Sweater Weather!
It’s mid-October and the temperatures have dropped to the 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Every day this week, we woke up to cloudy cold mornings, not feeling like getting out of our warm blankets. I feel like sleeping all day like this little fox from my Hello Fall coloring book. But of course, that’s not possible, so I am just making more time to make some art using the Hello Fall coloring book images. If wasn’t recovering from surgery, I’d step out more and walk on the crunchy leaves down our beautiful neighboorhood streets under the colorful trees. But for now, I’m doing what I can to enjoy my favorite season of the year!
Blog Series: Fall Decor Day 4
Welcome to Day 4 of the Fall Decor Blog series! Today’s inspiration piece is another whimsical tag.
Supplies (affiliate links):
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Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 20PK – Funky Foliage
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Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK – Tag Collection
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Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 102PK – Alphanumeric, Cutout Lower (3/4″ Tall) Item #663074
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Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 76PK – Alphanumeric, Cutout Upper (3/4″ Tall) Item #663073
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Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only (White and Gray)
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Sizzix Accessory – Cutting Pads, Standard, 1 Pair (Purple w/Silver Glitter)
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Sizzix Accessory – Standard Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Color Gelatos – Iridescents – 15 Piece Set
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Color Gelatos – Translucents – 15 Piece Set
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Faber-Castell – Goldfaber – Aqua Watercolor Pencil – Tin of 48
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White Cardstock
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Kraft Cardstock
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Glue pen
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Scissors
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Trimmer
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Water cup with water
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Ruler, pencil, string
Be sure to be back tomorrow for some more fun inspiration and a tutorial!
*All contents, words and images are copyright of Mou Saha.*
Blog Series: Fall Decor Day 3
Welcome to Day 3 of my Fall Decor Blog Series! Today I have a tutorial for a DIY Entomology Specimen Display or to put simply, a bug box.
Now, if you are not fond of creepy crawly bugs, let me just tell you that neither am I. So, instead of painting realistic looking insects, I decided to give my bugs a flare of fantasy with bright colors and made-up patterns. Let me show you how. You can also use the stamp set that matches the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 14PK – Entomology.
Supplies (Affiliate links):
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Sizzix Framelits Die Set 14PK – Entomology (Item #663068)
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Stampers Anonymous Entomology Cling Mount Stamps (CMS 328)
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Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK – Mixed Media Halloween #2 (Item #663089)
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Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only (White & Gray)
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Sizzix Accessory – Cutting Pads, Standard, 1 Pair (Purple w/Silver Glitter)
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Sizzix Accessory – Standard Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Color Gelatos – Iridescents – 15 Piece Set
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Color Gelatos – Steampunk – 6 Piece Set
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Faber-Castell – Goldfaber – Aqua Watercolor Pencil – Tin of 48
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Pitt Artist Pens – Journaling – 4 Piece
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Faber-Castell – Stampers Big Brush Pen – Black
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Faber-Castell Whipped Spackle
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Gelatos Tool Set
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Faber-Castell Collapsible Water cup with water
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Watercolor paper
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Gray Cardstock
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Background Stamp
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3D Foam Squares
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Scissors
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Trimmer
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Ruler, pencil, shadow box
To die-cut the insects out of watercolor paper, create the following Sizzix Sandwich:
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On Sizzix Accessory – Standard Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies, lay another Sizzix Accessory – Cutting Pads, Standard, 1 Pair (Purple w/Silver Glitter).
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Place watercolor paper on it. Lay the insect dies from the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 14PK – Entomology, blade side down on the paper. The strong magnets of the Standard Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies will hold your Framelits Dies securely in place for precision cutting.
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Place the other Standard Cutting Pad on top and start turning the handle of your Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only (White & Gray). The rollers in the Big Shot machine will propel the entire sandwich through the machine and you’ll have your die-cut pieces ready.
Here are all the die-cut insects. Depending on the size of your display case, you’ll need to select the ones that work best for you. I ended up using only eight of them.
TIP: If your display case is big, you might have to die-cut multiples of the same design and color them differently to look like unique specimens.
Start coloring the die-cut insects with watercolor pencils and Gelatos Iridescents. You can let reality or fantasy be your guide for this step. I leaned more towards fantasy.
NOTE: There is also a stamp set that’s available separately to work with the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 14PK – Entomology. It’s called Stampers Anonymous Entomology Cling Mount Stamps (CMS 328).
Here are my finished insects. I added some pen details once the paints dried.
Next, create a backdrop for the insects to be mounted. For that, measure the back board of the display case and trim a piece of watercolor paper to that size. My case is 5.5 x 5.5 inches, so I trimmed my paper to that size and then drew about a quarter inch margin all around to make sure all the insects are properly visible once I put the display case back together with my decorated insert.
To create a patterned background, you could simply attach patterned paper or paint one. But I wanted one not only with patterns and colors but also with some texture. So, I decided to create a stencil with one of the dies from the Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK – Mixed Media Halloween #2.
To create your own stencil, start by creating the exact same Sizzix Sandwich as above. Use a heavyweight cardstock for this. Once you make the first cut, rotate the piece of cardstock around and lay the same die blade-side down on the cardstock at a facing angle to complete a square-ish design.
Lay your stencil down on the background piece and apply Whipped Spackle or another texture paste with palette knife.
It turns out that my background piece was slightly larger than my stencil. So, I simply repeated the stencil pattern allowing the paste to dry in between.
Once the texture paste dries color the piece with Gelatos colors or your favorite paints.
Mount the insects to the background with 3D foam squares making sure to stay inside the margins you drew earlier.
At this point, you can re-assemble your display case with the insert you just created. I wanted to add a finishing touch to my piece. I inked up a script background stamp with a neutral color ink (so it doesn’t clash with the colors and become a distraction) and stamped over the entire piece. As soon as the ink dried, I placed the piece in its display case.
Place the piece on your fireplace or shelf to add a festive touch to your home!
Be sure to be back tomorrow for some more fun inspiration!
*All contents, words and images are copyright of Mou Saha.*
Blog Series: Fall Decor Day 2
Welcome to Day 2 of my Fall Decor Blog Series!
Today, I have a whimsical inspiration piece for you. This tag looks more gorgeous in person, if I say so myself 😉
Supplies (affiliate links):
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Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 20PK – Funky Foliage
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Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK – Tag Collection
-
Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only (White and Gray)
-
Sizzix Accessory – Cutting Pads, Standard, 1 Pair (Purple w/Silver Glitter)
-
Sizzix Accessory – Standard Magnetic Platform for Wafer-Thin Dies
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Faber-Castell – Mix and Match Collection – Color Gelatos – Iridescents – 15 Piece Set
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Faber-Castell – Goldfaber – Aqua Watercolor Pencil – Tin of 48
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White Cardstock
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Gray Cardstock
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Glue pen
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Scissors
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Trimmer
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Water cup with water
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Ruler, pencil, string
Here’s a close-up.
Be sure to be back tomorrow for some more fun inspiration!
*All contents, words and images are copyright of Mou Saha.*
Free event! Join me on The Life Book Creativity & Wellbeing Summit!
Hello my creative friends!
Something new and amazing has just been born! 🙂 My friend Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts has just opened registration for The (free) Life Book Creativity & Wellbeing Summit! She has interviewed a wide range of Life Book 2019 Teachers for it and guess what?! I’m one of the speakers AND I’m also a teacher on Life Book 2019 next year!
Yay!!!
Not only is this Summit filled with inspiring interviews with amazing artists, but we each also provide a FREE creative and wellness activity for you that you can access for 2 weeks!
The Summit is filled with inspiring interviews, art sessions, meditations and wellbeing activities to help you get present and connected to the healing power of your creativity!
When you attend the Life Book Creativity & Wellbeing Summit you are able to
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Listen to sessions in your own time!
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Join our Facebook Group with like-minded people from all over the world!
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Wear whatever comfy clothes your want and enjoy the Summit from the comfort of your own home! We like bed hair no worries! 🙂
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Play, make mistakes, be fabulous or sad, it’s all welcome and ok on the summit! You are accepted just as you are!
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Enjoy free art & wellbeing activities!
For my free activity we’ll do a Tag Book Timeline of your Creative Journey. Here’s a quick peek at mine!
So:
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Do you want to learn how to create more wellbeing in your life?
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Do you want to create, express, develop and grow?
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Do you want to play with paints, get messy with collage, enjoy mark making and drawing?
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Do you want more hints and tips on how to use your creativity to become a happier person?
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Do you want to learn how to use creativity to become more grounded, present and kind to yourself?
These are all topics we discuss on the Summit with some of the leading mixed media artists out there!
It’s completely FREE so join us now by reserving your seat HERE!
The Summit begins on October 1st and ends on October 15th!
Life Book 2019 (which I’ll be teaching on yippee!) will open registration on October 16th and guess what? If you join Life Book 2019 you’ll get life long access to the Summit content as well as a year of amazing art activities + a virtual gift bag filled with extras and goodies also! More on this later, but keep an eye out for Life Book 2019 sign up details!
Join Us Now for The Life Book Creativity & Wellbeing Summit
See you there!
Love
Mou
Announcing Wanderlust 2019
I’m SO PLEASED to announce that I am a teacher for Wanderlust 2019!
Wanderlust 2019 is a year-long self-paced mixed media online workshop taught by 26 amazing teachers with a wide variety of styles. You’ll get 49 high-quality full-length streamable (and downloadable) video lessons every Friday starting January 4th, 2019. You’ll also get lifetime access plus a ton of creative bonuses.
The regular price for Wanderlust 2019 is $150 USD, but if you sign up by December 31st, 2018, you’ll get a 30% Early Bird Discount. Just use the code EARLY30 and you’ll pay only $105 USD (approx. £81, €90) for a whole year of classes! Isn’t that wonderful?
Click the image above to get all the juicy details and sign up TODAY to take advantage of the whopping discount!
Blog Series: Art Journaling Week Day 5
Welcome to my Blog Series – Art Journaling August Inspiration Day 5.
Over the next five days, I will share with you five art journal pages. These pages all have the following common threads –
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photographic ephemera as the focal point
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layers created with table scraps (stuff left on my desk after finishing bigger projects – giving them new life instead of discarding them)
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the page is completed in 30 minutes or less
I’m listing the supplies I used. Feel free to choose from your stash. I want to give you some starting points and not directions, so you can explore freely.
If you do create some pages along with me, please use the hashtag #mousaha and tag me on Instagram @mou.saha.studio and on Facebook @MouSahaStudio.
Supplies*:
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos Set – Brights
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos Set – Pastels
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos Set – Steampunk
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gesso
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gel Medium
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Goldfaber Aqua pencils
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Collapsible Water cup
Embellishments –
Other: old book, paper towel, thread, found bits
*Some are affiliate links. All contents, words and images are copyright of Mou Saha.
Blog Series: Art Journaling Week Day 4
Welcome to my Blog Series – Art Journaling August Inspiration Day 4.
Over the next five days, I will share with you five art journal pages. These pages all have the following common threads –
-
photographic ephemera as the focal point
-
layers created with table scraps (stuff left on my desk after finishing bigger projects – giving them new life instead of discarding them)
-
the page is completed in 30 minutes or less
I’m listing the supplies I used. Feel free to choose from your stash. I want to give you some starting points and not directions, so you can explore freely.
If you do create some pages along with me, please use the hashtag #mousaha and tag me on Instagram @mou.saha.studio and on Facebook @MouSahaStudio.
Supplies*:
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos Set – Brights
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos Set – Pastels
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gelatos Set – Steampunk
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gesso
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gel Medium
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Goldfaber Aqua pencils
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Collapsible Water cup
Embellishments –
Other: old book, paper towel, thread, found bits
*Some are affiliate links. All contents, words and images are copyright of Mou Saha.
Blog Series: Art Journaling Week Day 3
Welcome to my Blog Series – Art Journaling August Inspiration Day 3.
Over the next five days, I will share with you five art journal pages. These pages all have the following common threads –
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photographic ephemera as the focal point
-
layers created with table scraps (stuff left on my desk after finishing bigger projects – giving them new life instead of discarding them)
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the page is completed in 30 minutes or less
Hi Mou, I first seen you when you started teaching on Creative Bug. So I was thrilled to see that Tam had chosen you as one of the Teachers for Life Book 2019. Enjoy it! I liked your interview with Tam for the summit as well and the quote you made! Love it!! Gonna use that often. Anyway the reason I make art is to retain my wellbeing. I discovered the benefits of art when I was off work for 2 years with severe anxiety, severe sleep disorder and deep depression. It literally saved my life. It became the lifeline I held on to everyday to keep my head above water. So now I can say I need to make art as much as I need to eat everyday or breathe. Thanks for asking! Take care.