TOP POSTS :: Best Of MAY

Happy June and the first official days of SUMMER! WOW, my daughter is already out for the summer & I can not wait to do some of the fun things that we are planning!

Ok, so lets take a look back over what you all were reading in May & viewed the most. I would also like to say THANK YOU to all who stop by to read, comment from time to time & send me emails. I SEE IT ALL! So thanks again. xoxo

:: TOP POSTS for May 2014 ::

HOME|Made :: How to Repaint a Bathroom Cabinet

Hand Lettering :: CREATE Art Print

FREEBIE :: And That Time I Met an Olympian

 



 
Party Peek :: Rainbow Loom Birthday Party

 

 
DIY :: Easy BBQ S'more Kits

So now you are all caught up on some of the most read posts here on my blog. Hopefully you will just add me to your BlogLovin feed so you don't miss any posts. =) You can find it on the top right sidebar here - super easy to do!

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 
 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

 
  Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

Lettering :: CREATE Art Print

     

So here it is. This is my first official hand lettered "printed" art print for sale. I have been working on getting some of my hand lettered designs printed but needed to check out various places to see what I would like. This has been a looooooooong time coming, so I hope you are going to enjoy these as I have LOTS more to come! ;) So don't go anywhere as I am hand lettering new ones weekly!

 

I recently debuted this print at SNAP, (a blogging conference I attended a few weeks ago). I gave them out to people and brands I spoke with. You can check out how I used them as part of my branding package here.

 
So jump on over to the shop to get your "CREATE" hand lettered art print today. It's just perfect to frame or gift to a creative friend as it IS important to always "create" something new every week if you can - keeps you young right? ;)

 
 

AND as a reminder, I am offering to do CUSTOM hand lettering prints as well. So if you think you have a FAB idea shoot me an email . . . at laura@eyecandycs.com and we'll chat!
So tell me what you think???

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop!

Business Cards :: Promoting Yourself at a Conference

     

What do you hand out at a conference?!

Last month I had the opportunity to {finally} attend SNAP conference as I have been wanting to go for a few years and it worked out this year for me to go. What is SNAP conference you ask? Oh just this uber amazing conference where a ton of creative women & a couple men gather to join forces and take over the blogging world. LOL . . .what you didn't believe that last line? ;) Seriously, we all gather in one place and spend about 4 days together learning from each other, connecting with brands, listening to amazing speakers, attending jam-packed classes, having dance parties, going on fun outings and just being ourselves all in a judge-free zone. Sounds amazing doesnt it?

Well it is. BUT. What the heck do you bring to one of these conferences to promote yourself??? I started keeping my ears open to hear what others were doing since this was my FIRST time attending SNAP, I really wanted to make sure to do something cool and fab right? PLUS I had just re-branded and given myself a small 'name change' so new cards needed to be done anyway! ;)

I heard "oh just bring the standard business cards as no one wants all the frills with the special ones". Special ones? What did they mean "special ones"? And then I found out that people design these amazing business cards and then gave a "special" gift along with it . . .ya know  . . . to make it memorable! 

The business design part was NOT a problem since after all, I am a graphic designer. Then I heard you should put your photo on your card so the brands you talk to and all of the people you meet will remember you. OK, photo on business card - check!

Then I decided at the last minute that I SHOULD make some "special" business cards as I was so looking forward to meeting all of these amazing bloggers so surely I wanted to leave them with a special gift because after all, they will be my new friends right? So off to making art prints I went.

I have recently started sharing my hand lettering pieces with my fans, that I have been doing for years so I decided to make a mini one for everyone I met. AND I chose the word "CREATE" since it IS my "one little word" for the year! 
So this is what everyone received that I met at SNAP. It's the perfect size to put in a frame & keep it as a reminder to CREATE something everyday! ;)

(btw - I will have this CREATE art print available in my shop soon but email me if you can't wait ;)

 




But that's NOT all. I felt like I needed to do something just a little bit extra & then it hit me. Why not play up on my name! Ya know, the part of my name that says "candy"?

So I went and purchased packs of hot pink and neon green Sixlets to attach to the back of my promo package I was handing out to everyone. Because it IS all about branding - so the colors HAD to match! ;)

And if you met me at SNAP, I said something that went like this . . . 
"Hello my name is Laura and I designed you some eye candy, attached some candy and it's all from Eye Candy (creative studio)!"
Corny? YES. But I got quite a few laughs & people loved them. YAY me!

I really do love how they turned out & I specifically made 100 of them to hand out so it would force me to get out and meet & talk to 100 new people. I think I came home with about 10 left so that was pretty good. I did however have extra business cards as well that I handed out too so I DID hand out more then 100 business cards but just about 90 "special ones".

It was so much fun to see what other people did/used to promote themselves and make it memorable. I think after going, that doing a "special" card with an extra something IS effective when the item you are using to make it "special" is useful to people. I saw plenty of silly things attached to cards and I didn't mind them at all but someone else may have thought it unnecessary. I say do what you want. Make an impression whether it be silly or not, after all isn't that the point . . . to make YOURSELF memorable?


Have you ever attended a blogging conference and thought to create a "special package" to hand out to people? What creative ideas did you come up with? I would love to hear from you below . . . .

  

 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 
 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

 
  Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

One Little Word 2014 :: CREATE

Verb : to make or produce (something) unique

: to evolve from one's own imagination

: to cause (something new) to exist

  Noun :: the act of creating

:: something created

 Synonyms :: build, design, devise, discover, make, organize, plan, produce, start, imagine

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I love the concept of picking ONE LITTLE WORD to keep me motivated for the year. I used to do a goal sheet every year but that just became depressing when I didn't achieve everything on it so I stopped doing that. I do love goal lists, but in this season of my life, right now, I needed something new. Then came along the genius idea of doing ONE LITTLE WORD and I jumped on board. Last year I chose HOPE as it was only fitting because what I had been going through personally & health-wise and I loved that word. Still do. HOPE is such a powerful word.

BUT this year, this year's word is perfect for my life this season. And YES it took me like 3 months to figure it out (don't laugh-lol) but it's all good. My One Little Word for 2014 is going to be  . . .

CREATE.

:: " It is better to create than learn. Creating is the essence of life!" ~ Julius Caesar

:: " Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." ~ George Bernard Shaw 

:: " Creativity is contagious, pass it on." ~ Albert Einstein 

CREATE. What does this mean to me? 

I am getting back to my roots persay. What I was trained in & studied all of those school & college years ago. I'm going all "organic" on you. Back to my roots. My first loves. This is the time to get back to basics. Getting back to what gets makes me feel alive. Good old fashioned ART. This is why I love the word CREATE as it has the word ART right in it . . . so it's the perfect word for me this year. It means I will CREATE in various ways . . . whether creating in different organic mediums . . . acrylics, pastels, ink, watercolor , markers . . . to make a finished piece of art to sell to the masses . . . you will see me offer my artwork a variety of ways soon & it will all be organic & raw and I am so looking forward to sharing it all with you.

I will be sharing how I will CREATE a better home. I have put so soo sooo many home projects on the back burner for so long and this year it stops. I started last summer and I will continue to knock them off the list. It feels so good to finally be able to get those done.

I will share yummy treats that I CREATE in the kitchen. I LOVE to bake so you may see a creation or two here. ;)

Create. Is MY word for the remainder of the year. Heck, if you've been paying attention, this word is NOW part of my NEW name "Eye Candy CREATive Studio" . . . it fits better. It encompasses all that I will be talking about & sharing with you on here. I'm excited for this challenge I have given myself and I totally am ok with the fact that it's a few months slow getting started. Out with all the rules and just start. Start creating. Start making things. Start finding what makes you passionate. For me it's to CREATE.

I would LOVE to hear from you and know if you are doing the "One Little Word" this year and what exactly YOUR word is? Perhaps you will start now with me . . .if you do, let me know that too below . . . let's do this. ;)

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop!   Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

Change is GOOD :: a NEW NAME

Isn't that the truth. MY dreams ARE scary, but I'm ok with it. And here's ONE of them, I'm sharing with you . . .like right NOW! ;)

Quick, quick announcement!
I just wanted to see how observant you were and see if you even noticed the ever so slight "name change" that happened here on the blog? 

It has changed from "Eye Candy Event Details" to the new name of "Eye Candy Creative Studio". . . . .
ahhhhhh . . . doesn't that sound so much better? 

I think so, as the reason for the change is simple. I have found that I blog more about what I design, what I am creating, what I am crafting or DIY-ing, what I am making over in my home, much more, than actual events. It all is classified as "eye candy" and it's all done in my "creative studio". It is just a much better name and a much better fit. Period.

 What I started out doing years ago is no longer the focus of what I want to do. I want to share with you the "organic" side of me, as I am getting back to my roots . . . what I dearly dearly LOVE with all of my being. Organic art. It's what I went to school for, it's what I get paid to do in my freelance life and it's what I am going to be sharing here with you & what I will be putting my focus in. For the past year, or so I have started back down that road and I am so much happier doing these things that I dearly love again.

Is this change nerve-racking? Is it scary? Heck yeah as I am human and I myself have doubts if I am doing the 'right' thing but I just keep being led in this direction, so this is me following His lead and hoping I wont blow it. ;) 

What can you expect? Well, here's the thing, I am pretty much going to be bringing you the same things, meaning I have no plans for anything going away as I still LOVE blogging about craft tips, my DIY crafting fun, weddings, along with recipes I make from time to time. AND of course, I will still continue to offer up FREE printables every month as I enjoy the feedback on them and I know you all love them, so no worries there.

But what will be added is so much more FUN! I will be sharing illustrations, paintings, hand lettering and so much more of the custom items I am doing. I will be blogging about ideas I have for these things and how YOU will get to enjoy my original works of art. I am working with some outside vendors to make this happen and looking forward to sharing it all soon with you.

In the meantime, make sure you are following on Instagram as I share my artwork there when I am working on something new or when I've grabbed some new art supplies to play with. It's also usually the first place I share a peek into something that is coming or a product I will be adding to the new shop. ;)

I have not completely changed everything yet to the new name. I pretty much have only changed the blog name and address here. Look for a new FB page name, you will NOT have to like a new page, I will just merge the new one into the existing one. I also will be changing my other social media names as well if I can get them to match better, if not, they will stay. But know that if you already follow me, you need not do anything as I will be changing everything on my end so it's easy for you. I just wanted to at least make this FORMAL announcement as some people have noticed and I didn't want to keep it from you any longer.

Thanks for being a fan, following me & here's to being creative together . . .

 
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for you to let me know what you think of the new name, what you will be curious to see . . . paintings, prints, hand lettering, illustration work . . .or maybe something you want me to keep around . . . what? I am excited to hear what you have to say . . . Please comment below . . .

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, check out more designs in my Etsy shop or keep up with me daily on Instagram.

 
I would love for you to connect with me by email or become a blog follower too! {on the right sidebar}  Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

CRAFT :: DIY Heart Canvas Art

It's time to get your craft on! I am loving how my latest craft turned out so I am sharing it with you today & showing you just how easy this one is to make for yourself or someone else. It's a simple craft DIY using just a few supplies & a couple hours and then you will have your own DIY heart canvas art!

I made this one for my daughter as I am still currently working on my her bedroom re-do (still) and wanted to make her some custom artwork from her mama, that was simple enough for anyone to make as well. 

You just need to grab a few supplies: canvas, scatters, paint, paintbrush, hot glue gun/glue, and a pencil. I picked up this canvas at Hobby Lobby in a 2-pack for $3.99 & it's 8x10 in size. I also grabbed the scatters (pink and white balls) in the Valentines section at Hobby Lobby at 40% off so this whole project cost me a whopping $6 I think. As far as paint goes, use whatever you have on hand. I chose this Valspar color sample paint from Lowe's (from my paint stash) as I am addicted to these sample sizes & pick a 'few' up every time I am there to use for projects of all kinds.

First you have to make two decisions: what will your shape be & what do you want it to say? For this example, I chose a heart shape and to paint "I" and a U" at the top/bottom for my daughter's art. The scatters will be glued on using the glue gun and the letters will be painted on.

Next, I hand sketched the "I" going along the top and the "u" at the bottom with my pencil. (sorry for the dark photo but purposely made it dark so you could see it)
No worries about your lines being straight or perfect as it's ART . . .ART is always perfectly imperfect! ;)

I would recommend that you "lay out" your shape (heart) first before gluing them down or even painting so you can get a sense at how they will all fit together and how much room you have to paint your letters. Once you get it how you think you'd like it to look, take them off the canvas & move to the side & begin painting!

Like I said earlier, just freehand paint it, no one is judging how great it looks. =) Then after I painted the two letters, I went around the whole edge of the canvas and painted with the same color so my letters looked like they ran off the sides.

  

Once your paint dries, its time for the final step: gluing on the scatters. For this heart I did the outline first & then filled in until I got this . . . 

The best part is my daughter LOVED it and she always will have something in her room hanging that says "I love u" from her mama! =)

Super easy and quick right? Now who's gonna go make one? Raise your hand . . . please let me know below if you think you will try this project as I would love to know if anyone was inspired. Or maybe you have already done a canvas art . . . let me know what you designed or painted. Try it, you'll love it! ;)
 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 
  

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram so you never miss out on an exclusive deal or any behind the scenes photos!   

Check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 

 

Looking forward to seeing you again! :)

REAL PARTY :: Art Party Picnic

Today I am sharing an idea I came up with right before the kids went back to school. I wanted to "create" a party that could be used for a variety of themes & that you could put your own spin on!  

I can see this theme used for an art party - ANY time of year. Possibly even a birthday party. That's just it! This theme has the potential to be used in sooooo many ways - which is why I kept it a 'generic' theme so you can have a little celebration ANY time of year. You will find it's filled with BRIGHT colors & fun patterns. 

When planning the details of this party, I had come across some adorable party items from Target & decided to switch up my design just enough to where everything would coordinate together just perfect!

I also wanted this party to incorporate a few things. I wanted to use the wildly popular "chalkboard" somehow, I wanted it to incorporate "art" of some kind and the MOST important thing - to incorporate a PICNIC!

Knowing it was going to be outside, I knew I wanted to keep things simple & fun & let the kids enjoy one last "hurrah" before going back to school.

So I bring you the "CREATE" collection interpreted into an
"Art Party Picnic"!

:: the ACTIVITY ::

 

Since we were going to have the picnic party in the park, my daughter & I scouted out the perfect spot, days before & discovered this little gem of a table right in the middle of the park - it was a table & four chairs made out of concrete & was just "their size" . . . seemed perfect to have the kids draw "nature" with their blackboards & chalk to "create" their masterpieces!

:: DIY TIP:: 

I made the blackboard canvases myself - super easy & super cheap!

To make 4 chalkboards:

 - purchase 2 heavy foam core boards & cut in half

- paint one side with chalkboard paint (I did 2 coats to be sure)

- then I added neon duck tape to the edges to give them some character!

They were sturdy enough for them to draw on time & time again & I know all the kids LOVED taking them home along with their dessert cups of colored chalk! If you need a good "how to" check out this post on how to make the chalkboards for this party!

:: the PICNIC ::

  

The thing I loved about planning this art party picnic was keeping everything SIMPLE! Not every party has to be all fancy - this one took about 20 minutes to set up both areas! I had to make it quick as the kids were very anxious so I planned for simple, mostly store-bought food that could be set up quickly. I will confess though that the white bench I set the food on, I did a 'mock' set-up at home to ensure everything would fit & I brought the right items to hold everything. lol

I used a tablecloth for the picnic blanket & my sister brought a couple matching blankets for the kids to sit on - worked just fine!

These adorable gable boxes I found in the party section at Target & matched perfectly. They housed the kids lunch in them. I just added a green ribbon & a topper to it to match the theme. The dessert cups were also picked up at Target & I used them to hold the grapes (also added a topper to them). The stripe storage containers in the back of the food table were in the Dollar Spot section at Target & I just placed a plate on top to hold the goodies. Super easy!

The hot pink & aqua drink pails also came from the Dollar Spot at Target - these are always great to have for parties since they are so versatile! I just painted a spot on the front with chalkboard paint & wrote the kids names on them. Again super easy & FUN!

The kids got to snack on Jell-O, fresh grapes, Oreos, Skittles, fruit slices & then I made these marshmallow pops. Super quick - I used the jumbo marshmallows, dipped the top in melted chocolate & then sprinkled crushed mint Oreos on top! 

Is that "chalk marshmallows"? Why YES, yes it is. I wanted to do something a little creative & tried to make edible chalk marshmallows. More info in this post on how to make "marshmallow chalk".

Keeping the menu simple is key! PB & J sandwiches, cheese dip & pretzel sticks, & a fun candy bracelet was found in their lunch boxes!

The kids LOVED the push-up pops - which had the mini marshmallows in them. These kids are so fun!

:: the DECOR ::

  

This collection keeps decor simple providing just what you would need for a quick & simple party or celebration to "create".
- 4x6 signs, toppers and paper pack

 

:: the PHOTO SHOOT ::

  

This park has the most beautiful settings, so of course we took advantage of it while we were there. These kids are so close - they are cousins & I just adore them ALL! The two in the front are twins & their older sister is the one on the left in the white shirt standing next to my daughter. AND the best part - they are a BLAST to have as models for my business or to have parties with! LOVE them!!! 

I think this is probably my FAVORITE shot from the day! Not sure what Sam is doing in the front but I think he is channeling some 'Saturday Night Fever' - that kid is a trip!

  

Another fun idea that I have used in a lot of my parties are these wooden conversation bubbles I picked up from Pick Your Plum awhile ago. You guessed it - I just painted them with the chalkboard paint & I can re-use them again & again. They are great for using as photo booth props too!
Since they were all getting ready to start school in a matter of a couple days - we wrote what grades they would be going into. Good mementos to have!

Last shot of the day - love kids just being kids. Warms the heart. ;)

Like I said, this collection is now available in the shop. You can pick up your "CREATE" collection too so you can come up with some creative reasons to celebrate life. 
Some fun ideas for this collection:
- a birthday, a sleep-over, art party, sewing party, baking party, classroom party, a picnic . . . .whatever the reason, just plan a day & get out there and  . . .
CREATE!

Thanks for being a fan & I would love to hear what you think of the latest addition to my shop! Please leave your comment below. 
Have a great day! xoxo 

Are you loving the "eye candy" here? 

Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram or

check out my designs, artwork & decor in my Etsy shop! 
 
Looking forward to seeing you again! :)