My Way of Living:
Create

I love Pinterest it’s full of wonderful ideas being churned out by super creative people, even though there is no way we will ever get them all made. But that’s OK everyone needs a goal in life. [I’m joking].

I found a easy to create idea for painting photography backgrounds. I have made many of these, and although they are a bit of work, they are well worth it. Make more then one at a time, switching back and forth as you go, and it's half the work. I really like how they turn out, and how realistically they photograph as backgrounds.

Those of us that love to shoot vignettes, or do a little food photography are always looking for interesting props, and backgrounds to add some depth to our photos. It's wonderful to have old weathered boards hanging around, they are a bit of a pain to lug back and forth when you are inspired to shoot something, not to mention rather heavy. So when I came across this tutorial from Sara at Home is where the cookies are , I was hooked. I can’t believe how well this turned out, she’s written a great tutorial on the process, and I am going to let her tell you how to do it. Click on the link above to read how she does it, brilliant.

I used a dollar store foam core board, with a paper cover, and was a little perturbed when the paper came unglued when I put on the first few coats. I peeled the paper off, and painted directly onto the foam board. This one is a bit dark, I would like to try a few lighter colored ones and some brighter backgrounds for flowers. A bit of acrylic paint, some foam board, a old bristly brush, and I gouged in some lines with my bone folder used for card making. I used 3 colors of paint to achieve this look. Black, off white, and brown… it’s so simple. The secret is in the layering, using a dryish brush to create contrast, use the darker color in the gouges, and lines, and a very dry brush with your lightest color to make them stand out.

I love how this one looks in photos, it’s very similar to my old pieces of barn board. It looks weathered, like something that has been out in the sun, wind, and the snow for decades. And the best part, it’s light, and portable, and I can stick it behind a door until I need it.

One of my favourite flavours is rhubarb, the tart juicy red fruit that seems to come and go in the markets so quickly that if you don’t grab it it’s gone.

We have a sad little plant, that has been moved to a better spot, and despite the manure, and great expectations still isn’t doing it’s job of producing enough for anything other then a smidge of what’s needed. There’s always hope in my gardening mind, maybe next year.

Step 1. Find rhubarb.
And here I thought all was lost, but during a visit to our little local back road nursery we came upon rows, and rows of the most luscious red thick juicy rhubarb lining the driveway.
Step 2. Ask if it’s for sale.
It wasn’t for sale…
It was free.
Step 3. Thank the owner profusely… and do a happy dance, along with wishing that I had more cash on hand to buy more plants as a thank you.
Step 4. Tuck purse under arm, and pull hard on gigantic leaf and stalk, forgetting that rhubarb doesn’t want to give up it’s red stems.
Step 5. Fall on your derriere` in the middle of the driveway, see rhubarb, and husband laughing at you.
Step 6. Hope no one else saw you fall over.
Step 7. Spend ages looking up rhubarb leaves in compost bin, and finally find out it’s OK to throw them in.
Step 8. Make crisp… eat it all, and forget to take photos.

Substitute photos of Anemone which are almost as nice as the rhubarb crisp.

The lowly coffee filter. Cheap, thin paper. Most kitchens have some hanging around in a cupboard somewhere. A every day thing that you pull out of the cupboard when you need it, add to the grocery list when you run out…

Necessary for things like filtering coffee grounds. Did you every think that something so beautiful, and crafty can be make out of such a ordinary item? I had no idea…but oh the colors, the soft muted tones that just work so perfectly with these easily dyed filters…they make my heart sing. It’s easy to make these with just a few crafting items. I was thinking of what you could create with these oh so cute paper roses. And I came up with a few things to do with them. If you have any more ideas be sure to mention it in your comments. Just in time to craft for Mother’s Day, they would make a nice gift for Mom. You could:

• Slip a wire into the flower as a stem, bundle them into a gorgeous hand crafted bouquet.

• Garnish a gift by gluing them onto the gift wrap, adding a piece of silky ribbon for texture, to serve as leaves.

• Glue them onto a handmade tags or cards, for a soft, rustic look.

• Thread a string through them to hang by the petals for a lovely floral bunting that is cuteness personified.

• Use the smallest filters to make mini roses, glue them onto a photo frame for a unique, and personalized gift.

• Craft into a wreath by gluing them onto a styrofoam form.

If you have read my blog for a while you might have read a similar post from last year. I had linked to the original pin that I found on Pinterest. This time I have reshot my photos so they show up brighter, and clearer. And it’s such a cute project that I thought I would write another post about them for all of you who might have missed it before. You can find the link here to the original tutorial written by Salvaged Whimsy.

You will need the following to make these gorgeous paper roses.

• White circular coffee filters, the largest were the easiest to use
• Food coloring
• Plate to lay filters on
• Glue gun, or white crafting glue
• Wire for stems
• Florist tape for sturdier stems

To get the softest pastel shades dampen the filters by laying them on the plate and allowing them to slightly soak up the water, remove and add food coloring, one drop at a time. Then re-soak the filters for a moment. For more vibrant colors add food coloring first, and then add filters. You can dye a few layers at a time in order to keep the colors the same shade. Lightly shake over sink, or wring them out gently and hang to dry. Once they are dry layer 4 to 6 filters together, and starting at the outside edge cut in a spiral shape working your way to the center of the filter. Leave a small tab in the very middle of your spiral. The more layers you have the harder it is to work with but the fuller your rose will be. Keeping a consistent width as you cut out the spiral will make all the petals the same size. If some areas are wider then others, you can trim them up later. Roll the spiral cut coffee filter tightly, starting from the area of your first cut on the outside edge. Keeping the paper as tight as possible it will be easier if you roll it between your thumb and finger. Once you have rolled a few inches add a dab of glue to the bottom of your rolled tube, holding it together as tightly as possible. When you reach the end of the spiral fold the tab over to cover up the bottom of your flower. Optional, add wire before the glue dries if you want to have stems. The wire could be wrapped in florist tape for a sturdier looking stem.

Repeat until you have enough flowers to create your masterpiece.