Mini Tissue Paper Flowers Tutorial

Don't you love getting new craft tools?!  I spent most of my birthday money this year at the craft stores on some fun stuff........like a 3 1/2 inch scallop flower paper punch.  It's awesome and it's inspiring all kinds of crafty projects for spring!

Easy Mini Tissue Paper Flower Tutorial:

Materials:
Large flower or scallop paper punch
Tissue Paper
Stapler

Instructions:
1. Fold one piece of tissue paper in half, then in half again two more times so that you end up with 8 thicknesses of paper.
2.  Along the folded edge, slide the paper into your punch all the way back and press down firmly to cut out some flower shapes.
3.  With all 8 tissue flower shapes in a neat pile, staple them together a couple of times in the center.
4.  Scrunch each layer of tissue from the center out to create a ruffled flower.

I just happened to have some poppies in a vase that these tissue paper flowers look perfect with.  I'm loving these colors together!  Happy Spring!

Photos of the Week

Good morning! It's really a Monday here.  The snow came and froze my plants.... so sad.  At least we got to enjoy some spring weather before the snow.  I'm almost never happier than when I'm outdoors in the warm sunshine.

Flowers and Ferns

Right now it's all about plants.  Lots and lots of plants.  I'm putting them in my yard and in my paintings.  I love them!

Coral and Green Flowers

Blue and Yellow Ferns

Still Creating

I've been a little MIA on this blog this week. I felt the need for a break but, I have not stopped creating and enjoying beautiful things.  Here's what I've been up to.........

We purchased our first flowers of the spring and I got some poppies!  I've always wanted some of those in my yard. 

I started crocheting a blanket! I can't wait to see this finished, but I'm enjoying the process as well.

I turned 30 last week and had a fun time out shopping at Gardner Village!  I saw tons of cute stuff...... good inspiration for future projects!  And...... amazingly I do not feel like an old fogey.. haha!  30 is not that bad!

I finally picked out some fabric for and sewed some badly needed new couch pillows.  Ikea came through again for me :)

Watercolor Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemum...........not an easy word to spell, but surprisingly not too hard to paint.

It all started with a little card I made.

I didn't have a chrysanthemum in mind when I started this, but realized it looked like one afterwards.  Since then I've had that scene from Anne of Green Gables running through my mind.  Ya know the one where Anne beats Gilbert in the spelling bee by spelling chrysanthemum correctly-haha!  I love that movie!

Photos of the Week

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! It's is a day to celebrate my favorite color.... and there's some stuff about leprechauns and lucky four-leaf clovers in there too.  So here's my photographic tribute to green!  

It's been said that our eyes can distinguish more shades of green than any other color.  Maybe that's why I love it so much.  That .......and the fact that it means that things are living and growing and the sun is coming out again :)

Floral Stuffed Easter Eggs Tutorial

Spring is about here.... time to get working on some flowery home decor!

Enjoy the tutorial!

Materials:
Eggs
Needle
Hammer
Floral Moss
Flowers (silk or real)

Instructions:

1:  Lightly tap a needle into the top of the eggs with a hammer to create a small hole.
2:  Enlarge the holes with your fingers.
3:  Wash the eggs thoroughly with warm soapy water and let dry.
4:  Fill eggs with floral moss.
5:  Cut small  flower stems to and place in the eggs.

You can display these in a bowl with some moss or any other dishes that would work.  I'm using the bottom of my butter dish  :)

Birds are for Spring

I'm still trying to catch up on all the paintings I made during my little stay-cation at home.  So here are a few little birds..... don't these make you feel sooooo ready for spring?  They do for me!

 Find them for sale here: Elise Engh Watercolors

Photos of the Week

We took a trip to an old military fort way out in the middle of nowhere- not where I had ever thought I would go, but it was fun to get out of the city for a few hours.  

Circular Abstract Watercolor Tutorial

Spring is the time to start bringing some color into your home.  I can't wait for my flowers to bloom for that very reason!  Till then, I'll content myself with some bright watercolors.

Materials:
Coldpress Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Paints
Paint Brush
Rinse Water
Masking Tape
Drawing Board or Large piece of Cardboard

Step 1:  Use masking tape to tape your paper to your board along the edges to create a nice border.

Step 2:  Choose your color scheme and mix your colors (about 4 or 5) before you start painting.  This abstract work tends to turn out better if you apply the colors quickly so they blend.  If you are mixing in between applications, the colors won't mix as well.

Step 3:  Near the top and semi-close to the edge of your paper, paint a circle.  The placing of your circle is up to you, but I think it looks better a little off center.

Step 4:  With another color, paint another circle along the circumference of the first circle.  You can leave a little white space here and there.  Let the paint touch in some spots so that it will spread and mix.

Repeat the layers until you have filled your entire paper.

Step 5:  Now for the dripping part!  This is totally optional, but it makes it more fun.  To get a cool dripping effect, wet your brush and dab water onto several parts of your painting.  Then hold your painting (still taped to your board) upright and let the water and wet paint drip.

Step 6:  Let it all dry out.

Step 7:  After the painting is completely dry, carefully carefully pull the tape off of your paper.  This is tricky. Masking tape can rip your paper so be extra cautious.

Project complete...... now hang it up somewhere to be admired :)