Stacy's Paper Crafts

It's finished :)

Well mostly anyway, I just need to hang it... but I finished my very first painting.  And I have to say I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! I probably broke every imaginable "painter's rule," but I always tell my son, there are no rules in art, just go with it! 

 

My painting was inspired by lot's of fabulous floral art paintings like these...

Donna Downey Poppy Canvases

Red Poppies & Black Vase

Van Gogh inspired flowers by 8th grade art students

My painting turned out pretty close to how I envisoned it, but there are a few things I will probably do a little differently next time. Most importantly, I learned so much in creating it. It kind of surprised me how closely art lessons can translate to life lessons... let me explain :)

Try something new

 You might surprise yourself and find that you actually enjoy doing something that you would have normally considered to be completely outside of your comfort zone.

I never thought I would like painting. In fact I hated art class in school. This process has really inspired me to reconsider art. I used a variety of mediums to create this canvas, and I found that I really enjoy mixed media as an art form. It's more forgiving, you really can write your own rules!

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

Sometimes you just have to wing it, you may end up liking the results, and you might not, but in you can always improvise... or tuck it in your back pocket as a lesson learned for your next adventure.

I used modeling paste & water soluble oil pastels for the first time. The modeling paste was so fun, but I went a little crazy with it! LOL Next time I'll center my flowers so they aren't so high up on the edge of the canvas. Because I am not an experienced painter, I found it difficult to add shading using paint, so the oil pastels were much easier for me. Love them!

I also used a combination of patterned paper, an painted paper to create a mosaic like effect for the vase. Some of the painted pieces smudged, the organized pattern I had going ended up not going! LOL But I just went with it, and love the imperfect look it gives.  

Do the best you can with what you have 

I sure many of you have experienced a time in your life, especially if you're a crafter, or a collector of things, that you just need "this or that." You already have things that would work just fine, but that "this or that" would make things so much easier, faster, or better! But sometimes you just have to use what you have. 

I knew that I wanted this painting to have a lot of texture to try to mask my inexperience as a painter, so I started looking at different texture mediums. I knew that I wanted to use modeling paste, stencils, & oil pastels, but then I saw Golden's Glass Bead Gel. That's some cool stuff! But I already spent more than I intended to on supplies so I didn't buy any. When I got home I remembered that I had some Stampin' Up glass beads in my stash.I played around with it, and basically just mixed the beads in with some acrylic paint, and it worked pretty good! I've never used glass bead gel, so I can't compare the results, but it definitely added some texture to the flowers and that's what I was hoping for! 

Good things come to those who wait 

Some things just take time. You can try to rush the process or take short cuts, but more often than not, you will not achieve the results you seek. 

Paint dries slow, especially when you add thick layers. I worked on this painting for several weeks. I tend to have several projects going on at once, and in this case it worked out great!

I thought about using my heat tool to speed up the drying process, but decided against it and I'm so glad I did. The waiting time gave me an opportunity to think about the next steps, and sketch out plans for my next painting. So stay tuned :) 

Thanks for looking! I hope I've inspired you to try something new or different today! 

New Year, New Craft Medium

One of the things I've been wanting to do for a long time is to explore other art mediums. I don't really consider myself to be an artist, but I'd like to be one! LOL

Anyway I've been watching a lot of art tutorials on YouTube lately and came across videos featuring paper clay projects. I figured that was right up my alley, so I picked up a bag/pack from Michaels around Christmas time and decided to play with it.

When I purchased the clay I initially thought I would use it to create ornaments for my Christmas tree, but time just slipped away and I never got around to making them. I started thinking about what else I could create relatively quickly just to see if this form of art was for me.

Then I remembered these little dishes that I bookmarked to my favorites. These are actually made from ceramic, but I thought maybe they'd work with the paper clay since it hardens as it dries.

So this is what I came up with...

I don't know all the specifics regarding the differences between different types of clay, but from what I can tell, paper clay is similar to polymer clay except that it doesn't require kiln firing or baking. You can just air dry your projects made with paper clay.

After rolling out the clay, I used a background stamp from Purple Onion Designs to add some texture to it. Then I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out my shape. I set it aside for about an hour and then began to mold the edges upward to create a little bit of a "lip" to give the clay a dish shape. After another hour or so I molded it some more, and repeated that a few times.

Then I set it aside for about 24 hours. I used white paperclay, but you can purchase it in a number of different colors. After the dish was hard, I painted it with red acrylic paint. I gave each side about 2 coats of paint, and then let it dry for another 24 hours. Then I applied a glossy varnish to give it some shine.

Not bad for my first paperclay project huh?

RESIN Tile Coasters :)

 
 This stuff is awesome! Resin is commonly used in jewelry making but apparently it has several other uses too! I will admit it's a little tricky to work with. It takes a lot of time and patience. 

It's also absolutely IMPERATIVE that you work in a dust & lint free environment when using resin otherwise you'll have those specks embedded on your tiles. The resin needs about 72 hours to fully cure but after 24 hours the resin hardens enough that you won't have to worry about dust or lint. 

  

You'll need to prop up the coasters before applying the resin, I used plastic cups turned upside down. Even though this is a pour-on version I applied the resin using a foam brush. The surface of the tiles are small, about 4.25 x 4.25 inches, so pouring on the resin will cause it to drip down the edges forming puddles underneath the tile. Once it hardens it's difficult to remove them and you really need a flat surface to apply the cork pads. If the resin begins to drip down the sides while you're applying it, just use your foam brush to remove the excess. 

Air bubbles may form in the resin after you apply it, you can use an embossing gun or blow dryer to remove them. You don't have to apply the heat long and you don't need to position the gun or blow dryer close to the surface. I applied a second coat of resin after 48hrs. The end result is a beautiful glossy coaster that is suitable for hot AND cold beverages! It looks store bought but you can be proud to say it's handmade! To clean it, you just wipe it with a damp cloth. 

The resin I used to create these tiles is sold at Michaels in the adhesive & spray paint section. I've also seen it at Home Depot. It contains two bottles, one bottle of resin and one bottle of harder. For this brand you mix equal parts of both to create your resin mixture, then you just pour it on your project!

 

We're hoping today...

The first day of Spring here was BEAUTIFUL! The weather was so nice, my cherry blossoms are blooming too! :) Hey... it doesn't take much to excite me! LOL

A few of my crafty friends and I are doing a Spring Themed blog hop, I hope you'll check out all the springy craftiness :)

Jennifer Carter   jensinkspot.blogspot.com/

Melisa Waldorf http://melisawaldorf.blogspot.com/

Kemi Schreiber http://kssdesigns.blogspot.com/

Kim Sears http://angelatmydoor.blogspot.com/

Amy Kolling http://www.stamp-n-paradise.blogspot.com/

Laurie Willison http://soapboxcreations.blogspot.com/

Pam Upper         http://www.scrappypam.com/

I love yellow, I don't use it often but it's such a cheery color and Spring is reason enough to feel cheerful :) I added some crystal Stickles to the smaller flowers to give them a little glittery shimmer.My next creation I will preface by saying... I'm still learning. I am still VERY much a beginner...

 

But I wanted to share this fabric coaster that I made. I used this photo tutorial
which was really helpful especially visual learners! Just pretend you don't see my stitch errors. LOL I purchased a tiny piece of fabric to practice with and had some other scrap fabric I used. My last couple turned out MUCH better but they aren't really "Springy" so I'll share them another day. 

When I sew I tend to want to start at one corner and proceed to the next but for this project, I found it easier to start about a half an inch to an inch before the corner. When you go to turn your coaster inside out the corners will have a cleaner finish if you start it this way. I didn't do it this way with this coaster but I did with some others I made and they turned out much better! This may be common sense to someone more experienced but I thought I'd share that little tidbit for those of you who are new to sewing too. 

 If you are new to sewing this is a great quick & easy project to try. This coaster measures approximately 4.5 x 4.5 inches but you could easily increase the dimensions to create some place mats which is what my next project is going to be! 

Thanks for looking!

Coasters... revisited

Hi all! I wanted to share a fabric coaster tutorial I found while browsing The Long Thread I really love this idea! I'm learning to sew and I've found that I end up with random lengths of scrap fabric that I have no idea what to do with. This is a great solution!

Speaking of coasters... several weeks ago I shared with you how I create coaster tiles using patterned paper. Unfortunately I've discovered that hot beverages + Triple Thick sealant aren't the best of friends. 

My hot mug clung to the coaster temporarily. After my coffee cooled I was able to get it unstuck, however the imprint of the ring on the bottom of my mug is now permanently etched into the coaster. So I'm looking for another alternative coating/sealant and will let you know if I come across one that works well. 

I think the Triple Thick sealant would work best for decorative photo coasters like these You can display them using a table top easel similar to this one You can find them at Michaels or another framing store. Hope this helps!

Tile Coasters

A great way to use up your paper scraps. I absolutely adore Basic Grey patterned paper, especially this print. I purchased a LOT of it. So I decided to make good use of it :) This tile coasters should last a long time so long as they don't get dropped. 

 

I experimented with two types of Triple Thick sealers and I think I prefer the spray version. I like the "glue paste" version because you can apply it once and it sets like you've applied several. But it's MESSY.... messy, messy, messy! It has an odor but it isn't terribly overwhelming. 

The spray sealer doesn't set quite as thick it seems, but it dries fast. I used 3 coats. I applied the first, let it sit for an hour, applied the second coat and allow it to sit for a day, and then applied the 3rd coat and left it alone for 2 days. The spray sealer has a STRONG odor. Kinda like spray paint. I highly recommend using it outside because of that and also it releases a powdery like reside when you spray it. It's not necessarily visible but my work table is covered in it. So use a cardboard box or something similar under the tiles before applying. 

 

These tiles are white glazed 4.25 in squares and can be used as drink coasters or as an accent piece for a candle or other small decorative item.

I cut the patterned paper into 4 inch square pieces and applied Zip Glue(another strong scented adhesive) to the back of the paper and on the tile. Apply generously!! Other adhesives caused the paper to warp buckle and wrinkle. You might be able to use a spray adhesive and get some great results but the sealer was all the spray I could handle LOL.

 

I found that heavier patterned papers work best because after you apply the sealer, the colors would darken or brighten. With this paper it ended up being a good thing. I like it better darker.

 

But not so much with this one. It looks ok, but It looks much better as it was. This was my last scrap of this print. It's from The Angel Company's Catelynne patterned paper collection. 

Thanks for looking! 

 

Joy

Hello everyone! I've been neglecting my blog for awhile. I've been decluttering and fighting a cold this past week. So far I'm winning the battle against both. The decluttering is going to take awhile and I have a feeling this cough is going to linger for a long while but I'm feeling pretty good!

A couple of weeks ago my friend Barb had a blog candy giveaway... and I won! My first blog candy winning :) I created this using some ribbon and a circle coaster that was included in the giveaway. 

   

I added some patterned paper from TAC's Reece paper collection, some chipboard alphas, and a button & scrappers floss from my stash. It measures about 4inches so it's a little too big to be used as a tree ornament so I'm not sure how I'm going to use it just yet but I like it!

Thanks Barb for the awesome prize :)

TFL!