Take your own photo. This one is of glitter laid out on a piece of white paper, laying on the ironing board near a window. I got really close so that it focused on one area and blurred the others. I could have taken it farther away but it didn't have that great of an effect. The only change I made was to make it a little darker because I wanted to use white lettering. Here is a download if you want to use it sometime.

Add your own text with no more than 2 font types. If you're not sure which ones, just use one. It's better to error on the side of understated. Vary the size of your font, it makes it more interesting with little work. Also, leave a little "white" space. In this case, it's really not white but glitter, but it's space that the eye can rest while viewing. 

It doesn't need to be used for only New Year's Eve, it can be for any type of party in the future.

Create a kit. A date kit. Ready to go, when you're on the go. Sometimes fun can't wait. So don't make it. Be ready. Everything you need for a date (or a group date, or to entertain kids) is in the kit. RTG. Ready to go.

This is the EZ Breezy Kit • When it's a beautiful day, take it outside.
Kit includes: blanket, napkins, drinks, appetizer, main course, dessert, and an activity of playing big ball volleyball.

We tried this out with a youth group and it was a hit. (And we actually did it inside a gym.)

I saw this image on Pinterest in my explorations. It's an umbrella with the Mary Poppin's song, 
A Spoonful of Sugar, lettered all over it. I thought Leen Sadder did a clever job with it. 
Then I said to myself, "Self, I want to do one." So I am. 

Thought the spoonful of sugar song is delightful but I decided on quotes and sayings about art.
I designed the lettering in InDesign, printed it, and placed it under the umbrella.

I traced over it with a black sharpie®, fine tip and regular. Then filled it in.

I've designed all the panels and have finished three of them so far. Here is the first panel.
It rained the day before yesterday so I was able to test run it. And there were no smears or runs. Yay.

One artist tip. If you try this (which is really a lot of fun) decide if you want to write on the inside or outside of the umbrella. Leen did it on the inside, see below, so you can see the writing when looking at the person under the umbrella. I wanted my writing to be seen from the outside, so people could read it from a distance. I don't know how easy, or not, it was for Leen but for me doing doing the lettering near the top is a little tricky. Some of it I have to do standing up with the open umbrella in a chair just because it's awkward for me. 

I'll show you the finished project when it's done. What quotes would you put on an umbrella?

I did another art & craft project like the tattooed totes but on jeans. And I took some still shots while doing it to show the step by step process. I tried to figure a way to make it easy for someone to DIY and follow along, without having a million (ok, not a million but over 100) photos. So, for the inner artist, I put them in video form. The idea is that you can stop/start for each step of the tutorial. Since this is the first time I've done this tell me what you think, what you would do differently or a better way to do it.

Okay, I couldn't help myself. Creativity can't be boxed in and I had to tattoo another tote. I had so much creative fun doing this before, as did my kids, (Link to the related posts here and here.)  that I thought you might like to try your hand at it. All you need is a Sharpie® and something that stands still. And courage. That's the biggest thing - people are afraid to make mistakes. This is one of those projects that mistakes seem to hide themselves.

So, give it a try. I've included some close ups. For the first while, just copy something from one of the images. Then, as you get going, let your inner artist loose. It might be difficult at first but keep building.

Email me an image of what your inner artist did. Or upload it to my Shannon Christensen Fine Art Facebook Page.  Do it.