Painting Birch Trees in Watercolors Tutorial

Cathy — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:07:24 +0100

I'm currently painting a large diptych of birch trees so I've been trying to find reference materials. I came across this great tutorial which I thought would be super useful for those of you that use watercolors.

Materials required are:

1. Photo reference for sketch and value study (strongly recommended).

2. Pencil, eraser, ruler, masking tape, old regular size bath toweRead More...

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (22)

Cathy — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 17:48:40 +0100

Small Tissue Paper Christmas Trees

I've long wanted to find an alternative for styrofoam cones and I'm delighted to have found a great idea. You can use styrofoam if you wish but this tutorial will also show you how to easily make a cone shape.

Materials:

- tissue paper (10 sheets for large tree and 6-8 for medium tree)

- styrofoam trees or homemade card trees

- lots of gluRead More...

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (21)

Cathy — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 08:54:42 +0100

BATH FIZZIES

I saw this idea a few times on the Martha Stewart site and I would really like to make these as stocking stuffers this Christmas. It seems like such an easy thing to do and would really take no longer than baking a cake. I have some lovely old jars that I could place these in too which would really make it a lovely gift for someone.

Materials:

Baking soda

Craft Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (20)

Cathy — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 06:57:37 +0100

Key Fob French Style

Living in France means that I get to find all kinds of lovely old objects. Old keys seem to be everywhere here and I've never really known what to do with them until now. Photocopying them seemed to work well and from this, you can use the image to découpage just about anything.

Materials Needed:

- old bits of wood (the more weathered, the better)

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (19)

Cathy — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:42:41 +0100

Twig Heart

I loved making this. It was super quick and the end result was just lovely. I've made a few of these and given them as gifts which have delighted friends and family. They look lovely hanging from a door or standing on a shelf.

Materials Needed:

* dogwood or hazel twigs

* new shoots

* florist wire
Read More...

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (18)

Cathy — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 06:25:39 +0100

Felted Christmas Lights

You can do this one in plenty of time for the festivities. It really is not difficult and I think you'll agree, the effect is wonderful. You can color match the felt with your Christmas decoration which will look really stylish.

Materials Needed:

- fairy lights

- olive soap or soap flakes

- wool roving

- towel

- plastic to make a Read More...

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (17)

Cathy — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 17:13:08 +0100

Paper Flower Tutorial

Doesn't this look divine? When I first saw these, I thought they would be really difficult to do because they look quite intricate but actualy, they're easy! Anyone can make these with the minimal of materials. I'll take you through it step-by-step and you'll see how easy it is.

Materials needed:

- hand-painted paper or colored papRead More...

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (16)

Cathy — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:29:57 +0100

Tin Can Tea Light Holders

I love this idea! So simple and so beautiful! I love the fact that you can use recycled cans. This is a really inexpensive way to make a really pretty feature. If you have a covered deck, it would be lovely for your summer party outside.

MaterialsRead More...

Gift Ideas for Poor Creative Souls (15)

Cathy — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 06:05:23 +0100

Ranunculus Paper Flowers

I absolutely adore this gorgeous flower. They come in all kinds of beautiful soft shades. Alas buying fresh flowers is expensive. This is why this tutorial is so great as you can easily make these in paper and enjoy them for a long time. All you need is some lovely colored card and you're good to go!

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