Thursday, June 16, 2011

a giveaway (for reals!) & easy diy gift

last week was m's last day of school (well, until summer school in july), and i haven't even had a chance to write about it. it was bittersweet- so proud of my big girl, so grateful for this last year & her amazing teachers and therapist and school community. simultaneously grieving the loss of some dear schoolmates (and let's face it, getting to see their mommies three days a week), and the loss of just three days of school a week.

i made a little something for a few of the moms i am friends with (although a couple weren't there, so they'll just have to collect their goodness later.) it was a relatively simple project that you could tweak for teachers, grandparents, friends, or colleagues.

(you can get all of these supplies at any basic art store, michaels or online. that said, dick blick is my fave-they have great selection.)

i started out with a couple of colors of gouache (you could also use watercolor- it would actually work better.) you don't need a million colors- i used a pink, green, teal and yellow. (don't be intimidated-my "palette" (aka an ikea kids plate) just looks like that because i use it for all sorts of projects)

 i also used some colored pencils and a mechanical pencil
 basically i just dolloped a bit of paint on a page of watercolor paper, loaded my brush up with water and then diluted the color so it looked all dreamy but still colorful and bright. you don't need to be a painter-just channel your inner preschooler.
 i painted two sheets of paper and cut each piece into three pieces, to fit the 5 x 7 frames i'd bought.

i'd chosen the words lovely & amazing to write on each piece- because, well, my friends at school are lovely and amazing in so many ways. it says so much in so few words. i played with the lettering; you could also print up a cool font and trace it onto your page if you'd prefer something more uniform. i did the lettering in mechanical pencil and then added little circles, doo-dads and lines with the colored pencil.
i liked that each one was different, and the colors and lettering seemed to fit each person.
i used ribba frames by ikea and decided to use the matting. i think this project would also work great with the ribba square frame (the square one is so modern & elegant-a standby that i use to frame m's artwork for our house and as gifts)
viola!
perfect for a little gift or as a reminder to yourself!
i happen to have one extra lovely & amazing framed piece left.
in honor of my friend amy (who is lovely & amazing herself) who is in labor right now 
& will hopefully give birth today, 
i'd like to give away the last one i have!
all you have to do is leave a comment, 
telling me who in your life is lovely & amazing and why they are,
 and i will send one along to our winner to gift to that person!
(of course i'll throw in a little treat for you too)

please leave your email info in the comment so that i can contact you
if you win

i'll choose a winner on monday, so hurry up!
enter until sunday june 19th at midnight!

14 comments:

  1. oh so lovely sooz.
    i would gift this art to my friend bets who is struggling with turnng 37 this week to reminder her that God's story looks different that our own version. His is more lovely and amazing

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  2. oh do i so wish i was not a family member of the artist. I'd send it to Steve DeCosta suffering from Prostate cancer. It would brighten his Day so much. Once again family members need not apply :) beautiful though.

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  3. you can apply-i didn't put any family clause in my rules :) consider yourself in the running

    ps have fun at u2!

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  4. LOVE this. My friend Heidi is the epitome of lovely and amazing. A fellow CI Mom with lots and lots of extra stuff on her plate. You can check out her blog from the sidebar of mine. (AJ)

    My email is melribich at hotmail dot com

    Hope I win. :)

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  5. My Kim Kim of course! She is so beautiful and amazing and always willing to help, chat over coffee, or solve the world's issues with me!

    I'm sure there doesn't need to be anymore explaining on why she is lovely and amazing since you know first hand ;)

    Plus this would make a great gift for her "Hey-I'm-a-legit-pastor-now" gift :P

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  6. This is GORGEOUS....well, I would have to say the lovely and amazing Elena Fracchia. On the occasion of her recent completion of grad school, not only does she NEED a Susannah Prinz original in her new adventure/abode, but, the message! Love it. Elena is both lovely and amazing and clearly, it is my prayer that as she steps into this new life stage and adventure, that she would claim God's amazing and lovely adventure. And live out of her amazingness and loveliness. I could go on and on about Elena. She's a gem. Thanks for such a fun giveaway, S!

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  7. I would send it to my husband. I have 5 kids ages 16, 15, 14, 12, and 8. My 8 yr old has bilateral cochlear implants. Was a premie, inNICU for 4 months and lost his hearing from ototoxcity of drugs. He is a miracle, and a true joy. My husband does it all, but more importantly he gets me. I think this gift would warm anyones heart.:))

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  8. What a great idea for gifts! I'm so stealing this for my 10 year old to do, for some creative summer entertainment, to make her own personal thank you cards! (and of course mom will have to join in!)

    I would gift it to my lifelong bff, aka the sister I've never had. She has been going through so many life changes right now, the worst struggling with her 21 year old son's (3 years now) diagnosed, Wilson's Disease. She is a rock. and she is so lovely. and absolutely amazing.
    my email is aidensmom0317 at gmail

    ps - hope you all enjoy your summer! can't wait to check out your state next month. hmmm ... how far are you from LA? a playdate would be awesome!

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  9. I would love to give this to my hubby who is, lovely and amazing... as long as it's okay to call a guy "lovely". =) He is my hero in every way.

    They turned out beautifully! I seriously don't think I could make it look like that. =)

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  10. You know I love you, Sooz!
    But, if you are really giving things away that are both, Lovely and Amazing, I'll throw my hat in. My mentor and friend Barbara deserves a reminder of how fantastically fabulous she is.
    dkella at gmail dot com

    PS: always always always wish we were closer.
    xxoo

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  11. PS can I nominate your blog as a top favorite mom blog on babble.com?

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  12. I would give this to my sister Casey, who is going through a touch sickie time right now, and often forgets how incredible a mom and person and dancer she is. I also like her a lot because, in addition to being my bestie, she reminds me when I am feeling like I am limp and hard to manage.

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  13. i come in contact with so many lovely and amazing people everyday. i think the ladies (a mom and her sister-in-law) that take care of my baby girl are pretty lovely and amazing. They have become dear friends to me this year. With a brood of kids to watch after, they are patient and loving, and show me (in little ways here and there) how to be a better mom and wife. they've raised 3 wonderfully kind and compassionate girls of their own.

    ps. I also think my mom is pretty lovely and amazing- she's in her 60s and traveling across the country via train right now- pretty rockin!

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  14. It would have to be for our mutual friend Hannah! She is both lovely and amazing...she inspires me to be more patient, to be a good listener, a caring friend, an organized teacher and to live each day to it's fullest!

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