Lisa Liza Lou Designs

a steampunk valentine blog hop—plus a giveaway!

2012-02-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

so my crafty pal leslie rahye organized a fun blog hop for the heart day with a steampunk theme. i'm not much for the "hallmark holidays" but i do enjoy steampunk, it was the perfect theme for me. for my valentine, i decided to write a racy (or shall i say steamy?) little limerick from the era, and i posted it in a mini board book that i painted and stamped with distress inks, then embellished with various steampunkish doodads.

a corseted woman named belle

had yearnings for living quite well.

her lovers were heroes,

but their finances zeroes...

she lived in her own kind of hell.

with anachronistic disparity,

a time machine showed her some charity.

she traveled back years,

despite all her fears,

to seek out a man of prosperity.

a leader of this very nation

she met with considerable elation.

her body did shiver,

his lips felt a quiver,

and thus began their fornication.

his gears (and her engine) ran clean,

their faces resplendent with sheen.

a charming romance

was born from their dance...

his fortune (and heart) she did glean.

now for my giveaway...i have a lovely selection of goodies, courtesy of my friends at fiskars! a pair of scissors, a fingertip blade, and a pretty bird punch...this prize package could be yours! leave a comment here to enter to win, i'll draw a name on monday night 2/13. good luck!

check out the rest of the bloggers' links below - lots of different creative projects...this is a great hop! thanks leslie rahye!

craft & hobby show...it's about the people!

2012-02-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

i just returned from a week at cha - the craft & hobby association winter conference & trade show. favecrafts is hosting a blog roundup if you'd like to browse through several other designers' posts about their cha adventure too!

i attended for many reasons...to show off some of c&t publishing's new books and products, talk to customers, do some trend-spotting, take some seminars, meet with members of the media and press, see imaginative ideas in action, and of course, ooh and aah over loads of exciting new products from hundreds of manufacturers of all shapes and sizes.

i am thankful every day to be working alongside creative people in an industry that fosters and values creative expression. there is no better way to spend that handful of precious disposable income dollars than on art, craft, and sewing supplies, right?

it's true that a lot of this show is centered around the scrapbooker...but the quilter, the knitter, the beader, the sewer, the sculpter, the metalworker, the cardmaker, the mixed media artist, the papercrafter, the felter, the stamper, the DIYer, the painter, and the family crafter (and dare i say the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker) are all represented as well.

for me, it's really all about the people. going to cha is about connecting with friends, building business relationships, meeting the movers and shakers in the craft world, networking with colleagues...and sharing news and inspiration with people who really, truly, almost divinely "get" each other.

here's just some of what i did last week!

danced in a flash mob for charity
promoted and demonstrated some awesome stuff
heard some really good sales spiels and brainstormed some really good plans
listened to heartfelt personal stories and was gobsmacked by so much gorgeous work
taught a fun workshop
gave away prizes and received lovely gifts
learned better blogging skills and search engine optimization tactics
discovered more about shopping behaviors of the young (and the young at heart)
met talented designers, enthusiastic retailers, passionate teachers, and exhausted exhibitors (lol)
chatted with my favorite spotlight artists and crafters
spent time with creative entrepreneurs who have worked so hard to release their own books and product lines, and i couldn't be happier for them (and i will be buying their amazing wares)!
hugged so many people and shook so many hands that my arms hurt

i have attended this show for several years now, and i always come back energized and sparked up with encouragement and optimism about my work in this industry at large, and about my personal growth as an artist and a crafter. onward and upward!

december atc swap

2012-01-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

here are all the artist trading cards from my online swap last month (theme was art deco). the artists for the 9 atc's in the order shown are...lisa morris, joan hume, roberta birnbaum, sherry payne-scott, melissa sehmer marro, linda edkins wyatt, me and me again, eunice ortegon.

join us this month - the theme is metal. for details, click on the atc swap link at the top of the blog here.

january swap with my local atc group

2012-01-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

these are the art deco artist trading cards that i received in our swap this month, each is so different and lovely! click the pic to zoom in. my fellow artists are (clockwise from the left) uni, tarri, liz, donna, and cathy. our theme for february is space (as in the final frontier), so soon i'll be perusing the planets for inspiration.

more art deco atcs

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

we chose art deco as a theme for my local atc group this month. i printed an image of an art deco-style wood door on brown parchment cardstock, then i printed an image of a 1930's ad for a lingerie company called kestos (a greek word for the corset worn by aphrodite) on vellum and trimmed it out. i layered the vellum over the cardstock with matte gel medium and accented with a bronze pitt pen and crackle medium. lastly i tinted the ladies with a little yellow copic marker, and embellished with ribbon and little pearlies. these poses just crack me up!

this is the original ad - i adjusted the contrast before
printing to remove the black background

thank you cards for the zendo

2012-01-11T23:31:00.000-08:00

i recently joined a local meditation group (it's wonderful for stress!) that is getting ready to move into a new, larger space. they are fundraising right now, so i offered to make some thank-you cards for them to send to donors. the japanese symbol means thank you.

i also just picked up a copy of the simple art of japanese calligraphy...i want to use some symbols and quotes in my mixed media and fabric painting, so i will be practicing to get my own writing to look as nice as the computer print-out i used for these cards.

art deco atc

2011-12-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

this artist trading card was inspired by this art deco door i found online. the background is acrylic paint on textured watercolor paper...with scratch lines, heat-embossed spiral stamps, and metallic embellies.

the last of the leftovers

2011-12-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

i made a ton of this really yummy cranberry jelly from scratch for our holiday dinner, and i've been enjoying it every day since. on toast with breakfast, on sandwiches, or just by the spoonful like a jello fruit salad - very versatile. so i thought i'd share my recipe, i was pretty much winging it, but there are other similar recipes out there too.

it's really fast and easy to make, and i like the firm texture and golden colors that the mandarin oranges and pineapple add to the mix (don't use fresh or frozen pineapple in gelatin, it won't set). i also love the purplish shade of the blueberries and cranberries combined. i prefer to use canned fruit that's packed in natural juices, and 7-up is all natural flavors now too. using these liquids instead of just more water adds better flavor to the jelly, i think. this recipe makes a pretty large bowl, so you can halve it.

1 12oz bag of fresh cranberries; rinse well
1 cup of organic sugar
1-1/4 cups of water
1 small can mandarin oranges (reserve the liquid)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 regular can pineapple chunks (reserve the liquid)
1/2 can of 7-up soda
2 packets knox unflavored gelatin

soften the gelatin first by mixing it with 1-2 tablespoons of the orange liquid in a small coffee cup. bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium pot. transfer 1/4 cup of the boiling sugar water to the coffee cup to stir and dissolve the gelatin, set aside. add cranberries to the remaining sugar water in the pot and return to boil; simmer a few minutes until the skins pop. stir the gelatin water into the simmering cranberries, then remove from heat. stir in remaining orange/pineapple liquids and 7-up, then mix in all the other fruits. transfer to a decorative bowl or dish, cover with plastic wrap (vent it on one side), and refrigerate overnight to set the gelatin. serve solid by the scoop, or stir it up to serve chunky as shown. enjoy!

january atc swap theme

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

image from http://generaltoolanddie.com

we're starting the new year off with strength and shine! the theme for our january artist trading card swap is metal. anyone and everyone is welcome to join us - make just one atc and get one back. click here for details on how to participate - it's fun!

the thundershower

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

one of the christmas gifts i received from my mother was this umbrella featuring a really cool painting (1917-18) from an american artist named h. lyman sayen. his work was a mix of fauvism and futurism; he was also an inventor and and electrical engineer.

from a press release about a 2002 exhibit that included this painting...

the pulse of modern life animates sayen's dancers in “the thundershower,” which foreshadows the decorative patterns of art deco style. sayen studied with matisse in paris and was among the first to introduce avant-garde styles to america.

i love this prophetic 1914 quote from sayen...

modern art… is all spontaneity and requires an equally spontaneous apprehension. to feel it requires a quickening of the spirit. it has revealed to us men of great power. picasso and matisse will, I believe, exert a powerful influence for a long time on painting and sculpture.

holiday stitching

2011-12-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

my sewing machine got a workout this holiday season...t'was such fun!

for my brother, i sewed up a lap blanket with his favorite baseball team on one side and cozy flannel on the other side. he's happy and warm sitting with it as he watches tv today. i secured the two layers with a some gently curvy stitch lines from top to bottom.

for my mother and aunt, i made some 30" long, elfish stockings with green polka dot batik fabric and stuffed them with treats.

i cut out the stocking shape freehand with my best scissors (no pattern) through four layers of fabric at the same time (two each of two 60" folded pieces).

i left the fold intact at the base of each foot so it was much easier to pin the sides together and stitch them up. i added a jingle bell to the tippy toe.

it was very sweet to see my mom and her sister holding up their giant stockings together!

felt needle case

2011-12-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

i've seen so many cute handmade needle cases out there lately, so i decided to make one for myself tonight. it's nice to get them out of my pincushions and into a safe spot where i can see the sizes better and it's easy to pull them in and out.

this was super quick to make with some felt squares, embroidery floss, and a cute little dragonfly appliqué. i fused some fabric to the inside cover to hide the stitches from the embellishments. i sewed the edges of the inside pages together first, then sandwiched them between the covers with a few french knots and straight stitches.

felt poinsettia

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

felt is fun and so easy to work with...i made this 6" poinsettia in about 20 minutes by cutting random leaf shapes from a few different shades of green felt, and some small red circles from red. then i layered the leaves on a 5" circle of green felt with aleene's tacky glue, adhered the red berries in the center, and accented with a golden green color of stickles glitter glue. this will be a sweet alternative to a bow on one of my gifts!

african bead ornament

2011-12-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

a few years ago at my favorite annual quilt show (piqf), i bought these cool beads made in africa from recycled glass. i forgot about them until last week when i was digging into my supply to make earrings.

then today i was cruising around online and i saw a picture of a cute button ornament in the shape of a wreath. such a perfect idea for using these beads...so out came a little wire, a little ribbon...and a couple minutes later, cuteness for the top of a gift!

frosty le deux

2011-12-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

here's the finished snowman that i started during my recent demo on the cynchronicity live webcast.

visit my video tutorial page or my youtube channel to see my demo clip.

quilter's vinyl is currently sold in bolts...ask for it at your local quilt shop to buy by the yard.

then in february, it will be available in smaller rolls that you can buy locally or online.

now sing it with me...frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul...

:-)

more holiday beading

2011-12-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

just made another batch of earrings tonight - sold quite a few pair to my very kind co-workers, some were designs that i forgot to shoot...shoot! anyway, thanks to everyone who supports handmade this holiday season!

holiday beading

2011-12-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

glass and stone choker

a few of the women at my office asked me to make some jewelry to sell, nothing like holiday shopping from your desk to beat the crowds at the mall! these are the first few beaded baubles i made today, always fun to do. now i need to get some more earring wires...

long and dangly earrings

short and round earrings

chocolate coma

2011-12-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

uni (top) based her atc on the pure imagination song
and cathy made the chocolate lake and waterfall

there was definitely more dunking than there was swapping at our local atc group get-together this past week. with willy wonka as our theme, we thought it was appropriate to enjoy some chocolate fondue. here are the fun artist trading cards that i received from my group.

valerie and i ended up using the same image of wonka's utter exasperation,
and liz trapped a golden ticket under an icy sidewalk

despite an interesting discovery that the non-dairy version of chocolate chips burn in the microwave, which allowed our host the opportunity to confirm that the smoke alarm works in her new home, we had a terrific time dipping loads of different fruits and snacks into the regular chocolate, as we shared which parts of the "charlie and the chocolate factory" story inspired us to make our cards.

donna made wonka bars and we all got golden tickets

secret santa

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

it's secret santa time at my office...our holiday luncheon and gift exchange is tomorrow, always a great day! we each fill out little slips of paper with our names and lots of favorite things. the coworker whose name i drew enjoys scrapbooking, the color teal, and coffee. so i made her this little 5x7 blank board book, with a variety of distressed teal-ish patterned papers inside, that she can put her own pictures in. i placed a starbucks gift card inside. i hope she likes it...and i hope i'm right in assuming she won't read my blog until after the luncheon!

october atc swap

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

here's a slideshow of the artist trading cards from last month's swap. there's still time to join us for the november/december swap - the last one for this year! click here for details.

frosty the snowman

2011-12-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

i'm looking forward to demo-ing how to make this little christmas cutie...it can be used as a tree ornament or a gift tag.

i will be a guest on my friend cynthia's creative edventures webcast next wednesday, 12/14 at 6pm pacific (9pm eastern). i'll show y'all how quick and easy my little snowman is to make with whatever fibers and glitter you have on hand.

click here at showtime next week to join us online for some crafty fun!

willy wonka

2011-12-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

my atc group is having a chocolate fondue potluck this week, to go along with our willy wonka theme. i prefer the gene wilder version of the film, so i found this posterized pic of him and printed it on inkjet film. then i layered it the film on top of some backgrounds that I painted/stamped, and secured it with candyish mini-brads. i accented his hatband and bow tie with some glitter and gloss. i really love the expression on his face...a little exasperated, somewhat dazed...i can so relate, lol!

native people

2011-11-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

our november theme for my local atc group was native people. we each chose different areas of the world to find inspiration. when i googled the word "indigenous," the first thing that came up was this image of a huli wigman from papua new guinea. i loved his bright primary colors - yellow and blue face paint with the red on his shoulders, all done up for a ceremonial dance. they had (and have) some pretty unusual customs though, i must say.

clockwise from lower left - donna made an aboriginal drawing, liz was inspired by a muscogee indian legend, uni painted vases in the aztec style, cathy worked with the art from the adivasi people of india, and tarri created an aboriginal fish. we each shared a little of what we learned about the various indigenous people we were inspired by - it was fun!

i missed the last couple swaps, so here are the cards i received from my friends for the october theme, lucy in the sky with diamonds. there was so much imagery to work with in the lyrics of that song!

and here are the cards i got for the september swap, the theme was origami.

come to our encaustic workshop!

2011-10-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

encaustic painting by patricia baldwin seggebruch

i am over the moon about this news...i am hosting an all-day encaustic workshop, taught by artist and author patricia baldwin seggebruch (aka trish baldwin). her new book (pictured below) is a must-have, btw!

if you aren't familiar with encaustic, it's a form of mixed media art that involves melted beeswax...tint it, paint with it, trap stuff inside it, transfer images on to it, swirl it wet, carve it dry...sooo much fun!

date: tuesday, november 29, 2011
time: 3pm to 9pm
place: concord, california (address provided upon paid registration)
price: $100 + $10 supply fee

how to register: email me at lisa@lisalizalou.com with your full name, address and phone. you can pay via paypal or mail a check...we will work out payment privately over email.

maximum class size is 12 people - so take the day off work and register soon...all skill levels welcome, and newbies too!

"Encaustic, the rich, organic medium of painting in melted beeswax, is ideally paired with every other medium and material brought to it. As an artist, author and instructor I bring my deeply impassioned experimentation in this medium to students worldwide. In this workshop, I'll hold nothing back...bringing to participants alternative materials like TAP, Lutradur, Pinata inks, PearlEx, wood icing, stencils, and shellac. I'll demonstrate various techniques, provide instruction and feedback, and you'll have plenty of painting time. You can plan to walk away with several finished paintings and a whole new love for and understanding of the medium of encaustic." — Trish

what you need to bring:

8-10 boards—no larger than 8"x10" (such as unprimed wood art panels, or wood panels cut at the hardware store, or encausticbords)
ephemera or embellishments that you'd like to try in the wax
craft apron if desired
everything else is furnished by us for your use in class - wax, colors, unique surfaces and mediums, tools, equipment

don't miss this incredible workshop with a wonderful teacher...can't wait to see you!

encaustic painting by patricia baldwin seggebruch

quick card

2011-10-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

just a little fun with a 7 gypsies victoria paper stack - i haven't made any greeting cards in a while, but i'm feeling the tickle to make some again. i do love themes around flying, journeys, being free. i also am diggin' the longer narrower format for a #10 envelope. i offset the score and placed a border paper on the inside to peek out to the front. click the pic to enlarge.

under water

2011-10-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

these are the atc's i made for this month's theme with my local swap group...lucy in the sky with diamonds. of course i interpreted this theme quite loosely, using just the fact that this beatle's song lyrics are about dream imagery. the backgrounds are from under water pictures i took from a snorkeling trip in the caribbean several years ago. being under water feels like dreams feel, kinda sorta. then i added some rainbow swirl film and some sky colored embellies, including one tiny "diamond."

theme for october atc swap

2011-10-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

i took a couple months off from hosting my online atc swap, and i'm ready to get back to it! the theme is autumn leaves - all the details are on the atc swap tab at the top of the blog. i included several leafy links for inspiration, too. all are welcome to get creative and join in the fun!

btw, this little image grid shows off snippets of four different autumn greeting cards i made years ago.

day of the origami

2011-09-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

these are the atc's i made for my local group for our september theme, origami. the die-cut skulls have little origami hats that i folded from japanese art paper. i had made the hats first, but then couldn't find the right kind of head to rest them on. but then i was inspired by my visit to casa artelexia, this really fun shop in san diego. many thanks to andrea for loaning me the awesome punch!

encaustics rock!

2011-09-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

my first experiment with encaustics (painting with wax) - so fun! this is a 5" board with batik fiber art paper, glass fragments and various pigments. i love how you can slather on layers and trap things in the wax, and then move it all around with a heat gun to create color patterns and reveal what's underneath.

you had me at baaaa...

2011-08-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

i do believe i've fallen in love with a goat. several goats, actually. how could you not fall in love with this grin?

today was the first day of my vacation and the first day using my brand new fancy schmancy camera, so i'm posting the pics i took that i like the most.

i started my day with a visit to becky and jorge's beautiful 20-acre ranch. becky and i have been friends since about 1974 when we were in junior high school. they have goats, horses, dogs and a cat, and huge amazing oak trees. good times!

tangle challenges

2011-08-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

two of my friends turned me on to challenges this past week in a zentangle group i belong to on facebook. julie, a long-time friend from my high school gang, suggested a tangle that represents the end of summer. leslie rahye, a fairly new friend that i made online through craft webcasts, passed along a challenge to make a tile within a tile.

so i combined the two challenges into one 6" square drawing. the end of summer is represented by an origami pinwheel in the center. you need the fall winds to make a pinwheel work. i added a partial sun in the center with patterns around it that include apples, rain, lightening and vines. the square center of the pinwheel is the tile within the larger tile of the outer border.

it was very relaxing to draw, and it was fun trying out some new patterns along with my favorite "standards." tangling definitely untangles the wires in my brain for a while!

july atc swap slide show

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

here are the artists who paticipated in our july swap. we are taking a break...no swap in august!

cherry blossom atc

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

my pal lisa sent me more of her yummy handpainted atc papers (she rocks!!) and this pink one was perfect for a ATC swap I'm doing with a woman in Thailand. i love this pretty cherry blossom stamp, which i colored in with copic markers and gave the blooms a bit o' bling in the center. the splattery effect of the paper is such a nice background for this little tree. click the pic to zoom.

painted journal cover

2011-08-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

for my friend mary's wedding day, i gave her a blank journal with a painted cover...she and her new hubs will be living in spain, where she will be enjoying some spurts of creativity as she explores her new community. so i think she'll enjoy having a special book to write, draw and scrap in.

i started with an 8" blank board book (click the pic to zoom in) and built up layers of stamp ink, spray ink, ultra-light lutradur, and acrylic paint. i bound in some watercolor paper interleaves with ribbon. With the extra pages (and a non-expanding spine), it can stand up on a table like a display of her creative explorations.

a little origami

2011-07-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

we tested our paper folding skills the other night, i haven't done origami in years. a tulip, a pinwheel, a seagull, and a party hat. it was fun - for the party hat i crinkled the paper first, i like the texture a lot.

click the pic to zoom in.

august 5 is the deadline if you want to participate in my july atc swap - all the details are on the atc swap link at the top of the blog here. the theme is spark!

check out the fun we had with the june swap...all are welcome to join in the fun each month.

birds, birds, birds!

2011-07-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

artists names - clockwise from upper left: tarri. vanne, cathy, liz, vanne

here are the wonderful bird-themed atcs i received in my swap last night - click the pic to zoom in.

the most fun part of our monthly swaps for me (besides all the eating and chatting) is telling each other exactly how we made our cards. i always come away with a greater appreciation for everyone's creative efforts, as well as ideas for new techniques or materials after hearing their experiences.

atc club tonight

2011-07-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

my poor neglected bloggy, it has been weeks! anyway, tonight was my monthly local atc group get together. mmm, we ate sushi, and mozzarella sticks, and fruit salad, and chips, and chocolate, and cookies...oh, um and yes, right, we swapped atcs too!

our july theme was birds. i used these gorgeous handpainted papers that my friend lisa gave me because her wonderful brush strokes felt feathery to me. I sliced them up and glued them down to my white foundation card with the cracks showing. then i stamped this southwest-style "mimbreño chicken" image on top and heat-embossed it with white embossing powder. i like how the cracks almost look like there are wires of a cage or fence on top of the bird. click the pic to zoom in.

we also got an origami lesson from liz - we each take turns teaching the group something new. we made cute folded hats, seagulls, pinwheels, and tulips. we're skipping our august meeting to accomodate vacations, then our theme for september will be...origami!

tomorrow i'll share the other bird atcs i got from the group.

dreamy texture & color

2011-07-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend, miss lisa morris, just sent me some of her gorgeous hand-painted atc papers and i am simply swooning over them! click the pic to zoom in.

here's an atc i made with one of the papers...let your wings unfold...for my swap last month, the theme was "june bug."

the july theme is posted here on the blog - click the atc swap tab at the top. swap with us!

a little book of paris

2011-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

here is the incredibly wonderful book i received from valerie in germany.

it is about 3"x4" with 13 two-sided pages inside. some pages are tag-shaped with ties on top, some have little pockets.

all the pages are stamped and collaged and full of delicious little distressed details.

it's just soooo delightful, i could just flip through it all day. here are some of the page spreads.

Vielen dank, valerie!!!

a little book of birds

2011-07-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

i recently did a mini book swap with a very talented mixed media artist in germany, valerie-jael tups. i met her through blogging; we both enjoy the paint party friday blog.

she told me she liked birds, and i told her i liked paris...so those were the themes we used for each other's books. today i am sharing the book i made for her...tomorrow i will show you the book she made for me and whoa nelly!!!! does her work ever put mine to shame, lol! :-D

i began with a 3" black blank board book and adhered painted, stamped, and other scrapbooky papers to each page. the cover title is french for "birds."

on the right, i used a dip pen to outline and drip acrylic ink into wet glossy accents medium

the paper on the left has flower petals embedded which i enhanced with inks

the paper on the right has leaves embedded in it

a bird does not sing because it has an answer.

it sings because it has a song.

i found this chinese proverb, printed it out on a strip and cut it into bits, and adhered a piece of the quote on to each page, to turn it into a little storybook. i like the quote...it reminds me of how i feel about creating art and craft...enjoy the process without being too worried about the results...also known as enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

fun with inktense pencils

2011-06-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

just a little before and after on textured paper...lightly draw and shade, then blend with a damp brush and watch the colors pop! click the pic to zoom in.

atc club - all taped up

2011-06-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

in my local atc group, our challenge this month was to use any kind of tape on our cards - not just as an adhesive, but as a visual part of the art. click the pic to zoom in.

clockwise from the upper right: vanne made a little music mini book with silky medical tape on the pages. liz used inked and crinkled silver duct tape for the background of her love card. cathy pleated and fringed bright red and blue duct tapes. i used art tape, gaffer tape and painter's tape to make a geometric design (i was thinking about the artist, piet mondrian)

fun!

countdown calendars

2011-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

i designed a project for this sweet compilation book that just came out this month, countdown calendars. this is the third c&t book i have contributed to - very exciting when those first copies arrive!

mine is a hanging set of pocket panels for a bride-to-be to stash all her clippings, cards and brochures from her planning as she counts down to her wedding day. the whole thing can be tumble-folded with the contents inside and secured with a big ribbon as a keepsake, or the pocket labels can be switched for everyday use to store photos, mail, ephemera, etc. of course it uses two of my favorite things, tap and lutradur!

it's a super cute book with lots of great project patterns using fabric, paper and other materials - click here for more sneak peeks!

may atc swap slideshow

2011-06-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

these are the artists who did my may artist trading card swap - the theme was serenity. check the atc swap tab at the top of the blog for details on the june swap and join us!

shoe forms

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

seriously? shoe forms? yes, i have a suitcase full of old wooden shoe forms, all shapes and sizes.

many years ago in san francisco, i had lovely roommates named kim and nathalie who decided to move to france. we had a garage sale to help them lighten their transatlantic load, and i couldn't resist buying kim's collection of shoe forms. i don't recall exactly how or when she started to collect them, but she kept them in this round suitcase. i have been schlepping this suitcase of shoe forms around with me to my many different domains in the 15-20 years since.

so fast forward to last month, when my a-muse-ing friend candace posted a creative prompt about shoes. i went out to the garage and dug out the suitcase to see what i might do with one of the shoe forms. i really like them in their natural state, and some are probably considered antiques...but i found one that was super plain and a bit marred, so i decided to paint it with black gesso (click the pic to zoom in). i had this cool egyptian pharoah patch (i've always been inspired by ancient masks and other cultural icons) which fit the curve of the toe perfectly, so i used a gold leafing pen to doodle some lines on it....makes me think of the bangles song, walk like an egyptian.

i have always thought it would be so cool to hang the shoe forms all together on a wall, displayed in a big grid. hmmmm...

black lava & white flakes

2011-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago on a creative edventures webcast with a black & white theme, i shared an idea for working with two liquitex texture gel mediums - black lava and white opaque flakes.

i painted the mediums with a wide, stiff brush on to 4" squares of gessoed cardboard to show how each medium looks on a black surface (right) vs a white surface (left). both squares have the white opaque flakes on the bottom, and black lava on top.

my samples became covers for an atc wallet with accordion-folded pockets made from lutradur. click the pics to zoom in. I made an adjustable flat black ribbon with a buckle to wrap around it to keep it closed.

click here for the instructions for making the pockets.

sparkly tiles

2011-06-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

look what my friend lisa (aka my sistah from anuthah muthah) sent me recently! she made these gorgeous little tile embellishments, i just love 'em! click the pic for a close-up.

can't wait to find the perfect spot to use them!

atc swap booty

2011-06-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

i had a lovely evening this past tuesday with my local atc group - we swapped our mosaic-themed cards, ate lots of great muchies (thanks tarri!) and had fun making inchies (thanks valerie!).

here are the cards i got from my pals...so many creative materials! click the pic to zoom in.

starting up at the top left, valerie combined different papers stamped with a vintagey mosaic image. in the top right, liz collaged and stamped a cool flower on adhesive foam squares. the queen in the center is eunice's whimsical design with bits of bling and lacquered paper tiles. for the blue card beside her, tarri also used adhesive foam squares - can you see the sweet carousel pony? to the left, donna broke up old cds to make her mirror-finish tiles...way to upcycle! and in front, cathy made a real tile, hand-etched with a tulip, grouted and fired and everything!

mosaic

2011-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

for my local atc club, may's theme was mosaic. we are getting together tonight to exchange cards, learn a new technique (we take turns doing demos), eat and drink, and of course lots of chatting!

i went a bit abstract with the theme. i used different tile pieces, but i didn't make a full mosaic on any one card. the diamonds and triangles are leftovers from this project i made for my mother last year. the squares are glass, accented with a rhinestone. click the pic to zoom in.

fabulous fakes

2011-05-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

the fabulous original

this month, the theme for my arts in the cards atc group was fabulous fakes. i decided to draw a loose interpretation of a picasso painting i really like, "still life on a pedestal table." each drawing is colored with copic markers and accented with crackle medium. the coloring was very relaxing, and lookie lookie, i even stayed inside the lines! click on the image to zoom in.

past atc swaps

2011-05-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

here are the atcs that various artists have made for the last few swaps that i host every month (there's no audio, fyi). details for this month's swap are here on the blog - click the link in the nav bar at the top if you want to join in the fun - you make one and you get someone else's back!

you can also see details, photos, and artists' comments on my facebook page. enjoy!

garden-inspired art

2011-05-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

time for a free project! go out to your yard when there is lovely light and morning dew, snap a picture of your favorite plant, and turn it into a textural mixed-media piece. Click on the pictures to zoom in.

materials

- 10x10 canvas board

- lutradur mixed media sheets

- tap transfer artist paper

- household iron and a heat gun

- acrylic paints, sponges and brushes

- liquitex resin sand texture gel medium

- spray ink and alcohol inks

- glossy accents clear medium

- strong craft glue

- sandpaper and cardboard

- metal strip, large metal brad, mini metal brads

1. sponge paint canvas board randomly with two colors (i used bronze with black highlights) and allow to dry.

2. apply a generous amount of texture gel medium on top of canvas board, tap with a brush to create peaks and allow to dry...this texture looks like rich soil to me!

3. spritz the canvas board with a spray ink (i used a coffee color) and allow to dry

4. inkjet print your image on to tap transfer artist paper and transfer to a sheet of lutradur with an iron (follow instructions in tap package)

5. trim edges of the lutradur to give a white border around image (mine is about 5-1/4" x 6") and lightly blow the edges with a heat gun to distress

6. highlight any dew drops on your plant image with glossy accents medium and apply mini brads to corners

7. glue a sheet of thin sandpaper to cardboard to stabilize and trim to the same size as lutradur

8. layer the lutradur on top of the sandpaper, offset and glue both to canvas board

9. crinkle a narrow metal strip, flatten out and dab with a darker shade of alcohol ink to "antique" it, then glue into place as shown

10. glue a large metal brad into place as shown, dab with alcohol ink if you want to alter the color

add a self-adhesive picture hanger to the back and enjoy your new work of art!

greeting cards

2011-05-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

just a couple variations on a theme for mother's day. i love how completely different paper patterns can work nicely together. i also like incorporating cute little charms that are meaningful to the person getting the card.

decoupaged organizer

2011-05-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

i decorated a blank balsa wood vertical organizer for my mom for mother's day using torn pieces of handmade unryu papers on the back two walls and dupioni silk on the front wall. my fingers were in the mod podge the whole time, so much easier than using a brush. i edged it with a gold leafing pen and added a few chinese coin embellies to the front.

i really like working with the unryu papers, they are delicate and organic looking, plus they hold up pretty well with a good dousing of collage medium.

mom filled it up with mail and papers right away!

suddenly swappin'

2011-05-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

my atcs: beautiful (left) and circumference

my friend lisa from across the bay (aka my sistah from anothah muthah) just got her creative mojo brewin' again...so we're swappin' a pair of atcs today! i always keep plenty of hand-painted background papers on hand for just such a sudden occasion.

the beautiful card was made with a stripe & scratch technique i enjoy doing with acrylics and a fluid medium. there are two backgrounds for the circumference card - the base is some random paint stamping with the edge of a circle cookie cutter, and the overlay was made by dripping alcohol inks on to translucent vellum paper and letting them spread and merge together. you can click on the image to zoom in if ya wanna.

here are the fabulous cards that lisa made which will be coming my way...she posted them on facebook and i staked my claim just as soon as i saw them! i love her use of colors and crackle medium.

lisa's atcs: flying flower (left) and spiral flora

needlefelting nirvana

2011-04-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

ocean sunset
silk and merino wool roving on lutradur

i think i could needlefelt all day...it's creative, easy, quick, forgiving, fun, artistic, crafty, stress-draining...what more could you want? click here to watch last week's episode of wednesday night live, where i demonstrate lots of needlefelting techniques, tips and project ideas. try it, you'll like it!

autumn leaf
variegated hand-dyed wool roving with yarn on wool felt

i'm in an atc frame of mind

2011-04-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

i'm so happy i finally got a lovely assortment of some of the artist trading cards i've collected over the years up on the wall in my studio. these white wood atc trays from 7 gypsies have been increasingly hard to find, but i was able to buy a few here locally and a few more online.

these cards represent the work of so many talented people all around the world - with so many different artistic styles and mediums - it inspires me to no end. i have another couple batches of cards beyond these, some are sitting in an album and some hang on the wall behind my desk at work.

all these cards also remind me that i have made as many as i have collected (atcs are always swapped) - phew!

steampunk atcs

2011-04-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

these atcs were created by (clockwise from top left):
valerie, donna, uni, cathy, liz, and tarri

tonight i hosted a local atc group with about 6-8 women who meet once a month...and my theme was steampunk! click on the image once or twice to zoom in and see all the wonderful detail.

this group has been going for quite a few years now - it began in a local scrapbook store that closed a couple years ago, so now each member takes turns hosting in our homes. i went a few times a year or more ago, and i just started back up with them last month. i admire this group so much for staying together for so long!

each month we decide on a theme and we all make cards for everyone. we linger lovingly over the swapping part of the evening. we each take a turn handing out the atcs we made, and we share all the details...what inspired us, where we found our materials, what techniques we used.

then one of us shares a demo or we all make something - last month we did a really fun improvisational round robin, where we each started an atc background, then rotated the cards to each person to add a little something extra - a layer, a stamped image, some distressing, a border, an embellishment. each atc turned out completely different and unique.

tonight i did a demo on how to use alcohol inks to marbleize translucent vellum paper - perfect for atc or greeting card backgrounds.

a very enjoyable evening! next month our theme is mosaics...got my thinking cap on!

atc group

2011-04-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

on monday i am hosting a local atc group that meets once a month for a little swap and creative time. i chose steampunk for the theme, which i interpreted very loosely on my cards.

the background is translucent vellum paper that i marbleized with alcohol inks and adhered to white cardstock. i added a chipboard trim that I distress-inked, stamped a pocket watch image, and finished off with some little metallic goo-gaws.

looking forward to a nice visit with the ladies!

fussing with reds

2011-04-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

here's what i've been working on, splattering and smudging acrylic inks and paints with glass beads medium on a 10" square tan canvas board. i fussed around with it until i liked the balance of messy and pretty. it was also an exercise for me, novice that i am, with painting flowers at different angles. i rather like the hint of a doorway that turned up in the background, i like the thought of this little bouquet warming up a whole room. i think i'm finally happy with it, it feels like me.

zentangle

2011-04-08T01:04:00.000-07:00

i picked up a 10" white painted wood letter for my name on sale a while back. wasn't sure if i wanted to paint it or collage it or what. finally tonight i decided to do a little tanglin' on it - i messed up a little on the basketweave section, but oh well, it was still fun!

lovin' the tone on tone

2011-04-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

here's another piece of tone-on-tone fabric i painted tonight. i kept the fabric damp as i added color and stamping to get the nice bleeding effect - click here to catch my demo, after the amazing brayer painting demo by lisa kerpoe...which i can't wait to try next!

before painting and stamping

paint stamping

2011-04-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

tonight i played with white tone-on-tone fabric. i love the natural resist you get from the printed pattern when you give the fabric a light water wash (i used acrylic ink). then my next favorite thing to do is stamp random patterns with acrylic paint and household objects. i used a pencil eraser, the edge of a business card, a cookie cutter, plus a sponge dauber. i stamped while the fabric was still damp to get a nice little blur around some of the edges.

i just discovered a new challenge blog called paint party friday - so welcome and thanks to any new visitors from that site! i took their poll this week about where i like to paint, which is normally in my home studio...but tonight i painted during my weekly "twisted thimbles" night with my quilting friends in our guild's classroom. they quilt, i paint. or i work on a craft project. sometimes i surprise them and i sew a little. i bring them lots of quilting books and magazines from my office to peruse.

tomorrow night i'm demo-ing these easy and fun surface design techniques on wednesday night live! but i'm really looking forward to my guest's demo - lisa kerpoe - she's a wonderful textile artist who will show us how to do brayer painting on fabric - yummy!! hope you'll tune in!

my local guild's quilt show

2011-04-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

every tuesday night i hang out with a splinter group of members of my local quilt guild, we call ourselves the "twisted thimbles." i'm the one who rarely quilts in the group, i'm usually working on some other kind of mixed media project...but it's a great group of women who i enjoy spending time with every week.

recently one of our members (who is also the current guild president) suddenly had to have some pretty serious surgery, so we made her a get-well quilt using her favorite asian-themed fabrics and colors. we each made one or two blocks. since i'm the one in the group who sews the least, my block is a freehand-drawn and painted chinese character for "tranquility." we each signed our blocks, and they were whisked away to another member who quilted them together beautifully. i made the quilt label on the computer with a geisha image and transferred it to fabric with tap.

the quilt was hanging in our guild's annual show this weekend, i was so happy to finally see the finished work!

it was hard not to shop shop shop with the vendors at the show...but i was good, i bought only two cuts of yummy hand-batik fabric made by east african women from the asante network booth - yay for supporting fair trade!

if you are on facebook, click here to see more pictures i took of some of the quilts at the show that i liked the most.

more indigo atcs arrived!

2011-04-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

three more wonderful artist trading cards just arrived from my arts in the cards group. from the left, we have sue, ann, and karen...all unique takes on the "indigo" theme. click on the pic to zoom in.

and for you botanically-challenged folks like me, "baptisia tinctoria" is a flower more commonly known as "wild indigo."

i've just ordered more of my favorite atc trays to display all my new swap treasures, I can't wait to fill up the wall in my studio!

indigo improv

2011-03-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

there just aren't any mistakes in mixed media, that's what i love about it. you can just layer and blend until you like what you get. for me, it's more about the journey than the destination. i just love the process of experimenting with different mediums and materials, seeing how they react with each other, complement or contrast with each other. every once in a while i toss something, but usually i can turn it around.

this batch of atcs that i made for one of my groups was all about improvisation, based upon a single word...indigo. i just sat down with a couple different shades of blue paint and began creating with absolutely no clue where it was going. so much fun! if i didn't like something, i layered over it. I love messy and distressed backgrounds with something more defined in the foreground, which is a popular style amongst mixed media artists today. i also love blending paint, fibers and metallic elements together.

i posted the details of the materials and techniques i used on the arts in the cards blog.

shades of blue

2011-03-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

reason #673 for why i enjoy doing atc swaps...it makes going to my po box ever so much more enjoyable! these cards just arrived from some of the artists in my arts in the cards group.

top row from left: marie and janice
bottom row from left: carol, patty, and linda

the theme this month was indigo. i am still working on mine, i'll post them soon. the talented women in this group are so inspiring to me, they really challenge me to raise the bar on my own work!

cowgirl collage

2011-03-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

next week i will be a featured guest on rebecca parson's show, mixin' it up! on the cool2craft network.

in the show, i will give lots of tips about my personal approach to designing a collage - i hope you'll check it out - the whole show has a western theme with a terrific variety of projects.

here are my basic instructions to make yourself a fun collage like this (click on the picture to enlarge). i just love the paper i found for the wording. it's a letter from a woman scorned to a man she never wants to lay eyes on again...goes well with the gun-totin' cowgirl, dont'cha think? :-)

materials:

6"x9" cardstock for foundation (2 pieces)
matte gel medium and brush
variety of scrapbook papers - neutrals, brights, patterns, words
yarn, brads, metal photo corners
vintage photocopy of a cowgirl

tear and/or trim 3-4 strips of neutral papers, lay them side by side vertically and adhere to your cardstock foundation with the matte gel medium to create a background.

using a lit match, carefully burn the edges of your vintage photo, blowing out the flame quickly after igniting the paper. work safely over a metal tray and keep a water mister bottle close by, just in case!

trim, layer, and adhere two pieces of contrasting bright color papers together for a frame and adhere the photo on top of them; adhere all but the lower corners of the frame to the background.

tear a piece of paper with words or poetry on it that compliments your photo, and tuck it under the corner of the frame, glue it all down.

glue a few patches of patterned papers on top, and punch your brads in as desired. wrap some yarn "rope" around one edge and tape down on the back. embellish the photo frame with decorative metal corners.

adhere the foundation to the second piece of cardstock to hide the brad prongs and yarn edges....and enjoy!

more fun with hot

2011-03-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

here's what i ended up finishing from the hotpad demo i started last week on wednesday night live. i started with all circle appliqué pieces (no strips) and tried random curves and free-motion (ish) circle quilting, but didn't like it so much, it just didn't look cohesive.

then i thought of anchoring the circle appliqué pieces with a continuous waffle stitch pattern, which i like better...the contrast of all the circles and dots with the straight lines looks more interesting to me. plus the straight lines are easier to stitch!

i still need more practice on mitering my corners - this one in front turned out perfect, the other three are a tad wonky!

bottle cozy

2011-03-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

this week on wednesday night live! i shared a whip-it-up quick bottle cozy project with insul-fleece (a special interfacing that insulates).

click here to watch the replay.

after the show, i finished up the project with some fabric scraps and silver studs.

i need to get a heavier-duty needle for stitching through the adhesive velcro strip closures though, that was a bit tricky (and sticky)...

this was pretty fun to make and the insul-fleece will keep my water colder for longer - yay!

book review & giveaway!

2011-03-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

wooohooo! i'm so happy to be part of my friend kathy cano-murillo's blog tour for her newest crafty chica novel - miss scarlet's school of patternless sewing!

i received an advance from her publisher and started reading it right away. i enjoyed kathy's first novel, waking up in the land of glitter, so i knew i'd love her miss scarlet.

first of all, kathy is just about the nicest, sweetest, kindest person you'd ever want to meet. we know her as the crafty chica, a madly talented artist and crafter with a creative passion for her latin roots.

kathy's writing style is lovingly descriptive and fun to read. her characters are immediately likable and relatable...as an artist and a crafter myself, i get such a kick out of their crafty lingo, thoughts, and mishaps. it's like there are little private jokes woven into the story just for me.

i was drawn to the title right away, because i am all about patternless. i rarely use templates or patterns when i create. i am all about the shortcuts - i hate to measure, i leave the instructions behind, and i tend to design on the fly, tweaking mistakes into opportunities as i go along.

and on a more figurative note, the book's tagline really resonated with me too... sometimes to find your life's true path, you have to stray outside the lines.

click here for a book synopsis...
click here for the video trailer...
click here for the bio...

since there are many bloggers on this book tour who already did a fabulous job of interviewing kathy with questions about the story, her character development, her writing style, her experience and inspiration...i went rogue (as i often do) and asked her just three simple and totally non-sequitur questions:

what is the wierdest thing in your fridge right now?
The item itself isn't weird, but the way I use it kinda is...I always keep a tub of dark chocolate ready-made frosting in the fridge. That way when I need a quick hit of the hard stuff, I can run over and dig out a teaspoon and savor it! I only allow myself to do that a couple times a week so it lasts a long time. Hit and run chocolate!

if you were on the show, survivor - what is the one luxury item you would bring with you to the island and why?
I would craft a mini-suitcase and have my iPhone, charger, drawing pad, pen, red lipstick - oh and pictures of my husband and kids - all stitched together so they would count as "one" item!

what is your go-to doodle when you're in a boring meeting?
It's always henna-inspired flowers in the corner of the paper. And then I add vines and leaves up the side to the top corner, next thing I know there are more doodles than notes! If it is a super professional meeting, I'll write the topic of the meeting in fancy bubble letters so it looks like I think it is super important and exciting and no one will mind me getting doodly with it.

and now for the giveaway!
one lucky winner will get a copy of both books!
just leave a comment here on this blog post to enter for your chance to win...i will pick a winner on friday, march 11th at midnight (pst). good luck!

3/12 update: congrats to Tracy, aka "scrappynana" who won this drawing!

visit kathy's flickr gallery to see more of her art. i love her colorful drawings, her style is just so happy!

hot hot hot!

2011-03-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

a couple times a year at c&t publishing where i work, we hold a craft camp for the staff. the quilters, sewers, artists and crafters among us pick one of our newer books or products and create a project to teach. it gives us a break from our computer monitors, and also gives us a better appreciation for what we spend all day producing and selling!

my co-worker ruthmary taught us how to sew a hot pad with insul-fleece® and raw-edge appliqué, inspired by patterns found in the book, tile quilt revival. she provided us with wonderful instructions, templates, and measurements...but in my true shortcut queen style, i tossed all that and went rogue with my scissors.

rather than mitering the corners, i pinched them up so they look kinda like little finials or something, i think it's a cute shortcut. there are two layers of insul-fleece, so it's nice and thick, it will protect the table where you want to place a hot dish. i did just a minimal amount of quilting around the edges of the appliqué shapes and some straight lines that cross through the center.

i shared what i learned on tonight's webcast - click here if you want to learn how to make one for yourself in fabrics that match your table linens, they are pretty quick to stitch up.

primal green

2011-03-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

recently i joined a quilt guild, contemporary quilt & fiber artists. the women in this group spent a whole year arranging for a special member exhibit of art quilts called "primal green" at the san francisco public library to celebrate earth day...it runs through the end of july.

i am still a beginner with fiber art and quilting, and i have only made a few pieces so far, but i really wanted to submit something - such an amazing opportunity! my piece was accepted, along with the amazing and inspiring work of 19 other artists - so exciting!

the sf library is a huge facility, i'm going this weekend to see the exhibit for myself. these pics were taken by my friend and fellow cqfa member, jaye lapachet.

my little rosebud quilt, puckered seams and all, is in a display case (left) with a killer view of san francisco city hall.

here is my post from last year when i first made this quilt for a challenge that was displayed at the quilt show for my local county guild that i also belong to....it has more details about my materials and design.

i gave the quilt to my mom as a gift last spring, but when i heard about the environmental theme of the cqfa show, i thought this image was a good fit so i snagged it back off her wall, lol! i love the fragrant rosebushes in my front yard - i am always amazed at how stark they are in the winter and how beautiful they are when the blooms return each year.

coming this june!

2011-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

i'm so excited to finally be able to give you a sneak peek of this project i designed for the book, countdown calendars, coming out in june!

this version of a countdown calendar is perfect for the bride-to-be who wants to save all her clippings, pictures, articles, brochures, etc. in pretty pockets, while she is planning her wedding and counting down to the big day.

materials include fast2fuse, lutradur, tap, organza and fabric.

you're gonna want this book, it has so many cute projects from more than 20 different designers.

sincerity

2011-03-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

on wednesday night live recently, i showed how to make this fabric postcard using tap and fast2fuse.

i love this book, the spirit of the chinese character. it shows you how to draw 50+ characters for great words like sincerity, harmony, sage, and destiny. i like painting them directly on to fabric, but for this card i scanned in the character, reversed it, then printed it on tap to transfer it on to fabric instead...much easier!

i did the same for the word in english...type, reverse, print and transfer.

the web texture behind the character is black mistyfuse trapped under the tap, on top of green fabric - i love this effect.

after fusing everything down, i stitched around the edges, fused cardstock to the back, and it's ready to send!

springtime table runner

2011-02-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

this was a fun project that i shared on wednesday night live recently. the lutradur gives it some really fun texture, as well as some extra stability to keep the runner flat on your table...enjoy!

materials
- background fabric (runner) to fit your table
(mine is approx 12" x 48")
- ultra-light lutradur
- painted fabric scraps
- spray ink in a color to match fabric
- bonash fusing powder
- glue stick
- silicone release paper

1. hem the edges of your runner with a 1/4" seam.

2. spritz a strip of ultra-light lutradur with spray ink, allow to dry (tip: spray the lutradur on top of a large piece of watercolor paper or plain cotton, then you'll have an interesting painted pattern on the paper/cotton when you remove the lutradur...a two-fer!).

3. cut a variety of painted fabric scraps into circles, triangles, leaves and petals. painted fabric works nicely because the edges don't fray when cut.

4. arrange your scraps however you like to create a random floral pattern on your runner - focus the design just on the ends, or just in the center, or all over.

5. use just a dab of glue stick to adhere scraps in place on your runner.

6. cut the ultra-light lutradur to the best size to cover your floral pattern.

7. sprinkle a moderate amount of bonash fusing powder on top of the pattern, over the entire area where the lutradur will lay.

8. position the lutradur on top of the powdered area the way you want it, cover with a sheet of non-stick silicone release paper, and press with a hot iron to fuse the lutradur to your runner, trapping your floral pattern in between (the paper will protect your iron).

9. stitch around the edges of the lutradur to finish it off, and stitch around the edges of your fabric scrap shapes to embellish, if desired.

An oldie but a goodie!

2011-02-13T00:07:00.000-08:00

Here are the instructions for turning a plain white Ready-to-Go!® Blank Board Box into a gorgeous treasure chest for cosmetics, jewelry or other special trinkets and mementos. I made this one a couple years ago and I am ready to make another!

1. Start by painting the entire outside and the inside edges of the lid with black acrylic gesso, allow to dry with the lid open.

2. Paint a thin coat of glazing medium all over the outside to give it a nice glossy sheen. Allow to dry with the lid open.

3. To line the inside of the box, trim 6 sheets of paper to fit the sides, bottom and under the lid. Adhere each sheet with a thin coat of matte gel medium, allow to dry. To seal, paint another thin coat of medium over the tops of all the papers, and also over the black inside the lid.

4. If desired, squeeze some puff paint in the seams and corners to cover where the papers meet, allow to dry.

5. Adhere some mirrored mosaic tiles with craft glue inside the lid.

6. Print out a clip-art geisha image, or use a rub-on, on to cardstock. Highlight areas of the image with glossy accents medium, allow to dry. Adhere image to top of box with some matte gel medium.

7. Use craft glue to adhere decorative ribbon around the edge of box and lid as desired.

8. Add a decorative button to the front of the lid with craft glue, so it acts as a handle.

sneak peek

2011-02-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

i just made a super cool sheet of distressed art paper using fabric imagery and tap...i learned the technique from rebekah meier and i'm showing you how to make it yourself...this week on wednesday night live!

join us for this project and more mixed media mayhem this wednesday, 6pm pst (9pm et). click here to enter the room at showtime.

tell 'em

2011-01-26T00:34:00.000-08:00

tonight on the craft-tastic live webcast, i showed some super easy techniques to create pretty backgrounds for the pages of a heart-shaped blank board book. i borrowed lyrics from rock ballads for some of the sentiments. rock ballads are full of great ways to tell someone you love them...much nicer than what the greeting card people write, i think!

getting ready for cha cha cha!

2011-01-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

Cover of my canvas book

it's that time...every january, i go to the craft & hobby association trade show (aka cha). i'll be in the c&t publishing booth, showing off all our fabulous books and products.

i'm getting lots and lots of samples ready to demo tap transfers and paint stamping on fabric and canvas books. I'll also spend some time in the petersen arne booth showing off some techniques inspired by projects in our stash books titles.

i'm really looking forward to spending time in our booth with some wonderful c&t authors who will demo - jake finch, rebekah meier, and alissa haight-carlton. plus the madly talented suzi blu will be painting with us for a bit!

in addition to booth demos, i'll be showing off some fun products and ideas on the cool2craft webcast and the charity wings webcast.

then there's the parties...cha has two big receptions planned, so it will be quite the weekend!

where to find me

2011-01-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

i just updated the events page on my website, so you'll know where to find me online and in-person for demos, interviews and good times!

i have lots of fun projects and techniques to share - starting with a demo on the craft-tastic live! webcast on tuesday, january 25 at 6:00pm PST (9:00pm ET). The theme is "red romance" so i'm showing you how to create a heart-shaped journal of love songs - don't miss it!

click here at show time, type in your name, and then sit back and enjoy the hour. watch us demo live, ask questions, and chat with people all over the country.

indie file box

2011-01-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

tonight on wednesday night live, i shared some cool textural painting techniques for decorating an indie file box. click here for the replay link if you want to watch the show and have some fun! my crafty sistah andrea currie was my guest demonstrator - her project rocked!

here's my finished box - i dabbed a stucco-ish texture on the sides, then added a curvy scraped pattern to the top with a paint scraper tool. after that was dry, i stamped it heavily and randomly with dark purple ink. i used a dahlia shaped stamp and overlapped it all messy-like. i used a marker to line the edge all around the lid to finish it off. then i adhered some cute ribbon and a giant button and done! click on the pics to see them larger for more detail.

here's a link to another pretty indie file box i made a couple years ago - turned out nice, looks like a black lacquered finish.

more scrapping with fabric

2011-01-13T08:09:00.001-08:00

last wednesday in the digital lounge, i showed how easy it is to use tap to transfer photos to white cotton, then use fast2fuse to stabilize the fabric and create cute little photo placards.

starting with a 5x7" blank board book, i adhered strips of batik fabric to papers with gel medium for the background pages. it's a quick and easy way to put together a scrapbook of your favorite halloween costumes, or for any occasion!

birdie

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

got a cute little birdie stamp....had to test it out on a couple atc's!

a little shelfy

2011-01-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

i needed a little shelf to display some of my board books - so happy with how easy it was to paint and embellish my own 18" shelf in about an hour!

video tutorial library

2011-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

just a quick note to make sure you know about all my video tutorials on my website - from various episodes of cool2craft that i did last year.

and then click here if you want to hang out for an hour and watch the hilariously insane season finale episode of andrea currie's craft-tastic live, where she "breaks into my house" with her hubs cliff, and she starts crafting in my studio while cliff is digging around for stuff to steal, lol!

i show up about 15 minutes in, the whole thing was a little secret surprise, it was soooo much fun - and some great craft demos too!

layered board book cover

2011-01-05T23:51:00.001-08:00

so i'm hosting a new weekly webcast for c&t publishing (how much do i love my job!) called wednesday night live.

on our first show last night, i demo-ed how to make this pretty cover for a board book....it can become an art journal, a scrapbook, a recipe book, a place to glue in the atc's you collect...board books are so versatile, i just love 'em.

here is the replay link for the show - i hope you enjoy it, and i hope you'll be inspired!

visit my website for discounted prices on almost all the things you need to make one of these for yourself!

join me (and guest demonstrators too) every wednesday night (6pm pst; 8pm ct; 9pm et) in c&t publishing's digital lounge for free, live and interactive demos and lots of fun chatter with people all over the world.

quick card o'dee day

2011-01-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

there are a few discount home fabric stores near me, where i love to pick up inexpensive embroidered appliqué patches like this flower. combining stripes and circles always makes for a fun card!

keeping specs handy

2011-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

i made this little "reader necklace" for my mom to attach her reading glasses and hang them around her neck. i used a strong and smooth nylon-coated stainless wire with crimping beads to float two groups of decorative beads just on the sides. having no beads on the back makes it lightweight and more comfy against your neck.

thank you card

2011-01-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

made from a fun paper pack called "victoria" from 7 gypsies.

quick card o' dee day

2010-12-30T01:47:00.000-08:00

for a friend who is going to a baby shower...the background papers and birdie are from a super cool basic grey collection called "kioshi." the baby letters are graphic 45, and the three large colored circles are cut from lutradur painted with inktense pencils.

going like hotcakes!

2010-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

made another batch of earrings for my coworkers - they're all getting scooped up for quick and easy gifties - i sure hope the women who get them enjoy them! i'm particularly fond of the long rolled paper beads in the lower left corner.

a girlie christmas

2010-12-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

my coworker asked me to make a couple special christmas cards for her two granddaughters. i went for the sparkly winter theme. both the ice skate and snowflake embellishments were trimmed out from my stash of recycled cards. the backgrounds are "fairy frost" fabric from michael miller. bling!

a thank-you for my secret santa

2010-12-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

at our office holiday luncheon last week, we celebrated with a secret santa gift exchange. our sales manager, sandy, had drawn my name. she knows i am an artist and a crafter, so she headed to the mixed media aisle at our local art store to shop.

now...sandy's not so much into these kinds of creative pursuits herself...she said she was totally flummoxed by all the different products and couldn't decide what to buy. a couple of our craftier co-workers helped her choose things in the end, reassuring her that she doesn't need to know what to do with it herself to know that i will love it!

she selected three large sheets of gorgeous collage papers, some decorative brads, postage stamp embellishments, hinge clips, and rub-ons of great words like "adventure." everything was fabulous, she could not have picked more perfect treats for me.

so it only made sense for me to use a little of everything she gave me to make this thank-you card for her. now she will know what we do with this stuff!

santa's workshop

2010-12-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

a few of my co-workers have asked me to make a batch of earrings so they can buy some stocking-stuffers for their friends...so i am spending the day blissfully buried in beads!

more with the mini shadowbox

2010-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

this past tuesday, i was a guest demonstrator on my friend andrea's show, "craftastic live!" well, actually my alter craft ego, hazel q. flipwater, was the guest, lol. andrea and i sure love being silly together, you'd think we were both 10 years old. click here for the replay link - some great craft demos and lots of laughs!

i showed everyone how to make another version of a mini shadowbox ornament. it's super quick to paint with stamp pad inks. this one is a blend of purple and pumpkin colors. i curved some thick gold wire into a spiral and attached it to the back, then adhered my little picture on it so it floats whimsically in the middle of the box.

earlier that same evening, i was visiting in the charity wings chat room with another creative friend, laura bray. we were all talking about how we weren't so into traditional scrapbooking, but that other kinds of memory crafts with photos are really fun to make. i'll be hanging this little box on my wall at work to remind me how happy my brother was when he got to meet mickey.

mini shadowbox ornament

2010-12-06T22:29:00.001-08:00

join me (and my crazy alter ego, hazel q. flipwater, lol) on andrea currie's craftastic live web show on tuesday night (dec 7) at 7:00pm pt (10pm et).

i will show you how easy it is to make this super cute ornament for your family tree, using my favorite mini shadowboxes.

distressed zebra

2010-12-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

i experimented with white embossing powder on a black paper maché box...did some rough striping, then coated it with glossy pouring medium. the top is grungeboard painted with iridescent white, then accented with black metallic dots and a white plaster flower that i edged in black.

more fun cards

2010-12-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

all the same design, just lots of different combos of colors and patterns!

cards cards cards

2010-12-03T23:13:00.000-08:00

making a bunch of art cards to sell at a holiday boutique...i start with handpainted backgrounds that i make for artist trading cards. then i layer them together with some coordinating papers, images and embellishments to make a greeting card. i love the process of finding different things in my stash that look interesting together.