tgif {tag-it}

tgif.

tag-it! i loooooove painting on used file folders and the whole point is to create a hot mess! how many times do you hear that you need to focus on the composition; clear focal spot?

sometimes don't you just want to grab that paint and go to town?! i say yes! make that hot mess and love it! because just as Mr Gerald Brommer told me, "kristin, that is what scissors are for." 

yep- you heard it. create a hot mess and cut it down to a nice size to make it look fabulous! 

happy friday.

xo. kristin

file folder tag {repurposed}

i love re-purposing old used file folders. 

and no- i am not talking about whiting out the tab with the name of the file to update it to whatever else you are going to put into the file and forget about..... i am talking about painting them and cutting the file up for tags. 

i gesso'd the file to begin with; not perfectly and not completely to all of the edges. just in general. then, i grabbed a oil pastel. one color i had not used before. trying to step out of my comfort zone..... 

it was a bit of an olive green and i remember thinking....oh shit. what color is going to go with that?!

 so i of course quickly retreated back to the comfort zone and grabbed the seafoam green/ blue that i almost always use. and immediately felt better. 

i spied a grey along the edge of the counter and really liked that on the file as well. i was liking what i had but it needed a pop of color and the orange spray ink and a stencil was just the ticket.

a little more scribble with the pencil, some payne's grey and i am good to go. 

this tag is actually an edge and the really good stuff of course fell into the middle; but, i added a doodle of soft pastel in a light seafoam green and really liked the long unusual shape and the colors. 

added this original tag in with my latest art doll sale as a thank you note.

tgiw.

xo. kristin

tag makin' {new stencils}

i had started making tags out of recycled manilla folders and of course my first folder turned out awesome and i loved it; but, this second one.....well, let's just say-i wasn't feeling the love for this poor thing.......

that is until....my new stencils from Rae Missigman had come this week! i knew when i had first seen the new stencils that i really, really liked them and would have to order at least one....

the folder had turned into a bit of a hot mess, but, the light paint through the new stencil helped pull it back and provide some desperately needed lights and some shaped distraction.

below are the stencils that i ordered from Rae. click on the new stencil high-lighted above to find all of the new stencils and sizes that are available.

happy thursday.

xo- kristin

the moments {a series} no 21: thank you's and colorful enveopes

this past week at my big girl job, my employees on the day shift decided to buy me a scarf for "bosses day." they caught me a little off guard, by all coming into my office, asking if they could talk to me.

now, generally speaking, i have learned that when the group wants to talk to me- something big, and usually bad, is going down.....but, not this time! instead they handed me a small gift to open.

i was very moved by this gesture. and so, made thank you's with envelopes for my group....

 i used a file folder for the paper and layered on gelli plate prints. i had grabbed some paint chips at the store in some of my favorite colors and punched out a circle matching colors on each of the cards. but, before gluing down my circle i put down a strip of washi tape. the final thing was to stitch around the outside of the card. if you don't sew or have a sewing machine- you could certainly just use a black pen and outline the edge of your card.

 when i make cards- i need to have an envelope to put the card in.....here is my simple trick for quick envelopes especially when the card is small (approximately 4" x 4"). i found a relatively tall book and ripped out the pages. i double checked to make sure that my book paper was indeed large enough by checking the edges to see if i could stitched them up and still have room for my card- which i did. then i noticed that my book paper was going to be short....super easy to fix! i grabbed some over painted paper and ripped those into strips. i folded down a small tab at the top and made sure that my over painted strips were now long enough that i could stitch the strips on and they would then come down and meet the bottom book paper- creating my envelope. if you still have questions- please let me know! i can show you step by step if need be!

going to be delivering thank you cards today! loved how these turned out.....