Moments Worth Pausing For

It's my day for writing and preparing to share the week's art studio happenings.  As much as I want to keep up with everything, I realize my limitations. I've got a commitment that comes first.  My son's eighth grade recognition is next week.  It's a big celebration for his class and I'm fortunate enough to help with the decorating team.  I've promised my kids that when it comes right down to it, family comes first.  This is an event that won't come back around.  I love being involved and being available for these milestones.

How many balloons make an 18 foot swag anyway? (60) Will a glow stick tucked into a balloon really work? (not really)  And so on with so many great Pinterest finds... finding out which clever ideas really work.  I've found that the dollar store is the best starting point for any party decor planning.  It's difficult to decorate on a budget!  Oh, and if you want to sandwich glow stick bracelets between two clear plastic cups, take the glow stick with you to be sure the clear plastic cup will be the right size!



Throughout the past year, I've learned that there are times when it's okay to take a break from the art studio.  I've been able to establish that routine and it won't be impossible to pick up again soon.  So, while I'm not posting a lengthy piece with a great number of photographs today, I am checking in and saying hello!  I'm still here, just focusing on glow sticks, balloons, table centerpieces with a Rocky Balboa printed on the vellum wrap, etc.

We'll be using red, white, and silver balloons for the party.  I had these assorted balloons here at home.  I wanted to have an idea of how many balloons would be needed for the desired effect.

Here's the test run for number of balloons to 3 feet of garland.

The vellum wrapped vases are my favorite way to make a fantastic eye-catching centerpiece.
Here is a snapshot of the supplies I used.  Comment below if you have any questions!  The vellum is 8 1/2" x 11" sheet and I print on it with my inkjet printer.  I set the page format on landscape and centered the text on the page.  For the shorter vases, I trimmed an inch from the top and another inch from the bottom, making the sheet 6 1/2" x 11" in size.

I printed the class quote on the vellum with the page format in landscape style.  Zots (have you heard of these?) are the most wonderful way of attaching the vellum to the vase.  Three little dots of the clear adhesive dots at the left and right edges and the vase is wrapped!  That's when I realized I had forgotten a step.  The silver glitter tape to trim it needed to be added.  The one below was my first try at applying the glitter tape after the vellum was attached to the vase.  You can see a wrinkle in the tape and it is unevenly attached.  This tape does NOT come back off without some damage to the tape and the vellum.  I was better off leaving it for this vase.  For the remaining sheets of vellum, I attached the silver glitter tape while the vellum lay flat.

If you're curious about making something like this vellum wrap for tall glass vases, I shared the instructions in a December post.  See Christmas Tea: Part 2 for more information.  For the set I'm working on today, I created them with Canva.  It's a very handy online tool for building your own graphics.

I tried several different combinations to find the best way to light up the vases.  The glow sticks are much more impressive in a darkened room!  If you want the neon, bright colors of glow stick I would suggest using 8-12 glow sticks per vase.  I really like the string lights but I have more of the glow sticks and battery operated votive candles.  I purchased iridescent shred gift bag filler (like Easter grass) at the dollar store.  The very best effect I achieved was using a handful of the filler and the string white lights.  The shred filler is so prone to static cling!!!  Spray your hands with Static Guard for better results.  This is so much fun!  Now to go build four more!!!  (If you look closely, you'll see a jar of Hot Tamales candies; I have a serious sweet tooth!  I'm sure candies show up in many of the studio shots.  I don't even realize it anymore.)

Wait, what just happened?  For not actually planning a blog post, it seems I've got one.  It wasn't so hard to complete and hopefully you have a new idea to try!  Please feel free to explore the other posts I've shared in the past.

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to return again soon!
I'll be back in a week...or two.  The next week and a half will be busy but I'll be thinking on what to share next time.  I want to share posts with quality and purpose.

We're going to attempt at least one trip to the mountains so some photography with wildflowers ought to be coming up soon.  That art travel kit is packed up and ready for our next adventure!

I'll do what I can with what I have.  I am enjoying this everyday creativity too much to put it down for an extended length of time.

What are you making time for?  Is there a creative type of outlet that you feel drawn to from time to time?  What's stopping you?  Be intentional.  Don't expect it to come together all at once.  What would be a first step toward filling that void?


-Christy
she must make art.

P.S.  I've got plenty of new listings to be added to Etsy in the weeks to come!
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