Heartedly Handcrafted Inspiration Sticks

Hello crafty friends! I started a project recently to help myself with future projects. Yes, you read that correctly. We can all use a little help from time to time with coming up with ideas and even when we do have an idea it doesn't always carry us to the very end. I have found myself staring at a sheet of paper to make a card while not having a clue where to start. I've also had those moments when there just seems to be something missing and this can help with that too.
A crafty friend shared this video

Inspiration Sticks Challenge - Art Journal Ideas - Mixed Media

and I just love it! The video is from +Claudia Rossi and she talks about a challenge her and her friend is doing/did with what she is calling "Inspiration Sticks". Under that video is a link to how to make them and she provides a link to a list of what to write on your sticks to get you started. Claudia's list idea is for art journaling, but can be easily carried over to other types of projects. My list will consist of things that I do specifically for cardmaking and therefore be different, so what it comes down to is, YOUR list can be for anything you want. When I've completed my list I will be sure to share it right here.

UPDATE: List for card-making
Scroll down for another project using this idea, "Spontaneity Sticks".
Here are some of the sticks I've made so far. I haven't decided yet how I want to store my sticks or if I want to further embellish them.

To make mine I used large tongue depressors that I coated with pastel chalk ink by VersaMagic. Then I used rubber and clear stamps with Rubber Stampede ink in the color Wheat to make designs on them. 

Once the ink was dry I used a fine tipped, black, permanent marker to write with. I had a little trouble with bleeding, but unless I were to use a magnifying glass or hold it close to my face the bleeding is really not noticeable. I would suggest experimenting with what you have and see what works best for you.

The great thing about the idea of "Inspiration Sticks" is that they can be used for anything, even outside of crafting. How often do we skip over all the sightseeing opportunities, museums, etc. in our own towns or regions. You could write down all the places to visit on sticks and then randomly pick one on a nice day. Maybe in this case you might call them "Spontaneity Sticks"  and as you accomplish each one, you might frame, or place in a scrapbook, your stick as your title with the photos you took. The possibilities are endless :)

Altered Vase - First Shabby Chic Decoration for my New Craft Room

Hello everyone! Today I took my first couple of steps toward my new craft room. I cleaned out a desk and shelves from one corner and then needing some rest I decided to sit down and redo an old, heavy, sandy vase. The vase used to hold a Christmas tree on my front porch, but got blown over, wrecking the tree and chipping the vase. So this afternoon I gave it new life and it will become part of my Shabby Chic craft room transformation.

The vase was very dark. It looked good outside in the sun, but without light shining directly on it you could barely see the pattern. I had to lighten up the photo in Picmonkey just to show it here. There were also areas that were chipped and a big chunk was missing from the corner. I didn't repair the corner because I think it adds character.

Below are the steps I took to change the look of my vase, but the very first thing I did was wipe it down to remove any dirt. This vase is very grainy/sandy and made it difficult to clean. By the time I was done I had a small pile of sand. This was another reason I felt painting it would be a good idea. Coating it with paint keeps it from shedding sand everywhere.

After my vase was clean and dry I mixed two craft paints, Scallion in a satin finish by Martha Stewart and Mediterranean Blue by Craft Smart. Once I got the color I wanted I just brushed blue all over the vase. I was not being careful and wanted some of the dark color underneath to stay exposed.

After I finished applying the first layer of paint I took baby wipes and wiped paint off as I rubbed it around the vase. What I was trying to achieve was a very thin layer of the turquoise color that was a little heavier in the nooks and crannies. After wiping it down I used my heat tool to dry the remaining paint.

I applied white Kilz once the turquiose colored paint was completely dry. I would not suggest using this without open windows as the fumes are very strong. I don't have chalk paint or the money to make my own, so I found Kilz in the garage and thought it was the next best thing since it has a very chalking appearance. I dry-brushed the white Kilz lightly to lighten up the undercoat and accentuate the design.



I'm so happy I stumbled across this vase by my garage and surprised my husband hadn't thrown it out. I think it turned out really nice and will make a great addition to my new craft room. I will show how I filled my vase in the reveal of my room.

Happy Crafting!

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