Cinnamon Pink

Hand-Dyeing Muslin with Avocado Skins

Natural hand-dyeing with plants has been a popular post on Pinterest. I decided to experiment with avocado skins. I am quite pleased with the results: a vintage dusty rose color. I used white muslin fabric and beige lace. Here are some things that I learned:

• Use a stainless-steel pot that is dedicated to hand-dyeing.
• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar to the water. Vinegar acts as a fixative for the dye.
• Boil the skins for about 25-40 minutes. I used skins from two avocados for my experiment.
• Strain the resulting dye and discard the skins.
• Boil the fabric for about 25-40 minutes in the dye water, depending on the desired shade that you want. 
• For a darker rose-colored shade, allow the fabric to seep in the dye overnight.
• Rinse the fabric in cold water.

In my experiment, I did not drain the skins. I boiled the skins and fabric in one pot. This technique resulted in small brown spots on the fabric. I'm not concerned about the spots because I wanted a vintage, aged look.

I plan to use my hand-dyed fabric in a mixed-media art piece.

 

GELLI ARTS Prints - Experiment # 2

To create the swirly and linear designs that you see above, I cut fun foam with inexpensive pinking shears. I made the small squares border by cutting into the foam. For the circles design, I used a drafting template.

Here is a photo of the actual foam tools that I made. After each pass that I made on the plate, I wiped the excess acrylic paint off the foam to achieve a sharp design. When I make new tools, I plan to glue two foam sheets together, before cutting designs, to give some weight to the tools.

For the right-hand print, I used a detailed stencil. So far, I've found that stencils with larger openings produce sharper designs.

Usually when I'm done with printing - and have already cleaned up the paint and plate, I begin getting new ideas for stencils/masks and substrates. Today, I wrote those ideas down so that I'll be ready for my next printing session.

Create a Basket of Blanks to Help You Make More Art

Increase your Motivation to Make More Art by Creating a Basket of Blanks - and placing it near your Studio Table. So far, here's what I have in my own basket:

Top Row: Blank Greeting Card, Post Card, Artist Trading Cards (ATC).

Bottom Row: Small Cardboard Window Box, Wood Block (2' x 2"), Mini Stretched Canvas, Wine Cork, Small Match Box, Cardstock Circles (1"), Inchies.

Working with these Blanks may help you eliminate the dreaded "Fear of the Blank Page."

What Blanks would you add to the basket?

String Tissue Paper Tutorial with My Modifications

Large Sheet of String Tissue Paper

Close-Up of String Tissue Paper

I recently saw a tutorial on Laura Lein-Svencner's blog on how to create String Tissue Paper. I tried to find the link to the tutorial but it may have been removed. 

Today, I decided to create some String Tissue Paper with ideas from Laura and many of my own modifications. Here's what I did:

• Place a large sheet of plastic sheeting on the floor and spray with a water mister. Lay large sheets of tissue paper on the plastic and press lightly. Cover tissue with a coating of spray adhesive.
• Cut up white cotton string which is the length and width of the tissue paper. Arrange the string in grids on the tissue paper. Mist with water and then with spray adhesive. The adhesive helps the string to adhere to the tissue paper.
• Lay sheets of tissue paper over the string. Mist with water and spray adhesive again.
• Mix up equal parts of water and matte medium with a few squirts of acrylic paint. Using a wide brush, gently paint the mixture over the tissue paper. Let dry.
• Last, mix up equal parts of water and matte medium. To this mixture, add some acrylic paint. I used Stewart Gill Byzantia Jewel Tone Metallic - Aegean. Let dry.

I plan to cut the string tissue paper into smaller sections and then add a variety of stained paint to each of the individual pieces of paper.

Thank you Laura for the inspiration.

Organizing Project Lists & To Do Lists

 

If you're like me, you probably juggle many mixed-media art projects at any given time. Well, I realized my To Do Lists and Project Lists were getting a bit disorganized - and many times misplaced in my pile of papers.

I decided to finally print up the Library Cards Template that I spoke about a while back. The cards come courtesy of the Creature Comforts blog.

I had them printed at Office Max in two different colors so that they won't get lost in my paper clutter. I used a set of mini stamps to print out To Do and Projects. I used masking tape to hold the individual letter stamps together for ease of stamping.

How do you stay organized?

 

Easy Christmas Cards Tutorial

I was cleaning up my Studio when I came across these Christmas Cards that I made a few years ago. I had attended a short workshop and we spent the afternoon creating these quick Holiday cards.

• Using a 22” x 30” sheet of watercolor paper (200-lb), begin painting soft washes of color across the entire sheet. Choose your favorite shades of watercolor paints. Let dry.
• Splatter white acrylic paint across the entire sheet. Do this by loading a stiff brush with thinned paint and flicking the brush tip with your thumb to propel the paint onto the paper. Dry.
• Use a pencil to divide the sheet into rectangles (about 4 ½” wide x 3 ¼” tall).
• Quickly paint simple images on the rectangles such as small houses or trees. Add snow drifts, roads or a path to your homes.
• Splatter additional acrylic paint over your images. Let dry.
• Use a portable watercolor brush to wet the pencil lines around your small paintings. Let the water rest awhile. Once the paper has absorbed the water, pull the paper away from the water line to create a deckle edge. Make sure that you pull the paper right to left instead of pulling the paper up.
• Glue your paintings on blank greeting cards. Now, you're ready to send out your Holiday Greetings.

Hardcover Book with Binder Mechanism - Tutorial

  

Book Cover

Recently, I've been noticing projects, on the Internet, on how to create a Hardcover Book with a Binder Mechanism. Today, I decided to make one for myself. Here are the materials/tools I used and the steps I took:

Materials/Tools

• Hardcover Book
• Binder Mechanism (use binders from your stash or get them at thrift stores)
• Screwdriver
  
• Exacto Knife
• Heavy-Weight Cardstock
• Decorative Paper
• Drill
  
• Screws & Bolts (from home improvement store)
• Screw Caps (from home improvement store)

Directions

1. Choose a hardcover book and binder mechanism from one of your old binders. Make sure your binder mechanism is the right size to fit your book.
2. Using a screwdriver, lift off the binder mechanism from the binder. Keep working with the screwdriver to remove the mechanism. I did not find this to be an easy task.
3. Next, gut your book. Notice that the book pages are not glued to the spine - They are attached to the book covers with liner paper. Using an exacto knife, cut through the liner paper that attaches the book cover to the front and back pages of the book. Do not cut through the spine of the book.
4. Cut a piece of  heavy-weight cardstock to fit the spine. Cover with decorative paper and glue to the spine to reinforce it.
5. Drill two holes in the spine to match the holes in your binder mechanism.
6. Attach the book cover and binder mechanism with the screws and bolts. Last, add the screw caps to the outside of the book spine. 
7. Now go forth and create your New Art Journal. Include a variety of  unique papers - and decorate your book cover too.

Interior of Book Cover

 Book Spine

Washi Tape - DIY Tutorial

Today, I decided to make some DIY Washi Tape. I got the idea for using Surgical Paper Tape, as my substrate, from a tutorial on Skipping Stones Design. The tape is paper thin and has a low tack adhesive.

However, I took a different approach to make the Washi Tape. I put strips of the tape on waxed paper. Then, I painted the tape with a mixture of Turquoise India ink, blue acrylic paint and water. Due to impatience, I used my heat gun to dry the tape.

Next, I put punchinello on the taped pieces and rubbed in pigment inks (blue and pink). I again used my heat gun to dry the inks. Next time, I will use rubber stamps to create images on the tape. The Surgical Paper Tape is really a neat product and I did like working with it.

 

Make Your Own Washi Tape Tutorial from Tinker Finca

Image from tinker finca site

Yesterday, our Tidewater Artists Group (TAG) held a workshop on Collage Faces. Our instructor was the fabulous Cynthia Anderson.

We also incorporated a variety of textures into our art pieces. I haven't finished my own collage yet but I will post it when I do.

Today, I came across this informative blog post, from tinker finca, on How to Make Your Own Washi Tape. Check it out!

Like many of you, I purchase tons and tons of art supplies. OK, I'm overstating the facts. Regardless, it's always nice to make your own supplies. Saves money, the environment and storage space - especially when you use the supplies that you already have.

Making Frozen Charlottes with Easy Mold Silicone Putty Molds

 Frozen Charlotte dolls are getting more difficult to find and expensive too. I decided to create a mold using one of my own Charlotte dolls so that I could make more dolls with Creative Paper Clay. This was the first time that I used Easy Mold Silicone Putty.

While creating the mold on my initial try, I took too long shaping it and it became too hard to insert the doll. Important Note: You only have 3 minutes of working time so remember to knead and shape quickly.

The manufacturer does state that the product is ideal for small molds. My Charlotte doll is almost 3 inches tall. That could be another reason why my first mold hardened. I was making a big mold.

The mold only takes 25 minutes to cure which means you can start using it right away. The mold is also self releasing. Therefore, you don't need to use a mold release agent.

Here are the Paper Clay dolls that I made. They are still drying so there are some small cracks which I will sand away.

I noticed that when I released the doll from the head first, I achieved a better-looking impression.

I really do like the Easy Mold Silicone Putty product and highly recommend it. And I look forward to designing more molds with it.

 

Roundup of Washi Tape Tutorials

 

Image from The Nifty Things Blog

I love the various colors and designs of washi tape but purchasing the rolls can get expensive. Here is a roundup of tutorials from bloggers who make their own washi tape.

• Check out Nifty Things for her twist on  Making Washi Tape.

• Birgit, from Birgit's Daily Bytes, offers some great ideas on Making Your Own Semi-Opaque Decorative Tape.

• Tonia, host of The Gunny Sack, also provides instructions in her How To Make Your Own Washi Tape Tutorial.  

• Bronwyn, host of Red Brolly, tells us how to Make Your Own Decorative Sticky Tape.

• Lisa and Sarah, from A Spoonful of Sugar, offers their tips on making Homemade Japanese Washi Tape.

I like checking a variety of tutorials because then it helps me to come up with my own methods for creating the items.

Envirotex Jewelry Resin Kit Tutorial & Tips

Today, I experimented with the New Envirotex Jewelry Resin Kit and some blank pendants. I was very pleased with my results. I loved the depth and smoothness of the surface on my finished pendants. The amazing bubble release - and fresh citrus scent - made it a pleasure to work with the product.

Here are the pendant trays that I worked on. The fourth pendant is a wooden heart. Unfortunately, the pictures do not reveal the gorgeous gloss on the tops of the pendants.

After working with the resin, I came up with the following tutorial tips to ensure success:

• If you print images from your ink jet printer, spray them with a sealer first. I have had good success with Krylon Preserve It Spray. I then allow the images 24 hours to dry.
• It's important to use a good quality, craft glue to attach your image to the pendant tray. After it dries, then seal the image surface with two thin coats of the craft glue - drying between each coat.
• Carefully follow the measuring, pouring and mixing directons that come with the kit.
• The resin has been formulated to self-degas. If you do see bubbles, remove them by gently blowing across the surface or through a straw. I also have had success by gently touching the bubbles with the tip of a toothpick.

During my experiment, I prepared too much resin solution. I quickly looked around for a larger, decorative surface so as to use up the excess solution. I don't like to waste good stuff. I poured the solution on this Butterfly Collage Block which resulted in a beautiful, glossy and thick finish.

I like to glaze large art pieces. Some of you may remember the glazed hearts that I created a few months ago. Now, I know that I can use this resin on larger pieces of art too which makes me very happy. All in all, my experiment turned out well.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Cake Glass Plate

This image came from a paper napkin. I made a copy of it on my inkjet printer. I let the print cure for 24 hours - and then I coated it with an acrylic spray. I followed the same steps noted in my Typography Glass Plate Tutorial.

Since my image came from a napkin, the top cakes are upside down but I still like how it turned out.

Typography Glass Plate Tutorial

I love anything to do with Typography.  I especially think there is a classic beauty in black and white typography.

I scored this lovely alphabet in a book, called Lettering for Reproduction, at a library book sale. It's an old book that was published in 1969. Check out library sales, flea markets and thrift stores to find books like this one.

The tutorial is easy. I coated the back of an 8", clear glass plate with mod podge. You can also use diluted white glue. Carefully lay the page, face down, over the back of the plate. Then firmly smooth the paper over the plate, eliminating air bubbles.

The book pages were about 8 1/4" wide - and the plate had a slight curve to it - so I had to add thin paper strips on each side of the plate to cover the glass. Cut excess paper off plate. Let glue dry.

Seal back of plate with two coats of acrylic spray. I'm currently researching varathane sprays, as a final coat, in order to create a more complete seal.

Embellished Magnolia Silk Flower Tutorial

 

A while back, I created embellished flowers for the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group Altered Faux Roses Swap. Today, I decided to try the same technique with a Magnolia silk flower. These flowers are easy to create. Once you make one, you'll want to make more.

Here's the easy tutorial:

Materials:

• Silk flower of your choice
• Decorative tissue paper
  
• Crafter's Pick The Ultimate glue
• Oil pastel (or pigment ink pad) in complementary color
• Glitter

Directions:

• Cut out tissue paper that is large enough to cover each petal. Cover all the petals or just the outer petals. (You can cut the excess paper off later).
  
• Glue tissue paper to the petals. Crafter's Pick adheres more easily to the silk petals, and tissue paper, than ordinary craft glue.
• When the tissue paper is dry, carefully cut around the petals, using small scissors.
• Distress the petal edges with an oil pastel or a pigment ink pad.
• Cover the stamen, in the center of the flower, with Crafter's Pick.
• Dip the glue-covered stamen in glitter.

The possibilities are endless, depending on the type of silk flowers, decorative tissue paper, ink pad and glitter that you choose. Use the embellished flowers to decorate wrapped presents, use in Marie-inspired crowns and other mixed-media projects, enhance flower arrangements or give as small gifts. Why not make an embellished flower today.

Glitzy Tussie Mussie Tutorial

I like to create Victorian-style Tussie Mussies as Christmas ornaments. This year I decided to glitz them up and make silver versions. You can also use the Tussie Mussies as gift toppers or party favors. Here is the complete tutorial.

Close-Up Image:

 

Supplies:

Directions:
1. Using a foam brush, cover a small (4 1/2-inch) paper doily with two coats of gesso. Let dry in between coats. Paint both sides of the doily. Next, seal each side of the doily with gloss medium. Let dry. Cut a hole into the center of the doily.

2. Paint another doily with silver craft paint, both sides. When dry, cut a slit into the doily and shape into a cone. Glue into place. Cut a hole into the center of the cone.

3. Cut short lengths of silver berries (from the craft store).

4. Wind a silver pipe cleaner around a chopstick to form a spiral. Make three spirals.

5. Gather berries and spirals into a bouquet - and insert into the silver and white doilies. Bend the doilies down to form a ruffle around the bouquet. For a tighter fit, you can glue the white doily to the underside of the silver doily.

6. Firmly wrap the ends of the bouquet with white florist tape. Cover the tape with silver or white ribbon.

7. Glue a small silver star to the side of the bouquet. Position the berries and spirals into an attractive arrangement. You can use different berries, flowers or pipe cleaners to make a variety of Tussie Mussies.

Shabby Chic Heart Ornament - Tutorial

Here's an easy project to make for the holidays. You can use this shabby chic heart as a tree ornament, gift topper
or napkin holder.

Basic Supplies:

Directions:

1. Cut about an 18" length of copper wire (24 guage).

2. Begin to weave the wire in and out of the sheer ribbon, about a 1/4" from the top of the ribbon. I used a 7/8" wide sheer ribbon. Continue weaving the ribbon until you develop a nice ruffle.

3. Twist the two ends of the wire together - and shape the wired ribbon into a heart.

4. Create a bow from 3/8" wide pink velvet ribbon and secure bow to the tip of the heart with wire.

5. Add a dried rose bud to the velvet ribbon with a small piece of wire.

You can vary the ornament's look with different kinds of sheer ribbon and other tiny decorations.