Welcome!

Welcome to my blog which gives a peek at the "behind the scenes" of my shop over on Etsy, Ji Babu. I create a little of this and that, trying to reuse or repurpose items that otherwise might have ended up in the garbage. I love hearing from my fans, so drop me a note to say Hi or if you have any questions - ji.babu.shop [at] gmail [dot] com

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Father's Day Art :: Tutorial




As you (hopefully) know, Father's Day is right around the corner for us here in the good ol' US of A. I've been thinking a little bit about how I want to celebrate these holidays that Hallmark has so over-consumerized. Remembering back to my own childhood, I recall homemade cards and other fun things we made for our parents that demonstrated our love and thankfulness in some way or another. Breakfast in bed that consisted of toast and juice and maybe some cereal. Bookmarks COVERED in stickers. Many a card made from a piece of construction paper cut in half, folded in two. Flowers picked from the yard. And so forth.

I figured since my son isn't quite old enough to start brainstorming and creating without help, I'd aid in the Father's Day creation this year. And thus you have what you see below, a beautiful and very colorful (heavy in the blue and green) piece of art to hang on the wall. Following are simple instructions, so you can make one as well!


Supplies:
One 8" x 10" thin canvas board (available at craft stores like 
Michaels or AC Moore - they often come in 3 packs)
Fingerpaint, in several colors (Acrylic paint would also work, just use paintbrushes, too!)
Painter's Tape
Scissors
Ribbon, for hanging
Hot Glue Gun


1. Using the painter's tape and scissors, create letters that read out the message. Press the tape down onto the canvas. This will create the negative space. You can choose to make your letters more block like, or you can be a bit more fancy and cut curves into the tape.

2. Set your kiddo to create on a surface you don't mind getting dirty. I suggest an art smock or bare belly as well. Encourage them to fill in ALL the white space.

3. Let the fingerpaint dry a bit, and carefully peel up the painter's tape to reveal the letters beneath. With fingerpaint being so thick, you don't want to let it dry entirely as it will pull up more paint than you want. If you use acrylic paint, it can dry entirely before pulling up the tape.

4. Once the piece is completely dry, glue a piece of ribbon to the back for a hanger. Wrap, and present to Dad with pride on Sunday!

Friday, May 4, 2012

Happy Spring!

Hello folks! Long time, no see. Yeeps - Spring is here in full force (despite our Western NY freak snowstorm 10 days ago!). The flowers are a'bloom, the bees are out and buzzing, and arts and crafts shows are happening all over the place.

Last weekend I had the chance to attend MayDay Underground as a shopper. I've done two of their shows as a vendor in the past, but it was great fun to wander around for fun.  Casey of Peaches Products and Amanda of Beadwork by Amanda do a fantastic job of organizing the show. Those in Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse - the next show will be in early November time frame, and you should definitely add it to your "shows to attend" list!

Shopping with two tiny boys wasn't as productive as it might have been... BUT I did manage to get some fun goodies:


A little tree gnome from Wonderful Whittlin' and an awesome postcard from Fly Rabbit Press:



I also picked up some sweet, little purple earrings from Amanda's shop, but as they were a gift for my sister, I don't have them to take a photo of. 
Also, we didn't end up getting one this time, but KiraArts has adorable new SuperHero Nubbins - you can see photos of them over at Kira's blog. I'm sure my son will continue asking for one, so we might own one before long. Go check them out! 


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Winner Announced (and Coupon Code)!

Congratulations Lauren K! You have been picked via Random.org as the winner of the 1st Anniversary Giveaway. Please check your e-mail for further information.

Thank you all for your entries! To further celebrate - all orders placed through April 5th are 15% your total cost. Use the coupon code: 1YEAR15 at checkout to receive the discount!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Last Day to Enter Giveaway!

Today is the last day to enter the 1 year Anniversary Giveaway! The entry form will close at midnight tonight, March 21 (EST). Make sure you get your entries in! Also, don't forget - if you've already entered, you can earn another entry by sharing it again!

Go here to Enter!

Friday, March 9, 2012

St. Patrick's Day Treasury!


Here's my latest Treasury on Etsy.  Go check it out, heart it if you like it, and share!  Thanks!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Giveaway! Win a $30 Gift Certificate to Ji Babu

1 Year Anniversary Coming Up!

March 21st marks our 1 year anniversary of being an Etsy shop amongst other things. I have tried my hand at indie craft marts, school fundraisers, social evenings out, art fairs, and more.  What a year it has been - so many challenges, learning curves, and new experiences! There are so many people, groups, and websites that have been lifesavers. A special thanks to RNEST Etsy Teamhandmadeology.comBiz Ladies, and so many more!  I highly suggest that anyone looking to get started on Etsy check out these sights.

But for now, I think this definitely calls for a Giveaway alongside other great deals. The Giveaway details will be located only on the blog, so keep watching in the next week for what you can win, and how to gain entries.  The Deals will be announce via social media, so make sure you like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter (@jibabu_shop)!

I look forward to what the years ahead have to offer. Oh, and feel free to eat some birthday cake in my honor.  =)