How to Hang Art from your Front Door

 

Do you love to hang a holiday decoration from your front door but hate the wreath hangers? Me too! Sometimes you don't have a choice, but with this light weight heart I did! I found it at our local Tai Pan Trading (if you don't have one near you I am so sorry, I love that store!) I attached the ribbon to the back of the heart slipping it through the hook that already existed. I used enough ribbon to have it climb up and over my front door. I have found that using heavy duty magnets hidden under the ribbon holds up the decoration. It doesn't ruin my door, it looks nice and the magnets are hidden by the ribbon! To add the bow, I tied a bow and I pinned it on the hanging ribbon where I wanted a bow to be. So easy, looks great and adds that warm Valentine's Day Love to my door!

Yarn Wrapped Wreath with Flowers

 

She's crafty and she knows it! Yarn Wrapped Wreaths are all the rage! I found a great tutorial that included a way to make this beauty for less here. The trick is to buy plumbing insulation tubes at the hardware store. It has to be the 1/2" in order to have it be thin enough to create the circle. Add some duct tape to keep it together and you are set for less than $1 to create your wreath! I inserted my yarn end into the duct tape to hold it in place while I wrapped my yarn around my wreath. The yarn wrapping took time I recommend a good episode of your favorite hour long show for entertainment. I used thick yarn and wrapped it 2x. To create the roses buy sheets of felt, cut into the circle making waves, swirl your way to the center of the circle. Curl your felt in revers to create the rose. I added some leaves and hot glued the flowers to the wreath. (Warning don't burn your fingers it really hurts! I would probably love this wreath more if adding the roses hadn't caused several burn blisters. Clumsy me!) They are SO easy and each rose was less than 25 cents to make. I am reusing this technique for some cute hair bows and decorations.

L.O.V.E. Valentine Decorations

 Don't you just LOVE Valentine's Day!
I put up my Valentine's Day decorations as soon as the Christmas tree comes down. The warm of  red and love makes the contrast of the winter decorations more bareable.
I have been busy creating and crafting as well as photographing. I love this time of year and thought I would share more of the creative things I do besides my photography. I have had these chip board letters around my house intended for another project and decided to put them to use in a new way.

 You can find the letters at most craft stores I found mine at Hobby Lobby they are really inexpensive at about $2 each. I already had a bunch of scrap book paper available and the black paint! To create this look or one like it you will need:
Chip Board Letters
Scrap book paper
Craft paint
Sponge brush
Glue (I prefer photo spray glue, but I have lots of that you can use a light coat of any glue)
Craft wire for bending
Ribbon

 Trace your letters onto the paper being sure you are going the right direction for the finished product. Paint the back and sides of each piece black (no need to paint the front it gets covered by paper SAVE THE TIME!). While your paint dries you can cut out your shapes. Glue your paper to the chip board (if using spray glue do so in a covered and well ventilated spot.)

 The fun part! Play with the layout of your pieces marking where you want your holes to go that will connect the letters. Grab your hubby's drill and puncture holes into the letters! I love a craft project that requires real tools! {If you are like me the power will wear out and you will have to wait a few hours for the drill to charge before finishing the project.}I found that the easiest way to connect my letters was with craft wire. You can use ribbon, but it was harder to get into the holes. I curled the wire around a skinny paint brush end to create the curls.

 Now that the pieces are connected you will want to hang your beautiful word art! I drilled two additional holes at the top of my heart and looped enough ribbon through to allow the heart to have a bow and to hang over the door. On the back of my door I have an upside down 3M hook. PERFECT for hanging my decorations on the door with out the ugly wreath hangers.

By wrapping the ribbon the way I did I was able to get the cute decorative bow on the front and have my whimsy word art showcased!  Just think of all the cool things you could create with the same techniques! Photo collages, season decorations, word art, shape art, kids room decorations! Post and let me know what you create!

Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween from Amy Bennion Photography! As a Thank you to my loyal clients I offer a fun tradition of complimentary Halloween Costume pictures. If the weather permits we use the outdoor studio if not the inside works great! These cute little kids in their costumes brighten my day and get me in the festive mood for this Ghoulishly fun time of year!

Old Cars and Cute Kids

 What do you get when you add cool old stuff, cute kids and a camera? VERY COOL pictures!

 I know this might sounds silly to some young kids out there who are embarrassed by their holey mouth and the big teeth taking their place, but I love it! I think it adds so much funny personality to the pictures. Plus that is what you looked like. It is part of life we all go through so "grin" and bare it! Or better yet enjoy it with a good smoothy or spaghetti night!

 Do you see the adorable dimple on this kid. LOVE IT!

 Turned out this little boy had a broken leg while he did the pictures. What a good sport to still smile and pose for me!

 Awww that is a keeper!

 Who doesn't like a cool old fire engine with a fun tinting? I know I do. These kiddos were excited to photograph themselves on the fire truck.

 

Thanks for being such great kids. I love you to the moon!

Baby Brody

 Brody is a sweet baby. He looks so much like his Mother. He was so alert for the first part of the session. Then we calmed him down, changed his bum, fed him and he was fast a sleep the rest of his newborn session.

 He looks just like a little green bean in a basket!