Entries for January 2009

by Julie Jones

I love adding customized art to my walls. These canvases are fairly easy to make and small enough that you can switch them out with the seasons if you’d like. I made this 9x7 canvas to put in my dining room. It has one of my favorite verses, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…Joshua 24:15” on the bottom of it.  

To begin you will need:
- A blank canvas
- Patterned paper or cardstock
- Various embellishments
- Mod podge or other decoupage medium

Step 1: I printed out a dingbat from my computer. I downloaded this one from the Internet. If you don’t want to use a dingbat and you can draw, you can just free hand whatever image you’d like onto your patterned paper. 

Step 2: I cut out the dingbat to use as a template. I pulled out my scrap paper file and found some papers that I liked for the windows, house, door and roof. 

Step 3: Cut out all of the pieces. I also printed the verse on some kraft colored cardstock and cut it out to place at the bottom.

Step 4: Mod podge the paper pieces to the canvas. When you have everything in place, put a coat of mod podge over the top of everything. It dries clear and comes in matte or glossy finishes. 

Step 5: Embellish with anything you like. I added an acrylic heart from my scrapbooking supplies in the middle of my door.

Making these little canvases is very inexpensive. They make great pieces for your own home, or great gifts for a friend. Have fun creating!

by Julie Jones

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you are taking photos of your children.

- As much as possible, try not to use a flash. Natural light is much more flattering to skin tones.

- Don’t be afraid to zoom in and fill the camera frame with your subject. This saves time and cropping of images later.

- Use the rule of thirds. Divide your frame up into thirds (think 9 boxes: 3 up and down and 3 across). Position your subject at one of the intersections of these boxes instead of the middle of the frame.

- Get down on their level. If you are photographing young children, get down on the floor. Look directly into their eyes instead of having them look up at you. 

- Pay attention to distracting things in the background. Take a few seconds before snapping a photo to see if there are big distracting things in the background. Can they be moved? If so, move them. This will keep your focus on the subject, not the people/things in the background.

- Try to capture catch lights. Catch lights are “catching light” in a person’s eyes. Try this trick: When you are outside (or inside in a well lit environment) playing with your children, or having a conversation with someone, look into their eyes. Can you see yourself? Can you see reflections of a light source in their eyes? Those are called “catch lights” and they really make a photo come to life. My favorite catch lights are when I can actually see myself in someone’s eyes.

- Look for good light sources in your house for indoor photographs. Pay attention to the way the light is falling on someone’s face. Is it too bright? Are they squinting? Is it too dark? Are there harsh shadows on the face? Try to move them into a position that is comfortable and flattering.

- Don’t forget to take photos of the details. Especially if you are a scrapbooker, don’t forget to take images of the birthday cake or the balloons, or the guests at the next birthday party. Think of things that will help you tell your story.

- If you have a digital camera, don’t be afraid to take lots and lots of photos. Especially with tiny children, you may only have a split second where you actually get that smile you are looking for.

-Try to capture the candid moments too. As much as we would like our children to be perfectly still and perfectly smile and stay perfectly clean…they are children and well, they aren’t perfect. Embrace those sticky candy fingers and messed up hair. Those things are what make your kids who they are. Get that goofy smile, the dirty shirt, and the untied shoes. Maybe, I’m sentimental (okay, I am), but those are some of my favorite photos.

Created by Julie Jones 

Your kids are sure to have a rockin’ good time with this simple craft made from an old box.

Supplies Needed:

Box (shoe box, food box, etc.)

Glue

Construction Paper

Scissors

Stapler

Rubber Bands

Stickers

Markers

Step 1: Cut the top off of the box or remove the top from the box if you are using a shoebox.

Step 2: Decorate the inside (and outside if desired) of the box with construction paper, scissors, markers, etc.

Step 3: Form a handle for the guitar from the top of the box. For this particular guitar, I used the two long sides of the top flaps of the box. This was a box I got in the mail from a bookstore.

Step 4: Attach the handle to the back of the guitar box with glue or staples.

Step 5: Wrap rubber bands around the box to form the “strings” of the guitar.

Step 6: Let your kid’s be the next super rock star and make some great music….outside maybe?