What am I learning through the 100 Day Project?

Last year, I joined the 100 Day Project on Instagram and it changed my connection to creating. I learned so much through the process and am so thankful to @elleluna for putting this challenge out! So what did I learn?

I must build a creative discipline in the chaotic everyday. My everyday as a working mommy of two means there is a level of uncertainty everyday and I am operating rather exhaustedly. Finding a balance to ensure that I stick to making time to practice calligraphy or pick up a paint brush is a discipline that I value no matter how chaotic the day.

I must find time to create every day and every week. If you're a busy mum too and don't think you can find the time to make something, you can! On some days I wake up an extra 30 minutes earlier than my babe. Other days, I give my daughter crayons and her own book to draw and color. We sit together at the kitchen table and create together. Another option is to give her a few table toys she hasn't played with for some time and have her rediscover them while I spend a few minutes sketching something.

As shared on my Instagram feed on June 27, 2016, this was my kitchen table aka workspace over the weekend, when my daughter and I drew and colored together. Most days I wake up very early before work to write or draw #pearls100daymomproject2016 in my sketchbook, other times we use our right brains together side by side! Inspired by @etsy seller @ruth_oosterman to share what it's like to find time as a creative mum. My workspace is minimal and I don't have all the tools but I do what I can to have 20-30 mins to use my fine motor skills.

I nourished my soul through creative expression using my hands. While my brain is often filled with what's next with my family and work, being able to switch gears to study colors or practice calligraphy is incredibly nourishing for my soul. Creating something is an incredibly therapeutic process and helps clear my mind for a new kind of discovery each time I open the sketch book. It's also a really nice way to use my fine motor skills besides typing on the keyboard. :)

I enjoyed documenting everyday moments whether it be Project Life or #pearls100daymomproject2016. Since having the chance to create every day, I wanted to more of it. I've been extending my everyday creativity challenge into a weekly routine.

My other favorite part about art journaling was my exploration of color interactions. In addition to capturing everyday moments which is very natural for a scrapbooker like me, I really enjoyed the process of learning more about the science of my inks, paints, and tools. I have so many different types of dyes, pigments, and mediums, I just want to see how they all dance together.

I loved shopping my stash! If you're like me, you've built up tons of supplies. Every time I want to try something new, I love shopping my own stash of supplies and learning how I can stretch them into different kinds of techniques. Art journaling allows me to test and trial with no pressure of having a finished or polished piece. Love!

As shared on my Instagram feed of July 2, 2016, this was a 30-minute color study I had completed the night before.

See more of my creative mommy journey by following me on Instagram!

What is the 100 Day Project on Instagram?

I thoroughly enjoyed the classes from the Modern Calligraphy Summit and became incredibly inspired to create after watching the wonderful artists share their work. Since then, I've added doodling, watercoloring, and brush lettering to my growing list of creative outlets. I then furthered my watercoloring curiosity when I stumbled upon Etsy shop owner, Ana Victoria Calderon's Youtube and Skillshare classes. I've been hooked on watercoloring since!

I started researching non-toxic vibrant watercolors and invested in a few different pan sets as well as a few tubes to create my own 5-8 color palette. I even found time to putting it to good use and started mixing for color studying. It's been so much fun!

But it has been challenging to find a consistent routine to create, until stumbling upon the #the100dayproject hosted by @elleluna on Instagram. When I learned about the challenge I was immediately excited by the thought of having a small moment to be creative in some way, every single day from April 19 through July 27. Then it dawned on me that I am surely to miss days in between. In fact I missed day 1!

What topic could I document creatively where the gaps in the 100 days could be a part of the art and story of the documentation? My subject is #motherhood to be filed under #pearls100daysofmotherhood2016 as a snapshot of what it's like for a regular working mum making life happen in Brooklyn, NY via Instagram. I'll express my lens of motherhood through a simple word, doodle, picture, memory, or watercolor exploration [almost] everyday for the next three months!

Come join me in my mini art journey! Here's what I've created and documented in the first week:

See you on Instagram!

The Modern Calligraphy Summit is Here!

Back in September last year, I unexpectedly came across the Modern Calligraphy Summit thanks to Instagram and on a whim, decided to begin 2016 with a learning opportunity. The online classes begin today. I'm so excited to learn from the awesome artists and teachers every night at my own pace.

Since signing up, I've found ways to put my nibs and ink to good use so I'm more prepared by now. Practice truly makes better. I'm no where near perfection or even close to consistency, but I've been warming up my hand and wrist to gain better control of my penholder and the way my nib meets paper.  I don't practice everyday because it's nearly impossible with mommy, work, and home responsibilities, but when I do, I learn something new about my letterforms. Here are some of my calligraphy projects along the way.

Finding the perfect nib for me. I started on Gillott 303 and 404 nibs. I then tried other kinds of nibs recommended for beginners and found the Nikko G nib to be most suitable for me. It's become one of my favorite nibs. I love the control I have when I use it because I tend to be a little more heavy handed and the Nikko G gives just the right amount of flex while being rather forgiving.

Updated Pearl's Pen Pals Etsy shop logo. My previous shop logo was created almost 5 years ago and a refresh was long overdue.

Practicing. Every few weeks, I find myself looking back at older calligraphy samples to see what I can improve. I always find something and so I keep practicing. I think I'm finding more comfort in my own penmanship. Just compare the differences in a few months. The same words but notice the different flow and pace in the lines of my more recent sample.

Turning calligraphy into a cake topper. For my babe's 2nd birthday, I vectorized my handwriting, die-cut it using my awesome Silhouette, and made a glitter cake topper for her kiddy party. After the party, I kept the topper and snipped off the dowels to use it as a scrapbook page keepsake/embellishment. It's one of my favorite calligraphy projects!

I'm looking forward to learning a ton these two weeks!

#nevertoooldtostartsomethingnew

5 Steps to Designing a Small Space Custom Craft Closet (Part 2)

It's been nearly a year since lovely beauty arrived and it's been very fulfilling to have a seamless part of our apartment dedicated to my crafts. I'm still organizing the depths of this massive closet and finding new ways to utilize every inch efficiently but I thought I'd share more about what I learned from my process.

Designing a Small Space Custom Craft Closet

It's a huge financial and design commitment but it is well worth it if it meets your needs and helps you live more efficiently. For us, it was a no-brainer given my crafting obsession, our cozy (read small) New York apartment, and the curious itty bitty fingers wandering around. Here are the five steps I took to designing and organizing my small space custom craft closet:

1. Take stock of tools and supplies. Minimize when and where possible.

The same organization rules you've come across in the past for a tidy home are the same ones for your craft closet. If you haven't used the item for over a year, it's time to share it with someone who will make use of it. Or take an adapted KonMari method, and ask yourself, "does the item spark creativity?" Will it be used to create a project in the next few months? If not, again, share it!

2. Organize supplies and tools by frequency of usage. 

Once I cleared up all of the supplies into just the essentials that sparked creativity, I started organizing by frequency of use and access. Organizing by usage gives essentially forces you to distinguish between storage and everyday supplies. This is an important distinction.

Take for example, you have a huge supply of acrylic stamps, but you tend to use just your Project Life stamps on a daily basis while all of your seasonal and holiday stamps are only used once a year. In order for you to create efficiently, you'll want to keep the Project Life stamps in a place that is more accessible than your seasonal and holiday stamps since you won't need those every day. You can probably put your seasonal stamp stash at a higher level towards the back of your closet, so it doesn't get in your way while you're creating.

You may be tempted to organize by use or type of craft as that makes more sense for you, but you'll still want some semblance of organization by frequency of use. For example, out of all of my supplies, I use my acrylic stamps and stamping-related tools the most. So that's taken a full two drawers in my closet. I organize by manufacturer but I also have a section of frequently used stamps that I keep in the front of the drawer, so I don't always have to open the drawer all the way to the back. It also makes cleanup easier because I don't have to reach as deep into the drawer to put things away.

3. Measure stash and space. Sketch out a rough drawing with measurements.

This is the fun part because you get to bring your visualization to life by putting pencil to paper. But it can also be hard because if you're looking for maximum use of every inch, then you'll also want to be very accurate with your measurements.

Start with the sections that are at working surface and eye level. Envision what you need closest to you based on your most frequently used items. Then go up and down.

4. Research custom cabinetry makers.

Before calling anyone up, research on widths and thicknesses of different types of materials. Also research the type of closures you want, whether they be drawers or pocket doors, etc. The best way to find a cabinetry maker that's a good fit for you is to really talk to them and learn what is their process and what is included as part of their services. Trust your gut! Questions that helped me determine the maker for my closet:

• What is the process? Do you render 3-D drawings with clear measurements of each piece of the unit? Can you build the unit flush to the wall including measuring all floor and ceiling moldings? Do you measure the location in person prior to locking down measurements of the custom cabinet(s)?
• What are the terms of the agreement? How much is the deposit and accepted terms of payment? How many installments and by when? Is balance due upon arrival?
• How long does it take to make the unit and have it delivered? Does the unit arrive completely installed or will it be built on location? What type of insurance do you have?
• Do you have references to speak about the custom unit you've built for them? Do you have floor samples of the quality of your work? Do you have floor examples of heavy-duty drawer units and pocket doors (or any other kinds of fabrications you're hoping to have built as part of your unit)?

5. Produce an at-scale drawing, complete with all specifications. Sign off.

This was probably one of the most important parts of the process for me and I really appreciated that this was part of the service. The at-scale drawing is an exact blueprint of your unit and you'll want to make sure you account for every detail. Look for where all of the pieces will be connected and where all of the rails and hinges will be placed. Lastly, look at all of the measurements and make sure they meet the specs of your original measurements. This is important for you to review before you sign-off.

Then comes the hardest part... the wait. But once it arrives, it's back to happy organizing again!

Make & Create: DIY Painted Beads Necklace

My daughter loves playing with my jewelry. She's particularly obsessed with my bangles and necklaces which inspired me to make her a necklace. It was fun and she sat on my lap for different parts of the process. The hardest part was asking her to keep her fingers from touching the paint even though it is non-toxic. We got through it and I love how the necklace turned out.

My babe is a spunky gal and so I picked punchy colors to go with more wintry colors for our Fall/Winter edition of this necklace. I say edition because I hope we continue to create jewelry together. In due time, I look forward to watching her get her fingers inky as she finds enjoyment in making with me. :) For now, I'll share my process for creating this necklace.

1. Start with bare wooden beads. Use a Dremel to smooth out any scratch bits.

2. Hold beads up with a skewer on a helping hands. Have a tweezer on hand to hold down the bead as you paint.

3. I broke out my Kaisercraft paints from my Kaisercraft Design Team days. After all this time, they're still just right for painting!

4. Patiently wait for beads to thoroughly dry. Add extra coat of paint if necessary. Air dry again and then coat with a thin layer of matte Mod Podge.

5. Once fully dry, string on leather or faux suede cord. Pair the necklace with practically anything! It's beautiful on a blank canvas of a solid white or black shirt, but it also works so well with even busy patterns.

It was a hit and she loves it! What are you making?

Make Your Own MacBook Wood Grain Vinyl Decal

I first saw the talented Melinda of Meiling's Mailings create her own MacBook Air vinyl decal. In just a few steps, using some left over gold vinyl, I created a partial wood grain decal so the laptop would look like it is morphing from wood. I really like the juxtaposition of the metallic gold and silver with the wood grain texture. What do you think?

Make Your Own MacBook Wood Grain Vinyl Decal with Silhouette Cameo

Step 1: Draw a wood grain pattern. Take a photograph of it and open it in Silhouette Studio. Trace it. Adjust points to smooth some of the jagged edges.

Step 2: Follow the Silhouette directions [http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/how-to/?slug=vinyl] to cut vinyl. They’re rather straightforward but truth be told, I had a lot of trouble loading the vinyl without a mat. In theory, it should be fine but because the vinyl is rolled up, it tends to point downward instead of feeding. Not a problem though because I just used the same steps but instead of loading without a mat, I cut just enough vinyl and stick it to the mat before running it through the machine.

Step 3: Apply the decal to the front of the laptop using either a scraper or credit card and enjoy!

Make Your Own MacBook Wood Grain Vinyl Decal with Silhouette Cameo

Materials: Silhouette Cameo, gold vinyl, and transfer paper

What are you making?

Handmade Valentine Made with Help of Toddler

Did you have a nice Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day is a great occasion to send all loved ones handmade valentines.

Handmade Valentine Made with Help of Toddler's Hand Prints: Handprint Heart

Inspired by this pin, I made a handmade valentine with the help of our toddler. The hardest part about working with a little one who isn't quite ready to craft yet is that they can't sit still long enough and they like to wave and smear their hands everywhere. So instead of paint, tracing the silhouette of her hands was more manageable. No cleaning of sticky fingers or messy paint from hands or clothing.

This valentine has another valentine inside, so after tracing one hand, just cut out three shapes by folding a piece of paper in three. For the front of the card, create a heart shape with one hand and add hand-lettering in the same of a heart on the other side.

On the inside is a mini card with two hands that flip to make a heart shaped card hanging off of string adhered by washi tape. When the hands are flipped up, there's a special message for my valentine.

If you want to keep it simple, just create that first card for a fun graphic handmade card.

Happy hands make happy cards!

An Elegant & Minimalist Baby Shower

Co-hosting is a great way to divide and conquer the sheer amount of work behind an event. Recently, a couple of friends and I hosted a baby shower for a wonderful mama-to-be. Her personal style and mantra is all about minimalism, clean lines, and simplicity. We kept her style in the design of the event.

Things came together when we found this gem on Paperless Post:

We secured Sarabeth's Tribeca as the perfect backdrop for brunch. Then the creating began. I am the banner lady* and I pretty much make banners for every event I host. One of my co-hosts made a gorgeous diaper cake while our other co-host brought delicious cupcakes. Both banners and cupcake toppers were made with the handy dandy Silhouette Cameo.

"Yay Baby" Minimalist Baby Shower Party: Banner, diaper cake, and cupcake toppers.

Borrowing the same font from the invitation, the banner and gold hearts were a perfect match and just the right light minimalist touch to pull the details together. The gold hearts became the theme and common thread. It is especially fitting because the baby is due on none other than Valentine's Day! Seriously couldn't have done it without the Silhouette Cameo!

Of course, no baby shower is complete without a guestbook, or in this case a Project Life scrapbook. Didn't catch a photo of the final book, but here's a look at some of its foundation.

"Yay Baby" Minimalist Baby Shower Party: Guestbook Project Life scrapbook.

I had learned most people have trouble putting a scrapbook page together at a party or shower because the social setting isn't typically conducive to creative thinking. The end product is sometimes empty pages. So I tested out a simple formula at this shower and it turned out great. Each guest pulled out a single page protector once they settled in. Each page protector has 6 modules made up of 3 pockets x 2 pages (front and back). I walked around to chat with each brunch table to give some instructions. Each pocket played a part:

• Front top left: With my favorite party tool, the Fujifilm Instax camera and film, we asked each guest to take a picture with the mama-to-be and slipped it in this pocket.
• Front top right: Simple creative design with a sentiment, flair, chipboard sticker, or just the original Project Life card design.
• Front bottom: We asked each guest to write a brief congratulatory message to the mama-to-be.
• Back top left: We asked each guest to finish the sentence "my best parenting advice for mama-to-be is _______."
• Back top right: We asked each guest to sign their name and date the card which happens to be the back of the card that the photo is adhered to.
• Back bottom: We asked each guest to number the card 1 to 5 in list form. Then asked them 5 questions.

1. Will the baby be born with hair or no hair?
2. Will the baby be born with the mom's eyes or dad's eyes?
3. Will the baby be born with the mom's nose or dad's nose?
4. Will the baby be born with the mom's lips or dad's lips?
5. Will the baby be born with the mom's ears or dad's ears?

It took some of the creativity out of the guest scrapbooking process, but it really helped everyone just enjoy their conversation, jot a few quick things down, and at the end of the event, we were able to deliver a complete scrapbook to our guest of honor.

I sure hope mama enjoyed being showered with all our love!

*Tangent: My father was a talented calligrapher and skilled craftsman who created signs for over 20 years. During my formative years, I spent summers watching him paint and make with his own two hands. Probably explains a lot about my hobby and my profession. :)

A Party to Celebrate 1 Whole Year (and 2,788* Diapers)

As a full-time working mom, it is always difficult to find time to be creative. It is a delicate balance between using the time to rejuvenate the body (also known as sleep) or the soul (also known as fulfilling my innate need to make something). When my daughter's first birthday came around, I wanted to make everything myself. But my reality just didn't allow me to and so I picked only the things I could manage and enlisted the help of other makers. Here's how it turned out!

"I Love You to the Moon and Back" First Birthday Space-Themed Party Dessert Display Table and Backdrop. Photo Credit: Morgan Bayard Photography

My vision was a space-themed birthday party because we love my darling daughter to the moon and back. Even though I couldn't make everything for the party, I wanted to keep the spirit of crafting in all of the details. Things started coming together when I found much of the decor on Etsy. Here's a run down of everything from the party, just in case you're looking to create your own space-themed birthday party. It takes a small village to craft a party!

• An Etsy seller, Kourtrivera, made the awesome ribbon banner and I added some gold foil strips to give it a metallic touch.

• To create the feeling of vastness, I found a giant black foam core board at my local Artist Craftsman store and created the space backdrop. I altered outer space clipart I bought from an Etsy designer, DragonflyTwist, printed them and fussy cut each piece. I compiled the words "Happy Birthday Elizabeth" with holographic letters from Staples. They're the alphabet sets that are usually found in classroom bulletins. I then free-hand drew a chunky banner using a gold marker to give the appearance that the rocket ship is pulling the banner held by the astronaut.
• Part of the birthday girl's gift was an astronaut backpack, Hello Kitty doll in a space suit, and a really amazing hand-painted astronaut doll from another awesome Etsy seller, LIllakopmis. She was kind enough to even customize the hair so that it resembled my daughter's. On the backpack, I adhered a serious space explorer iron-on patch from another great Etsy seller, MokuyobiThreads.
• Inside of the backpack were some snack-size Miky Ways. In fact the dessert table displayed Starbursts, Moon Pies, Astro Popcorn in awesome baking cups from Etsy seller, InTheClear, and Astronaut Neopolitan ice cream. Each sweet was labeled! I printed names of food using 01 Digital font and stuck them to smaller pieces of black foam core board.
• Paying attention to all of the details, I also printed space-related signs, using the same font, such as "Coloring Station" for a kiddy coloring area, "Orbital Nutrition Station" for the food buffet, "Fueling Station" for the drinks, "Waste Management" for garbage and restroom directions, "Odyssey Check-in" for the guestbook area, "Space suit Drop-off" for the coat rack, and "Wavelength Observatory" for the TV area.
• The birthday cake and delicious mini cupcakes were baked by our favorite local bakery, DuJour. Inspired by my search on Google for a "moon-shaped cake", we designed a buttercream frosted half-moon cake with gray fondant craters and a light dusting of edible stardust. I also fussy-cut another astronaut clipart figure to top off the cake. On the cake is the perfect gold glittered beeswax candle from another amazing Etsy seller, NikkiCrafts. NikkiCrafts also supplied gold and silver glittered star cupcake toppers.
• The chevron rose-gold sequin table runner is also from an Etsy seller, Jessmy. The option of rose-gold pulled in the pinks and peaches from the banner but also complimented the gold and metallics.
• Details are key! In the background, we played all space, moon, planets, and star-related songs such as "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles and "Moonshine" by Bruno Mars. On the TV, we looped Amazon instant space-related episodes of Peg + Cat, Daniel Tiger, and Caillou.

To keep the kiddies busy, I found cardboard space ships! I assembled, painted, and colored in a Build A Dream Cosmic Cruiser and Alex Color A Rocket with the help of my husband. They turned out to be perfect toys and photo ops.

Instead of a traditional book, we asked guests to pose with a cardboard astronaut helmet prop, snap a photo with the Fujifilm Instax camera, and write a little note to the birthday girl.

To create a cardboard astronaut helmet, I painstakingly cut cardboard with super sharp and strong scissors and painted the helmet details using black paint and stuck it on popsicle stick.

Now, about the birthday girl's outfit... our little star wore a beautifully crafted pieces from Etsy sellers!

• Gold star halo headband from SparkliciousBoutique
• Silver glitter first birthday one-piece and tutu from PaisleyPrintsSpokane
• Metallic silver baby leggings from BlushTaylor
• Gold leather moccasins with bows from StitchesAndSoles

"I Love You to the Moon and Back" First Birthday Space-Themed Party Room and Cardboard Spaceships. Photo Credit: Morgan Bayard Photography

To give the venue a space museum look, I also adhered prints to black foam core boards and added a source label with the Etsy seller name and shop URL to the lower right corner of each board. The space-themed prints included:

• "I Love You to the Moon and Back" and "Here Comes the Sun" prints from ThePrintAnnex
• "Constellation Map" print from AnneGarrisonStudio
• "Planets Galaxy" print from LucyDarlingPrints
• "Moon Space Astronaut" print from Holli
• "She Leaves a Little Sparkle" print from SarahACampbellDesign

Sprinkled on the tables were flowers from my local supermarket sitting in beautiful vintage ball jars from Etsy seller, TheCherryGrove. I actually had these left over from my wedding that I've kept in our apartment for years. They are the perfect go-to vases.

We really appreciated all of our family and friends who joined us in the celebrationLast but certainly not least, a huge thank you to my pal, Peggy, my husband, the grandmas, and our photographer, Morgan Bayard, for capturing all of the details and little moments of our day.

It was a beautiful day for my darling daughter and I look forward to her looking back at these photos and feeling our love!

P.S. Wow! *2,788 diapers as estimated by KidsGrowth.com. Now that's a reality check.

Silhouette Cameo: "December" Handwritten Title

Hi there! How is everyone's December coming along? Today, I thought I'd share a bit about how I created the "December" handwritten die cut title in my

December Daily album

.

Anyone who has the 

Silhouette Cameo

 probably LOVES it just for this kind of application. I wanted my own handwriting to be captured in our December Daily, and the 

Silhouette Cameo

 is perfect for this.

Materials used:

See this

blog post

for details.

Here's a quick how-to:

1. Write your word in script using a tablet and pen in Photoshop and save it as  JPG file. Or write your word using a black Sharpie marker on a white piece of cardstock and scan the word into a JPG file.
2. Then open the file in your Silhouette Studio software.
3. Trace the area where the word is. (Menu > Object > Trace > Select Trace Area and create a box around the area you want to trace)
4. Play with the filters on the right side until you have a nice trace line around the word.
5. Simple remove the JPG from the background and you'll have a nicely traced word you can cut with the Silhouette Cameo.

I love this technique when you're looking for a nice handwritten title for scrapbook pages or even sentiments on cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl