3D Paintings

 Materials:
-Canvas
-Elmers glue (when I do this again I'll use puffy paint - see step 2)
-Stencils + pencil
-Acrylic paint + brush
-Clear acrylic coating spray

 Step 1:
Trace your quotation in whatever arrangement you would like.  I chose to use different sized letters to emphasize certain words.  If you are good at free-handing, you could draw lines to make sure your text is straight and make your own font.

 Step 2:
Apply glue on top of the stenciled letters. I chose to do an additional layer after the first one had dried to have further 3D-effect.  The next time I do this, I will use puffy paint or thicken the glue to allow for a more even application. Elmers glue by itself does not retain it's original shape and tends to bubble out a little bit. It worked out just fine though.

 Step 3:
After the glue is completely dry, apply your acrylic paint evenly on the entire canvas. I used leftover greens from a painting I had just finished, but a solid color would look good too.  It helps to detail around the letters with a small brush first, then use a large brush for the rest of the color.


You could finish your project here, but I chose to add more contrast by painting the words with a different color.

Step 4: 
When the base color is completely dry, carefully paint over the raised letters with a small brush. I chose to use two different shades of brown to further emphasize words. After that paint was dry, I sprayed the entire painting with a clear acrylic finish for further protection and added shine.

Now you have a fun, unique creation to display in your home! The best part of this project is that you get to choose your quote and your colors!  I am thinking that I will experiment with this technique on the small square canvases I use for fridge magnets.  Have fun and happy painting!

How to Fix Old Manicures

I am a big fan of Shellac manicures because of their strength and resilience, but I am always disappointed when they grow out.  So, I devised a way to make my manicure look better longer!

My manicure has grown out considerably, as you can see.  Too noticeable, unfortunately

Place a small piece of tape (cut with scissors for a straight edge) at a diagonal across your nail. Repeat for each nail, making sure the bottom edge is securely adhered.

 Paint the colors you'd like on the bottom of your nail.  It's okay if you go on the tape - that's why it's there!

Remove tape and clean up edges with a Q-tip soaked in non-acetone polish remover.  Shellac can only be removed by soaking your nails in acetone, so using non-acetone remover to clean up the edges won't damage your original manicure.  If you don't like the color you chose, you can take it off easily that way too.

Time to break out my favorite nail accessory of all time - skinny brushes. I like the silver accent line, it jazzes up the colors a bit and adds more definition.  When you are finished, add a clear coat of polish on top.

Now you can enjoy your shellac manicure longer!  My favorite color combination so far is a bright pink manicure with a deep royal blue/silver accent.  Make sure to use good-quality opaque polish that will cover your original colors

Homemade Dipping Oil

Homemade dipping oil for bread

Great for dinner parties, gifts, and any occasion!

Ingredient list:
-2 sprigs parsley (left unchopped for aesthetic appearance)
-1/2 T balsamic vinegar
-8 medium basil leaves, chopped 
-1/2 t dried thyme + 1 whole sprig thyme (fresh or dried) for accent
-1 t crushed garlic
-1 t oregano, chopped
-1 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
-Oil of your choice - I used extra virgin olive oil and canola oil
-1 bottle with cap (I used a cleaned Mike's Hard Lemonade bottle, but you can buy bottles at any craft store or reuse old clear bottles)

Note: I used a combination of fresh, frozen, and dried herbs. I use freshly picked from an herb garden if at all possible, but you can use whatever combinations you have.  Also, you can experiment with different amounts of each ingredient; mine are roughly measured.

After preparing all of the ingredients, place the herbs in your bottle except for the parsley sprigs and thyme sprig.

 Pour in oil using a funnel. I used 3 parts olive oil, one part canola oil.Place lid tightly on bottle, shake to mix ingredients thoroughly.  Let the herbs settle to the bottom for an hour or so, then add the parsley and thyme sprigs.  I decided I didn't like the whole basil leaves, so I fished them out, chopped them up, and put them back in.

Cover the lid with fabric, ribbon, whatever you want to accent. I used a bit of crumpled paper bag.  Secure with rubber band, twine, hemp, ribbon, ect.   I added a tag with the date and the ingredients listed on the back.  

Let the mixture age for better flavor, then break out the next time you want to impress guests.  Pour into shallow dipping dish; pair with a loaf of freshly baked bread.  Enjoy!