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October 26, 2009

More Picture Frame Styles

Filed under: Hand made gifts — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — @ 8:08 pm

This style uses plaster of Paris again but in a slightly different way to making plaster moulds and sticking them onto the frame but I’m sure you will enjoy this one just as much and be very happy with the results..

For this style you will need:-

  • Flat picture frame (min width 7.5cm)
  • Stiff cardboard and tape
  • Plaster of Paris
  • Playdough
  • Biscuit cutter shapes
  • Paint and brush

What to Do:-

Cut four strips of cardboard to form a box around the outside of your picture frame. The sides will need to come above the frame by a few centimetres. Do the same on the inside of your picture frame. Make sure the corners of the boxed area are secure with tape to prevent leakage of the plaster.

Use the biscuit shape of your choice and the playdough to make some shapes and place them, as you like, around the frame. Each shape should be of even thickness about 1cm, press them gently and evenly into place.

Mix 300ml of plaster with 150ml of water to a creamy consistency. Pour into the cardboard box surrounding your frame to a level just below your shapes. Leave overnight to set.

When the plaster has thoroughly dried you are ready to decorate. Remove the frame and shapes and paint your chosen colours. If you’re not sure about colour choice think about where the frame will be located, can you blend it with colours in that location? Or, what are the shapes you have used for example, hearts – red and gold, shells – yellow and pale blue or stars – silver and dark blue.

Maybe you can make a few frames, package them up unpainted and give as gifts with some paint and brushes, Christmas is just around the corner.

Have a good time and enjoy your creativity.

October 19, 2009

Découpage Plates

Filed under: Hand made gifts — Tags: , , , , , , , — @ 3:13 am

Decorating plates using découpage is really easy and the effect is as good as any expensive designer plate. The great thing is when you do it yourself you can make very special personalised gifts and momentos. You can use photos, special messages or dates, write your own messages or poems for a really impressive look.

What You Need -

  • Wrapping paper, greeting cards or other suitable motif.
  • Sharp scissors
  • PVA Glue and Brush
  • Glass plates
  • Paint (Acrylic or Emulsion) and Brushes
  • Blu-tac
  • Extra fine pointed gold or other suitable colour marker pen (spirit-based).
  • Cotton wool buds
  • Small sponge
  • Clear Varnish and paint brush

What To Do -

  1. Cut out the motifs you will be using. It can look effective to put a larger image in the centre and smaller ones around the edge. Use blu-tac to keep your design in place until you are happy with the positions.
  2. At this point it is a good idea to put your personal message or photo on the plate.
  3. With your message and motifs worked out it is time to secure everything in place with glue. Using the PVA paste the right side of your motifs and place them on the underside of your glass plate. Smooth it out with your finger being careful to remove any air bubbles.
  4. Place any other decorations you are using in the same manner.
  5. When everything is in place and dry you are ready to paint. Clear off any excess glue with warm water and cotton wool bud. Sponge paint over the back of the plate several times allowing it to dry in between each sponging.
  6. To finish off, protect the paint with a couple of coats of clear varnish. Remember to allow each coat to dry before applying the next. Clean up the top surface and dry to a shine. this plate should not be submerged in water to clean just wipe with a damp cloth.
  7. To hang your plate add a peel and stick hanger to the back.

Take your time and plan your design carefully and you will not be disappointed.

Have Fun:)

October 18, 2009

Marbled Paper

Filed under: Craft Ideas — Tags: , , , , , , , — @ 4:48 am

Marbling creates decorative paper by dipping it in liquid containing floating coloured paints.

What You Need

  • Large flat container
  • Small containers for mixing colours
  • Needles
  • Cocktail sticks
  • Paint brushes or drinking straws
  • Eye dropper
  • Newspaper or line for drying
  • Oil paints
  • Turpentine or white spirits

Floating oil paints in the water can create some lovely patterns on your paper. Mix the paints with the turpentine or white spirits until it runs easily off a brush, Use paper that fits just inside the tray. Any type of printing paper is fine and white or coloured to your liking.

Fill container with water and drip droplets of paint onto the surface and spread the colour out carefully using a brush. Patterns can be made by blowing gently using a straw. Another way to create patterns is to swirl with a needle or thin stick. Don’t over mix because the colours wil become muddy.

When you are ready to put the paper in the water slide it in carefully starting at a corner whilst holding it at opposite corners. Make sure the whole sheet comes in contact with the surface. Lowering your paper carefully will prevent bubbles that can spoil your design. If you notice bubbles you can carefully tap the paper down into the water just a little.

Once the paper is covered carefully lift it out of the tray, it can dry on the newspaper pattern side up or hang it on an indoor clothes line.

Have Fun :)

October 16, 2009

Découpage Jewel Box

Filed under: Craft Ideas — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — @ 5:46 am

You will need a pre-made box. These can be found in most craft supply stores along with many other crafty items you can apply découpage to.

Instructions

  1. Seal the surface of item to be decorated with all-purpose sealer, paint or gesso.
  2. Sand gently with coarse sanding pad. Clean with a damp cloth then wipe over with a tack cloth to remove dust.
  3. Apply two coats of your choice of green acrylic to the inside of the box, allow to dry then wipe over with acrylic gold.
  4. Mix a cool and warm acrylic yellow together and apply to the outside of the box. Let dry, trim with the green and wipe over with gold.
  5. Seal painted surface with all purpose sealer.
  6. Seal découpage paper, front and back, with sealer.
  7. Use sharp manicure scissors to cut out motifs. Arrange images as desired for your project. Use blu-tack while deciding your design.
  8. Mix clag and PVA, 4:1 and apply generously to images and surface of item. Place your images on the item and apply more glue. Smooth the surface of image and remove air bubbles and expelling excess glue. Apply roller gently to the surface to ensure it is smooth and free of bubbles. Wipe carefully with a damp cloth, so as not to move the image.
  9. Using a weak vinegar and water solotion wipe over the surface to ensure all glue is removed. This prevents mould forming after the item has been varnished. Let dry. Any patches can be coloured with oil pencil.
  10. Use sponge brush to apply two coats of sealer. Let dry.
  11. Working in a ventilated dust free area apply acrylic or polyurethane varnish to protect your finished work. Apply smoothly and carefully work in even strokes from end to end without lifting brush from surface. Allow to dry following manufacturers instructions. Repeat about 30 times, at right angles to each  previous coat. Sand in between each coat also at right angles to previous sanding, using the course, medium than fine sanding pads. Wipe with tack cloth before reapplying each coat until you reach your desired finish.
  12. Polish with Micro-mesh or beeswax.

September 23, 2009

Making Clay Fridge Magnets

Filed under: Craft Ideas — Tags: , , , , , — @ 4:51 am

Self hardening modelling clay is easy to use it can be painted and decorated to make a variety of items, its available at reasonable cost from most craft supply stores. It’s a great craft for kids to join in making a variety of shapes, animals or funny faces.

You will need:-

  • Self hardening modelling clay
  • blunt knife
  • rolling pin
  • card
  • scissors
  • glitter
  • glue
  • magnets
  • paint and brushes
  • plastic tablecloth or similar for working on

Prepare your work area and using the roller, roll out the clay to a about 5 mm thickness and leave it to harden slightly for about five to ten minutes. Draw the outline of the shapes you want onto the card and cut around to make templates. Use the cut out templates to cut out the clay shapes with the knife. Smooth the edges and leave them to dry for 24 hours.

When the magnet shapes are dry they are ready to be painted and decorated. Paint the surface and sides with acrylic paint in the style you wish. When the paint is dry if you wish to decorate with glitter paint the area with some clear glue and sprinkle on the glitter. Leave to dry.

To waterproof you magnets paint a layer of varnish over the top when you have finished decorating. Make sure you have covered all areas and leave to dry lastly glue the magnetic strip onto the back of your shapes.

September 16, 2009

Pressed Flower Gift Tag

Filed under: Craft Ideas — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 5:39 am

Making gift cards is something my daughter and I enjoy doing together, we share ideas and we both learn from each other. We decided to try a pressed flower card for my sisters birthday because of her love of flowers. We were very happy with the result, and the benefits were many, my sister loved the card, my daughter and I spent time together and we have added another craft to our repertoire.

What You Will Need :-

  • White Card
  • Cord/ribbon, 22cm (9ins)
  • Gold Paint/pen
  • Fine Water Colour Paint Brush
  • Hole Punch
  • Small Flower eg. Pansy, hyacinths, primrose

Cut the card to suit your chosen flower, the flowers should be less than half the width of the card. Draw a border around the card and go over it with the gold paint.

You will need to use flowers that have been pressed and have dried for the appropriate amount of time (about six weeks).  To protect the flower on the card it is fixed in place with glue as well as a transparent seal over the top.

Place the flower on the transparent  seal sheet and draw a circle around the flower, give it a 4mm border. Cut out the shape and carefully remove the backing. Place the pressed flower face down on the transparent sticking film, carefully dab a small amount of glue onto the petals and centre of the flower. You are then ready to put your flower in place, press down carefully over the flower and film removing any air bubbles.

Punch a hole in the corner of the card and thread with a cord or ribbon Write any words or message with a gold pen.

Enjoy and be Happy :)

September 6, 2009

What I’ve Learned about Portrait Painting

Filed under: Paint and Painting — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 6:30 am

Wow, I find painting portraits to be an awesome experience. Starting with a blank canvas you begin to create when you put the pencil to work. My first portrait was a baby in oils. Oils work best with portraits because they take hours and sometimes days to dry giving you the time to work with them adjusting skin tone, light and shade. Remember to always start with three shades to every colour you use. Mix your colour, this is your dark shade,  separate a portion and add a little white to it, this is your medium shade, then take some white and add a little of the dark shade now you have your lightest tone.

The medium shade is likely to be the tone you will use the most, with the darker shades for the shadow effects and the light tone in areas touched by light. Look at your photo or model carefully as you mark these areas on your portrait. Always soften the edges of your colours so they appear to blend into the next colour and not end abruptly leaving sharp edges. Don’t over blend or work the edges of your colours or they will end up runnning into each other. Continue to work on the skin areas building the character of your portrait with every layer you apply.

Depending on how much time you have to spend on your painting it could take anything from a few days to a few months to complete. Just be patient  the end result will be well worth it.

Have Fun :)

September 1, 2009

Paint Class 3 – Colour Chart

Filed under: Paint and Painting — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 2:28 am

All art supply stores will carry a wide range of colours in water, acrylic and oils but you often end up with more than you need. It is possible to use just six colours plus white to make any colour you need and if you’re careful make just as much as you need and avoid wastage.

Ok, so all you need is a pot or tube of cool (lemon) and warm yellow, cool (crimson) and warm red, cool (phthalo) and warm (ultra-marine) blue plus white you’ll need a guide for mixing. Using a sheet of art paper put a patch of each of the six colours across the top.  To simplify things I’m going to number each colour as follows:-

  1. Warm Yellow
  2. Cool Yellow
  3. Warm Red
  4. Cool Red
  5. Warm Blue
  6. Cool Blue

Mix the colours on the art sheet so that you can keep it for a reference.

You can get four different shades of orange by mixing:-

  • 1 and 3
  • 1 and 4
  • 2 and 3
  • 2 and 4

You will get four shades of green by mixing :-

  • 1 and 5
  • 1 and 6
  • 2 and 5
  • 2 and 6

You will get brown by mixing 3 and 5 and can change the shade by adding 1 or 2.

Mixing 3 and 6 is a base for dark colours, you can then add the colour you want for a dark shade, it will go to black or to grey when you add white.

You will create purple if you mix 4 and 5 or 4 and 6.

On a six point colour star red is placed on the top, green on the bottom, purple and orange on the two top points, and blue and yellow on the bottom, colours next to each other go well together but opposite colours don’t. For example red and green clash, purple and yellow clash, orange and blue clash but blue and purple go well, red and orange go well and yellow and green go well.

Happy Painting :)

August 29, 2009

Paint Class

Filed under: Paint and Painting — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 3:00 am

For about twelve  months I have been going to weekly art class and have found so far that I have a passion for portrait painting. While still sometimes needing help from the art teacher on finishing touches I have been reasonable happy with my finished pieces.

My first real portrait style painting was a baby in oils. I will share a little of what I have learned. Firstly the drawing, I used the square scale  from a photograph and drew my image with an art pencil,  but another method many artists use is the projector method.  To do this you need a transparent sheet, available in most art or office supply stores. Enlarge your photograph or image to about A4 size so that all the fine details stand out. Place your transparent sheet over the top of your enlargement and trace your image. Include all the details including the shadings of light and dark. Use a fine black marker for your drawing.

The next step is to place your transparency on the projector and project your image onto your canvas. Before you do though, paint an undercoat onto your canvas, it doesn’t matter too much what colour you choose as it will be painted over, the purpose is just to seal your canvas. Now you’re ready to draw, zoom in or out to adjust the size of your image to fit the canvas. You are now ready to draw, with an art pencil, the projected image onto your canvas. Try and keep everything in place during this step.

Next post, next step, but if you’ve come this far your on your way.

Happy painting :)

August 28, 2009

Paint

Filed under: Paint and Painting — Tags: , , , , , — @ 5:50 am

Oil -based paints These are tough and glossy that can be used neat or diluted with solvent. Once upon a time they were made with linseed but now oils come made with a synthetic resin called alkyd. They are slow drying and can emit fumes.

Water-based paints These are waterproof and quite durable they dry quickly, are easy to apply and wash up in water. They come in a wide range of colours.

Varnish A transparent, protective coating which comes in gloss, semi-gloss and matt finishes. Clear varnishes can have colour added or coloured varnishes can be bought ready mixed.

Primer & Undercoat Surfaces sometimes need a prepatory coating of primer and undercoat before being painted. Primers seal a porous surface, and should be used if you are painting plaster or wood. Undercoat is painted over primer and should be applied if changing the colour of a previous coating. It contains more pigment than a top coat and dries to a semi-matt finish that gives depth of colour to a final coat.

Have Fun :)

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