Bravely Bohemian Favorites

Breathe Deep, Be Brave

Valentine’s Day Mixed Media

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Sometimes you have to breathe deep, be brave and jump into trying new things. This post is about my very first Valentine’s Day mixed media project.

Valentine's Day mixed media_completed projects

I am just going to say it—I LOVE ART! I have next to no formal art training (one drawing class in college), so I sometimes have to get really brave to express myself through art. Thank goodness for YouTube!

This is the year I’ve decided to begin messing with 2 new forms of art- watercolor painting (I painted the Bravely Bohemian logo!) and mixed media. I am already an avid rubber stamper, so Tim Holtz and Graphic 45 products, in particular, have definitely sparked my interest.

Now I am starting to play with gesso, modeling paste, and canvas, plus collage and painting techniques. It is making my boho spirit VERY happy!

Here are instructions on how to create the Victorian-themed Valentine’s Day mixed media pieces I created:

completed DIY Valentine's Day mixed media hearts

Supplies:

2 White Medium Canvases
Liquitex Clear Gesso and/or Modge Podge
Misc Scrapbook Papers
Victorian Themed Valentine’s Day Printouts
Liquitex Modeling Paste
Paint Brush
Modeling paste tools
Glass Stones
Glue
Red and White Acrylic Paint
Scrapbook Bling or Stick-On Rhinestones

Most of these supplies can be found at Michaels.com or at Amazon.com.

Directions:
1. Coat the canvases with clear Gesso. This allows paints and other mediums to adhere better to the canvas.

2. Cutout and arrange the Victorian themed images and scrapbook papers into a desired collage on each canvas. Use the clear Gesso or Modge Podge to collage your papers into place. Let dry.

3. Next, use the modeling paste and tools to create a 3-dimensional heart in the middle of each canvas. Use additional modeling paste to create a dimensional border on each canvas edge. (My examples have almost a cake icing look to them).

Valentine's Day mixed media_DIY_modeling_paste_heart_over_collage

4. Carefully set the glass stones into the corners of the canvas while the modeling paste is still wet. You may need to put a touch of glue on the back of the glass stones to get them to stick.

5. After the canvases dry, you can apply the paints. I used red, white and pink acrylic paints mixed with Liquitex Clear Gesso. The more gesso you use, the more opacity the paint will have. (Clear gesso gives it a see-through look great for collage). I painted my canvases so that you can still see parts of the collage and scrapbook papers, then painted part of the modeling paste hearts to show off the dimension.

Valentine's Day mixed media project_painted hearts over collage

6. Lastly, add in the stick-on rhinestones. Of note, I had trouble getting some of the rhinestone swirl stickers to stay on the piece, so it might be best to use individual rhinestone stick-ons and arrange them into your own patterns.

Valentine's Day mixed media project_red and pink heart over collage

I hope you are as inspired by creating Valentine’s Day mixed media as I am. For more Valentine’s Day project ideas, click here.

Happy boho crafting!

Valentine's Day mixed media_completed projects


Make This Very Merry Cork & Burlap Christmas Banner

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We decided to decorate our screen porch for the Holidays this year. After adding a festive Christmas tree done up in red bead garland, white lights, red and gold mini bulbs, snowmen and Santa ornaments, the porch needed something else. So I created this fabulous Cork and Burlap Christmas Banner.

DIY Christmas Banner_Cork_and_burlap

Our main Christmas tree is decorated with natural ornaments, most of which I’ve made over the years, so working with cork and burlap makes this Boho gal very happy!

You will need:
4 Cork Christmas Tree Tags or Cutouts
8 Cork Snowflake Tags or Cutouts
Burlap Banner on a Rope with 5 Triangles
Colored Burlap (Red and Green)
Burlap Letters (2 packs to spell “Merry”)
Acrylic Paints in Metallic Green and White
Hole Punch
Extra Rope
Paint Brushes
Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Most of these supplies for your Christmas banner project can be purchased at Michaels.com and Amazon.com.

DIY_Christmas_Banner_with_cork_and_burlap

1. I started with a pre-made burlap banner, but you can certainly make your own. My banner came with 12 triangles, so I cut it at 5. The rope on the banner was not adjustable, so I attached additional rope to make it long enough to hang the banner once completed. If you don’t want the rope knot to show, you can trim the banner rope back to behind the last triangle and then glue new longer rope onto the back of the banner.

2. I then cut 5-inch circles out of red and green burlap- 3 out of the green and 2 out of the red burlap.

3. Next, I gently painted the 4 cork Christmas tree and 8 cork snowflake tags on both sides with the acrylic paints. (Cork can be a little fragile to work with so you may want a few extra tags on hand).

4. When dry, I punched holes into the top of 4 cork snowflakes, top and bottom of the 4 Christmas trees and then JUST THE TOP of the remaining 4 snowflakes.

5. I assembled the painted cork snowflakes and Christmas trees onto rope mobile-style and then attached each set to the rope between the triangles of the burlap banner.

6. Next, I fired up my trusty glue gun to layer the burlap letters spelling “MERRY” and the green and red circles onto the burlap banner.

7. Once dry, your very Merry Christmas banner is ready to hang!

DIY Christmas Banner_Cork_and_burlap

You can really create this Christmas banner for any Holiday by changing the cutouts and letters. For more fun, boho crafting ideas, click here!

HAPPY CRAFTING!


Betty White Gave Me Nightmares

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Betty White is definitely on my Top Ten List of people I would like to meet and interview. She is not only remarkably talented and witty, but she is also very dedicated to animals and animal rights. However, Betty White did give me a recent scare. Here’s what happened:

Must Reads by Betty White

I love to read. It’s a ritual I partake in before I go to sleep at night and I often read in the morning when I wake. I rarely get quality sleep at night. Sleep brings out the “Type A” in me. I somehow use my dreams to intensely work out my experiences from the day. By morning, I don’t want to wake and leave my dreams. I am often still trying to solve the issues I am processing during the night. So reading helps me transition. Reading helps me settle into sleep at night, and in the morning it helps help me come back into my body and a somewhat awake reality.

That being said, as I was recently waiting for my local library to get me the middle book in a series I was reading, I decided to visit my own bookshelf. I looked for a quick read to hold me over. I love standing at the shelves and just randomly picking something that calls to me. With all the choices in front of me, I selected Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo by Betty White.

Betty&Friends_My_Life_At_The_Zoo_

I can’t say enough about this book. Betty White ALWAYS amazes me! I think even more of her now that I know that she has been on the Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens fundraising arm since 1974. That’s over 40 years of service! In the book, Betty shares her favorite experiences with animals at the LA Zoo and other zoos across the country, which she finds time to visit whenever she travels. The photographs and anecdotes are just fabulous! Most of the photos were taken by Tad Motoyama of the Los Angeles Zoo. He definitely has a great job!

Betty White thoroughly had me enthralled with her book until the chapter entitled “My Misunderstood Friends.” You guessed it, much of the chapter is devoted to snakes and reptiles. I don’t have many fears in my life (at least not ones I like to admit!), but I am not particularly fond of snakes. I have never appreciated the “surprise factor.” You know, that experience you get when you are out enjoying nature and suddenly a snake happens across your path. Of course, it’s hard to say who is most surprised and all parties just want to run away from the other.

Photo taken by Los Angeles Zoo.
Photo taken by Los Angeles Zoo.

Well, unfortunately, I happened upon the “Misunderstood Friends” chapter and photos at night right before I fell asleep. After winging through the pictures as fast as I could and then going onto a fuzzier mammal part of the book, the stage was set. I had a night of dreams that included snakes at random points.

My husband, Al, noticed I was especially groggy the next morning. He was so sweet to ask me how I slept. I answered, “Betty White gave me nightmares!” He snickered at me and said, “You really need to start writing that blog!”

Love Betty White as much as I do? Check out her other books here!
Must Reads by Betty White

Also, to find out what other random books grace my bookshelf, check out these additional book reviews.

Strawberry Jam Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies (aka the Christmas Napalm Cookies)

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Strawberry Jam Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies

Want to bake unique, delicious Holiday cookies this year? You will love the recipe below for our family favorite: Strawberry Jame Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies. (Just don’t injure yourself like I did- Read on!)

My husband I both grew up in households with overachieving mothers who loved to bake, ESPECIALLY during the Holidays. We had a gorgeous multi-tiered silver cookie tray that came out every year and was loaded with at least a dozen different types of Christmas cookies. Looking back, I am in awe. How did my mother handle that every year while having child baking assistants who were more into flinging sprinkles at each other and eating the dough?

I still feel that deep need each year to bake multiple batches of Holiday cookies though it often stresses me out. Don’t get me wrong, I can be a great baker (I certainly had lots of practice as a kid), but there is something about baking under perceived pressure that makes things go a bit awry. This year, I wanted to send some cookies over to the neighbors to say thank you for sending us Christmas dinner, as we don’t have any family around during the Winter months. So I selected my favorite recipe from my childhood Christmases to make- Strawberry Jam Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies. [Read more…]

Welcome to BravelyBohemian.com…

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Welcome to BravelyBohemian.com and the adventure ahead of us! As you’ve probably figured out from my bio, I live a pretty eclectic life. I have many interests and have crafted a bohemian lifestyle for myself whenever possible.

While I have spent much of my life dressed up and undertaking type-A work, my real personality is much more bohemian. I sometimes describe myself as an “earth baby in a suit” or a “holistic gypsy,” which often surprises people. They don’t expect the laid-back, spiritual side hanging out under my well-tailored clothing.

Bravely_Bohemian_Karen_McMahon_and Bear_BravelyBohemian.com

To me, a bohemian is someone who:
• Quietly, but confidently, makes their own way in the world,
• Is unafraid to think out of the box,
• Is game to try new things,
• Wants to know what lies around the next corner,
• Enjoys finding humor in their life,
• Loves to immerse themselves in their surroundings,
• Thinks and feels deeply,
• Loves wholeheartedly,
• Ultimately follows their own path.

Karen_and_Al_McMahon_Bravely_Bohemian_BravelyBohemian.com

Bravely Bohemian is a journey to uncover more of myself as I share my work, interests and spiritual experiences with you. And get ready to laugh as I share quirky adventures along the way! Life is never dull around here, that is for sure!

Are you game to start your bravely bohemian adventure? Start here!