Thor Painting

Hello!!

I just did a blog post about my Loki painting, so I figured I should do blog post about the other painting I did over Christmas break. Like I've said a billion times before, I'm a huge Thor fangirl! Naturally, I had to try and do a painting of Thor's helmet after I finished the one of Loki's helmet. 

Here are some pictures I took while I worked on the painting:

I used the gridding thing again, just because it worked out pretty well the last time. 

I modified the sketch a it once it was on the canvas. Gotta love the super smudgy canvas (lefty probs...). 

This time, I decided to outline the helmet first, and fill it in. It was so much easier this way!

This silver paint was really streaky, but it ended up looking ok after a few coats. 

Time for the red. 

I re-outlined the helmet and Thor's name and added one last coat of red paint. 

Again, this is far from perfect, but I like the way it turned out :) I'm definitely hanging this next to my Loki painting ASAP. 

As always, thank you SOOO MUCH for reading!! Talk to you again soon!

Keri <3

Loki Painting

Hey everyone!!

Sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile... The semester just started and I've been super busy. I'll try to post more often, but I apologize in advanced if I can't. 

So, over Christmas break, I was bored out of my mind and decided to get crafty. I have a ton of unfinished crochet projects, but I felt like trying something new: painting. Since I'm completely obsessed with all things Marvel (especially Thor) I attempted to paint Loki's helmet. 

Here's what happened:

Rough sketch (lefty + pencil + canvas = smudgy as hell). I didn't use any specific picture for reference; I just looked up pictures of Loki's helmet and made up my own design from there. 

I used the gridding technique because it's the only thing I remember learning in middle school art class. 

First layer of gold. 

I decided to add Loki's name in runes because the canvas looked a little too empty at this point.

I found a gold paint marker and fixed some of the lines (is that cheating?). 

First layer of green. 

Since the helmet and runes looked a little sloppy, I outlined them with a black paint marker. I think it made a huge difference!

Pretty sure it took about 10 layers of paint to get the gold even... That's whys happens when you buy $0.99 paint from Walmart. 

I know it's not perfect, but I absolutely love how this turned out!!! This is definitely going up on my wall as soon as I move. 

Thanks for reading, and I hope I can talk to all of you again very soon :)

Keri <3

Perler Beads- Loki and Thor

Hey guys!

I have a really short post today. I was in a really crafty mood and decided to make some little Loki and Thor sprites out of perler beads. Here are the patterns I used (I didn't make the patterns):

And these are my finished sprites :)

So cute!! I am so obsessed with Thor: The Dark World that I had to make these. I think they look pretty awesome. 

Thanks for reading :) I'll talk to you again very soon!

Keri <3

DIY No-Sew Blanket

Hey guys!

Mom and I were in a crafty mood the other day and decided to take a trip to Joanne's.  We wanted to make some no-sew/ tie blankets to use when we transport dogs (they deserve something soft and cuddly for their long car ride!).  Plus, the fleece was on sale for $3.50 a yard!!  Needless to say, we bought a ton of the stuff.  I figured I would do a DIY post while I was working on the second blanket :)

This is a quick, easy, and really relaxing.  What a great way to start the weekend!

Just as an FYI, you can use any amount of fleece for this project; I would suggest using around a yard and a half, or even 2 yards if you are making this for a kid or as a throw.  Because these blankets are for dogs, I made them a bit smaller.

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Supplies

1/2 yard of fleece for the front

1/2 yard of fleece for the back

Scissors

Rotary cutter (optional, but very helpful)

Cutting mat

Ruler (preferably an acrylic one)

Maker

Instructions

1. Pick out the patterns/ colors for your blanket.  Most people tend to use a colored fleece for the backside and a patterned piece of fleece for the front; I chose to use two patterned pieces just to make things more interesting.  There are whales on the front of my blanket and green chevron on the back.


2. Lay out the pieces of fleece and make sure to trim off any access if they don't line up.  This doesn't have to be perfect, but make sure your lines are as straight as possible.  A rotary cutter and acrylic ruler comes in handy at this point (especially if you're like me and can't cut a straight line to save your life...).

3. Using the ruler, measure out and draw a 2in x 2in square in each of the four corners of the fleece.  I used a paint marker and lightly drew on the fleece, but chalk, eyeliner, pencil, etc. will also work.



4. Measure 2in up from the bottom of the fleece and make a mark.  Take the ruler and mark off every inch or so (see picture below).  These will be the tabs that you will tie off at the end of the project.  If you are making a bigger blanket, you can choose to make the tabs bigger, but I wouldn't recommend making them any smaller than 2in tall- if the tabs are too small, it's really difficult to tie them together.

Continue making these marks around all four edges of the fleece.

5. With your scissors or rotary cutter, begin cutting strips using the marks you previously made as a guide.  DO NOT START TYING YET!  Make sure you have made all the necessary cuts before you start knotting.

6. After all of your cuts are made and your fleece is lined up, you can finally start knotting!  I like to tie all of my knots the same way because I'm a little OCD, but feel free to tie the tabs any way you want.  Also, I make double knots just to make sure everything is nice and secure, especially since I plan on washing these blankets every now and again.

The Finished Blanket

Charlee and Howie love their new blankets!  I'm glad I cut the fleece in half; it makes the perfect size for doggie blankets :)

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I really enjoyed making these blankets, and I can't wait to start working on some more!  This project probably took me 30-45 minutes for each blanket, but it may take you a bit longer if you have never done this before.  Either way, it's a quick project and it's a ton of fun!

Hopefully I'll talk to you guys again very soon :)

Keri <3

How To Clean Candle Jars

Hey everyone!

Fun fact- I like to scroll through Pinterest while taking a study break (I'm pretty sure most college kids do the same). Today, I saw some awesome DIY projects that only require glass candle jars and acrylic paint. Since I had some empty candles, I figured I would do a blog post about cleaning out the jars once you burn the entire candle. I don't know about you, but when I finish an entire candle I feel pretty accomplished :)

This is a really simple process, but it can be time-consuming. It usually takes me around 10 minutes to fully clean each jar. The great thing about this project is it doesn't take skill or concentration, and you can probably find everything you need somewhere in your home. 

So, on to the tutorial!

Materials:

- Candle jar

- Butter knife

- Dish soap

- Cloth or rag

- Nail polish remover (preferably with acetone)

- Cotton balls

- Water

Instructions: 

1. First, you want to make sure your candle is completely burned (no sense in wasting it!). There will most likely be 1/2" or so of wax left at the bottom of the jar. Place the candle in the freezer and let it sit for a few hours.

2. After the candle is complete cooled, use a butter knife to break up the wax into smaller chunks. This shouldn't take a lot of effort or force. The pieces of wax should lift right out of the jar once you break them up a bit. 

3. You may or may not need to do this step (I got lucky and didn't have to). If the glue from the wicks or the wicks themselves are stuck to try jar, just place some hot water in the jar and let it sit for a few minutes. Pour out the water, and you should be able to remove the wicks and/ or glue easily. 

4. Peal off the stickers from the outside of the jar. The sticker on the front of my candle came off cleanly, but the bottom sticker gave me some trouble. I used the butter knife to remove most of the sticker. After that, I took a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover and removed the rest of the stubborn sticker. 

5.  There may be some residue left around the inside or outside of the candle. Simply take another cotton ball soaked in the nail polish remover and wipe off the residue. You should be left with a squeaky clean jar. 

6. Wash the jar with warm water and soap to remove any stuck on glue or wax. I used a pretty abrasive dish cloth and Dawn dish soap. 

7. Enjoy your clean glass jar, and unleash your creativity!!

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I hope this tutorial was helpful and easy to follow! Be on the look out for more DIY tutorials- hopefully I'll make something out of these empty jars sometime soon :) Until then, thank for reading!

Keri <3

DIY Galaxy Backpack

Hey there!

I have an awesome "back to school" DIY for you guys today! You could probably tell by the title: this week I made a galaxy backpack. Now, this wasn't my own idea- I got it from LagunaBeachLove10's video on YouTube. Since I couldn't find any backpacks I really liked from Target or Walmart, I decided to make my own. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like the backpack as much as I do. You don't have to be precise or perfect when creating the galaxy design (it's actually better to be spontaneous), which is why I loved making this bag so much! So, without any further ado, let's get started with the DIY!!

Supplies

• Black canvas backpack of your choice
• Blankets and/or pillows
• Apple Barrel acrylic paint in "White"
• Apple Barrel acrylic paint in "Fuchsia"
• Apple Barrel acrylic paint in "Purple Iris"
• Apple Barrel  acrylic paint in "Bimini Blue"
• Folk Art Extreme Glitter acrylic paint in "Silver"
• Paper plates
• Makeup wedges/ sponges
• Napkins or paper towels
• Plastic drinking straw
• Trash bags, newspaper, or a drop cloth
• Painters Opaque Paint Marker in "White" (optional)
• Silver glitter paint (optional)
• Paint brushes (optional)

I bought my backpack from Target for $35. It's just a basic black bag, but it's big enough to hold all my books and binders for class. Buy the off-brand/ cheap makeup sponges if you can find them (I bought the Equate brand and saved over $3!). I bought the Apple Barrel acrylic paints from Walmart for $0.57 each; the Folk Art silver glitter paint was $1.97. You could spend a bit more money and buy some nicer acrylic paints, but I didn't think it was totally necessary for this project. The cheaper paints worked just fine for me :) I bought some cheap paint brushes as well. If you already have some laying around your house, you could use those and save yourself some money. Also, I didn't end up using the paint marker I bought, but I may use it to add some stars once the paint dries. I'm still undecided.

Instructions

1. Cover your work area. This is a pretty messy project, so I would suggest laying down some newspaper or trash bags (you could also use a drop cloth if you happen to have one laying around).
2. OPTIONAL: If you want, you can use a seam ripper and detach the label on your bag. I wanted to keep mine on, so I skipped this step.
3. Stuff your bag. To ensure an even canvas, fill your backpack with some blankets, towels, or pillows. It just makes it easier to paint.
4. Tape off the parts of the backpack that you don't want painted. I covered the straps, zipper pulls, the label, and handle. You don't have to use as much tape as I did on the back, just as long as the parts are covered that you want to keep unpainted. 
 
 



 
5. If you want, find a reference picture. It helps tremendously if you look at pictures of galaxies while you paint. That way, you can get a feel for where the colors should go. As with any DIY, the design is completely up to you! I winged it for the most part, but I did have some random galaxy pictures pulled up on my phone while I worked.
6. Pour some blue paint on a paper plate, and start painting your bag. If you want, you can add a bit of white paint to the blue to make it stand out a bit more. I originally started with just the blue, but I did add some white. Trust me, it makes a difference! Cover most of the bag in blue, leaving some black spaces for contrast. I like to dip the sponge in the paint, then dab off the excess on the edge of the plate. That way, you won't get any patches of paint in one spot. You want this to be blended and almost subtle at first (you can always add more color, but you can't really take color away). When paint the bag, I dab the sponge first, and then I blend the color by swiping the sponge around the area I want painted. Blend the blue into the black by using a clean sponge or your fingers.
   

   
   

    

   

   
   
7. Begin adding purple to the bag. Concentrate the purple in fewer spots than the blue- remember to leave some blue and black spaces showing. I focused on placing the purple on the edges and corners of the bag. Again, it's totally up to you where you put the purple :)
   

   

   
   
8. Add some pink. This step is optional, but I really think it adds to the final look when you mix blue, purple, and pink. Like I did with the blue, I added a small amount of white paint to the pink in order to make it stand out a bit more. I also used the pink by itself to get more of a variation. You could also add some yellow for a more interesting effect, but I didn't have any yellow paint on hand.
9. Dab on some white paint in random areas. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE WHITE PAINT! It is really easy to overdo it at this point, but as long as you take your time, you'll be fine. I tore a piece of the sponge off so I had a smaller tool to work with. I added white to the areas that looked brighter- I didn't go near the black or purple, but focused on the areas that were mostly blue and pink.
   

   

   
   

   
   
10. OPTIONAL: Add silver glitter paint. This paint reminded me of stars twinkling in the night sky! Plus, you can't go wrong with glitter, right? Anyways, I took another small piece of sponge and lightly dabbed/swiped this silver paint in random areas. I really had no rhyme or reason for this, I literally just went for it. I added some extra silver paint on top of the white to add more interest to the bag.
    

    

    
    
11. Add some stars. There are several ways to do this- if you have patience (unlike me) you can take a small paint brush and add stars in and around the white areas. Again, try to be random when placing the stars. It'll look better at the end, I promise! I decided to use a drinking straw to create my stars. Simply dip the straw in some paint, and then blow on the other end to create a cluster of stars. I added more stars in the lighter areas of the bag, but I also placed some in the darker/ black areas as well.
    

     

    

    
    
12. Touch up any areas, if needed. There was one spot on my bag that had a little too much white, so I added some purple and blue paint to the edges to soften it up. Like I said before, you can always add more color if you see a spot that needs it.
13. Enjoy your one-of-a-kind galaxy bag! Don't forget to clean up the mess ;) The paints I bought come off surfaces (and your hands) with warm water, soap, and a little bit of scrubbing.

Finished Product

Overall, I really love how this bag turned out! While I was working on, I didn't think it was going to turn out well at all. This project doesn't look good until you finally finish adding all the layers and details, so just keep working and adding things until your happy with how your bag looks. If you wanted to, you could paint the back of the backpack and the straps; I just left the back plain because I didn't feel like covering the whole thing. I think it would look good either way.

If you make this bag, or any other galaxy-inspired piece, be sure to leave a picture in the comments! I would love to see your masterpiece :)

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Keri <3

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8/25/2013 UPDATE!

I went back to Walmart today and picked up a black canvas bag. I had so much paint and supplies left over from this project, that I decided to use the same technique on this new bag. I think I'm going to use it as a travel makeup bag :)



Sorry this one is kind of blurry...



I took this one without a flash, and the colors seem to be the most accurate and true-to-life in this picture

For the whole scoop on this bag, check out this post on my beauty blog. Thanks again for reading :)

Keri <3