Not Quite Crystal Clear...

I had fun making some of our Christmas gifts this year. I was trying to handmake or purchase handmade this season. I think I came out 50% not, lol. I think if I would have started further ahead of time I could have at least had 80% made. Oh well, something to work toward next time. :)

I really like making these "incognito" mugs. The kids and I were giggling each time we held them up. Kind of hard to look at someone drinking from it and not think they were a bit silly.

Then we just had to make more!

So I had lots of fun with these and I am in the process of making more. I wanted something a little more artsy as well, so I decided on doing some wine glasses. I found some stemless glasses that I had to have! I think they are so casually contemporary! They may not be for the wine connoisseur, but I think they can be used for so much. I would even use them as candleholders or a short vase.

Did you get a little crafty over the holiday season? Any ideas for the next holiday season? I am gonna keep my mind open, hands moving, and creativity flowing to see what we can do!

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Let the Battle Begin!

Wow! It is scary to think how fast 2011 slipped by. I am not great at resolutions, but I love to start fresh. I am going to make more of an effort this year to stop and smell the roses...and coffee, mmm, love coffee...oops! Man, I can get sidetracked! Anyway, I want to make sure I appreciate the time I am given on this earth instead of wondering what happened to it. I want that for my family as well. Not a resolution, a WILL DO. :)

We just passed my son's 13th birthday. What a milestone (sobbing). He wanted to do up in an exciting way. Along with a lot of his friends, he is enthralled in airsoft. For those of you who have not ventured down this road and don't have a clue what that is, air powered guns that shoot plastic bbs. Much smaller than pellets and paintballs, but I am a strict mama on the limits of the gun's power or fps.

So he and his army of guys planned out their battle plans, home bases and everything else. He had his clear ideas for his invites and loved the outcome. (Now available in the smallfrynotables etsy shop.)

After they wore themselves out, they just chilled around a fire roasting hotdogs and smores and just doing their guy stuff. They all seemed to have fun and my guy was very pleased, which I have come to realize is a bit difficult for a teen, lol.

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Fix-It-Friday 10/14/11

I really will get back into the groove of things soon, lol. I have been SUPER busy, so it is not for a lack of projects to share. I may have to just spend a day unloading (or uploading) all of my projects on here just to prove it. :)

I had a minute to spare this morning and thought I would take part in this week's Fix-It-Friday. For those who don't know what that is, it is where you take someone's less than ideal photo and turn it into something worth keeping. You know all those pictures that you took that you wish you would have done...then it would have been great. Well, take some inspiration from this challenge and play around. What do you have to lose! You check out more here.

Here is the original SOOC photograph.

Here is my first edit. Most of it is done in Lightroom and a touch in Photoshop. First I did an adjustment brush on the background and raised the exposure. I straightened, added an s-curve, cropped and bumped the contrast.

 

I like to do black and white as well. :)

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Fix It Friday!

I love Fix It Friday. I don't get to do it very often, but I really want to make the effort more in the future. Fix It Friday is where you take a specific photo, done by someone else, and make your own edits to it and share how you went about it. Here is this weeks original photo.

Such a cute little girl and fun to edit. Here are my edits in color and black-and-white, along with my process.
-cropped   -healing brush touch up on skin   -adjust levels   -remove color cast   -bump curves   -s curve   -contrast   -resized   -sharpened

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what big eyes you have...

what big eyes you have..., originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

This is one of our seven animals. Yes, I said seven. Four dogs. One cat. Two turtles. Not to mention the hubby and kids, lol.

I just can't turn them away. Now, I am not even allowed to look at a loose animal or go into anyplace that may have them for adoption.

Unfortunately, I am SOOOO allergic to all of them. I am on three allergy medicines a day just to be able to cope with them. But I could never turn a member of my family over to someone else. And they are definitely a part of my family.

This little one is my little baby. She isn't as small as my feisty pup, but still able to fit in my lap. She is a bit timid as you can probably tell by the photo, lol. She doesn't like noises, storms, quick movement...basically don't breathe in her direction. Just kidding...kinda...

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senior sneak peek

senior sneak peek, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

I got to take another senior's portraits this past weekend. With the past weekend's hurricane, I was thankful the weather held out. It was a bit hot at times, but I would rather have that than the thunder and warnings that I am now listening to.

We had fun and I just LOVE this super sweet family. I hope to do more of them in the future. I really love seniors because of the excitement they generate. You can see how they are looking forward to the last year of high school and wondering what the future will hold. I can't wait for them to see the rest of their portraits and hope they heart them as much as I do. :)

Joined up with the following link parties:
Favorite Photo of the Week Contest
Favorite Friday

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sweet baby bug

sweet baby bug, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

My adorable new great-niece has been keeping my attention this weekend (along with all my cuddly hugs). She is so sweet with her squishy cheeks and soft auburn hair. Do you know what I love about having my first great-niece? I get to hug on her AND sleep through the night! Just kidding...not really. :)

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Getting Back in the Game...

Well, I dare show my face (or avatar) again after quite the little break. So much has been going on around me that time just got away from me. Now that summer has beat my door down, I'm trying to get into a new routine. I have been quite busy and have so much to share...but one thing at a time. :)

Stocking my smallfrynotables shop has been a blast and I am looking forward to adding so much more! Please stop by and check it out. Here are a couple of items you will find there...



If you like what you see, please "like" Small Fry Notables on facebook, as well! In fact, if you drop by now, please write something on the wall you would like to find for your upcoming Independence Day gatherings. You might find it as a FREE download next week!

Another thing that has consumed me is...couponing! I never thought I would do it, but once I started, it has become quite addictive. I thought I did well with my bargain hunting before, but I have blown myself away, lol. I always love a challenge.

Well, tootles for now, but I won't stay gone long!

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The Sweetest Celebrations...

Yummy, candy-coated colors with visually edible details that make them so enticing for a sweet celebration.

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Finally feels like spring...

spring02web, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

Aahhhhh...fresh air, gentle breeze above freezing temps, spring has arrived.

It feels like we have waited through a longer than normal winter with very little patience.

The windows were opened today to help get the spring cleaning mood set. After some cleaning this weekend, everyone went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.

The kids played catch with the football and made "au naturel" food from mud and leaves.

The hubby did some yard work and I went on a hunt for some signs of spring to capture on film, err, flashcard.

Except for my terrible allergies, this is my very favorite season of the year...

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Cupcake-rrific Party Activities

The girls were excited to get the party started! They each had a personalized apron at their seat (tutorial on this later) that they (and I!) loved.


Then the decorating began... The first cupcake was not the edible kind. Painting ceramic cupcake boxes, the girls were deep in concentration. I just loved how different each one turned out.

I joined these parties:
More the Merrier @ The DIY Home Sweet Home
The DIY Show Off Parade @The DIY Show Off
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Show Me Monday @ Fashion Diary of a Mormon Girl
Manic Monday@ SewHappyGeek
Who's Got Glam? @ Giggles, Glitz & Glam
Homemaker Monday @ 11th Heaven Homemaking Haven
Life Made Lovely Monday @ Blessed Little Nest
Creation Mondays @ The Life of Me
Craft Catwalk @ Embellishing Life Everyday
Weekend Wrap Up @ Colours Dekor
All About You Monday @ Texas Monkey
Polly Want a Party Monday @ Polly Want a Crafter?
Pink Hippo Party @ Pinkapotamus
Made with Love Monday @ Sew Chatty
You're So Very Creative @ Me Making Do
Mad Skills Party @ Mad in Crafts
My Crafty Weekend @ Until Wednesday Calls
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping it Simple
Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Craftastic Monday @ Sew Can Do
Craft-O-Maniac Mondays
M.M.M. @ C.R.A.F.T.
Made by You Monday @ Skip To My Lou
Anything Goes @ Type A Decorating
Santa's Gift Shoppe - Year Round
Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle
Marketplace Monday - Finding Fabulous
Making the World Cuter Monday

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A Sweet Tablescape!

A Sweet Tablescape!, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

This was the scene as you entered From Art to Zebras for my daughter's 10th birthday party. It was a sampling of the cupcake decorating celebration to come.

Each place setting had a chef hat and tiny cupcake lip gloss to match the cute cupcake decor. The kiddos had bright colored Crush sodas in glass bottles and colorful bendy straws, so no cups were needed. Next up, some sweet activities...

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A Perfectly Cute Cupcake Invite!

A Perfectly Cute Cupcake Invite!, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

My youngest just turned 10 years old! My babies are both now in the double digits. It goes by so quickly.

My kiddos are both great with coming up with ideas and running with them. We needed a theme that was great for multiple ages of girls. My daughter had just finished taking a cake decorating class with our homeschool group and we thought that would be a "sweet"idea, lol.

I wanted to make some special invitations for her big day and had an inkling of what I wanted. One afternoon, while demonstrating some techniques for one of our art classes, I did some cupcake doodles and loved them so much I wanted to include them on the invites! So the cupcake graphics and paper layers are all hand drawn and painted and the invites are digitally created and printed on glossy cardstock.

We were both so excited about how they turned out and think it was a great peak at the party to be. I will post more picts of the favors and activities later so stay tuned!

I linked up to the following parties:

Ten Buck Tuesdays @ Young Nesters

Creative Share Wednesday @ Trendy Treehouse

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

The DIY Show Off

Friday Free For All Party @ Sassy Sites

Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative

More the Merrier @ The DIY Home Sweet Home

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Fix-It Friday

Life has hit me hard the last couple of weeks. Between unexpected travel and a houseful of flu, I'm ready to burst! Luckily the Fix-It Friday on I Heart Faces came about just in time to save me today. :)

So here is the original photo, shot by Andrea Riley, straight out of camera.


The first thing I did was crop the image. Then I bumped the curves, added more contrast, reduced the red, burned the background, and finally sharpened the final image. This is my edited color version.


And here is my version in a soft black and white (my fave)...

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From Drab to Fab - January Creative Challenge

So for my project with a $20 maximum, came in at $18.44. It was a lamp that someone had given us long ago. I had kept it in my basement for ages because I really disliked it (that's really an understatement). I had to buy a new lampshade because I couldn't find one at the thrift store that was the shape I wanted. I'm sure I could have scoured more, But I was still under $20 so I didn't sweat it. So here is what I started with.


Pretty bad, huh? Not to worry. The first thing I did was to give the metal a little rub down with a fine grade sand paper to give it some tooth, then gave it a couple of coats of a red spray primer that was made for metal.


After priming it, I left that to dry for a bit while a freehanded a simplified leaf shape in pencil on the new lampshade. Next, I used thick artist acrylic black paint to fill in the pencil sketch. This was a silk lampshade, so anything too wet will spread. I went back and painted a black border on the top and bottom to give it a bit more punch.


By now, the primer was dry and I gave the base a couple of coats of matte black spray paint.


I then took a copper patina glaze and drybrushed all of the edges and surfaces that would normally show wear, topped it with the new shade and called it a day!




I joined the party at:
DIY Project Party monthly contest
Creative Share Wednesday @ Trendy Treehouse
FFA Friday @ Sassy Sites
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
The DIY Show Off Project Parade
Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle
Letting the Creative Tuesday Juices Flow
Restored It Wednesday @ Restore Interiors
Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday @ Sassy Sites

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January Creative Outburst Grownup Gathering

We had so much fun at our first Creative Outbursts at our new From Art to Zebras studio! Our theme for this one was New Year, New You. We each did a 16"x20" mixed media canvas. Everyone chose a face or design that represented how they felt. I loved the variety and seeing how everyone felt about themselves. And I am so looking forward to our February Creative Outbursts that we will be creating cupcake collages for a sweet soiree!

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A Dino-Mite Party Idea!

Here is my FIRST treasury on Etsy! WooHoo! This was really fun to put together. I just love these dinosaur items for a little boy's party! I do really like the cutesy kind of dinosaurs, but the "big" boys tend to think they are too babyish. These are that perfect medium between cute and downright scary!

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What to Wear Wednesday - Valentine's Kids Style

-reposted from minor impressions

Ok, I admit, I haven’t even taken down my Christmas tree yet! I know, I need to get with it because before I know it, I’m going to get a note in my daughter’s folder giving me all the fun info for her class Valentine’s Day party. It’s hard to believe it’s only a month away.

If you’re a little more prepared than I am, you still have time to plan an adorably unique photo shoot to make some cards that all of your kiddo’s friends will be excited to show off. The great thing about Valentine pictures is that they can get away with being very casual. Since these are cards that will be given to their friends, let them show their personality. You can make a simple t-shirt dressier with a tulle skirt or a little more casual with a jean skirt and leggings. Let your son show his wild side for all the girls, or how tamed and put-together he is.

This is also the perfect time to find some adorable props to add. Instead of buying real roses with the thorns, you can find a bouquet of fake roses at a craft store, and all of the other items are easily found at Wal-mart or your local grocery store. Most kids will love the opportunity to eat chocolate or lick lollipops while being photographed, and the younger kiddos will find it hard to resist squeezing a new teddy bear!

Shopping:

Girl Outfit & Accessories – Gap

Boy Outfit – The Children’s Place

All props can be found at Wal-Mart, but these were found on the web.

Lollipops – Melville Store

Teddy Bear – Target

Chocolates – Sees

Rose Bouquet – Wal-Mart

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January Creative Challenge!

Theme: Totally Drab to Totally Rad!

I know it sounds a bit 80s but don't let that influence you (or do, if that's your thing!). Here are the details of our first public challenge with From Art to Zebras. Above all, HAVE A BLAST!

Your challenge this month is to spend $20 or less at a thrift store and buy something super ugly, tacky or otherwise abominable and revamp it into something totally awesome. If you have something totally horrible already, first, let me say I'm sorry; second, why???; and third, go ahead and use it for the challenge. You must take pictures of the item in its original state, so we can see both the before and the after. Your purchase can be a piece of artwork, clothing, figurine, statue, platter, furniture -- whatever! You decide. You can purchase more than one item at the thrift store as long as your total is $20 or less, and your items somehow come together in the same theme of the project.

Rules:

• Craft your project during this challenge period (Jan 11 - Jan 31st 2011) only. Projects created before this timeframe will not be removed, but they will be excluded from the voting. Post before and after shots on our From Art to Zebras facebook page and tag yourself in them. If you don't have a facebook account, you can either get one, lol, or just email them to us and we will post them.
• You can make this by yourself or as a group or family. If participating as a group, please tag all individuals. You will be responsible for working out how the prize will be divided.
  
• Post your craft no later than Jan 31st.
• Voting will happen from Feb 1-8, 2011.
• Enter only ONE project. Your entry can have multiple components to it.

Originality:

It's probably impossible to know whether your project is 100% original or made by anyone else in the past. But if your project was definitely inspired by something you've seen before, please give credit to that project.

Prizes:
At the end, I'll set up a poll and the first place winner will get:

(1) their project featured on blog, facebook, website and twitter!
(2) bragging rights (you'll probably do it anyway).
(3) a $75 gift certificate to use with From Art to Zebras on anything! classes, camps, events, artwork, gifts, photography, okay, you get the hint. :)

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Snow, snow and more snow.

I know this isn't mush snow for a lot of you. And I grew up with much more. But for this area, not many are used to the snow and puts a scare into their hearts. The roads aren't cleared, no chains allowed, stores run out of milk, bread and snow materials, and schools and businesses close down. Just this little bit wreaks havok on our community.

Usually, if it is going to snow, it isn't here until February and March. But oh no, it had to start EARLY this year. And it keeps coming back for more! If I could curl up with my kiddos and not worry, I might welcome it more. But knowing my husband has to be out with the freaked out drivers and the fact that we own a business that makes no money when we have to close, snow is not a joyful sight.

I have a deep yearning for spring...

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