit it, but they are right. 

So this year and the past I quickly went to Pinterest and started searching for ideas. I even made a board on just Centerpieces for if I needed to refer back for some more inspiration.  My pins are a bit all over the place usually, only I know why I add them to their new little home. 

Well after quite a bit of trips to the dollar store, I decided on either a normal clear vase or a cool striped glass.  The colors for this anniversary were hot pink and black. I knew when I saw the striped glass that was going to be my pick, but the indecisive person in me still took pictures of both items and went home to think on it.

I had the idea of adding some sort of sparkle to the top rim of the glass to conceal the stems of the flowers.  I headed to the dollar section of Michael's and bought some glitter dust.  I actually went a little crazy and bought more than I needed... I ended up using only one tube after doing 13 centerpieces! So I've ended up with a bunch of glitter bottles, and I'm storming ideas of what to use them in.  I've already done iPhone cases with them which come out great! I did one for my mom and she says she's gotten soo many compliments for it! They are so simple too!

Okay, back to the centerpieces, I can get a little excited sometimes and just start rambling about other things;) So I decided to fill the glasses with shredded foil paper. What I should have done thought, looking back is buy just one sample and test it out. Because I kid you not, I literary just went and bought everything just with the picture I had in my head.  I like the over all look of them, but I do wish I had planned out the inside a little more, maybe done the whole inside with glitter? Then I probably would have used up all the glitter I bought. haha. That's a good idea for next year! But I still like how they turned out.

I also sprayed the flowers with my new best friend, glitter spray in the color silver. Guys, I've fallen in love with that stuff! A few months back I went with my sister to Walmart to buy some spray paints for her welding class she's taking in high school and she bought the red glitter.  Well, while I was working on the other centerpieces (Ta-ta-taaan!! you'll love them, everyone else sure did!) Well, like I'll mention later in another post the flowers to the other centerpiece just needed something. Something. My mom and sister mentioned maybe a little glitter somewhere, now I swear to you - I've never used this much glitter in my life! But it seems to be a reoccurring theme these past months. So as I added the spray to the second centerpiece, I realized theses were wanting some as well.

Let's get on with this quick tutorial:
Supplies:
Silk flowers
vase or stripped glass
Metallic Foil Shreds (buy here)
glitter
Modge Podge
Glitter Blast Silver Spray (buy here)

Instructions:
It's very simple and self explanatory. I first coated the top of the glass with Modge Podge, (I started taping off where I wanted the strip of glitter to end, but after the second glass I realized it was much easier and less of a hazzle for me to just go ahead and do without the tape). I then sprinkled the glue with glitter until it was all coated, and waited for it to dry.  Once dry, I added another layer of Modge Podge to the strip of glitter to seal it and make sure none of the glitter would fall off. Lastly, I filled the glass with the shredded foil and added the flowers, making sure the stems didn't show through ( personal preference).

It's that easy! And let me tell you, after the service was over and we were putting them away, I decided to go ahead and let people take them with them as little party favors. They were gone in seconds! Even several people asked  if we had more, that made me really happy.

Now, don't you just love the newspaper? How about a game of Sudoku while the glitter dries?



Love ya lots,
♥Angie

Red, White & Blue!

Happy Birthday America!  I just love how this video of fireworks turned out! Yesterday was pretty awesome.  A total family day. Mom made some homemade delicious burgers with pineapple... I want more!

We also had sooo much yummy fruit, which is a staple in our house, we cannot live without it.
The day was pretty calm, then in the evening the sis and I went to the fairgrounds to enjoy the activities and of course the fireworks.

I had a great time over all, I had the chance to watch a Roller Derby game, which I never had before. Then, the Historic Fly Over took place about half and hour after the game.

The salute to the Veterans was next. Lastly the fireworks, where we got a really great spot to watch! It seriously was magical.

I hope you all had a great Fourth of July with your loved ones and had yourselves some yummy food!

Love ya lots,

♥Angie

Here I go, My first post!

"To Draw, You Must Close Your Eyes And Sing." -Pablo Picasso (probably my favorite quote of all time)

So I've been wanting to start a blog for a while now, and I finally got the guts to do it!

I love to create. Making things with my hands. I feel it is my purpose in life. It has always been a very spiritual thing for me, to paint.  I know that without God I wouldn't have this talent, or anything else for that matter.  But mostly I know that if I wasn't doing it for Him, nothing would turn out right. I first discovered this amazing feeling when I finished a mural at our church, it is about 24 feet in width and took me two days to complete it.

I also like to sew. Ahhhh. It's a new thing I've been working on for the past couple of years.  When I received two, yes TWO sewing machines in perfect condition from a complete stranger! I knew it was meant to be. I recently opened an Etsy shop where I sell things I've sewn, like scarves and jeans I've turned into denim skirts. In case you want to check it out here.

I feel a complete satisfaction while working on something, I love to stay busy.  So may it be painting, sewing, or any of my projects for around the house or church, you'll see a glimpse and much more of it all here. Enjoy!

Love ya lots!

♥Angie