Welcome to my little corner of the world.
Pull up a chair and let's get going!
I love my creative time! and I guard it well.
I create, I photograph, I draw, I paint,
because, it is part of my soulful adventure.
I love to combine exciting artistic aspects and share decoupage, altered art and card making projects.
I love to combine exciting artistic aspects and share decoupage, altered art and card making projects.
“as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
-Nelson Mandela
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| painting at an art festival! |
I'm living my Artful Life!
my passion is to create, to teach, to share, and;
to inspire others towards their creativity.
"A Woman was born to create...in creating she becomes herself, accomplishes her destiny.
Her whole life is only an initiation into creative power.
To create is not merely to produce a work...it is to give out ones own individuality."
-Jeanne De Vietinghoff
May you be inspired to
"Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink in the wild air!"
Ralph Waldo Emerson. A little about Me...I am a life long crafter. As kid I was the "artsy" one, as an adult I still am. I like to create things and started this blog not only as a way to share ideas and connect with other crafters, but as a way to make sure I'm at least a little crafty each day.
The purpose of this Page is to share the Inspiration with you on my most recent projects and hopefully as they unfold. Unlike my gallery, this page will give you an opportunity to view works in many stages of the creative process from beginning to end.
So I hope you check back often leave a comment and Enjoy the process....make your day a Creative day!
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May 20th,20l2 on the eve of the Gemini new moon and solar eclipse I have been busy painting a wooden bench my husband and son put together for me. I love it! It is a bench and then you pull a lever and it is a picnic table! going to put it in the front yard to paint and draw or just sit and get Inspiration! Ahh Inspiration is all around us if we are looking. Where do you get it? For me it comes from Mother Nature. I step outside and see the brilliant blue of the coastal sky, the different colors of green among the leaves on the same branch of a tree.
In my creative and artful way of life, I have found that it really helps for me to get out of the house, and it is a MUST to get off the computer (it tends to suck me in...I have started using a timer to schedule my time! lol) and walking outside is when I look for Inspiration......
I am making time every week to take mini field trips to what I call "my places". My "places" are about 10 locations within a 10-20 minute walk or drive, they are places that I know I will always find color and inspiration. From my front yard to the local park, to the sanctuary, to the beach, to a construction site, to the horse barn, I alternate visiting my favorite places each week. Recently I spent the day at one of my favorite places ~~ the beach.
I hope by sharing more of my own process when it comes to seeking inspiration and how I apply it to my own work- my wish and hope that maybe it will inspire you to get creative!
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This craft clay is easy to make, but requires the use of the stove, make sure the little ones are supervised when making this craft!
now to gather up your supplies, Here's what you'll need...
• 1 box baking soda (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 11/2 cups water
• Sauce pan
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Plastic wrap
And here's how you make it...
1. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring consistently, until it is too thick to stir with a spoon.
2. Cool for 15 minutes, or until the dough is cool enough to touch. Now comes the fun part!!! Knead it for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. great stress reliever and it's still warm...lovely, (you can add any of your essential oil to for a heavenly scent!) You must keep the dough wrapped in plastic to keep it fresh.
Once you have molded it, it will take 1-2 days for the clay to dry. The length of time depends on how thick your craft is: If it is a flat ornament, it may only take 1 day, if it is thick it will take much longer. I have painted with acrylic craft paints on this clay.
Pictures to come!!!
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Seashell Ornaments!
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| Sea Shell ornaments...I am always collecting sea shells and sea glass on the beach and finding some really cool ones I wanted to display them in a unique way. I am also getting ready for Christmas and these make great ornaments but I also love to display in a basket year round to remind me of my beach vacations... So I am gathering my supplies & let you see the finished projects soon... *************************************************************************************** I Love the Beach! 
Here is my first video on utube, it's alot harder than you think! I am so impressed by all the other people that do this all the time! I would like to thank my daughter for filming for me.
I grew up in Florida and now being back I love my walks on the beach! Expecially during a full moon. Beautiful! Whenever we went on vacation we were off to the beach and bringing back treasures from the sea. You can see me walking along in the waves now that I am back living in Florida with my red bag picking up seashells...and I have buckets...yes buckets, baskets, bowls, pots....ect, ect,ect...of seashells...I go on walks on the beach and I always say to myself "self, no shells today you have plenty at home"...but then I started collecting flat rocks to paint my animal totem rocks and then driftwood... Oh well I don't listen to myself very well......!!!  Here are some of my completed shells ornaments 
Another Beach Ornament idea I did for friends this year...Filled a glass balls with sand and sea shells.
It's super easy and makes a perfect gift for your favorite beach lover!!!I am also selling these on my etsy account if you are interested in ordering. www.etsy.com/shop.brendanickolaus *************************************************************************************** In honor of national recycling day....November 15th 2011 and all year really! Gather you supplies and get creative!  I love the color of silver and tin cans...I just love the rustic look of them and this is so supper easy to do with the kids to get them thinking of other things they can make and do... **************************************************  I am working on some gift giving ideas for the holidays coming up.
I painted this candle holder for my daughter - she love, loves, loves owls. I based coated the tera cotta pot with light brown and then the cute little owls are all in a row around the sides. and then flipped it over with the lid on top for a candle. so excited to see if she likes it....
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October 31st, wishing everyone a very Happy Halloween, I have been busy getting ready for Halloween at work. We have an enchanted trail for the trick or treaters and I am Mother Nature, so getting some great ideas for them to craft in the theather with me. Also decorating with flowers and green garlands...ect...it needs to look magical of course! I needed some pumpkins so I painted some pumkins, Robert cut them out and now to add the paint. What do you think???? cute right??? and made some witchy cards below.
I'm always sad to see October go, but happy for what November represents and encourages us to think about and celebrate.
Such a lovely and loving time of year.
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Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas gift? NO!! If you’re planning to do handmade Christmas gifts this year, check out this simple and inexpensive, easy gift idea to get your gift giving ideas rolling.
To Make a Decorated Candle
supplies: tissue paper, selected stamp, stamp pad, embossing pad, 6″ red pillar candle, heat embossing tool, wax paper longer than the candle(used as a handle)
1. Using your rubber stamp, stamp on the tissue paper, you can use regular stamp or emboss the image.
2. cut your tissue paper to fit your candle
3. wrap the wax paper, wrap around the candle and hold the left over as a handle.
4.using your embossing tool, *be careful not to burn yourself!*
5. repeat all the way around the candle. cut off excess length, as needed.
6. wrap candle in tissue, cellophane, or paper. attached ribbon or a scrap strip of fabric along with a gift tag.
and there you go! a GREAT little gift for Teachers, Neighbors, Friends, your Mailman, etc! easy and inexpensive!
let’s chat!
***have you started making Christmas gifts yet? If so, what have you made? If not, what are you going to make?***
(check out Stamp TV for a video and utube has some more ideas.)
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I love the prize give away at The Kraft Journal.click here to get all the details. They are giving away a Inspiration play pack! So fun!!! More things to play with at the The Kraft Journal, I have been rubberstamping for awhile and have been home with a back injury, so been pulling out all my "stuff". Just a special thanks for all the inspiration on your blog! **************************************************************************************** August 28th....So I have been home for 2 weeks with a herniated disk in my lower back. The first week too much pain to move, to think, to craft, but feeling better and motivated to get my crafts out. I thought I would try some of the things I have on my list of to do's or to try and thought I would share this one with you! I think it turned out great! and really very easy to do.  To stamp on tiles you need to have the right tools. I used the Stazon ink. It is waterproof, and no other ink, that I know of, will work for this technique. The tiles I used are Travertine tiles, they are not completely smooth like I said before.  It's always a good idea to use a 4x4" square cardstock to plan what you want to stamp first. This will save you the frustration of stamping on a tile and not liking it. Make sure you use a cloth to get your tiles clean and ready to recieve the ink. Be sure your Stazon is fully inked, you always want to start with a nice juicy pad. (tip, store pads upside down so ink will be on the top when you are ready to stamp!) Once you stamp and color your tiles, then it's time to add the felt feet. (I got some at home depot.) by adding felt or cork to the bottom it will protect your furniture.  What do you think??????????? ************************************************************************************** ***"Follow your creative whims, they lead you not astray, for as you follow, you will be lead - to the truest bounty - the richest being Love ~" *"The Guides For Truth" - Connie Bowen* ** ***************************************************************************************** Garden Stepping Stones
This is a great activity for the kids to do for the garden. Get them to gather up the trinkets, seashells, sea glass and marbles they have been saving to decorate concrete stepping stones for your garden. Below are the easy step-by-step instructions, you can make it an annual family tradition, and eventually you’ll have a garden path full of memories!
How-to Materials:
Newspaper
1 Pie tin per stone
Rubber gloves
Cooking spray
Decorative items
Bag of ready-mix concrete*Tip: Concrete can be purchased very cheaply at your local hardware store in anywhere from 10 to 80-pound bags. If you plan on making only a few stepping stones, the smallest bag should be enough.
Bucket
Paint stick or old serving spoon
Sealant (optional)
Instructions
1.Working outside, if possible, cover your work area with newspaper.
2.Spray the pie tins with cooking spray, and set aside.
3.Organize your decorative items to get an idea of how you want to design your stones,shells ect...
4.Put on gloves, and mix the concrete in the bucket, following the package instructions, using your paint stick or spoon to stir.
Tip: Here’s a good rule of thumb for mixing, measuring and knowing when the concrete is ready: Push the paint stick or spoon handle into the mixture and pull it out. If it holds the indentation of the stick without the concrete running back together, it’s ready to decorate. If it’s too runny, add more concrete. If it’s too dry, add more water.
5.Spoon or pour the concrete into the tins, and shake lightly side-to-side. Tap the bottom gently on a hard surface to remove air bubbles.
6.Let the concrete set in the tins for about 30 minutes, so it firms well enough to hold the trinkets. You don’t want them to sink to the bottom!
7.Gently push the decorative items into the concrete far enough so that they’re even with the top of the stone.
8.Let the stones dry for 2-3 days, then gently pop them out of the molds. Apply sealant for a protective coating.
More Decorative Ideas: Seashells, Tile pieces•Beach glass,Beads•Handprint or footprint•Paw print •Leaf or flower print•Use a stick to draw a picture or write your name and the date
June 2011
 I went to office max and got some of those black and white composition books for $1.00 to decorate! (now with back to school supplies everywhere they are selling at .40 cents yes .40cents....such a deal...) I love all my paperscraps and I pulled them all together and designed the ones above. I had fun decorating them and personalizing them...and I even made some for gifts!!!
March 14th, 2011
It is Springtime, The clocks have sprang forward and I have been out planting my favorite flowers, pansies, forget me knots and geraniums. And I went to check on my fairy rose and it made it through the cold here is south Florida. I did loose my big firebush out front but it is growing from the bottom fresh shoots are popping up, so in time it will be full again. Time to trim it back so there is room for the new growth.
I have been pinching back some of the flowers and pressing them for crafts. I love using the flowers and leaves pressed in my paper card crafts. 
This is a great way to add dimension and texture to your cards!
1. Cut an 18-24-inch piece of ribbon. (You'll need a longer piece for wider ribbon, and less for narrow ribbon.)
2. Fold the ribbon in the center in the shape of an "L."
3. Fold the end that is underneath over the top along the edge of the other end.
4. Flip the ribbon over so it is easier to work with.
5. Repeat step 3, alternating ribbon ends until you have about an inch of tail left.
6. Pinch the ends together and release the rest of the ribbon
7. Still holding ends together, gently pull on one tail to gather up the ribbon.
8. Reposition petals; adhere ends with a glue dot. Trim.
Now you have a beautiful ribbon rose to add to any of your creations. Just thinking of all the colors I can make!!! have fun!
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March 1st,2011 did you know that the WHOLE month of March is National Craft Month?! :) How exciting!
******************************************************************************************* Feb 19th,2011 - Upcycled Organizers With a new year we get a fresh start to get our lives more organized. And if your organizers are free (and cute) it’s even better! This project uses castaways from your recycle bin and things you already have in your home. Feb. 8th, 2011 Nowadays with e-mail being so popular, receiving cards makes everyone feel special. Instead of buying a card, try making your own unique card to show that person how much they mean to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started! Feb 1st, 2011 - Here are 3 easy Just because gifts in time for Valentines Day too! 1. I just covered a tic tac container front and back. I used a butterfly stamp and popped it on to a piece of designer series paper. 2. The gum is easy too! I covered the outside of the gum box using designer series paper. Then I used the stamp "U Rock" from "It's a Sign" stamp set. Then I wrapped our 5/8 inch red ribbon around the gum package only so it slides out when you pull on it. Super fun! 3. This last treat is called a Sour Cream container. Does anyone remember these from Wendies? I think some places still use them. Well, they are super easy to make. You need a sheet of paper 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. Put a piece of sticky tape on one side (longer side). Now roll the paper just like a toilet paper roll. Now take one of the open ends and pinch it together after placing stickytapeon it. and Fill with candy or jewlery(just saying). Next, pinch the other end together the opposite way. Last, Crimp the ends for a professional look. Now you use your imagination and embellish with stamps, buttons, ribbon, etc.... |
