Artsy blogging round-up!

What to Make With Chalkboard Paint 
Browse through this collection of 30 fun and fabulous crafts you can make using chalkboard paint...

Win $20 Gift Certificate! 
Use your crafty guessing skills over at this special Facebook group and get a chance to win a $20 gift certificate. 

ACreativeDream 
Ahh, the mail art exchange... come see some of the art that was exchanged! 

Beading Arts Wire Month continues on Beading Arts, which features a simple project to wire up some button earrings for yourself!  

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to make some pretty paper flowers, t-shirt transfers on sandpaper (along with chances to win copies of the books they are from) a cool crochet detail and a recipe for Paleo Banana Coconut Foster. 

Postcard Art 
Cherie participates in June's postcard art challenge. 

Sneak Preview of My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software 
My Memories software makes digital scrapbooking easy for all with beautiful preformatted page layouts. Just drop in photos and add text. You're done! 


Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals

Book review and giveaway: Stamp It!

Stamp It! is another volume edited by Jenny Doh for Lark Books.  Nine different designers contributed 45 projects and 200 motifs and templates to the book.  I don't want you to be confused, though; Stamp It! is less about making stamps and more about what to do with them.

Some of the projects are traditional, like tags and note cards and gift wrap, but there are also ideas for clothing dishes, and covered buttons.  If you love stamping and want some fresh designs and project ideas, this could be the book for you.    

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

If you'd like to win a copy of Stamp It!, here's what you need to do...please read this carefully.  Leave me a comment here and include your email address.  If I don't see your email address, I won't be able to contact you.  No contact, no win, and I simply have to go on to the next person.  You are welcome to spell it out if you'd prefer, for example, cyndi at mazeltovjewelry dot com.  If you tweet or post on Facebook or other social spots about the contest, you can leave a second comment and be entered twice! Deadline: May 30, 2013 




Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals

Book review: Mixed Media Master Class

Sherrill Kahn wants to free you from worrying about your final product when you are in the midst of creating your mixed media materials!

"Have fun and don’t worry about making masterpieces. Think about creating fabric and paper that will be cut up or torn to be used in larger works—don’t worry if every part of a piece of paper or fabric isn’t perfect. You can select and use the portions that work for you. The examples in this book, especially in Putting It All Together (pages 131), will give you some great ideas on combining and collaging." (page 7)

If you don't already have any good surface design books, get this one from C&T Publishing.  This isn't a project book...it's about techniques, explained in the simplest possible way.  This is a strength or a weakness of the book, according to different reviewers.  You might expect that a book titled Mixed Media Master Class would have a lot of new and/or advanced techniques, but I think what was meant by this title is that Sherrill has collected over 50 techniques to share them all step-by-step in a consistent and thorough way.

I really like the organization: Sherrill covers creating surfaces, media, resists,  textures, rubbings, and printmaking.  I was a bit sorry that there weren't more new-to-me techniques and materials, but I really do think it's a good beginner's book.  There's a very cool section at the end where Sherrill takes you through creating one of her multi-layered lovelies, step by step.  Then she shows several more finished pieces with the different components identified as to the technique (and page number) used. 

Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals

Here's your sign!

It's coffee, folks, and it's delicious!

Leftover batting pieces - part three

This week, I want to show you the prettiest but easiest piece that I made from my leftover batting pieces.  It was the fastest too!  But only because I never throw ANYthing out!

1. Cut batting and fusible web pieces according to the instructions in part one.

2. I have a treasure trove of paper towels sitting in my studio which are already covered with interesting paint designs.  These are towels that I used to clean up after other projects...extra points for recycling!!  Eventually they all get used, but if they start to build up too much, I switch to using a sponge for cleanup for awhile.  Iron the paper towel flat, and make sure you've only got one layer.

3. Iron the towel to the top of the fusible and trim to size.  It's great to be able to stitch on these otherwise delicate surfaces.  If you've got enough batting scraps, make a batch of these for future projects.  

Copyright 2013 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals

Artsy blogging round-up!

Beading Arts 
Cyndi has worked out an easy way to hang odd-shaped pieces from wire! 

Breaking Out the Good Stuff 
Why have fabulous yarn if you do not use it? Crafty Princess is treating herself for a change. 

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to fold a Pegasus out of a dollar bill, crochet a magic wand, and recipes for cocoa and green tea rubs. 

Father's Day Craft Tutorials 
It's not too early to think about what you'll create for Dad or Grandpa. Father's Day is June 16th! 

Money Gifts 
With Graduation coming up, one or more of these creative money projects would make a perfect gift for a special graduate. 

Art and Poetry 
Cherie makes new pictures using her poetry. 



Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals

Mixed media sculpture: Jason Lyons

Perch by Jason Lyons

I am a complete sucker for home and garden sculptures made from reclaimed and upcycled junk.  Enter Jason Lyons, and I think I'm in love!

Crow

Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals