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Showing posts from August, 2011

Antikva buttons - part two

Don't miss part one of Kerrie's (aka Antikva) great advice on shrink plastic buttons.  Here is part two ! The higher grade of yellow/white sandpaper you use for sanding your shrink plastic, the better and don't try a sander, not even a small one ROFL!  It tends to be patchy as it slides too much, has to be hand sanded. I wipe down the plastic sheets with a clean damp cloth after I've sanded them to make sure I've gotten rid of any dust. They do look slightly scratched or scuffed after sanding but when it shrinks you can't see it even if you've used pastels or pencils, as long as it looks fairly smooth. I wear thin plastic gloves as fingers leave grease marks and affects the colours for both the pastels & pencils. Watercolour pencils don't have that problem once you've swished the colour around.  I have used acrylics thinly but didn't really like the effect, but of course others might and of course they can use just sharpies but not

Quote of the week

It’s so easy to be smart. Just think of something stupid to say and then don’t say it. Image: Wikimedia Commons, Bruce from San Francisco

Antikva buttons - part one

After seeing my little post on clip art shrink plastic buttons last week, Kerrie, aka Antikva , contacted me.  She wrote: Hi Cyndi, I also make art buttons from shrink plastic :) I hope you don't mind but to save you some time/money I thought I'd help out with some tips. Do I MIND? LOL!! I was so grateful that I was speechless. This is the best part of the internet to my way of thinking...it allows us to learn about things that we didn't even know we wanted to learn about. And it enables wonderful people like Kerrie to share her experience and the wisdom she has gained. So no, I never mind being contacted about tips and techniques, corrections of the way I'm doing something, or practically anything else you'd like to share! Kerrie sent so much great info that I'm going to break it up into two posts.  I encourage you to visit her site too...she's got so much more going on there than just buttons.  About herself, Kerrie writes, "I fling pa

More artsy links!

  Creative Paperclay Necklace Something new with paperclay! Eileen - The Artful Crafter Eileen tries her hand at 3D paper tole. It's not as difficult as it looks, but does require a bit of patience.   Beading Arts Want to add a bezel to a curved surface? Cyndi shows you one easy way to do it! Blue and Teal Garden Glass Sculpture Another glass sculpture! This one uses blue and teal glass.   Creative Dreamer June's red bird turned out so well, she's made a blue bird... a blue bird of happiness, of course! And she's giving it away... get entered by September 4th!     Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Artsy blogging round-up!

  Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Spooktacular crochet eyeball pattern!   About Family Crafts Take a moment to read some crafty money saving tips and then take a few more to publish your own! Aileen's Musings This week Aileen offers you a fun Altered Cabinet card tutorial and freebie downloads stop by and get inspired to make some fall art!   Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi has a new card featuring a sweet elephant!   Cindy Gimbrone Beads Looking for a unique idea to display your handcrafted jewelry? Cindy's here to lend you a hand!   Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to fold an origami mosquito and enter to win a copy of the book Origami 101, how to treat a dog when its overheating, dehydrated and sunburned, some art from Gary Panter, and how to make your own crackers with a dehydrator.   Crafty Princess Diaries Tammy looks ahead at the school year that

To gesso or not to gesso...that is the question!

  Gesso resist papers tutorial Dear Cyndi ...........In my searching I found you and have a question for you..... Is it recommended that you gesso a Canvas and Canvas Boards before you begin working on them. In all my searching some say to treat some do not even say at all. My concern is the Canvas sides - when I need to finish them off -if I'm not going to scarpbook technique them but color with either by paint/ink/marker. Whatever I do, I want a professional product to last and not fall apart after it has been sold. Whatever information you can share with me will be greatly appreciated..........Thank you........... Carol Hi Carol, Gesso serves four different purposes: to give "tooth" to surfaces that don't have enough, to prevent "thirsty" surfaces from sucking up too much of your more expensive paints, to create a smoother surface to work on, and to cover over prior mistakes. Five purposes: to add a certain amount of texture. Th

Quote of the week

    Press any key - no, no, no, NOT THAT ONE! Image: Wikimedia Commons Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Clip art shrink buttons

I saw a cute little tutorial posted on Scissors.Paper.Wok on how to make buttons out of shrink plastic.  Now the first thing I want you to know is that Kimanh's buttons turned out waaaay cuter than mine did, but I'm happy all the same.  I love how the plastic looks almost like glass if you draw on the rough side and keep it on the bottom.  That means that you've got to reverse your writing if you want text, but that's not too tough. Kimanh punches out lots of buttons first and then sets about decorating them.  I did it in reverse since I only wanted to make a few for starters: I traced some Dover clip art designs on the shrink plastic and then used a large circular punch to cut them out.  That meant that the design didn't always fit the button perfectly, but that was ok for this trial.  If I make more, I think I'll do it her way and try some more freehand decorations! Copyright 2011 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for pr

Wild at Heart Studios

How would you like to learn all the newest mixed media art techniques...in a tropical paradise?  A lot of your favorite workshop teachers think it's a pretty darned good idea: Dayle Doroshow, Jane LaFazio, Christi Friesen, and many others can be found lounging by the pool. ..I mean, teaching classes at Wild At Heart Studios .  Indulge your art's desire! Get away to beautiful San Juan island for a one or two-day creative art workshop retreat! You will find a handy link to their gorgeous website (a link to future gorgeous good times?) in our sidebar.  Pay Wild At Heart Studios a visit today and plan your next vacay for the colder months coming up.  Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

More artsy links!

  Creative Dreamer From a journal page to a three dimensional piece of folk art, June shares her completed bird! Eileen - The Artful Crafter Did you love finger painting as a child? Here's a “sort of“ grown-up version you might enjoy.   Glass Garden Sculpture Cherie makes a glass totem with recyled items for the garden.   Hot Pepper Jam A great way to use up all those extra peppers in your garden.   Kim-Flowers and Art Kim continues work on her crazy colorful craft room   Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Artsy blogging round-up!

  Eileen - The Artful Crafter Eileen takes a precious amethyst necklace from dull to dramatic. Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery How to make a Fancy Framed cartoon card and a chance to win a Cricut Fancy Frames Cartridge.   About Family Crafts The current make-it-over crafts challenge is all about teaching math using crafts... Come play along! Beading Arts The "Mostly Metal" challenge was a great success, many thanks to Michelle Mach! Come and see all the fun pieces that were made.   Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi shares a post she wrote for John Bead using embossing powders and metal.   Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world This week at Craftside there is a fun article all about Jeannine Stein author of Adventures in Bookbinding which you have a chance to win just by leaving a comment in the post, an idea for using an unusual element as a curtain tieback, a bunny poem and how to create a hierarchy and system for t

Coming soon...a new sponsor!

Wild at Heart Studios ...get excited! Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

The Mostly Metal challenge reveal day has arrived!

Today is the big reveal day for my friend Michelle Mach's "Mostly Metal Challenge."  I'm excited about visiting all the other artists that were involved in it.  You might think my design looks somewhat familiar: Just a few weeks ago, I showed you a steampunk-style cuff that I made this way, using the instructions in Teresa Stanton's article in the July/August issue of Cloth Paper Scissors .  If you visit Beading Arts today, you'll see the whole list of participants in the Mostly Metal Challenge! Copyright 2011 Cyndi Lavin. 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.

The big "Mostly Metal" reveal is tomorrow...

This is what I received to make my piece: Any ideas what I did with them?  I'll show you tomorrow... Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

More artsy links

Kim- Flowers and Art Kim makes a glass garden totem- come learn how! Beading Arts Cyndi is celebrating bead embroidery month on Beading Arts! Come find out how you can get started. Creative Dreamer June is turning a bird she created on a journal page into a three dimensional one, come see!   Eileen - The Artful Crafter Eileen takes a precious amethyst necklace from dull to dramatic.   Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Artsy blogging round-up!

  Crafty Princess Diaries Tammy is experimenting with some organic cotton yarn and a new baby afghan. Eileen - The Artful Crafter Consider the profit potential of jewelry repair and redesign.   Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery See how to upcycle 3 t-shirts using inspiration and techniques from the new book 101 Tees by Cathie Filian About Family Crafts Find out how you can participate in the current craft challenge and get your butterfly crafts featured!   Aileen's Musings Take a flight over to Aileen's blog to view her ethereal gossamer wing tutorial.   Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world This week at Craftside brings you a chance to win 1 of 50 bulking dummies (blank books), a video from the 5th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards, a Steampunk decoration idea, facts about manual coffee grinders and how to create a visual path in a composition     Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage ,

Quote of the week

A computer's attention span is as long as its power cord. Image: Everaldo Coelho and YellowIcon , Wikimedia Commons

Recent beaded jewelry pieces

So far this summer, I have been more productive in creating beaded jewelry pieces than in any other category.  You probably already know that I've got an entire blog devoted to Beading Arts , but once in awhile I like to post a sort of "catch-up" here just to let you know what's going on over there! Copyright 2011 Cyndi Lavin. 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

More artsy links!

  Eileen - The Artful Crafter Consider the profit potential of jewelry repair and redesign.  Make a Friendship Journal Since Sunday is Friendship Day, Cherie describes how to create a friendship journal.   Mo(o)re Gourd Whimsies Whimsical Memory/Gift Boxes made with Creative Paperclay   Beading Arts Cyndi shares step by step how she engineered one of her recent bead embroidery pieces.     Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Artsy blogging round-up!

  Crafty Princess Diaries Tammy shares a super easy baby afghan to crochet for that special baby boy. Eileen - The Artful Crafter How to make a tubular wine bottle tote from a cardboard mailing tube. Lindsay Sews The cathedral windows quilt is unique in that it requires no batting or backing. It's an all-in-one quilt block! Check out Lindsay's cathedral windows mini quilt in bright solid fabrics. About Family Crafts Learn how you can make back to school fun with all of these crafts and activities. Aileen's Musings Stop by and read Aileen's book review on Margot's new book New Dimensions in Bead and Wire Jewelry: Unexpected Combinations, Unique Designs and enter to win a book of your own! Craft Buds Enter the giveaway this week at Craft Buds to win a Slice Fabrique cordless fabric cutter from Making Memories! Great for sewing applique and also paper crafts! (Ends 8/9) Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty worl

Calls for entries and submissions

GreenCraft Deadline: 09/15/11   500 Prints on Clay Deadline: 09/15/11       Art Quilt Elements Deadline: 09/25/11       Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

Quote of the week

  My software never has bugs. It just develops random features. Image: WikimediaCommons

Altoid tin book

I made a small accordian book to fit inside an Altoid tin container, and decorated the inside of the tin to suit. Remember when working with Altoid tins was all the rage? Maybe for you it still is, or you've just recently discovered the joys. Here are my suggestions: Use a torch or your grill to burn off the enamel paint and give the outside a rustic look.   Use resin to embed items in one or both halves of the inside of the tin.  Be careful not to fill the tin so full that the book won't fit or that the items embedded on both sides prevent you from closing the tin.  Decorate the outside of the tin last.  Watch out that you don't gunk up the hinges! The text of my accordian book reads: "But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."  Jeremiah 20:9.  Copyright 2011 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, res