Friday, April 30, 2010

Enchanted Adornments Book Review

 
 Now days when it comes to book and magazine buying I'm much more selective on what I actually buy.  Gone are the days where I had to have any new book that came out. More often then not I will look through the book or magazine at the bookstore and feel inspired but not usually enough to purchase the book.   Not because they are bad books just because I've gotten much more selective on my book buying.  It has to have more then one project I feel compelled to make or have several techniques that I really want to learn.  So when I picked up Cynthia Thorton's Enchanted Adornments book I was  very drawn to it but reluctantly put the book back.  When after the third time of going to the bookstore and feeling myself drawn to her book again I decided I HAD to get it!

Enchanted Adornments is a wonderful addition to your book collection if you're a mixed-media jewelry artist looking for something uniquely different.   It offers polymer clay, precious metal clay, and resin jewelry projects.   Is it for a beginner?...no I would say not.  If you haven't already worked with these mediums or at least a couple of them I would recommend getting some more experience under your belt (unless your one of those people that can pick up on things quickly).  It is also not a step by step manual but more an inspirational magical whimsical book of ideas!  Cynthia combines her love of storytelling with her love of creating enchanted jewelry beautifully! I've found it to be very inspiring for me.




Artistic Inspirations to help you create!
 

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Freebie Spinach Recipe Card


Yum! Fresh spinach picked from our garden this afternoon!
Below is a great recipe you could fix for Mother's Day 
& combine it with my Strawberry Spring cake!

Don't plan on cooking? Instead download my recipe cards 
I've created here and find other places online that offer them.   
Print them on heavy cardstock then you can put together 
recipes for someone special in your life to gift to them.


 Double click the recipe card above, 
download to your computer and print.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Mini Sketchbooks

  Mini Sketchbooks
Here's a great Mother's day idea! Create a one of a kind 
sketch/notebook for the mothers in your life. 


The mini sketch/notebook I created by embellishing 
pre bound sketchbooks that are 3x5- 50lb weight paper 
with 100 micro perforated sheets.  They're the perfect size 
to carry in your purse. I always carry my favorite 
drawing pencil and fine black pen in my purse but 
I never have paper (I've been known to draw on
napkins or whatever scrap paper 
I find in my purse LOL).  I'm excited to 
have my own snazzy mini sketchbook now :-)
3 of the books I used background paper I created 
using my Electric Neon Color Mists
black gesso and or black spray webbing. 


Artistic Inspirations to help you create!
 

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Crafty Blogger Blurbs



Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make recycled sweater tags inspired buy the one in: Hand-Me-Ups By Lorine Mason

The Artful Crafter
This week Eileen is offering some free striking vintage photos from the 30s and a chance to win the eBook “Altered Ancestors: 50 Techniques for Using Vintage Photos in Art”.

The Crochet Dude
Drew's crochet purse designs are super cute, and now he's got a crocheted Purse Pattern of the Month program? You've gotta check it out!!!

Mixed Media Artist
When dumpster diving fails you, here are some great online sources for cool stuff!

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
A hot topic Facebook thread leads to a post about valuing your work. Madge ponders the problems of discounts and freebies.

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Linda's finally going to intentionally make a quilt for herself! She's picked the pattern and is using fabrics she collected years ago.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Connie made an oops with a stitching project when she laundered an item that wasn't colorfast. Have you ever had an oops like that? Vote in the poll and let us know.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy has added another charm discovery to her sterling silver charms and pendants sale page, 2 gorgeous mermaids.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a sneak peek into the new book Mixed-Media Dollhouses, how to draw a Zombie Voodoo Doll, make 2 types of paper flowers from recycled book pages, and how to use white glue and tape as resists in fabric altering.

About Family Crafts
If you are looking for a special, home-made gift for Mother's Day, check out Sherri's collection of 100 gifts to make for mom.


Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Mother's Day Banner Project


Mother's Day Banner
momban
Make it a banner day for mom by making this
funtastic paper banner for her!

Canvasette  Background Technique
This is a very simple yet versatile background technique that can be used for creating backgrounds for cards, scrapbook pages, ATCs, Pages, and Journaling pages.  First let me explain for those of you who might not be familiar with canvas or canvasette paper (Paper Canvas is a heavy paper with the surface texture of canvas its very durable and has the feel of canvas and wet strength to it).

Supplies Used
Canvasette Paper
Acrylic paint (a great way to use up your craft paints)
1-2" Brush
Foam Roller or Foam Stamps (your preference)
Old Toothbrush
Newspaper (to cover your work area)
PYMII

step1
Step 1.  Dry brush your main base color leaving white areas.  Allow to dry part way.
step2
Step 2.  Add your next color filling in some of the white areas you left previously. Again allow to dry part way.
step3
Part 3.  Add color #3 dry brushing a cross hatch pattern here and there.
step4
Part 4.  Here I've used a sponge roller that came sectioned out to add stripes...I've rolled it in different directions to help distribute more of the paint...be careful not to over mix the colors though.
step5
Step 5.  Next I stamped randomly using a foam stamp a green color.
step6
Step 6.  I stamped using  white & a flower stamp and then yellow and a triangle foam stamp.
step7
Step 7.  Using an old toothbrush and some dark pink that's been watered down flick sprinkles onto your paper...careful you don't overload the brush.
step8
Here's two finished
backgrounds.
bk
step9
Once completely dry I've cut the paper up to use for a project.  Notice how different each piece looks cut.
bkside
Here's the backside of the paper I dry brushed with the left over dark pink...once dry I then used the stripping roller to roll some bright green stripes.

Once your background is dry I spray PYM II on it to protect and keep it from fading.  I then cut into rectangles or triangle shapes to the size you want (mine is cut to a 4x6 size) embellish it and add ribbon to tie them together.  Its a great way to use up your embellishments you have from other projects.
Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Calendar Grlz April 2010

April Calendar Grlz

This month's Calendar journal theme is Garden.
magazine images, and Color Mists helped create the above page.

The above left hand page idea I borrowed from Kari over at the Backporch Artessa from a page she had created for me for a book I was gifted.

This particular calendar journal's original theme was sexy Vintage noir/pulp fiction babes..it was quite a challenge to change the image from sexpot to the respectable lady she is here LOL
I find that gouache watercolor paints work great for this type of cover up...they're opaque and yet if I make a mistake I can easily fix it.

Napkin background adhered over journaling.

All pages my are always sealed with  PYM II
it's such an awesome product!!

 Click HERE to view my past 
art journal spreads.



Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Crafty Blogger Blurbs



About Family Crafts
Not knowing much about iris folding, Sherri rolled up her sleeves, gave it a try, and shares her step-by-step adventure and free templates with you.

About.com Cross Stitch
Connie's sharing a free pattern that was inspired by a piece of artwork she saw in an episode of Monk. You never know what the source of inspiration will be.

Cathie Filian
Cathie is doing back flips over the release of her new book, 101 Snappy Fashions!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to crochet a "no-chain" foundation row, 17 ways to crop a photo, draw flames with Drew Brophy, change the color in a free cherry blossom print download and a call for entries for 1000 Steampunk Inspirations.

Crafty Princess Diaries
While doing some spring cleaning, Tammy made some interesting jewelry discoveries. You just never know what you might find when you try to get organzied.

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
The organization continues, but the craft room is very close to finished.

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Mother's Day is coming soon and Madge has you covered. Check out her mom friendly card project, recipe and jewelry design!

Mixed Media Artist
There's a lot to be learned about texture when you work with a monochromatic palette!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
See how to make recycled thigh high socks inspired by the book Color Knitting The Easy Way.

The Artful Crafter
Do companies offer free craft products to the general public for testing?
  


Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Amazing Color Mists Special!

Awesome Special!
This is a  first for OTM to 
offer the following special
Grab it while it lasts!


Mix and match your own color set!....choose from all 4 Color Mists' sets (Light Brites, Molten Metals, Mother Earth and Electrifying Neons- 24 colors to choose from to create your own set of 6!


Now's your chance to stock up 
on your favorite colors!!  

Choose from the following colors:


Light Brite Set
Lime Green
Purple Haze
LemonHead
Margarita Magenta
Tahoe Turquoise
Strawberry Soda

Molten Metals
Tungsten Carbide
Titantium White
*Platinum Pearl
*Sterling Silver
*Copper Kettle.
(*denotes metallic base)

Mother Earth
*Tiger's Eye Brown
Bronzite Brass
Cobalt Blue
Emerald Isle
Bordeaux Blush
*Granite Luster

Electrifying Neons
Ballistic Blue
Sassy Grass Green
Orange Zest
Techno Yellow
Flamin' Flamingo
Purple Nurple


Click HERE to view 
color Samples & to order!


*Help us spread the word by posting 
this to your blog and facebook account!



Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Thursday, April 15, 2010

Oldie But a Goodie


Sorry I've been bit sparse on the posts lately.  Just dealing with non creative things called "real life" so I thought you might enjoy an oldie but a goodie post showing my crown tutorial.  I'm mean after all who doesn't need their own crown!
Crown me with your tutorial HERE


Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Sunday, April 11, 2010

Art From the Heart!


I met up with my few of my art peeps today thinking it was just a nice get together.  Little did I know that the get together was to give ME a beautiful book they had made for ME!! Talk about tears, boy I had them!  Each page was created by one of my art sistahs showing me how much they cared and wanted to support me after loosing my sister.  Even now I get teary-eyed when I look and read each page I see the love and caring that went into creating them.

Thank you Art Sistahs!!


Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!





Crafty Blogger Blurbs



The Crochet Dude
Drew reorganized his garden this spring using squares, and the results are fantastic!

The Artful Crafter
How to make an envelope book for little treasures or clutter.
 
Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
Check out my summer knitting project from Toe-Up Socks for Every Body by Wendy D. Johnson

Mixed Media Artist
Duotones can give a whole different look to your photos than plain black and whites!

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Madge reviews metal clay artist Kate McKinnon's amazing new book Sculptural Metal Clay Jewelry.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Knitters will be happy they know the Crafty Princess after finding out about this great 40% off deal on the new book entitled In the Loop.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside's got a great tutorial on how to sew tie style straps, a peek at how to turn ideas into inspired design, identifying different types of metal, a thread painting tip, a lace detail and a bit of ballerina brilliance from the hot new book Mixed-Media Dollhouses.

About Family Crafts
If you cannot wait for April showers to bring May flowers, here is a collection of flower crafts you can make now.



Artistic Inspirations to
help you create!




Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Erosion Bundle Project Finale

Way back in November I posted about the Erosion Bundle Project (click HERE to read about it and see before pictures).  That was about 5 months ago give or take and I decided today since the sun was shinning and things had dried out from the rains to finally open 2 of my bundles.  I have a 3rd one but I'm going to wait a bit longer on that one since I put it up later.  I don't really know what I expected except I think I expected them to be even more eroded.... I also hoped that everything wasn't full of mold..well there is some mold, but I think once things sit out in the hot sun for awhile it will be okay.  I love how some of the copper started to patina.  It was an interesting experiment at the very least.
erb-1
Here they are cut down before I unwrap them...
erb-5
erb-2  erosion1 
I loved how this picture turned out!
erosion2 erb-4

Now to figure out what I'm going to create with some of the items....so stay tuned.