M A K E | passport cover

S U P P L I E S | leather, scissors, sewing machine, paint/india ink

1 | begin by laying your passport on the leather to get the right width. you'll want to cut about half an inch around on the bottom and top. To the left and right, you will want to cut two inches away from the edge of the passport - these will turn into the flaps that keep your passport cozy in your case.

2 | sew. fold the side flaps down and sew all the way around.

3 | paint. you can be as creative as you'd like now! choose some fun words to express  your adventure.

Now I have an itch to travel! We just came back from Louisiana for a work trip and we'll be going home to New Mexico for the holidays, but I am trying to convince Elisha that we need to go on a cruise. So I've been checking out a ton of different trips. Those of you who have done a cruise, what was your experience and who did you do it through? 

Happy Travels! Mel

today

Today I decided to try my hand at watercolors. I've never really been a painter; I've worked with acrylics, but just for fun. SO I thought I'd give watercolor a try and I'm already in love. I have no real idea what I'm doing, but it's fun just playing around and discovering new things. 

I've always made it a point to have a craft in my life that's just for me, that I don't do for the shop, but just something that feeds my soul and helps me grow creatively - I've been slacking on this as of late. I think this may be a new, just for fun, hobby!

I could use any and all pointers you may have! Links or just tips, are welcome - just leave them in the comments. Thanks friends!

xo. melisa

paint a pumpkin

Currently I don't have my own home, so decorating can get a little tricky, when all you have is a room. I wanted to carve a pumpkin (which I ended up doing as well), but wanted something that would brighten up my room and last longer. I decided to paint some pumpkins and I was so smitten with how they turned out, I had to share!

Supplies // pumpkins (I chose white, so the colors would be true), paint, brushes

1      gather your supplies and get your pumpkins on a surface you don't mind getting a little bit of paint on. 

2      using a pen, outline the pattern you intend on painting. if you're better at free drawing, you go right ahead! i initially tried to tape off the area, but found it tricky since not all the pumpkins were perfectly round.

3/4   start painting! for this pattern I used a black fabric paint that had a point the paint came out of. it kind of worked like a pen, which made painting the lines easier.

5      use the lines that are already there! i used the natural dividers the pumpkin had to paint this one a peach color.

6      all done! super easy and a lot of fun. hope you try it!

if you decide to try this little diy, I'd love to see how it turns out! leave a link below.

DIY // painted jars

I've seen these painted jars pop up several times. I think they're really pretty and a fun spin on the ever classic Mason Jar. With my upcoming craft event, I want to make sure I have a pretty booth and have since begun getting my display ready. I thought these jars would be a nice addition. It's super easy and as always, extra pretty! So here's what you'll need to do...

 Supplies: jars + paint

Step one // Pour paint directly into jar. Begin moving jar around so that the paint begins to cover the bottom of the jar.

Step two // Pour more paint in; this time aiming towards the side so it can run down along the sides to the bottom.

Step three // In order to get the paint to cover the top of the jar, flip the jar upside down on a a piece of paper or bag. The excess paint will run out and all of your jar should get covered. After about an hour, flip it back over and let dry! I left mine overnight and it dried right up.

Hope you enjoy your pretty new jars! If you decide to do this diy, I would love to see! Post a link in the comments below.

xo.

Melisa

Paint It Pretty

The other day, Whitney and I went to IKEA. I love love IKEA and my favorite part is getting to the end and rummaging through the "as is" section. This time I came across a random piece of wood that I assume was a part of some type of table or entertainment center. It had a few minor scrapes, but it was in fine condition, and for only 3 dollars, I knew I could make something pretty of it. So, I decided to paint it pretty.

I took Elsie's idea and made it my own. I chose lyrics from a song the Mr and I love and painted it on the piece of wood. If you don't have the best penmanship, you can use stencils. Fortunately the piece I got had little holes in the back, perfect for hanging. The overall project cost me $4.50; not too shabby if you ask me!

This isn't crazy intricate by any means, but it just goes to show that one man's trash is another man's treasure. You can make anything into something special. 

xo.

Melisa

PS: I like that the word 'trumpets' got bigger towards the end because it reminds me of the actual shape of a trumpet!

Girl Talk: The Painter

Miss Caitlin is one of the sweetest girls I've had the privilege of meeting via the blog world. She is an incredibly talented painter, married to a rockstar, and mother to one adorable pup. I know you'll be inspired by her! 

What is your job title ?

artist, clothes designer, right-brained day dreamer

What do you love most about yourself?

I love that I am creative!  Being creative means that I get to find my own personal style, embrace "unique", and explore new ideas all the time.  Not only is it fun, but I feel like it forces me to get to know myself better and learn to love that person... even though that is not always easy! :)

Who is your role model?

I have so many, I'll narrow it down to two.  Creatively?... Joni Mitchell.  Anybody else a Joni Mitchell fan?  She was a poet, an artist, and an amazing song writer.  It seemed as though she filtered every experienced in life and then reproduced that experience manifest by some artistic medium.  On a personal level?... my great grandma, I called her grandma great.  She was a hard worker and gave everything for her family, and she was also an artist and a creator.  She made clothes from flour sacks and shoes from tires, she painted utah landscapes with beautiful colors.  She was one tough lady, a legit repurposer, and a true artist! 

What inspires you?

I feel inspired all the time!  By people, experiences, trials, scenery, music... it all sums up to my personal experience, and I feel it is my duty as an artist to understand these experiences and share them through my art.  I think we have all been molded by our roots and our circumstances, I feel most inspired by these simple things.

What are five words that describe you?

goofy, forgetful, kind, idealistic, dreamer, 

What is your biggest insecurity?

I think my biggest insecurity would be letting myself or other people down.  I am forgetful, I get lost in time easily, and I have too many things I want to do in life.  I guess it feels daunting trying to accomplish everything I want to and still give of myself to others freely.  

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?

an actress on broadway.  I've never been gutsy enough to get on stage and sing, be expressive, dynamic, and let myself go completely.  I feel very passionate about my art in my little corner of my garage studio, but I'd like to know what that feels like to be that passionate on stage. 

Blog // Twitter

So great! Thanks for stopping by Caitlin! I hope you all will go say a quick hello to Hue and Hum!

xo.

Melisa