Tag Archives: arts and crafts

Jan3

A Very Madea Craft

Posted on January 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!!! This past Halloween, Johnny and I watched “Boo! A Madea Halloween” for shits and gigs. Little did we know, we would end up LIVING for the Madea franchise and have worked our way through almost the entire collection over our holiday break. What can we say, we love Tyler Perry in a mumu! During one of our viewings, we noticed a welcome sign outside of Madea’s home that says “Hellur” and I decided I wanted to make one for our apartment. So, we went to Walmart, purchased supplies, and went home to watch more Madea movies as I painted away. I’m not the most crafty gal in the world, but I think I nailed it! Check it out:

It has been a long while since I have crafted anything and it felt really good to make this sign and bask in its awesomeness. I am SO proud of how it turned out and it made me happy to hear Johnny’s raving compliments as I completed my project. I created my own little painting station on the floor with a trash bag as a tarp, prepared my paints and water, and paper towel then painted the base of my sign yellow. My goal was to make this sign as close to the one in the movie as possible. We also plan on making a goth version of it in black, red, and white. Johnny already spray painted the base of his, but I have a feeling I will have to do the painting portion lol.

Once the yellow paint had dried, it was time to get started on the pattern. I started with the leaves going around the sides of the sign, which was most helpful. This allowed me to set up the space for the flowers on the top and bottom and the “Hellur” smack dab in the middle. The leaves were easy peasy, but I definitely ran into some difficulty with the flowers. Despite how simple they look, mine just wasn’t going accordingly to plan. The extra colors in the petals gave me the most trouble and my first attempt ended up looking so muddled that I had to cover it up with yellow paint.

As I waited for my “whoops” coat to dry, I had to figure out what to do next because I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied with my second go at the flowers if I tried again. Rather than another attempt to replicate them, I switched gears and went for roses instead. As the paint dried, I practiced the technique to make watercolor roses. Of course, this is much different with acrylic paint but it was basically the same idea. This was much more like it and I love how it turned out! The roses were a time consuming process and it was well worth it. I loved how it added my own personal touch to the sign!

After the flowers were done, all that was left to do was paint a big, friendly “Hellur” and let the sign dry. This painting costed me less than fifteen dollars in supplies and it is one of my favorite things that I have ever made. I can’t wait to hang it up in the apartment!

What is your favorite Madea movie? Have you made any crafts recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep10

Watercolor Weeping Willow Pt. 2

Posted on September 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! This past Tuesday, I spent a lovely afternoon painting with my mom. I wanted to revisit doing a watercolor weeping willow to see if I could improve upon my last one. Like my last effort, I am not especially pleased with what I came up with. However, I do think there were a lot of things on an individual basis that were good. The big picture was just meh, though. Take a look at my latest watercolor creation and I’ll tell you what I did like about it:

What bothers me the most about this picture is that I didn’t get full weeping willow vibes from it. I think it’s actually a pretty decent tree, but it wasn’t the tree I wanted lol! I do like the trunk that I made quite a bit and I thought that the color I mixed up for it was great. I also am a fan of the overall color palette that I established. To achieve it, I did a lot of mixing of greens, yellows, blues, and browns. It’s a lot of fun to create your own colors and see what you come up with!

The thing that I am happiest with about this weeping willow is that I think I am getting a more firm grasp on creating the signature “tendrils”. For my other attempt, I did a lot of brush strokes that weren’t blended the best. This time around, I did a really light base coat over the tree and patted it dry. Then, I painted waterlines and applied some paint to the very top of the line. After I had my trail of water, I held the paper up and let the paint run down. This was the closest I got to a tendril and I think that I’ll be onto something if I do smaller waterlines the next time. 😀

As with all of my watercolor paintings, this “weeping willow” is not the best. It doesn’t have to be, though! It’s always nice to spend time painting with my mom and after every sesh, I have new ideas to try. The outcome wasn’t successful, but the fact I tried and am more than willing to try again is a GREAT SUCCESS!!

What is your favorite kind of tree? What should I try painting next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug12

Watercolor Weeping Willow

Posted on August 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! Watercolor painting is something my mom and I really enjoy and it has been a minute since our last painting sesh. Flowers are, admittedly, the only thing we have been painting and I decided to try something different when we painted this Tuesday. I wanted to try my hand at a weeping willow! As always when I have just painted something, I am never particularly thrilled with it. However, this was my first go at anything but a flower and I feel pretty good about attempt number one:

To begin, I assembled my palette with different green, brown, and yellow watercolor paint. Then, I sketched a super rough outline with some assistance from Google Images. I started with the grass and I actually love how that turned out, then moved onto the branches. To do this, I painted the branches with water alone and then added color to the wet paper. I do like the trunk and the placement of the branches, but the upper ones got muddled when I painted the leaves. As always, it was because I was impatient!

When I painted the leaves, I started from the top down and painted the top with water then color and brought it down in thinner strokes. I think that the idea was right, but the execution was wrong. Like the branches, the colors got murky at the top. And, yes, it was because I was impatient! I should have allowed for drying time and I didn’t – especially when I was introducing new colors.

I definitely want to give the weeping willow another shot and next time, I will give myself enough time to give the painting drying time. I like the colors I used so I am not going to change that. I also like that there were areas of white within the painting too, which was a recommendation from a watercolor teacher. I’m excited to see my next painting in comparison to this one because I know there will be at least some improvement. I’m proud of myself for trying something new!

Watercolor painting is a nice reminder of try and try again and I can’t wait to paint again with my mom. I branched out with my weeping willow (See what I did there?) and it’s not the best. But, it’s the best one I have painted yet! 🙂

What is your favorite medium of art? What is your favorite plant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul6

Watercolor Pansies

Posted on July 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! My mom and I really enjoy watercolor painting and it is such a fun and different medium of art to work with. With all of the craziness going on in both of our lives, we haven’t been able to paint as often as we would like. In fact, the last time we painted together was back in March! During that painting session, I tried my hand at pansies and was pretty pleased with the outcome as I had never tried it before.

This past week, we finally got to paint together and I decided to pick up where I left off with pansies. I wasn’t as happy as I was with the ones you’re about to see as the previous effort. However, I hadn’t painted in months and we all have to start (again) somewhere! Check out the image I was trying to pull from and my attempts:

After sketching out a basic outline for each flower, I began painting the top right pansy. Obviously, it was a bit of a bust and my mistake was being impatient AF. I gave no time for literally anything to sit and the blob flower became a muddled mess. I was feeling frustrated because my previous pansies were not the best but certainly not the worst and this one just sucked lol. So, I had to regroup, take a breath, and remember that patience is a virtue in life and especially with watercolor!

For the following flowers, I tried really hard to take my time and use the paints and water to my advantage. I also channeled the advice from a previous watercolor teacher to use areas of no paint within what you are working on too. The next flower I attempted was the one in the bottom left and I still wasn’t feeling it, but it was getting closer. Then, I had a brain blast and remembered how I did my original pansies!

The first time I painted pansies, I did a rough outline and then started in the middle. I began with the yellow center and line detailing and waited for it to dry. Then, I applied a light wash of paint, blotted it, and moved onto the next color. I used my original method for the middle right pansy and was much happier with how it turned out. There was even some areas of white to accent the red and orange too. That was much more like it and I ended my painting session feeling satisfied with the top left, two middle, and bottom right pansies.

I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed with how my pansies turned out. But, I reminded myself that it was a great first go after an over three month long hiatus. After I shook away the blahs, I felt motivated to paint more so I never have to restart my progress again. I can’t wait for my next painting session with my mom!

What helps motivate you after a disappointment? Have you tried any new artistic ventures recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul5

Homemade Rose Oil

Posted on July 5, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!!!! Way back in the day, I used to really enjoy making homemade bath and body care like scrubs, shower gels, and lip balms. It has been SO long since I have done that but it was always a blast! This past week, I decided to revisit one of my old hobbies by making some rose oil with petals from a gorgeous bouquet at my mom and dad’s house. It was insanely easy and, even though I wasn’t too fond of the smell, it was an amazing addition to my bubble bath. No thanks to the bath fizzy from Bath & Body Works that you all read about yesterday! Let’s get to it:

Step By Step:

I made my rose oil by following directions from a surprising source – an article posted by HGTV! Directions for making rose water were also included and I might try that next with the remaining flowers from the bouquet I used. A rose oil concoction went a little something like this:

Step One: Tear or shred your petals. For mine, I took several at a time and tore them in half.

Step Two: Pour a cup of oil into a jar with the petals. Jojoba and grapeseed oil were recommended, but I didn’t have any. However, they mentioned that olive oil would work well too so that is what I used.

Step Three: Bring a few inches of water to a raging boil and remove from heat. Place your jar of oil and petals in afterwards until the water cools.

Step Four: Place your jar in front of a sunny window and let it sit for 24 hours.

Step Five: The next day, remove your petals from the jar and squeeze out all of the oil you can from them. To do this, I started pouring the oil with the lid slightly on into another jar. Once a majority of the oil was removed, I used a spoon to press the petals and store the excess.

Easy peasy, right?! Making homemade rose oil was a quick and fun project and I was really pleased with the results. I poured some of my rose oil in the bath tub and it was so lux and lovely. Yes, it was a freaking pain to clean up the oil slick tub after my soak. BUT my skin felt fantastic and it still does several days later. I have noticed a huge difference in the softness of my skin and it feels nourished and healthy. I can’t wait to use it again during my next bath time self care sesh!

Concocting your own rose oil is a wonderful way to bring a second life to roses from your garden or a bouquet. Once again, you can view the directions that I followed here. Tune in tomorrow on lifewithlilred for more flowery vibes as we take a look at my first watercolor painting I have done in a minute!

What is your favorite flower? Do you like to make any crafts or bath and body care with flowers? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar20

Watercolor Flowers

Posted on March 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! My mom, sister, and I learned the joys of watercolor painting after taking a class together last July. It was so much fun and it inspired my mom and I to take it up as a hobby. I even treated all of us to an at home class last month as an early birthday gift for my mom! During our at home class, our wonderful teacher conducted a painting session on roses and I am so proud of my mom for her dedication to practicing watercolor in her downtime. This past week, I was finally able to paint with her during a visit and decided to see what I could remember of painting roses. I also tried my hand at pansies! Check it out:

I like to fancy myself as a creative person in terms of writing, fashion, and figure skating. However, I have never considered myself an artistic person until trying watercolor painting; I can barely draw a stick figure! Quitting my day job for a career in painting is not in my future, but I feel proud of myself whenever I paint anything and it doesn’t turn out awful. At the end of the day, I am trying something new and enjoying myself and that’s the most important thing.

A month had gone by since learning how to paint roses and while I definitely need a refresher, I felt pretty good about the two I made on the first page. The red one is my favorite! In fact, I was having so much fun painting with my mom that I wanted to try something completely new: Pansies. Pansies are one of my favorite flowers and they always remind me of my grandma, who would tend to beautiful window boxes filled with them. The variety of colors and delicate petals speak to me and I know that spring has officially sprung when I start to see them at stores!

To start, I tried to paint a pansy from memory and that didn’t go too hot. A reference picture was a must and I found some great drawings of pansies that were most helpful for my next attempts. Although none of the paintings I tried on the second page look perfectly pansy, I could kind of see it. I also felt like I got a decent grasp on what must be done to improve for next time and that’s good enough for me! I am especially pleased with the one in the top right as well as the flower directly below it. While I love taking watercolor classes, it was an extra feather in my cap to try something brand new all by myself!

I can’t wait to paint again with my mom and am looking forward to giving pansies another go. Practice makes perfect, amiright?!

What is your favorite medium of art to work with? In what ways are you creative or artistic? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb16

At Home Watercolor Painting Class

Posted on February 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hey!! Way back in July of last year, I took a watercolor painting class with my mom and sister and it was so much fun. It was a blast to spend time together learning something new and we had a great teacher – the amazing Ana of Falcon Grove Studio. After a long and highly stressful handful of months, I decided that we could all use a treat. So, I had Ana come to the family home to teach a watercolor masterclass to my mom, Kristen, Val Gal, and me. We passed a wonderful afternoon getting back in touch with our creative sides as Ana guided us through some Valentine’s Day projects. Take a look at mine:

For our class, we worked on painting roses which used a lot of techniques that were new to us. It has been a long while since I painted watercolor because the shit had hit the fan and I was definitely rusty, as you can see. BUT it was still really fun and it was cool to have the class from the kitchen table! Ana is such a knowledgeable, patient, and kind teacher and it was special to have her do a class just for us. Our roses might not have turned out the best, but everything was coming up roses all afternoon as we painted.

After finally painting watercolor again, my mom and I remembered why we enjoyed it so much in the first place. We are both looking forward to retrying our hand at the roses this week when I bring my supplies over during an afternoon off. I think it’s safe to say that we have a lot of room for improvement and it’s nice to feel motivated to give watercolor another go now that things have settled down a bit. Ana gave us the know how for watercolor roses and my goal is to make a painting of a bouquet after more practice. 😀

I am so happy that all of my best girls were able to participate in the watercolor class and it was the perfect Galentine’s Day/prebirthday celebration for my mom get together. Hopefully I will have a lot more watercolor paintings to share with all of you soon!

Have you ever taken an art class before? What makes a good teacher? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb13

How To Encourage Your Child’s Creative Side

Posted on February 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

How To Encourage Your Child’s Creative Side

Children’s overall development depends on fostering creativity because it allows them to think critically, express themselves, and learn problem-solving techniques. A child’s imagination can be given a fun and interesting outlet through creativity, which enables them to enjoyably explore new ideas and concepts. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the ways you can encourage your child’s creative side:

Provide Art Supplies:

Giving kids access to a variety of art supplies is among the simplest ways to encourage their creativity. Items like paints, markers, crayons, paper, and clay can be categorized under this. Children can explore their creativity and think outside of the box by being encouraged to experiment with various materials and methods.

Imaginative Play:

Being able to create their own characters, worlds, and stories allows children to engage in imaginative play, which is a crucial aspect of childhood. You can provide props like dress-up clothes, toy animals, and a designated play area in your home to encourage this kind of play.

Read Books and Tell Stories:

Children’s imaginations can be greatly sparked by reading books and sharing stories with them. While storytelling enables children to develop their own interpretations of the stories they hear, books can introduce them to new concepts and worlds. Books are a great way to stimulate imagination and grow vocabulary. As an added bonus, you can organize crafts and activities based around your child’s favorite book.

Create a Craft Corner:

Give your kids a dedicated area for creative endeavors by designating a space in your home for craft activities. An inviting craft space that kids will enjoy using can be easily made with the help of a small table and chairs and supply storage.

Encourage Exploration and Experimentation:

In order to foster creativity, it’s crucial to let kids experiment and explore with a variety of tools and methods. This can entail experimenting with new art materials, trying out various techniques, or discovering fresh approaches to creating.

Attend Art Classes or Workshops:

Children can benefit from structured opportunities to explore their creativity in a safe environment through art classes or workshops. Their confidence can be boosted and their artistic abilities can be encouraged by working with other kids and learning from qualified teachers. These kinds of activities might take place at daycares near you too.

Take Nature Walks:

Children who spend time in nature can be more creative because they can experience the sights, sounds, and textures of the natural world. Go on a nature walk or scavenger hunt together and encourage them to observe their surroundings, which can help them come up with new ideas and engage their imagination.

Foster creativity in your children with the tips above and watch their imagination soar to new heights!

Featured Image By: PXHere

Jan20

So Much Fun At So So Artsy

Posted on January 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello! In December, I went to a paint class at the Solon Community Center with my brother that was hosted by the delightful Melinda, owner of So So Artsy Paint & Sip Studio. We had an absolute blast painting snowpeople and after learning that Melinda’s studio is very close to where I work in Twinsburg, I just had to interview her! This past week, I was able to spend a morning getting to know Melinda and her business better and I am so excited to share her amazing work with all of you. Let’s get to it:

So So Artsy Paint & Sip Studio has been in business for close to six years and is currently in its second location in Northfield. Through Melinda’s dedication, So So Artsy has become the place to be for birthdays, bachelorette parties, graduations, and corporate events. Melinda also enjoys her time utilizing her background as a social worker and counselor when she brings her art to schools and hosts classes for people with special needs. Born and raised in Northfield, Melinda’s effervescent personality and skill is now a staple in her hometown.

Business has never been better at So So Artsy and, shockingly, Melinda credits the success to the COVID-19 pandemic. For three years, the studio was struggling to profit and Melinda began to enhance her marketing strategies. Then, the world shut down and she kicked it into high gear! Through offering virtual classes as well as her ingenious art kits, So So Artsy became fully booked within thirty days. The art kits, which include paintbrushes, paints, a disposable apron, canvas, glass, and more were also a huge driving force and were shipped in the thousands.

Melinda strives to turn every class at So So Artsy into a special event where peoples’ creativity can flourish. It is a highly interactive experience and guests are encouraged to share their ideas of what they would like to paint beforehand. The painters also have full control of the music system so they can create an atmosphere tailored to them. Although Melinda draws inspiration from the beautiful Metro Parks nearby, she loves hearing the public’s ideas for canvas art and will then paint something to be replicated.

At six years old, Melinda was introduced to art through her best friend’s mom. Every weekend, they would all get together to work on crafts and it is a memory that is looked back on fondly. In fact, one of Melinda’s favorite paintings was made when she was in twelfth grade after painting ceramic statues during her art weekends. She tried to replicate the statue on the canvas and it was then that she realized her own talent.

Instead of acquiring an art degree, Melinda became a social worker and counselor and spent twenty years working for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. As you can imagine, such a long time in a stressful field burnt her out and Melinda knew that she needed a change. To boost her spirits, her friends invited her out to a paint and sip night and she went, albeit begrudgingly. That evening, something clicked and the realization dawned that she could do something like that too.

After her paint night revelation, Melinda began working diligently for two years to formulate a business plan for her studio. So So Artsy’s doors did not open until she was satisfied with her plans of A through Z and says that this is essential to creating a successful business. Melinda’s focus on her business plan was longevity because she knew that the money and popularity would come after being established. This plan has served her well and she is currently looking for a bigger space for her studio in the Northfield area.

If you are looking for a fun and unique outing with your friends or family, look no further than So So Artsy Paint & Sip Studio. Even if you are “eh – so so artsy”, Melinda’s welcoming spirit and expert guidance will have you feeling “so so artsy” before your class is over!

After spending time with Melinda, all I want to do is paint! You can visit So So Artsy’s website and from there, you will be able to book your party or purchase an art kit in the shop. Do be sure to follow So So Artsy Paint & Sip Studio on Instagram @sosoartsypaints or on Facebook at So So Artsy Paint Studios Northfield Ohio. Thanks again, Melinda!

Have you ever been to a paint and sip event before? What was your experience like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan14

TT & Val Day

Posted on January 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! At three and a half years old, I thought this winter would be the perfect time to teach my niece, Val, how to ice skate. For a long time, Val used to say that skating would be “too scary” and didn’t want to try it – and that was totally fine! This winter, however, she said that she would like to learn and I had grand plans of taking her to an outdoor rink in Cuyahoga Falls this past Tuesday afternoon. To both of our disappointment, the rink was closed (Naturally) on our treat day but that didn’t stop us from having lots of fun together anyways!

^^^ That last picture. 🙂 The taste of sweet success!

After informing my sister that skating wasn’t going to happen, I told her that I would just watch Val at my parents’ house for the afternoon. Kristen let me know that Val had little wooden bird boxes to paint and has also been wanting to bake brownies and I thought that sounded like a great time! As soon as Val arrived, we got to work on painting and she did so awesome. She finished most of an entire bird house by herself but then got distracted by our dog, Archie, so TT and Momo had to finish things up lol. We decided that the bird houses are probably too small for birds but will be perfect for fairies and butterflies. ❤

Once our group effort masterpieces were done, it was time to make some brownies and Val was very excited. She loves to help her mom bake and they are constantly bringing cupcakes and cookies to my parents and me and Johnny. For our baking process, literally all I did was measure out the liquid ingredients and Val did everything else. She poured the ingredients, cracked the egg, mixed the batter, and filled up the pan by the spoonful all by herself. I was so impressed!!

While our brownies baked and cooled, Val wanted to lay down so we watched a few episodes of Paw Patrol to recharge. That really did the trick because after resting we had brownies to frost and sprinkle. For this, all I did was dollop the frosting on the brownies and showed her how to spread it with a spatula and she was a quick study in this too. After Val perfectly applied rainbow sprinkles to our bakery, I asked her what she wanted to do next and she said “Eat the brownies!”. Lol, that was very easily arranged and I could tell that she was so proud of her hard work. 🙂

Even though our TT and Val day didn’t go accordingly to our original plan, we still had the best day together. I love my lil BFF so much! ❤

How old were you when you started playing a sport? What is your favorite sweet treat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	Simon on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	lifewithlilred on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	Simon on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	lifewithlilred on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	Chantel Keona on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD