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Showing posts from April, 2014

Recent publications: April 2014

The Art Colouring Book 1: 26 Artworks for You to Colour In, Frame, Use in Collages, Decoupage or However You Wish ... by Carolyn Scrace The Art Colouring Book 2: 26 Artworks for You to Colour In, Frame, Use in Collages, Decoupage or However You Wish ... by Carolyn Scrace Petit Collage: 25 Easy Craft and Décor Projects for a Playful Home by Lorena Siminovich Collage Imagery: A Collection of Photographic Images for Use in Personal Art by Catherine Anderson Washi Wonderful: Creative Projects & Ideas for Paper Tape by Jenny Doh The Encaustic Materials Handbook by Kassandra Kelly Intentional Printing: Simple Techniques for Inspired Fabric Art by Lynn Krawczyk The Digital Renaissance: Classic Painting Techniques in Photoshop and Painter by Carlyn Beccia Stack, Shuffle, and Slide: A New Technique for Stack the Deck Quilts by Karla Alexander Shades of Tulle: Add Depth and Dimension to Your Fabric Art by Nancy Morgan Mandala Quilt Designs (Dover Needlework)

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Background papers

Here are some of my favorite methods for creating background papers to use in mixed media art, both physical and digital.  Don't forget to check the Fabric painting page too...many of those techniques can also be used on paper.   Scrap paper magnets Techniques for working with delicate papers Rubbing plate textured papers   Upcycled paper towels Acrylics and rubbing alcohol papers Imprinted papers Imprinted papers Making monotype background papers Salad Spinner backgrounds Watercolor background Painted foil backgrounds Multiply your color options Stamping and overstamping Textured collage papers - part one Textured collage papers - part two Making a mixed text background Textured tissue paper backgrounds - part one Textured tissue paper backgrounds - part two Tissue paper inclusions Gesso resist papers Leaf silhouette papers - part one Leaf silhouette papers - part two Mixed paper collage backgrounds Paper towel transfers Frotta

Artsy blogging round-up!

A Bead A Day Love using jewelry making components in interesting ways? Lisa does too and is sharing a simple, but fun bracelet made on the beach! Beading Arts Beads? Free beads? Who doesn't like a good bead giveaway? Cyndi's got one going on! Breaking the Yarn Bank When is it okay to spend a bunch of money on super fancy yarn? Carmi's Art/Life World I imagine that miniature vials will always appeal to those of us who like unique and unusual beads. This week I featured them in a necklace. Mother's Day Craft Tutorials Mother's Day is coming up May 11th. Now's the time to start thinking about what you'll create for Mom or Grandma to show her your love.  Painted Glass Beaded Mushrooms Cherie makes some glass mushrooms for the garden. Resin Crafts Blog Today's post features a classic one pour resin project!  Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Come and see the lovely online book which Rita Toltec made of the re

Book reviews: 25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks (vol 2) and 501 Quilting Motifs

Katy Jones presents 25 six-inch blocks that feature a range of styles, from traditional to brand new in 25 Patchwork Quilt Blocks (volume 2) for Martingale publishers.  All the basics are spelled out in great detail, making this an excellent beginner book: you'll learn paper piecing, and applique (both by hand and by machine), if you're not already familiar with these techniques.  Even though the bulk of the book concentrates on just presenting the blocks, there are four projects included just to give you some ideas on how to use them! Known for her creative use of color and pattern-mixing, I think you'll enjoy Katy's book if you are looking for some new block ideas and like to work in this more traditional way.  Here are a couple more blocks to help you decide: The second book that I want to share with you seems like a good companion for the first: it is 501 Quilting Motifs by the editors of Quiltmaker magazine.  This is a reference book which wi

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Fabric painting

Here's a round-up of many of the fabric techniques we've covered here. Many of the techniques covered in  B ackground papers , although they were designed with paper arts in mind, can be used for fabric painting too, so don't forget to check them out as well! What to do with leftover pieces of batting Adding color to a black and white print Inktense "postcards" Inkjets and Inktense pencils Soy silk fabric with embroidery Turtle stencils 3-layered fabrics Rubbing plate fabrics Glue gel resists Marbled fabrics Salt printing, sun printing, and playing with intensity Painted silks for a quilt Soy silk roving as a background Stenciled leaf fabrics Expanded square transfer onto fabric Bleach shadow technique Painting rusted fabrics Felted fabric technique Graduated colors Gel glue resist Custom printed fabric with Spoonflower Snow painting Shibori fabric Wiped and striped fabrics Twisted fabric painting Painting fa

Artsy blogging round-up!

A Bead A Day New ideas for summer jewelry are circulating over on a bead a day blog. Lisa's thinking about summertime pearls and ankle-bracelets as necklaces! Beading Arts Quick and easy little crocheted bead bracelets have been around for a long time...but how long has it been since you've made one? Crochet Cuteness The Crafty Princess cracks open a new super cute crochet book. From Dollar Store Plastic to Elegant Easter Eggs By the time you're done, no one would ever know these elegant Easter eggs are made from cheap plastic eggs! Resin Crafts Blog With Jewelry Clay as a new medium in my jewelry zone I have found that I can create so many new wearable pieces. Snap Out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean reposts a review of Jamie Cloud Eakins most recent Bead Embroidery book, and exceptional work! Spring Postcard Art Cherie makes a postcard for June's spring challenge. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digi

Book review: Uncommonly Corduroy

Stephanie Dunphy wants you to know that corduroy isn't just for pants anymore!  In Uncommonly Corduroy , she shares 17 projects which will turn your corduroy fabric into quilts, bags, and even a scarf.  A recent release by Martingale , Uncommonly Corduroy covers all the basics for those who are beginners and/or have never worked with corduroy before.  Stephanie shares all about choosing and using corduroy, including all the tricks for getting it to play well in your projects.  She follows this with sections on making bags and one on making quilts.   The projects all include charts, patterns, and step-by-step instructions, making them all extremely accessible for a beginner.  All of the projects lean towards traditional piecing, applique, and strip quilting in style, as you can see from the images here.   Photo credits: Martingale, photographer Brent Kane Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art , photography , altered books , art journals

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Image transfer methods

Here is a compilation of all the image transfer tutorials on Mixed Media Artist .  There are even more methods now, especially since there are several forms of specialty papers that will create a perfect (or almost perfect) transfer.  However, the beauty of transfers in my eyes are that they are somewhat unpredictable and imperfect, so these are the methods that I stick with! Polymer medium transfer film Paper image transfers - plain paper Paper image transfers - photo paper Fabric image transfers - t-shirt transfers Fabric image transfers - transparency transfers Contact paper transfers (aka Packing tape transfers) Caulk image transfers Polaroid image transfers Digital Polaroid image transfer Contact printing New digital ground products from Golden's Waxed paper transfer  Laser printer transfers Copyright 2014 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provi

Artsy blogging round-up!

A Bead A Day Spring has finally arrived which means time for new jewelry! Lisa shares her beach inspired necklace. What are YOU making? Art Bead Scene Take a peek at Mary's etsy picks, inspired by this month's challenge piece from Degas. Blue Glass Sculpture With Glass Beads  Cherie makes a glass sculpture with dollar store beads, bud vases, and blue charger plates. Beading Arts Cyndi shares a tutorial for a pair of chain and pearl earrings that have now become her favorites! Carmi's Art/Life World I am very excited to share my recently published necklace project in Perles et Cetera magazine! No Stitchin'! Like fabric but your sewing skills are not up to snuff? Or maybe you are looking for some fast fabric loving projects. This book maybe just what you need in your crafting library. Resin Crafts Blog It is wonderful to know that you can embellish any blank surface with some Jewelry Clay. This shawl pin needed a little bit of bling. Snap out of

Book review: Beautiful Origami Flowers

Do you enjoy origami and other forms of paper folding arts?  If so, then you are likely to really enjoy the new release by Lark Books , Beautiful Origami Flowers , written by Anca Oprea .  If you haven't played around much with origami, never fear: there is an excellent basics section which will get you started.  Anca teaches the basic folds first, and if you work your way through this section, you will be ready to make any of the following projects. The flowers are so much fun.  Some of them are quite realistic, and others are much more fanciful and imaginative.  My favorite is the common old every day Day Lily , and I also like the Crane Flower , although I don't think I'd have the patience to complete even one!  I am gifting this book to one of my friends, who happens to only have the use of one hand.  Despite this, she makes amazingly wonderful origami designs all the time.  I am hoping to see her make an entire bouquet inspired by this beautiful book!

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Doghousediaries

Rising Mist - part three

Last week, I finished up with all the weaving and embellishing that I wanted to do on my quilt, so now it's time to do the quilting! 9. Pin each slit to the piece of batting and to a piece of backing fabric, even larger than the batting.  In this case, the backing fabric is cut 1 1/2 inch larger on each side than the batting.  Place a row of pins all around the outside of the woven top, 1/2 inch from the edge to mark the area available for quilting.   10. Use perle cotton and beads to quilt up each strip through all the layers, including the backing.  Tie off the thread ends on the top and leave them showing.  11. Using the wrap and tuck method , miter the corners of the quilt.  12. Wrap and tuck the backing under the outer edges of the top, pinning in place.  The edges will need to be ironed, as you can see!  13. Use a blanket stitch to finish off the edges of the binding.  As much as possible, I stitch this edging through all the layers,

Artsy blogging round-up!

Art Bead Scene Check out March's Challenge Monthly Recap - lots of beautiful jewellery made by some of our lovely readers! Beading Arts Using a mixture of bead stitching techniques, Cyndi finished a whopping big turquoise necklace that still needs a name! Carrmi's Art/Life World I have a new kumihimo experiment - a rat tail plus sari yarn braid. Resin Crafts Blog This week I have two special posts showing you how to make truly one of a kind candle holders with EasyCast. Spring and Easter Craft Projects for You Crafty Peeps Looking for Easter and Spring crafts? Find directions for everything from unique Easter eggs to holiday table décor and jewelry at The Artful Crafter. Take A Trip to Northern Ireland Andrew shares the latest creations made for the March selection of the Inspired by Reading Book Club, "An Irish Country Doctor" by Patrick Taylor. Woot and Hoot!  Tammy shows off an owl necklace design she has been plotting and planning for some t

Book review: My Enchanted Garden

Among the new titles by Martingale  is one that immediately appealed to me: My Enchanted Garden by award-winning quilt designer Gretchen Gibbons.  The bulk of the book is dedicated to helping you create a nine-block quilt featuring the happy birds, animals, trees, and flowers that are her trademark.  This is followed by eight smaller projects that show you additional ways to combine the plant and animal motifs.   Getchen works in both wool and cotton applique, and she goes over all the techniques for working with these materials prior to starting the quilt instructions.  She covers felting your wool, doing both needle-turned and fused applique with your cottons, adding embroidery stitches, and basic quilt construction.  The image shown above is called "Zen Bird," and he is part of the first project, the nine-block "My Enchanted Garden" quilt.  The block shown below is from this same quilt, and is called "Happy Bouquet."   Each block has a pattern,

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