At any given moment, my son is obsessed with at least thirty different things. Two-thirds of them relate to sports or food. Then you have the chinese erasers, Oliver Jeffers, cool pens, etc. category. Within this last group falls his obsession with script, and his love of similes. Yes, similes. He’s talked in similes for…
Happy Mother’s Day
I’ve been collecting mom quotes lately. Sometimes I read something and it’s perfect…exactly what I would want to write or say if I were actually eloquent or poetic. And other times, I read something that makes me laugh out loud. Today, in honor of mothers everywhere, I am sharing them with you. I hope something…
Poppytalk Handmade
Poppytalk is a Canadian (Vancouver-based) design blog that I just love. Founders Jan and Earl (husband and wife) are dedicated to promoting emerging design talent. So much so that they opened up an online market place called Poppytalk Handmade in 2007. They have monthly themes which provide an opportunity for artists, designers + cottage industries to…
Kid Made // Perler Bead Brooch
There is nothing fancy or original about these brooches, but they are just so darn happy (and simple)! We give these to grandparents, babysitters and aunts quite a bit. If you have kids ages five and up and you haven’t invested in some peeler beads yet (also known as hamma beads, fuse beads or melty beads),…
T-Shirt Bunting
With three growing kids, we collect a lot of t-shirts. Some of them end up in quilts, others I give to Good Will. I save many, though, because they are un-hand-me-downable. T-shirts from school walk-athons, soccer teams, variety shows…the ones that no one else would wear. The ones I use for projects! Here’s what you…
Treasure Hunt Party Invitations // Printable
This year, my son had a treasure-hunt-ish party. It was more like a combo treasure hunt / Amazing Race party so we called it his “amazing treasure hunt party”. I created a downloadable version just for you. I even went all fancy and added fill-in spaces on each line so you can just type in…
Monster Patches
One of the very first things I pinned on Pinterest when I joined was this image of a monster patch. It’s from a Dutch blog, and I thought (and still think) that it was brilliant! I wish I had thought of that. Marieke inspired me to finally, once and for all, start mending those jeans….
Art Bar is a Year Old!
One year ago today, I wrote my very first post! (It is still one of my favorite photos of the little guy learning to jump rope.) When I started the blog, my plan was to create a photo journal for my kids so that some day it could be printed, bound, and put on a…
Homemade Label for Homemade Treats
I designed these labels for my friend (and #1 fan), Carrie. I have been turning away graphic design work lately because I want to focus on a few new ventures. But I couldn’t say no because she really is the best kind of client. She gives me a few boundaries, like color and size, but…
Simple Signs // Make
My family and friends have seen me make these signs for years. They are my last-minute, in-a-pinch, go-to idea when I need something colorful + sincere – but fast! I would say it takes about 30-45 minutes to make these from start to finish, which is pretty good. Usually my family is waiting in the…
