Craftsy Art Class Giveaway

Have you heard of Craftsy yet?

I've been given the opportunity to giveaway a Free Online Art Class on their website!  Hooray! These normally go for around $60, so this is a good deal.

I've also gotten access to a class for free... so I'm taking the Portraits in Watercolor class.   I just started it and it's awesome :)

Want a chance to win a Craftsy Art Class?  Just follow this link here:http://www.craftsy.com/ext/GrowCreative_CraftsyGiveaway  to sign up!

The giveaway starts today (June 28th) and ends next Friday (July 5th).  I'll announce and email the winner on July 5th.

Good luck my friends!

Blue Goose Feathers

Another feather painting....

I really had fun with this one.... it was so enjoyable to paint!  It's a delicate painting and I'm starting to realize that delicate is part of my style.  It's been hard for me to recognize my own painting style, but I think I'm starting to see it now :)

You can also see this painting in my shop  HERE.

Watermelon Hearts

One thing I look forward to every summer is the watermelon!  There are so many fun and tasty ways to enjoy it..... here's one that involves cookie cutters!

Materials:

Large Slice of Watermelon

Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter

Cutting Board

Step 1:  Place a large slice of watermelon on a cutting board and gently press a cookie cutter into the watermelon.

Step 2:  Take the cookie cutter out of the watermelon slice and remove the watermelon inside the cookie cutter.  Place the heart shaped watermelon on a plate and enjoy!

Photos of the Week

Oh summer... I live for this time of year!  These pics are from a walk we took over the weekend on the river trail.   Lots of bugs and lots of weeds, but it was still nice. The spiky weeds have these pretty purple flowers all over them that I couldn't stop taking shots of.

I'm still not sleeping that well, but at least I now have a nice massage chair to help my back muscles relax.  It has prevented a couple of migraines already!

Little Blue Bike

It's almost technically summer!  It's the perfect time to go for a bike ride......or to decorate your house with some bicycle art if you don't actually own a bike.  I'm in the boat of owning no such bikes, but hopefully one day.....

This painting makes me wish I had a pretty bike to ride somewhere cool... like the beach.  And then that makes me wish I lived on the beach..... so ya, I'll just keep on dreamin!

 You can also see this painting for sale here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/152563779/vintage-bike-with-basket-of-flowers-blue?ref=shop_home_active

Seven Petal Daisy Tutorial

Once you get into making crochet flowers, it's kind of hard to stop.  They're so cute and quick to make! Right now I'm loving these daisies.  They're a little more three dimensional than your typical crochet flowers.  

Here's a tutorial for you so you can get started making your own crochet daisies:

Seven Petal Daisy

Materials:

Any weight yarn

Any size crochet hook

Yarn needle

Ch 2, sl st in 2nd chain from hook to form a ring.

Round 1:  Ch 1, 6 sc in ring, sl st into ch1 to join (7sc).

Round 2:  Ch 4, 1 sc into 2nd chain from hook, 1 dc in next ch, 1 hdc into last ch, sl st into next sc of round 1.

Repeat 6 more times to make 7 petals total.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Want to print this pattern?  You can print a PDF of this pattern HERE.

P.S.  I just signed up on BlogLovin... just click the following link (or the button in my sidebar) to follow my blog there:  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Fresh Orange Strawberry Popsicles

My son and I have been experimenting with homemade popsicles again and we discovered another yummy combination........ pureed strawberries and fresh orange juice!

Here's the recipe:

Fresh Orange Strawberry Popsicles

Ingredients:

4 oranges

8-10 strawberries

2 Tbsp sugar

Directions: 

Juice the oranges and strain the juice.  Add 1 Tbsp sugar and mix well. Set aside in a refrigerator.

Wash strawberries and pick off stems.  Puree them in a blender or food processor.  Blend in 1 Tbsp sugar.

Pour strawberry puree into popsicle molds to fill the bottom half of the molds.  Place in freezer for about 1 hour.  Take out popsicle molds and pour orange juice mixture to fill the molds.  Place popsicle sticks or popsicle mold handles into the molds and freeze for an additional 2 hours.  

Run the molds under hot water for about 30 seconds to get the popsicles out of the molds.  Then all that's left to do is to sit outside on the back porch and enjoy them!

Photos of the Week

The cherries on my tree are just about ready to eat... yum!

It's been a rough couple of days.  Not much sleep for reasons I don't understand.  Sometimes my body just won't let me sleep and it's frustrating.  Today I'm taking it easy and watching movies at home.  My amazing husband is taking his own vacation time to help me out with the little guy too.  I couldn't make it without my husband :)

Soda Pop Vases

Ok, so using old bottles as vases is not a new idea, but I think my Alliums look amazing in the soda pop bottles I saved from last Christmas. 

 These flowers were a happy surprise that popped up in my back yard this year.  They didn't come up last year when we first bought this house, so I had no idea they were there.  Sweet!  I wish that would happen more often :)

My Little Geraniums

I've already written about one of my favorite flowers (geraniums), but it isn't enough for me to just look at them.... I had to paint them too!

I love how this painting looks in this little white frame! I may have to hang it in my art room for a while, at least until it sells.  It's up for sale in my Etsy Shop!

Thrifted Breakfast Tray Makeover

Are you one of those people that love having breakfast in bed?  I am, for sure! 

 I had been hunting for a breakfast tray for just such a reason, when I found this one at the thrift store (sorry I didn't take a before photo).  It was brown with some sad looking patterned paper modge-podged to the bottom.  I had to rescue it and claim it for my own.... and it only cost $4!

I ripped off the old paper, sanded it, and repainted it with the left-over paint from my art room.  Then I free-handed a flower design in acrylic paints, sanded some paint back,  and finished it off with some polyurethane.  I've already put this to good use for breakfast and my son likes to take it out in the backyard for picnics too!

Photos of the Week

"Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers

You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers"

Guess that song?  It's an older one... but probably not considered an "oldie" yet.   I was listening to it as I walked around my neighborhood in my new running shoes.  The last time I bought new running shoes was in 2005- yikes!  Tells ya how much I haven't exercised in the last 8 years!  

While I can't really run yet (every time I try I end up with a migraine), I still love walking.  This is the most beautiful time of year and even though I don't live in the nicest neighborhood, it still has some beauty.  I'll just say that older homes have character :)