How to Make a Creative Mother's Day Present with Help From Pinterest Perfect and Santa Fe Art Supply

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these products and ebook, free of charge,from Santa Fe Art Supply and Walter Foster Publishing, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about them.


Ah Mother's Day....

It always seems to sneak up on us, doesn't it?

This year, thanks to some great inspiration, and great tools, we were able to make some very unique, personalized and creative presents for Mom this year!

The inspiration came from this new book, that compiles the best of Pinterest into one volume:

Synopsis:

Pinterest Perfect! features the artwork and inspirational designs of talented artists, and step-by-step projects, tutorials, and crafting techniques on everything from drawing, painting, and illustration to mixed media, typography, and papercrafts. Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing social media sites on the Internet -- especially among creative professionals and arts & crafts enthusiasts. 

Beautifully designed to emulate the clean, elegant aesthetics of Pinterest that users recognize and love, Pinterest Perfect! features the artwork, projects, and inspirational designs of talented artists and crafters, each of whom enjoys a sizeable fan base in the digital space and elsewhere. Filled with step-by-step projects, tutorials, art tips, and crafting techniques on everything from drawing, painting, and illustration to mixed media, typography, and papercrafts, each featured artist shares her unique art style with readers in an interactive and engaging format. 

Each section features a brief introduction to the artist, followed by four to six easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects and/or art techniques. Open practice pages at the end of each section invite readers to brainstorm, sketch, and collect inspiration for their own artistic projects. In addition, useful sidebars throughout the book share tips for using Pinterest efficiently and effectively, as a hobbyist and professional artist. Sidebar topics include creating a virtual artist morgue, collaborating with others on community boards, using boards to promote a business or share a portfolio, and much more. One part inspiration, one part how-to, and filled to the brim with color, inspiration, and beautiful artwork, Pinterest Perfect! is the picture-perfect visual resource for any artist, crafter, or creative Pinterest enthusiast.

Review: 

Immediately upon looking through the book, I recognized pieces I had saved to try later! Always a good/bad sign, LOL. The 8 artists included are  Gemima Correll, Amanda Wright, JamieLyn Nye, Marissa Edghill, Khristian Howell , Molly Jacques, Flora Chang and Flora Chang. Together they have 25 projects in the book to inspire you! Each chapter shares about the artist, offers inspiration, and then basic instructions, with LOTS of photos, to help you be inspired by their creations!  In the collage above, you can see more projects I will be attempting next!

But now for my Mother's Day project inspiration from the book: 

A masking tape water color print! AHA, I just got in the super set of Santa Fe Art Sipply set of 15 Artist Brushes, so I was itching to paint, and this looked like a super idea to try! 

The brush set is SO lovely- it has 15 Long Handle (12" length), non Shedding Paint Brushes, in their own padded zipper container! The case even has an internal stand, and separate compartments, so each brush stays in place! I personally like the synthetic bristles, as for me they are easier to upkeep! They can be used for watercolor, oil, acrylic, ink and even face paint!

The first step of the project required masking tape, which I was out of (naturally)..

But since I'm paintng Miss Grace's room, I do have plenty of Painter's tape! Same concept, different color! LOL So I thought I'd give it a try, it couldn't hurt to try, right? So I used a scrap piece of paper and tried it, and it worked just fine! So I taped out a loosely structured flower.

Then on to painting:

I started with a dark purple center, and pulled in more water to fade it out, then added dark pulled and pulled it. Then more blue and water to finish the main petal area. then I added yellow, rose, orange and a touch of green, to finish the outer petals/leaves. I concentrated on 3 main brushes and the slant tip brush really worked great, with the other 2 helping to really pull the color easily. the fine tip brush was for signing my name! Never forget to sign your work!

The brushes were super easy to clean usng some brush soap, and  it is so nice being able to put them away in ONE place, where they won;t get damaged, and that the kid knows are hands off! She was thrilled to be able to get my old set for her own (since she had destroyed my fine tips anyways, LOL). 

Once the paint dried, it was the magic moment:

As you can see it works just fine with the painter's tape, and you get spectacular results! Just be careful pulling the tape up, so you don't tear the paper!

I liked how my lines weren't perfect- it looks more spontaneous and natural to me! Now I just have to frame it and it's ready for Mother's Day giving! I loved doing this project and plan on doing some more over the Summer for different rooms, and for a great Summer activity for the kids during their crafting days together!

So if you're looking for inspiration, check out Pinterest Perfect, and be sure to pick up these superb paint brushes, from Santa Fe Art Supply (on sale right now at 66% OFF), to help you complete ALL the products in the book! Summer is the perfect time for letting your creativity loose, and this set will let you bring it out!