View allAll Photos Tagged nikkimakesstuff
Thumbprint jam cookies. I've never made these before, & was craving something sweet. Thought I'd use my freshly made raspberry jam. So yummy. Perfect with a cup of hot tea. #nikkimakesstuff #kitchenadventures #cookies #thumbprintjamcookies #thumbprintcookies #bake #jam #dessert #somethingsweet
Fresh cut lavender. So amazingly fragrant. The little & I hung some bunches to dry. We also filled vintage hankies with all the lavender bits that fell off. Lavender sachets = smelly magic. You can also pop these sachets in the dryer with your laundry. Your bath towels will smell out of this world! #nikkimakesstuff #lavender #DIY #crafty #handmade #lavendersachets
The girls & I made more creations (this time using clay) for our soon-to-be Fairy Garden. Aren't they so cute?! #clay #claycreations #fairygarden #fairygardenaccessories #tinyveggies #tinyvegetables #weeharvest #summerfun #nikkimakesstuff
This is another #masTOEpiece I painted yesterday. (The girls & I used our feet & toes to paint. We tried both acrylic & watercolors.) I decided to add some ink today (with my hands) & I really love how it turned out. This is a flower from my parents' backyard, a beard tongue. A little bee flew right by my picture when I snapped this shot. I love the shadow of his antennae! #beardtongue #toepainting #feetpainting #artwithkids #nikkimakesstuff #watercolors #art #DIY #create #paint #flowers #paintflowers
The girls & I renamed this week's "Make Something Monday" to "Makeover Monday". We had so much fun making each other all cute & fabulous. Makeup, hair, the whole thing, girlfriend! And, yes, that's yarn in Pazely's hair. (So stinkin' adorable!!) She complained the most during the whole process. (Oh my gosh, you'd think there was some kind of murdering going on the way she screamed when I did her French braids!) And, jeans? That girl hates denim. Won't hardly ever catch her wearing jeans. And that shirt? It's brand new--tags still on, shoved in the back of her drawer. (She hates IT too!) Thankfully she had no say in how we dolled her up.
And guess who ended up wearing this outfit the rest of the day? She LOVED it! #nikkimakesstuff #makeovermonday #fashion #kidsfashion #freckles #pazely
Today we got our first look at the parsonage since it had been painted. I still have the cutting in to do (which I requested to do on my own because I am very particular about such things) AND all the trim work to paint. There's a LOT of work still to do, but so much has already been done. Thankful for all the people that have painted & cleaned & put in new kitchen/dining room floors, done repairs...the list goes on!
Today we started to tackle Zoey's room. I hope to finish tomorrow & get a head start on Pazely's room. Trying not to get overwhelmed...
#nikkimakesstuff #paint #housepaint #freshwalls
This is my mas-toe-piece. The girls & I painted with our feet & toes. This is an acrylic of a giant polka-dotted bow in a little girl's hair. What a challenge---what concentration! And my feet are so wiggly when I paint. We also tried holding a paintbrush in our toes & used watercolors. (More on that later.) Lots of fun today! #nikkimakesstuff #paint #masTOEpiece #paintingwithfeet #art #acrylics #summerfun #paintingwithtoes #mansgirlssummerschool2016 #DIY #create
Staying the night at my aunt & uncle's house in Anacortes for the weekend. Had a long day of fun yesterday. Tulips & laughter & visits & family & tea & chowder & happiness. I went to my bedroom so tired, yet full of good things overflowing in my heart. I didn't want to end the day neglecting my #nikkimakesstuff post, so I quickly wrote another "I see..." journal entry.
I see a quilt made by my aunt Bev, the oldest of the 4 sisters. The handmade blanket is more than large enough to cover this bed, to keep me warm. Checkers of red. Diamonds of deep green. Patchwork in pinks & pistachios. I search to find her signature, a tag in the corner with dates & a message & instructions for care. I found it: #78...August 2002...For Beth...Soak 5 minutes...Agitate 3.
I see agates in clear glass bottles. So many tiny shiny rocks. Piles of jewels collected on Pacific shores of the northwest. The light shines through in ambers & goldens & tawnies. They are bragging rights & trophies. Backbreaking, eye-squinting, patience-building--this is what comes with the search for these stones.
I see a portrait of my great grandpa Daniel. Sepia & serious. In military uniform & handsome. Hanging above the bed that I'm borrowing tonight, watching over me as I sleep in my favorite part of the world.
i
dare You to give me
the pieces
and
fragments
#nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry #idareyou #whitegellyrollpen (I picture Jesus saying this to me. He's wanting to always take the broken parts of me. To heal & mend.) Blackout poetry for purchase in my Etsy shop: whimsylove.etsy.com
absorb the
happy.
#nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry #happy #absorbthehappy #watercolor
Blackout poetry for purchase in my Etsy shop: whimsylove.etsy.com
The girls & I made salted caramel apple hand pies today. We used grandmother's pie crust recipe. (And she would have been so proud of me with that long, unbroken spiral apple peel! We've had contests in the past. She always won.) This is about the 3rd time I've made these & they are delicious! #applepie #handpies #nikkimakesstuff #dessert #bake #kitchenadventures #apple
The girls & I made acorn birdhouses for our fairy garden that doesn't exist yet. We keep collecting & making things until one day (hopefully before summer's end!) we can put a tiny little world together for our fairy friends. #nikkimakesstuff #fairy #fairygarden #acorn #acorncraft
Another toe painting. #mastoepiece #watercolor
Inked by hand. #gnome #mushroom #toepainting #sketchbook #sketch #paint #artistsofinstagram #nikkimakesstuff
I see four tomato plants, lined up in pots, next to the wildflower garden, placed according to height. The smallest of these has yet to produce fruit. I trimmed some branches from these plants today. The smell on my hands is my favorite. It means I am a nature magician, a small-scale farmin' girl. I started these tomatoes from seed and watch them grow every day. Only one has begun to blush. I can't help bein' proud and wishin' them well as they reach for the sky and fill space in this world with good things.
I see a magnificent cloud. Between the power lines and trees of neighboring houses, a piece of sky peeks through. The cloud starts white at the top, and goes from pink to purple to blue to grey. It changes shape so quickly, separates into smaller clouds. The sun is almost set. Now the pink (my favorite part) is almost gone.
I see a firepit filled with wood waiting to be burned. That firepit is an ornament on the back patio, surrounded by potted flowers. I haven't lit it all summer. In fact, I can't remember the last time our family roasted anything over flames in that pit – maybe early fall last year? I'm sure it's longing for company in camping chairs and marshmallows on roasting sticks. And I'm sure I can make that happen real soon.
#nikkimakesstuff #iseethreethings #writingprompt #write #journal #chillinginthebackyard #watercolor #doodle
i
am
equal parts
wild animal
and artist //So, my MAKE STUFF 2016 series has come to an end. Even though it started out as "make something every day" but ended up more like "make 366 things", I'm still proud of myself. I learned how much I love drawing, I've dabbled more in watercolor, I discovered blackout poetry, I made time for writing, & I just had a very satisfying creative year. My word for 2016 was "Make", & I did just that.
#nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry #artist #seaotter #watercolor #draw #sketch #paint #wildanimal #make
Blackout poetry for purchase in my Etsy shop: whimsylove.etsy.com
I drew a simple sketch of a clay gnome Zoey made in art class during the last quarter of school, alongside a tiny mushroom Pazely made earlier in the year. #nikkimakesstuff #draw #sketch #sketchbook #gnome #mushroom #kidart #clay #artclass
Zoey was so disappointed when she painted this "blue blob with yellow" yesterday during our toe painting session. She was trying to make a teapot. She hated it. But I saw something beautiful in her #mastoepiece & I asked her if I could ink it. So glad she didn't throw it away. She loves our collab! #zoeymommycollab #nikkimakesstuff #sketch #draw #sketchbook #teapot #blue #yellow #teatime #watercolor #ink
Tin can fairy house. The bottom is clay. The roof is foil covered in plaster paper mache strips that have been painted. Clay vines on roof + clay chimney. I'm so excited to get our fairy garden put together. I honestly think I'm having more fun with this than my girls. #nikkimakesstuff #fairyhouse #fairygarden #clay #polymerclay #sculpey3 #crafty #diy #summerfun
Sketching a flower that has bloomed in our wildflower patch out back. Part of a mix of random seeds. Package didn't list any of the 15 varieties. I'm stumped as to what this is. It's not the only one that has me scratchin' my head. I feel like a nature sleuth. It's quite fun! #nikkimakesstuff #flower #wildflower #sketch #sketchbook #draw
I have sorrow
running all the way
through
It
could
drench
brilliance
#blackoutpoetry #poetry #poem #write #words #depression #sadness #sorrow #watercolor #bookpage #nikkimakesstuff
Happy National S'mores Day! The big girl & I made s'mores whoopie pies. Even though I messed up on the chocolate (I heated it for a tad too long), & the marshmallow fluff buttercream frosting came out too thin---nobody is complaining & they're getting gobbled up right quick! #happynationalsmoresday #smoreswhoopiepies #nikkimakesstuff #bake #kitchenadventures #whoopiepies #dessert
Zoey & I went down to the library today for the Found Object Woven Journal class. We created a journal with cardboard, paper, a skewer, yarn, & a rubber band. After making a grid, I filled mine with found objects in my crafty mess in the basement. I can't wait to explore this technique some more. We love our library!
Music: "Rainbow Architecture" by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com) #nikkimakesstuff #richlandpubliclibrary #foundobjectwovenjournal #journal #library #summerfun #makesomethingmonday
@richlandpublic
I started this sketch at the orthodontist when Zoey was getting her braces off. It's only one of maybe 2 times I've done live sketching. I didn't finish it there, but got most of the pencil sketching done. I'm much more quick at drawing than I was when I started at the beginning of this year. But I've got a long way to go. #nikkimakesstuff #orthodontist #columbiapediatricdentistry #myzoeygirl #linedrawing #sketch #draw #sketchbook #livedrawing #livesketching
I know
if I persist
for what I believe in
I shall meet
fire. the God
I serve shall make sure that
i
am prepared
#preachingtomyself #nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry
Blackout poetry for purchase in my Etsy shop: whimsylove.etsy.com
never
waste
lovely
dreams
#nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry #dreams #dream
The girls & I made a pretty tree tonight. Well, Pazely & I did. Actually, mostly me. They pooped out. What's up with that?! Gosh, this filter makes my tree look all glowy & bright. It's actually not that sparkly. Haha! It's a cheap faux tree from Big Lots. And we gobbed as many ornaments on it as we could.
I need this little space. We literally carved out a happy little scene in one corner of the house so we could retreat, sans clutter & boxes.
On a side note, we have mice. Which is gross. I'm all jumpy every time I'm in the kitchen.
And I killed a big ugly spider in my bedroom today. *shivers*
So, yeah, I'm hanging out right here. With my pine scented candle + some Glen Hansard, whilst making poems.
#nikkimakesstuff #manschristmas2016 #christmastree #nikiskialaska
I just finished sewing up little paper packages for the girls to open during the advent countdown to Christmas. They are filled with little presents & I can't wait to surprise them, starting tomorrow morning! #nikkimakesstuff #advent #christmas #gifts #presents #adventgifts #adventpresents #brownpaperpackages #DIY #quickcraft
One of my goals this summer is to start recycling. The girls & I slapped some paint on an old cardboard box, which we'll keep in the kitchen to help collect recyclables, which we'll then deposit in the community recycle bins. #recycle #greenliving #DIY #craftproject #splatterpaint #nikkimakesstuff
I wanted to get so much farther than this yesterday. Time to catch up on the Make With Me challenge! #nikkimakesstuff
Roasted smashed potatoes. One of the fam's favorite side dishes. Especially when made with the smaller sized potatoes. Yum! They are quite fun to smash, too. #nikkimakesstuff #draw #sketch #sketchbook #roastedsmashedpotatoes #potatoes
The completed tree that Pazely & her 3 friends drew. Each of her friends also wrote a sweet message in the window for her. I love it! We will roll it up & take it with us on the flight to Alaska, & Pazely can tack it up in her new room.
#nikkimakesstuff #christmastree #DIY #holiday #christmas #kidcraft #easypeasytreesy
I made s'mores. And this is a macro shot of a toasted marshmallow. Because I am obsessed with all things macro at the moment.
The family also had hotdogs over the firepit in the backyard tonight. Sure, it was a much cooler day than previous days. A lovely overcast day. Though still warm. Add flames & we are pretty much perspiring. As the little & I are roasting our dogs over the fire she said, "Can't we just microwave these?" #nikkimakesstuff #marshmallow #macro #roast #summer #macro
I helped drive & chaperone 13 youth to Fine Arts in Bothell, WA this weekend. They performed in drama, dance & vocal categories. And it was SO much fun getting to see & hear all the other talented peeps gathered at Cedar Park Church. Our very own Princess Kannah achieved scores high enough to qualify for Nationals. Woohoo! Anyway, six girls in a cabin at Camp Sambica (I love Camp Sambica!!) can make for some giddyness. Those girls are straight up crazy, & I love them. This #nikkimakesstuff post is dedicated to them. It's an inside joke. I loved laughing with them most of all.
He
arrived
to
the broken
and splintered
as
a blanket-wrapped
absolute --------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------I have been so anxious for Advent to begin. I love the time of reflection in anticipating the celebration of Christ's birth.
This, the first Sunday of Advent, is meant to be a time to reflect on Hope: the miracle of His arrival; the arrival of His second coming. A story centered on the fulfillment of an expectation.
I love the story, which is part of my own story, simply because I believed. And that made me His, part of the lineage of Christ.
That's pretty cool!
#nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #advent #christmas #jesus #hope #thecoming #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry
Blackout poetry for purchase in my Etsy shop: whimsylove.etsy.com
Another set painting day for The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe play at the middle school today. One of my jobs, besides being guardian of the glue gun, was to brush glitter onto the ice crystals that the students painted. I love helping with theater stuff! #nikkimakesstuff #drama #theater #glitter #setpainting #glitterqueen
the girl
realized that her
fingers
had escaped
her closed fist
and grinned
her eyes were glazed with tears
#blackoutpoetry #nikkimakesstuff #poetry #poem #doodle #write #words #bookpage
The youngest dressed up as YouTube personality Miranda Sings for a Halloween Party this afternoon. I had so much fun putting this costume together for her. We couldn't find pink crocs & I should have gotten TWO different sized letters for the sweatpants, but Pazely was THRILLED with the results. I think she looks AWESOME!! We spent under $18 for the DIY costume. Score!
Shirt: Gap striped button up blouse, Value Village thrift store, $4
Pants: Cherokee red sweatpants, New Beginnings thrift store, $3.50
Iron-on letters: Hobby Lobby, $2.50
Shoes: Black Crocs, Walmart, $5.50
Lipstick: NYC, in shade of "Traffic Jam", Walmart, $2.00
Socks & bobby pins: we already owned
#nikkimakesstuff #halloween #diyhalloweencostume #mirandasingscostume #mirandasings #hatersbackoff #dressup #halloweencostume #halloween
The Mr. NEVER uses sappy pet names for me. Yesterday he may have had a rare silly second where he used one on me. We laughed. #nikkimakesstuff #sketch #sketchbook #draw #honeybear
This was my favorite toy from the vending machine date yesterday with my 11-year old. It's a tiny keychain flashlight. Written in one ear is the word "love". In the other is is the Chinese word "dŏng" which means "to understand, to comprehend, to know". Randomn fact: Interestingly, the word dŏng (懂) is composed of 16 strokes, compared to more simplified Chinese characters that take the average of 13 strokes. #nikkimakesstuff #draw #sketchbook #sketch #bunneh
I made unibrows. This is the kind of shenanigans we sometimes get into after church, while we're waiting around for the Mr./pastor to get done with his chatting & business. #nikkimakesstuff #ihelpedmakethosetwogirlsalso #unibrows
The youngest dressed up as YouTube personality Miranda Sings for a Halloween Party this afternoon. I had so much fun putting this costume together for her. We couldn't find pink crocs & I should have gotten TWO different sized letters for the sweatpants, but Pazely was THRILLED with the results. I think she looks AWESOME!! We spent under $18 for the DIY costume. Score!
Shirt: Gap striped button up blouse, Value Village thrift store, $4
Pants: Cherokee red sweatpants, New Beginnings thrift store, $3.50
Iron-on letters: Hobby Lobby, $2.50
Shoes: Black Crocs, Walmart, $5.50
Lipstick: NYC, in shade of "Traffic Jam", Walmart, $2.00
Socks & bobby pins: we already owned
#nikkimakesstuff #halloween #diyhalloweencostume #mirandasingscostume #mirandasings #hatersbackoff #dressup #halloweencostume #halloween
Here's the second design. (For the program cover & poster for The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe middle school play.) This is the concept we are going with. I need to add Aslan's head in the trees, & digitally input the title in that blank spot. So that means it's time to start from scratch. Commence pencil sketching...
#thelionthewitchandthewardrobe #draw #sketch #paint #watercolor #gouache #narnia #lamppost #nikkimakesstuff #quickdeadlinesmeanlatenights
I baked today. The girls walked in the house after school today & Zoey could immediately smell the treats. "Pumpkin bread!!!" she squealed. #afterschoolsnack #pumpkinbread #fall #autumn #firstdayoffall #nikkimakesstuff #bake #pumpkineverything
I found this in my crafty stash yesterday. Apparently Pazely had some fun with the glue gun & some brown buttons. *I added a digital face for the full poop emoji experience. Otherwise it's just a button turd.*
#nikkimakesstuff #pazelymakesstufftoo #poopemoji #craft #DIY #poopemojicraft #buttonturd #kidscrafts #buttons #glueguncrafts #gluegun
drop
troubles
in a thorn thicket
and do
not
go down there.
#nikkimakesstuff #blackoutpoetry #blackoutpoem #bookpagepoetry #bookpage #bookpagepoem #foundpoetry #write #words #poem #poetry #troubles #thornthicket #walkaway #sketch #draw
*SOLD*
I found these rocks in the flower beds that had pits & holes. I immediately saw faces. With the addition of cartoon-ish mouths, my creepy friends were born. I lurve them! And, honestly, it's the simple, nonsense, silly things that bring me joy. #itsthesimplethings #rocks #paintedrocks #nikkimakesstuff #paint #rockfaces
This is the final sketch for the middle school LWW play. I have scanned the image & it's now ready to load into a program for making a poster + the program cover. I'm always disappointed at the detail & color that gets lost upon scanning. *sad face*
I hate that most of my photos lately are taken at night under the horrible lighting of my little desk lamp. I guess that's just when I get most of my creative time these days.
I'm currently enjoying the amazing scents of my favorite Bath & Body Works candle, "marshmallow fireside" while listening to/watching a marathon of npr's tiny desk concerts + editing photos.
#nikkimakesstuff #paint #sketch #draw #narnia #thelionthewitchandthewardrobe #lamppost #aslan #watercolor #forest
This is all the "making" I'm gonna get done today. I helped a friend paint her new house. Painting is a lot of work. But I'm glad she felt OK asking for help. Because, sometimes it's hard to ask, ya know? (Whether it's help in painting, or with whatever.) And besides, we got to visit & hang out. #nikkimakesstuff #paint #helpinghand #housepainting #paintbrush