Ashley's Art Closet: September 2014

DIY Watch Cleaning

What you will need:

a watch

toothpaste

washcloth

dab of water

Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the facing of your watch. Wet the end of you washcloth over the tip of your finger. Smear the toothpaste lightly all over the watch with the damp washcloth. Continue wiping until all traces of toothpaste are gone. You might need an additional dab of water.

All clean! Enjoy! See it sparkle…

What I recently added to my Etsy shop

Handmade one of kind Santa Face's

Everyone's sure to love these guys. They are created on a 10x10 gallery wrap canvas upon each individual order assuring no two are alike.

Visit my Etsy shop today to see this new item listed. Order your's in time for the holidays!

Engine's Day

Spend the day with Engine!

Well, you're not going to believe this but Engine was found the afternoon Sammy was found. Once I got Sammy settle in at home I dashed off to pick my daughter up from school. It was on our ride home from school we found Engine. How on earth did my eyes find these little guys in the road. From there on out I just drove with my eyes closed. Not really, but I sure wanted to.

We should have named this guy peanuts. Look at his upper circles on his under shell. They look just like peanut shells. He was name by my daughter before I even got the chance to put the car in drive that day. She chose Engine since we were in the car with an engine.

Engine's ranking in second place in size!

So next year, I am not praying for another turtle, but I'll sure look for them. The turtle lodge is full here at The Murphy Lodge so I'd have to find them room and board else where.

A look back:

Can you remember which turtle is the biggest?

Do you think I'll find more next turtle season, March or April?

Wednesday Words

What wonderful words for Wednesday!

Book pages play a big role in my creative process so I thought I'd share my process. May you rock out your Wednesday hump day. Happy dance we are half way there…

DIY Mustache

What you will need:

a cardboard mustache

black paint

glue

craft lace

(see picture below for supplies I used)

Start by painting your cardboard mustache black. I purchased mine at Hobby Lobby. You could easily trace one out on a piece of cardboard you might already have. Once it's painted black you are pretty much finished. Let it dry!

Use your craft lace or any other type of string that will get the job done. That's one of my biggest things is to work on a clean cut budget making do with what I already have on hand to get the job done. Think outside the box in all cases while creating. Below you will see my glue and craft lace out. I simply laid a piece of the craft lace across the back side of the mustache from one hanger hole to another. Those two holes are intended to use two nail but this sista would have this project all messed up with one side higher than the other. That's something else when creating know your boundaries. It's okay if you're the girl like me that wouldn't get it straight. Work around it. You may be the girl or guy who can hang straight without a craft lace hook. Go for it!

I leave you today with a mustache! Ha! I hope you're feeling inspire to create on a budget. May your day be jolly. Remember to always put God first! I encourage you today look up inspiring Bible verses. Read a few of them. This can be done on Pinterest or Google since we all love spending all this time on line. Let your spirit be lifted! Be reminded the word of God more importantly comes from the Bible it's self tho.

Shampoo For Curly Hair

Shea Moisture

Last year close to Christmas, I was shopping at our local Target. One of my favorites stores by far, on an end cap aisle there was a new shampoo being advertised. When I saw it was for thick curly hair with coconut oil I was in. Coconut oil has become key for a lot, I even saw a book written the other day geared straight towards coconut oil. Anyways, anti frizz was next of notice and what curly head doesn't need anti frizz!? In the buggy these little new puppies went! I am a sucker for new stuff to a degree. Budget, timing, taste, feel, look and more must pass my test before I do plunge for a new trial.

Seriously, I was in love. Now keep in mind my mother is a former hair dresser. So she knows all the deals on ways to save on big gallons of shampoos, when to watch for sales and where to buy. In fact, I was on a pretty good system with gaining her knowledge through the years. So for me to buy shampoo at the local target was kinda out of the norm for me.

I even skipped on back down to Target and grabbed these babies! Restorative! My hair was majorly dry. Thirsty! Raw Shea Butter everyone knows is key, right!

Let me just say when I went back the end aisle cap display was gone. My first response was to peek my head down the aisle next to it. The first thing I saw on the shelf was the Shea Moisture products. So, I grabbed what I was looking for, Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo. Pushing the buggy a little further down to go on bout my shopping my eyes glanced back and forth at what was on the remaining of the aisle. Surprised to see the Shea Moisture products where located on the aisle where I believe most african American girls shop. Let me next say by no means am I racist. Only stating the obvious from how the store had the products set up. So please hear me again, I am NOT racist. However, I wish all man kind to know about these hair products. Further more in the months following noticing other stores picking these products up they are place on the same type of aisle. For anyone looking, look on the aisle where the african products are. I've seen them at Target, Walmart, Sally's and Walgreens. Most white girls don't look on these type of aisles. I know this white girl hasn't. And for all you curly hair girls and boys no matter your race check this stuff out. I am thinking we've been missing out on the secret to curly hair care all these years.

I want to be Shea Moisture's white girl model!

Sammy's Day

Spend the day with Sammy!

Swiftly on a drive down my street days later after finding Pedal, I was coming home from Bible study. Not nearly half way down my hilly road I see something small in the road. Passing it, I pulled over with the clear notion it was another turtle.

With the car in park, I promptly walked towards the turtle making sure no cars were coming. He was the most precious one of them all. Smaller then Fred or Pedal on their found date.

This little guy rode home with me in my cup holder as I continued driving down my street. Some say be careful what you pray for and here I was finding a third turtle.

(notice he acts the same turned over now as the day I found him-see picture further below)

Often, I pick one day there will be a giraffe with lions and tigers in my yard or near by in the neighborhood. Since living in our current house we've seen giant turtles, giant snakes, a fox, big pretty turkey's, tons of deer, a hawk, an owl and even an actual alligator in my driveway one day!

How'd we come up with his name? Well, the area of the street he was found was close to a neighbors house who's name is Mr. Sammy. So, what better name. Sammy!

Sammy is still the cutest of them all to me and still remains the smallest of all.

(his ride home in my cup holder)

(look how darn precious-the moment I found him)

He was so hot and dried up looking when I found him. I love those perfect circles at the top of his under shell.

Can you believe I found a third turtle?

Which one is your favorite so far?

Wednesday Words

My friend always says "Tidy Room Tidy Mind"

And it's so true, I can stay on track better when I know things are in their place. Hubby would sometimes say different. He claims I have lots of piles of stuff, but hey creative minds are messy. I walk a tight rope of tidy and messy. I prefer tidy! When the going gets tough raising kids, being creative things get messy!

A sure way to keep things tidy:

Make your bed everyday
Put away clothes
10 minute pick up everyday
dust
vacuum
clean glass
fresh scent

When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Luke 11:25

DIY Polaroid Picture

Um… Yea, this paper cutter is really old. I'd say 15 years old. So it's grown up with both my kids which have left me nice little markings. Even signed my name on it. How nice! Cute memories…

Last year, I actually looked for a new paper cutter. Even purchased one off amazon, but I sent it back. It wasn't cutting it. Ha! I like my old cutter, markings and all!

DIY Polaroid Picture

What you will need:

a paper cutter/scissors

cardboard

a picture of your choice

mod podge

white paint

I first printed my picture from my computer on a sheet of thick 8.5 x 11 paper. The picture it's self is an 8 x 10. So I cut the edges of white away from the actual picture. This picture of the Statue of Liberty was actually taking by me this summer on our trip to New York. It was such a fun day exploring, view and hanging out with the Statue of Liberty. The weather was really nice which made for a great boat ride over to the island. Only trouble we had was my youngest daughter wasn't feeling well that day. Stomach cramps for half the day, not sure if her breakfast didn't settle well with her or what.

After I printed the picture, I found a piece of cardboard. Using my paper cutter to trim the edges of the cardboard. Then, I painted the trimmed cardboard white. I used Mod Podge to glue the picture to the cardboard centering it up toward to top section on the piece of cardboard. Measuring is not a big cup of tea of mine. Most of my work is guess work, me gauging with my eye. The main goal is to make sure you have equal amounts of white cardboard on the top, left and right side. The bottom portion should be a larger space.

On the back side of the Polaroid picture, I made a simple hanger using quick grip, my go to glue, and craft lace. Simple! Fun! Easy!

Have you been to New York?

Have you seen the Statue of Liberty?

Do you like Polaroid Pictures?

What I found on my walk today

Man, did I not want to wake up this morning. Mondays can be so hard sometimes. Alarm-clocks! I managed to get kicked off. Soon, I noticed my youngest daughter was dragging a little too. Being as she was curled up in a ball the entire ride to school. Cute stuff! Sleepy! Once I made it to my morning walk I couldn't help waking up after seeing the coloful drawings on the side walk, the blue ballon and the purple flowers falling to the ground. It made me think of all the happy children who must have created the little side walk drawings. I wonder was it a birthday party!? Not because of the balloon I found. Rather, because I could tell there were lots of little kids drawing by the amount of drawings. Fun stuff, they were making art! I do wonder if there was a party at some point since I did find the blue ballon. I am seeing the possibilities everywhere. On to the rest of my day… I must make things happen!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Pedal's Day

Spend the day with Pedal!

Well, not only did I pray to find a turtle like my childhood turtle one day, I also prayed to find another turtle so our Fred wasn't lonely. Almost a year to the date later my youngest daughter and I were out riding bikes. On the ride back almost home I saw something in the street. When I got closer looking down it was another turtle. This is where he gained his name, Pedal. Since we were on a bike with pedals, Pedal it was. We can pick him out from the slight little pedal looking mark on his under side on the lower left. See picture above.

(the moment we found Pedal on our bike ride)

(meeting Fred for the first time)

Fred liked having a new friend once they settled in better together.

This little guy is knocking on 2 inches. He wasn't this big when we found him, but has grown a little.

Look at his little feet trying to push away.

Those eyes…

and nose…

Below are the pictures I posted to instagram the day we found him.

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