I’ve been off taking photos and have added a chippy paint background for you to use in your art. I love textured things like this and I am very thankful I have a digital camera. I used to get the strangest looks from the photo printing place employees when they cautiously showed me the prints and I was happy about them. I think they were under the impression that a child had gotten a hold of my camera.
The July issue of RubberStampMadness magazine has some great numbers art in it. I guess that particular article really stood out because of the numbers challenge I recently did, but there are some other interesting articles in this issue, too.
I was especially excited to see an article on encaustic wax, because I really like working with wax. If you haven’t given this magazine a try before, this is a good issue to start with!
Yet another mermaid for this week’s Artful Monday. She’s kind of just hangin’ out in the water, looking at the really big star fish. The stamps are the waves I carved and the clear alphabet set I picked up at Walmart.
I don’t know about you, but I always find birthday gift ideas for men to be an almost impossible challenge. I virtually weep with joy when I find out one of them wants a new baseball cap or a portable fridge for the truck. This year, I am really trying to be as frugal with the guys as I always am with the girls, which makes it even harder. So, I’m looking at a piece I’ve been painting this morning and I get an idea for a gift for a serious Baltimore Ravens fan I know - a piece of wall art.
Now, I already had a photo I took recently and a great piece of purple background paper from the scrapbooking store that I’ve been saving, so I had it pretty easy. If you are making a piece for a Red Sox fan, I guess you could run out and buy a red sock to take a photo, but some of the symbols for sports teams are pretty tough to find wandering around in the back yard.
Anyway, next I found the famous public domain Poe poem, “The Raven,” and printed it onto the scrapbooking paper. I tacked the paper down to a piece of black display board and then applied wax to the whole thing. On top of that layer, I added a copy of the photo.
It still needed something and there wasn’t a stamping element on it yet, so I carved the “R” initial and stamped it on a piece of tissue paper. I applied another coat of wax so the tissue paper would completely dissolve into the background.
So, I guess I’m off to the framer to have it double matted in gold and purple and then framed in a simple black frame. I have got to learn to do my own matting - the matting and framing will cost me as much as some expensive truck thing-a-ma-bob would have!
photo by me
Sea Horse is another page for the sea swap. I put a bit of mulberry paper in the corner, swiped the little guy’s glitter glue to write the word “sea” and used a die to cut out the sea horse. The waves are from the stamp I carved earlier this month.
Hmm. This week, we’re into being thrifty and recycling. You’d think we planned these weekly coincidences, but it just happens. Weird, huh?
10 Ways to Save Money Quilting
Guest blogger, Karen Weideman, at Quilting and Patchwork provides some great tips for saving money on your quilting.
Creative Therapy
Another great visual journal inspiration blog
How to Craft for the Retiree Market
If you craft for profit, you need to know your market. Read Eileen’s market tips for selling in an area with a lot of retirees.
Jewelry from favorites fabrics
Use fabric motifs to create embroidered pins and brooches
Peace Angels Project is alive and well again
A couple of years ago, Noreen Crone-Findlay started the Peace Angels project. She designed simple to make Angels of Peace dolls as meditations on Peace and the peacemaking process. People have been asking for the patterns again, so Noreen is posting patterns for the Peace Angels, starting with a simple crocheted one.
Recycled wood made into freeform bracelets
Chloe and Noreen are celebrating their 2nd blogiversary at b5, so, Noreen made them each 2 wild and wonderful freeform wooden bracelets to celebrate.
Ways to Reuse Old Neckties
Discover 10 ways to give new life to ignored neckties.
Van Gogh says that the most artistic thing we can do is to love people. How thought provoking and humbling - one of the greatest artists feels that love for others is more important than his most amazing works.
I’m reading up on Manga because I have agreed to teach art to a group of friends’ kids this summer and some of them are boys. Eep. I do girly stuff. Even the stuff I do with the little guy isn’t very macho and he’s young enough not to care.
To prepare, I read some Manga. It took me a really long time because I kept reading the American way, confusing myself to no end and going back to try again. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a good series to start with if you’re interested in giving it a try.
Then, I tried to make some of my own Manga-ish characters. This mergirl is one of them. I kind of mixed it up - Manga eyes and my usual mouth and nose. She’s going in the sea swap I’m working on, so I’m getting two things done at once.
Find an empty mint tin and punch two holes in it. I have this handy jeweler’s punch, but you could drill your holes instead.
(If you don’t have a punch, put it on your wish list. This thing punches through the tins like they’re paper with absolutely no effort on my part.)
Sand the tin to make paint or papers adhere more easily. I used my Dremel tool to do the sanding super fast, but you can sand it by hand with a piece of sandpaper and some elbow grease instead. You may want to apply a coat of gesso, too. I did, but it may not be necessary.
I spray painted a coat of faux copper on my container. I opened it up to spray the edge where it closes, too, which was a bad idea. It makes the tin really hard to open. Next time, I’ll only spray paint it when it is closed and will leave the part that is overlapped by the other half plain.
Thread beads onto a piece of wire and thread the two ends of the wire through the holes you punched at the beginning of the project secure the ends to each other. Now you have the suitcase handle. Decorate the outside until you are satisfied with the result.
Fit photos to the inside of the case or make it into a shrine.
Here’s another piece for the Sea challenge. If you’re getting tired of sea themes, don’t worry. I have two other swaps I’m working on and I plan to intermingle the photos so you can see other stuff.
The word sea is stamped with that cheapo clear alphabet set I got at Walmart. The fish is torn from a paper napkin. I love paper napkins. They don’t melt into the background as completely as tissue paper does, but they do kind of dissolve in somewhat.
I’m thinking I need to add some fibers and a charm on the right side of the piece to make it a bit more fun.
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